Started a Campaign, A little rusty DMing...

[The Tyler]

So, I just started a campaign for a single player. Specifically, my wife. The game is Pathfinder, a new system for both of us. She has a little experience with D&D 4e and WFRP 2e, and most of my experience is with D&D 3e & 4e and WFRP 2e.

The problem I've run into is that my DM skills are rusty, which isn't a huge issue except that I have no ideas on where to take the story from here. She's playing a witch (her first spellcaster) with the healing pact and a witch familiar, but she wanted to start off without her familiar or spells and roleplay out gaining them. I thought it was an awesome idea.

So far, she was sent to an Abbey to help care for a monk who'd fallen into a coma. She's been doing so (with her typical mediocre rolls. I've never seen anyone manage to roll averages so often) and learning a little about the inhabitants, including their belief that something evil lurks in the surrounding woods and it's dangerous to go outside the Abbey walls at night.

So, my problem is...I have almost no idea where to go from here. I want to link what's happening in the woods with her gaining her pact, but I have absolutely no ideas. I'd love suggestions!

[Slylizard]

Thoughts from a pretty rookie DM... but something you or others could bounce off.

The evil in the woods is a coven of witches doing whatever things you imagine witches doing (making candy houses, eating children and so on). You could add in stories of children in the past going missing (I'm assuming the abbey takes in orphans and raises them to follow their deity) whilst your missus is looking after the monk another such abduction occurs.

Some investigation leads her to the woods, she eventually comes across the witches and from there you could play with a few options (depending on player choices):
- The player could join them for the power to heal the monk (undergoing the relevant pacts with evil) and later get taught by these witches, go on a familiar quest, etc.
- The player could kill the evil witches after which the creature that they had a pact with appears, impressed with the players power and ability and offer her a pact herself, thus giving her powers and a familiar to watch over/guide her in her new abilities.

[UndertakerSheep]

To bounce off of Slylizard's ideas: maybe your player won't want to have anything to do with evil witches.

Maybe the witches have tricked/coerced a good creature to form a pact with them. Freeing the creature from its unwilling pact could be enough for it to trust the player with a pact.

[The Tyler]

Aha! Thank you both very much. This is exactly the inspiration I needed!