A very straightforward question to GMs and DMs

[Jon_Dahl]

This has been asked many times before, but I couldn't find a thread.

You have prepared an adventure for the session. The PCs refuse to take the adventure hook on purpose: it's not something they would do regardless of the circumstances.

What do you do?

[hymer]

This has been asked many times before, but I couldn't find a thread.

You have prepared an adventure for the session. The PCs refuse to take the adventure hook on purpose: it's not something they would do regardless of the circumstances.

What do you do?

Firstly, I'd never get in that position. In fact, never have.
Secondly, I'd straight up tell the players I done goofed, and would they pretty please swallow the hook so we have something to do that night. Work with them to make it acceptable.

Some people will no doubt be able to improvise an adventure, but then they wouldn't need to prepare one in the first place. And some people would make up a different hook, and use the same adventure, just a bit differently.

[EnglishKitsune]

Well, an honest and open answer would be never spend all the time preparing an adventure without checking it would appeal to PC's. That's bad Gming that leads to railroading.

In the situation as you have presented it though... Bend the hook into a shape they would take. If they refuse it outright have a character working against the questgivers interest ask them to accept it to betray the questgiver at an opportune time. Simply alignment swap everything so that it now aligns with the PC's moral code. The Necromancer Cleric wants you to Attack Save the local Temple and defeat the Cleric Necromancer.

[BearonVonMu]

Depends on your skill as a GM and your relationship with the other players.
If you need significant time to prepare a solid adventure, then pause the game and tell them that they are bypassing what you have set up for them. Perhaps ask why they didn't nibble at the plot hook: was it boring? not fitting with their characters? did they not see it?
If you are quick on your feet, let them keep going. That dungeon in the forest that you set up might be able to be refluffed as being under the basement of the blacksmith, with the blacksmith and a couple customers having been slain by monsters and their bodies bloodily dragged downstairs.
In short, talk with them. You may be running the game, but you're probably all friends there and should be able to make the story work together.

[Themrys]

This has been asked many times before, but I couldn't find a thread.

You have prepared an adventure for the session. The PCs refuse to take the adventure hook on purpose: it's not something they would do regardless of the circumstances.

What do you do?

Improvise something new for the time being, and get to know the PCs better so you don't run into this situation again.

I assume you are or have been in that situation - what is the adventure hook, and why did you think it would work?

[Satinavian]

I would do the folliwing :

1. Admit that i have only prepared something for that hook

2. Ask, if they have some idea how else their characters can be motivated to go where the hook wants them to go.

3. Think about what different kind of hook might fit for the advanture and use that.


All of that only if really the hook is the problem, not the adventure itself.

[DireSickFish]

This has been asked many times before, but I couldn't find a thread.

You have prepared an adventure for the session. The PCs refuse to take the adventure hook on purpose: it's not something they would do regardless of the circumstances.

What do you do?

I might end the session after figuring out what they do want to do. If I can figure out a new hook or adventure on the fly I'll take 5-10min to write down a few things and make sure any fights wont kill them. If the players have an idea of what they want to do/investigate I'll react to there prompts until I think my reactions aren't doing there plan justice then call the session.

If it's session #1 I'll probably just end the campaign there.

So it depends a lot on what mood I'm in, the reasons the players don't like the adventure, how long it's been since we last played, and if the players have a good alternative plot in mind.

[Eisirt]

This has been asked many times before, but I couldn't find a thread.

You have prepared an adventure for the session. The PCs refuse to take the adventure hook on purpose: it's not something they would do regardless of the circumstances.

What do you do?

I made the important bit bold, why do they sabotage your efforts ON PURPOSE?

[Jon_Dahl]

Improvise something new for the time being, and get to know the PCs better so you don't run into this situation again.

I assume you are or have been in that situation - what is the adventure hook, and why did you think it would work?

I had a situation where two evil villages were at each other's throats. These villages were remote and almost no one had heard of them but there was a hint from a very reputable source that there was an urgent need of help in those villages or there would be "great violence". I wanted to keep my cards hidden. However, the PCs, including a lawful good dwarf, refused. I was speechless. If I can't motivate lawful goods characters with saving people's lives, then... All right. It's all right.

[Segev]

First, identify if it's the hook/motivation to which they object, or the adventure to which it leads. IF the former, ask them what they do, and find an excuse in that to hook them on the adventure some other way. If the latter, either improvise something (maybe even just a "do stuff around town" session) for this week, or apologize and say you done goofed and made something they won't want to play, so you'll prepare something different for next week.

Probably take the time to find out what they don't like about it, so you can avoid repeats of the error.

[Themrys]

I had a situation where two evil villages were at each other's throats. These villages were remote and almost no one had heard of them but there was a hint from a very reputable source that there was an urgent need of help in those villages or there would be "great violence". I wanted to keep my cards hidden. However, the PCs, including a lawful good dwarf, refused. I was speechless. If I can't motivate lawful goods characters with saving people's lives, then... All right. It's all right.

Expecting lawful good characters to save evil people's lives ... I think I know the problem you have there.

"Those two evil people might kill each other if you don't interfere" ... how did you think that would end other than with them saying "They will? Great, then we don't have to kill them. Let's have another ale."

Unless the PCs are pacifists who don't kill anyone, out of principle, then why do you think they would do anything to prevent evil people from killing each other?

Next time, hint that there is a litter of cute and innocent puppies in one of the evil villages. That might help.

[Yora]

In this hypothetical situation I'd ask the players if there's anything else they might want to do this session before we wrap it up.

[Jon_Dahl]

Expecting lawful good characters to save evil people's lives ... I think I know the problem you have there.

"Those two evil people might kill each other if you don't interfere" ... how did you think that would end other than with them saying "They will? Great, then we don't have to kill them. Let's have another ale."

Unless the PCs are pacifists who don't kill anyone, out of principle, then why do you think they would do anything to prevent evil people from killing each other?

Next time, hint that there is a litter of cute and innocent puppies in one of the evil villages. That might help.

They didn't know that they were evil. I will make a list of things that the PCs knew and this list is 100% exhaustive:
- Two villages
- An urgent need for someone to do something
- An immediate danger to people's lives
- Take a horse and see the villages
- The End.

[Themrys]

They didn't know that they were evil. I will make a list of things that the PCs knew and this list is 100% exhaustive:
- Two villages
- An urgent need for someone to do something
- An immediate danger to people's lives
- Take a horse and see the villages
- The End.

Okay, that's strange then.

Have you asked the players why their characters would not do this? As others pointed out, just saying that this is the plot, and would they pretty please go with it, is the easiest solution to most such problems.

[Thinker]

Play around in the setting until you can find something that the players are really interested in.

[tomandtish]

A little detail about how your group plays would be helpful. If I were to guess from just the description alone, you do a series of one-shot adventures? So same characters but not an over-reaching plot campaign?

I tend to look at campaigns like this as trap hunting. There are lots of things set out there, and let’s see what they bite on. So I’ve put out lots of little hints at places they could go and explore, and generally just see what they bite on, with appropriate couched caution if something seems too difficult. But I’m good at winging it.

There’s also the “Magician’s Choice”. It is a form of railroading, so use caution. If done right, they can still have fun. If done wrong (and it’s very easy to do it wrong) it can betray trust. So if they come to a fork in the road, divination can tell them there’s wealth down one path and danger down the other. Either will still lead them to whatever you set up, as long as the one they picked is present enough to justify the stronger reading.

Marketing can also be a valuable tool. Remember, it’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. After all, 100% of Homo Sapiens who consume dihydrogen monoxide will cease vital functions and decompose. That’s horrible, right?!?

The group I was DMing for was in a long-term campaign, and they had an on-going nemesis with an evil group. They heard the evil group was going to loot a tomb that possibly had a powerful evil artifact in it. Nothing that would benefit the PCs directly, but in their best interest to keep out of the hands of the other group. Not much was known about this tomb other than heavily trapped.

They enter, chasing after the other group, are about 1/2way through and are having a blast, when one player exclaims:

“You a#$%^&e! We’re in the Tomb of Horrors!” (At one point they’d said they’d heard the horror stories and never wanted to play that module).

After a few minutes of panic, they settle down and ended up having a great evening. They were able to do enough damage to their rivals that they withdrew (and they all learned that there was no artifact).

But the point is, it’s often about marketing. Loot the trap-filled dungeon of an evil wizard? Nope, not interested. Stop our rivals from looting a trap-filled dungeon that might give them a substantial power boost? Absolutely!

Incidentally, I had worked out what happened if they hadn’t decided to follow their rivals. That group would have lost members but the survivors were going to have gained levels, with a net result that the rivals would have been slightly more powerful than the PCs.

Edit: OK, looks like there were updates while I was writing this.

[OldTrees1]

This has been asked many times before, but I couldn't find a thread.

You have prepared an adventure for the session. The PCs refuse to take the adventure hook on purpose: it's not something they would do regardless of the circumstances.

What do you do?

If I come to a session with a World and an Adventure, then if the PCs don't follow the Adventure I can at least run the World while they look for a more desirable Adventure.

[RazorChain]

This has been asked many times before, but I couldn't find a thread.

You have prepared an adventure for the session. The PCs refuse to take the adventure hook on purpose: it's not something they would do regardless of the circumstances.

What do you do?

Well usually I ask the players what they want to do next after they finish an adventure. By then I have usually introduced multiple hooks and they discuss what they want to do next and come to an agreement. Then I know what they are going to do next and prepare for that.

If they suddenly change their mind next session, then I improvise.

[Fri]

Never happened, and hopefully will never happen, because I don't invite random people to random game. Players in my games are people who are already interested in the premise of my game.

If it happens, that will be because it's on purpose, and the game is specifically a spontaneous game and I'll just find what the players are interested to be doing and continue from there.

[JNAProductions]

This has been asked many times before, but I couldn't find a thread.

You have prepared an adventure for the session. The PCs refuse to take the adventure hook on purpose: it's not something they would do regardless of the circumstances.

What do you do?

I prepared an adventure ahead of time? What kind of mad world is this? :P

[Telonius]

What happens in general: play out the consequences. They didn't stop the orcs from raiding the village? There are now refugees starting to stream in. Different problems start cropping up; maybe other monsters are emboldened, and the fight comes to the PCs. Maybe the town calls an emergency draft, or the Royal Guard shows up.

Remember, when planning out an adventure for your players, failure is an option. Figure out the victory conditions, and have at least a rough idea of what happens in a total player victory, a partial player victory, a stalemate, a partial defeat, and a total defeat.

[Quertus]

This has been asked many times before, but I couldn't find a thread.

You have prepared an adventure for the session. The PCs refuse to take the adventure hook on purpose: it's not something they would do regardless of the circumstances.

What do you do?

I had a situation where two evil villages were at each other's throats. These villages were remote and almost no one had heard of them but there was a hint from a very reputable source that there was an urgent need of help in those villages or there would be "great violence". I wanted to keep my cards hidden. However, the PCs, including a lawful good dwarf, refused. I was speechless. If I can't motivate lawful goods characters with saving people's lives, then... All right. It's all right.

"On Purpose"? "I do not think that means what you think it means".

If the PCs would not take the quest, regardless of the hook, you have 2 choices: get a new quest, or get new PCs.

You have specified that it is a quest to help one or both of two EVIL villages. I can see taking a quest to wipe out two evil villages (and I can see plenty of PCs having issues with that quest), but a request to help them? A potentially great quest, actually - but not one I'd start with, and not one I'd have a quest-giver give. That's more of a "they encounter (someone from?) one of these two villages" setup, and see how they react. Perhaps they ignore it, and let them kill each other off. Perhaps they kill off every evil being from both villages (ie, level both villages, murder-hobo style). Perhaps they try to help them out, bleeding-heart style. Perhaps they use helping them out as a way to try to convert the villages to "good", whatever that means for the PCs. But have the next quest ready, because "ignore it" certainly won't take up a whole game session.

Ideally, if you have a quest in mind, talk to the Players about it. Figure out what hooks will work for the characters they have in mind, and/or what characters will work for the hooks you have in mind. Oddly, the skill of discussing plot hooks with players, and getting the adventure and PCs in sync, is a surprisingly rare skill IME.

[JeenLeen]

My games are usually sandbox-ish and there's an agenda moving alongside the players. So, if the players don't take a given hook, the events move on, so we'd move to the next plot point. More likely than not, something gets worse because the PCs didn't intervene, but that's part of the game. Our group understands this.

If it was bad enough (or meant ending a 4-year session a few minutes in), I'd apologize and say OOC that this is the plot. Please play along. We trust each other enough to do that.

If I'm running a module, I make sure the players know that and know the initial set-up so they know to get the hooks. If a module, I'll tell them OOC that "you need to do this; sorry, but that is the game".

---
Reminds me of a cool dungeon our GM made for a Mage game. It was a Black Spiral Dancer hive. We avoided it 3 times. First, by accident, since one PC ticked off our allies and we had to abort. Second, we got the Order of Hermes to go in for us in exchange for an artifact we were trying to retrieve. Third time, we hired a thief (the Red List vampire thief) to steal another artifact they were holding for the Nephandi.
GM accepted it but was a little sad he spent all that time on the dungeon for naught.

[JNAProductions]

Okay, to respond as if I actually do prepare...

I second some of the advice here that says "Guys, this is the plot. Can you think of a reason to get to it?"

It's not very subtle, but then again, it shouldn't be. You always want to be upfront with your players.

[Eisirt]

What happens in general: play out the consequences. They didn't stop the orcs from raiding the village? There are now refugees starting to stream in. Different problems start cropping up; maybe other monsters are emboldened, and the fight comes to the PCs. Maybe the town calls an emergency draft, or the Royal Guard shows up.

Remember, when planning out an adventure for your players, failure is an option. Figure out the victory conditions, and have at least a rough idea of what happens in a total player victory, a partial player victory, a stalemate, a partial defeat, and a total defeat.

This is standard in all printed Shadowrun adventures. The chapter that deals with this is called: Picking up the pieces. I learned a lot about making stories from just reading through those.

And what Telonius also states (or at least I think he does ), as a GM you have to be impartial to the success of the players. That is their responsibility. You just have to figure out what happens after they are done declaring all their actions (or inactions).

Ofcourse you have NPC's running around that are VERY MUCH hoping that the players succeed or fail in whatever it is they are trying to accomplish, but on the GM-level you have to let the players give the opportunity to care about something.

[Knaight]

I've never had this issue. Part of it is the lack of preparation in general, part of it is that if I'm running something that does require initial action, I put it in the first session and get people on board during character creation.

[kyoryu]

This has been asked many times before, but I couldn't find a thread.

You have prepared an adventure for the session. The PCs refuse to take the adventure hook on purpose: it's not something they would do regardless of the circumstances.

What do you do?

Don't use 'hooks'.

Talk to the players about what they want out of the game. Have them create characters that would do those things. Then, do those things.

If you need to get the players moving, try grenades rather than hooks. A hook is an enticing thing that you lay out and hope the player will grab, and then you drag them in a direction. A grenade is an event that *requires* immediate response, but doesn't necessarily require a specific response.

Give players information. Too often, adventure planning starts with "ooh, horrible thing will happen, and when the players look into this other benign looking thing, they'll find out!" Don't do that. Tell them about the horrible thing up front, and then let them deal with that. Withholding information is usually a poor idea. It's not the info that's really interesting, but what the players do with it.

When possible, make the story/adventure *about* the characters in some way.

[ClintACK]

Mostly, you need to talk to your players in the OOC social bits before and after and during bathroom/food breaks. Make sure you know what kind of adventure/story your players are looking to play/tell.

Then make sure to throw out different hooks/opportunities/things-going-on-in-the-world, and don't put too much work into the planning for a hook they haven't yet bitten on.

Ideally, you want to *end* a session at the point where they've committed to raiding a certain dungeon, shopped, camped, prepared spells, set up a marching order, and started their way into the crypt. *end session*.

Then you have the week or whatever to plan the details of the dungeon that you already know they are entering.

And use the social/OOC time at the end of a session to see what things they are likely to want to do in the next session -- is the wizard headed into town to try and buy more spell scrolls with his share of the loot? Is the barbarian looking for some non-combat downtime in the local brothel? Is the rogue going to be brainstorming during the downtime to try and figure out how to get all ten thousand pounds of copper out of the the dungeon and into town? Are they all agreed that it's finally time to take on the villain in the cleric's backstory, now that they've leveled up and gotten a critical magic item?


If your players really do just want to wander randomly in an open world and kill things... go with it. (Heck, make rocks fall, kill them all, and then continue the campaign on the Infernal Battlefield of Acheron.)

If they are making you prepare stuff and then changing their minds at the start of the next session -- and they're doing it repeatedly just to screw with you -- that's a totally different problem. And it's not a D&D problem. :)

[2D8HP]

First off don't use "hooks". Back in my day we didn't bother to use hooks.
Use settings/situations instead.
"Your at the entrance of the Tomb of Blaarg what do you do?" If they're real contrary "Your inside the Tomb of Blaarg, what do you do?".If they're super contrary, "your trapped deep inside the Tomb of Blaarg" etc. Just quickly narrate to the part where the actual adventure begins. They can role-play how they turned tail and ran back to the tavern.
If they still make a fuss?

Hey! How did we wind up here?! I didn't vote for this!

Sheesh!
Damn kids today!
Being a player is most of the fun, and less than half of the headache of being a DM! Your doing them a favor!

Sorry guys, I don't have anything else prepared. How about a game of risk? I've also got Excalibur on DVD and Conan the Destroyer, and Hawk the Slayer on VHS.

or even make one of them "put on the daddy pants" and be the DM!

Here's the screen and some dice. Shall I play my Fighter/Rogue or my Ranger?

[BWR]

If they intentionally ignore the hook?
If they would never take the hook?
Then I've very probably messed up. I should know the players and characters well enough to know what will work. This is admittedly difficult with new players and new PCs, but I should have some idea what to expect from session 0 at the very least, and the players should have some idea of what sort of game I'm going to be running as well and design their characters accordingly. I would have to either improvise some simple hack and slash or ask for a 30-40 minute break while I quickly whip up something more meaningful.
Unless the players are just being jerks, at which point I can say 'play this or play nothing'.