"What's my motivation?" or weirdness in the Sunless Citadel...

I'll start off by saying that I've been DM'ng for a while and that I rarely run modules. I've actually run only three in my 20 years of DM'ng. It's not that I have anything against them, my players never do what they're supposed to anyway and I always have more fun just making up my own adventures. I also tend to DM monsters and plots with a bit of a realistic twist. The monsters aren't all evil and dungeons have to have a self-sufficient economy, etc. So, now that I've put that out there....

A friend of mine has decided to run a generic D&D campaign (we ussually play Forgotten Realms or our own setting), ie: 3rd ed Greyhawk. Anyway, he wasn't sure how to start since he's new DM, so I recommended we get a module to cut back the amount of work he's got to do and to help him with DM'ng. We picked up the Sunless Citadel, a 1st level adventure from WoTC. He read through it hastily and we played a few sessions this weekend.

There are only two players, so it's a small group. My character is a Paladin who recently lost his master and the other character is a Wizard, who's a newly graduated student from a local arcane academy (run by Murlynd, of Murlynd's magic spoon fame ).

Anyway... we're asked by the local constable to help them with a goblin problem and to find a group of adventurers who went before us to deal with the goblin problem. I was told that the goblins, once a year, come town and sell a magic apple that heals all disease and illness in whomever imbues it. I didn't see a problem with this, I actually thought it was rather nice of the goblins to do so... but they went on to explain that the goblins charge alot for this apple and don't particularly like it when the villagers try to grow their own magic apples. I tried to explain that other villagers don't have kind goblins selling magical apples, and that's it's really a luxury item, and that they don't have to buy the apple... but that didn't seem to go over well.

Additionally, it seems that a group of adventurers from the village went to the local den of evil, the Sunless Citadel (presumably where the goblins live as well). They have, of course, not returned. I kept asking why they went... I mean, the HMO goblins weren't hurting anyone... No one seemed to give me a clear answer why you would risk and presumably loose 5 healthy citizens over magic apples. It just didn't make much sense to my character who kept scratching his head at this.

So, without giving out any spoilers (since we haven't finished the adventure and have just arrived to the Sunless Citadel itself), does anyone have any comments on this? Have you come across this issue in modules or in RP'ing in general before?

I'm confused as to why you're playing a character like this with someone who's a new DM?

This is exactly the kind of thing that is a real pain to deal with. I'm not being rude, but why not just go with it instead of derailing the adventure at the first point? What is the point?

Tallarn.

Actually, my character did go along with it... simply to save the lives of foolish adventures. If nothing else, to find out what happened to them and to bring some peace to the families.

I'm in no way implying it's the DM's fault and he handled it perfectly . He went on to make up a side story that explained it, but he told me after the game, that the actual module didn't give any real reason for it all.

Magical apples that cure all disease in whoever eats them are from a luxury item-- not everyone has them, but I'm certain that they're in very high demand, and I can understand the village being a little motivated to try to get those apples.

Remember, diseases are scary things in a world that doesn't have penicillin-- and magical diseases would be scary in a world that has it.

Arravis said:

Actually, my character did go along with it... simply to save the lives of foolish adventures. If nothing else, to find out what happened to them and to bring some peace to the families.

I'm in no way implying it's the DM's fault and he handled it perfectly . He went on to make up a side story that explained it, but he told me after the game, that the actual module didn't give any real reason for it all.

Click to expand...

Ah, OK. Never read the module. My bad, sorry.

True... but to go and send adventurers to slaughter innocent goblins who are acting civilized and are making these apples available doesn't seem like a "decent" thing to do.

Maybe it's just me, lol...

P.S.: The DM is an experienced player and in no way unfamiliar with playing a non-standard character that asks difficult questions. So, he wasn't frustrated or upset by it... he was as surprised as I was that the module didn't really seem to make alot of sense, motivation-wise.

Leave it to an American to consider health care to be a luxury item.



Just kidding. It was just just begging to be said. Sorry if it offends anyone.

Sad part is that I consider myself a socialist... lol. But, my point is that just because your neighbor has something you need, that doesn't give you the right to go kill them for it. I know that 99% of the wars in history are caused this way... but it doesn't make it ethical.

LOL, yeah that's sort of a telling detail too, I supoose.

We all got your point, though, I was just having some fun.

What I would do is to alter the story a bit so that the goblins were somehow responsible for spreading the disease that they are curing. That would change the dynamic significantly.

Cheers.

If he was really twisted he could have my paladin defend the goblins and go destroy the evil villagers .

So anyone else have been part-way through an adventure and said to themselves "Why the heck am I here?"