Players: Have You Ever Asked, "Why Don't You Take Care Of It?"

[Ktulu]

Wanna know how I handle it? High Level characters exist so big-bads can kick them around and scare the party.

Nothing shows off the bad-assness more than introducing said super-hero and having him found whomped from off-screen.

In my Yuan-ti Invasion game, the heroes met the Uber Paladin early on. He was every shining example of super-aweseome hero guy you can imagine, and counted on to save the city.

When the heroes learned of the city's fall, they went back and found UberPaladin still alive, but impaled and slowly dying at the city gates. It let the entire party know "oh crap" and let them realize there was going to be no back-up if they failed, and that they also needed to carefully think their plan.

So, that's what the super-NPC's are for. They're guidance and, ultimately, danger-notices.

 

[billd91]

Did it once it one of the most awful "twists" ever written into an adventure. Hook Mountain Massacre from Paizo by Nicholas Logue. Towards the end of the adventure, the players will think everything has been resolved and wrapped up. Out of nowhere a pixie shows up and tells you that you have to go visit her master druid in some forest. You go there, the high level nymph druid tells you that have to go get a body part from her dead boyfriend from the giant fortress. She can't do it cause she's stuck in the forest by MAGIC.

Maybe it got garbled in playing the scenario - but the nymph is a ghost. She's tied to the place she haunts. That's a pretty classic scenario - a ghost getting a live mortal to do what it takes for them to rest in peace because they can't go and do it themselves.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Another option if the PCs ask = surprise them. Have that fumbling old wizard, suddenly look delighted to be asked. "Why sure. Yeah I think I will. Who's with me?"

Then take several hours to get ready, forget spells, move at a speed of 3 and take no cheek from the young upstarts that have not yet blasted a dragon from the sky with one spell.

Hmmm...this sounds familiar....(looking at you Fisban).

 

[Freakohollik]

Maybe it got garbled in playing the scenario - but the nymph is a ghost. She's tied to the place she haunts. That's a pretty classic scenario - a ghost getting a live mortal to do what it takes for them to rest in peace because they can't go and do it themselves.

No it's not. At this point in the adventure, the PCs own a fort. They're level 10. They are a big deal. A big enough deal that it is not okay to be bossed around by pixies and be forced to do a quest for some nobody ghost.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

There's really three ways it goes.

1) DM has a good reason for the NPC to not do it. In one of the games I'm in, we've been recruited by a dragon to steal an artifact for her. Why doesn't she do it on her own? Because she cannot personally act against the domain of another dragon. In this case, it's a fair question, but the NPC told us this in advance, so it didn't need to be asked, but even if that were not so, it's a good question, and adds more to the feel of the world.

2) DM doesn't have a good reason, expects you players to shut up and just roll with it. Players are either a bit thick and just shout "HOORAY" and glare meaningfully at anyone who tries thinking outside the box or figuring out what the hell is going on (warforged example given by previous poster), or there's a difference between their expectations (Play D&D, go find things, kill!) and yours (Play D&D, make character, roleplay).

3) It's a plot hook and your party is lazy and/or dumb. This is when the DM says "Ok, the NPC leaves and you and the party just sit in the tavern for a few weeks, doing nothing and boy, isn't this fun? Then another NPC shows up with a quest and potential reward for you. Now do you want to play the damn game or not." I've seen this one happen, when the question really didn't even need to be asked - the NPC can't really solve the problem, they're offering the reward, but the party still just lounges about and expects the DM to make a personal reason for each and every one of them to go on every single adventure. Annoying as all hell.

 

[JoeGKushner]

2) DM doesn't have a good reason, expects you players to shut up and just roll with it. Players are either a bit thick and just shout "HOORAY" and glare meaningfully at anyone who tries thinking outside the box or figuring out what the hell is going on (warforged example given by previous poster), or there's a difference between their expectations (Play D&D, go find things, kill!) and yours (Play D&D, make character, roleplay).
.

Are you saying it's not 'roleplaying' to NOT ask why the NPC doesn't do it?

Hell, why not ask how magic works, why there's no technological advancement for tens of thousands of years, dozens of monsters that fill the same roles, etc...?

It just seems to me to pick on one iconic part of the game and not the others would be more... 'anit-roleplay' if you will.

"Elves? No, that's fine. But this guy... he's getting on my nerves!"

 

[billd91]

No it's not. At this point in the adventure, the PCs own a fort. They're level 10. They are a big deal. A big enough deal that it is not okay to be bossed around by pixies and be forced to do a quest for some nobody ghost.

"Bossed around"? A pixie begging for help isn't being "bossed around". When you're a hero, it's not that surprising that people might come begging for help. There's no compulsion to go on the quest... though doing so enables the PCs to take out an important giant leader and free an area from the taint of a haunting.
Now, if your DM railroaded you through this, that's an example of poor DMing. But from the standpoint of the module, it's another hook PCs can latch on to in their efforts to pacify the area around Fort Rannick and another opportunity for heroes to do some good in the area.

 

[catsclaw227]

Did it once it one of the most awful "twists" ever written into an adventure. Hook Mountain Massacre from Paizo by Nicholas Logue. Towards the end of the adventure, the players will think everything has been resolved and wrapped up. Out of nowhere a pixie shows up and tells you that you have to go visit her master druid in some forest. You go there, the high level nymph druid tells you that have to go get a body part from her dead boyfriend from the giant fortress. She can't do it cause she's stuck in the forest by MAGIC.

Needless to say, all the players were really annoyed by this. We debated just killing the druid right there on the spot. In hindsight, I wish we had. Ended up just doing the quest.

This may have been a DM misinterpreting the section of the adventure:

[sblock]
The druid couldn't leave because she was a GHOST bound to haunting the wood.

Also, this (really small) piece of the adventure was intended to get the party up the mountain the actually finish the job and deal with the remaining Kreegs and their leader. If they didn't figure out that they should stop the ogre's once and for all, then this segue encounter to help the ghost was added to get the party up the mountain.
[/sblock]

EDIT: Ninja'd by billd91. But I agree with him, it wasn't supposed to play out as cheesy as you make it.

 

[catsclaw227]

No it's not. At this point in the adventure, the PCs own a fort. They're level 10. They are a big deal. A big enough deal that it is not okay to be bossed around by pixies and be forced to do a quest for some nobody ghost.

OK... so, I don't get it.

Even though you reluctantly went on the quest to help the pixie, your PCs reactions (unspoken or not...) were something along the lines of...

"You stupid blubbering pixie, I don't care that you are distressed and your patron druid is a trapped ghost and needs our help. We own a fort! Saving the wood from decay and madness is below our powerful 10th level selves!"

Why even play D&D if you don't want to go on adventures?

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Are you saying it's not 'roleplaying' to NOT ask why the NPC doesn't do it?

Hell, why not ask how magic works, why there's no technological advancement for tens of thousands of years, dozens of monsters that fill the same roles, etc...?

It just seems to me to pick on one iconic part of the game and not the others would be more... 'anit-roleplay' if you will.

"Elves? No, that's fine. But this guy... he's getting on my nerves!"

Yes, because asking an NPC why he wants you to go massacre a distant tribe of goblins is the same as questioning the entire metaphysics of the setting.