Players Completely Ignoring Adventure Hooks

You say you don't want to railroad them, but when given a choice, and they took a path you didn't like, you're thinking of forcing them to go the way you want next time?

Being able to ignore your plot hooks is part of PC control over their characters, and the very essence of not railroading. Perhaps it's best to stop pretending you're giving them meaningful choices and start admitting you'd rather be railroading them if this is an issue.

It's frustrating, yes, but maybe you could "repackage" the adventure they just passed over and present it in a new guise. Another means of avoiding this kind of situation is to have more than one hook being presented at any one time, so that the whole game doesn't stall if they're not turned on by the same particular thing the DM is. If they ignore 2-3 obvious, juicy hooks, then you might have cause for complaint.

TheAuldGrump said:

Been there, done that, sold the T-shirt. In the case of the game I am thinking of the bad guys all started showing up crucified, and their macguffins all gone.

The Auld Grump

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Sounds like a great game!

Then, three or four sessions later, have them hear about how the plot hook resolved itself -- and in a very beneficial way for the real heroes that took care of the problem.

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Another potential advantage of this approach is that if the players are somehow involved in generating the rival adventuring party, and it advances in lockstep with the PC party, and the PC party goes TPK...then without missing a beat you could simply say, "And so ends the Company of the Broken Blade. Meanwhile, over in the Spiderhaunt Woods, the adventuring company known as Mane's Band have walked straight into an ambush whilst tracking the notorious halfling bandit Waldo Orffson." Hand out character sheets. "Have a bit of time to familiarise yourselves with your new characters, and then roll for initiative..."

Of course, not all groups would be happy with this approach, but it makes for a very clean break - and zero continuity issues - if they are. Just make sure that NPCs loot the corpses of their former PCs before they get there...

Allanon said:

And in railroaded I mean storywise. I won't stop them from solving quests in their unique absurd ways. But I will basically use whatever means I have at my disposal (NPC's, Visions, Dreamquests, Hand-written notes, etc.) to imprint on them the direction the story needs to take. Maybe my players are a unique bunch but from the sound of the player you're describing it seems logical for me to conclude that he's the same type.

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Nope you are not alone, I've found the same as a player and a GM. I like some plot and direction in the game.

Or... just accept that this guy seems to be in the game as a social player only (nuthin' wrong with that), and farm out the plot hooks to everyone else. He's not a challenge for you to 'fix'... he's just playing the game the way he wants. It might well have been that he was sending you that message in not-so-many words. I get the impression that the rest of your players are somewhat more invested in the game, so you shouldn't have a problem.

Try this. Post it where you find most beneficial:

I don't see the problem. From your description, I see no fault on the characters game-wise.

Anyway, you might want to send a letter to the PCs, from a guardsman or low-level cleric of the temple. The high priest did not return, and since the PCs had already started to investigate, would they like to come back?

Ok, call me dense, but the player overheard the news, inquired and investigated, reported his findings, was told not to worry about it, and then COMMANDED to not go with the high priest and you're upset why?

The high priest said "don't come with me". Did you do anything to imply that he was didn't really mean it? Or did you expect it to be obvious?

It comes across more like this:
You give them a plot hook, most of them don't want to go (Two NOs, one maybe one yes and the divine champion) . It's the divine champions plot hook, so he decides to report his findings and see whether or not he has to force the others in the party to come along.
When he's told not to worry about it, that comes across like the DM saying "It's not that important, and since the other party members don't want to go, you don't have to"

If you REALLY wanted the party to go, why not have the high priest ask for help, or if he doesnt want to beg, at least pull the divine champion aside and talk to him privately. Or make the party first wander into the forest at night and get trapped too. Or have a pesky faerie trapped on Prime bothering the PCs. Or find out that one of the missing guards is the distant cousin of somebody important to one of the people who didn't want to go.

Even if you think that's railroading, at the very least dont have the high priest say "dont help me, continue on your way" because thats EXACTLY what a party in doubt will do.

Yeah, the High Priest of Helm saying, "Don't worry, I've got this one."

In all his Lawful Neutralness?

I actually understand why your player turned away.

I guess I failed to get my point across.

I am not upset that the PC didn't take the hook. I asked for advice on what would have been a better way to present this plot hook.

There were two NOs, one DON'T CARE, and two YESs (including the party leader). I really don't see how you can interpret that as "most of them don't want to go."

By the point when they returned to the temple, I was expecting the divine champion to report the findings and then, you know, maybe ask for further instructions? But he A) acted as if it didn't matter to him at all the whole time; B) didn't show one bit of initiative in dealing with the manner; and C) completely ignored the fact that the high priest commanded him "not to go with him." It wasn't a "stay here." It wasn't a "do not, under any circumstances, come looking after me if I don't return." If I were a player, this is exactly the kind of order I would try to find holes in, regardless of how lawful my character were. But that's just me. Also, I were a player and my deity sent me a vision telling me that I needed to visit a certain temple, and bad things happened when I got there, I sure as hell wouldn't shrug my shoulders and walk away. Again, that's just me, I guess.