Baiting your players

[jdrakeh]

The signs were there, written into the module as a part of the description. They were there to bait the players to use the haste sign (says specifically in the adventure).

Then the fault lies within the module. The signs were implemented as a meta-device by the module's author - there is absolutely no way (that makes sense, anyhow) to explain how the individual responsible for erecting the signs would know that the PCs had a Haste scroll in their possession, would have it in their possession when reading the sign, or even that said PCs would show up and take actions that led them to get involved with said signs. The module is obviously one big meta-railroad, and not one of your making. Whoever wrote that module should be slapped. You? You're golden.

 

[Bardsandsages]

To clarify and put the situation into perspective , the players had paused for 20 minutes real time trying to figure out what to make of the signs. They asked several times how they'd be able to go faster, to which i had the wizard make an intelligence role. The player rolled a 15 in which i informed that player that he remembered thatanother player had picked up a scroll out of the trashcan. I like to use intelligence rolls when players are wasting time.

He also remembered what the two clues said. It was the second puzzle in a row that I informed them of the clues. The first one they almost failed until I reminded them (intelligence roll) and even then they were about to fail it until I had the npc bird blatently tell them he was the wrong npc to receive the item.

In the puzzle after this one, they ignored the clue as well and failed the next task. (only making 5 out of the 7 tasks. in all).

I suppose ultimately it depends on what the difficulty of the intelligence check was. If the DC was in fact 15 or less, then you deliberately provided faulty information that would not have crossed the wizard's mind. If the DC was higher that 15, then OK. He failed the check and therefore came to the wrong conclusion.

If they had been standing their for 20 minutes real time and I was the GM, I would have just had a group on bandits come by and rob them for standing around looking stupid.

 

[ThirdWizard]

My group would never sit around for 20 minutes doing nothing.

 

[EdL]

Then the fault lies within the module. The signs were implemented as a meta-device by the module's author - there is absolutely no way (that makes sense, anyhow) to explain how the individual responsible for erecting the signs would know that the PCs had a Haste scroll in their possession, would have it in their possession when reading the sign, or even that said PCs would show up and take actions that led them to get involved with said signs. The module is obviously one big meta-railroad, and not one of your making. Whoever wrote that module should be slapped. You? You're golden.

What he said!

 

[Sanackranib]

No you were not wrong I live for "baiting" the partys rogue and mage . . . and priest . . . and ranger . . .ya I guess thats all four of them. weither or not they take the bait is up to them there is always more or "better" bait. somtimes they take it othertimes they dont. usually it makes for an entertaining game.