Consulting the Sages - a Poll by Edition

[cildarith]

Speaking on behalf of my players - never. They don't employ other hirelings, hire henchmen, or build strongholds either. Wish they would, but they don't. Their loss.

 

[TerraDave]

I've only seen groups try to contact a sage when it has been previously established in the adventure that one exists. If the DM doesn't purposefully expose a learned person to the group, there is not an expectation that one can be found easily.

Basically what I was going to say. My players have certainly do try to get information out of NPCs. And those have sometimes included sage-like ones.

 

[ExploderWizard]

I wouldn't use the word "Sage," but my players frequently try to gain information about the dungeon/adventure/whatever.

Usually they go about it by speaking with the locals. "Hey, what do you know about the haunted castle up in the hills?" If an NPC gives them a quest, they always interrogate the NPC about any expected opposition. "Tell us about these 'devil creatures' that kidnapped your daughter."

Which, frankly, makes more sense to me than going to "a sage". Why would an old guy in a tower know anything about the monsters in the local dungeon? Far more likely that the town guard, traveling merchants, and local hunters would have an idea what perils to expect there.

Pretty much this here. Local people are the greatest used source of information in my games. I usually keep sage level knowledge reserved for really obscure ancient stuff. A sages time is too valuable to taken up with silly questions that adventurers could find the answers to more easily.

 

[Ourph]

We only consult sages occasionally, but it's become kind of a flavor "rule" in my games that PCs always consult an oracle of some kind (wise woman, gypsy fortune teller, blind seer, sage, etc.) before setting out on a quest. Without any mechanical rule to back it up, we've decided that it's common belief among adventurers that foregoing this step is extremely unlucky and will almost always lead to disaster. In fact, it's been so ingrained in my group that the players have what we call a "Palm Fund", a small amount of money that is set aside at the end of every quest so that when the next quest begins, there will be cash to "cross the gypsy's palm with gold".

 

[Odhanan]

With B/X D&D it'll depend heavily on the particulars of the game, as it isn't implied stricto sensu by the rules themselves. Therefore, "sometimes".

In First Ed, it is totally implied by the rules, and more over, if you aren't careful as a player, you end up dead more often than with any other editions of the game, IME. Thus, "always".

I have never consulted a sage in 3rd ed/Pathfinder. Asked some people around, rolled a bunch of Gather Information checks, sure. But a sage, no. Therefore, "never".

I do not play 4e.

 

[Woas]

I guess never cause I thought you meant the old Ask Wizards/Sage's Advice/Customer Support thread and was really confused.

 

[Janx]

I wouldn't use the word "Sage," but my players frequently try to gain information about the dungeon/adventure/whatever.

Usually they go about it by speaking with the locals. "Hey, what do you know about the haunted castle up in the hills?" If an NPC gives them a quest, they always interrogate the NPC about any expected opposition. "Tell us about these 'devil creatures' that kidnapped your daughter."

Which, frankly, makes more sense to me than going to "a sage". Why would an old guy in a tower know anything about the monsters in the local dungeon? Far more likely that the town guard, traveling merchants, and local hunters would have an idea what perils to expect there.

this has been how we usually did it, games I played or run.

Sages don't exist. Going to one usually takes game time we don't have.

Plus in most the games I played, the situation is active, and the players know the basic situation. Unless a sage is going to tell them the exact disposition of the troop, guard rotation, and camp layout, he's a wasted trip.

I've never played in a game where you can lackadaisically visit the sage, before starting the expedition to the dungeon.

Instead it's hurry up and avoid getting slaughtered by the beholder pyramid ships as they assault your city. Then try to get onboard, so you can stop the assault. There's not a lot of sage work or 10' pole usage going on.

(and yes, our city was attacked by a hoarde of beholder ships, and the time before that, we pre-emptively attacked the giant stronghold)

 

[Victim]

3e and 4e seem to put more knowledge and information gathering abilities in the PCs' hands directly, so there is less need to outsource it. Our groups generally don't try to hire expert help, but we did tend to use Gather Info and knowledge checks all the time.

 

[ExploderWizard]

3e and 4e seem to put more knowledge and information gathering abilities in the PCs' hands directly, so there is less need to outsource it.

I don't think so. Why Dorothy you had the ability to gather information and knowledge all along. Just click your heels together 3 times and say " I would like to seek information, perhaps I should ask about it?"

 

[Alzrius]

Well crud.

In my Pathfinder game, none of us have ever thought about consulting a sage or other information-resource personnel. We thought and acted as though all the possible information was either within our grasp or not available. We even had a big discussion about diversifying our Knowledge skills.

Of course, we've started in a podunk little town, but even so...never once crossed our minds.