Consulting the Sages - a Poll by Edition

[Oryan77]

My players don't question sages all that often. They seem to like going to the Hall of Information in Sigil which I use as a sort of library. They can rent an office, then checkout documents about what they are researching. Then I just tell them what info they read during the time they have in the office.

Since they do a lot of plane traveling, they often bone up on their knowledge about the next plane they are going to.

The cool thing about 2e Planescape is that there are a lot of "Player's Guide to..." books that players can read on their own if they want (they work fine for 3e). The bad thing about 2e Planescape is that there are a lot of "Player's Guide to...." books that players won't read. The books act like a sage outside the game. A player finally read a chapter in one last week and his PC started telling the others about what he learned about Pandemonium. Then I announced that he gets bonus XP and everyone's jaws dropped. Now I'm interested to see if everyone comes to the next session with all this new info they got from reading the Player's Guides

 

[The Shaman]

First order of business is putting the sage on retainer.

You gotta spend money to make money, is my motto.

 

[Lanefan]

Voted "sometimes" - when chance permits we'll consult sages, mages, and anyone else who can chuck some info our way.

Chance does not always permit.

Lanefan

 

[howandwhy99]

So, how often to you consult the sage?

Lemoncurry on the poll.

Every NPC is a sage in D&D as every one knows at least a tiny amount of information about the world. When we trade for that information sometimes we pay with gold, sometimes other forms of treasure. We always pay with a resource of some type, but it is commonly other information in the games I've played in.

Of course their information may be just as faulty (a.k.a. false rumor) as ours. Which in the latter case may eventually mean they won't take information in trade from us anymore. "It ain't worth nothun'."

 

[Bullgrit]

In each edition of D&D, was there a mention in the Players' material of consulting a sage?

OD&D - I don't know.

BD&D - I don't remember anything about consulting a sage.

AD&D1 - I think the only mention of the concept is in the DMG.

AD&D2 - I don't remember.

D&D3 - The knowledge skills are in the PHB, and are open to all. But I don't think there's any mention of consulting a sage.

D&D4 - I don't know.

It's sort of like using holy water on undead. How many people would have tried using holy water on undead (other than perhaps vampires) if it's use was not at least suggested in the Player material?

How many people would have searched dungeons for secret doors if the concept wasn't brought up in the Player material?

How many people would have hired retainers and hirelings if the concept wasn't brought up in the Player material?

Sure, a few would have thought of the above on their own. But most wouldn't have thought of it until exposed to it in some way.

Consulting a sage about something is not an intuitive concept for people living in the 20th/21st century.

Bullgrit

 

[ExploderWizard]

Consulting a sage about something is not an intuitive concept for people living in the 20th/21st century.

Bullgrit

Sure it is. We just have other names for sage. Last century, sage = encyclopedia, and now sage= google.

 

[Stoat]

In each edition of D&D, was there a mention in the Players' material of consulting a sage?

2E had some fairly detailed information about sages in the DMG. I don't recall there being anything about it in the PHB.

 

[Bullgrit]

We just have other names for sage. Last century, sage = encyclopedia, and now sage= google.

I'd say that opening encyclopedias or Google is more akin to casting divination spells than consulting a sage.

Bullgrit

 

[ExploderWizard]

I'd say that opening encyclopedias or Google is more akin to casting divination spells than consulting a sage.

Bullgrit

Sounds good. Next time I play a mage that needs to contact other plane, I gotta remember to say "lemme google this".

 

[Stoat]

"Almighty Ghugul, spirit of intellect, fountain of wisdom, sage of sages, hear me and bless me with your knowledge! Should we proceed to the second level of the dungeon, will we meet with weal or woe?"