Crashing and Burning on Barsoom!
- Thread starter barsoomcore
- Start date
Desdichado
Hero
Nothing quite like vague accusations of spanking your monkey to cheer you up, eh?Hypersmurf said:
barsoomcore
Unattainable Ideal
Yeah, I'm all smiles now!
Uh, never mind...
Uh, never mind...
simmo
First Post
barsoomcore said:
My advise is to plan a lighthearted adventure set in the wilderness. Create a couple of options that the characters can choose from and the players will as though they have a lot more control over the campaign. If there is only one choice and they're not happy with it - then you end up with unhappy players.
Tea and biscuits sounds like a good idea, maybe throw in some scones with strawberry jam and cream
If the PCs go back to the castle, it's because they want to go back and have sufficient motivation to do so. Here's a couple of ideas for wilderness side-treks that can keep them busy for awhile (and possibly encourage them to return to the castle):
- the PCs are approached by a druid who has a rather embarrassing problem, it seems that whilst wild-shaped in to a bear the druid 'attracted' a mate. Now the druid is having trouble discouraging the attentions of a very confused bear.
Possible DM's dark: the 'big bad' in the castle was unhappy about the nearby presence of the druid and decided to charm the bear in to attacking the druid. The bear is resisting the command to kill the druid, but it's cannot hold out for long. When more charmed creatures start turning up, the PCs should begin to question what is going on.
- the PCs run in to another adventuring group who are being chased by a group of orcs and wargs. If the PCs decide to help then the war band should not be too difficult to defeat. The other adventurers tell the PCs that one of their party was captured and ask the PCs for help.
Possible DM's dark: the other adventuring group are mercenaries hired by the 'big bad' to kill the orcs and loot their village after the refused to serve the big boss. The story about a captured companion is a lie and they will turn on the PCs when this is revealed.
- the PCs stumble across an encampment of woodland creatures taking part in a great festival. Centaurs, satyrs, pixies etc all compete in various contests and the PCs are invited to take part. The festival has a fun atmosphere and some of the competitions border on being absolutely ludicrous. Pie throwing, tug-of-war (a centaur favourite) and tree-top races are only some of the fun activities that take place in the week long festival.
Possible DM's dark: there is a sinister side to the competition. Some of the losers are sent to the castle as payment for not being hunted to extinction by the 'big bad' in the castle. The woodland creatures are reluctant to talk about the pact and some are aware that the 'big bad' does not always kill the creatures right away.
Simson
Last edited:
simmo
First Post
Hmmm. I've just re-read the three side-treks and individually they are not that strong. But if you managed to plant some clues in each of the side-treks then this would give the PCs more motivation to return to the castel, as well as giving them a sense of achievement in having pieced together the clues.
Simson
Simson
BSF
Explorer
Bummer - bad sessions suck.
But, it isn't the end of the world. It sounds like the players chose a bit of a passive-aggressive approach to dealing with the frustration. I would give them something completely different for the next session. Perhaps something just a little eerie initially, but with a huge potential for sucking them into fun. Simmo's suggestions are interesting, but I wouldn't tie it back to the castle at all. Save that for later.
Perhaps there is a twisted, gnarled old tree in the forest, covered with moss and lichen. One of the branches happens to dip down near the ground, then grows upward, before curving into an arch and diving down again. Oddly enough, it is an arch that is tall enough for everyone to walk through. It looks a bit like a doorway, with moss hanging down. Make it a portal to the Fae realm, or to a beautiful valley elsewhere in the wood - with dancing streams, flitting butterflies, all sorts of happy stuff, or maybe it is a doorway _to_ the tree and something steps through while the party is there. Or maybe that is a theme you have already used and you need to look for something else.
I think you just need to temporarily change your pace and your perspective by putting something new out there. You want to recapture the sense of wonder and possibly laughter.
If you feel really bad about it, have tea and cookies as a peace offering to your players before the next session.
But, it isn't the end of the world. It sounds like the players chose a bit of a passive-aggressive approach to dealing with the frustration. I would give them something completely different for the next session. Perhaps something just a little eerie initially, but with a huge potential for sucking them into fun. Simmo's suggestions are interesting, but I wouldn't tie it back to the castle at all. Save that for later.
Perhaps there is a twisted, gnarled old tree in the forest, covered with moss and lichen. One of the branches happens to dip down near the ground, then grows upward, before curving into an arch and diving down again. Oddly enough, it is an arch that is tall enough for everyone to walk through. It looks a bit like a doorway, with moss hanging down. Make it a portal to the Fae realm, or to a beautiful valley elsewhere in the wood - with dancing streams, flitting butterflies, all sorts of happy stuff, or maybe it is a doorway _to_ the tree and something steps through while the party is there. Or maybe that is a theme you have already used and you need to look for something else.
I think you just need to temporarily change your pace and your perspective by putting something new out there. You want to recapture the sense of wonder and possibly laughter.
If you feel really bad about it, have tea and cookies as a peace offering to your players before the next session.
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