Dead end as DM

[Wednesday Boy]

I would let the players do what they want with X and bide my time. I would have repeated interactions (positive, negative, and neutral) between the players and the Three Organizations to cultivate relationships between them. I would make sure I understood the motivations and methods of your NPCs and wait for your players to present your NPCs with an opening to get X.

For example, your players might reveal they have X by starting a bidding war for it between the Three Organizations. Perhaps one of your players will develop a positive relationship with one of the Organizations, join it, and become interested in giving X to that Organization. Or perhaps one of the Organizations will become adversarial to the group, take out their vengeance on the player's father, and discover he was holding onto X.

My bottom line recommendation is that you don't know how the plot will unfold, so don't try to predict it. Sit back and wait for the players to unfold the plot for you and have you NPCs act when they see an opening.

 

[jasper]

How about this? X is missing part Y. So X is really useless, so Daddy can keep with no harm no foul. Later when the pcs get higher level, and more into the story they find Y.

 

[the Jester]

I'm going to recommend against forcing plotlines in your campaign, and recommend that instead of asking, "How can I fix this situation?" you ask yourself, "What are the consequences of this situation?"

I strongly advise against trying to script too strong of a story in D&D. You want to do that, write a book. The events of a D&D campaign should unfold as a result of the interactions between the pcs and the npcs and environment; the DM should never set his heart on a course of events without recognizing that that course of events may not take place.

Enable your players. Don't stymie them.

 

[Rakusia]

yeah. players will always wreck your script. case in point had a noble family of lycanthropes attemptiong to get to be next in line of the kingdom. players were supposed to find out and stop/purge the lycanthropes. before i could introduce this plot a player slept with the primary lycanthrope. they ended up getting married all before he knew her secret or the bid for power

 

[Belzbet]

Have some enigmatic powerful creature steal it from the PC's before they get the chance to give it to the dragonmarked house... The creature doesnt even have to be powerful just a good rogue under the effects of silent and invisibility, after all someone will want to get this item back didnt the PC's take it from someone? if so then a creature would probably want to retaliate and get this item back (of course to be fair make it an encounter and roll to see if the rogue succeeded if so they wake up with the item gone roleplay it that they woke up and saw the rogue but it teleported away before they could fight it so the PC's dont feel screwed still give them a small reward for their efforts as well, they will look for the stolen item this could create more and more adventures;if the PC's notice the rogue they fight and the rogue will probably be killed; but the rogue may have a big bad grappler and a badass spellcaster as reinforcements that can take items from the PC's by force if necessary)... If the PC's already gave item X to the house then have a rogue steal it back (its upto you its NOT impossible for a rogue to infiltrate a dragonmarked house, just say it happened)... If I am repeating anothers point or if you have already said reasons you dont want do this then sorry for my post...

 

[Belzbet]

As DM, you have the power of the universe and all of the gods at your disposal.

I second this and because of this I dont see the "real" problem (though Im not trying to be smug or rude)...

 

[Belzbet]

I'm going to recommend against forcing plotlines in your campaign, and recommend that instead of asking, "How can I fix this situation?" you ask yourself, "What are the consequences of this situation?"

I strongly advise against trying to script too strong of a story in D&D. You want to do that, write a book. The events of a D&D campaign should unfold as a result of the interactions between the pcs and the npcs and environment; the DM should never set his heart on a course of events without recognizing that that course of events may not take place.

Enable your players. Don't stymie them.

I agree with this as well.. dont stymie PC's BUT your problem is a BACKGROUND problem that YOU have power over so change it as you see fit (after all the PC's shouldnt know any of this unless they read this forum or unless you told them)... The item is really a moot point... Maybe its a fake or what have you BUT you ultimately have control as a Dm AND this has NOTHING to do with railroading and/or stymying the Pc's (i say this since itse background that your working with NOT CANON, you make up background.. PC's get item X so what! thats not end all be all, make up something (that is your onus as DM)

 

[S'mon]

If the item should not now be stolen, it should not be stolen. Run with the new situation and see where it goes, stop railroading and build a world, not a story.

 

[Rakusia]

easy the father would have no real loyalty towards the son that isnt his son, maybe he was with one of the groups wanting the item and now hes on his way to hand it over? a servent lets slip that its happened and now the pc's have to get it before he hands it over their patron finds out and suspects a double cross(made worse by thr fact he does like them) his master makes a bid to get it for free?