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Message: <blockquote data-quote="random user" data-source="post: 1666085" data-attributes="member: 16581">I agree with having multiple hooks and consequences.  I know you said don't concentrate on the specifics, but using these examples may help explain the way I look at it...Did they stop by the village? If so, a villager can tell them about the scary things in the cave.  If they were just traveling through, maybe a farmer will warn them that some monsters had waylaid some other adventurers a week before and they should be careful.If they still don't go, maybe they get ambushed by some of the creatures in the night if they aren't too far away.  Or simply have the monsters raze the halfling village.  Or if the party isn't traveling too far, a couple nights later they can overhear some other adventurers boast about cleaning out a cave that was just two rooms and they got [insert cool item here].The information could also be provided in a town or inn they stayed at recently.  Perhaps the patrol notices the party's tracks and notices the party was avoiding them.  They follow them to the temple, wondering if they are up to no good.  Perhaps the patrol left a message somehow with a vague warning that might get the party to try and find the patrol again.And the assassinations stopped? Send another assassin! Also, create a plot hook so that they eventually need to return to that town, and instead of just sending a single assassin, send multiple, or at least something harder.  After all, last time they tried, one assassin didn't work, so the assassins will try harder next time.  And who was behind the assassins anyways? I'm sure they would come up with some plan to continue to harrass the party.Did the bandits notice them? If so they might think the PC's are a good target and just attack them.  Note this isn't railroading them as long as the PC's haven't taken extrodinary protections to not be attacked (which, if they do, then don't have the bandits attack).  Or, have them come upon another remains of another attack, perhaps with a NPC who survived, "They were here less than 30 minutes ago! They killed the rest of my family!" the pale survivor gasped as he lay wounded in a pool of his own blood.  Or even have the NPC be in the first attack.  A man or woman pleading for the party to help them is a lot harder to turn away than random evidence on the ground.Are the PC's headed to somewhere to meet someone? If they don't do anything perhaps the NPC will be disconsolate over the death of a friend on the very road the PC's were on... and of course he died to bandits.  The PC's will have to seek vengeance on the NPC's behalf, or otherwise cheer up the NPC, or lose the NPC as an ally for a period of time.</blockquote>

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