Druidic Initiation

[Stormborn]

At the end of the last session the PCs reached 11th level (all except for the warlock who had to be reincarnated a few sessions back) and were given, via an allied NPC, an oracle.

They were directed to return to the Druid's home and consult the Elder for guidance (they are seeking their missing mentors and trying to find out who is hunting them). The Druid is a Tauren/Minotaur from a tribe that lives in an area of low hills and plains. His people worship nature spirits of which the chief is the moon. They currently only build what is in harmony with nature, but once built great stone cities and monuments. Some of the surrounding cities still bare their mark after thousands of years.

So I was thinking that they can get the information they need from either the Elder or from something that the Druids have bound. On the one hand the Elder only gives up the info to a Druid of the Inner Circle, which would require the party Druid to undergo an initation trial that the other PCs could go along on as "sacred companions." On the other hand the Druids could have bound an ancient spirit who can reveal the information, and the PCs have to then endure the corrupted creatures around the vault where it is kept. A third possibilty is the PCs undergo a vision quest, so the actual adventure could be almost anything but still result in them getting the info they need.

So, what I need are either suggestions for what to include in such an adventure or an actual adventure that could be made to work. They have just finished an extended adventure where they fought maurauding giants unleashed on the Warblade's homeland to draw her and the party in. So a lot of stand up fighting. I want to have something that will involve more skill use (especially traps as we have not had any in a while, social encounters, etc) and some interesting combats against foes that use something other than the brute tactics of ogres and giants.

Any thoughts?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

"You must cut down the tallest tree in the forest with ... a herring!"

What about retrieving a number of special herbs/plants that are only found a special locations, are only revealed under certain circumstances, each guarded by a unique guardian? For example, "Bring back a four-leaf clover, which appears at the Crossroads of Twilight, but only at noon after a spring rain. You will have deceive the Leprechauns of Glee into revealing the Way, and defeat the Grue of Air which guards the crossroads."

 

[GodDelusion]

"You must cut down the tallest tree in the forest with ... a herring!"

What about retrieving a number of special herbs/plants that are only found a special locations, are only revealed under certain circumstances, each guarded by a unique guardian? For example, "Bring back a four-leaf clover, which appears at the Crossroads of Twilight, but only at noon after a spring rain. You will have deceive the Leprechauns of Glee into revealing the Way, and defeat the Grue of Air which guards the crossroads."

very cool.

 

[howandwhy99]

First,
Look at the listed "Organizational Goals" of the overall Druidic Council.

Second,
Limit the Goals and Knowledge to the specific Druidic Council the PC is negotiating with. This will narrow things quite a bit as you go from worldwide to continent to regional to particular "High Druid's Forest".

(You've probably already done this when putting together info for your local area map)

Third,
Negotiate using the NPC statistics (like Attitude in 3E) for the PC to perform any act that would benefit the Druid Circle's desires.

(In my opinion, initiations are like business transactions. It's give and take until you trust each other. One big offering/deed/service/sacrifice/etc. to pay the initial membership fee seems right. Alliances are all about trade offs.)

But...
You could have some other symbolic elements too. Players could make this up when they give you the background info for the group during character creation. I allow character creation between sessions as well, but after the game begins it's more constrained for the Player as it's more difficult for the Referee to incorporate.

My advice here is ensure any symbolic rituals also have mechanical effects. Perhaps the Protection from Evil effect (the defensive portion of the Charm effect) requires a save to harm a Druidic Circle member from harming any other member. It's what you want in your world in the end.

Plus,
If you define a specific operation (or rule essentially), such as defining "evil" as "druid" in the initiation effect above or requiring a magick circle or the mingling of blood for the magic/mechanic to take effect, then the effect should always operate that way. Other initiations would work similarly for other organizations using a magical bonding. That way when something acts one way, it always acts that way and can be predicted. Otherwise you tend to confuse the players and have a less consistent and understandable world.


EDIT: Olgar's suggestion is a great idea and I'd go with it if he were a Player in my game. But i'd make sure that 4-leaf clover is desirable to the circle for some reason. Perhaps it is the sapling of a seed for an Ent? But a Hyborian Ent, a plane the Circle is aligned with who are sending an emissary? And the Crossroads is a connection between the two at noon on Spring days right after a rainfall?

Though that particular task seems rather mundane to complete. It would mean a lot of sitting. Not to mention it would help if it were Springtime. Perhaps the Hyborean Ents have abilities even at clover stage that would make the task more adventurous. It may be highly important, but it doesn't seem dangerous enough to qualify as a "trial". I'd alter the situation so adventure is more likely to occur.