Elder-Basilisk
First Post
The essential problem here is not limited to the mentor scenario. It comes up any time you have a skilled and competent NPC with the PCs. How do the PCs travel with a higher level NPC without having that NPC steal their thunder?
Solution 1: The NPC is not capable of stealing the PCs' thunder.
A. (Already suggested, but good): The wizard is missing his spell books. This makes him cautious and he is pretending to be a common warrior so that his enemies don't find him while he can't defend himself. He and the PCs go looking for some more spellbooks, but in the meantime, Doomspeller, the elven mage of power is remembering how that elven rapier proficiency works. He's a 13th level wizard capable of casting limited wish, but he's got 40 hit points (no con bonus) and only attacks at +7/+2 for 1d6 damage with his masterwork rapier. If the party fighter is first level, he'll feel inadequate, but if he's 2nd or 3rd level? 28 hit points at AC 21 go further than 40 hit points at AC 16 (mage armor+dex bonus), and +9 for 1d10+4 witha +1 bastard sword is more damage per round than +7/+2 for 1d6 damage.
B. The NPC is compelled magically. A magical curse, the result of casting a disjunction on an artifact, a curse, etc. All distinct possibilities. Holryn the Holy may be a 15th level cleric, but with a poison the PCs can't cure draining his wisdom down to 10, he's not doing much spellcasting. And, with his low strength, he's not going to be stealing the fighters' thunder either. (Though this is more of a risk with a cleric than a wizard). Feebleminded works too though it deprives the NPC of his mentor role.
C. The NPC is old and no longer capable of the feats of his glorious youth. Garm the greatsword fighter could have lost a hand in the wars. He can't use his greater weapon specialization any more. And with his strength and constitution down to 8 now that he's reached 60 years of age, his once impressive attack bonus is now +12/+7/+2 for 1d8-1 with a masterwork longsword. Still a force to be reckoned with, but not out of the PCs' league. He'll take two hits to do the damage that the PC fighter does in one hit and he doesn't have Cleave so him getting more hits just means that the PC sharest the spotlight not that the PC has lost it.
Option 2: The NPC could steal the PCs' thunder but he does not.
A. Stuff happens while the NPC is away. This works in some scenarios but not others. If the PCs are reactive (an overland trek with ambushes, etc) rather than pro-active (a typical dungeon crawl), it can work. The NPC volunteers to head off in one direction and see how many orcs he can draw off their trail. He'll meet the PCs at Jarkeld's bridge. In the meantime, the PCs fight. The NPC goes to mourn at the graves of his family. While the PCs wait respectfully on the other side of the ruined villa, they are jumped by bad guys. NPC is also jumped, but his coolness is all of camera. Or, when going back to face the treacherous lieutenant who usurped his command, the general triggers a teleportation trap and has to fight his way out of the dungeon while the PCs confront the villain.
B. The NPC has to use the plot device. If there is a gate to the plane where the adventure happens, the NPC has to hold it open. He is capable of opening it and defending himself to make sure that the PCs would be able to return.
Option 3: The NPC does steal the PCs' thunder sometimes, but they're OK with that.
Really, it's not always a bad thing for the PCs to run into or even travel with someone more capable than they are. You don't want it to be a permanent thing, but it's fine if the general they have been escorting occasionally takes down the troll while the PCs are hard pressed by kobolds. If, after the PCs have held the fort for 15 rounds, the cavalry arrives and finishes off the fight, that can work. I think the key to making this kind of thing work is that it should happen at appropriate moments. Every now and then they find themselves fighting at the general's side, but more often than not, the general sends them on one mission while he does another. etc.
Solution 1: The NPC is not capable of stealing the PCs' thunder.
A. (Already suggested, but good): The wizard is missing his spell books. This makes him cautious and he is pretending to be a common warrior so that his enemies don't find him while he can't defend himself. He and the PCs go looking for some more spellbooks, but in the meantime, Doomspeller, the elven mage of power is remembering how that elven rapier proficiency works. He's a 13th level wizard capable of casting limited wish, but he's got 40 hit points (no con bonus) and only attacks at +7/+2 for 1d6 damage with his masterwork rapier. If the party fighter is first level, he'll feel inadequate, but if he's 2nd or 3rd level? 28 hit points at AC 21 go further than 40 hit points at AC 16 (mage armor+dex bonus), and +9 for 1d10+4 witha +1 bastard sword is more damage per round than +7/+2 for 1d6 damage.
B. The NPC is compelled magically. A magical curse, the result of casting a disjunction on an artifact, a curse, etc. All distinct possibilities. Holryn the Holy may be a 15th level cleric, but with a poison the PCs can't cure draining his wisdom down to 10, he's not doing much spellcasting. And, with his low strength, he's not going to be stealing the fighters' thunder either. (Though this is more of a risk with a cleric than a wizard). Feebleminded works too though it deprives the NPC of his mentor role.
C. The NPC is old and no longer capable of the feats of his glorious youth. Garm the greatsword fighter could have lost a hand in the wars. He can't use his greater weapon specialization any more. And with his strength and constitution down to 8 now that he's reached 60 years of age, his once impressive attack bonus is now +12/+7/+2 for 1d8-1 with a masterwork longsword. Still a force to be reckoned with, but not out of the PCs' league. He'll take two hits to do the damage that the PC fighter does in one hit and he doesn't have Cleave so him getting more hits just means that the PC sharest the spotlight not that the PC has lost it.
Option 2: The NPC could steal the PCs' thunder but he does not.
A. Stuff happens while the NPC is away. This works in some scenarios but not others. If the PCs are reactive (an overland trek with ambushes, etc) rather than pro-active (a typical dungeon crawl), it can work. The NPC volunteers to head off in one direction and see how many orcs he can draw off their trail. He'll meet the PCs at Jarkeld's bridge. In the meantime, the PCs fight. The NPC goes to mourn at the graves of his family. While the PCs wait respectfully on the other side of the ruined villa, they are jumped by bad guys. NPC is also jumped, but his coolness is all of camera. Or, when going back to face the treacherous lieutenant who usurped his command, the general triggers a teleportation trap and has to fight his way out of the dungeon while the PCs confront the villain.
B. The NPC has to use the plot device. If there is a gate to the plane where the adventure happens, the NPC has to hold it open. He is capable of opening it and defending himself to make sure that the PCs would be able to return.
Option 3: The NPC does steal the PCs' thunder sometimes, but they're OK with that.
Really, it's not always a bad thing for the PCs to run into or even travel with someone more capable than they are. You don't want it to be a permanent thing, but it's fine if the general they have been escorting occasionally takes down the troll while the PCs are hard pressed by kobolds. If, after the PCs have held the fort for 15 rounds, the cavalry arrives and finishes off the fight, that can work. I think the key to making this kind of thing work is that it should happen at appropriate moments. Every now and then they find themselves fighting at the general's side, but more often than not, the general sends them on one mission while he does another. etc.
