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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jbear" data-source="post: 5036384" data-attributes="member: 75065">I would be somewhere in between hitting them over the head with the clues I want my PCs to sit up and notice and eeking them out drop by drop in no related fashion. My group is about to hit level 5 and they are still to complete the initial quest the campaign began with. They've had plenty of sidetreks along the way, some unrelated some loosely related. Sometimes they forget what they were doing, where they were going and why. I decided to tie some unrelated stuff that they had decided to pursue into the 'big picture' that was rumbling away silently (and largely unnoticed) in the background. They ideas I had were very loose to begin with, so this was easy, and proved a very good idea. When they took that side trek, it grew into something quite dramatic and important for the group. In the end, and to my surprise, each of the pc's individually made a dark pact with an evil god they had unwittingly helped (even the good dwarven cleric!!!). In exchange for the power he has offered them, they have agreed to perform an unknown task at the god's bidding in the future, of course, with the assurance it will be a task that he considers key in the struggle against an evil far greater than he... which would be the 'big picture' villain (but these things are never black and white are they, so much is a question of one's point of view...hehehehe!)  So with all these ploot hooks awaiting them in the future, plus the 5 or 6 'big', yet unrelated, plot hooks that had arisen during their journey to the place where the initial quest can be completed, I decided to put down the accelerator as far as advancing the 'big picture'.  I wanted to do that because they had reached a big crossroad in the story as far as I was concerned. I hadn't prepared anything beyond that point, and wasn't prepared to do so until I knew where they were going to go. That's what I told my group, asking them to make a decision upon which story they were most interested in pursuing, and in which direction they intended to pursue it. Since the picture has begun to come together, in large due to the increased flow of clues and access to important background information, and my players have started throwing around theories that come pretty darn close to the mark, I can see they suddenly have a sense that they are connected to a story of 'great importance'. I think they have a feeling of unity and purpose for the first time (something that has been quite a struggle with two leaders whose ideas are day and night tugging the group this way and that).  And the best thing is that they are beating at the door, turning themselves inside out to organise the next game session. Yep, they are totally hooked. Which is why I wonder at myself, as I tie back in another 'unrelated' story, a loose end the PCs left behind during one of their early blunders, and has been patiently awaiting their arrival ever since. Considering this blunder involves a relentless band of terrifying assassins that not even 'the Paladins of Elturguard' were prepared to challenge, what awaits them is lethal to say the least. And they have walked right into the set up without even asking for an Intuition check when dealing with the bait. A deadly halfling assassin posing as a homeless street urchin, selling fruit from a wheelbarrow in the town market, a very helpful contact, given all sorts of useful information, on the condition they tutor him in the arts of adventuring. Swallowed hook, line and sinker. I'm fairly sure they are going to allow this rascal to lead them right into the trap, without any qualms... Considering the lethality of the encounter, rather than death, the consequences will be an exotic journey towards the harsh deserts of Calisham to die (or live) as slaves in the gladiator arenas. This is all linked to my Genasí swordmages back story as an escaped slave that lead a successful revolt... nothing to do with the big picture however. So with all that work done, painstaking hours preparing the path they have chosen... and a few steps down it they run a grave risk of being whisked away to the far reaches of the continent, on an entirely different adventure all together.  I hope they can find their way out of this one!!! So, yeah, basically, I know where you're coming from Rechan, in so far as having too many contrary things you want to get into the same game. But I'm enjoying watching it evolve in its own way. It makes it exciting for me too. Yep, I'm hooked!</blockquote>

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