D&D 5E Missions and Moral Compass

[EzekielRaiden]

Oh, of course! The dragon-mask-seeker doesn't *introduce himself* as a Cult leader. He introduces himself as a mage doing research, or as a servant of Bahamut who wants the mask so he can take it to a temple and get it Dispelled and destroyed. (Or, perhaps, sealed in a generic wooden crate, which then gets stacked in a warehouse with many other generic wooden crates.)

So do the PCs always assume that all hooded guys in taverns are who they say they are, or do they sometimes look past the surface? Some of the posts so far include PCs actually doing some investigation. Or at least an Insight check, and/or Perception/Investigation vs. Disguise, while at the tavern.

The mission sponsor not being exactly who they say they are, or not being *only* who they say they are, is a common trope in some genres, and is almost the *default* assumption for Shadowrun games.

Ah, see, this...isn't what your original description came across as. I thought we were being given the information just as the PCs would have it, and thus made my decision that way. If someone came as a scholar merely curious, my Paladin would probably say no but in a "I would not want to put you at risk--either from the artifact, or from those who would try to take it from you" kind of way. If the person *claimed* to be a "servant of Bahamut," but came wearing such a disguise, that would probably be an immediate red flag. I tend to be the trusting sort, but my Paladin wouldn't go hiding himself or his allegiances in a generally non-hostile tavern. Why would a fellow Bahamut-worshipper do otherwise? It is the servants of Tiamat who must conceal their identities in public; Bahamut, even to those who don't worship him, is generally recognized as a Nice Guy, albeit possibly an annoying one (if you have a more Chaotic bent).

That said--as before, I noted that I tend to play with at least one "paranoid" member of the party. Often a Ranger or Rogue, which seems appropriate. Either way, there's usually someone suspicious of pretty much anything we come across, and we tend to treat most "jobs" with caution, a little bit of investigation of our own, etc. Just finished a session with [MENTION=40398]Tequila Sunrise[/MENTION], and at least one person in the party was suspicious of: the laughter of children, the first actual person we met in town, the bartender (due to some racial hangups), the town priest/de facto leader, the ghost of a dead child (that only I could hear), a set of caged goats, and finally the "hermit" who..."lives"...just outside the town. Which...means basically every other mobile creature we encountered during the entire 3-ish hours, after we got the party together and set out.

In such a climate of paranoia suspicion, I find I am actually the weird exception for being more likely to take people at their word. If *I'm* doubting someone though...they've probably screwed up!