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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sammael" data-source="post: 1919167" data-attributes="member: 4475">The thread title is pretty self-explanatory, I guess. Let me first state that I do not have a problem when players ignore some (or even all) of my plot hooks. When I have the time, I make sure to prepare a few side scenarios that I can plug in whenever the session goes in a direction different from what I envisioned. The structure of my campaign is such that there is a central storyline (somewhat of a metaplot) that the players are aware of and want something to do about, but do not yet have the resources and knowledge; aside from the central storyline, I try to create sidequests that tie directly to the PCs' abilities, backgrounds, and interests. This usually seems to work well. However, last session I ran into a problem.Here's the background. One of the players is playing a fighter/devoted defender/cleric/divine champion of Helm, the LN Forgotten Realms god of protection, guardians, and vigilance. Now, in the usual circumstances, I'd describe him as a "casual player." He likes to tag along, his character doesn't talk much, and he is (usually) perfectly satisfied following the rest of the party wherever they go. There have been a few situations when he raised an opinion (perhaps after I gently pushed him along), mostly concerning upholding the laws and such. However, the campaign has been going on for two and a half years (it started in April, 2002), and he has probably missed the least sessions of all players. He seems to be enjoying the storyline. I've tried making a few character-based plot hooks for him, but nothing major so far. Until now.Upon becoming a divine champion, I declared that he received a vision from Helm in which he was bidden to make a pilgrimage to three different temples. Keeping in line with Helm's views on responsibility and such, he was told that he shouldn't abandon any other tasks in order to perform the pilgrimage. Two sessions ago, the party was near one of the temples (Helm's Hold near Neverwinter Wood) and, since they didn't have any other major plans, they decided to go there. He spent the night in prayer, expecting another vision, but there wasn't one (I didn't feel like railroading him THAT much). Instead, in the morning, he overheard a patrol reporting to Dumal Erard, the temple's founder and high priest, that one of the patrols that entered the forest last night did not return. My player reacted and inquired about the event, and was told that a double-strength patrol was sent out to investigate and that he will be informed of the search results.Some time later, the high priest summons him and his friends and notifies them that the first patrol is missing without a trace, their tracks leading to a clearing within the forest and them simply disappearing, without any signs of struggle or hints as to how they disappeared. They cannot be contacted through magic, and there are no known portals or significant monsters in that part of the wood. The high priest orders the PC to go and investigate.So, the party leaves and enters the forest. On their way, they discover a ley line leading into the same direction as the path the missing patrol took. When they reach the clearing, they ("they" meaning spellcasters with detect magic and arcane sight) see a nexus from which the ley lines spread in a star pattern. After using several divinations, they discover that the nexus is the point where the Plane of Faerie touches the Prime Material, and that, at night, the two become coexistant, allowing creatures to travel back and fourth, and capturing unwary creatures on the Plane of Faerie once the connections are weakened (in the morning).At this point, the players vote on what to do. CN halfling rogue flat-out refuses to go there (but this is not the first time this has happened, and his opinion can be swayed with promises of treasure and/or food). N human enchanter doesn't like the idea of going there. N(G) moon elf monk is pretty ambivalent but insists that, should they go, he should be the leader since he is the only party member who speaks Sylvan. NG human cleric of Selune (party leader) is ready to go but says it's the divine champion's decision. NG sun elf wizard is psyched about it and wants to go. So, the opinions are about 50:50. And the "protagonist" suggests that they should go back and report their finding to the temple.OK, a perfectly fine, if aggravating, LN choice. They go back and report their findings. Rogue and echanter keep hinting how Helm's clergy do not matter to them at all, and how they should protect their own, not ask outsiders to help them. At this point, I have the high priest (an elderly man) thank the party for their effort and declare that he is responsible for his missing clergy members and will personally go to the forest at night and try to enter the Plane of Faerie in order to get them back. The two NG PCs are shocked. Rogue and enchanter gloat. Monk is still ambivalent.And the divine champion... says nothing. I wait a few seconds, and then have the high priest explicitly command the divine champion not to go with him and then dismisses the party. The party leaves for Waterdeep. End of missed plot hook.In the end, I awarded the party zero experience for this part of the session, since they did not learn anything from the experience, and the resources they expended (spells and such) were insignificant and were available to the party six character levels ago (they are now level 13/14). What would you have done differently? Should I be bothered? How can I better motivate the divine champion's player? I am at a loss as to what more I could have done, other than flat-out railroad him by giving him orders via a divine vision.</blockquote>

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