Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Schmoe" data-source="post: 7379465" data-attributes="member: 913">Approach this phase of the adventure as an investigation.&nbsp; How do you expect the players to find the ruins?&nbsp; As you mention, just having them stumble on it randomly is a recipe for a lot of frustration.&nbsp; So what you need are multiple &quot;leads&quot; that can all get them on the right track.&nbsp; Don't worry about whether or not this is a &quot;railroad&quot;, as that word has a lot of baggage and is generally unhelpful.&nbsp; If you are reasonably assured that the players will want to find the ruins, then all you need to worry about is how they can find them, without worrying about whether you're leading them by the hand too much.As with any investigation, the best approach is to have multiple clues that can lead them to the solution (in this case the location of the ruins).&nbsp; Assume the players will do everything in their power to miss, ignore, and avoid any clues you've placed, so it's also a good idea to have a &quot;failsafe&quot; that can get them on track.&nbsp; A couple ideas:<ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">The party comes across the remains of a mercenary scouting expedition.&nbsp; The expedition had discovered something about the location of the ruins (cryptic landmark clues, or a map, or a piece of a map, or the name of a tribe that were rumored to revere the dragon), and the party can find this information in a journal. 
 
</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">The party encounters an aggressive, xenophobic native tribe.&nbsp; The tribe has captured an explorer who knows the location of the ruins, but they plan to cook the explorer for a feast in 2 day's time.&nbsp; If the party can rescue the explorer (through diplomacy, stealth, strength, or some other means) she'll lead them to the ruins.&nbsp; Of course, she fails to mention the deadly tribe of headhunters that protects the ruins, hoping to betray the party to the headhunters when the time is right. 
 
</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">A trapper is selling some strange artifacts that he found while trapping.&nbsp; If asked, he reveals he found them washed up along the banks of a river after a recent flood.&nbsp; The artifacts most likely came from the dragon's hoard.&nbsp; By following the river upstream the party can find the dragon's lair.&nbsp; Of course, the trapper may tell several groups about the artifacts, and the party may not be the only ones in a race to find the hoard.</li>
</ul></blockquote>

[QUOTE="Schmoe, post: 7379465, member: 913"] Approach this phase of the adventure as an investigation. How do you expect the players to find the ruins? As you mention, just having them stumble on it randomly is a recipe for a lot of frustration. So what you need are multiple "leads" that can all get them on the right track. Don't worry about whether or not this is a "railroad", as that word has a lot of baggage and is generally unhelpful. If you are reasonably assured that the players will want to find the ruins, then all you need to worry about is how they can find them, without worrying about whether you're leading them by the hand too much. As with any investigation, the best approach is to have multiple clues that can lead them to the solution (in this case the location of the ruins). Assume the players will do everything in their power to miss, ignore, and avoid any clues you've placed, so it's also a good idea to have a "failsafe" that can get them on track. A couple ideas: [LIST] [*]The party comes across the remains of a mercenary scouting expedition. The expedition had discovered something about the location of the ruins (cryptic landmark clues, or a map, or a piece of a map, or the name of a tribe that were rumored to revere the dragon), and the party can find this information in a journal. [*]The party encounters an aggressive, xenophobic native tribe. The tribe has captured an explorer who knows the location of the ruins, but they plan to cook the explorer for a feast in 2 day's time. If the party can rescue the explorer (through diplomacy, stealth, strength, or some other means) she'll lead them to the ruins. Of course, she fails to mention the deadly tribe of headhunters that protects the ruins, hoping to betray the party to the headhunters when the time is right. [*]A trapper is selling some strange artifacts that he found while trapping. If asked, he reveals he found them washed up along the banks of a river after a recent flood. The artifacts most likely came from the dragon's hoard. By following the river upstream the party can find the dragon's lair. Of course, the trapper may tell several groups about the artifacts, and the party may not be the only ones in a race to find the hoard. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]

Verification