1. Adventure modules are written so anyone can complete them. Thus, the information about where to go, what to do, and who to kill, have to be right out in the open -- players can't actually miss them, or the adventure ends. NPCs who need to cooperate for the plot to work, have to cooperate -- players can't actually fail to convince them, or the adventure ends. Fights that would kill the party, well, they actually can kill the party. The game can continue from that, though it might be awkward.
2. Since a PC gets a limited number of features, choosing something to help you find clues or talk to people means leaving behind other features. And since you can't fail at those first two things, but you can fail at the third, that would be an unwise choice.
3. But some players enjoy doing it anyway.
4. You can dissociate your clues from the places in which they're found. This helps you improvise, and ensures that important info isn't missed, and gives a sense of player agency at the same time. Example: There's a letter in the mayor's desk that incriminates him. Change that to: there's a letter that incriminates the mayor. You don't know how the players will find it, you just have it as a Thing They Will Find When They Look.
---
Okay, synthesis time. Players who take features for investigating (Scrying, Contact Other Plane, See Invisibility) or social interaction (Charm Person, Detect Thoughts, Sending) are only allowed to use these things for optional content at best. All the important things don't require them. And if they use them proactively to try to pursue what they think are leads, there's nothing for them to find, because the designers don't put them where the majority isn't going to see them.
If you have someone in your party who likes to play a character whose skills are in these areas, you can (and should!) remove all the plot-driving information from wherever it is. You can put it back if you need it, that's easy enough. Hide it behind moderately uncooperative NPCs, secret doors, faint footprints and so on. Take all of those curiously friendly NPCs and people whose interests align conveniently with the party's, and make them hostile or untrusting. Give your players something to overcome that is actually important, rather than just irrelevant lore details and shop discounts.
(Gonna edit this reply later with specific examples from the Storm King's Thunder adventure.)
Edit 1: In chapter 3, there's the Inner Circles section where a wizard gives the party free access to his organization's teleportation circle network. This isn't strictly necessary for the plot, but it'll work as an example. Here's what the book says:
"Krowen isn't very fond of adventurers himself, but he's fond of using them to do his dirty work. If the characters explain that they're trying to thwart the giants, Krowen grants the party free access to a secret network of teleportation circles that he and his fellow Harper wizards use for travel."
Boy, that sure sounds like a useful thing that an NPC could be convinced to give the party, huh? And it sounds like his reasoning doesn't even come through to the players. They would never assume he would give it to them for free, but he does. (Also, "dirty work?" Aren't the Harpers good guys?) Let's rework that a bit.
"Krowen at the Moongleam Tower has access to the secret Harper teleportation network, but doesn't want to inflict messy, rude adventurers on his fellow wizards. He does explain what the network is, but quickly grows tired of talking and asks the party to leave."
+ "Krowen is grumpy and dislikes company, but cares deeply about his Harper ideals."
+ "The other members of the network are..."
There's two different "solutions" to this problem now. Hand them out if your players successfully poke at the problem. Maybe they will really grill Krowen and try to persuade him and roll hot -- great, give them either of the answers. Maybe they will ask other people in the tower what's wrong with Krowen and how to get through to him. Maybe they will go to the Oracle! Whatever, it doesn't matter what they do, we're not planning for every eventuality specifically, we don't need to. We just need the Secrets.
I would add two additional thoughts to the above points:
1. Everyone should receive challenges that their character excels at. You do not want your investigator or diplomat to be the only one finding the clues, as then other players might feel they are not important to the story. Be sure to add things that can be obtained through other players.
2. It is always a good idea to make players work together. Maybe your diplomat is good at talking, but not so good at smashing things--perhaps their clue would lead them to a chest that has to be broken open by the barbarian in the party. Playing off not only your character's strengths, but also their weaknesses, ensures everyone at the table feels useful as well as improves inter-party relations.
I would add two additional thoughts to the above points:
1. Everyone should receive challenges that their character excels at. You do not want your investigator or diplomat to be the only one finding the clues, as then other players might feel they are not important to the story. Be sure to add things that can be obtained through other players.
2. It is always a good idea to make players work together. Maybe your diplomat is good at talking, but not so good at smashing things--perhaps their clue would lead them to a chest that has to be broken open by the barbarian in the party. Playing off not only your character's strengths, but also their weaknesses, ensures everyone at the table feels useful as well as improves inter-party relations.
1. Definitely. I don't find that other archetypes, for lack of a better word, tend to suffer in this way by default though. If that's the case for you (a word which here means "the reader of this post"), though, them it definitely needs addressed.
2. Excellent idea.
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This is a synthesis of two excellent pieces of writing: Justin Alexander's analysis of the linear adventure design and Mike Shea's article on secrets and clues. If you're pressed for time, I'll summarize the points I'm going to focus on from each:
1. Adventure modules are written so anyone can complete them. Thus, the information about where to go, what to do, and who to kill, have to be right out in the open -- players can't actually miss them, or the adventure ends. NPCs who need to cooperate for the plot to work, have to cooperate -- players can't actually fail to convince them, or the adventure ends. Fights that would kill the party, well, they actually can kill the party. The game can continue from that, though it might be awkward.
2. Since a PC gets a limited number of features, choosing something to help you find clues or talk to people means leaving behind other features. And since you can't fail at those first two things, but you can fail at the third, that would be an unwise choice.
3. But some players enjoy doing it anyway.
4. You can dissociate your clues from the places in which they're found. This helps you improvise, and ensures that important info isn't missed, and gives a sense of player agency at the same time. Example: There's a letter in the mayor's desk that incriminates him. Change that to: there's a letter that incriminates the mayor. You don't know how the players will find it, you just have it as a Thing They Will Find When They Look.
---
Okay, synthesis time. Players who take features for investigating (Scrying, Contact Other Plane, See Invisibility) or social interaction (Charm Person, Detect Thoughts, Sending) are only allowed to use these things for optional content at best. All the important things don't require them. And if they use them proactively to try to pursue what they think are leads, there's nothing for them to find, because the designers don't put them where the majority isn't going to see them.
If you have someone in your party who likes to play a character whose skills are in these areas, you can (and should!) remove all the plot-driving information from wherever it is. You can put it back if you need it, that's easy enough. Hide it behind moderately uncooperative NPCs, secret doors, faint footprints and so on. Take all of those curiously friendly NPCs and people whose interests align conveniently with the party's, and make them hostile or untrusting. Give your players something to overcome that is actually important, rather than just irrelevant lore details and shop discounts.
(Gonna edit this reply later with specific examples from the Storm King's Thunder adventure.)
Edit 1: In chapter 3, there's the Inner Circles section where a wizard gives the party free access to his organization's teleportation circle network. This isn't strictly necessary for the plot, but it'll work as an example. Here's what the book says:
"Krowen isn't very fond of adventurers himself, but he's fond of using them to do his dirty work. If the characters explain that they're trying to thwart the giants, Krowen grants the party free access to a secret network of teleportation circles that he and his fellow Harper wizards use for travel."
Boy, that sure sounds like a useful thing that an NPC could be convinced to give the party, huh? And it sounds like his reasoning doesn't even come through to the players. They would never assume he would give it to them for free, but he does. (Also, "dirty work?" Aren't the Harpers good guys?) Let's rework that a bit.
"Krowen at the Moongleam Tower has access to the secret Harper teleportation network, but doesn't want to inflict messy, rude adventurers on his fellow wizards. He does explain what the network is, but quickly grows tired of talking and asks the party to leave."
+ "Krowen is grumpy and dislikes company, but cares deeply about his Harper ideals."
+ "The other members of the network are..."
There's two different "solutions" to this problem now. Hand them out if your players successfully poke at the problem. Maybe they will really grill Krowen and try to persuade him and roll hot -- great, give them either of the answers. Maybe they will ask other people in the tower what's wrong with Krowen and how to get through to him. Maybe they will go to the Oracle! Whatever, it doesn't matter what they do, we're not planning for every eventuality specifically, we don't need to. We just need the Secrets.
I would add two additional thoughts to the above points:
1. Everyone should receive challenges that their character excels at. You do not want your investigator or diplomat to be the only one finding the clues, as then other players might feel they are not important to the story. Be sure to add things that can be obtained through other players.
2. It is always a good idea to make players work together. Maybe your diplomat is good at talking, but not so good at smashing things--perhaps their clue would lead them to a chest that has to be broken open by the barbarian in the party. Playing off not only your character's strengths, but also their weaknesses, ensures everyone at the table feels useful as well as improves inter-party relations.
1. Definitely. I don't find that other archetypes, for lack of a better word, tend to suffer in this way by default though. If that's the case for you (a word which here means "the reader of this post"), though, them it definitely needs addressed.
2. Excellent idea.