(By the way, if you're reading this and you're playing in my campaign, read no further or your character will die 1000 deaths)
I have a plan for a first adventure to start a campaign that goes like this:
Players learn there is a possesed person or persons who have taken hostages and kill anyone who tries to rescue them.
They go to rescue the hostages and kill the people (shouldn't be very hard).
The "hostages" get up, wipe off some makeup (fake injuries), and tell the players they are recruiters for the Inquisition (papal special-ops in my setting). The possesed people were condemned criminals who were going to be killed anyway.
They draft the players.
I also plan to foreshadow it a bit by showing an inquisition propaganda poster floating in a pool of blood while they're walking down the alleyway.
My main question is: does this feel kind of random? Like: oh, you thought this was one thing? Well it's actually a different thing. Now you're drafted, screw you. The central concern is taking away player agency. I don't want the players to feel too railroaded (although its by no means a sandbox campaign), and I feel like springing the main plot on them like that will feel forced. Any feedback on how I can avoid that?
My bigger issue is that having a religious order deliberately(?) cause people to be possessed seems like an inherently evil act. Condemned or not, some lines shouldn't be crossed, especially without consent of the afflicted party.
You may find that some of your party rebuke the invitation. This decision point is where player agency is going to be most relevant.
Have a contingency prepared, so that if they become hostile to your plan, then you can redirect them to a secondary organization that can otherwise operate the same.
My bigger issue is that having a religious order deliberately(?) cause people to be possessed seems like an inherently evil act. Condemned or not, some lines shouldn't be crossed, especially without consent of the afflicted party.
You may find that some of your party rebuke the invitation. This decision point is where player agency is going to be most relevant.
Have a contingency prepared, so that if they become hostile to your plan, then you can redirect them to a secondary organization that can otherwise operate the same.
I actually am prepared for that contingency (I would also note: they're not possesed at all, they're just essentially being held at gunpoint by the inquisition). Also, as for moral boundaries of the inquisition, they really don't have any. This world has pretty much only one dominant religion, which is ridiculously corrupt, and essentially a political entity (ala the church in the middle ages). My setting requires a bit of explaining to understand, as its a bit unorthodox (a renaissance based science fantasy world), but that's everything world-building wise relevant.
Also, them getting drafted is very much a choice for them. They can probably escape from or dispatch the recruiters with moderate to high difficulty.
A last minute "switch-a-roo" is always good to have once in a while, especially when it gives the characters an opportunity to be recognized and make meaningful choices. Morally grey landscapes are often very rewarding when handled thoughtfully.
A last minute "switch-a-roo" is always good to have once in a while, especially when it gives the characters an opportunity to be recognized and make meaningful choices. Morally grey landscapes are often very rewarding when handled thoughtfully.
I would also like to build up the Inquisitors as peace-keepers in the eyes of the players, so that the twist kind of messes with their perception a bit more. Especially because even though the inquisition is corrupt, it generally does protect the average citizen pretty well. Like have bar patrons speak well of the high inquisitor's decisions of late and stuff like that.
It's the sort of thing that could go horribly awry in unpredictable ways so I'd be wary of doing it actually in-game (as opposed to game background fiat), but it's not otherwise bad.
It’s an ok twist if things actually go that way. My concern is that you’ve already determined what the players will do and what that will result in. Fairly classic railroading.
Be prepared for the players to not kill the prisoners or to be pissed at the recruiters’ deception and attack them or any number of other things. I know my players would never follow along with what you’ve designed.
You asked it if was cheap. You already know that is cheap. Doesn't matter as long as the players have fun in it. So go. Hehe fun with it. That's all that matters.
It’s an ok twist if things actually go that way. My concern is that you’ve already determined what the players will do and what that will result in. Fairly classic railroading.
Be prepared for the players to not kill the prisoners or to be pissed at the recruiters’ deception and attack them or any number of other things. I know my players would never follow along with what you’ve designed.
I am very much prepared for that. This adventure is essentially just asking: where do you want your characters to fit into the main conflict of the campaign? So any decision like that is welcome. In fact, I'm very used to my group playing like that. It's actually a lot of fun.
Doesn’t seem cheap to me at all. Although in my experience, a lot of players are very easily influenced by the way NPCs treat their character, so if you want them to join the Inquisition, the recruiter should definitely be like “that’s the best I’ve seen in some time, you’re just the sort we need.” People (and by extension their characters) often have big egos when it comes to their fantasy world, so just don’t let the Inquisition snark at them and you should be fine.
(By the way, if you're reading this and you're playing in my campaign, read no further or your character will die 1000 deaths)
I have a plan for a first adventure to start a campaign that goes like this:
I also plan to foreshadow it a bit by showing an inquisition propaganda poster floating in a pool of blood while they're walking down the alleyway.
My main question is: does this feel kind of random? Like: oh, you thought this was one thing? Well it's actually a different thing. Now you're drafted, screw you. The central concern is taking away player agency. I don't want the players to feel too railroaded (although its by no means a sandbox campaign), and I feel like springing the main plot on them like that will feel forced. Any feedback on how I can avoid that?
I did NOT eat those hikers.
This sounds like the most creative thing I've heard in a while, but this is coming from the DM who had the PC's drafted, so idk.
Mystic v3 should be official, nuff said.
Not random. Maybe a little cliche.
My bigger issue is that having a religious order deliberately(?) cause people to be possessed seems like an inherently evil act. Condemned or not, some lines shouldn't be crossed, especially without consent of the afflicted party.
You may find that some of your party rebuke the invitation. This decision point is where player agency is going to be most relevant.
Have a contingency prepared, so that if they become hostile to your plan, then you can redirect them to a secondary organization that can otherwise operate the same.
I actually am prepared for that contingency (I would also note: they're not possesed at all, they're just essentially being held at gunpoint by the inquisition). Also, as for moral boundaries of the inquisition, they really don't have any. This world has pretty much only one dominant religion, which is ridiculously corrupt, and essentially a political entity (ala the church in the middle ages). My setting requires a bit of explaining to understand, as its a bit unorthodox (a renaissance based science fantasy world), but that's everything world-building wise relevant.
Also, them getting drafted is very much a choice for them. They can probably escape from or dispatch the recruiters with moderate to high difficulty.
I did NOT eat those hikers.
Good, sounds like you're covered then!
A last minute "switch-a-roo" is always good to have once in a while, especially when it gives the characters an opportunity to be recognized and make meaningful choices. Morally grey landscapes are often very rewarding when handled thoughtfully.
I would also like to build up the Inquisitors as peace-keepers in the eyes of the players, so that the twist kind of messes with their perception a bit more. Especially because even though the inquisition is corrupt, it generally does protect the average citizen pretty well. Like have bar patrons speak well of the high inquisitor's decisions of late and stuff like that.
I did NOT eat those hikers.
It's the sort of thing that could go horribly awry in unpredictable ways so I'd be wary of doing it actually in-game (as opposed to game background fiat), but it's not otherwise bad.
What's your guarantee the players are going to want to kill the possessed people? What if they try to "save" them?
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
It’s an ok twist if things actually go that way. My concern is that you’ve already determined what the players will do and what that will result in. Fairly classic railroading.
Be prepared for the players to not kill the prisoners or to be pissed at the recruiters’ deception and attack them or any number of other things. I know my players would never follow along with what you’ve designed.
You asked it if was cheap. You already know that is cheap. Doesn't matter as long as the players have fun in it. So go. Hehe fun with it. That's all that matters.
I am very much prepared for that. This adventure is essentially just asking: where do you want your characters to fit into the main conflict of the campaign? So any decision like that is welcome. In fact, I'm very used to my group playing like that. It's actually a lot of fun.
I did NOT eat those hikers.
Doesn’t seem cheap to me at all. Although in my experience, a lot of players are very easily influenced by the way NPCs treat their character, so if you want them to join the Inquisition, the recruiter should definitely be like “that’s the best I’ve seen in some time, you’re just the sort we need.” People (and by extension their characters) often have big egos when it comes to their fantasy world, so just don’t let the Inquisition snark at them and you should be fine.
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Love it. Too bad We don't have a grand platform for the complexities of the format.
Eden