I'm looking for some interesting ways to drop clues into the game, where my setting is a mediaeval world. I've used bar tenders/brothel keepers/priests etc, but I'd like to vary things a bit rather than having the players go off to look for somebody to question.
I'm considering having 'Wanted Posters' or overheard snippets on conversation in bars/crowds. I also don't want to make the clues too obvious.
Wanted posters are great! I also recommend simply escalating whatever you're dropping hints about. If it's a gang of thieves the town is worried about, but the party doesn't seem to be picking up on it, have the thieves steal from a beloved shop owner or other NPC, so the NPC can directly ask the party to go after them (as an example). Basically, give the party a related encounter to whatever it is you want them to notice, so they have to interact with it in some way.
Also, a general takeaway: nothing is too obvious. as a DM you can forget that the players can't see into your head, they have no greater context for what you're saying. you have to drop hints upon hints or at some point just drop the plot on their heads. they'll appreciate it, I promise lol.
Honestly, I do tend to remind players that there's a difference between what they as players know and what their characters know. As a result, insight, investigation and other such checks are totally requestable if the players feel they need a little clue. Like I now even have my players turn and say 'I as a player think I know what the next step is, but can I make a check to confirm if my character would know the same.' This can be especially helpful for newer players.
That said I wouldn't class it as fun, but it is somewhat important I think.
I'm also considering how to have the party realise in a forest setting that a person they have been told is bad is actually good and the person they think is good is actually bad. I'm going to do o this by having the foliage near the 'good' person's home be dark and dying and that near to the 'bad' person's home be vibrant and lush. The monsters they battle will also be evil near to the 'good' person and be more lawful good near to the 'bad' person with them coming to the aid of the supposedly bad person.
Refugees / survivors - classic hook to get the party to investigate a crisis.
Proclamations / wanted posters - often combined with Town criers
Heralds / messengers / couriers - the party can encounter them on the road, or find their dead remains
Travelling minstrels / bards or circuses - any travellers may have picked up rumours or news and it was common in medieval times for people to put up travellers in exchange for news.
Pillars of smoke / circling vultures - can tempt parties to investigate crime scenes
Stampede / fleeing animals - hint at a threat in the wilderness
Conversations in inns - those who encounter travellers frequently learn rumours / news from far off places.
Guards / authorities - if the party has built a reputation then those in authority may seek them out to hire them for various tasks.
the party realise in a forest setting that a person they have been told is bad is actually good and the person they think is good is actually bad
What do you mean by "good" and "bad"? It's often unhelpful (IMO) to think in such simple black-and-white terms. What are the goals and methods of achieving those goals that each NPC is using? How does that affect how that NPCs behaves and what the party can observe or discover?
If an NPC is actually a hag in disguise, then maybe they cackle in an inhuman way or perhaps they accidentally let slip that they know strange things - like the taste of newt eyeballs - that the person they are pretending to be wouldn't know. Their house might have shrivelled heads in the window or have wind chimes made of dessicated crow's feet.
In contrast in an NPC is in league with devils, then they might faintly smell of brimestone and sulfur, there might be an imp living in their house and/or following them around invisibly, they might have items made of infernal iron, or a branded symbol on their body somewhere.
Whereas an NPC in league with demons could have an ashen tone to their skin, strange idols in their house or worn around their neck, and demons guarding their house.
Whereas an NPC in league with mindflayers might behave strangely due to being mind controlled, they might have a glassy look to their eyes due to drained mental capacity, they might have jars with tadpoles in their house, and intellect devourers guarding their home.
Another classic is finding notes in treasure hoards on in people’s pockets which either implicate the bad person or let you know someone is actually good. Though that can fall under the “too obvious” category.
I'm also considering how to have the party realise in a forest setting that a person they have been told is bad is actually good and the person they think is good is actually bad. I'm going to do o this by having the foliage near the 'good' person's home be dark and dying and that near to the 'bad' person's home be vibrant and lush. The monsters they battle will also be evil near to the 'good' person and be more lawful good near to the 'bad' person with them coming to the aid of the supposedly bad person.
I'm hoping that the party will pick up on this!
Any more thoughts would be appreciated.
You might need to stomp your foot 3 times to help them pick up on those points.
I just used good and bad for brevity! The person purporting to be good is working to take over the resources of a forest while the person that is painted as bad is trying to protect it.
Another classic is finding notes in treasure hoards on in people’s pockets which either implicate the bad person or let you know someone is actually good. Though that can fall under the “too obvious” category.
Too obvious has it's place when the message isn't getting through in any other way!
I'm looking for some interesting ways to drop clues into the game, where my setting is a mediaeval world. I've used bar tenders/brothel keepers/priests etc, but I'd like to vary things a bit rather than having the players go off to look for somebody to question.
I'm considering having 'Wanted Posters' or overheard snippets on conversation in bars/crowds. I also don't want to make the clues too obvious.
Wanted posters are great! I also recommend simply escalating whatever you're dropping hints about. If it's a gang of thieves the town is worried about, but the party doesn't seem to be picking up on it, have the thieves steal from a beloved shop owner or other NPC, so the NPC can directly ask the party to go after them (as an example). Basically, give the party a related encounter to whatever it is you want them to notice, so they have to interact with it in some way.
Also, a general takeaway: nothing is too obvious. as a DM you can forget that the players can't see into your head, they have no greater context for what you're saying. you have to drop hints upon hints or at some point just drop the plot on their heads. they'll appreciate it, I promise lol.
:)
The traditional noir solution to this is to have a bunch of goons attack the PCs.
Honestly, I do tend to remind players that there's a difference between what they as players know and what their characters know. As a result, insight, investigation and other such checks are totally requestable if the players feel they need a little clue. Like I now even have my players turn and say 'I as a player think I know what the next step is, but can I make a check to confirm if my character would know the same.' This can be especially helpful for newer players.
That said I wouldn't class it as fun, but it is somewhat important I think.
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I'm also considering how to have the party realise in a forest setting that a person they have been told is bad is actually good and the person they think is good is actually bad. I'm going to do o this by having the foliage near the 'good' person's home be dark and dying and that near to the 'bad' person's home be vibrant and lush. The monsters they battle will also be evil near to the 'good' person and be more lawful good near to the 'bad' person with them coming to the aid of the supposedly bad person.
I'm hoping that the party will pick up on this!
Any more thoughts would be appreciated.
Medieval hint methods:
What do you mean by "good" and "bad"? It's often unhelpful (IMO) to think in such simple black-and-white terms. What are the goals and methods of achieving those goals that each NPC is using? How does that affect how that NPCs behaves and what the party can observe or discover?
If an NPC is actually a hag in disguise, then maybe they cackle in an inhuman way or perhaps they accidentally let slip that they know strange things - like the taste of newt eyeballs - that the person they are pretending to be wouldn't know. Their house might have shrivelled heads in the window or have wind chimes made of dessicated crow's feet.
In contrast in an NPC is in league with devils, then they might faintly smell of brimestone and sulfur, there might be an imp living in their house and/or following them around invisibly, they might have items made of infernal iron, or a branded symbol on their body somewhere.
Whereas an NPC in league with demons could have an ashen tone to their skin, strange idols in their house or worn around their neck, and demons guarding their house.
Whereas an NPC in league with mindflayers might behave strangely due to being mind controlled, they might have a glassy look to their eyes due to drained mental capacity, they might have jars with tadpoles in their house, and intellect devourers guarding their home.
Another classic is finding notes in treasure hoards on in people’s pockets which either implicate the bad person or let you know someone is actually good. Though that can fall under the “too obvious” category.
You might need to stomp your foot 3 times to help them pick up on those points.
I just used good and bad for brevity! The person purporting to be good is working to take over the resources of a forest while the person that is painted as bad is trying to protect it.
Too obvious has it's place when the message isn't getting through in any other way!
Thank you. There are some good ideas in there.