'sup /tg/ newbie GM here.
Trying to prep a simple treasure hunt adventure, where the PC's are trying to find the tomb of an old king and loot it for riches (Twist: tomb is actually prison for a wraith, said king's lingering soul).
What I'm trying to do is use the Three Clue rule/Node Based Adventure design to make finding the location of the tomb an adventure of its own. However, I find it hard to seed enough clues (in a way that makes sense) so that my players can derive the tombs location on their own, short of just handing them a map with a big old red X.
Any of you got any experience doing this?
>>44242336
Maybe, a few ruined buildings that lead the way to the place? Or a ruined road that's half overgrown so they lose it along the way?
>>44242336
Give them legends of great wealth, stories of adventurers going missing, maybe a drunk old man remembering his greatest regret.
This is really simple, actually. You just need to answer some basic questions to help you figure out where your tomb is hiding:
>Who built it, and why?
>Where is it relative to the player's starting location?
>How much is known about it?
>How much do the players start the game knowing?
>How obscure would information about it be?
If your players are starting completely dry and only learning "You need to go find Tomb" and nothing else, the first step will always be them needing to get their bearings. This comes in the form of the players either A.) Consulting their own skills and knowledge in order to find a likely starting direction, or B.) Consulting someone nearby that will likely have that information. This can easily be a local sage, a bard, or an explorer's guild.
Let's say for this quest, you choose the Guild, because why not. So the players hear "Hey, the Guild has lots of old local legends and maps, go ask them if they know where the tomb is.", so the players go there, and the Guild is willing to give them the information in exchange for something from the tomb that validates it's existence. Let's say....an ancient tome that was said to be buried there. Boom, you have an imperative for the players and a direction.
MORE TO COME.
>>44242438
Alright, so the players agree to get the tome for the Guild, they know the tomb is in the North at the foot of the Mountains. But where is it exactly? Can't just wander the mountains and hope to find it. So the Guild can let them know that while the exact location of the tomb is unknown, there's an old Ranger in the woods that the players can get to, he can detail the terrain for them and help find their way.
Alright, the players are off on their trek into the wilderness. OH SHIT THERE'S SOME WOLVES ATTACKING THEIR CAMP AT NIGHT. Gotta have some event to keep them on their toes.
Eventually they come to the Ranger's cabin. He knows the land, but the mountain pass is blocked bu Goblin Raiders and he can't do anything until they're dealt with. So, the players go off and clear some goblins out of a nearby cave, in exchange for the Ranger leading them to the foot of the mountains, where the way is marked by an ominous set of pillars carved with old runes and skulls. The Ranger says "This is the way to the cave, but I won't go in. There is an ill wind coming from that mountain." and he leaves them there.
Now the players are at the foot of the mountain and it's a short climb up to the cliff where the tomb was carved out. But once they get there, the door is sealed. How does it open? Well, there seems to be a hole for a key of some sort, but who has it?
Has one of the players heard an old local legend/children's rhyme about the moonlight shining through a specific tree's branches illuminating the hidden door switch? Or maybe the tale says that the key was gifted to Water Spirit of a nearby lake for safe keeping? Or perhaps the entrance itself is a puzzle that is somehow solved by the design of the old King's empire's royal seal?
I don't know man, you tell me.
>>44242438
>>44242499
Bear in mind, this is ridiculously simple, and cliche as fuck, but that's not the point.
The point is: If you want to make players feel like they've worked for something so that when they get it, it feels like an accomplishment, what you need to do is to make a chain of events leading up to it where everything they do, they do with the knowledge that it's all leading to one single goal.
They need to trade with the shady criminal for information about the business front for the drug gang so they can learn about the secret drug shipment so they can interrogate one of the thugs for the location of the secret hideout of their arch rival.
They need to help the local guild so they can get the map so they can seek out the tower of the only wizard who can read the ancient runes so they can solve the puzzle so they can locate the hidden ancient treasure.
It's all about A leads to B leads to C. The thing YOU have to decide is, how many steps do you want this thing to take?
>>44242438
>>44242499
>>44242526
Thank you, you've given me some ideas to brew on.
Regarding the A-B-C progression, I actually was trying to avoid this. Each step is a potential point of failure, my players are a whole lot greener than me, and I don't want the whole adventure to come to a grinding halt because they missed or mis-interpreted something.
>>44242438
>>44242499
>>44242526
Not OP here, good advice anon! Thanks!
>>44242623
Alright, I'm going to give you a point of advice that I think no one has because clearly you have gotten the wrong idea about how DMing works.
If you're worried about your players missing or misinterpreting information then DON'T TRY AND GIVE THEM CLUES. That's literally just more information they have to miss or misinterpret.
Don't do it. Don't try to do it. It's not something you grasp the basic concepts of writing, it's not something your players grasp the premise of playing, it will be a failure all around.
What's important to players is that they FEEL like they're making the choice to move the story forwards. It doesn't matter that they're going exactly where you planned and they never had a choice in the matter, as long as they're making a choice to accomplish a plot goal on their own. That's on you to provide.
Yes, you COULD have an adventure where the players could go to one of three different places where you've fluffed out the different clues they'll find in each one, and depending on which they go to, they can branch off into the next. But why would you?
Why do that when you can give them one place, and make them think it was their choice to go there, so that they don't miss any information, because they're looking for it specifically, and the only details they are given are the ones they need to move forwards? They don't know that you didn't plan out 3 other possible investigation locations. They don't need to know that.
Save yourself the headache. Write what is necessary, and use your improv skills to guide players between those points you've plotted.
Sounds like a mini investigation. Clues leading to a conclusion, meanwhile revealing ever more ominous facts about the target.
You can give your players a nice sense of achievement if they not only have to find the place, but must know or bring a number of different bits brought from different events. Like the place, a key, a riddle, and a warning.
>Trader
Knows the land well and can produce a map of the roads and towns, of course he must be convinced to share his business secrets. He can also warn not to go through the East Valley (or whatever) because strange things happen there, the people are weird, and travelers have disappeared. If pressed he could tell about an offer he once received from a hooded figure to guide travelers into the East Valley without asking questions for a sizable fee, which he turned down.
>Hunter
He can produce a map of game trails, terrain, and known creatures, but won't if the party seem disrespectful of the balance of nature. He doesn't know the East Valley because game from there is tainted. If pressed he will tell of his uncle who died horribly from eating tainted game one starved winter. He tried to find a cure but was warned by all the healers he could find to throw that vile taint into the deepest pit and wash thoroughly.
>Innkeeper
Has once heard a traveler's tale about an ancient tomb in the slopes of the East Valley, but wants to get paid for this information. If pressed he will confess to sometimes receive payment for sending travelers there, and he might again if the party decide to go there.
and so on.
>>44242718
The problem with this method is that all it involves is ruminating around town and talking to every single NPC you can before moving on. There's no pacing, no action. And you can't hang a roleplaying a roleplaying campaign on "Go around and talk to every single person and either take meticulous notes or hope you remember everything they tell you perfectly while you try and put together a complete picture so you can actually figure out where to go".
>>44242336
Normally you'd ask around among local hunters, woodsmen, coalers or children. Basically anyone who'd randomly amble through the wilderness.
If they've been looting those tombs, they might not be willing to share, but you can probably tirangulate the one you're looking for from the locations of tombs they already cleaned out. You can generally at least find the rough location by heading for the known ancestral temple that the royal cult is using, which will most likely cut the search range down from a whole mountain range to just a valley.
>>44242768
Players get what matters through subtext. The more elaborate it is, the more notes it requires, the more relevant it is. You can use this to mislead them, but I wouldn't. Roleplaying isn't suited to solving real sleuth mysteries like classic novel heroes do.You don't have the time to concentrate too much while playing, it is a social dynamic.
>>44242807
>Players get what matters through subtext.
If OP is concerned about his players missing or misunderstanding details and clues, then the answer is a big "fuck no" to subtext and subtle hints and note-taking.
>>44242623
if there green a wraith may not be the best enemy to use
>>44242881
I'm not going to have them actually fight it, I think.
When they crack the casket, the wraith escapes and comes back as the antagonist of the next adventure.
