>the local Blackguard has stolen the kingdom's only Prince
Could a D&D or pathfinder game even handle such a campaign concept, where the PCs are just tracking a blackguard across the land to dekidnap a prince, or would the party inevitably so utterly fail a series of tracking rolls that they'd lose the blackguard's trail?
>>46077876
If they lose the Blackguard's trail, it's the DM's job to have anticipated that and have put in ways that they can get back on the trail.
>>46077876
What are divination spells
>>46077911
>what is miscasting tables
Five planes and a tarrasque later they'll wander back into their original kingdom with the wrong prince entirely.
>>46077876
Divination spells, rumours of a villain spreading across the land giving the party clues... It's like you aren't even trying to rescue the Prince. Or rush in and have the Blackguard murder the hostage making your years of questing in vain.
>>46077876
>Could a D&D or pathfinder game even handle such a campaign concept
I don't see why not. It was built for pulpy fantasy adventure structured around quests.
>>46077876
You are the GM.
You can will that they succeed, without having them roll.
>>46077876
If you just dress it up as an array of tracking rolls, it's going to be a really shitty campaign.
Other than that, there's literally no reason it wouldn't work. Just make sure there are multiple options for finding out where the Blackguard is holding the prince.
>>46077889
This.
Don't safeguard them from failure but give them more than one opportunity to advance the plot.
Allow players to surprise you. They might come up with a solution you never thought of.
Despite the lies people like to tell on the internet, most players are not gormless retards who can only solve problems by sticking swords in them.
>>46077876
Why do they have to make tracking rolls?
Sure they could track him, or they could go look for his contacts and get information out of them, or pay some street children to tell them what they saw/have heard. They could follow rumors about the blackguards location or point of origin.
>Party arrives at blackguards home village, ask his mom about him.
>Mom kicks open the basement door and demands he gets his ass upstairs.
>Could a D&D or pathfinder game even handle such a campaign concept
I mean... ya? I don't think that's a particularly out there or difficult to accommodate idea.
So, let's talk motivation. Why did the Blackguard kidnap the prince? Mercenary work, ransom, dark ritual, eloping, unsavory intent? What have we got?
>>46080342
>The boy can't even hold a sword! Obviously my former ally had been neglecting his duties to raise his son.
> Darkness is on the rise, the world will need a hero to protect it. Might as well have that hero be King.
> I have sworn an oath to my god Ares, God of War, to train this boy to be a King, a Conqueror, a Warlord.
> With my training, this land will be safe.
>>46080545
Well done.
