I am running The Scepter Tower of Spellguard. I was wondering if it would be horrible of me to wait until the end and change the adventure so that the lady will only answer one question from the party instead of one per player.
Well, no, but limiting them to only one question means you can't direct them to the next adventure. What are you so worried about them asking? It's not like they can ruin an adventure they haven't started yet, really.
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Let me put it a different way. Limited information is a driving force. Severely limited information is ignored. You got one shot for the party to tell you what they want the next adventure or campaign to be about. You can either ditch it, or you can use it. Either way, it's up to you to do what serves your means the best.
Well, no, but limiting them to only one question means you can't direct them to the next adventure.
-No it doesn't. If X asks, "Who is my father?", the response can be, "The man in the iron mask, trapped beneath the halls of Stormweather for crimes he did not commit", and bam, you've got a lead on to where you want your PCs to go next.
-No it doesn't. If X asks, "Who is my father?", the response can be, "The man in the iron mask, trapped beneath the halls of Stormweather for crimes he did not commit", and bam, you've got a lead on to where you want your PCs to go next.
Well, no. Now you've just moved where they are going to recieve the information. Because obviously the next questions coming are "Where is Stormweather? Who has captured him?", and I see no reason whatsoever in not letting the players ask this to the oracle right that moment.
Having another player as a question relating to their character over the first questioner also adds drama, as the characters now have to put forward their arguement on why their question is more important.
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However, you miss what is important. It's not that you are telling the players where you want them to go, the players are telling you what kind of adventure they want. You *want* more information like that, as a DM, not only to cater an adventure to your players, but to let you know what the players consider important.
While I agree that what you do is fine and acceptable, and I think that's an acceptable way of handling things, I also find it has a different purpose. One question - DM tells Players what to do. More then one - Players tell DM what they want to do. To me, more questions is better, as I like having more information. However, that's not the way everyone likes to run things.
Well, no. Now you've just moved where they are going to recieve the information. Because obviously the next questions coming are "Where is Stormweather? Who has captured him?", and I see no reason whatsoever in not letting the players ask this to the oracle right that moment.
-None of that impedes the DM from guiding the players to the next place he/she intends on sending them ("...can't direct them to the next adventure..."). That simply causes the PCs to need to get the answers to those questions elsewhere.
-None of that impedes the DM from guiding the players to the next place he/she intends on sending them ("...can't direct them to the next adventure..."). That simply causes the PCs to need to get the answers to those questions elsewhere.
Well, under the assumption that a) Players will go find a sage, b) the rest of the players care about the question asked, and c) they find it interesting enough to pursue.
Again, I feel the purpose of this reward is not about the DM directing the party as much as the party directing the DM, and I feel one question tends to be weaker then more.
Well, under the assumption that a) Players will go find a sage, b) the rest of the players care about the question asked, and c) they find it interesting enough to pursue.
-On this matter, even if the a party of five can ask three questions each, that doesn't necessarily mean that they'll follow any leads that are given. The DM can have Lady Sarahel (Sp?) respond to each of their questions about some event that he/she wants his/her PCs to take part in, and then, afterwards, they decide to go on and do something completely different. Again, you stated that a single question "[wouldn't] direct them to the next adventure...". It most certainly can. At the same time, fifteen questions can't necessarily "direct them to the next adventure." Unless you favor heavily railroading players, nothing you say/do as a DM can absolutely guarantee that your players pick up on any clues you give them about where you want them to go or what you want them to do. Ultimatley, they decide where to go and what to so.
Not only can you be vague as hell, but you can have all kinds of fun with them...
The answers you seek lie with the white-skinned man with the red eyes...
Seek ye the circle of Galthormin, in the forest of ash...
There is a divine presence blocking my knowledge of that...
Or the always-hyesterical She concentrates... and then her eyes go wide... she screms! and then faints away (yes - a fainting ghost... deal with it). When she comes to she simply says... "some things are better left undisturbed..."
Really... you guys need lessons in how to build drama? :D
Or you could just be out-right mean, and take whatever they say literally - if a player asks another "What should we ask her?", then the DM can immediately say "You should ask me a question that will help you on your journey... next question...
I did something simialr with a Ring of wishes a party found. While most of them were discussing what should be wished for (in whispers so I couldn't hear), one bored player announced "can we get some more Cornchips?"
"DONE!", and I went in the kitchen and brought him more cornchips. :P
It was the only wish left in the ring - aren't I a stinker?
-On this matter, even if the a party of five can ask three questions each, that doesn't necessarily mean that they'll follow any leads that are given. The DM can have Lady Sarahel (Sp?) respond to each of their questions about some event that he/she wants his/her PCs to take part in, and then, afterwards, they decide to go on and do something completely different. Again, you stated that a single question "[wouldn't] direct them to the next adventure...". It most certainly can. At the same time, fifteen questions can't necessarily "direct them to the next adventure." Unless you favor heavily railroading players, nothing you say/do as a DM can absolutely guarantee that your players pick up on any clues you give them about where you want them to go or what you want them to do. Ultimatley, they decide where to go and what to so.
LK, can we drop your example? I think it's clouding up the issue. That issue is the purpose of this scene.
Why have this scene be the end goal of the scenario? Why have this scene at all. You've already defeated the bad guy, stopped his nefarious scheme of trapping the oracle, and doing horrible evil undetermined things. What is this scene for?
This scene is here to give a chance to let the DM listen to their players. The Players have gone and accomplished a long scenario. They have jumped up about 4 levels if they have hit every encounter along the way. That is a lot of levels at a low level in which they probably have not really developed their characters.
The purpose of this scene is twofold, then. It's to provide Character Development (This is stuff that is important to my character that I want people to know), and it provides a chance for the Player to say What kind of story they want to do next (I want a Mystery, I want an Smash up Adventure, I was a Treasure Hunt, I want a Vengeance Story, so on). As a DM, you're job during this sequence should be to listen to the players. Tie in your oracle tidbits as you will, but what this scene is for is to understand what your players want. Limiting it to one question limits not only the information they receive, but the information you get.
As such, this is how I would handle the scene.
End of session, we have the players ask their questions, call the session.
Next week, plan out a traveling scenario for overland adventure. Don't tie it to a location. When the players come back and tell me which way they are going to go, run the scenario as planned as they travel around.
The week after that, I will know what I am running because at that point they have told me what they want to do.
LK, can we drop your example? I think it's clouding up the issue. That issue is the purpose of this scene.
-Use any example or examples that you want. The claim that a single question "[wouldn't] direct [the PCs] to the next adventure..." has no meat on it. The PCs can ask one question, or one-hundred questions. Ultimatley, if the DM is using the opportunity to direct his/her PCs to where he/she wants them to go next, it can be accomplished with one answer, or one hundred answers.
I am running The Scepter Tower of Spellguard. I was wondering if it would be horrible of me to wait until the end and change the adventure so that the lady will only answer one question from the party instead of one per player.
It kind of depends on your players and what your plans are.
If your players are the types that are mostly motivated and you're doing all you can to keep up with them, I think one question total is fine.
However if they're the type that need options and a little DM-push here and there, I recommend letting them have one question per player.
Saly did you have some other reasoning in mind for limiting your players to the one question?
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Lastly and as to the side debate going on between LK and Kensan: The scene is as Kensan states; it's purpose and function is obvious.
Limiting the players to one question total on the assumption that "one question is enough" is an unwise decision all by itself. It's first necessary (as I suggest above) for a DM to measure the demeanor of one's players. If they're anything less than motivated or otherwise already on track to the next adventure, why ever impede their ability to tell you (as DM) exactly what they want next?