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Khaelieth
Learned Scribe
103 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Jul 2019 : 09:45:37
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So I'm chucking the adventurers into the Feywild next session, and invariably, they've been told to not wander off the path.
However, for the sake of the story, I'd like them to wander off to just experience the dangers of doing exactly that without railroading it. I'm thinking using some sort of fey-ability for a fey to lure an adventurer off the path without railroading it too hard, or at least not giving them feeling I did it. It's meant to be more of an encounter.
Current idea is to have the fey use charm person and lure the player off the path, then have the others follow out of loyalty. To find the path again, it's just a riddle (to entertain the exquisitely bored fey) or, if they fail, a skill check (they have a Ranger and Druid, so shouldn't be too hard).
Does anyone have any feedback for this?
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Also known on other forums as ChazSexington, Kusghuul, and Claudius.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36809 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jul 2019 : 10:51:23
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| I'd leave it up to the PCs, but give them enough of a hook that they leave the path voluntarily. |
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Wenin
Senior Scribe
585 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jul 2019 : 19:48:31
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Take care to not rob the players of their agency. Temp them with that which the fey can tempt. You know your players, feed on their wants.
Forbidden fruit tree, a natural orchard
Pond with bathing maidens
A fey walking into their camp, on their way to someplace. Extending an invitation to join them
Music playing from a distant glade that can be heard from a distance
A wounded fey calling for help, sounding as a child
They happen upon a fey with a camp already prepared, smoking a tantalizing smelling plant, while playing restful music. The fey invites them to join them in exchange for them telling a story or giving the fey something else they want.
They notice a cabin off the path in the woods.
Have the air itself be filled with ambrosias. Essentially give them a reason to excuse their decision to leave the path. “You feel euphoric, the burdens of your life are washed away. Old wounds that cause discomfort are eased.” Think of how people served fake beer act like they are drunk. The description of the effect they feel is the near beer, still allowing them to freely choose to act in a way counter to their safety.
A rushing waterfall can be heard of n the distance. The scene they come upon is a beauty that they must try to resist or be trapped.
The initial decision to leave the path should be one made with their free will. Simply dangle tantalizing encounters before them. :)
Ps pardon the poor wording of the post, doing this from the phone |
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Dark Curtains - Takes place in the Savage North, starting in Nesmé. I wrapped my campaign into the Hoard of the Dragon Queen, but it takes place in 1372 DR. |
Edited by - Wenin on 03 Jul 2019 19:50:19 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36809 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jul 2019 : 23:53:43
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Another thought I had -- a fork in the path. They pick a direction, but no matter how careful they are, they circle back around to the same spot.
After they've tried both routes, they come back to the fork and meet a fae there. He's enspelled the road, or maybe he's the Master of the Wood, or something like that. He needs something done... The PCs don't have to do it, but if they don't, one path will loop back to the same place again, and the other won't, but will take considerably longer to lead out of the woods. And if they choose the wrong path and it loops them back, when they return, the paths have reset and they have to choose between the loop and the long path again.
The PCs have a choice, and they could get lucky and get out with nothing more than a delay... They're not railroaded, and something like this seems more likely in Faerie than it would anywhere else... |
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Khaelieth
Learned Scribe
103 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2019 : 09:14:14
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So I ended up taking most of your advice, with some minor alterations.
Being the Feywild and drawing on a lot of LotR and traditional fairytales, I wanted to include the old "don't wander off the path" cliché, while giving them agency. However, this is D&D, so the DM has to have some sort of influence, which I decided would be a path forking, with one being an illusion that would lead them astray.
I've included a rough pre-draft below for those interested in how I ran it. The adventurers ended up only killing the spiders after failing the riddle at the end, otherwise, it was entirely non-combat. They NEVER went off the path willingly though (even when I Smeagol-tempted them), and they only got lost after going the wrong way at the crossroads.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ijXkWiS8mzop-1jA4QkOSij66PtvZTO5qEhDfeI9vUc/edit?usp=sharing
There's a few things included that are party-specific, but it was a massive success with my players!
Edit - the Google Docs is a mauled due poor formating after importing it from word. |
Also known on other forums as ChazSexington, Kusghuul, and Claudius.
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Edited by - Khaelieth on 10 Jul 2019 09:16:22 |
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Fey-related help
