I am planning a set piece that involves some NPCs deceiving my players. The short version is that my players will meet some simple farmers trying to bring their crops to market, only to find that they’re actually smugglers in a Hatfields and McCoy’s type feud, which the party then gets messily swept up into. I generally don’t trick my players; I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it but I imagine some tables would take to it more than others. Do you trick your players? Are there some tricks you find acceptable and others that are unacceptable? For me, I have no qualm getting my players swept up into the seedy underworld of drug or artifacts smuggling, but I don’t think I would run a plotline on human trafficking. That I think would be difficult in an unpleasant way for everyone involved.

  • Sanctus@anarchist.nexusEnglish
    2·
    9 days ago

    I had them serve a dickhead ‘emperor’ in my Adventure Time campaign. I just kept having him ask them to do ridiculous or silly tasks until it culminated in an unfair arena battle. I made up some magic crystal that takes their physical traits and attributes and gives it to the emperor. That was honestly a fun fight and a good time. Plus I really liked improving as the emperor.

    • queerlilhayseed@piefed.blahaj.zoneOPEnglish
      3·
      9 days ago

      Is there anything magic crystals can’t do? I love a good doppelganger fight. I’ve wanted to do a campaign where, by some magic bullshit, a bizzaro world version of the party shows up that all have different facial and color palettes , but they’re actually competent, like they save towns and revitalize economies and are heroes, meanwhile my players are bumbling around like the gang from It’s Always Sunny.

        • queerlilhayseed@piefed.blahaj.zoneOPEnglish
          3·
          9 days ago

          I don’t know what it says about my friends but their highest fantasy aspirations appear to revolve mostly around two things: petty larceny and profound larceny.

          • wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            3·
            9 days ago

            Profound larceny sounds like some fun fae shit. Like stealing someone’s ability to desire material things, or their ability to speak the letter H.

            • queerlilhayseed@piefed.blahaj.zoneOPEnglish
              3·
              9 days ago

              Funny you should mention it, because one of my campaigns involves stealing, and destroying, a Platonic Ideal. if the ideal is destroyed, that concept ceases to exist in reality. No one knows if it’s ever been done, because no one would be able to remember the concept after a successful heist.

              But with the right team and a portal to the realm of Pure Thought, it could be done.