amidst the ancient trees Just go in the darn forest already

[scaredyshep]

So I'll be starting my first CoC 7th edition campaign soon, and acting as the Keeper for Amidst the Ancient Trees. I'm playing with a really awesome group, who've already created their characters. I can't wait but my biggest worry is that the group has the frustrating ability to use their common sense and walk away from danger. (One time in a Dread game, they were sent to search a derelict spacecraft and found bloodsplatters....they then got back on their own ship and tried to leave.)

The Motives and the general lure of the bounty should be enough to get them into the forest in the first place, but part of me thinks that they might cut-and-run back to town for reinforcements (or a bee-line for the train station) since they already have really low Sanity thanks to poor dice rolls.

Any ideas for getting them in the forest, and making them stay there long enough for the campaign to progress? I thought maybe Sheriff Jenkins/Lucas Strong would yell bloody murder at them, or they would get lost in the forest from failed Navigation/Luck rolls to stumble up on the next important location...

 

[nclarke]

You should have set expectations before starting the game if you knew that they are liable to cut and run.

You might want to tell them that you expect them to investigate and the norm for CoC games is that the players job is to investigate what they've been asked to  and not get sidetracked or abandon the task because they are unsure of what to do next.

[mvincent]

1 hour ago, scaredyshep said:

they might cut-and-run back to town for reinforcements (or a bee-line for the train station) since they already have really low Sanity thanks to poor dice rolls.

Unless they reached the final encounter, they shouldn't really have a good reason to ask for reinforcements (i.e. they kinda *are* the reinforcements). So if they really want to cut and run, maybe let them play different characters (i.e. the reinforcements). There's not much that should warrant a large grouping of reinforcements until the final encounter (by which time it's too late).

And if they want to cut and run from the final encounter... that's mostly expected. They'll still be chased (and will gain very little SAN).

[Mankcam]

This is not specific to your actual scenario, but very broad advice - railroad it.

When in doubt, just railroad a few bits by narrating something like this:

'Your curiosity gets the better of you, and despite your better judgement you follow the path, even though every instinct is screaming otherwise..."

Then you have them back where you want them (ie: in a prepared scenario, rather than having to wing everything on the fly). If unhappy, just remind them that this is a joint storytelling exercise, and some plot points need to occur, and it is your prerogative as a Keeper to ensure this happens.

It is best to avoid this, but if you hardly ever do this then it should not be a big thing. After all, it's for the good of the game and it's no fun for anyone if the Keeper runs out of juice.

If you want it to feel more fair from a gamist sense, then perhaps it can be regulated with the use of 'Keeper tokens'. The Keeper can perhaps start the scenario with a number of tokens proportionate to the size of the troupe in the session. Maybe one token, and an additional token for each investigator PC in the troupe (ie: for a troupe of three investigators, the GM starts the scenario with four tokens).

These tokens represent the number of times that the Keeper can automatically decree something occurs within a scenario, and the Keeper then 'cashes in' a token upon each time that a plot redirection needs to occur. This way the players do not feel that the Keeper has the absolute power to do it whenever, and it reinforces that it only happens when the Keeper feels it is essential to the plot. 

Plus it kinda feels fun 

Edited August 10, 2016 by Mankcam

[Sayerson]

Another way is to 'Indiana Jones' them by having some of the action occur near them and having them caught up in it. Maybe they inadvertently end up with some of the ransom and are mistakenly identified as part of the gang or hear the   Long distance cry of 'there they are! Lets string them up!' As they see a band of men with flashlights/ torches start towards them firing off shots (missing due to distance, of course). Rail-roady but lots of possibilities to motivate a group.

[Darius West]

Oh FFS.  What you need to do is introduce an endearing NPC and have them be apparently lost in the woods. Remind players that losing a friend will cost them more SAN for running away than going and investigating.  Have the Sheriff come and personally ask if they want to be involved in the search party.  Let the players make a Psych roll to notice that the Sheriff is observing their reactions unnervingly closely, like he suspects something.  Now they are in the woods with support.  Support gives them the illusion of security; build up the sense that perhaps the woods as a whole seem normal, even pretty. Then draw their attention to something that seems bad which is a red herring, like a savaged deer carcass.  What your cowardly players need is an adult to hold their hand... 

Of course you do have to ask yourself how much you are railroading your players.  Railroading is easy if you know how, but it also sort of sucks for your players if their characters are too SAN thrashed.  Have they really earned the punishment through stupid decisions or has it just been cruel dice? 

Edited August 12, 2016 by Darius West