What would you do?


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I have an idea for something interesting to throw at my players a bit later, but I have no idea how they might react to it, so I want to ask what you would do in this situation.

Imagine somewhere in the forest you find a plant. It looks like some common, otherwise uninteresting plant growing in the area except that this one is glowing slightly and seems to exist at all of its stages of growth simultaneously. It's completely free of any blemishes and basically seems to be a perfect specimen. In fact, your party bard or wizard informs you (or you make your own knowledge check) that this is an ur-object. It's the prototype that all the other plants of that type follow. You are also informed that making changes is not a simple matter and destroying it completely is especially difficult, but doing so would alter all the other plants of that type. Why it's here, you have no idea.

Silver Crusade

investigate!


If that's all that is given with a knowledge(nature) check... It doesn't seem like a "bad" thing. So, I would usually be inclined to leave it alone. If I was more evil, I might seek a way to destroy it. Neutral I might try to find a way to harvest/use it for something, and Good would probably try to keep it as is.


If I where playing my cleric I would try to dig it out, protect it and try to find a university that has information on the subject to find out what the best thing is to do with it.
If I where playing my paladin I'd warn my horse not to eat it, but and move on.


Tarantula wrote:
If that's all that is given with a knowledge(nature) check...

What else might you expect to get from a knowledge check? What I wrote would be the basic check result, but there's room for more details with higher results or more specific knowledge checks.


Is it harmful/beneficial for the area? Possible uses (poison, medicinal, good for planting, helps/hurts crops, etc.) What it does beyond just "initial prototype."


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I would make an out of character joke that you are plagerizing Plato.

Grand Lodge

Players: "Neat, let's go find some gold".


I would have my character sing to it. In sylvan. Jus to see.


MagiMaster wrote:

I have an idea for something interesting to throw at my players a bit later, but I have no idea how they might react to it, so I want to ask what you would do in this situation.

Imagine somewhere in the forest you find a plant. It looks like some common, otherwise uninteresting plant growing in the area except that this one is glowing slightly and seems to exist at all of its stages of growth simultaneously. It's completely free of any blemishes and basically seems to be a perfect specimen. In fact, your party bard or wizard informs you (or you make your own knowledge check) that this is an ur-object. It's the prototype that all the other plants of that type follow. You are also informed that making changes is not a simple matter and destroying it completely is especially difficult, but doing so would alter all the other plants of that type. Why it's here, you have no idea.

1st: check for traps! (Admiral Akbar is on the case!)

2nd: Divination/commune/speak with animals/knowledge (nature)/lore/"gather information" (if there are any NPCs whatsoever around). Whatever magical, quasi-magical, and non-magical investigative powers we can bring to bear (without blowing our daily wad, unless we're near the end of the day) to learn as much as possible.

3rd: Can we safely dig it up and take it with us? Is it possible to take a cutting and preserve said cutting?

4th: dig, wire, and mine.

Spoiler:
oh, wait. We're only imagining we're in a forest. Force ourselves awake!


Can it be used as +2 longsword?
If not pass and move on


Lamontius wrote:

Can it be used as +2 longsword?

If not pass and move on

No, but if dug up, it can be wielded as a Shillelagh of Unreasonable Might, +5 vs Internets Dwellers


Sorry I have a +10 bonus versus crappy movie references
If you had been named boddicker I might have taken a -5

Other than that uh so this plant thing sounds totally innocuous which must mean you are totally going to bone your players with it


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Unless my character was of an intellectual type, nature themed, or evil in some way, probably nothing.


Lamontius wrote:

Sorry I have a +10 bonus versus crappy movie references

If you had been named boddicker I might have taken a -5

Who said I was wielding it? I don't even have hands (which, along with not being able to navigate stairs, is what makes me so crappy!)


That is true
Now we must become like a plant voltron and discover
All the secrets

Grand Lodge

Mysterious magical plant?

Let's burn it, and move on.

Wait, we can give it to the Druid, he could use a new girlfriend.


Mortalis wrote:
Unless my character was of an intellectual type, nature themed, or evil in some way, probably nothing.

This +1. Most characters have enough on their plate as it is without trying to interfere with nature for no apparent reason.


A higher DC result could inform the characters:
-if such a plant should can typically be found randomly in a forest (ie, how odd is it to find one?)
-Is it protected in some way?
-are there groups that worship such plants?
-Are there any recorded instances of people messing w/ such plants? What happened?
-do animals instinctively avoid eating such plants?

To answer the question regarding how my character might react to this situation:
-Most characters: Say huh and move on.
-Worshiper of nature: Build a shrine or find a way to protect it.
-Wizard/scholarly type: Take a sample(if I can), catalog it, experiment on sample later to see what happens/if I can grow a new one.
-Evil character: Piss on it and move on unless I really hate plants for some reason, then try to destroy it.
-Super greedy rogue: Dig it up and try to sell it.


I'd burn the forest down, come back in a week, and see if its still there. If it is, I'd assume it was the Tarrasque. GET OFF THE CONTINENT!!!!!!!


soupturtle wrote:
Mortalis wrote:
Unless my character was of an intellectual type, nature themed, or evil in some way, probably nothing.
This +1. Most characters have enough on their plate as it is without trying to interfere with nature for no apparent reason.

My reaction is based on the assumption that it is what's on the plate. And, that, yeah; it is probably some kind of trap or screw-job, but that's why we're here!


Porphyrogenitus wrote:
And, that, yeah; it is probably some kind of trap or screw-job, but that's why we're here!

I would expect that if was in the forest for the plant, I would already have some sort of goal as to what I'd want to do with it. At most points in most adventures, I wouldn't go to a forest to see some magical plant just because a villager told me he saw a strange glowing plant in the forest. Unless I'm not engaged in any sort of adventure otherwise as well as a curious druid/wizard/scholar type I'd have to have a better reason than 'there is a strange plant' to go there.

That's why I assumed the plant isn't why I'm here: because if there was I would already have some sort of goal as to what I want to get out of going to see the plant.


Either:
A) Completely ignore it
B) Destroy it
C) Take it
D) Cast every spell know to study it.
but most likely...
E) Unpredicted event that will utterly destroy whatever you were planning.


Honestly, it would probably be:

"Huh. Weird. Alright, I continue on down the path."

or

"Plant. Glowing. Avoid."

Now, if there were other information available, either through a higher knowledge check, or reports of forest animals acting strangely, etc., then I might investigate further. Even then though, as others have stated, unless I were a mage looking to use its properties for some magical end, or a druid, I still probably wouldn't touch it unless I knew it could be beneficial to do so.


soupturtle wrote:
That's why I assumed the plant isn't why I'm here: because if there was I would already have some sort of goal as to what I want to get out of going to see the plant.

And my assumption is that it's somehow connected to whatever goal has taken me into the forest, or at any rate potentially useful (even if it is a honeytrap).

Anything potentially useful even if I have no initial reason to think it's directly related is potentially useful, and while I'm lazy, i'm also inquisitive, and one of my goals is always getting exotica and acquiring knowledge, whatever my current immediate mission is. ^_^


knowing what class/races you have in your group could yeild some clearer insight... ie, obviously if you had a Ranger or a Druid in the group, they are going to fixate on the thing. An Elf might as well be fascinated by it. IF the ability to alter all other plant types were revealed, I imagine a dwarvan wizard would want to polymorph or transmography it into stone.

You could make it the "now-go-get-it-because-someone-else-took-it-when-you-didn't-think-it-was-im portant" item... group sees it in passing, decide to do nothing with it... later that day, all plant types have turned into an inverted hue of lapis lazuli with an after image effect of dire gerbils eating a talking head of lettuce. Someone's screwing with the cosmos again, and we're the ones who gotta fix it... there you go, an LSD induced, encounter rich environment filled with fun images to describe and a road to travel... lol

Me? I'd offer it to the Rangers rabbit companion as a mid-afternoon snack.


Depending on the power of the character at the moment - dig it up and replant it somewhere else for easy access to experimentation/divination later. Playing god with plants never ends badly right? :)


I dunno, now that I am thinking about it more, it sounds more like a nirnroot from skyrim. So either ignore it because "I don't use plant stuff" or uproot it because "that might be useful."


Eat it and see what happens.


Hawktitan wrote:
Depending on the power of the character at the moment - dig it up and replant it somewhere else for easy access to experimentation/divination later. Playing god with plants never ends badly right? :)

Nah, that's totally safe, Seymour.


My first thought would be that there must be some kind of natural protector for a plant like that. Fairies or Nymphs or a crazed Druid or something. I would make note of it and maybe try to gather some more data (usually play wizards), but would eventually just leave it alone.

If there really wasn't any kind of protection for the plant I would probably seek out some druids to let them know it was there so they could protect it. I wouldn't want that type of thing falling into the wrong hands.


Awaken works on trees, so probably the worst option would be to cast awaken on it, which would in turn effect all plants of that type. After all, that's probably how all plant type monsters came about, some idiot did this to a variety of plants.

Thus best to bury it under a rock due to it being able to survive that, so as no one will ever find it to do the above.


Assuming some research or a stellar check gets you all the answers:

Strannik wrote:

A higher DC result could inform the characters:

-if such a plant should can typically be found randomly in a forest (ie, how odd is it to find one?)

It's very odd to see any ur-object. (Depending on the specific cosmology) they're usually locked up in some celestial vault or simply seen as an idea and not an actual object.

Strannik wrote:
-Is it protected in some way?

This one apparently isn't.

Strannik wrote:
-are there groups that worship such plants?

No. They aren't common enough for such groups to form.

Strannik wrote:
-Are there any recorded instances of people messing w/ such plants? What happened?

If you managed to alter it, it would carry over to all the other plants of that type, changing their shape and properties to match. Actually making a change though is not simply a matter of physical manipulation, and might require some special efforts.

Strannik wrote:
-do animals instinctively avoid eating such plants?

They wouldn't be able to bite anything off. You can only guess that if a large animal ate a smaller ur-plant, it would still be whole on the other side.

I should also mention that this is in a somewhat sandbox-y game. It's likely that the players went into the forest with some goal, but maybe they found this on the way out when they had nothing better to do. Although from most of the responses so far, it seems like most responses fall into: ignore it, protect it, study it, destroy it. No one seems to be interested in altering it, so it might as well be something else rare and precious but less weird.


My character would really have no interest in such a plant, but would probably make a note on a map of the area about it, and pass it on to a druid somewhere.

Grand Lodge

Can we smoke it?


What's an ur-object?

Grand Lodge

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Odraude wrote:
What's an ur-object?

Not my object.


Seem irrelevant to anything, but I'll remember it in case the need for it becomes clear later on.

Strike that. Reading up, I've decided to build a shrine around the plant and start a cult based on it.


blackbloodtroll wrote:
Odraude wrote:
What's an ur-object?
Not my object.

Thank you for that! bc as we all learned in kindergarden, we don't touch what isn't mine... but everyone should share, what aren't you sharing UR-object?!?!


MagiMaster wrote:
It's very odd to see any ur-object. (Depending on the specific cosmology) they're usually locked up in some celestial vault or simply seen as an idea and not an actual object.

So you're saying that it is so rare that it is literally "priceless?" In that case we dig it up and take it to auction to see what it's worth.

Grand Lodge

I was never in Kindergarten. Home schooled until 1st grade.


Declare the forest as an "Ur-plant Sanctuary" and defend the forest with my life. Maybe eat some once in a while. As a nice side salad. Surround it with the slain carcasses of enemies of the Ur-plant, were-deer, were-rabbits, and especially were-chipmunks on poles to warn off the others.


MagiMaster wrote:

Assuming some research or a stellar check gets you all the answers:

Strannik wrote:

A higher DC result could inform the characters:

-if such a plant should can typically be found randomly in a forest (ie, how odd is it to find one?)
It's very odd to see any ur-object. (Depending on the specific cosmology) they're usually locked up in some celestial vault or simply seen as an idea and not an actual object.

All of my previous responses are the same, but given this information most of my good characters would seek to protect the plant, either by transporting it to a local druid/nature worshiping church, or informing them of it's existence and location if it could not be moved for some reason.

Grand Lodge

Blend it, add yeast, and ferment.


blackbloodtroll wrote:
Blend it, add yeast, and ferment.

I like the way you think sir! It raises some interesting thoughts as well... does that mean that all current/future instances of that flower are going to be replaced by delicious fermented beverage? Because I've got to say, if I had an opportunity to seed the land with beer flowers, I'd totally do it.

In all seriousness though, what would I do... well it depends on the character I'm playing. If I'm playing a martial or similar that don't have a lot of learning, I'd probably find it interesting but not think too much of it.

Now if I was playing a hyper-knowledgable caster, then I'd have some ideas of what to do. If I'm playing good, I'd probably try to figure out why it was there and either protect it myself, or bring it to the attention of those who could do so. If I was playing evil, I'd be trying to figure out a way to use it to my own advantage by manipulating it somehow. Without more details on what sort of things are actually possible though, and what efforts I'd have to go to in order to have any effect, I can't really get more specific than that.


Eh, why are the people on the side of good here so lacking in VISION?

With this plant you could make a powerful tool of good. By altering it, you change all other such plants on the planet (maybe universe). Pretty potent stuff if you can turn it into some sort of magical plant that aids the cause of good in some fashion.

Some sort of neutral good shambling plant monster that is A FRIEND TO ALL CHILDREN. Heck, buff it with items and spells and it should buff all the plants too. Instant win for goodness!

Or if you have less vision, just alter it so it's a perfect and delicious source of food. Hmm, maybe it's anything you want it to be when you cook it.


Most of my characters would make a note of where it is and tell the next trustworthy-seeming Druid or nature-caring person where it was. My greedier ones would dig it up and try to sell it. Plot hooks, however obvious, mean nothing without associative context and it's bad RPing to say "this is weird, so let's waste a few hours deciding what the GM wants us to do with it before he pities us for not being telepathic like he is and just tells us why it's relevant."


Drachasor wrote:

Eh, why are the people on the side of good here so lacking in VISION?

With this plant you could make a powerful tool of good. By altering it, you change all other such plants on the planet (maybe universe). Pretty potent stuff if you can turn it into some sort of magical plant that aids the cause of good in some fashion.

Some sort of neutral good shambling plant monster that is A FRIEND TO ALL CHILDREN. Heck, buff it with items and spells and it should buff all the plants too. Instant win for goodness!

Or if you have less vision, just alter it so it's a perfect and delicious source of food. Hmm, maybe it's anything you want it to be when you cook it.

I guess it depends on the sort of character you're playing. My good characters tend to be people who want to protect the natural balance of things as much as possible, not "we must save everyone" heroes. They're not neutral, because they will invariably help someone even to their own detriment, but they're not going to try and reshape the very nature of reality without a damn good reason.


Tinkergoth wrote:
Drachasor wrote:

Eh, why are the people on the side of good here so lacking in VISION?

With this plant you could make a powerful tool of good. By altering it, you change all other such plants on the planet (maybe universe). Pretty potent stuff if you can turn it into some sort of magical plant that aids the cause of good in some fashion.

Some sort of neutral good shambling plant monster that is A FRIEND TO ALL CHILDREN. Heck, buff it with items and spells and it should buff all the plants too. Instant win for goodness!

Or if you have less vision, just alter it so it's a perfect and delicious source of food. Hmm, maybe it's anything you want it to be when you cook it.

I guess it depends on the sort of character you're playing. My good characters tend to be people who want to protect the natural balance of things as much as possible, not "we must save everyone" heroes. They're not neutral, because they will invariably help someone even to their own detriment, but they're not going to try and reshape the very nature of reality without a damn good reason.

Eh, and ensuring far fewer people suffer and die by creating a powerful force for good isn't a damn good reason? If making the world a better place isn't a good reason, then what would be?

Let's be honest, even in...or perhaps especially in D&D settings reality has some pretty crappy parts. Nothing inherently wrong with some careful editing.


Drachasor wrote:

Eh, why are the people on the side of good here so lacking in VISION?

With this plant you could make a powerful tool of good. By altering it, you change all other such plants on the planet (maybe universe). Pretty potent stuff if you can turn it into some sort of magical plant that aids the cause of good in some fashion.

Some sort of neutral good shambling plant monster that is A FRIEND TO ALL CHILDREN. Heck, buff it with items and spells and it should buff all the plants too. Instant win for goodness!

Or if you have less vision, just alter it so it's a perfect and delicious source of food. Hmm, maybe it's anything you want it to be when you cook it.

my thoughts had been along these lines ... a dandy polymorph spell in the midst of a battle in a field of plant... polymorph the plant and suddenly a field of allies... on the other hand, use it as the base for a wonderous item and enchant it so that that it emits an addiction forming hallucinagenic mind controlling perfume... suddenly, I've got my own world MWAHAHAHA

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