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So my new group has easily mowed the goblins down in the glassworks. No problem. It's what happened next that got my head hurting.
First the group. All characers are gestalt:
Zenith Zo - CG Female Aasimar Battle Dancer//Sorcerer
Lilitha - NG Female Gnome Druid//Sorcerer
Grom - CN Male Dwarf Fighter//Ranger
Grom Firestorm - CN Male Half-orc Alchemist//Wizard
After the characters cleared the goblins Zo and Lil continued to search the building hoping to find survivors or a trace of Ameiko. The Groms decided on something else... Making glass goblin statues. After arranging the bodies in certain lewd position and encasing themm in glass they took to the town to obtain a wagon. When asked what why they were in the glassworks or what was happening they took it upon themselves to tell the town folk that the goblins were attacking again and mudering everyone around. With sending most of the people around into a panic and acquiring a wagon they loaded up all the goblins statues, the dead staffer, and Lonjiku's encased form and set out to Magnimar. Why? To sell the Lonjiku, and the encased goblins as art.
Zo and Lil continued their search all the while wondering where the others left to. They finally found Ameiko, but afriad to continue on they returned Ameiko to the surface. Once outside she thanked the two for their help and was about leave when they all noticed panicked citizens and guards running about crying of a new goblin invasion and the carrying of mutilated, glassed, goblins and Ameiko's father.
Well we skipped the game ahead two days at this point. The Groms arrived in Magnimar but where meet with guards. They explained they came to show Sherrif Hemlock that he needs to do more than leave people in charge. And that they should be well paid for bringing huim such prizes.
Zo and Lil have gone from town saviors to pariah. No one has assoicated with them sense the glassworks. No matter where they go a guard or two seems to be keepinf an eye on them. At the end of the session te both of them visted Mayor Deverin in hopes she would allow them back into the glassworks to clear their names and look for Tsuto. She did, but the guards would be their escorts. To their luck Shalelu was looking for them. Having come to enlist the party to help investigate Thistletop. They quickly negotiate that for them to help her, she would help them explore the glassworks and beyond.
So the game ended tonight with Zo, Lil, Shalelu and 2 NPC guards marching into the Catacombs of Wrath. While the Groms in the hands of authorites wait to see Sherrif Hemlock in Magnimar. Not to sure how to take the game from here. Good news is we're on a two week break. how would you handle this? What would your next move be?
how would you handle this? What would your next move be?
I'd find less silly players and start a new campaign.
In this area of New Mexico this is about as serious as you can get.
I come from a small town (population 1400) so you have my sincere sympathies.
Holy...I thought I had problems. Some of those kids need to get eaten by Malfeshnekor. :)
M
Sometimes it is just better to stick to ping pong.
So my new group has easily mowed the goblins down in the glassworks. No problem. It's what happened next that got my head hurting.
First the group. All characers are gestalt:
Zenith Zo - CG Female Aasimar Battle Dancer//Sorcerer
Lilitha - NG Female Gnome Druid//Sorcerer
Grom - CN Male Dwarf Fighter//Ranger
Grom Firestorm - CN Male Half-orc Alchemist//WizardAfter the characters cleared the goblins Zo and Lil continued to search the building hoping to find survivors or a trace of Ameiko. The Groms decided on something else... Making glass goblin statues. After arranging the bodies in certain lewd position and encasing themm in glass they took to the town to obtain a wagon. When asked what why they were in the glassworks or what was happening they took it upon themselves to tell the town folk that the goblins were attacking again and mudering everyone around. With sending most of the people around into a panic and acquiring a wagon they loaded up all the goblins statues, the dead staffer, and Lonjiku's encased form and set out to Magnimar. Why? To sell the Lonjiku, and the encased goblins as art.
Zo and Lil continued their search all the while wondering where the others left to. They finally found Ameiko, but afriad to continue on they returned Ameiko to the surface. Once outside she thanked the two for their help and was about leave when they all noticed panicked citizens and guards running about crying of a new goblin invasion and the carrying of mutilated, glassed, goblins and Ameiko's father.
Well we skipped the game ahead two days at this point. The Groms arrived in Magnimar but where meet with guards. They explained they came to show Sherrif Hemlock that he needs to do more than leave people in charge. And that they should be well paid for bringing huim such prizes.
Zo and Lil have gone from town saviors to pariah. No one has assoicated with them sense the glassworks. No matter where they go a guard or two seems to be keepinf an eye on them. At the end of the session te both of them...
1) Don't let your players play CN (or CE, N, LE, or NE) if they can;t play it maturely. (I outlawed all of the above in my PF ROTR campaign once we got past the demo, and it works much better now.) People use the CN excuse to get away with acting like jerks.
2) Let the characters wallow away in prison. Then ask the players to make up new characters. Talk to them about why their actions were disruptive. (And what one would expect from 13 year olds...)
3) Have ALL of the players discuss what everyone wants out of a campaign. A little silliness is fun, but when it becomes illogical or absurd, it can disrupt game play.
After I did my PF demo (using the Treasure Chest), I had an almost new group of players (only 1 was from my old group) and it was obvious that nobody had experience with RPGs, teamwork, or gaming past the WoW level. So, as GM, I typed up a list of what I was looking for in a game, with explanations of how and why, and I asked everyone to review it, discuss it, add to it, and then agree to it. Those who couldn't play by a simple set of rules were asked to find another game group. No hard feelings.
If its the sort of thing you are interested in, I can email it to you. I'm gigglestick42 (at) yahoo (dot) com.
But in the end, when players act like jack@$$es, you should treat them like a normal world would. (Like I said, some silliness is fun though, yours went from silly to chaotic cruelty.)
I've got two groups, one likes high drama, the other likes the high fantasy. By the end of adventure path 1, I had the girl playing our assamir cleric in tears, she loves this story.
I just wonder how these two had the time to pose all ten goblins, cover them all in molten glass (it's not like they have buckets to get the glass and pour it over them, likely just some metal picks and ladels), then go search the town for a wagon with horse or ox, then return and load the (likely still very hot) glass statues on the wagon and get out of the glassworks, before the other two were able to search the entire glassworks and find Ameiko. That just doesn't seem likely.
Assuming there was time enough for all of this to happen before their companions were able to discover what happened, the characters have some issues both pschologically and in game repercussions as you have stated.
I think you are slightly to blame for allowing this all to happen without the other two having a chance to stop them. After all, the mayor was still in town as were the town guard. Word of this happening should have gotten out quickly and the guards should have stopped them or at least tried to. They would surely have standing orders to detain anyone until the Sheriff returned, even great heroes, in a crazy situation like this, especially when they have in their possesion a dead body encased in glass. Their companions would also have been quickly told where they were going, with just some quick questions, so that they could try stop them. After all you aren't going to be able to go very fast with a wagon load of glass statues that will break easily. Catching up with them should have been no problem.
That being said, you definitely should talk with them, letting them know what you expect out the game and finding out what they expect out of the game. After all this is a shared experience and both GM and players need to have their desires fulfilled to enjoy the game. You need to find a happy middle ground.
I'd be tempted to give them a do over, with the understanding that in the future there will be no do overs. Especially if these players are new to the game, and/or your choices for a gaming group are as slim as they sound. Explain that their actions can potentially derail the campaign and you would like to give them a second chance. If that won't work for them, let the cards fall where they may.
As Gigglestick says, it may be better to have them make up new characters. They may be able to get out of it, but how are they going to prove that they didn't kill Lonjiku to make the statue? Even if Sheriff Hemlock comes there, how is he to know they didn't do it? Trying to say they brought them there to show the sheriff after the fact is a sign that they realized that it wasn't such a good idea. With a talking to, they can probably be recovered and understand that their actions will have in game consiquences and that they can't just do what they want to like in a video game.
The other two can likely recover from the Groms actions, especially since they have Ameiko to backup their story. She should have been able to see their surprise at not being able to find the Groms, the Goblins, and her father. As I said, they should have been able to catch up to them easily enough and stop them or at least try to stop them.
I'd definitely talk with them. I believe in second chances and not dismissing them out of hand.
I, for one, applaud the fact that you were willing to go along as long as you did with their antics. That shows good flexibility as a GM.
However, I'll suggest that perhaps an Adventure Path is not the right idea for these players. You're going to be straining to keep them on task while their creativity rages in largely unproductive ways. Sounds like you should be running a more sandbox style of game, get your hands on some more sourcebook material instead of the APs. At least that way you'll be prepared for the antics.
You should only accommodate this kind of silliness insofar as it is still fun for you, though.
I don't really have a problem with you "allowing" it to happen, although I would have had the "are you sure you want to do this... some consequences you might want to think about..." chat with them beforehand.
The important thing is that they face realistic consequences for their actions. They would certainly be locked away for this. When they bring their "art" to the Sheriff, I would have him arrest them. In all likelihood, it would be the end for those characters in my campaign. Not because they pissed me off, mind you, but because that is a real (and completely fair) consequence for their actions.
I would then have a serious conversation with your players about it, and hopefully it'll be a good lesson learned.