How many plot seeds are too many (in a jungle)?

[Jufo]

Hello all

Gonna start up a new campaign this or next week. Gave my party a map with varied terrain and asked the party where they wanted to go; and they decided for the jungle, because it is filled with dinosaurs! I think everyone can get behind that.

Now I have been working on a bunch of different plot hooks for the jungle, and since my party starts in a nearby city, I planned on just letting them hear them all and then decide which they want to pursue (if any), but since every plot hook adds some more inhabitants to the jungle, how many are too many before the jungle won't feel... wild and unexplored?

Here's the map for reference

Current plot hooks:

• Trading Company wants to establish trade to a tribe of catfolk, and see if they can create a traderoute to the deeper Grippli tribes
• Duergar trading company is logging, enraging the treants of the jungle
• Vegepygmy tribe that has tamed carnivorous dinosaurs to protect them against herbivores
• Demon worshipping Drow temple
• Druid Grove dedicated to ancient druid
• Kobold tribe tending to a dragon nest
• Tribe of Snakemen performing sacrifices of the unfortunate explorers they meet

Are these too many plot hooks? How far would a jungle tribe realistically move into the jungle from their tribes-grounds? Am I missing any essential plothooks?

Thanks in advance

[avr]

About 3 plot hooks at a time is right IMO. Rather than let them just hear them all I'd have them make some easy skill checks (diplomacy or knowledge [local]) to gather info and give a hook per success. That makes the players feel more like they own the situation - and if they don't like any of those they find they can spend another week or whatever in town to make more checks, losing money and perhaps getting some sort of encounter in town if you want to make one up. Some of the old plot hooks may vanish over time too, the trading company has hired someone to talk to the catfolk, the duergar have vanished w/o a trace etc.

That said I'm not sure all those qualify as plot hooks, especially 'Druid Grove dedicated to ancient druid'. How does that require or inspire action?

[Kitty Catoblepas]

I think that's a fine amount of plot hooks if you don't drop them all at once. I agree that it would make the jungle seem crowded if they heard about all of them right away. If you start with the "go deep into the jungle" plots as starters and let them find the other plots as they make their ways through the jungle, then you can preserve the unexplored remote feeling while still having inhabitants.

For example:

The party arrives in the town (or trading outpost, if you're aiming for that frontier feeling) and meets a frustrated trader trying to exploit an untapped market (catfolk, grippli). They hear some rumors about a dinosaur problem ("They almost seem organized!") in a recently-cleared pasture. They're also warned about the local snakemen and asked for help in the matter.

They decide to explore a trade route to the catfolk. On their journey, they come across kobolds looting a cave. Some attack the party on sight while others run away with shiny loot (making an easy trail to follow). They find some disturbing drow artifacts among the loot suggesting the cave has a sinister purpose.

Of course, this all depends on your players. Some appreciate "side-quests" while some like the direct route.

[Jufo]

avr wrote:

About 3 plot hooks at a time is right IMO. Rather than let them just hear them all I'd have them make some easy skill checks (diplomacy or knowledge [local]) to gather info and give a hook per success. That makes the players feel more like they own the situation - and if they don't like any of those they find they can spend another week or whatever in town to make more checks, losing money and perhaps getting some sort of encounter in town if you want to make one up.

I really like this idea, unfortunately my players are (self-admittedly) not the best at making their own goals, and they have asked for a bit more direct goals to persue. I was more thinking of presenting them with some ideas for a quick start. I do really like the gathering information part myself though

avr wrote:

Some of the old plot hooks may vanish over time too, the trading company has hired someone to talk to the catfolk, the duergar have vanished w/o a trace etc.

This has been my plan all along. Time's always turning. Doing one thing will ensure that the other plans will go unimpeded

avr wrote:

That said I'm not sure all those qualify as plot hooks, especially 'Druid Grove dedicated to ancient druid'. How does that require or inspire action?

True, maybe "plot hook is not the right word here. I think that was more of a worldbuilding thing to stake their curiosity, so they have an idea of what it is, when then happen to run into the grove later.

Kitty Catoblepas wrote:

think that's a fine amount of plot hooks if you don't drop them all at once.

Important! I had almost forgot this wise rule myself

Kitty Catoblepas wrote:

The party arrives in the town (or trading outpost, if you're aiming for that frontier feeling) and meets a frustrated trader trying to exploit an untapped market (catfolk, grippli). They hear some rumors about a dinosaur problem ("They almost seem organized!") in a recently-cleared pasture. They're also warned about the local snakemen and asked for help in the matter.

This is pretty good, and fits really well with what I had already planned. I may just end up stealing it ;)

Kitty Catoblepas wrote:

Of course, this all depends on your players. Some appreciate "side-quests" while some like the direct route.

These players enjoy sidequests, that much I know. They have a curiousity for most they hear about

Thanks both of you for the help :)