Hello there,
My group just finished book two, but after having free the professor, one of the players decided to push him to his death because of the blasphemous acts he had committed. At the same time they have decided that the judge is "up to something" and "too good to be true".
Now they know that the cultist have headed into Shudderwood, but they do not feel like they have the incentive to follow them. Yes, the cult is evil, but so is many others; the Shudderwood is dangerous and in terms of treasure, there are easier pickings.
Please help me come of with some hooks that might get them there.
The party consists of:
A dwarven monk with a buddhist Live-is-suffering syndrom who is a father figure to the others.
A war veteran cleric who has left the army to escape his pat.
A bard fighter who is becoming increasingly paranoid
A ex-sailor abjurer who is taking it all very lightly
Tell your players, "The AP continues in the Shudderwood. Come up with individual motivations for your characters to pursue it."
You can throw hooks at them all day long, but if they're not cooperating, it's not happening.
Out of your players, the veteran cleric escaping his past has the best chance of working for you. Your group's personalities/background don't leave a lot of options to motivate.
Army Cleric...
1) If he's running away from something, that something can arrive in Lepidstadt on his trail.
2) He could have a hate for a former enemy during his army days, that person can be a cultist or sub-leader in the whispering way... maybe Auren Vrood, etc.
The ex-sailor hook I have is flimsy...
Maybe he sees an ex-crewmate (or love) risen into an undead by the whispering way, etc. If it's an intelligent undead, it could ask him to avenge him/her. An incorporeal undead could ask him to put it to rest by killing its killer, one of the whispering way etc.
Depends largely on their backstories.
Tell your players, "The AP continues in the Shudderwood. Come up with individual motivations for your characters to pursue it."
You can throw hooks at them all day long, but if they're not cooperating, it's not happening.
This. Also, the Whispering Way killed their old friend Professor Lorrimor and nearly destroyed a town they may have grown attached to during book 1. That should add a personal stake in hunting these guys down.
If they don't have that, then honestly? They should come up with characters who do.