Why do the PCs go to the Moathouse?

[mattcolville]

I was going to put a "Hommlet" tag up there, but I figure anyone who knows the answer to the question knows what the Moathouse is.

I'm reading T1: The Village of Hommlet, and I feel like I know the town pretty well and I know the Moathouse, but for the life of me I can't figure out why the PCs would go investigate the Moathouse.

I *seem* to recall a missing daughter or something, but I think that was from Return to the Temple of Elemental Thing.

Certainly I could just cook a reason, indeed that might have been Gygax's intent.

How did your players, or you AS player, wind up there?

 

[korjik]

You need to give your players a reason? I mention anything that looks like it might be an adventure location and my players will drop everything to go take a peek. I have to be careful describing things when they are travelling or getting background info, or they will run off in some direction I dont have anything prep'ed for. On the other hand, I have gotten fairly good at ad-libbing an adventure.....

Everytime I have run T1, by the time I explain what a moathouse is, the players are half-way there with the intention of killing bad guys and taking their stuff.

 

[Hellzon]

How did your players, or you AS player, wind up there?

Okay, we don't need to use spoiler tags in this one, eh?

The 4E conversion states that Gundigoot has waited overly long for a brandy shipment from Dyvers. As expected, it's been stolen by the Moathouse bandits, and tracking it eventually brings the PC:s there. (This is what I used.)

The other hook is that Jaroo needs some herbs for a poultice and asks the PC:s to get them for him. They grow near the Moathouse, so the coincidentially find it. I thought that hook was kinda lame, honestly. Heroes picking flowers? Really?

Third, Jaroo is a pretty handy plot dispenser. He's sent to watch for emerging evil, after all.

 

[mattcolville]

Okay, we don't need to use spoiler tags in this one, eh?

The 4E conversion states that Gundigoot has waited overly long for a brandy shipment from Dyvers. As expected, it's been stolen by the Moathouse bandits, and tracking it eventually brings the PC:s there. (This is what I used.)

The other hook is that Jaroo needs some herbs for a poultice and asks the PC:s to get them for him. They grow near the Moathouse, so the coincidentially find it. I thought that hook was kinda lame, honestly. Heroes picking flowers? Really?

Third, Jaroo is a pretty handy plot dispenser. He's sent to watch for emerging evil, after all.

Classic MMO though; "Pick me 5 herbs." Yeah I don't like it either. Gundigoot's shipment is better.

Ima look for this 4E conversion of which you speak.

 

[Dice4Hire]

The simple fact tat it is there and potentially more interesting than chatting with NPCs in town would work for most groups......

 

[Hellzon]

Ima look for this 4E conversion of which you speak.

It was a reward for RPGA members. You don't have to run anything under the RPGA (I haven't), you just need to sign up, do the GM Herald test and update your contact information yeary. Then you'll get some reward every year (plus one every six months if you've run a minimum number of RPGA adventures).

Dunno if you can still get Village of Hommlet that way, it might be too late.

 

[Storm Raven]

In the CRPG treatment of Temple of Elememntal Evil there are numerous ways to get there. If the party meets up with him, Terjon will send them to investigate the bandits there. If the party is Chaotic Good, Black Jay will have them look for some missing elves there. I belive Burne will send the PCs that way if they speak with him, apparently he is also concerned about the bandits. if the party if Lawful Good, Varden the wheelwright will send them there looking for his missing wife. if they talk to Spugnoir, he will tell them about it, and offer to accompany them to search for scrolls. Zert will tell them about it as a good place to look for treasure.

 

[TerraDave]

One thing I like about T1 is that it is entirely up to the DM to take the many NPCs and do what he will with them.

Of course, I think the presumption is that the PCs will just sort of know that the moathouse is where the action is (perhaps through the DM just telling them as part of the background). Go there, get their buts kicked, then come back looking for help, which is when things get interesting.

 

[mattcolville]

In the CRPG treatment of Temple of Elememntal Evil there are numerous ways to get there. If the party meets up with him, Terjon will send them to investigate the bandits there. If the party is Chaotic Good, Black Jay will have them look for some missing elves there. I belive Burne will send the PCs that way if they speak with him, apparently he is also concerned about the bandits. if the party if Lawful Good, Varden the wheelwright will send them there looking for his missing wife. if they talk to Spugnoir, he will tell them about it, and offer to accompany them to search for scrolls. Zert will tell them about it as a good place to look for treasure.

Ahh, good hooks all. I think maybe the original module needs to make a little more explicit the fact that everyone in town knows the Moathouse is out there and always a danger.

 

[MichaelSomething]

It's full of bandits. Isn't that enough justificaiton?