TSR TOEE: What happens when the party ignores the Moathouse?

[Tonguez]

I vaguely remember Lareth had stuff going on with the Elemental Evil and Lolth. He's an up and comer playing all sides.

Lareth the Beautiful is the dark hope of chaotic evil—young, handsome, well endowed in abilities and aptitudes, thoroughly wicked, depraved, and capricious. Whomever harms Lareth had best not brag of it in the presence of one who will inform the Demoness Lolth!
Lareth has been sent to this area to rebuild a force of men and humanoid fighters to gather loot and restore the Temple of Elemental Evil to its former glory. He is but one of many so charged, of course, but is looked upon with special favor and expectation. He and his minions have been careful to raid far from this area, never nearer than three or four leagues, travelling on foot or riding in wagons of the traders from Hommlet. None of the victims are ever left alive to tell the tale, and mysterious disappearances are all that can be remarked upon. No trace of men, mounts, goods, wagons or draft animals is ever found.

The weakened elemental temples fought more amongst themselves than with the forces of Good pressing their advantage above. luz, meanwhile, remained more concerned with establishing a following of his own than with the furthering of Zuggtmoy's organization of elemental evil. Some of the latter remained faithful to the demoness, despite their not knowing where she was or how to free her. Some actually turned to Lolth in desperation, for many drow visited the Temple after its fall. Lareth was one who sought to serve both the Temple and Lolth. And although Lolth hated Zuggtmoy's Elemental Evil, she so lusted for power that she accepted such service. Had she not been routed, her dark followers so crippled, much might have come of this.
But as it transpired, Lolth could—and can yet—give only encouragement, without physical or magical aid, to those who call on her. The Temple is thus factioned into no less than seven competing groups: four serve Elemental Evil principles, one luz, one Lolth, and one still loyal to Zuggtmoy. Woe to the disloyal should the Lady of Fungi ever regain her power!

The 4e version of Homlett gives additional options for Lareth to be a servant of

• Lolth or the Evil Eye
• Torog (using the moathouse to torture villagers)
• Vecna
• Zehir (setting up a snake cult)

it allows things to be further tailored to the DM preference and campaign story

 

[el-remmen]

My version of Lareth is an evil earth cultist, but isn't really human! He is a construct pulled from the same vat of evil mud that the party paladin of vengeance was pulled out of (except the PC only suspects his true origins - he has an ex-cultist background modified from A5E). Lareth looks exactly like the paladin! (or vice versa)

 

[Manbearcat]

Can you not just talk to them straight-forward with something like:

"Hey guys. Fun gameplay at the Moathouse. It seems like the breadcrumbs I put out there to get you to check out it didn't quite do the work I'd hoped. Maybe poke around and check it out? And if the breadcrumbs did work but you're intentionally avoiding the Moathouse for some reason, then maybe lets talk about that...because we might have some different ideas about what this particular game is about?"

Calling a timeout and just discussing what the present game is about, and who is on different pages regarding that (if that is happening), can sort this stuff out pretty easily.

 

[kenada]

So I am running a very loose adaptation of T1-4, starting with the Village of Hommlet, of course, but despite the characters being on the verge of 4th level, they still have not investigated the many clues and rumors always pointing back to the Moathouse. Instead, because I run a sandbox style game they have pursued a variety of smaller adventures and situations, moving further and further away from the village.

All of this is fine. I would not have put those other hooks and possibilities out there to be found if I did not want the PCs to follow up on them. I just imagined that they would head back to Hommlet and eventually investigate the Moathouse since it has frequently come up in one way or another since the third session (we are about to play our 16th session).

Anyway, I am not trying to force them to go there but that said, I am not sure what to advance in terms of the goals cultists and Lareth the Beautiful. I looked at both the original T1 module and the Goodman Games OAR version and there is little specific about advancing the plot if the PCs don't intervene.

So my question is, for those familiar with the modules, what kinds of advancements in the plot of the bad guys should happen in the PCs absence? I was toying with the idea that another party of adventurers has come to town headed out to the Moathouse and never returned. But I am looking for ideas both of the practical nature (stuff that would happen to the village and its outlying regions as the cults gain more power) and more esoteric, as the Temple itself is uncovered and populated (in my version the elemental dungeons are being excavated by the bad guys and I plan to actually have it be about summoning the Archomentals (and end the world in the process), not the whole Zuggtmoy plot.

Anybody run any versions of this module and had something similar happen? I have no problem making things up, but wanted to poll the wisdom of the mighty ENWorlders.

I am not sure it matters, but despite putting this in the Older Edition forum, I am running this in 5E. I figured I'd have a better chance of getting responses from people familiar with the source material by putting it here.

There are two ways I can see to handle this situation.

The first way follows the advice from the Three Clue Rule to have a failsafe when the PCs miss the clues. A “proactive” clue reaches out to get their attention, which gets them back on the desired path. For example, I assume the PCs are known in town. The cultists could attack them proactively in an attempt to take them out before the PCs get so powerful the cultists would be helpless against them once the PCs do take an interest to their plans.

If that seems too heavy-handed, I’d look at what the cultists are trying to do now and extrapolate from that. It should have effects that manifest new clues to their activity. Put it on some kind of timeline or clock, and once it’s done, it’s done. The cultists then try to work towards their next objective. However, if the result of all this doesn’t affect the PCs unless they get involve, I’d just drop the cultists. In that case, if the PCs aren’t interested in them, why invest energy in a part of the adventure they don’t care about?

Also, what is the disposition of the PCs? Are they do-gooders? Could the cultists recruit them?

 

[niklinna]

So I am running a very loose adaptation of T1-4, starting with the Village of Hommlet, of course, but despite the characters being on the verge of 4th level, they still have not investigated the many clues and rumors always pointing back to the Moathouse. Instead, because I run a sandbox style game they have pursued a variety of smaller adventures and situations, moving further and further away from the village.

So, you want a sandbox, where the players can pursue their own interests, but at the same time you don't want a sandbox, where the players can pursue their own interests? It still looks to be your sandbox, though, in that you are developing the smaller adventures and situations. You could let those trails go cold, or turn then back toward Hommlet and the Moathouse, effectively dropping the sandbox approach.

 

[el-remmen]

So, you want a sandbox, where the players can pursue their own interests, but at the same time you don't want a sandbox, where the players can pursue their own interests?

No that is not what I want. I thought I made it clear but I will try again.

I want ideas for what happens with the Moathouse occupants and the broader cultist goals sans PC intervention so if and when they return to the area I can better describe it and its political/social situation.

I have already got some ideas from (contact)’s story hour. But am
Always open to more.

 

[niklinna]

No that is not what I want. I thought I made it clear but I will try again.

I want ideas for what happens with the Moathouse occupants and the broader cultist goals sans PC intervention so if and when they return to the area I can better describe it and its political/social situation.

I have already got some ideas from (contact)’s story hour. But am
Always open to more.

Oh well I wouldn't worry about it in too much detail until the players say they want to go investigate. But I see some folks have provided some good ideas. If the PCs have been in the area, maybe the cult takes notice of them, yeah. If the PCs have managed to do things without attracting attention, then the cult grows in power. Maybe even makes a move, covert or overt. Maybe some folks in Hommlet have been converted and will be enemies of the PCs, or try to recruit them.

 

[LordBP]

I would have another adventuring party (the survivors at least) relating their tale of killing the giant snake in the local tavern when the PCs are there. They can show off their loot and describe something else they saw before having to retreat to town to bury their dead.

 

[pemerton]

No that is not what I want. I thought I made it clear but I will try again.

I want ideas for what happens with the Moathouse occupants and the broader cultist goals sans PC intervention so if and when they return to the area I can better describe it and its political/social situation.

I wouldn't bother. If the PCs turn up at the Moathouse just run it as written. Like, if they go to the Scarlet Brotherhood (or whatever) you presumably haven't been running a behind-the-scenes timeline for it either.

 

[el-remmen]

I wouldn't bother.

Okay. But I would and am. Thanks anyway.