RPing quests you've seen others complete

Hannarr · Post by **Hannarr** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 1:47 pm

Probably me worrying too much, but here goes...

One thing that can happen when my PC travels with others is that he gets to see them complete quests that he has not done himself. To me, it would seem to be abuse for me to turn around and complete the same quest right afterward. However, I don't really want to close off him doing those things... after all, there are only a finite number of quests in the game.

I had thought that waiting several months in real time and then RPing "forgetting" as much of the quest as possible, even doing some purposeful wandering about/getting things wrong, is a possible solution... basically, doing the same thing I would do if I was going with someone through a quest area I had completed, except with myself. The reality, though, is that I *would* remember most or all of it, so it still seems a bit unfair.

Would it be best, then, for me to simply consider that quest to be "closed" to my PC? Or am I just being way too rigid?

Thanks -

-M/H

Dalvyn · Post by **Dalvyn** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 2:23 pm

In such a case, I would rather tell the character who is completing the quest that you have never done it and (hopefully) do not want to have the surprise ruined; and ask them not to continue this quest while you are around. Actually, it's rather poor behaviour (OOCly) to drag people into quests without asking them if they have already completed it and, if they haven't, if they do not mind seeing you do it. It's perfectly fine to try, as a group, to complete a quest that nobody in the group has done though.

But I see no reason to be that strict upon yourself. You can still try and complete the quest later.

Kregor · Post by **Kregor** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 4:54 pm

Since I know some of the quests you are referring to, Oh travelling companion, here's my take on it:

If you are aiding in a quest, and you have not been on the quest yourself, you are actually in a way aiding in the solving the mysteries involved in the quest (vigilance is indispensable), brainstorming together, aiding in the defeat of opponents, etc. In a way, you are truly earning the quest just as much as the protagonist on the quest. It would seem to me, you deserve part of the credit, and some glory too. ICly, there are several cases where quests can be repeating (A monster returns to once again threaten the populace of X, or the big bad liche finds a way to bring himself back to the prime "Return of Jafar"-style, or the Hobgoblins that breed like rabbits around some quest areas.) In many cases, a repeat quest can be IC RPed and rationalized. I would consider it totally acceptable to RP a reason for the quest to begin anew, and it would be a great opportunity for a reunion of the party that first went on the quest.

On the other hand, if a quest is offered as a quest of faith, then I would believe it is a player's responsibility to inform the questing priest, either OOC or ICly, that you have been on the quest, whether you had completes it yourself of not. Kregor had his quest revised because I let the priest know that I had accompanied another on the same quest, and I felt it would be more of an accomplishment of faith to go on a brand new quest. But that's just the way I chose to do it.

In another vein, if I have already finished a quest, and I am asked to aid another adventurer that has never been on it, then I will be the totally passive companion. The protagonist has to lead, they have to wander, they have to find the trigger points, and aside from a logical-thinking, cryptic hint, the quest is theirs to achieve. Because otherwise, it cheats the other player out of the excitement of breaking through the solution themselves. I'm just there to "rescue xx" if the fight goes badly.

Kregor · Post by **Kregor** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 5:23 pm

On the other hand, this situation still alludes me to the logical answer:

The final situation, which is a group of adventurers travelling as a group, and stumbling on a new quest at the same time. That is an interesting call. All members can get triggered, all get quest bits set, all can find the same pieces to a puzzle, etc. In that case, what is the best way to do it....

The options would be:

RP amongst ourselves that there is actually more than one foe, target or boss, and take on the tests in sucession for each party member?

Finish all the stages of the quest once, split the spoils if possible, and consider the quest completed by all? And close it to yourself?

Do similar to the situations in my previous post, complete the quest steps once, wait a few game months, and RP a return of the quest for a different group leader?

I don't guess there's a hard fast rule for this situation, since all are equally responsible for finding and solving the quest.

I raise this question because of an incident a couple RL weeks back, while our group was discussing ICly what we were thinking about a particular quest we had all discovered together and had yet to complete as a group, we were warned OOCly by either imm or NC, don't know which, that we were risking a strike for our actions. Even though we had plainly RPed out IC that we had been journeying on this quest together, and even explained in osay after being confronted. The stern warnings of strikes and public humiliation of being blamed for closed quests was enough to drive one of our group members from even wanting to complete the quest at all, and the evening turned into a lot of not fun.

Hannarr · Post by **Hannarr** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 9:30 pm

Thanks for everyone's feedback. I have decided that I will wait a long time before revisiting any quests I have seen completed. When I do revisit them I will do so with PCs who have completed them and are explictly willing (i.e., who say so OOC) to RP both them *and* me having no memory of what needs to be done. That resulting doublethink will just add to the challenge, and the fun.

Thanks as well for the reminder of quests needing to be selected IC. That has led and will continue to lead to some interesting choices, especially as I am realizing more and more that my PC is going to make decisions and do things that actually run *counter* to what I as a player might do in order to gain "game" stuff like xp, etc.. That may even mean that my PC stops mid-quest if he has doubts IC about motivation, ethics, and the results of actions, either his own or that of other PCs.

Anyway, I again appreciate everyone's clarification and advice - and please don't take my looking for and being fascinated by knotty moral issues within a game too seriously! I just have seriously strange ideas of fun.

- M/H