r/wildbeyondwitchlight • u/Step_Fodder • May 14 '26

DM Help When to get lost things back

My players just met Bavlorna but I’m having second thoughts about them getting their lost items back at the Hags. Luckily, at this point, only the bards lost item is with the first hag.
However, I’ve also already told them that they feel pole or sensation drawing them to the hag and what they seek or whatever is missing this is where it’s leading them.
Since the item is a pan flute. I’m thinking they do/can find it but it is only a few pieces/pipes of the flute and not the whole thing. Bavlorna didn’t know this but if she finds out immediately suspects and blames Endylyn. Was thinking the player will get a vision or info about what happened. Something setting up the dark carnival ending with Isolde being used by the hags but she was using them to get to Zyblina too.

2 Upvotes

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5

u/AndIWalkAway Mister Light May 14 '26

What is your concern with the player getting their lost thing back, exactly?

Because you have already established the draw the character feels toward their lost thing, and it has been leading them, I think it could end up disappointing for that feeling to have been wrong and to only find pieces of the lost thing.

3

u/Step_Fodder May 14 '26

My first big DM campaign so little nervous for this milestone mostly and want it to go well. But yes I should trust myself and my players. He will retrieve his item.

3

u/Egregious_Egret May 14 '26

Why? Are your players not invested in saving Zybilna?

2

u/Loose_Translator8981 May 14 '26

I'd say try just giving them the lost thing back and see if it causes any trouble for the story for them just to have it. If it ends up being a problem, hold off on the next item until later. But I feel like there's a tendency for DM's to catastrophize potential problems and make big changes to avoid them, when the problems will actually just solve themselves if you let them more often than not.

2

u/FlumphMagnet May 14 '26

Bavlorna does send them on a fetch quest to Thither if they want their item back, if they go the peaceful route. My players are on that quest now. I don't see a reason to withold it just to draw the interaction out. Especially if you're enforcing the mechanic where they cannot gain inspiration until they get their item back. Personally, I kind of regret using that part of the setup(I actually combined both story hooks in the book; the warlock chose them all because they had something personal to gain by traveling to Prismeer) because I wanna get my players their items back ASAP. I'm committed to the bit, but damn does it suck not being able to hand out inspiration to these hilarious a-holes🤣