Design example: Trap method

Following on my efficient design thread, I'm going to do a set of posts where I put together something with my Tars method for game design (Tars is the term for Problems, Threats, Resources, and Rewards).

Can someone put up a base for me to work off of? You can pick anything that players could interact with, but one of the following would be easiest: a monster, a short (even 1 sentence) NPC description, an item, or a 1 sentence description of a location. Please post something OGC or something you made that you wouldn't mind making into OGC; I'd like to collect the stuff I write about it and repackage it later as an OGC .pdf if possible.

Edit: OK, the name Trap is better than Tars. Threat, Reward, Asset, Problem = TRAP.

I should add that I'll be in an E6 mindspace when designing this, but I won't be doing statwork by and large.

NPC: "The Master" is an expert swordsman of some renown, when traveling through a town he often attracts a small swarm of followers hoping to learn from him.

How do you get the word TARS out of "Problems, Threats, Resources, and Rewards"?

der_kluge said:

How do you get the word TARS out of "Problems, Threats, Resources, and Rewards"?

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Problems and threats like ptolus, resources and rewards are Rs. Gotta run out but will be back to start on the master situation shortly.

maggot said:

NPC: "The Master" is an expert swordsman of some renown, when traveling through a town he often attracts a small swarm of followers hoping to learn from him.

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Problem: Javeed is a young aristocrat who was just humiliated by the girl he desires. Now in a rage, he is deadset on challenging the Master to a duel to the death. An NPC friend of the PCs (a mutual acquaintance) runs up to them, and pleads with them to help before Javeed gets himself killed. If the PCs intervene by knocking Javeed out, this may set up Javeed as a recurring antagonist to the PCs' plans. Javeed can use his family's resources to obstruct and annoy the PCs without being evil.

Threat: A gnoll bandit, Yagka, heard of the Master's travels and challenged the Master to single combat (read: ambushed him) during the Master's recent travels. He was soundly defeated, but the Master did spare his life. Yagka told his friends that the Master was only powerful because of his magical gear, and has managed to whip them into a frenzy. A large pack of gnolls (20-40) is preparing to descend on the town of Iova's Tryst, their hearts set on arson and murder.

Resource: A local farrier keeps a set of well-designed practise swords made with a thin rod of metal drilled through a straight wooden sword. These are ideal for the Master's purposes of accepting challenges. These swords are treated as masterwork longswords, with a penalty for nonlethal damage of only -2.

Reward: The Master is a significantly powerful NPC (6th level fighter +at least 20 feats in E6). The Master must be played using all possible options as strategically as possible. If a PC challenges the Master respectfully and loses, the Master provides a potion to return that PC to consciousness, congratulates them on a well-fought match. The PC should be awarded a CR 4 experience award for the attempt (this award is given only once, regardless of how often the Master trounces the PC). If a PC challenges the Master and wins, award experience normally. The Master then retires from the life of a travelling swordsman, joining a military academy as an instructor. The PC can gain the title "The New Master" as the legend grows.

rycanada said:

Problem: Javeed is a young aristocrat who was just humiliated by the girl he desires. Now in a rage, he is deadset on challenging the Master to a duel to the death. An NPC friend of the PCs (a mutual acquaintance) runs up to them, and pleads with them to help before Javeed gets himself killed. If the PCs intervene by knocking Javeed out, this may set up Javeed as a recurring antagonist to the PCs' plans. Javeed can use his family's resources to obstruct and annoy the PCs without being evil.

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Problem: The PCs notice a smartly dressed man with a blank expression. He approaches the PCs when they are in town at a later date, asking if they know where he can find a young man named Javeed. A sense motive check reveals this tightly-controlled man is not all that he seems. Various clues (a small V mark on the back of his left hand, a vaguely antiseptic smell) point to the truth: he is an assassin. A helpful gnome, Iupher Standinac, hearing the conversation, mentions that if he's not home now, he's probably with his new girl in the upscale area of the town known as Bidmarket. The man heads off right away as Iupher says "you could at least say thank you, friend." If the PCs foil an assassination attempt against Javeed, he is even more resentful of him. If the PCs fail to foil the assassin, authorities suspect them of involvement.

Threat: Javeed travels with a bodyguard (Warrior 4), who (while indifferent to the challenges Javeed gets himself into) will try to defend him from being jumped by street thugs, which is what the PCs are if they immediately try to subdue Javeed.

Resource: If the PCs have a chance, the Master can be convinced to using nonlethal force in the duel. As Javeed is a 3rd level Aristocrat, the Master should defeat him handily. Still, using nonlethal force in a lethal fight is a significant risk for the Master, and says that if the man who shows up at the duel is not a fool, he will not hold back. As Javeed arrives he is quiet and does not act foolish; the PCs can goad him into hot-headed insults, after which the Master will resort to nonlethal force.

Reward: If the PCs intervene and subdue Javeed, his father, Sir Othen, cordially invites them to dinner to show there are no hard feelings. This offer is legitimate, but if the PCs refuse they will be seen by the aristocracy as very rude. If the PCs attend this dinner, they are "treated" to a long speech by Othen about the rashness of youth, as Javeed turns purple with shame and anger, seated across from the PC who beat him.

rycanada said:

Threat: A gnoll bandit, Yagka, heard of the Master's travels and challenged the Master to single combat (read: ambushed him) during the Master's recent travels. He was soundly defeated, but the Master did spare his life. Yagka told his friends that the Master was only powerful because of his magical gear, and has managed to whip them into a frenzy. A large pack of gnolls (20-40) is preparing to descend on the town of Iova's Tryst, their hearts set on arson and murder.

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Problem: On the road, the PCs find a wagon that was just attacked; the survivors beg the PCs to protect them as they go on to the next city. There are obvious signs that the attackers headed down the road toward Iova's Tryst, and as night is falling the PCs (with an Intelligence check of 10 or more if they have any combat experience and have seen Iova's Tryst before, or 15 otherwise) can deduce that the town will be in great danger if the alarm is not raised.

Threat: Mupp, the leader of the gnoll pack, favors infiltration as a tactic and especially enjoys sneaking into a town and attacking it from several spots at once, grabbing a few terrified people, and then leaving. He has a well-cared for and quite large set of halfwild dogs (use wolf stats) who he uses to bring down his opponents while he fires at them from afar.

Resource: The town has a sizeable copper fountain. The fountain is made in the shape of a great ship, and water blasts up from the crowsnest of the ship in the middle of the day. As the players arrive, a nearby building is set alight, but if the mast can be bent (DC 20 strength), and the knobs manipulated correctly (DC 15 disable device or INT) the water will shoot out with tremendous force.

Reward: Yagka carries a fine silver sword, obviously stolen, with the mark of a southern noble family on the hilt. A Knowledge (nobility) check of 15 or higher can identify it as the noble house of Unsbrad, who are an old but politically weak house in the south.

Hey Rycanda, these are cool so far but a few comments...

I was wondering...don't the problems need a hook of some sort for the PC's? Especially the encounters where Javeed is concerned. I guess I'm asking why wouldn't they just walk away from the problem? Especially the assasination and master fight.

The threats are more direct and basically happen with the PC's having to take action once the threat is implemented no matter what, so I like these.

I'm a little fuzzy on resources...are these for the players to use to solve problems or threats? That's the gist I'm getting...is that correct?

My final question...shouldn't there be two rewards, one for solving the problem and one for overcoming the threat?

rycanada said:

Resource: A local farrier keeps a set of well-designed practise swords made with a thin rod of metal drilled through a straight wooden sword. These are ideal for the Master's purposes of accepting challenges. These swords are treated as masterwork longswords, with a penalty for nonlethal damage of only -2.

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Problem: The farrier, Topp, is a friend of the Master and his host while staying in Iova's Tryst. Topp inherited a sizeable debt upon the death of his own father, Tauper. A few days after the PCs encounter Javeed, they find out that he has bought up Topp's debt, and is demanding a faster schedule of repayment. The farrier now works on horseshoes night and day, and is in danger of collapse, but is too proud to ask for help. Javeed also refuses to sell the debt unless the PCs publicly admit to having tricked him dishonorably in their previous confrontation - and then, he will only part from it at an exorbitant price. The PCs may find alternate solutions to this situation.

Threat: The PCs see Topp leading an old horse, that is limping behind him. Topp has the unfortunate task of putting down one of his older horses, who has gone lame. As the players turn the corner, they hear a "THWACK" and a heartrending whinny, that begins to sound more like a shriek. A pair of large horses (treat as warhorses) spook and one throws its rider; both go wildly out of control and charge down the road towards the PCs.

Resource: Topp has a lovely daughter, Ipna, who is very knowledgeable about any social goings-on in Iova's Tryst. She knows, for example, that Javeed, the son of Sir Othen, is seeing a young noblewoman from the East who is staying with her aunt in Bidmarket. (Ipna adds "Poor girl.")

Reward: Topp is actually a very talented farrier, and if befriended can shod the horses with masterwork horseshoes at half the usual price. If the PCs bought horses anywhere near Iova's Tryst, he knows the horses by name. He also inquires after the PCs' horses whenever he sees them.