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6-8 encounters/day - how common is this?
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<blockquote data-quote="ThirdWizard" data-source="post: 6839122" data-attributes="member: 12037"><p>This is interesting, and I'd like to contribute, because this is how I play as well. I have far less encounters, but I use time limits constantly.</p><p></p><p>Adventure 01: Strict Time Limit - PCs hired by son of an adventurer who is dying of a curse. If they don't hurry, his father will die.</p><p>Adventure 02: Soft Time Limit - First, the PCs have to find outlaws who are killing allies before too many allies die. Then they have access to the "dungeon" (manor) for a limited time to discover why everyone went mad there.</p><p>Adventure 03: Soft Time Limit - An ally has been abducted, and he could die any time.</p><p>Adventure 04: Strict Time Limits - This adventure was FIVE plot lines, all occurring simultaneously, all under strict and conflicting timetables. Too long to go into, but one of the most fun games of D&D I've ever run.</p><p>Adventure 05: No Resting Point - Escort mission through a one way portal into a dwarven city that (surprise!) was taken over by goblinoids. Getting out <em>was</em> the adventure.</p><p>Adventure 06: Lackadaisical - Finally no strict time table! They proceeded at their leisure.</p><p>Adventure 07: Lackadaisical - Plot driven 100% by PC goals, so they proceeded at their own pace again.</p><p>Adventure 08: Strict Time Limit - PCs were helping NPCs who were on a strict timetable themselves to uncover an enemy both groups had. Time limit by proxy.</p><p>Adventure 09: Soft Time Limit - Pure hexcrawl, but time limit of one month to find the biggest baddest trophy and win the contest. PCs lost.</p><p>Adventure 10: No Resting Point - Plot driven 100% by PC goals, but they were <em>very</em> driven. No rest taken.</p><p>Adventure 11: Lackadaisical - Mostly plot based adventure, not very dangerous anyway.</p><p>Adventure 12: Soft Time Limit - PCs traveling through the Nine Hells hounded by demons and dragons. The longer they took the worse things got.</p><p>Adventure 13: Soft Time Limit - Continuation of Adventure 12, but now they have to go <em>back</em> this time, escorting a clan of dwarves across the Nine Hells.</p><p>Adventure 14: Strict Time Limit - PC's temple leader very adamant that the PCs make contact with a potential ally within 24 hours. Very.</p><p>Adventure 15: Strict Time Limits - Imminent attack against an ally. The PCs have to stop the enemy before the attack can happen within 48 hours. At the same time another PC has to make contact with a thief within 24 hours.</p><p>Adventure 16: No Resting Point - Fairly humdrum meeting with minor lord in the City of Brass turns into getting out of the City of Brass NOW.</p><p>Adventure 17: Lackadaisical - Plot driven 100% by PC goals, no time limit.</p><p>Adventure 18: Strict Time Limit - PC's father wanted for murder and on the run. Have to find him, keep him away from authorities (whoops! Another PC <em>is</em> the authorities!) and prove he didn't do it before he's discovered!</p><p>Adventure 19: No Resting Point - Have to meet a potential ally that day, then sudden escort mission to keep an ally safe from assassins.</p><p></p><p>So, out of 19 adventures, only <em>three</em> left the PCs completely in control of their own timetables, and six had hard and measured time limits where if they went over, they would fail in their goals, while four had consequences for being slow.</p><p></p><p>I think my games are fairly informed by the Dresden Files novel series, actually, being an urban fantasy campaign they kind of mirror that format. Adventuring life is hard, and it isn't convenient. People need things done right now, and you may go for months with nothing happening, then all of a sudden three organizations come up to you and tell you that they need you to do X, Y, and Z, and you have 24 hours to get this done or else something bad will happen. And, maybe you'd say no, but people are in danger. Often innocent people are in danger. So, you suck it up, agree to do this thing you absolutely do not want to do, and as these hooks unfold around you, you suddenly realize you're in the middle of some serious stuff. Other times, an assassin comes after you, and you start to wonder what you could have done to warrant <em>that</em>, and why now of all times just when you took this innocuous job that couldn't be... oh... but they... and they... Crap. And, now you've got to save <em>yourself</em>.</p><p></p><p>Anyway, this is to say that I love strict time limits, and I think they enhance the game tremendously. I don't see them as any kind of "gotcha" from the DM. They make for the best gameplay.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ThirdWizard, post: 6839122, member: 12037"] This is interesting, and I'd like to contribute, because this is how I play as well. I have far less encounters, but I use time limits constantly. Adventure 01: Strict Time Limit - PCs hired by son of an adventurer who is dying of a curse. If they don't hurry, his father will die. Adventure 02: Soft Time Limit - First, the PCs have to find outlaws who are killing allies before too many allies die. Then they have access to the "dungeon" (manor) for a limited time to discover why everyone went mad there. Adventure 03: Soft Time Limit - An ally has been abducted, and he could die any time. Adventure 04: Strict Time Limits - This adventure was FIVE plot lines, all occurring simultaneously, all under strict and conflicting timetables. Too long to go into, but one of the most fun games of D&D I've ever run. Adventure 05: No Resting Point - Escort mission through a one way portal into a dwarven city that (surprise!) was taken over by goblinoids. Getting out [i]was[/i] the adventure. Adventure 06: Lackadaisical - Finally no strict time table! They proceeded at their leisure. Adventure 07: Lackadaisical - Plot driven 100% by PC goals, so they proceeded at their own pace again. Adventure 08: Strict Time Limit - PCs were helping NPCs who were on a strict timetable themselves to uncover an enemy both groups had. Time limit by proxy. Adventure 09: Soft Time Limit - Pure hexcrawl, but time limit of one month to find the biggest baddest trophy and win the contest. PCs lost. Adventure 10: No Resting Point - Plot driven 100% by PC goals, but they were [i]very[/i] driven. No rest taken. Adventure 11: Lackadaisical - Mostly plot based adventure, not very dangerous anyway. Adventure 12: Soft Time Limit - PCs traveling through the Nine Hells hounded by demons and dragons. The longer they took the worse things got. Adventure 13: Soft Time Limit - Continuation of Adventure 12, but now they have to go [i]back[/i] this time, escorting a clan of dwarves across the Nine Hells. Adventure 14: Strict Time Limit - PC's temple leader very adamant that the PCs make contact with a potential ally within 24 hours. Very. Adventure 15: Strict Time Limits - Imminent attack against an ally. The PCs have to stop the enemy before the attack can happen within 48 hours. At the same time another PC has to make contact with a thief within 24 hours. Adventure 16: No Resting Point - Fairly humdrum meeting with minor lord in the City of Brass turns into getting out of the City of Brass NOW. Adventure 17: Lackadaisical - Plot driven 100% by PC goals, no time limit. Adventure 18: Strict Time Limit - PC's father wanted for murder and on the run. Have to find him, keep him away from authorities (whoops! Another PC [i]is[/i] the authorities!) and prove he didn't do it before he's discovered! Adventure 19: No Resting Point - Have to meet a potential ally that day, then sudden escort mission to keep an ally safe from assassins. So, out of 19 adventures, only [i]three[/i] left the PCs completely in control of their own timetables, and six had hard and measured time limits where if they went over, they would fail in their goals, while four had consequences for being slow. I think my games are fairly informed by the Dresden Files novel series, actually, being an urban fantasy campaign they kind of mirror that format. Adventuring life is hard, and it isn't convenient. People need things done right now, and you may go for months with nothing happening, then all of a sudden three organizations come up to you and tell you that they need you to do X, Y, and Z, and you have 24 hours to get this done or else something bad will happen. And, maybe you'd say no, but people are in danger. Often innocent people are in danger. So, you suck it up, agree to do this thing you absolutely do not want to do, and as these hooks unfold around you, you suddenly realize you're in the middle of some serious stuff. Other times, an assassin comes after you, and you start to wonder what you could have done to warrant [i]that[/i], and why now of all times just when you took this innocuous job that couldn't be... oh... but they... and they... Crap. And, now you've got to save [i]yourself[/i]. Anyway, this is to say that I love strict time limits, and I think they enhance the game tremendously. I don't see them as any kind of "gotcha" from the DM. They make for the best gameplay. [/QUOTE]
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