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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 6199987" data-attributes="member: 19675"><p>Well, the first step is to make the local environs challenging but not too dangerous. It's not like the woods just outside of the boundaries of the village are full of dragons, after all. Small groups of bandits and other stuff that has so far escaped the county Sherriff's men. As the party ventures further out from civilization, the wilder it becomes. Gradually.</p><p></p><p>The same goes for challenging areas. The challenge shouldn't go from idyllic pastures to Castle Certaindoom, it should increase gradually.*</p><p></p><p>You do things like throw "random" encounters at them as warning signs if they're headed for Castle Certaindoom. For instance, a critter- one logically placed near said castle- stumbling upon their campsite that initiates a brutal fight that they win...then you "telegraph" there are more of these beasties about. That SHOULD get them to turn around...at least until they're more able to handle the task.</p><p></p><p>The second step comes from your narrative style as a DM. You have to be able to tell the PCs they won't survive a combat encounter with X...without flat-out telling the PCs they won't survive a combat encounter with X. The key is gentle verbal guidance, not railroading.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>* there ARE exceptions. On of the Judges Guild "Wilderlands" modules had a nice archipelago, and one of the islands was infested with trolls. Hundreds of them. Venture too far inland, and it was a slaughterhouse for anything short of a pretty tough party. And that island looked like any other.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 6199987, member: 19675"] Well, the first step is to make the local environs challenging but not too dangerous. It's not like the woods just outside of the boundaries of the village are full of dragons, after all. Small groups of bandits and other stuff that has so far escaped the county Sherriff's men. As the party ventures further out from civilization, the wilder it becomes. Gradually. The same goes for challenging areas. The challenge shouldn't go from idyllic pastures to Castle Certaindoom, it should increase gradually.* You do things like throw "random" encounters at them as warning signs if they're headed for Castle Certaindoom. For instance, a critter- one logically placed near said castle- stumbling upon their campsite that initiates a brutal fight that they win...then you "telegraph" there are more of these beasties about. That SHOULD get them to turn around...at least until they're more able to handle the task. The second step comes from your narrative style as a DM. You have to be able to tell the PCs they won't survive a combat encounter with X...without flat-out telling the PCs they won't survive a combat encounter with X. The key is gentle verbal guidance, not railroading. * there ARE exceptions. On of the Judges Guild "Wilderlands" modules had a nice archipelago, and one of the islands was infested with trolls. Hundreds of them. Venture too far inland, and it was a slaughterhouse for anything short of a pretty tough party. And that island looked like any other. [/QUOTE]
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