Quasqueton
First Post
Say a Player has forgotten something they need to know. Do you give the PC an Intelligence check to remember it? If so, what DC should it have? How to set the DC based on the time lapsed?
Quasqueton
Quasqueton
Memory - Int checks
Quasqueton said:
It depends if it's a detail the PC would better remember than the player. For example, memory of a place, a meeting or chronology. Something that may have happened 2 days ago in the game time but that was played 3 weeks ago could be reminded to the players for free. Else, int check is fine. DC is relative the time and difficulty to remember (5 easy, 10 not so easy, and so on). You can arbitrarly add bonus or penality depending on how bad the player should remember... or not.
In our game, unimportant details are retold for free. things that were repeated often and were important gets no checks whatsoever. For the rest, int check is fine )synergy bonus may be granted if there's a related skill like gather info or knowledge etc).
jgsugden
Legend
There is no easy answer here. I run a campaign that meets about once every 2 months for a 6 hour session. It has been going on since 2001. When I envisioned the game, I was going to run it as a once a week, 3 hour campaign. Accordingly, there is a *lot* of detail that I originally expected PCs to rememeber between sessions. The players forgot them a long time ago ...
As such, I have had to answer this question myself. I find the best solution: Remind the players of previous facts often - both out and in of game.
Out of game: When I know that the evil wizard that the PCs faced two years ago (real time) is about to make a return appearance, I often work the details of the adventure where he was previously featured into a conversation with my players ... something along the lines of, "Hey, do you guys rememeber that spell that Zthulus cast on you in the Crystal Vein Mines? The one that killed the NPC wizard ... Do you remember what it was? Was ti a lightning bolt, or fireball? Oh .. a cone of cold ... Thanks." I like to pick things that will make the players argue or discuss the situation a bit, resulting in more sparks to the memory. Then, when he pops up in the next session, the PCs have some recollection of him without me having to go into a diatribe during the session.
In game: I *love* foreshadowing. When I know that some NPC is returning to action, or some previosuly discovered fact is going to suddenly become relevant, I work it back into the game prior to its reappearance. For instance, one group of PCs were hunting an escaped criminal during a low level adventure, but the criminal got away. Sometime later, I decided to bring him back as a freedom fighter in a neighboring kingdom. Right befoer the PCs began their travel to that neighboring kingdom, the PCs ran into the ex-head guardsman that had been fired when the prisoner escaped and the PCs could not catch him. The ex-guardsman threw a fit and berated the PCs for ruining his life by letting that pompous Micol Degrus escape their clutches ... so when the PCs discovered a set of orders written in pompous language and signed MD, they were able to put together the pieces.
However, regardless of how much work you put in to jog memories, some details get lost. When that happens, I usually roll a few dice and tell the high intelligence PCs that they suddenly rememebered the necessary details, with extra useful information tossed in if the rolls were good.
As such, I have had to answer this question myself. I find the best solution: Remind the players of previous facts often - both out and in of game.
Out of game: When I know that the evil wizard that the PCs faced two years ago (real time) is about to make a return appearance, I often work the details of the adventure where he was previously featured into a conversation with my players ... something along the lines of, "Hey, do you guys rememeber that spell that Zthulus cast on you in the Crystal Vein Mines? The one that killed the NPC wizard ... Do you remember what it was? Was ti a lightning bolt, or fireball? Oh .. a cone of cold ... Thanks." I like to pick things that will make the players argue or discuss the situation a bit, resulting in more sparks to the memory. Then, when he pops up in the next session, the PCs have some recollection of him without me having to go into a diatribe during the session.
In game: I *love* foreshadowing. When I know that some NPC is returning to action, or some previosuly discovered fact is going to suddenly become relevant, I work it back into the game prior to its reappearance. For instance, one group of PCs were hunting an escaped criminal during a low level adventure, but the criminal got away. Sometime later, I decided to bring him back as a freedom fighter in a neighboring kingdom. Right befoer the PCs began their travel to that neighboring kingdom, the PCs ran into the ex-head guardsman that had been fired when the prisoner escaped and the PCs could not catch him. The ex-guardsman threw a fit and berated the PCs for ruining his life by letting that pompous Micol Degrus escape their clutches ... so when the PCs discovered a set of orders written in pompous language and signed MD, they were able to put together the pieces.
However, regardless of how much work you put in to jog memories, some details get lost. When that happens, I usually roll a few dice and tell the high intelligence PCs that they suddenly rememebered the necessary details, with extra useful information tossed in if the rolls were good.
I usually use intelligence checks.. Depend on how i am playing...
1 Game i was playing like a Character (though i was DM) taæking with the players about solutions hint? memories.. Taktics and such... actually making me a part of their Party (in a way) It was areally good campaign.. one of my best i must say, and worked out perfectly...
Else i just suddenly request a Intelligence check (sometimes they dont know what it is about.. and sometimes they ask for the info = a check) If i want them to succed.. with a VERY important piece of a puzzle etc. (gaming sessions month apart) i set the Dc a bit low.. like 10 or something... and sometimes.. i jsut take it as a 15 or 20.. for some additional info like: "U suddenly remembered that the troll recovered rather rapidly from the melee and ranged attacks.. but that it was Burned all the way through out battle cause of that Flaming sphere" - as a Hint
1 Game i was playing like a Character (though i was DM) taæking with the players about solutions hint? memories.. Taktics and such... actually making me a part of their Party (in a way) It was areally good campaign.. one of my best i must say, and worked out perfectly...
Else i just suddenly request a Intelligence check (sometimes they dont know what it is about.. and sometimes they ask for the info = a check) If i want them to succed.. with a VERY important piece of a puzzle etc. (gaming sessions month apart) i set the Dc a bit low.. like 10 or something... and sometimes.. i jsut take it as a 15 or 20.. for some additional info like: "U suddenly remembered that the troll recovered rather rapidly from the melee and ranged attacks.. but that it was Burned all the way through out battle cause of that Flaming sphere" - as a Hint
William Ronald
Explorer
If it helps, Arcana Unearthed has a table on memory checks. The DC ranges from 5 for something anyone would have noticed and remembered (the example given is remembering the general appearance of the man who killed your father) to DC 25 (something no normal person could remember such as tje 19th six-digit combination code on a list of 80 possible codes for a combination lock, when a character only saw the list for a moment or two.) Sometimes, a player will not remember a detail, especially if there is a long gap between gaming sessions.
PrinceZane
First Post
We've tried the whole note taking thing... just never worked out right due we'd get caught up doing something and stuck in the moment.. then forget to jot it down. (if anyone read the humor post i put up quazirecently about a rogue, some dead monkeys, etc - thats about the extent of our note taking 
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