How do you encourage players to interact with the environment?

I just ran my players through a level 12 adventure that had a fair number of puzzles and unusual features to the area--nothing that would cause player death, but stuff that had cool and interesting effects. For example, a pole that could be climbed, which would reverse gravity so that characters could walk on the ceiling. Most of the features didn't trigger combat, and the ones that did weren't anything the party couldn't handle. But I think my players were trained on the Tomb of Horrors, because they wouldn't touch anything if they could help it, and thus almost missed rescuing the person they had come to find.

Any suggestions on how I can encourage players to touch things and try stuff out? Do I have to promise them these things will never trigger combat to stop them from "turtling"?

jayoungr said:

I just ran my players through a level 12 adventure that had a fair number of puzzles and unusual features to the area--nothing that would cause player death, but stuff that had cool and interesting effects. For example, a pole that could be climbed, which would reverse gravity so that characters could walk on the ceiling. Most of the features didn't trigger combat, and the ones that did weren't anything the party couldn't handle. But I think my players were trained on the Tomb of Horrors, because they wouldn't touch anything if they could help it, and thus almost missed rescuing the person they had come to find.

Any suggestions on how I can encourage players to touch things and try stuff out? Do I have to promise them these things will never trigger combat to stop them from "turtling"?

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[MENTION=97077]iserith[/MENTION] will tell you to hide the bulk of the treasure in secret caches rather than on monsters, so if the players don't go searching they'll stay poor.

I've been awarding reduced XP for killing monsters, and instead giving the bulk of XP for rooms mapped out, secrets discovered, etc. (They still often want to kill monsters, but so they can find out what's behind the door they're guarding. )

Making exploration challenges the main source of treasure is one way, as [MENTION=6801204]Satyrn[/MENTION] mentions.

But also it's worth examining how often you employ "gotchas" in your game. That's a situation where, because the DM hasn't provided adequate information when describing the environment (or perhaps when describing the results of the adventurers' actions), the players are making uninformed decisions that are causing them to get hurt, killed, or otherwise make them expend resources. The way to combat that is through telegraphing, which is a way of foreshadowing threats or the like in a way where even if the players completely ignore it, they can look back after their maiming and go "Oh, right, that thing you mentioned before we ignored - our bad." Even if there isn't a threat, little clues in the environment can tip players off. Imagine if you described a rat crawling across the ceiling near the pole as easily as it might scurry along the floor. That's an interesting detail that might provoke some thought and investigation.

As well, it doesn't hurt to just say "Hey guys and gals, I'm not out to get you. I am embedding clues in the description if there's something dangerous. You'll probably be okay if you pay attention. Don't be afraid to poke around."

When I want to encourage them in a direction, I focus heavily on description. In the case of the pole, I might mention footprints on the ceiling near it. Or there might be neat decorations at the top.

The other option I go with, is that if they’re not going to take advantage of it, their enemies will. So, going back to the pole, they might see a goblin scurry up the pole and run away on the ceiling. Or have a group of goblins already up there, attacking from range. If they want to melee with them, well, there’s that fancy pole there.

And when in doubt, when you want to encourage a playstyle, give inspiration. That one player that gives it a shot, they get some inspiration for their curiosity.

Give them a check to identify and understand the phenomenon before they engage with it. Playing around with magic that you don't understand is stupid in any world, meta-game assurances or not, so remove the uncertainty if you want them to use it.

These are opportunities to spotlight PC abilities - by means of description.

First and foremost, have these things not just be "odd stuff" but make sense within the setup. Then your prelude to the adventure scene can serve to spawn interaction. What if instead of a reverse gravity ladder - it was a ladder that led up 20' on a 30' wall to nothing and just ended at 20' up? Bet that would attract some attention. Also, if the lead in setup that this was once involved in some sort of interdimensional stuff, then the PCs would be looking for these as "intriguing.

Second, the things you want most interacted with - tie to PC background and backstory. if these letters have ancient high elven markings that resemble those of an acient elven crafter known for his magic weapons - PC info for both an elf or a smith or ideally an elven smith - then betcha they would be driving the focus on those ladders with you not needing much prodding.

Third, if there are ladders to anti-g roofs, are there tracks that the ranger can see? Are there sings that others have climbed them in the past? is there a discarded broken dagger (of unusual make) sitting there on the roof?

Fourth, Have NPCs do it for them. Specifically if in an earlier scene the NPCs vanished mysteriously (or they ran into this room) then again the tracking and so on becomes key. is there a mystery the PCs have that this ladder might be a solution to? if so, they will likely pursue it.

But, you cannot reasonably expect PCs to just go touch and climb everything that looks normal - this isn't an MMO where "loot all the drawers everywhere" is the norm. I mean, think of it this way - if they did that - if they spent actual face time investigating every normal thing one by one, how long would your sessions take?

Also, have your foes use these features themselves, that usually piques player interest. If the Bugbear is using the reverse gravity pole, the PCs will know they won't die if they touch it, too.


EDIT: [MENTION=6919838]5ekyu[/MENTION] beat me to it.

Smart adventurers are risk-averse in the absence of knowledge.

As mentioned above, telegraphing the effects of a danger before the danger appears is generally a very good way to signal danger. (If I describe a full moon and a solitary nearby howling sound, you’ve got some reasonable expectation of what might come next).

So how do you telegraph safety? Or encourage a calculated risk?

Well for starters, the telegraph itself is really just a narrative mechanism by which you give the players actionable intel. “There is a pole” probably doesn’t provide enough info to act on.

So basically, really simply, if you want to push this stuff to the forefront, you’ll need “Caution: Wet floor! Cuidado: Piso mojado!” signs near every effect that you want them to deal with. While these signs can take literally any form (distant howling, partially digested remains, arcane energy emanating, chalk scratches, a cryptic warning from an elderly recluse), you should incorporate them as Part of your Design.

Whenever you write an environmental feature of any kind, draw a little wet floor sign next to it in your notes and think about how you will tell the adventurers “this bit is different.”

That’s all you have to do. Think about the telegraph when you write up your scenario and then make sure they see the sign as they approach. As a starter, it’s ok to just use literal signs. “Caution: Ogres.” “Quick sand area.”

We have these all over already anyway!

Have descriptions that are interesting enough to entice players to react to them. It doesn't even have to be telegraphing just a good description. Players will interact with things that are interesting.

Bawylie said:

As mentioned above, telegraphing the effects of a danger before the danger appears is generally a very good way to signal danger. (If I describe a full moon and a solitary nearby howling sound, you’ve got some reasonable expectation of what might come next).

So how do you telegraph safety? Or encourage a calculated risk?

Well for starters, the telegraph itself is really just a narrative mechanism by which you give the players actionable intel. “There is a pole” probably doesn’t provide enough info to act on.

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This makes a lot of sense, thanks.

So basically, really simply, if you want to push this stuff to the forefront, you’ll need “Caution: Wet floor! Cuidado: Piso mojado!” signs near every effect that you want them to deal with.

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But that's telegraphing danger. How am I supposed to telegraph safety?