D&D 5E A Little Help With a Convention Game

[pogre]

Greetings,

I am putting together a set of adventures for a local gaming con. I will give you the description:

This is a 5th edition, old school style dungeon delve. Every slot starts at a progressively higher PC level and lower
dungeon level. Maximum of six players. This is a drop-in/drop-out game. Although it is all the same dungeon - players are welcome to play in any session. Warning - it is likely that one or more characters will die.

NOTE: This session is for 3rd-level characters.

Use A.L. rules for building PC

I am running six 4-hour sessions over two days. Each session of the Con is a new deeper level of the big dungeon 3rd level, 4th level, etc.

I am adding a twist to the sessions. Each player will get a goal/motivation card at random for each level with a task like - find this treasure, kill this creature, befriend this NPC, etc. Coming up with these goals are not a problem for me. What I want is some sort of in-game reward for accomplishing these goals. I could just grant an inspiration, but that seems a little bland.

Do you have some ideas for the rewards that are comparable to advantage or slightly more powerful to grant the PCs?

Thanks!

 

[Mort]

Do you have some ideas for the rewards that are comparable to advantage or slightly more powerful to grant the PCs?

Thanks!

You could roll a bunch of D20s and leave them out and visible. When someone completes a goal they can grab one of the D20s and use the number on it (at any time later during the session) as a roll they would otherwise have to make (so usually guaranteeing success), or force a monster to accept the number as one of their rolls (so usually forcing a fail).

Essentially a mini portent (but with a bit more dramatic flair).

 

[Longspeak]

You could roll a bunch of D20s and leave them out and visible. When someone completes a goal they can grab one of the D20s and use the number on it (at any time later during the session) as a roll they would otherwise have to make (so usually guaranteeing success), or force a monster to accept the number as one of their rolls (so usually forcing a fail).

Essentially a mini portent (but with a bit more dramatic flair).

I love this idea. Consider it stolen for my own nefarious ends.

For convention one shots, I've always loved to dole out decent one-use items. Potions with strong effects, scrolls, etc. One time (it wasn't a D&D game but this would translate nicely), a signet ring which marked the bearer as someone worthy of parley. Using it enabled the wielder to enter parley with anything short of boss level. They still needed to play it out, make rolls where needed. But it gave a chance to avoid a fight and save resources for down the line.

 

[Mort]

I love this idea. Consider it stolen for my own nefarious ends.

For convention one shots, I've always loved to dole out decent one-use items. Potions with strong effects, scrolls, etc. One time (it wasn't a D&D game but this would translate nicely), a signet ring which marked the bearer as someone worthy of parley. Using it enabled the wielder to enter parley with anything short of boss level. They still needed to play it out, make rolls where needed. But it gave a chance to avoid a fight and save resources for down the line.

For conventions, I often add an extra twist. You can take a d20 at any time. But if you do, I get to take one for the baddies too. Decisions, decisions.

 

[GMMichael]

. . . What I want is some sort of in-game reward for accomplishing these goals. I could just grant an inspiration, but that seems a little bland.

Do you have some ideas for the rewards that are comparable to advantage or slightly more powerful to grant the PCs?

"In-game" to me says inherent rewards, like getting treasure for "find this treasure" or having one less enemy for "kill this creature."

Given the inspiration and advantage metagame examples, I'd suggest:

• Temporary skill points. ( See 3rd edition for a definition of skill points)
• Insta-kill one "minor" enemy.
• Insta-disarm one trap.
• Temporary hit points. (See 3rd. Maybe 5th.)
• Auto-dodge one attack (force enemy miss).

I'd better stop there, but you get the idea.

 

[Eltab]

Riffing off the Nine Trickster Gods' "amulets" in Tomb of Annihilation...

You get some common or consumable magic item that has a spell-like ability if used in this dungeon.

For instance, a Censer of Group Healing that when lit is treated as an area-effect version of Healing Word, one time only, in this dungeon only.

Or a +1 Sword which allows you to do max damage (including boosters like Sneak Attack), once per session, in this dungeon.