D&D General How Often Should a PC Die in D&D 5e?

[pemerton]

The solo game Loner adds a fun twist to this. A standard but optional part of character creation is identifying your character’s nemesis. A Loner character has a name, an overall concept, a couple of skills, a frailty. A couple of pieces of gear, a goal, a motive for the goal, and a nemesis: “a person or organization that hinders the protagonist. It can emerge during the first game sessions. It may or may not be the direct antagonist of the story, ready to appear to make life even more difficult.”

First time I recall seeing that outside of supers games, and I like it. It fits well with a lot of genres I like.

Part of PC build in Torchbearer 2e is choosing whether or not your PC has an enemy, and - if they do - who that enemy is. Part of the GM's job is to incorporate those player-established enemies into the presentation of antagonism in play.

 

[Autumnal]

Part of PC build in Torchbearer 2e is choosing whether or not your PC has an enemy, and - if they do - who that enemy is. Part of the GM's job is to incorporate those player-established enemies into the presentation of antagonism in play.

Neat! I’m. Glad to know - I try to keep track of where elements I like have appeared.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Part of PC build in Torchbearer 2e is choosing whether or not your PC has an enemy, and - if they do - who that enemy is. Part of the GM's job is to incorporate those player-established enemies into the presentation of antagonism in play.

Which might count as an adventure hook, depending on how it is done. These things are not mutually exclusive. A hook can be personal to the character. And whilst I think such hooks are very interesting, I don't think all hooks need to be such, especially if the intent is to give the players some freedom to choose which ones to pursue.

 

[pemerton]

Neat! I’m. Glad to know - I try to keep track of where elements I like have appeared.

Well, in the spirit of why trickle from the tap when one can gush from the firehose - the relationship rules for Burning Wheel also allow taking an enemy/hostile relationship. BW is more nuanced than Torchbearer, and so "hostile" ranges more broadly than "enemy" - it can include more soap-operatic conflicts between the characters.

 

[pemerton]

Which might count as an adventure hook, depending on how it is done. These things are not mutually exclusive. A hook can be personal to the character. And whilst I think such hooks are very interesting, I don't think all hooks need to be such, especially if the intent is to give the players some freedom to choose which ones to pursue.

The normal role of the enemy/antagonist in Torchbearer is not to give the player something to have their PC pursue, but rather to give the GM an element to include as an obstacle to the PC's projects.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

The normal role of the enemy/antagonist in Torchbearer is not to give the player something to have their PC pursue, but rather to give the GM an element to include as an obstacle to the PC's projects.

What does this mean in practice? What are these projects like? Does nothing besides those ever happen in the setting? (That the PCs hear of.)

 

[pemerton]

What does this mean in practice? What are these projects like? Does nothing besides those ever happen in the setting? (That the PCs hear of.)

Here's an example of the use of an enemy in Torchbearer 2e play:

He then decided that he need to find a priest to lift his curse: a Circles test. His Circles is 4, +1D for being in his hometown. The Ob was 3 (for a priest), +1 for being the same level (and so able to perform the Absolution of the Lord of Endings, or some similar ritual), and then +2 for being Loyal to Golin's cause (when I asked whether Golin was looking for someone willing to help for a price, or loyal, a quick review of Golin's barren gear and loot list led his player to opt for the latter!). Golin's enemy Golin then showed himself, saying he had heard that Golin was looking for a priest, and might be able to help - he offered +1D to the test. Golin took the help, and failed the test - and so (enemy) Golin showed him an alternative: in what looked like the ruined remnants of an abandoned temple was, in fact, a secret way to a sixth cult whose temple was beneath the ground; and they were very interested in Golin's curse. "The Earth cult," said Golin's player. "Perhaps the cult mentioned in Beholder of Fate's codex," I suggested, explaining that they wore black robes.

Golin joined them in their chanting amid the lotus incense, and I called for a Theologian check to lift the curse - Ob 5, the same as for a propitiate offering at a shrine. He desecrated his sun amulet in the attempt, but the roll failed nevertheless. I told him that he didn't remember all that happened, but when he awoke he was lying on the temple ruins, and couldn't see the secret way. His curse was lifted! But he had a strange mark on his chest, and was feeling decidedly unwell - Sick, in fact.

<snip>

Fea-bella then decided to look for someone who could sell her potions to alleviate Sickness: Circles base Ob 2 (for townsfolk of the Temple of Potions and Vapours), +2 for higher level, +1 for being willing to help for a price. The Ob 5 test succeeded, and she met Heather, who sold her two doses of Sovereign Remedy for 6D of coin. She and Golin both imbibed, and recovered.

Golin then visited his mentor Grantham, and took a failed test in Cook. Grantham cautioned him that the mark on his chest - which he saw as Golin loosened his tunic in the heat of the kitchen - was ill-omened.

Around the same time, Fea-bella succeeded at the Lore Master test to memorise two spells - Lightness of Being and Wizard's Aegis. And she then decided to pursue her Goal, of learning about the signet ring she had taken from Beholder of Fates, by finding someone who might know something about it. Circles base Ob 2 (particular details), +1 for reliability, +2 for genuine knowledge - Ob 5. The test failed, and so instead of finding someone helpful she found herself being approached by Heather, who was angry that Fea-bella had shared Sovereign Remedy with someone marked by the Void Kult (the "K" being Golin's player's view of the correct spelling for this organisation). I told the players that they could either deal with Heather and the angry acolytes and others with her, or skedaddle now, grabbing water from the well as they left and paying their Lifestyle.

The chose to leave, even though they hadn't been able to do any provisioning.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Here's an example of the use of an enemy in Torchbearer 2e play:

I don't feel it quite answered my question. But I'll ask about something from that example, which might. The Beholder of Fates signet ring that Fea-bella wishes to learn more about. How was it introduced?

 

[Lanefan]

Part of PC build in Torchbearer 2e is choosing whether or not your PC has an enemy, and - if they do - who that enemy is. Part of the GM's job is to incorporate those player-established enemies into the presentation of antagonism in play.

And the fun would really start if a PC's "chosen enemy" is someone else's PC...

 

[Micah Sweet]

Hang on - what does "adventure hook" mean again?

Upthread I was given this:

And not far upthread you gave me this:
The setting not being a "featureless void" doesn't depend upon there being "opportunities for exploration" or "things that can be pursued".

The character might already have their own projects, have created their own opportunities, etc.

Right, but do player-authored motives and opportunities have to be everything? I know it's what you prefer...