D&D General How would you make "finding out how to break the spell" interesting?

[Tonguez]

create a rhyming couplet
"Hand of Flame must touch the Heart of Stone
ere the Moon is broken to let the seed be grown"

Have the PCS interpret it as they will
"Hand of Flame = research identifies a lost artifact (a gauntlet) called the Hand of Flame
must touch the Heart of Stone = a stone altar in the Witch Wood
ere the Moon is broken = the lunar eclipse is in 8 days!
to let the seed be grown" = what is the enchanted characters connection to the seed? are they the seed? is the seed embedded in the heart and will its growth cause their chest to be burst?

 

[jayoungr]

Could model it after Out of the Abyss. It had a spell that required very specific ingredients and mini-quests to get those. Substitute runes, a special word, a rare flower that only blooms during full moons, etc. and you've got players involved.

That's not my question, though. I'm looking for ideas on how to let them figure out what flower they need, what the runes say, etc.

 

[jayoungr]

like, what if the potion is almost impossible to brew unless the players can use their abilities to add extra reagents to counter the lethal ones and strike the right balance?

I'm looking for suggestions for the research phase, though. In context of this example, that would be figuring out what the potion ingredients actually are.

If you followed what I do, you'd have them 1.) Locate a counter-ritual that undoes the Supernatural 'spell' that charmed, and 2.) then gather resources to enact it.

Part 2 is taken care of. I'm looking for suggestions on part 1. The PCs need to work out a counter-ritual rather than just find one ready-made.

As others have said you are probably best off making the components of the ritual their own mini quests.

They can't quest for the components until they know what components they need. I'm looking for suggestions on how to make it interesting for them to figure out that part.

 

[Sorinth]

hey can't quest for the components until they know what components they need. I'm looking for suggestions on how to make it interesting for them to figure out that part.

To be honest I'm not sure why you think that is supposed to be the interesting part. To me it sounds like it's the plot hook, and the plot hook isn't something that should be "interesting" itself, it's supposed to sell the players on how interesting following that plot will be.

 

[Bae'zel]

Step 1: definitely make the solution, or the one who KNOWS the solution, hard to find or to reach. They're an eccentric hermit living in a remote location in a harsh, dangerous environment.

Step 2: make the material components rare and hard to acquire (an egg of an albino Tyrannosaur on Skull Island).

Step 3: make sure that there is an opposing force, or antagonist, who doesn't WANT the spell to be broken, and sets out to foil or interrupt the completions of Steps 1 and 2, and of the ritual itself.

Maybe that's too much, but I'd definitely make some quests outta this.

 

[jayoungr]

To be honest I'm not sure why you think that is supposed to be the interesting part.

Just trust me when I say that it fits into the larger story.

And whether it can be interesting for the players is my question and the reason I created the thread. Ideally, I want both parts to be interesting instead of just one.

 

[toucanbuzz]

Research is dull, and justifying an 8 INT warrior assisting with advanced magical research (other than holding books) isn't very realistic. Modeled off a 3E book of challenges:

One of the books can't be translated, perhaps in code. The party needs a codebreaker and learns through roleplay there's an assistant staying at the local Inn to the codebreaker. They'd be a great lead. The assistant and Innkeeper, however, are having a problem. The codebreaker loves magical animals. The assistant was in town collecting 5 specially enhanced animals that were shipped to the Inn. The Innkeeper mistakenly opened up the cages and now the animals are loose in the Inn.

They possess keen intelligence, or some resistance to certain magic effects, or have some demonic looking but benign effect that has scared away customers, whatever you want. The assistant will help get them the codebreaker if they can help gather these animals, without hurting them (or damaging Inn property), or letting them get outside where assuredly they will fly or flee. The Innkeeper puts a time limit before they call for the "exterminator."

• A scared bat has gone to the rafters in the common room.
• A cat is hiding under the bed and darts to avoid capture.
• A hawk went to a high shelf.
• A rat scurried through a small hole in a locked chest and bites any fingers that come through.
• A snake (poisonous, but of a very mild type) is hiding under a corner table.
• You can add any complications, like pissed off Inn patrons who want a drink or are taking shots at throwing darts at the bat, etc.

 

[Distracted DM]

I guess... field research?
We need to see how long it takes for a gelatinous cube to start digesting you, vs other organic matter.

Go get sucked into one and let me watch?

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Is there any time constraints? Is there a reason why Dispel Magic won't work?

The latter question is important because that should be part of the research. Is there an item or a source of power that's preventing them from just using regular magic to break it?

Research Ideas:

Start with typical search checks: History, Nature and Arcana.

History to find legends and locations
Arcana to know how things go together or how to deal with entities
Nature to know how and where to locate the information.
Persuasion or Investigation to find a guy/gal

These are just to point them in a direction. It could be from a library or just from their own expertise. It will reward them for high proficiency and high rolls. There is no failure for these checks - just degrees of success. The higher the roll they get in the initial checks, the more hints they get for how to deal with whatever place or creature is hiding the information - whether it's advantage on a future roll or just information on what an entity might like for barter. Then, to throw a couple examples:

-The Library where some of the information is hidden could be a maze that they have to navigate. Maybe a library of infinite shelves. It can be the equivalent of a maze spell or it could be an extended contest where success brings them closer to the book they need and failure gets them more lost. I feel there should be some kind of problem solving and decision making that gets them more or less lost. Failure can mean encounters, or psychic damage or just time....like, they could be lost in there for years....

Maybe, once they have the book, they still have to decode it (as was suggested above)

-They have to barter with an Evil or Good or Unknowable Entity to get the info. What they have to do to get that information can have unforeseen consequences. Or maybe there's some kind of price to be paid. Contact Other Plane but, role-played out.

- A nature spirit - a dryad, a Unicorn or a Green Dragon has the information.

-A famous wizard or Hermit or Gangster in town has the information or knows where to find it. This is for the more street savvy characters. Maybe they have an item that "answers one question" or whatever and you have to persuade them to let you use it.

 

[Wolfram stout]

That's not my question, though. I'm looking for ideas on how to let them figure out what flower they need, what the runes say, etc.

So, ever see the original Clash of the Titans? Poor guy has no idea how to beat the Kraken, his only clue is that some evil witches might know. So he has to figure out how to get the information from them.

Maybe your group has to deal with someone who is unsavory who can tell them but will have to be bargained with, or tricked, or forced?