Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="pukunui" data-source="post: 6903048" data-attributes="member: 54629">I just remembered that I've actually done this before! When I was running HotDQ, and the group was heading into the Mere of Dead Men to find Castle Naerytar, I didn't want to bother playing out random encounters with giant insects and the like, so I just told them that they'd spent hours trekking through the swamp, slogging through mud, wading through pools, fending off giant frogs and blood-sucking insects. Then I had them roll randomly to see how many resources they'd used up. I think they were 5th level at the time, maybe 6th.Here are my notes:All: Lose 1d6 - 1 hit diceFighter: 50% chance each that Action Surge and Second wind have been usedWizard: Loses 1d4 1st level spell slots and 1d4 - 1 2nd level slots; 50% chance that Arcane Recovery has been usedDruid: Loses 1d4 1st level spell slots and 1d4 - 1 2nd level slots; 50% chance wildshape has been used onceThe players were OK with that, but then they're all fairly new to D&D. Still, I don't think my more experienced group would balk at something like this.Also, in that adventure, the PCs were following a clearly marked trail. There was no chance they'd get lost, and no one was having to roll to navigate. So it was really just a matter of how many random encounters popped up along the way. In this case, they are attempting to follow some clues (tracks and other signs) through a sewer network. There is no clear path.The adventure calls for 1d6 + 3 tracking checks. (It's an old 3.5e adventure.) What if I just have them make a series of group Survival checks until they get three or four successes. For every failed check, they lose some resources. Time isn't really an issue here. They're not trying to reach the mind flayer's lair before it kills someone. They're just trying to find out who is trying to kill them. They don't even know it's a mind flayer yet.So really I'm just trying to figure what resources to have them lose. Should I just have them lose a hit die per failed check, or should I have them take hit point damage (which they can then choose to spend hit dice on themselves, should they choose to take a short rest before entering the lair)? Should I bother with any other resources, such as spell slots and the like?The party consists of a bear barbarian / rogue, an eldritch knight, an arcane trickster, and an evoker. They're all 8th level.</blockquote>

Verification