Design example: Trap method

[Ry]

Reward: The Master is a significantly powerful NPC (6th level fighter +at least 20 feats in E6). The Master must be played using all possible options as strategically as possible. If a PC challenges the Master respectfully and loses, the Master provides a potion to return that PC to consciousness, congratulates them on a well-fought match. The PC should be awarded a CR 4 experience award for the attempt (this award is given only once, regardless of how often the Master trounces the PC). If a PC challenges the Master and wins, award experience normally. The Master then retires from the life of a travelling swordsman, joining a military academy as an instructor. The PC can gain the title "The New Master" as the legend grows.

Problem: A travelling young elven bard, Parathilai, quietly observes the PCs' match against the master. She is deeply impressed by human commitment to excellence, and how much humans achieve in their short lives. Sometime later, hopefully when the PCs are trying to keep a low profile, she runs into them and greets them eloquently (and far too loudly). If a PC has become The New Master she exuberantly begins to sing of their exploits.

Threat: The players overhear one of the Master's unwanted followers trying to convince the Master to join him, that such an army would be unrivalled in power. Although dressed like a peasant, the man has a haughty bearing; he is in fact Kuens, a wizard (Wizard 5 in E6) with considerable talent and a following of his own. After the Master turns him down he sends a few of his accomplices (Wizard 2 and Wizard 3) to burn the farrier's house, trapping the Master inside with a Web spell. This is preferably done while the PCs are speaking with the Master, which can easily be arranged after a respectful match.

Resource: If defeated, the Master becomes known as Master Quatran of the Academy of Honourable Warfare in the nearby city of Casta. Whenever the PC who defeated the Master is in this city, or any other PC who is known for martial prowess, a runner is sent from the academy to ask the PC to demonstrate his strength of arms. If the PC takes the time to do so, they find themselves quickly brought to the field and equipped for a practise match against another (very strong, very tough) instructor. After this, provided the PCs are conduct themselves politely, they have a valuable resource through the Academy's military contacts.

Reward: Zaivan Mandras, the generous younger brother of the powerful and miserly merchant Guthran Mandras, enjoys betting on the various matches between swordsmen that spring up around the master. Zaivan has terrible luck but excellent humour; the PC and Zaivan can both use Sense motive checks to discern the stronger fighter, but Zaiven's roll is at a -2 modifier. To determine the victor of a given match, have the winner of the Sense Motive contest roll a d6, and the loser roll a d4. The higher value wins the contest, re-roll a tie. Although Zaiven is likely to lose money to the PCs he remembers them later and is happy to bet with them again.

 

[Ry]

I was wondering...don't the problems need a hook of some sort for the PC's? Especially the encounters where Javeed is concerned. I guess I'm asking why wouldn't they just walk away from the problem? Especially the assasination and master fight.

That depends on your PCs, really. When I think of the Javeed encounter (please intervene) I think of it as a request from an NPC that the PCs already like. If you're stuck for such a character / the PCs are brand new, one great way to do that is to let the PCs, before the start of the game, make up one contact each in Iova's Tryst. Then pick the most appropriate of those characters.

As for the assassination - the PCs see what's going to happen, and if they don't act, they have to live with the fact that they let someone die based on mere dislike. That wouldn't sit well with my players, but your mileage may vary. Standing back while something evil happens to someone you don't like is a bad thing, and a magistrate summoning them or giving them a curfew order because of their suspected involvement would definitely dampen the PCs' spirits. So yes, it's a moral dilemma, and that doesn't work for every group.

I'm a little fuzzy on resources...are these for the players to use to solve problems or threats? That's the gist I'm getting...is that correct? Shouldn't there be two rewards, one for solving the problem and one for overcoming the threat?

Resources and rewards, like problems and threats, are all generally items in a Tars-method DM's bag of tricks. Say your players are floundering for an information source - you might have a resource that you could introduce for them when the story starts to drag. Alternatively, you might throw in a resource to emphasize a certain element - for example, PCs get very attached to NPCs that give them good deals.

Rewards don't need to be related 1:1 to problems or threats, although they can be. Sometimes the only reward for defeating a threat is ridding the world of a dangerous monster - heck, sometimes defeating a threat can get you into even more trouble. A DM throws in a reward when he thinks the players have done well and deserve to be rewarded - and it makes sense at the time, of course. By having several rewards scattered about a situation, the DM has a lot to work with and can customize on the fly based on what happens in the situation itself.

Does that clear it up?

 

[Ry]

Now that I've done two layers of Tars around the Master, I'm happy to do another layer around any element posted above. Would someone oblige me and choose one? Doesn't have to be a Tar (PTRR), it can be anything I posted above.

 

[Kunimatyu]

Now that I've done two layers of Tars around the Master, I'm happy to do another layer around any element posted above. Would someone oblige me and choose one? Doesn't have to be a Tar (PTRR), it can be anything I posted above.

Reward: Yagka carries a fine silver sword, obviously stolen, with the mark of a southern noble family on the hilt. A Knowledge (nobility) check of 15 or higher can identify it as the noble house of Unsbrad, who are an old but politically weak house in the south.

 

[Imaro]

That depends on your PCs, really. When I think of the Javeed encounter (please intervene) I think of it as a request from an NPC that the PCs already like. If you're stuck for such a character / the PCs are brand new, one great way to do that is to let the PCs, before the start of the game, make up one contact each in Iova's Tryst. Then pick the most appropriate of those characters.

As for the assassination - the PCs see what's going to happen, and if they don't act, they have to live with the fact that they let someone die based on mere dislike. That wouldn't sit well with my players, but your mileage may vary. Standing back while something evil happens to someone you don't like is a bad thing, and a magistrate summoning them or giving them a curfew order because of their suspected involvement would definitely dampen the PCs' spirits. So yes, it's a moral dilemma, and that doesn't work for every group.



Resources and rewards, like problems and threats, are all generally items in a Tars-method DM's bag of tricks. Say your players are floundering for an information source - you might have a resource that you could introduce for them when the story starts to drag. Alternatively, you might throw in a resource to emphasize a certain element - for example, PCs get very attached to NPCs that give them good deals.

Rewards don't need to be related 1:1 to problems or threats, although they can be. Sometimes the only reward for defeating a threat is ridding the world of a dangerous monster - heck, sometimes defeating a threat can get you into even more trouble. A DM throws in a reward when he thinks the players have done well and deserve to be rewarded - and it makes sense at the time, of course. By having several rewards scattered about a situation, the DM has a lot to work with and can customize on the fly based on what happens in the situation itself.

Does that clear it up?

Yes, and thanks for taking the time to explain it. I like this, even though you and I haven't always seen eye to eye in encounter design theory. Will definitely be following along as you do this...Here's one for you.

Bertram Kang(NPC/monster): The leader of a druidic council who has, unknown to his followers or himself, been infected with lycanthropy(wererat).

 

[Ry]

Cool cool

I'll do 4 for Bertram Kang and 4 revolving around what Kuni selected tonight.

 

[Ry]

Reward: Yagka carries a fine silver sword, obviously stolen, with the mark of a southern noble family on the hilt. A Knowledge (nobility) check of 15 or higher can identify it as the noble house of Unsbrad, who are an old but politically weak house in the south.

Problem: As they attempt to enter the city of Casta, the PCs are reminded that carried weapons are not allowed inside the city without an expensive permit that requires a noble house's sponsorship. Guards offer to place the PCs' weapons in a lockup. If the silver sword is placed in lockup it is promptly stolen, but the guards are blameless - a sewer-dwelling wererat has secretly found a way into the lockup, and carefully replaces and mends the mortar between the stones he must remove to enter the lockup at night. He has been stealing items very slowly so as to make trouble for the city guards, who have chased him on several occasions.

Threat: Yagka's brother, Yupz, is a necromancer gnoll who killed Rorgen Unsbrad, owner of the sword. Yupz used the sword to keep track of where his brother was, and retrieves his brother's bones as soon as possible. Yupz, after reanimating his brother's corpse as a gnollish ghoul (advance a ghoul slightly) he swears a blood oath of vengeance against the PCs. Yupz is accompanied at all times by two undead dire wolves, a few ghouls of various original races, and Yagka revived as a ghoul (up a ghoul's armor and raise all stats by 4). When he ambushes the PCs he uses scrolls and especially darkness effects liberally; these scrolls take the form of chiseled wood panels embedded in his undead brother's flesh.

Resource: If the players manage to return the sword to a member of the Unsbrad family, they are unable to provide any monetary reward but the family is happy to furnish the players with letters of introduction. Although they are not powerful, the Unsbrad family is well respected and prolific - they have many cousins and friends throughout several lands who could be basic friendly contacts for the PCs as they travel. If the players demand monetary reward the family can scrape together 200 gold but will not provide the letters of introduction. The Unsbrad's network of contacts eventually hears of the PCs, and considers them scavengers not to be trusted.

Reward: In a tavern sometime later, a large, burly man with an unsavory look and a scarred face bellows "I KNOW THAT SWORD!" He proceeds to menace the PCs, and asks "Hey, where'd you get that sword?" If the PCs answer truthfully (that they killed a gnoll), the man's eyes water up, his mouth quivers for a moment, then he bursts into tears and hugs the nearest PC. He then buys the entire party several rounds. The man is Wappander, a former companion of Sir Rorgan Unsbrad, killed in a gnoll raid. Wappander despaired that the sword would ever be found, and had searched far and wide for it before giving up the chase. Wappander is a 5th-level fighter with an 18 Strength, and he can introduce the PCs to Inargrid Unsbrad, Rorgan's widow, who is coming to Casta to retrieve her husband's remains.

 

[Ry]

Bertram Kang(NPC/monster): The leader of a druidic council who has, unknown to his followers or himself, been infected with lycanthropy(wererat).

I haven't figured out a whole plot for Bertram but here's the promised Tars:

Problem: The farmers of the nearby villages have reported several animal attacks recently; in one case an old farmer was killed at night by what must have been wolves (actually dire rats). The druids are trying to prevent conflict between themselves and the farmers (who are only vaguely aware of the circle's presence in the area), but if the farmers organize a posse it quickly will become a mob and will likely target the druids as enemies.

Threat: If the players track down Bertram as a wererat, they are set upon by three wererats who deliberately infected him to try to turn him towards their sinister nature god. These three wererats are their own druidic circle that has many savage animals at their disposal.

Resource: Bertram Kang (Druid 6) is willing to offer healing and his skills as a herbalist to the PCs if they aid his circle, although they notice his unkempt appearance right away. Although friendly and helpful, he has large bags under his wizened eyes, and he's more than a little dirty. A younger druid explains that he has been under a great deal of strain lately.

Reward: Bertram, if cured, lets the PCs in on his secret recipe: A potion of gainful rest. This potion, if poured onto grass under moonlight, creates a soft bed of grass that allows one humanoid to gain the benefits of three nights of sleep in a single night. He furnishes the PCs with his last 3 bottles, but does not have the requisite components to brew more at this time (an element called golden dew is required, which only forms on sources of sap turning to amber in special circumstances).

 

[Ry]

OK, could someone please pick one more element (again, could be a Tar, could be any noun really) from anything posted above?

 

[Gold Roger]

Yupz, I choose you.

Threat: Yagka's brother, Yupz, is a necromancer gnoll who killed Rorgen Unsbrad, owner of the sword. Yupz used the sword to keep track of where his brother was, and retrieves his brother's bones as soon as possible. Yupz, after reanimating his brother's corpse as a gnollish ghoul (advance a ghoul slightly) he swears a blood oath of vengeance against the PCs. Yupz is accompanied at all times by two undead dire wolves, a few ghouls of various original races, and Yagka revived as a ghoul (up a ghoul's armor and raise all stats by 4). When he ambushes the PCs he uses scrolls and especially darkness effects liberally; these scrolls take the form of chiseled wood panels embedded in his undead brother's flesh.