DM forced to spread attacks
- Thread starter Anditch
- Start date
I always try to run the critters appropriately as Grump says. They also don't always fight to the death (especially in urban settings). Your players also shouldn't be punished for thinking intelligently. (Yes they can easily wipe the boss monster if they think clearly and plan ahead.)
I'm currently running Smuggler's Shiv, and the party basically tromped about into Cannibal territory. They setting off traps, and did not make an attempt to hide their large number of tracks. (Or even the 'Mount' horse tracks.)
3 days later a largish hunting party stumbled upon them. It behaved poorly, since they didn't know what they were up against. (They usually find barely alive sailors, right?) With more or less evenly distributed attacks, they laid into the players.
The players did not react well (wake up, and cast protection spells, etc.) so they more or less got pasted but not killed. The 4 remaining cannibals fled.
3 days later the party set a trap at one of the trap sites for the cannibals. It didn't work, but the party was victorious anyhow. They managed to capture and question one cannibal and learn some stuff about the island. (They learned that the cannibals are afraid of the 'Red Mountain Devil' for instance.) Then the party let the cannibal go.
So my players decided go take out the 'Red Mountain Devil' because they thought it would be a good place to hide from the cannibals. I'm not going to go easy on them. The critter is likely to take out (as in drop off a cliff) the first thing it sees. I expect a teary near death experience. The rest of the party will do fine.
The party then plans to go after the cannibals....
The Cannibals are however now in full hunt and kill mode. They've lost 9 so far, and they don't like loosing. All the remaining cannibals are mobilized and moving as a group, with the spell caster (Witch) backing up the main group. They are likely to move in groups and try to grapple and tie up the party. They will also turn their Shiv Dragon (monitor lizard) loose on the players. This will be a brawl to the death. (The players have new tricks up their sleeves.... but the cannibals don't know that.)
If you look at what I'm saying, the critters respond in kind in their own ways. Even better is that the intelligent ones are learning and taking the game to a whole new new level.
Player decisions that affect the game world bring your game to a whole new level. Something your players will remember.
Good action is also memorable. I'm sure my fighter or ranger will remember being tossed off a cliff.
I'm currently running Smuggler's Shiv, and the party basically tromped about into Cannibal territory. They setting off traps, and did not make an attempt to hide their large number of tracks. (Or even the 'Mount' horse tracks.)
3 days later a largish hunting party stumbled upon them. It behaved poorly, since they didn't know what they were up against. (They usually find barely alive sailors, right?) With more or less evenly distributed attacks, they laid into the players.
The players did not react well (wake up, and cast protection spells, etc.) so they more or less got pasted but not killed. The 4 remaining cannibals fled.
3 days later the party set a trap at one of the trap sites for the cannibals. It didn't work, but the party was victorious anyhow. They managed to capture and question one cannibal and learn some stuff about the island. (They learned that the cannibals are afraid of the 'Red Mountain Devil' for instance.) Then the party let the cannibal go.
So my players decided go take out the 'Red Mountain Devil' because they thought it would be a good place to hide from the cannibals. I'm not going to go easy on them. The critter is likely to take out (as in drop off a cliff) the first thing it sees. I expect a teary near death experience. The rest of the party will do fine.
The party then plans to go after the cannibals....
The Cannibals are however now in full hunt and kill mode. They've lost 9 so far, and they don't like loosing. All the remaining cannibals are mobilized and moving as a group, with the spell caster (Witch) backing up the main group. They are likely to move in groups and try to grapple and tie up the party. They will also turn their Shiv Dragon (monitor lizard) loose on the players. This will be a brawl to the death. (The players have new tricks up their sleeves.... but the cannibals don't know that.)
If you look at what I'm saying, the critters respond in kind in their own ways. Even better is that the intelligent ones are learning and taking the game to a whole new new level.
Player decisions that affect the game world bring your game to a whole new level. Something your players will remember.
Good action is also memorable. I'm sure my fighter or ranger will remember being tossed off a cliff.
