iserith
Magic Wordsmith
There was a recent thread on expedition-based adventuring and I've been wanting to put together some exploration and social interaction challenges on par with the scenarios I sometimes post on enworld for discussion.
So I'm posting the 3rd-level scenario below to start a discussion on how to prepare interesting exploration and social interaction challenges for your players. In this scenario, the characters are brought out to an expedition already in progress that hasn't gone well for a rival adventuring group. The challenge is to gather information, improve NPC attitudes, and gain valuable advantages ahead of going delving into a dangerous dungeon. In some cases, there are references to context that may not be clear, so feel free to ask me about those or just ignore them. (I'm also using Lore and Time as abstract resources which is a subject for another thread. There will be some mention of this below. Basically it's a way to create some incentives for particular activities like exploration with trade-offs in the form of time. The more time resource your spend, the more difficult the scenario becomes.)
How would your players engage with this scenario? What would you change as DM?
What are some examples of exploration and social interaction challenges you have used in your game?
What makes for a good challenge of this sort in your view?
Expedition Base Camp
Situation
The Scholasticate has hastily assembled an expedition team to explore the recently exposed ruins of the step pyramid and some ancillary structures on the coast, placing two of their agents in charge of the operation and a handful of hirelings in a support role. Two teams of adventurers have been called in to do the heavy-lifting - the Wild Hammers, who are resting after their first foray, and the player characters. Encourage the players to come up with a name for their adventuring group before describing the base camp.
Time is short. The ruins that were exposed by a recent earthquake are slowly sinking into the sea. In this scene, the players characters meet their contacts, rivals, and hirelings, gather information, and can gain advantages before heading into the ruins.
The journey to the coast ends at an encampment on the bluffs over the sea. In the distance, an ancient storied step pyramid juts above the surging water line, half-submerged. A sailing ship plies the water nearby. Members of the Scholasticate, a network of passionate scholars, have sought the adventurers’ aid in a last ditch effort to plumb the secrets of this ruin before it’s reclaimed by the waves.
Describe each group as the PCs explore the base camp.
Contacts
Ahead, the Scholasticate contacts await: A lounging half-elf trying in vain to tune an impossibly ancient lute, and an older human woman in plain, drab robes rigidly reading from a holy text. The bard, Falsetto, waves while Sister Gertrude Stern offers only a quick nod.
Sister Gertrude Stern is a neutral good priest with a reverence for knowledge. She provides the PCs with information from the Adventure Background, and disappointedly explains that the Wild Hammers have failed to recover any relics or lore from the ruins and time is running out - the ruins are sinking into the sea. Sister Gertrude will cast her available spells on members of the Scholasticate for free, but all others must donate 25 gp.
Falsetto is a neutral spy ostensibly employed by the Scholasticate but spying for the Keepers of Forbidden Lore. He explains the pay scheme: For each discovered lore or relic, the Scholasticate will pay 100 gp. If any PCs are allied with the Keepers of Forbidden Lore, he takes them aside and offers, in lieu of the gold, a chime of opening with three uses remaining if they discreetly deliver him five relics or lore. Falsetto underscores that time is of the essence.
Both Sister Gertrude and Falsetto direct the characters to an entrance to the ruins, easily accessible by a sandbar.
Hirelings
A clutch of wagons, draft animals, and skilled laborers have set up a makeshift work area. There's a gnome miner pondering over a map, a dwarf smith stoking a small forge dug into the sand, a human carpenter at work on some coffins, and a halfling cook and brewer serving up warm beer and hot bread to the battered mercenaries.They're skilled enough to be helpful, but they don't look like they can handle any trouble.
These workers are neutral skilled commoners. They will not fight but they sell their services, armor, weapons, adventuring gear and tools at standard prices. They all have expertise in a particular skill and tool and are indifferent to the PCs unless otherwise noted. Each hireling takes the opportunity to introduce themselves, if the PCs don't approach them first. For each hireling made friendly, the PCs earn 50 XP.
The mountain dwarf smith, Ingot Firebrand, recommends piercing weapons for underwater adventuring. Ingot’s short temper and deficient hearing cause her to take offense too easily, becoming hostile and doubling her prices, unless placated.
Fidget Depthfinder, a twitchy rock gnome miner and amateur cartographer, has an accurate map of the caves beneath the bluffs. Exploring the caves with the map takes no time, but he charges 5 gp to accompany the PCs. Additionally, Fidget offers a figurine of wondrous power (silver raven) in exchange for a detailed map of the ruins. Drawing a detailed map while exploring the complex requires focus and distracts the cartographer.
The carpenter, Wes Handy, is an upbeat craftsman who whistles happy tunes. He is chiefly on the expedition to make and break camp, support unstable structures, repair vehicles, and craft coffins for unsuccessful adventurers. Wes is very friendly and slow to anger.
G. Golly Willikers is a lightfoot halfling cook, brewer and clandestine informant for the Keepers of Forbidden Lore. Golly overheard the Wild Hammers discussing their setbacks, plans to explore the caves, and their discovery of a potential undersea entrance to the ruins. Golly will very discreetly trade this information for lore or relics discovered later, but may poison (or worse) characters who renege on the deal.
Rivals
Around a large fire pit, a group of morose mercenaries sulks, binding wounds and muttering darkly into mugs of beer. The body of one of their number lays on a wooden table dead, but apparently uninjured. They've clearly run afoul of the hazards in the sinking ruin which is likely why additional help was needed. They may have insights into what lurks within but their irritation at the arrival of potential competition is plain.
If the PCs interact with the Wild Hammers, proceed to “Dealing with the Wild Hammers” challenge.
Dealing With the Wild Hammers
Easy - 300 XP
Situation
The Wild Hammers are a group of mercenaries of little renown but some valor. The mercenaries are hostile toward the PCs whom they see as rivals, but not violent. They are taking a long rest following their recent setbacks, and will not venture further until they've recovered.
Their leader is Hammerin’ Jack Wallop. Every one of his scars tells a story few care to hear and his jaw is as hard as his maul. Jack’s a capable leader and his word is law, so he does the talking for those under his command.
Social Interaction
When the PCs approach, Jack is toasting their fallen comrade.
Raising a tankard of ale, the mercenary leader honors the dead man on the table. “Go on, Butch, to the other side knowing you died among friends - and rest assured we’ll skin that beast by day’s end.” The battered warriors raise a halfhearted cheer as they drink deep together. “And here’s to Hellcat Mary - we’ll come back for you and see you buried right.” But this toast is met with silence.
Outwardly confident, Jack worries that morale is too low to rally the Wild Hammers for another delve. Characters who study his demeanor might discern this with a successful DC 10 Wisdom check. Acting on this knowledge at an opportune moment grants the PCs advantage on a subsequent Charisma check when dealing with Jack or the Wild Hammers.
Before he’ll share any information with the PCs, Jack demands to know who they are and what deeds they have to their names. A tale of boldness and daring and a DC 10 Charisma check might impress the mercenaries. Honoring the dead mercenary, buying drinks, or tending to the wounded grants advantage on the check. Failure results in derisive laughter and a curt suggestion that they find some other ruins in which to die: Jack won't say anything more (but G. Golly Willikers might approach them).
If the Wild Hammers are impressed, Jack describes Butch’s death in a maze-like chamber where a huge jaguar comes from nowhere to kill. (He’s unaware the jaguar is a phantasm.) Jack demands to know how they’d confront such a deadly peril. A reasonable plan and a DC 15 Charisma check satisfies him and improves their attitudes from hostile to indifferent. Failure is met with skepticism and criticism, but the interaction continues.
Now Jack warns of the danger that got Hellcat Mary - a chamber of whirling flails that chewed up their company and spat them out. The mercenaries all grumble and mutter at the tale. Characters who listen closely might, on a DC 10 Wisdom check, overhear some of the Wild Hammers whispering their belief that Hellcat Mary is still alive. A solid plan to pass this hazard and a DC 15 Charisma check will impress them and improve their attitude from hostile to indifferent or indifferent to friendly. Offering to rescue Hellcat Mary or recover her body grants advantage to the check.
If the mercenaries’ attitude has become friendly, the PCs earn 300 XP and the Wild Hammers share their plans to explore the caves beneath the bluffs after their long rest. They also reveal another way into the complex via an undersea aperture they found by free-diving from their sailing ship, The Hammerhead, anchored off the coast. They will allow the PCs to make use of a diving bell on the ship. If the Wild Hammers remain hostile after this interaction, they share no information, nor offer the use of their ship, and the PCs may have trouble upon exiting the ruins.
Combat
Hammerin’ Jack Wallop is a neutral human veteran who wields a maul. Most of the seven Wild Hammers are neutral bandits of various races, but one is a neutral evil human scout named Picket. While hostile to their rivals, the mercenaries aren’t looking to fight the PCs. They will, however, defend themselves if attacked. Picket is trying to sour the mercenaries’ attitude toward their leader and will turn on Jack if given the chance. The contacts and hirelings try to break up any fight that breaks out as best they can.
Exploration
The body of the dead mercenary, Butch Uprise, shows no visible injuries and a DC 10 Wisdom check reveals that he died of fright. Accounting for this peril grants advantage on the Charisma check when revealed at an opportune moment during the interaction.
So I'm posting the 3rd-level scenario below to start a discussion on how to prepare interesting exploration and social interaction challenges for your players. In this scenario, the characters are brought out to an expedition already in progress that hasn't gone well for a rival adventuring group. The challenge is to gather information, improve NPC attitudes, and gain valuable advantages ahead of going delving into a dangerous dungeon. In some cases, there are references to context that may not be clear, so feel free to ask me about those or just ignore them. (I'm also using Lore and Time as abstract resources which is a subject for another thread. There will be some mention of this below. Basically it's a way to create some incentives for particular activities like exploration with trade-offs in the form of time. The more time resource your spend, the more difficult the scenario becomes.)
How would your players engage with this scenario? What would you change as DM?
What are some examples of exploration and social interaction challenges you have used in your game?
What makes for a good challenge of this sort in your view?
Expedition Base Camp
Situation
The Scholasticate has hastily assembled an expedition team to explore the recently exposed ruins of the step pyramid and some ancillary structures on the coast, placing two of their agents in charge of the operation and a handful of hirelings in a support role. Two teams of adventurers have been called in to do the heavy-lifting - the Wild Hammers, who are resting after their first foray, and the player characters. Encourage the players to come up with a name for their adventuring group before describing the base camp.
Time is short. The ruins that were exposed by a recent earthquake are slowly sinking into the sea. In this scene, the players characters meet their contacts, rivals, and hirelings, gather information, and can gain advantages before heading into the ruins.
The journey to the coast ends at an encampment on the bluffs over the sea. In the distance, an ancient storied step pyramid juts above the surging water line, half-submerged. A sailing ship plies the water nearby. Members of the Scholasticate, a network of passionate scholars, have sought the adventurers’ aid in a last ditch effort to plumb the secrets of this ruin before it’s reclaimed by the waves.
Describe each group as the PCs explore the base camp.
Contacts
Ahead, the Scholasticate contacts await: A lounging half-elf trying in vain to tune an impossibly ancient lute, and an older human woman in plain, drab robes rigidly reading from a holy text. The bard, Falsetto, waves while Sister Gertrude Stern offers only a quick nod.
Sister Gertrude Stern is a neutral good priest with a reverence for knowledge. She provides the PCs with information from the Adventure Background, and disappointedly explains that the Wild Hammers have failed to recover any relics or lore from the ruins and time is running out - the ruins are sinking into the sea. Sister Gertrude will cast her available spells on members of the Scholasticate for free, but all others must donate 25 gp.
Falsetto is a neutral spy ostensibly employed by the Scholasticate but spying for the Keepers of Forbidden Lore. He explains the pay scheme: For each discovered lore or relic, the Scholasticate will pay 100 gp. If any PCs are allied with the Keepers of Forbidden Lore, he takes them aside and offers, in lieu of the gold, a chime of opening with three uses remaining if they discreetly deliver him five relics or lore. Falsetto underscores that time is of the essence.
Both Sister Gertrude and Falsetto direct the characters to an entrance to the ruins, easily accessible by a sandbar.
Hirelings
A clutch of wagons, draft animals, and skilled laborers have set up a makeshift work area. There's a gnome miner pondering over a map, a dwarf smith stoking a small forge dug into the sand, a human carpenter at work on some coffins, and a halfling cook and brewer serving up warm beer and hot bread to the battered mercenaries.They're skilled enough to be helpful, but they don't look like they can handle any trouble.
These workers are neutral skilled commoners. They will not fight but they sell their services, armor, weapons, adventuring gear and tools at standard prices. They all have expertise in a particular skill and tool and are indifferent to the PCs unless otherwise noted. Each hireling takes the opportunity to introduce themselves, if the PCs don't approach them first. For each hireling made friendly, the PCs earn 50 XP.
The mountain dwarf smith, Ingot Firebrand, recommends piercing weapons for underwater adventuring. Ingot’s short temper and deficient hearing cause her to take offense too easily, becoming hostile and doubling her prices, unless placated.
Fidget Depthfinder, a twitchy rock gnome miner and amateur cartographer, has an accurate map of the caves beneath the bluffs. Exploring the caves with the map takes no time, but he charges 5 gp to accompany the PCs. Additionally, Fidget offers a figurine of wondrous power (silver raven) in exchange for a detailed map of the ruins. Drawing a detailed map while exploring the complex requires focus and distracts the cartographer.
The carpenter, Wes Handy, is an upbeat craftsman who whistles happy tunes. He is chiefly on the expedition to make and break camp, support unstable structures, repair vehicles, and craft coffins for unsuccessful adventurers. Wes is very friendly and slow to anger.
G. Golly Willikers is a lightfoot halfling cook, brewer and clandestine informant for the Keepers of Forbidden Lore. Golly overheard the Wild Hammers discussing their setbacks, plans to explore the caves, and their discovery of a potential undersea entrance to the ruins. Golly will very discreetly trade this information for lore or relics discovered later, but may poison (or worse) characters who renege on the deal.
Rivals
Around a large fire pit, a group of morose mercenaries sulks, binding wounds and muttering darkly into mugs of beer. The body of one of their number lays on a wooden table dead, but apparently uninjured. They've clearly run afoul of the hazards in the sinking ruin which is likely why additional help was needed. They may have insights into what lurks within but their irritation at the arrival of potential competition is plain.
If the PCs interact with the Wild Hammers, proceed to “Dealing with the Wild Hammers” challenge.
Dealing With the Wild Hammers
Easy - 300 XP
Situation
The Wild Hammers are a group of mercenaries of little renown but some valor. The mercenaries are hostile toward the PCs whom they see as rivals, but not violent. They are taking a long rest following their recent setbacks, and will not venture further until they've recovered.
Their leader is Hammerin’ Jack Wallop. Every one of his scars tells a story few care to hear and his jaw is as hard as his maul. Jack’s a capable leader and his word is law, so he does the talking for those under his command.
Social Interaction
When the PCs approach, Jack is toasting their fallen comrade.
Raising a tankard of ale, the mercenary leader honors the dead man on the table. “Go on, Butch, to the other side knowing you died among friends - and rest assured we’ll skin that beast by day’s end.” The battered warriors raise a halfhearted cheer as they drink deep together. “And here’s to Hellcat Mary - we’ll come back for you and see you buried right.” But this toast is met with silence.
Outwardly confident, Jack worries that morale is too low to rally the Wild Hammers for another delve. Characters who study his demeanor might discern this with a successful DC 10 Wisdom check. Acting on this knowledge at an opportune moment grants the PCs advantage on a subsequent Charisma check when dealing with Jack or the Wild Hammers.
Before he’ll share any information with the PCs, Jack demands to know who they are and what deeds they have to their names. A tale of boldness and daring and a DC 10 Charisma check might impress the mercenaries. Honoring the dead mercenary, buying drinks, or tending to the wounded grants advantage on the check. Failure results in derisive laughter and a curt suggestion that they find some other ruins in which to die: Jack won't say anything more (but G. Golly Willikers might approach them).
If the Wild Hammers are impressed, Jack describes Butch’s death in a maze-like chamber where a huge jaguar comes from nowhere to kill. (He’s unaware the jaguar is a phantasm.) Jack demands to know how they’d confront such a deadly peril. A reasonable plan and a DC 15 Charisma check satisfies him and improves their attitudes from hostile to indifferent. Failure is met with skepticism and criticism, but the interaction continues.
Now Jack warns of the danger that got Hellcat Mary - a chamber of whirling flails that chewed up their company and spat them out. The mercenaries all grumble and mutter at the tale. Characters who listen closely might, on a DC 10 Wisdom check, overhear some of the Wild Hammers whispering their belief that Hellcat Mary is still alive. A solid plan to pass this hazard and a DC 15 Charisma check will impress them and improve their attitude from hostile to indifferent or indifferent to friendly. Offering to rescue Hellcat Mary or recover her body grants advantage to the check.
If the mercenaries’ attitude has become friendly, the PCs earn 300 XP and the Wild Hammers share their plans to explore the caves beneath the bluffs after their long rest. They also reveal another way into the complex via an undersea aperture they found by free-diving from their sailing ship, The Hammerhead, anchored off the coast. They will allow the PCs to make use of a diving bell on the ship. If the Wild Hammers remain hostile after this interaction, they share no information, nor offer the use of their ship, and the PCs may have trouble upon exiting the ruins.
Combat
Hammerin’ Jack Wallop is a neutral human veteran who wields a maul. Most of the seven Wild Hammers are neutral bandits of various races, but one is a neutral evil human scout named Picket. While hostile to their rivals, the mercenaries aren’t looking to fight the PCs. They will, however, defend themselves if attacked. Picket is trying to sour the mercenaries’ attitude toward their leader and will turn on Jack if given the chance. The contacts and hirelings try to break up any fight that breaks out as best they can.
Exploration
The body of the dead mercenary, Butch Uprise, shows no visible injuries and a DC 10 Wisdom check reveals that he died of fright. Accounting for this peril grants advantage on the Charisma check when revealed at an opportune moment during the interaction.
