D&D 5E Exploration and Social Interaction Challenges Discussion

[Psikerlord#]

This looks like a great adventure intro to me. My group would jump in and start talking to the various folks, looking for clues to what's ahead, and any cool gear that might be available. The only thing I would change about this scenario as DM would be to shorten it a lot - much less prep than this - just dot points of info or items to be gained, names list, maybe a couple of quirks for NPCs.

Otherwise me likey a lot.

 

[Quickleaf]

Nice touches with the free diving cave entrance and diving bell The pirate in me is happy!

How would your players engage with this scenario?

Pick some pockets, make jokes at Falsetto's expense, and challenge the mercenaries to a drinking contest?

What would you change as DM?

I noticed you used a lot of if the players do Y, then they gain advantage on Charisma check Z. On the face that looks fine, until you look at the specific examples: You help the merc's wounded...then you make a Charisma check (with advantage cause you helped) but on a failure they still treat you with derisive laughter and tell you to go take a long walk off a short pier... ? What the hell?

As a DM, I would instead not even call for the Charisma check and just let the PC's actions influence the mercs on their own merit. Calling for the Charisma check seems superfluous and threatens to invalidate the players' sense of agency in the game world. After all...what consequences really happen if the PCs FAIL the Charisma check?

For example, I'd leave out the hostile/unfriendly/friendly language and imply that if the PCs tend to the merc's wounded that means they're potentially strengthening a rival party. This gives the decision actual gravitas/potency without needing a die roll to give it "false weight." (Hope that makes sense, I realize I have my own gaming parlance sometimes) So it becomes a question of: Do we trust these Wild Hammers enough to help them? OR Do our values of helping others apply even to potential rivals?

What are some examples of exploration and social interaction challenges you have used in your game?

I haven't been DMing lately, but last year I successfully ran a structured interrogation encounter in 5e (inspired by 4e's skill challenges) that played very well. Here it is: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?467592-Interrogation-skill-challenge-in-5e

What makes for a good challenge of this sort in your view?

I'd describe Dealing with the Wild Hammers as a negotiation encounter, since the stakes are about gaining info/resources/access from NPCs. IME such encounters benefit from a minimum of dice-rolling. Some dice-rolling is fine of course, but the main outcome of the negotiation should be based on decisions rather than dice.

 

[iserith]

I would connect successes/failures to events that happen in the pyramid.

Getting the clues from various NPCs help with checks for traps, etc.

I kind of do this, but perhaps in a less concrete way by tying success to greater information gleaned on at least two chambers in the dungeon, access to resources and paths, plus a reduction in time spent (an abstract resource in this scenario). Those will definitely matter, depending on how the PCs approach exploration. Nothing that necessarily gives a bonus to a roll though.

What other kinds of stuff would you include? (I realize of course you don't know what's in the step pyramid, so just general ideas.)

 

[iserith]

You're welcome.

Even though it's clear that Willikers is essentially sacrificable, I still don't get her personal motivation for poisoning anyone in terms of how it benefits her. It just seems too likely to get her killed and lose her out on potential future income, even if she's a great liar.

You may want to include the terms 'vindictive' 'irrational' or 'murderous' in her description to get her character across to the reader more clearly-most people don't usually poison others over a deal gone bad, even over a fair bit of lost capital.

I didn't. What made you assume this?

I'm aware.

What if I stated that Golly was neutral evil? (As opposed to neutral.) Would that convey the kind of person Golly is in so many words?

 

[iserith]

This looks like a great adventure intro to me. My group would jump in and start talking to the various folks, looking for clues to what's ahead, and any cool gear that might be available. The only thing I would change about this scenario as DM would be to shorten it a lot - much less prep than this - just dot points of info or items to be gained, names list, maybe a couple of quirks for NPCs.

Otherwise me likey a lot.

Thanks! As far as prep goes, I wouldn't prep this much either. It's different when you're writing something for other people to read on the forum. My scant notes wouldn't make much sense to anyone else!

 

[Syntallah]

I didn't. What made you assume this?
I'm aware.

Just a mental-click-assumption on my part. I mean, she's the cook, she can slip all sorts of stuff into your food. I just had a mental picture of her putting some horrible diarrhea-inducing paste in somebody's bowl of soup after they crossed her...

 

[NotActuallyTim]

What if I stated that Golly was neutral evil? (As opposed to neutral.) Would that convey the kind of person Golly is in so many words?

While that could work, I'm wary of using alignments to tell readers things. Too many different opinions on what they mean.

Just a mental-click-assumption on my part. I mean, she's the cook, she can slip all sorts of stuff into your food. I just had a mental picture of her putting some horrible diarrhea-inducing paste in somebody's bowl of soup after they crossed her...

That is one really negative opinion of cooks you have there.

 

[iserith]

Just a mental-click-assumption on my part. I mean, she's the cook, she can slip all sorts of stuff into your food. I just had a mental picture of her putting some horrible diarrhea-inducing paste in somebody's bowl of soup after they crossed her...

And inflicting a PC with the poisoned condition or exhaustion would be pretty bad in this scenario. Death might well follow in the depths of the ruins with disadvantage on all those ability checks.

While that could work, I'm wary of using alignments to tell readers things. Too many different opinions on what they mean.

True. In D&D 5e, neutral evil is "the alignment of those who do whatever they can get away with, without compassion or qualms." But folks do have their own ideas on what a given alignment can mean!

 

[bedir than]

I kind of do this, but perhaps in a less concrete way by tying success to greater information gleaned on at least two chambers in the dungeon, access to resources and paths, plus a reduction in time spent (an abstract resource in this scenario). Those will definitely matter, depending on how the PCs approach exploration. Nothing that necessarily gives a bonus to a roll though.

What other kinds of stuff would you include? (I realize of course you don't know what's in the step pyramid, so just general ideas.)

If there's a necessary, or mostly necessary, piece of equipment that would help at a specific moment in the pyramid, have one of the friendlies or neutrals, when made friendly, give them as a reward or thanks for conversing about X.

 

[Hriston]

I love the idea of giving XP for turning an indifferent NPC into a friend. Well done!