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Getting to 6 encounters in a day
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<blockquote data-quote="Dan Chernozub" data-source="post: 7489010" data-attributes="member: 6899046"><p>Thanks for letting me know someone have actually read this<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Let me unswer your question to the best of my ability</p><p></p><p></p><p>I choose to kindly disagree. </p><p>First of all, if I understand correctly what you mean by it, obviously the game is not an uncaring sandbox, it is still a stroy where the PCs are the main characters, shaping its course and their actions defining the outcome.</p><p></p><p>But getting to your point. With my approach, PCs can not focus exclusively on one plotline (conflict/enemy/whateverthename) to the exclusion of everything else. They can embark on a quest to get the Island rid of the Hag, but they won’t be able to go through with it without running into the elements of other conflicts. Even if they hunt her singlemindedly - they will run into Legion patrols, they’ll be harassed by the peryton, they will want to return to the base of operations and some stuff will be happening there etc.</p><p></p><p>It is not like they are choosing from railroads A, B, C on day 1 and when emerge a few weeks later out of the vacuum to see there it has gotten them. We’ll get into the “information and decision making part” a bit later. The processes are interconnected enough to keep the PCs under constant pressure of making decisions regarding their time management and priorities.</p><p></p><p>Ex. After pinpointing the location of peryton nests, the PCs can clear themselves out themselves (+XP, close to zero loot, a couple of days of climbing up and down the rocks, some risk) or they can, relations permitting, report the location to the Legion. They are troubled enough by the birds to take the intel and through enough goblinoids at the nests to get rid of the problem (no gains, little time spent, Legion will suffer some casualties) or they can come up with another solution.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>First, none of the hooks at day 1 is a clearly defined problem that PCs can “choose to focus”. Their initial goal is always “get more information”. What they have at the start is just enough to warrant an arguable discussion on how and where to proceed first. As they go, they pick up fights and clues and meet new people. When they get more information they re-asess their priorities. They do something - get more info - repeat. As the story goes more information comes in a form of feedback - results of their actions - so they get even more brainfood.</p><p></p><p>But to answer your question - it depends on the problem. Perrytons can be fixed in one go. Larger Figures - not so much. Also note that not everyone is neccessary an enemy - every intelligent being can be negotiated with. In some cases, like with Hag, it won’t ever end well, but thats another story. (She starts by introducing herself as a benevolent forest spirit outraged by the vile devastation laid to her land by evildoers.)</p><p></p><p>Regarding level appropriatness. No, not everythin is level-appropriate at day 1.</p><p>Undead Castle is a good challenge at level 7. No way they are getting in too early. However, there is enough forewarning that if you do try to storm it too early - you deserve what you get. One party of mine tried going in this direction from the start - an encounter with roaming pair of ghouls had sent the message clearly. It is not like this area is completely useless to them - there is an outlying crypt mini-dungeon that can be cleared for sweet loot and some clues. It is also geographically close to Perryton mountains (and the Giant Keep). </p><p>Its power won’t grow significantly.</p><p></p><p>Giant Keep, on the other hand, is a moderate challenge on level 5, can be done by a determined group of level 3. It is never completely level unpropriate as it is basically impossible to get there without getting to level 3. Its power also won’t ever grow. However, if PCs decide not to go/don’t find it at all, it can be ransacked by someone else leading to one of the two outcomes: a) its an empty shell with nothing to it, b) it is now run by the very BBEG and is sporting duergar and salamanders as guards, not dwarf skeletons.</p><p></p><p>Some encounters are obviously combat-wise level inappropriate but can be negotiated/outsmarted. PCs can meet a dozen+ goblins on a scouting mission on a first week. Open fight won’t do. But you can talk, you can walk away, you can wait till they split. Or as one of my groups did, you can wait till they make a night camp and strom in as a crazed bunch of mass-murderers risking their lives for goblin loot and sheer enjoyment of slaughter.</p><p></p><p>Some minor instances don’t level up (ex. aforementioned crypt in the lands of the dead). They are just ain’t important to bother with. I either just scrap them completely if there is nothing to be gained from them, or you can give the PCs some target practice if it will make them feel good.</p><p></p><p>With those who do “level up” I mostly have the opposite problem - how come they are still manageble after the PCs have screwed up a few to many times. Once again - it is usually not just the clock ticking but some actions that the players took are decided not to take that “causes” growth.</p><p></p><p>I am totaly fine with making a final fight with a bloodied and stripped of resources cornered BBEG a cakewalk to the PCs after they’ve spent time and energy stripping him of resources, bloodying him and getting him into the corner. Devising counterbalances for the Figure not to get out of hand strong is trickier. And sometimes I just let it run amock with PC goals quickly switching to survival mode.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>As I read it, may be I am wrong, you are not using the venturing into the unknown as a source of information enough. Encounters are themselves are what the players pay the most attention to. They see - they act. They fight the patrol and one gobbo runs away - this get them thinking. Where is he running to? Does he have more friends? He certainly does. We travel the place of battle again a few days later - all the hearts have been plucked out - who did it? A week later peryton attacks intensify alarmingly. Could this be connected? </p><p></p><p>Also useful - interrogations of captives, base of operations/pcs themselves coming under attack (not necessary lethal). </p><p></p><p>In other words - the growing threat is not growing somewhere beyound the horizon, it is interacting with the PCs as it grows in more and more alarming ways. This should incentivise them. Knowledgeble npcs and documents are better used for giving the clues on how to solve the problem, not “why even bother” with the problem.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Natural disasters provide situational challenges, flavor etc. not effect the plot dramatically (unless it was a doomsday device with a clock on it - but this is something they could and should have done something about).</p><p>Powerful Figures obviously should take actions that significantly effect the PCs, but they shouldn’t be so powerful that PC can't do anything to influence them.</p><p></p><p></p><p> I hope this helps. On some points, I guess, you might want to go into more detailed examples to illustrate your take on the situation. I am particulary interested in how you run into trouble of challenges being unable to keep up with the pcs.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dan Chernozub, post: 7489010, member: 6899046"] Thanks for letting me know someone have actually read this:) Let me unswer your question to the best of my ability I choose to kindly disagree. First of all, if I understand correctly what you mean by it, obviously the game is not an uncaring sandbox, it is still a stroy where the PCs are the main characters, shaping its course and their actions defining the outcome. But getting to your point. With my approach, PCs can not focus exclusively on one plotline (conflict/enemy/whateverthename) to the exclusion of everything else. They can embark on a quest to get the Island rid of the Hag, but they won’t be able to go through with it without running into the elements of other conflicts. Even if they hunt her singlemindedly - they will run into Legion patrols, they’ll be harassed by the peryton, they will want to return to the base of operations and some stuff will be happening there etc. It is not like they are choosing from railroads A, B, C on day 1 and when emerge a few weeks later out of the vacuum to see there it has gotten them. We’ll get into the “information and decision making part” a bit later. The processes are interconnected enough to keep the PCs under constant pressure of making decisions regarding their time management and priorities. Ex. After pinpointing the location of peryton nests, the PCs can clear themselves out themselves (+XP, close to zero loot, a couple of days of climbing up and down the rocks, some risk) or they can, relations permitting, report the location to the Legion. They are troubled enough by the birds to take the intel and through enough goblinoids at the nests to get rid of the problem (no gains, little time spent, Legion will suffer some casualties) or they can come up with another solution. First, none of the hooks at day 1 is a clearly defined problem that PCs can “choose to focus”. Their initial goal is always “get more information”. What they have at the start is just enough to warrant an arguable discussion on how and where to proceed first. As they go, they pick up fights and clues and meet new people. When they get more information they re-asess their priorities. They do something - get more info - repeat. As the story goes more information comes in a form of feedback - results of their actions - so they get even more brainfood. But to answer your question - it depends on the problem. Perrytons can be fixed in one go. Larger Figures - not so much. Also note that not everyone is neccessary an enemy - every intelligent being can be negotiated with. In some cases, like with Hag, it won’t ever end well, but thats another story. (She starts by introducing herself as a benevolent forest spirit outraged by the vile devastation laid to her land by evildoers.) Regarding level appropriatness. No, not everythin is level-appropriate at day 1. Undead Castle is a good challenge at level 7. No way they are getting in too early. However, there is enough forewarning that if you do try to storm it too early - you deserve what you get. One party of mine tried going in this direction from the start - an encounter with roaming pair of ghouls had sent the message clearly. It is not like this area is completely useless to them - there is an outlying crypt mini-dungeon that can be cleared for sweet loot and some clues. It is also geographically close to Perryton mountains (and the Giant Keep). Its power won’t grow significantly. Giant Keep, on the other hand, is a moderate challenge on level 5, can be done by a determined group of level 3. It is never completely level unpropriate as it is basically impossible to get there without getting to level 3. Its power also won’t ever grow. However, if PCs decide not to go/don’t find it at all, it can be ransacked by someone else leading to one of the two outcomes: a) its an empty shell with nothing to it, b) it is now run by the very BBEG and is sporting duergar and salamanders as guards, not dwarf skeletons. Some encounters are obviously combat-wise level inappropriate but can be negotiated/outsmarted. PCs can meet a dozen+ goblins on a scouting mission on a first week. Open fight won’t do. But you can talk, you can walk away, you can wait till they split. Or as one of my groups did, you can wait till they make a night camp and strom in as a crazed bunch of mass-murderers risking their lives for goblin loot and sheer enjoyment of slaughter. Some minor instances don’t level up (ex. aforementioned crypt in the lands of the dead). They are just ain’t important to bother with. I either just scrap them completely if there is nothing to be gained from them, or you can give the PCs some target practice if it will make them feel good. With those who do “level up” I mostly have the opposite problem - how come they are still manageble after the PCs have screwed up a few to many times. Once again - it is usually not just the clock ticking but some actions that the players took are decided not to take that “causes” growth. I am totaly fine with making a final fight with a bloodied and stripped of resources cornered BBEG a cakewalk to the PCs after they’ve spent time and energy stripping him of resources, bloodying him and getting him into the corner. Devising counterbalances for the Figure not to get out of hand strong is trickier. And sometimes I just let it run amock with PC goals quickly switching to survival mode. As I read it, may be I am wrong, you are not using the venturing into the unknown as a source of information enough. Encounters are themselves are what the players pay the most attention to. They see - they act. They fight the patrol and one gobbo runs away - this get them thinking. Where is he running to? Does he have more friends? He certainly does. We travel the place of battle again a few days later - all the hearts have been plucked out - who did it? A week later peryton attacks intensify alarmingly. Could this be connected? Also useful - interrogations of captives, base of operations/pcs themselves coming under attack (not necessary lethal). In other words - the growing threat is not growing somewhere beyound the horizon, it is interacting with the PCs as it grows in more and more alarming ways. This should incentivise them. Knowledgeble npcs and documents are better used for giving the clues on how to solve the problem, not “why even bother” with the problem. Natural disasters provide situational challenges, flavor etc. not effect the plot dramatically (unless it was a doomsday device with a clock on it - but this is something they could and should have done something about). Powerful Figures obviously should take actions that significantly effect the PCs, but they shouldn’t be so powerful that PC can't do anything to influence them. I hope this helps. On some points, I guess, you might want to go into more detailed examples to illustrate your take on the situation. I am particulary interested in how you run into trouble of challenges being unable to keep up with the pcs. [/QUOTE]
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