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Help with some complex encounter design
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<blockquote data-quote="tyrlaan" data-source="post: 5950331" data-attributes="member: 20998"><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong>**Note: If you are in my game, Ascendancy of Darkness, please be a good sport and stay out. Don't spoil your fun **</strong></span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>In the campaign I'm running, the town in which the party is currently staying is about to get attacked on two fronts. One force will come from the docks, the other on the effective opposite side of town. In my mind's eye I want the encounter to play out something like this:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Assault from the water starts first; party goes to the docks and helps townsfolk defend/repel the attack</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Some subset of the attacking force gets through, party fights it</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">While that fight is going on, the party learns of the attack at the opposite side of town</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Some subset of the new attacking force gets through, party fights it</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Party goes to new battlefront to help townsfolk defend/repel second attack</li> </ul><p></p><p>Things I've worked out so far (but subject to change based on input!):</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I'm taking a lot of my ideas for the encounter from the D&D Boss Fight concepts found here: <a href="http://angrydm.com/2010/04/the-dd-boss-fight-part-1/;" target="_blank">http://angrydm.com/2010/04/the-dd-boss-fight-part-1/;</a> using an XP budget that pushes the limit for their current level (9), splitting it across the 2 combats and the presumably skill challengish bits</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The two clear combat bits are fleshed out, since really they're the easy part</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">My thought is that the skill challenge bits would produce harder/easier combat encounters based on party success/failure</li> </ul><p></p><p>Challenges I specifically need help with:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">How do I make sure urgency is ratcheted up when the attacks are on opposite sides of the city?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Similarly, is there a way that makes sense to have the second fight hit when the first is winding down? Can I do this without having to suggest half the town has been decimated already?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I want the town to survive (assuming PC success), so I need to balance the feeling of the threat with the plausibility of being able to resist the attacks. The primary purpose of the assault is actually to try to inspire them to take action on a plotline they have been ICly avoiding. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I could run this as phase 1=skill challenge, phase 2=combat, phase 3=combat, phase 4=skill challenge, but my worry is that's almost too mechanical in its progression to properly convey the feelings I want to have for the encounter.</li> </ul><p></p><p>So...if you read all of that and have ideas/notions/criticisms/commentary, by all means toss them my way! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="tyrlaan, post: 5950331, member: 20998"] [SIZE="4"][B]**Note: If you are in my game, Ascendancy of Darkness, please be a good sport and stay out. Don't spoil your fun **[/B][/SIZE] In the campaign I'm running, the town in which the party is currently staying is about to get attacked on two fronts. One force will come from the docks, the other on the effective opposite side of town. In my mind's eye I want the encounter to play out something like this: [LIST] [*]Assault from the water starts first; party goes to the docks and helps townsfolk defend/repel the attack [*]Some subset of the attacking force gets through, party fights it [*]While that fight is going on, the party learns of the attack at the opposite side of town [*]Some subset of the new attacking force gets through, party fights it [*]Party goes to new battlefront to help townsfolk defend/repel second attack [/LIST] Things I've worked out so far (but subject to change based on input!): [LIST] [*]I'm taking a lot of my ideas for the encounter from the D&D Boss Fight concepts found here: [url]http://angrydm.com/2010/04/the-dd-boss-fight-part-1/;[/url] using an XP budget that pushes the limit for their current level (9), splitting it across the 2 combats and the presumably skill challengish bits [*]The two clear combat bits are fleshed out, since really they're the easy part [*]My thought is that the skill challenge bits would produce harder/easier combat encounters based on party success/failure [/LIST] Challenges I specifically need help with: [LIST] [*]How do I make sure urgency is ratcheted up when the attacks are on opposite sides of the city? [*]Similarly, is there a way that makes sense to have the second fight hit when the first is winding down? Can I do this without having to suggest half the town has been decimated already? [*]I want the town to survive (assuming PC success), so I need to balance the feeling of the threat with the plausibility of being able to resist the attacks. The primary purpose of the assault is actually to try to inspire them to take action on a plotline they have been ICly avoiding. [*]I could run this as phase 1=skill challenge, phase 2=combat, phase 3=combat, phase 4=skill challenge, but my worry is that's almost too mechanical in its progression to properly convey the feelings I want to have for the encounter. [/LIST] So...if you read all of that and have ideas/notions/criticisms/commentary, by all means toss them my way! :D [/QUOTE]
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