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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Hot to handle level progression in Princes of the Apocalypse (or sandbox adventures in general)
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<blockquote data-quote="Shadowdweller00" data-source="post: 6590922" data-attributes="member: 6778479"><p>Yeah, sandboxes generally allow parties to face disproportionate threats. If the party investigates something out of their depth, I would recommend a combination approach to keeping them alive. Play the encounters as written but:</p><p></p><p>1) Offer appropriate clues as to the danger. "These foes seem particularly hardbitten, fierce, magical, etc." "You feel the intense waves of heat coming from that tunnel." </p><p>2) Be a little lenient with interpretation if the PCs are in over their head. Ok, so the PCs are caught in the cage trap. Maybe they have a little time to get out before the Bringers of Woe show up.</p><p>3) The cultists could easily have reasons for wanting to keep PCs alive, at least in the short term. They might hope to sacrifice or interrogate the PCs at a later occasion. Interrogation makes an excellent opportunity to justify reprisals against the PCs' party or to capitalize on PC weaknesses later on. IF the PCs are kept alive, there might well be opportunity for escape or rescue. Keep in mind that the area is filled with monsters and rival cultists that are not necessarily friendly to potential captors. It would be relatively simple to stage an ambush against a PC's captors that might allow them to escape.</p><p>4) Be SPARING with all of the above. If the DM backs down from every potential threat or character death then the sense of danger quickly fades away. PCs death is not infrequently more painful for the DM than the players.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Shadowdweller00, post: 6590922, member: 6778479"] Yeah, sandboxes generally allow parties to face disproportionate threats. If the party investigates something out of their depth, I would recommend a combination approach to keeping them alive. Play the encounters as written but: 1) Offer appropriate clues as to the danger. "These foes seem particularly hardbitten, fierce, magical, etc." "You feel the intense waves of heat coming from that tunnel." 2) Be a little lenient with interpretation if the PCs are in over their head. Ok, so the PCs are caught in the cage trap. Maybe they have a little time to get out before the Bringers of Woe show up. 3) The cultists could easily have reasons for wanting to keep PCs alive, at least in the short term. They might hope to sacrifice or interrogate the PCs at a later occasion. Interrogation makes an excellent opportunity to justify reprisals against the PCs' party or to capitalize on PC weaknesses later on. IF the PCs are kept alive, there might well be opportunity for escape or rescue. Keep in mind that the area is filled with monsters and rival cultists that are not necessarily friendly to potential captors. It would be relatively simple to stage an ambush against a PC's captors that might allow them to escape. 4) Be SPARING with all of the above. If the DM backs down from every potential threat or character death then the sense of danger quickly fades away. PCs death is not infrequently more painful for the DM than the players. [/QUOTE]
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Hot to handle level progression in Princes of the Apocalypse (or sandbox adventures in general)
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