How do I...?

[cheerio730]

Hey Everyone!

I swear these forums are like my new fav place!

I just have a quick question. I'm preparing for my game tomorrow, and had an idea. In our adventure there is a long tunnel, and it really Doesn't contain anything, or have any beasties in it. BUT to me that is just to boring! So I had an idea,but as a new DM I don't know how to say it.

The Idea is to have a rat, just a standard rat run out, and hopefully startle the players. So I'm kinda hoping the players will be startled, and maybe one of them will fall backwards and twist an ankle or something. They don't have the fight the rat or anything, it'll race off just as quickly as it raced in.

But I'm not sure how to do it? Roll for dexterity? How should I word it and what do they have to roll for?

Thanks a lot!!!!

PS. IS this a good idea or is it stupid to everyone but me?

 

[el-remmen]

PS. IS this a good idea or is it stupid to everyone but me?

Well, I don't think it is a stupid idea to want to create a little atmosphere of dread and tension in the game, but I think the players might not really enjoy being startled by the rat.

What might be a better solution is have the rat act as a distraction in some way that may lead the PCs to not noticing some real danger (penalty to spot/listen checks?).

Perhaps it emerges from small cracks or holes in the side of the tunnel that might tempt a PC to crawl in there and check it out - but poses some risk or danger (falling down a shaft and then twisting his ankle as scores of more rats come swarming over him?)

Just thinking off the top of my head. . .

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

There are no rules for twisting ankles...

Your PCs probably wouldn't like that. (Real adventurers scared by a rat?) It becomes a transaction. They have to go through the long tunnel, and something bad happens to them because of it. They give up a healing spell (to cure the twisted ankle, if that happens) and they become really paranoid, too. They're basically punished for going on with the adventure.

I think you could use it for atmosphere - maybe have a swarm of rats that start off making a bit of noise and then (over time) sounds like a horde (due to echoes or something). That's something that could scare real adventurers, and could even damage them within the rules if they mess things up.

 

[BlackMoria]

If you want to spice up a long tunnel, use a trick of mine that I have used on occasion.

The tunnel has three teleport zones. Unless detected and disabled, this is how it works.

The first and second teleport zone don't activate until after the party passes over it. The party moves into the third teleport zone and the party gets teleported to zone 2 (the middle zone). Make sure the tunnel is the same feature wise at all three zones.

Unless the party is vigilant, they don't know they got 'ported to zone 2 and continue walking straight into zone 3 again, only to be 'ported back to zone 2. Zone 1 exists for the purpose that they get ported to zone 2 and now reverse their course, trying to avoid going to zone 3. Now they go into zone 1 and get ported to zone 2 and the fun starts all over.

Essentially, if the party stumbles into this, they are trapped in the corridor until they disable the teleport traps.

A harmless trap but a fun diversion, particularly if the party doesn't clue into what is happening for some time.

I had one party travelling down a long corridor keep going for hours and hours until they finally thought it was odd that this corridor didn't seem to end. So they decided to give it two more hours before turning around. After two hours of no end to the tunnel (now 8 hours had passed since entering the tunnel), they turned around and headed back. Imagine their dismay when after 8 hours, they were not at the tunnel entrance. After a few more hours of this, the party was baffled and frustrated. Eventually, they figured it out and got out but it was great fun in the meantime.

And don't discount the allure of a tunnel with no apparent end. Parties will keep going to find the far end of the tunnel, simply because it is there. Another time, I had a party travel in the 'endless' tunnel for one full day before they started to wonder if the tunnel had any end.

 

[wmasters]

Adding a little flavour and character is always a good idea, it makes the adventure seem that bit more vivid. Not sure about the rat startling people to the point of twisting ankles etc though - these are hardened adventurers that, when they're suprised by ogres only means that they stand for a little while going 'Aah! An ogre!'

Since this is essentially for background and flavour, personally I'd just add description to the tunnel. The splash of water dripping from the ceiling is always good, if a little overused, with the PCs walking through puddles and water dripping down their neck.

As far as the rat, perhaps something like spot and listen rolls to see/hear a small crack in the side of the tunnel. If the PCs bend down to look there are two eyes peering back at them. Then maybe go to initiative, with the rat just trying to run away. Possibly biting the unfortunate PC that decided to peer in, so that the rat can scurry to safety. The rat might get a suprise round if the PCs spotted the hole but didn't hear the rat.

Being as it's a rat, you don't need to worry about CR, the PCs burning resources or the challenge of a combat - at most it's going to deal 1 point of damage after all. The PCs might cast Disintergrate on it, but frankly that's their problem if they do.

Possibly you could add in some suggestion of magic as well, to make the PCs think that maybe it's a wizards familiar and they need to kill it.

 

[cheerio730]

The tunnel has three teleport zones.

My Gawd I LOVE this idea!!!!! It could definently take my short adventure and turn it into something longer!
So how do I word it? Do I say anything at all?? We use figures and a mat thingy, do I move their characters back? Or just let them think it it still going??? Sorry to ask such dumb questions, but it is my first dm experience. Thanks SO much for sharing this little trick with me!!!



Oh and to explain my idea with the rat: I was thinking that since the adventure is very uneventful up to this point they may become comfortable and think nothing is going to happen for a long time. So even strong adventurers could become startled when suddenly something happens when nothing at all has happened yet. Know what I mean? PLUS it would be one of those great chances for a bad role to make the simpliest thing big. Could you imagine telling the story to someone else? "So I was walking along and out jumped this ordinary rat!! I rolled a damn 2 and got startled!...."

 

[Vrecknidj]

If you're going to use the teleport trap idea, you might want to give some of the characters a chance to Spot that the walls are eerily similar, or something like that. Otherwise, it could get kinda boring.

In general, I like the idea and have used similar things in the past.

Dave

 

[Andor]

If you're going to do the teleport trap be sure and allow some way for the party to disable it. If it's a low level party they won't have Dispel Magic. As for how to describe it, you don't. Just ask how long they walk down the tunnel for. The key is that the trap isn't visible, even when it's working. If they get clever and leave something in the tunnel to mark their way they will come upon it again after walking the distance between zones 2 and 3.

As for the rat, there really shouldn't be a roll for it, unless it tries to trip one of them (like my cat always does). Some games have a roll for startlement, usually called a horror factor roll, or somesuch. But D&D doesn't have one by default. If you want to startle your players however, have them roll initiative when the rat shows up. Then have it beat their initiative and scurry away. They'll be plenty worried as to why that was important enough to call for dice rolling.

It is a good idea to try to manipulate the mood, through atmosphere, description, background music, lighting, props, etc.. However unless there is some kind of magical compulsion effect or other game mechanic it's generally a bad idea to simply tell the players "You feel happy","That startled you","You're afraid". You get to be the entire world, they want to be their characters, and it reduces their buy-in if you start to tell them how to think.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Oh and to explain my idea with the rat: I was thinking that since the adventure is very uneventful up to this point they may become comfortable and think nothing is going to happen for a long time. So even strong adventurers could become startled when suddenly something happens when nothing at all has happened yet. Know what I mean? PLUS it would be one of those great chances for a bad role to make the simpliest thing big. Could you imagine telling the story to someone else? "So I was walking along and out jumped this ordinary rat!! I rolled a damn 2 and got startled!...."

Just describe what you want to happen. Players will often jump the gun when the DM specifically mentions something. That is, they'll fixate on what you say, figuring it has to be important if you're mentioning it. It's a great way to build atmosphere. The old 1st edition Dungeon Master's Guide even included tables of random noises, sights, and smells that the DM could toss in just to keep the players and their characters on edge. A rat furtively skittering across the floor, a low moaning coming from somewhere in the distance, the smell of ozone...occasionally tossing in little details like that as you describe the surroundings does wonders for building tension and atmosphere.

 

[tonym]

But I'm not sure how to do it? Roll for dexterity? How should I word it and what do they have to roll for?

Make the rat not exactly an ordinary rat, but a weird magical rat. When it scurries out of the crack in the wall, have the PCs roll a Will save against magical Fear. If they fail, they panic and maybe twist an ankle, maybe drop a weapon, maybe scream like a little girl.

Then the rat can hiss at them and scurry away.

That might be cool.

Tony M