Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
How do you prep/run stealth missions?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 7826707" data-attributes="member: 20323"><p>Thanks Tony.</p><p></p><p>Yes, I know it seems like a deceptively simple question. Stealth mission? Make a group Stealth check! But I've seen stealth-based missions go wrong often enough to want to head off common errors at the pass, and instead make this something that engages all the players, builds tension, respects their planning but encourages them thinking on their feet, and with multiple possible outcomes for how the assassination goes down.</p><p></p><p>Also, at a certain point rolling a Stealth check, as a group check or otherwise, is not really satisfying. We know who the high Stealth characters are, we know that with <em>pass without trace </em>they can get numbers that will eclipse most opposition, so barring exceptionally bad rolls or ridiculously high monster's passive Perceptions they're going to succeed a group Stealth check. </p><p></p><p>So my idea to have them roll a group Stealth check up front to see how many "concentric rings of defense" they bypass is meant to do a couple things:</p><p>1. It scratches the player's itch/expectation to roll for Stealth. Psychologically, it sets the stage that you've already rolled Stealth...and now the adventure begins. <em>Hopefully, </em>this will be enough to counter my players' tendency to reach for dice when they say they want to sneak past a sentry.</p><p>2. It fast forwards past (some) defenses that my very detail-oriented players could easily get lost in countering, performing reconnaissance of, or otherwise mucking with.</p><p>3. It establishes that they're working together and this is not a scenario where the lone wolf – in our case, the lizardfolk rogue PC – is going off on his own.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>She is a night hag, currently disguised as a lizardfolk mage. She does know about the PCs and that they're dangerous, but she has other matters occupying her attention, like further insinuating her way into the Lizard Emperor's court & trying to find a magical shadow that she bound but has since escaped. </p><p></p><p>I've established that this night hag made pacts with goblins, turning them into redcaps. The theme I've got for her is "grotesque alchemist" who promises to make creatures better, stronger, more beautiful, or whatever with her brews, but her foul transformations only lead to tragedy.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Yes, the camp is set up near water. The 10th level party does have magical flight capabilities, though at some point they will probably land (based on past stealthing) to approach on foot and avoid being spotted.</p><p></p><p>Footprints is an interesting point that usually doesn't come up when sneaking. Chances are the party will have <em>pass without trace </em>going, so it becomes a moot point.</p><p></p><p>The enemy lizardfolk have blood hawks (reskinned as archaeopteryx) which have Keen Sight.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 7826707, member: 20323"] Thanks Tony. Yes, I know it seems like a deceptively simple question. Stealth mission? Make a group Stealth check! But I've seen stealth-based missions go wrong often enough to want to head off common errors at the pass, and instead make this something that engages all the players, builds tension, respects their planning but encourages them thinking on their feet, and with multiple possible outcomes for how the assassination goes down. Also, at a certain point rolling a Stealth check, as a group check or otherwise, is not really satisfying. We know who the high Stealth characters are, we know that with [I]pass without trace [/I]they can get numbers that will eclipse most opposition, so barring exceptionally bad rolls or ridiculously high monster's passive Perceptions they're going to succeed a group Stealth check. So my idea to have them roll a group Stealth check up front to see how many "concentric rings of defense" they bypass is meant to do a couple things: 1. It scratches the player's itch/expectation to roll for Stealth. Psychologically, it sets the stage that you've already rolled Stealth...and now the adventure begins. [I]Hopefully, [/I]this will be enough to counter my players' tendency to reach for dice when they say they want to sneak past a sentry. 2. It fast forwards past (some) defenses that my very detail-oriented players could easily get lost in countering, performing reconnaissance of, or otherwise mucking with. 3. It establishes that they're working together and this is not a scenario where the lone wolf – in our case, the lizardfolk rogue PC – is going off on his own. She is a night hag, currently disguised as a lizardfolk mage. She does know about the PCs and that they're dangerous, but she has other matters occupying her attention, like further insinuating her way into the Lizard Emperor's court & trying to find a magical shadow that she bound but has since escaped. I've established that this night hag made pacts with goblins, turning them into redcaps. The theme I've got for her is "grotesque alchemist" who promises to make creatures better, stronger, more beautiful, or whatever with her brews, but her foul transformations only lead to tragedy. Yes, the camp is set up near water. The 10th level party does have magical flight capabilities, though at some point they will probably land (based on past stealthing) to approach on foot and avoid being spotted. Footprints is an interesting point that usually doesn't come up when sneaking. Chances are the party will have [I]pass without trace [/I]going, so it becomes a moot point. The enemy lizardfolk have blood hawks (reskinned as archaeopteryx) which have Keen Sight. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
How do you prep/run stealth missions?
Top