Dont want to sound rude but... So how did it turn out?
D&D 5E I Failed My Kobayashi Maru Scenario
- Thread starter Lhorgrim
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Dont want to sound rude but... So how did it turn out?
Lhorgrim
Explorer
Actually, we had to postpone the game due to sickness and middle school soccer practice. We play today after the boys get home from school. They're all riding my son's bus home with him. I just got home from third shift, so I'll be power sleeping for around 6 hours and then running the game for them. Update tonight after the game.
The plan is to offer them the opportunity to raise Snik, but the priest is going to ask them to tell her why they want him brought back. I hope that will give the boys the chance to think about what they really want from Snik, and that it will help me run the kind of game that will be fun for them.
The plan is to offer them the opportunity to raise Snik, but the priest is going to ask them to tell her why they want him brought back. I hope that will give the boys the chance to think about what they really want from Snik, and that it will help me run the kind of game that will be fun for them.
Celebrim
Legend
He's playing with kids. This ALWAYS happens. Kids, unlike adults, take play seriously. They believe it has meaning. They are very introspective about their actions. They want to be heroes. They think carefully about the consequences of the actions they take. When things don't work out well, they take it hard.
Adults are crappy role-players, and the worst ones are the ones that have been playing RPGs for a while.
Heh... my group of middle-aged people would totally have wanted Snik as a sidekick. In fact, a current PC started as a (Communist revolutionary) goblin comic-relief NPC the party... acquired.
I'd treat dead Snik as an opportunity, an adventure hook. The kids want him back alive? Great. That's a goal. The best kind, in fact, one that comes from the players that their already invested in. Build the next adventure around it.
I'd treat dead Snik as an opportunity, an adventure hook. The kids want him back alive? Great. That's a goal. The best kind, in fact, one that comes from the players that their already invested in. Build the next adventure around it.
Halivar
First Post
The temptation for me, as a DM, would be to let them raise Snik, and then have Snik do as kobolds to and betray the party at the first turn. But thinking about it, this is wrong.I would take a page from Joss Whedon's book. In every comic, TV episode, and movie he writes, he is guided by a first principle: what does the audience want to see? Notice how in his scenes, the bad guy's monologue is always interrupted by a hero (albeit sometimes a dying one)? It's because deep down and audience loves it.So what does your audience want, and does giving it to them really hobble your story? If your audience really, really wants this li'l guy to be their bosom buddy, then I say go for it, 100%. Your kids will love it, they will love your game, and you will love running it as much as they love playing it.
Skyscraper
Adventurer
I haven't read through this thread, but my comment would be: joke about it. This is a game. They killed how many kobolds already? What's one more virtual death?
I play D&D with my son. It's important to me that he's able to differentiate fictional morals in D&D from real-life morals. Death or pain in real life is dramatic. Death or pain in D&D is commonplace, it is the basis for the game that you will kill the monster and steal his treasure.
The death of a kobold should be pretty light-hearted. What will happen the day that one of the PCs dies? (Or will you avoid that at all costs?) I think that reminding everyone that this is just a game and that we move on, is important in view of how the kids seem to have reacted.
I play D&D with my son. It's important to me that he's able to differentiate fictional morals in D&D from real-life morals. Death or pain in real life is dramatic. Death or pain in D&D is commonplace, it is the basis for the game that you will kill the monster and steal his treasure.
The death of a kobold should be pretty light-hearted. What will happen the day that one of the PCs dies? (Or will you avoid that at all costs?) I think that reminding everyone that this is just a game and that we move on, is important in view of how the kids seem to have reacted.
TarionzCousin
Second Most Angelic Devil Ever
#SaveSnik!
Also, the key to winning the Kobayashi Maru scenario is to be eating an apple.
Also, the key to winning the Kobayashi Maru scenario is to be eating an apple.
Halivar
First Post
My own feelings are in agreement; the death of an NPC only worries me so long as I am in character. But this particular GM isn't just DM'ing for random people; it's his kid. There's a time for tough love but I don't know that a D&D game is it. That being said, one of the most hilarious gaming moments I have ever encountered was a 15mm pirate ship game; a dad and his son has just cleared the board of all other enemies, and their respective ships sailed to Booty Island to claim victory. As they approached, the dad said in a deep southern drawl, "Son, this here is an important lesson about life," then fired broadsides at point-blank range.
Lhorgrim
Explorer
Had to take a nap after the game. This third shift schedule is wrecking my sleep pattern. Here's the update:
The boys sought out a cleric of Pelor to see what could be done for poor Snik. They agreed to complete a small quest to pay the cleric to cast Speak With Dead on the corpse. The cleric told the boys that she would attempt to Raise Snik, if he wished to be brought back, for the price of further service to the temple.
The boys quickly completed the task of defeating a small encampment of bandits and recovering a relic that had been taken from the Temple of Pelor. They then recovered Snik's body, wrapped it in the special shroud provided by the cleric, and returned to the temple.
When the cleric cast the spell I made it more of a ritual, really describing the scene with Snik in the white shroud and the smell of the incense. The boys were really into it. The cleric had warned them that they had only 5 questions they could ask, and the last one would be whether Snik wanted to be brought back. They spent a good amount of time discussing what to ask or say to Snik before the spell was cast.
When the spell was cast Snik's body rose to a sitting position and said "Who disturbs the rest of Snithalladrak the Terrible, whose fate it is to rule over the sinking kingdom of Xara Thuul by the will of Tiamat!" I described the cleric clenching her teeth and sucking in her breath at the mention of the evil deity in the temple. I explained to the boys that Tiamat was the deity of evil dragons, and that Xara Thuul was an ancient kingdom that had been consumed by swampland.
The boy running the PC who chased Snik the first time asked why Snik had run from him. The corpse responded, "The slayer asks why his prey ran?, you killed my entire tribe! I could still smell the blood of my kin on your blades! See your pouches bulge with the treasure of my people! I ran because I was not yet strong enough to avenge them! But soon you will tremble as you look upon my obsidian armor and feel the agony of my kiss that melts stone!"
The next boy told Snik that they were going to make him a member of the party and they had just defended themselves in the dungeon. Though it wasn't a question I had Snik sarcastically respond, "You defended yourselves from the people who's home you invaded and you think the lone survivor should have thanked you?" Perhaps Snithalladrak will keep one of you alive as a minion and ask each day if you are grateful for his benevolence!"
The last player asked when Snik would be in Xara Thuul. The corpse said, "Soon. I can already feel my prison walls cracking as I flex my wings and stab with my snout. My claws grow sharper each day. Come and find me slayers!"
The boys didn't have anymore questions, so the cleric asked if Snik wanted to return to his body. Snik let out as chilling a laugh as I could manage and said "This soul belongs to Tiamat!" Release me!". With that the body went rigid for a moment and then dropped back onto the marble slab with a thunk.
The boys started discussing what to do about this new information and the cleric told them of a sage to the north that might have more information about the location of Xara Thuul. The boys also started discussing some of the issues of invading the kobolds home and "killing them and taking their stuff". They "want to be heroes and not bad guys."
The cleric reminded them that the kobolds had been raiding farms and caravans and killing the goodly folk in the area. She felt it unlikely that the kobolds could have been convinced to stop, and if they had been driven away they would have simply victimized another town. She told them that Pelor's blessing was on them for defeating the taint of evil in the area, but she went on to say that the temple did not condone slavery or torture. She reminded them that there were laws to deal with prisoners, and that the justice system was the best place for prisoners that could be brought to town. She said in her adventuring days they had often let prisoners go with a promise to leave the area when coming back to a town wasn't an option. It didn't always work she said, but her faith was her guide and she felt she had given those prisoners a chance to choose their own fate.
The boys seemed to be having fun with the scenario, and are excited about going to see the sage to learn more about Xara Thuul. They all figured out pretty quickly that Snik was going to be reborn as a black dragon, and they are determined to stop him before he becomes too powerful. There will be several opportunities for other adventures along the way. I'm running this as much a sandbox as I can. Now that they have completed the initial adventure I'm just going to be seeding hooks and letting the boys decide which string they want to follow. I'm sure they'll go hunting for "Snik reborn", but if they don't, he'll always be there waiting.
I feel pretty good about the resolution. We all had fun and when the moms came to get the boys they didn't want to stop playing.
The boys sought out a cleric of Pelor to see what could be done for poor Snik. They agreed to complete a small quest to pay the cleric to cast Speak With Dead on the corpse. The cleric told the boys that she would attempt to Raise Snik, if he wished to be brought back, for the price of further service to the temple.
The boys quickly completed the task of defeating a small encampment of bandits and recovering a relic that had been taken from the Temple of Pelor. They then recovered Snik's body, wrapped it in the special shroud provided by the cleric, and returned to the temple.
When the cleric cast the spell I made it more of a ritual, really describing the scene with Snik in the white shroud and the smell of the incense. The boys were really into it. The cleric had warned them that they had only 5 questions they could ask, and the last one would be whether Snik wanted to be brought back. They spent a good amount of time discussing what to ask or say to Snik before the spell was cast.
When the spell was cast Snik's body rose to a sitting position and said "Who disturbs the rest of Snithalladrak the Terrible, whose fate it is to rule over the sinking kingdom of Xara Thuul by the will of Tiamat!" I described the cleric clenching her teeth and sucking in her breath at the mention of the evil deity in the temple. I explained to the boys that Tiamat was the deity of evil dragons, and that Xara Thuul was an ancient kingdom that had been consumed by swampland.
The boy running the PC who chased Snik the first time asked why Snik had run from him. The corpse responded, "The slayer asks why his prey ran?, you killed my entire tribe! I could still smell the blood of my kin on your blades! See your pouches bulge with the treasure of my people! I ran because I was not yet strong enough to avenge them! But soon you will tremble as you look upon my obsidian armor and feel the agony of my kiss that melts stone!"
The next boy told Snik that they were going to make him a member of the party and they had just defended themselves in the dungeon. Though it wasn't a question I had Snik sarcastically respond, "You defended yourselves from the people who's home you invaded and you think the lone survivor should have thanked you?" Perhaps Snithalladrak will keep one of you alive as a minion and ask each day if you are grateful for his benevolence!"
The last player asked when Snik would be in Xara Thuul. The corpse said, "Soon. I can already feel my prison walls cracking as I flex my wings and stab with my snout. My claws grow sharper each day. Come and find me slayers!"
The boys didn't have anymore questions, so the cleric asked if Snik wanted to return to his body. Snik let out as chilling a laugh as I could manage and said "This soul belongs to Tiamat!" Release me!". With that the body went rigid for a moment and then dropped back onto the marble slab with a thunk.
The boys started discussing what to do about this new information and the cleric told them of a sage to the north that might have more information about the location of Xara Thuul. The boys also started discussing some of the issues of invading the kobolds home and "killing them and taking their stuff". They "want to be heroes and not bad guys."
The cleric reminded them that the kobolds had been raiding farms and caravans and killing the goodly folk in the area. She felt it unlikely that the kobolds could have been convinced to stop, and if they had been driven away they would have simply victimized another town. She told them that Pelor's blessing was on them for defeating the taint of evil in the area, but she went on to say that the temple did not condone slavery or torture. She reminded them that there were laws to deal with prisoners, and that the justice system was the best place for prisoners that could be brought to town. She said in her adventuring days they had often let prisoners go with a promise to leave the area when coming back to a town wasn't an option. It didn't always work she said, but her faith was her guide and she felt she had given those prisoners a chance to choose their own fate.
The boys seemed to be having fun with the scenario, and are excited about going to see the sage to learn more about Xara Thuul. They all figured out pretty quickly that Snik was going to be reborn as a black dragon, and they are determined to stop him before he becomes too powerful. There will be several opportunities for other adventures along the way. I'm running this as much a sandbox as I can. Now that they have completed the initial adventure I'm just going to be seeding hooks and letting the boys decide which string they want to follow. I'm sure they'll go hunting for "Snik reborn", but if they don't, he'll always be there waiting.
I feel pretty good about the resolution. We all had fun and when the moms came to get the boys they didn't want to stop playing.
airwalkrr
Adventurer
Yeesh, don't scare a guy like that [MENTION=12222]Lhorgrim[/MENTION]! Here you refer to this as a Kobayashi Maru Scenario then mention your kids and I'm thinking "oh no, his crew is dead." Then all sorts of terrible stuff enters my head. It's really not that bad.
My solution? The kobold comes back as a ghost to thank the adventurers for trying to keep him alive and honoring his death. He then occasionally lends them in a ghostly hand in future adventures.
My solution? The kobold comes back as a ghost to thank the adventurers for trying to keep him alive and honoring his death. He then occasionally lends them in a ghostly hand in future adventures.
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