Need Help with an important encounter....

[cybernetic]

I'm currently working on my first 4th Edition adventure. My campaign kicks off this saturday. I have all my encounters except one special encounter towards the beginning.

Basically, the adventure has the PCs all aboard an airship fleeing their homeland (along with the rest of their country)..they actually meet on the ship...but thats a whole other story

The Encounter I'm looking for some help on is a Storm. I want to have an entire encounter filled with a massive storm over the open ocean that ends with the PCs ship wrecked on an uncharted island.

How would you do that for a group of 6 PCs (Dwarf Fighter, Human Cleric, Human Paladin, Dragonborn Warlord, Halfling Rogue, Eladrin Wizard)?

Thanks, in advance.

 

[Lord Sessadore]

Ummm ... good question!

I haven't really done much digging in the DMG yet, but I would think that skill challenges are probably your friend in this situation. Can't really help you with the specifics on that, but there's definitely other people on these boards with the creative juice to throw some together.

 

[mcnathan80]

I also am in favor of a skill challenge, if you tied that into a combat it could make for a really epic scenario. Perhaps something like an air elemental (or 2 or 3) out of the MM attacks the ship and innocent civilians leading the fighter, cleric, rogue and Paladin to attack it and draw its attention, while the warlord rallies the crew (intimidate DC 15, or diplomacy DC 20) and the wizard aids the pilot as the ship's bound elemental struggles to break free and join it's companions (Arcana DC 20). If the PCs fail the ship crashes in the ocean and all supplies are lost along with a healing surge penalty (lose 2 surges, etc...), if they succeed the ship still sustains too much damage but the captain is abel to guide it to the island (saving the supplies and innocents, and earning a tasty xp reward). I just came up with this in a couple minutes, I'm sure that with the books and some quality brainstorming you cuold come up with something much more interesting.

 

[webrunner]

is this a combat encounter, or a skill challenge?

If it's a combat encounter, then I would have it as a regular encounter, but have certain events which occur every (2/3/4) rounds:

Every round: The ship heaves, the wind changes, and everyone is pushed one square in a randomly chosen direction. Those who are at the side and near a railing have to do an acrobatics check or are knocked prone for a round instead. Those who are at the side and not near a railing have to make a saving throw, to avoid going over the side. If they fail, they can make an acrobatics check to grab on. If they succeed they aren't pushed.

Every two/three rounds: Thunder hits a random side of the ship, hitting some amount of squares. Attack vs reflex, on a miss they are permitted to shift out of the area, on a hit they take damage and are stunned

After some rounds: The ship begins to capsize, the heaving stops, but every round the ship goes more and more sideways: first round, you're pushed one. The second, you're pushed two. Third, you're pushed three. at the fourth round, everyone has to make acrobatics, strength, etc, to hold on. A few rounds later the encounter ends even if the enemies aren't defeated. At this time, the ground should be 'rapidly approaching'

After the encounter, the ship crashes, and the next scene is on the island.


if it's a skill challenge, I'd present each of the above situations as aspects, and if they fail they fall off into the water (and let's say, lose some of their equipment). If they succeed they crash with the ship and get to keep their stuff. Reasonable things would be Acrobatics, Strength, Athletics, Perception (to see through the clouds), endurance, perhaps Nature (for the sea), and perhaps Streetwise or other social skills (for the other people on the ship)

 

[ExploderWizard]

The Encounter I'm looking for some help on is a Storm. I want to have an entire encounter filled with a massive storm over the open ocean that ends with the PCs ship wrecked on an uncharted island.

Thanks, in advance.

The part I have quoted here shows that it really isn't an encounter per se. If you already have decided that the end result will be that the PC's are wrecked on an uncharted island then they really have no narrative input on thier overall fate. Is there a way for the PC's to avoid crashing in any way?

If I were running this with that end in mind then I would look at what the PC's can actually influence to determine what can be resolved. If crashing is inevitible then other factors that matter become important enough to resolve. Are there NPC's that could die unless assisted? Perhaps there are tools/supplies that can be salvaged if the PC's can act in time? A skill challenge focusing on saving crewmen, passengers, and vital supplies would fit well there. The difficulty levels could be based on how many people/ how much gear they would like to try and save. The crash happens but the PC's have some measure of control over saving lives and supplies.

I would base the overall difficulty of the effort on two major things:
1) How important are any of the npc's/ supplies later in the adventure

2) How much chance of actual death do you want from performing heroics in the storm.

 

[cybernetic]

I like the suggestions so far. I hadn't even thought of using Air Elementals. Thats a good idea.

As for the crash, it is inevitable. The first tier (Heroic lvls 1 - 10) of my campaign will be about the PCs stranded on the island and will be about them surviving, exploring, and attempting to find away off the island. (a D&D version of Lost if you will).

I was figuring that the PCs actions during the storm would determine what PCs and Supplies survive from the ship...providing or denying them resources for the first tier of the campaign. Exp: They save the ship's wizard and he makes them magic items while on the island.

 

[Boarstorm]

The part I have quoted here shows that it really isn't an encounter per se. If you already have decided that the end result will be that the PC's are wrecked on an uncharted island then they really have no narrative input on thier overall fate.

Since when does an encounter have to be winnable for it to be an encounter?

 

[ValhallaGH]

I was figuring that the PCs actions during the storm would determine what PCs and Supplies survive from the ship...providing or denying them resources for the first tier of the campaign. Exp: They save the ship's wizard and he makes them magic items while on the island.

Skill challenges are very appropriate in this case. So are zones that affect any combats and the skill challenges with varying durations and recurrences (you can use webrunner's post as a guideline but feel free to get creative).

Figure out what can be saved, though leave room for creative players to shine, and how difficult you want it to be to save. This sets base DCs and determines the appropriate checks.
Figure out modifiers based upon the quantity being saved (+/- 2 is a good start).

That should get you through; I really hope your players are more forgiving than mine.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Since when does an encounter have to be winnable for it to be an encounter?

Winnable? No. To be a meaningful encounter there needs to be more than one possible outcome is all.

In this case the ship crashes, there is no victory or defeat, it is simply an element of the campaign set-up and there is nothing wrong with that. The encounter comes from the impact that the actions of the PC's have on the end result of that crash.

If the actions of the PC's have no effect on what happens then it isn't an encounter, its the DM simply telling the PC's what happens.

 

[balard]

You just don't have to tell than that ;-) That's railroading, but can be fun if you make the things right. Maybe they could die, get a serious wound, lose equipment if they don't make through the encounter.