Non combat climactic challenges

[Psion]

Okay all, I am looking for a little idea fodder here.

While most talented DMs include some noncombat challenges in a game. But still, it seems like the standard D&D paradigm is that the climactic challenge is a combat. I don't entirely question that, as it is a way that you can involve all of the players and challenge both the players and the characters.

But this formula can get a little stale. So what are some challenges you can think of that tries to involve the players that would make a good resolution to an adventure?

 

[diaglo]

the birth of the next generation.

the PCs have just killed the monster.

it turns out to be a pregnant female.

and the baby is still alive.

but not for long if they don't help.

 

[Kalendraf]

Escape!

The party has travelled deep into the (dungeon/cave/volcano/etc) to reach their objective. However, unknown to the party, the (evil cult/enemy mastermind/intelligent outsider/etc) has lured them here with the intent to trap them. Once they reach the deepest point, a violent (collapse/cave-in/eruption/etc) occurs and the party is forced to try to escape. The baddies have taken precautions to ward the walls to prevent magical escape options like teleport from functioning. And in truly evil fashion, the baddies have also created moving walls and rooms that have (slightly/greatly/etc) changed the layout from what the party used to reach this point, so their map is useless now.

The climactic scenes that follow involve little to no combat, and instead the scenario becomes a harrowing quest to just escape with their lives. Movement becomes paramount. Characters with slow movement may need help in order to escape, and it's quite possible that they may need to remove their gear and leave it behind just to stay ahead of the danger. It's possible that the baddies have layed some traps along the way purely intended to slow them up. For example, webs, paralysis poisons, caltrops, etc. The (collapsing dungeon/cave-in/rising lava/etc) can force the party to move a specific number of feet each turn, or can be used to limit their time per chamber to a set number of rounds before they die.

 

[RangerWickett]

Make it more than just combat. Have some other challenge. Maybe a former PC has been possessed and needs to be freed. Maybe there's a baby that is threatened and they have to hold the baby as they flee from the monster. Maybe the heroes need to just survive against the big bad long enough for their ally to get off their Plot Device spell that can save the day.

I wanna see Grim Tales, man. I know I wrote chase rules for D&D in Tournaments, Fairs, & Taverns, but I hear GriT has smoother ones.

 

[Vrecknidj]

I'm immediately reminded of a common movie ending that has high drama without the combat: trying to find what wire to cut to stop the bomb from going off. I suppose something of this sort could be put into the game. I suppose it would be boring if it was just "Okay, roll your disable device check." But, a "defeat the trap" or "overcome the puzzle" ending could be climactic.

Dave

 

[diaglo]

noncombat could also include

negoiating a trade treaty or peace treaty

the climax occurs when all parties interested sign.

 

[Henry]

Last year I had a Forgotten Realms session that ended in an Election.

The party had just uncovered a plot by otherworldly illusionists to take over the town of Voonlar by assassination and replacement. After putting down the usurpers, it was on order for the town to elect a new Bron. There were about 3 or 4 power groups who wanted "their man" to be the new Bron; the party mediated the meetings leading up to the town election, listening to the different groups, trying to also get "their" man elected (otherwise known as the guy who WASN'T a closet Zhentarim agent). They had to deal with exposing bribes, digging up closet secrets, etc.

In the end, the climax was the results from the polls. Their guy STILL didn't win, because they missed the box-stuffing at the polls.

 

[Torm]

In the end, the climax was the results from the polls. Their guy STILL didn't win, because they missed the box-stuffing at the polls.

Yep, that was a good one. My paladin got PLAYED. But it wasn't the first one you ran that the topic applied to that came to mind. The climatic swoop race in one of our Star Wars games was awesome, and involved a minimum of combat, mostly in the form of dirty racing tricks.

 

[Shallown]

My big campaign climax (I Hope) revolves around the characters completing the ritual to close a gate that will allow the demons/devils to retake the characters world. There will be a BBEG and such to fight but if he lives or dies doesn't matter this is the characters one chance to close the gate and it will hinge on thier skills and plans as to the outcome. I plan to use skill rolls and other tricks up my sleeve to make it as intense as possible and to see if they succeed. It is not a given and considering it will be the last session of the campaign it can end either way as far as I am concerned. The players/characters have to win the day or know that they failed the world at large.

Later

 

[Asmor]

I think that in order for it to be really climactic, there has to be something big at stake. A climactic fight is nice because you've got lives, maybe whole world, maybe even an entire cosmology at stake.

The life(ves) at stake might not be the PCs'. Supposing they've just learned of a plot to ambush the new king's caravan as he is escorted to his kingdom for the first time. The catch? The PCs are trapped in a 30-foot deep hole with dead magic on a different continent or plane.

A wizard dying of a magical disease he unleashed on himself has cast an enchantment on the PCs' loved ones; if he dies, so do they. The PCs spend a lot of time searching for the exotic components needed for the cure, a rare flower's pollen from the jungles on a far southern continent, a tiny white fly that spends all its time in clouds and must be captured alive, a bit of water from a pool in a demiplane accessible only by venturing deep into the plane of shadow, and just for some good measure a little bit of blood from an ancient black dragon. Finally the PCs collect all the stuff, but through scrying to report to the wizard that they've got everything they find out he's taken a turn for the worse and won't make it through the night. Even worse, as a result of the magical disease his own magics have been firing off randomly and he's been teleported to some place he's neve been to, and has no idea where he is.