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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JamesonCourage" data-source="post: 5800496" data-attributes="member: 6668292">I'd actually posit that this is true only to a degree; that is, "timelines" or "time pressure" can still come into play while also sticking to a "no failure off-screen" style of play.For example, if your party is struggling with the 15 minute work day (15 MWD), then killing the princess off-screen certainly goes against your policy. However, sending minions to deal with the party does not, and it certainly whittles down their resources (takes up HP/healing surges, prevents rest). While this solution cannot be applied universally (as no solution can), it certainly brings even more action to the screen. The same is true for beefing up security for when they finally arrive, bringing a second "boss" in for them to deal with once they get there, or any other similar solution you can think of that deals with them being delayed.This meets your "no failure off-screen" goal while also putting time pressure on the players, since they know that the longer they take, the more things might go against them. For example, the BBEG might slip away and be replaced by a trusted lieutenant. If the goal was to rescue the princess and not to confront the BBEG, they'd have missed out on the opportunity to do both, but will still attempt their required goal of "rescue the princess" on-screen.This can seem a bit heavy-handed, but based on your play reports and you personally advocating pressuring players in skill challenges (via LostSoul's advice? I'm not sure), I think you could accept this. That is, you seem to dislike the idea of letting the most socially adept PC handle social situations alone most of the time, and thus seek to find ways to challenge the entire party. Kas doesn't just talk to one PC, he challenges them all socially. If you have no problem engaging all of the players in these situations, I think that challenging them all on-screen because of delays should be seen as no huge hurdle, either.I think that time pressure can definitely be applied while still attaining the goal of "no failure off-screen" as you seem to have strongly advocated for in this thread, and definitely in the statement I've quoted. (To be fair, you did use the word "timeline", perhaps with the sole implication of "she dies after X days", but I'd also suggest that you can always frame the issue initially as "reinforcements arrive after X days", and she might die eventually. If the party stops trying to rescue her, she dies off-screen, like you've said you'd do anyways.)Anyways, just my thoughts on this statement. I'm late to the conversation, but I don't think that "timelines" or "time pressure" in any way contradicts or cancels out your preferred play style. You just have to have the correct presentation, and have a somewhat heavy-handed approach to giving PCs information. That is, the PCs find out that "reinforcements are coming" or "that the princess will be sacrificed once the ritual is able to be performed" but with no real specifics. It's not my personal preference, but it retains a sense of time pressure or timeline, while also letting all failures occur on-screen.If I'm missing something, though, let me know. As always, play what you like <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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