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<blockquote data-quote="Amazing Triangle" data-source="post: 3124907" data-attributes="member: 39939">The thing about every town looking and feeling the same is easy to fix.&nbsp; Create holidays, fairs, or town events.I did this with a forge town that sold all its weapons at a discount.&nbsp; Gave me a great opportunity to hit them with level 3 rogues that they can't see.&nbsp; A thrown dagger within 30ft still get sneak attack damage, but in a crowd of people rogues get a huge hide bonus.Emailing the players a newsletter with happenings and &quot;side-quests&quot;&nbsp; these can be people going missing or someone looking for adventurers.&nbsp; These can be single stand alone adventures or adventures with slight clues to your bigger plot, stuff that is helpful but not necessary.&nbsp; This way you reward your players for doing side adventures but don't punish them for not doing them.Another thing if they start at 5th level they are actually at the same level as most Captains in the army.&nbsp; Treat them that way.&nbsp;&nbsp; They are important.&nbsp; Every town, every encounter, everything that happens is different.&nbsp; Make the towns sprawl differently, make the people react to them differently.&nbsp; Some towns HATE adventurers for they do nothing but cost towns money.&nbsp; Not all towns allow the free use of or carrying of weapons, magic items, wearing a certain color, or eating in a certain direction.&nbsp; No monster is ever the same add a new template, change its tactics, or change what it eats.&nbsp; No NPC is ever the same, scars, personality, or even weapon choice (pick a scythe, glaive, or 2 bladed sword.)I have used all of these things in my games to make my players feel a part of the world to immerse them in it.&nbsp; I even gave them an email just like all the others when they were in a dungeon.&nbsp; It said &quot;You are in a cave sure is mossy in here.&quot;&nbsp; Here is a website to check out that has a lot of tips:[link]http://www.roleplayingtips.com/index.php[/link]Like this one on evil characters:[sblock]5 Tips To Creating A Truly Evil Villain&nbsp;&nbsp; 1. Numerous, Non-Lethal Attacks&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; My new villain does not have the resources to completely wipe out the character party and still keep her other plots and plans going. So, like the mosquito, she is going to use many non-lethal attacks upon exposed areas to drive the characters as far away as possible.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Examples of her intended attacks?&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Use her minions to destroy weaker allies (i.e. those 0 level villagers the characters seem to love so much)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Attack the henchmen so the party must carry its own stuff&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Prevent the PCs from getting rest (and therefore healing) at night (i.e. strange noises, ambushes, forest fires...) &nbsp;&nbsp; 2. Expected Surprise Attacks&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Meaning, the players will know she's out there, but they won't know when or where her next attack will be until she's already drawn a pint of blood.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; More examples:&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Bribe immoral villagers and friends to betray the PCs&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Spread nasty rumors about the characters so they cannot convalesce in nearby villages or towns (i.e. they carry the plague, murderous troublemakers, seeking young daughters for wives)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Send sneaky minions to poison the PCs food&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Endear herself to the PCs' friends and family &nbsp;&nbsp; 3. Make the PCs Do Things They Don't Want To&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; How many of us enjoy slopping on Off! and other chemicals? Or what about sitting inside behind screen doors on hot summer nights?&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; My villain is going to earn the party's eternal enmity just by forcing them to change their plans, modify their behavior and do things they don't want to.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Examples:&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Block paths and roads with fallen trees&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Flood the PCs' village by damming a nearby river&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Cause the PCs to post extra guards at night&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Make the PCs check all food and provisions for tampering &nbsp;&nbsp; 4. Create An Annoying Itch Afterwards&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Imagine how you would feel if your worst enemy performed some heroic deed and saved your friends and all you heard from them forever after is how &quot;so and so is such a great person&quot; and how &quot;so and so is so brave and beautiful&quot;?&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; What would you do if you found that your trusty steed has been permanently marked or branded with insults about you, in bright white paint on its rump?&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It wouldn't take much for my villain to cast a single spell and shape the stone of a local mountain into a likeness of herself to remind everybody how great she is. That would itch!&nbsp;&nbsp; 5. Lethal Danger To The PCs Without Risk to the Villain&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mosquitoes potentially carry deadly diseases. That element of risk turns them into true villains. And, so what if you kill one? There's a thousand more with empty bellies buzzing closer...&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It's the same with my new villain. She has a small horde of minions whose lives she is perfectly willing to throw away. She has also done her research and knows that it is against the morality of the PCs to kill her in cold blood. Her style is to work in the background and let her flunkies do her dirty work. This means she can live in the same village as the PCs, go to the same parties and flaunt her presence without risk of retaliation. That's evil![/sblock]Enjoy!!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Amazing Triangle, post: 3124907, member: 39939"] The thing about every town looking and feeling the same is easy to fix. Create holidays, fairs, or town events. I did this with a forge town that sold all its weapons at a discount. Gave me a great opportunity to hit them with level 3 rogues that they can't see. A thrown dagger within 30ft still get sneak attack damage, but in a crowd of people rogues get a huge hide bonus. Emailing the players a newsletter with happenings and "side-quests" these can be people going missing or someone looking for adventurers. These can be single stand alone adventures or adventures with slight clues to your bigger plot, stuff that is helpful but not necessary. This way you reward your players for doing side adventures but don't punish them for not doing them. Another thing if they start at 5th level they are actually at the same level as most Captains in the army. Treat them that way. They are important. Every town, every encounter, everything that happens is different. Make the towns sprawl differently, make the people react to them differently. Some towns HATE adventurers for they do nothing but cost towns money. Not all towns allow the free use of or carrying of weapons, magic items, wearing a certain color, or eating in a certain direction. No monster is ever the same add a new template, change its tactics, or change what it eats. No NPC is ever the same, scars, personality, or even weapon choice (pick a scythe, glaive, or 2 bladed sword.) I have used all of these things in my games to make my players feel a part of the world to immerse them in it. I even gave them an email just like all the others when they were in a dungeon. It said "You are in a cave sure is mossy in here." Here is a website to check out that has a lot of tips: [link]http://www.roleplayingtips.com/index.php[/link] Like this one on evil characters: [sblock]5 Tips To Creating A Truly Evil Villain 1. Numerous, Non-Lethal Attacks My new villain does not have the resources to completely wipe out the character party and still keep her other plots and plans going. So, like the mosquito, she is going to use many non-lethal attacks upon exposed areas to drive the characters as far away as possible. Examples of her intended attacks? * Use her minions to destroy weaker allies (i.e. those 0 level villagers the characters seem to love so much) * Attack the henchmen so the party must carry its own stuff * Prevent the PCs from getting rest (and therefore healing) at night (i.e. strange noises, ambushes, forest fires...) 2. Expected Surprise Attacks Meaning, the players will know she's out there, but they won't know when or where her next attack will be until she's already drawn a pint of blood. More examples: * Bribe immoral villagers and friends to betray the PCs * Spread nasty rumors about the characters so they cannot convalesce in nearby villages or towns (i.e. they carry the plague, murderous troublemakers, seeking young daughters for wives) * Send sneaky minions to poison the PCs food * Endear herself to the PCs' friends and family 3. Make the PCs Do Things They Don't Want To How many of us enjoy slopping on Off! and other chemicals? Or what about sitting inside behind screen doors on hot summer nights? My villain is going to earn the party's eternal enmity just by forcing them to change their plans, modify their behavior and do things they don't want to. Examples: * Block paths and roads with fallen trees * Flood the PCs' village by damming a nearby river * Cause the PCs to post extra guards at night * Make the PCs check all food and provisions for tampering 4. Create An Annoying Itch Afterwards Imagine how you would feel if your worst enemy performed some heroic deed and saved your friends and all you heard from them forever after is how "so and so is such a great person" and how "so and so is so brave and beautiful"? What would you do if you found that your trusty steed has been permanently marked or branded with insults about you, in bright white paint on its rump? It wouldn't take much for my villain to cast a single spell and shape the stone of a local mountain into a likeness of herself to remind everybody how great she is. That would itch! 5. Lethal Danger To The PCs Without Risk to the Villain Mosquitoes potentially carry deadly diseases. That element of risk turns them into true villains. And, so what if you kill one? There's a thousand more with empty bellies buzzing closer... It's the same with my new villain. She has a small horde of minions whose lives she is perfectly willing to throw away. She has also done her research and knows that it is against the morality of the PCs to kill her in cold blood. Her style is to work in the background and let her flunkies do her dirty work. This means she can live in the same village as the PCs, go to the same parties and flaunt her presence without risk of retaliation. That's evil![/sblock] Enjoy!! [/QUOTE]

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