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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rechan" data-source="post: 5661363" data-attributes="member: 54846">Really? You can't think of player  choices that matter beyond the whin and how of a fight? Here's an example of a choice I gave my players. The setup: There was a curse that was killing unhatched Dragonborn, and  one of the PCs (a DB paladin) had a quest to take a wagon full of eggs  to one of the few places where they would safely hatch. But when they  arrive, it is discovered a dragon just attacked and raided the eggs that  had already been stored there. The PCs and survivors didn't know if the  eggs would be tainted by the curse or not. This dragon was laired in  the area but they needed to find the dragon and fast because the region  is all harsh, ice-covered mountains.The PCs were not motivated to fight the dragon because of its hoard or  anything else, they just wanted to rescue the eggs to save the dwindling  Dragonborn race.The choices:1) There was a rumor that someone had stolen from this dragon in the  past. A thief who lived in a fortified town two days travel was said to  have made his fortune robbing the dragon. Downside: they're on a time  crunch. The eggs could hatch any day, or they could lose their immunity  to the curse. Traveling two days on a RUMOR was risky; this guy very well may not be legit.2) There was a mythical beast buried in the region. When it is slain, it  could answer one question truthfully and in the spirit of the question  (i.e. if you asked where the ancient sword of DalRah is, it would not  tell you "in its scabbard", but the specific location of the sword).  Downside: several PCs have quests that deal with mysteries. So they  could get a clue, or a good answer towards their overall goals. The  dragon thing is an immediate, but small issue in the scope of the  campaign, versus answering something more important.3) There is a hag they met earlier. The hag made the offer to swap  information about anything in exchange for favors. Downside: it will cost them something  (and this cost is in Fluff/RP terms, not gold or equipment). They're  sure she's reliable, but they don't know what she'll ask for and  whatever it was, it would be unpleasant.The Outcome: The players chose option #3. The hag asked for several  things (Your full name spoken into a jar. Your first born child. A  smile. A kiss.) She did not elaborate as to what the consequences of  these acts would be. For the dragon's location, the Dragonborn paladin  traded a smile - and he lost the ability to feel or express any positive  emotion. Another player asked for pertinent information (the specific  details how to get that one answer from the mythical beast; it was a  process); he traded a kiss - and lost the ability to love.Yes, it all dealt with an end result of fighting the dragon,  but how they got to the dragon was the choice. That choice had downsides which were non-fight consequences. #2  was direct and dealt with combat, but it was a 'one use'  sort of  deal, a very limited wish that they did not want to waste on  such a  short-term goal. In the end they chose to make a fluff/roleplay  sacrifice for fluff/roleplay information.</blockquote>

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