Road Threads

[Hand of Evil]

I wonder, too, how many run games where the details of the conditions of the road make much difference. I ran a game recently where getting off the road was potentially very dangerous. A series of tremors caused rock falls and trees to come down and block the road. The choices were to take time to clear the road or leave it and risk the dangers of the surrounding woods. Before I describe what happened in this particular game, let me ask, what would some of you have chosen?

I think there are rules to the road:

• Never approch a camp without anoucing yourself.
• Never leave a fire unattended.
• Offer help where able.
• Know the differenace between livestock and wild beast.

This to me falls in the "offer help where able" rule. A ranger or elf in the group would feel the need to clear the road, for failing to, means a number of deaths for the not doing so. Now, this means they have, to have the means. The least they can do is tell some one and mark the road.

 

[Hand of Evil]

On the History Channel they sometimes run a show on road building, the early days of the US was crazy as loggers and settlers would cut new paths/roads off of the King's Highway (Route 1), people would get lost at a drop off a hat. Also, very few roads signs that could be on any side of the road at any time.

Oh, plank roads are an interesting alternative to normal road building.

Also, if you are a Warhammer fan -- canels are just damn cool but should be looked at in any fantasy game. Hire some dwarves!

 

[Whisper72]

I wonder, too, how many run games where the details of the conditions of the road make much difference. I ran a game recently where getting off the road was potentially very dangerous. A series of tremors caused rock falls and trees to come down and block the road. The choices were to take time to clear the road or leave it and risk the dangers of the surrounding woods. Before I describe what happened in this particular game, let me ask, what would some of you have chosen?

Well... youre not giving us a lot to go on...

Are we on a time table? I.e. do we have the time to clear the mess?
How 'able' are the characters. Are we first level peons who will need to shovel the stuff aside, or do we have some heavy magic to clear the road relatively easily (and it is more an issue of whether to spend the resources).
How nasty is the off road tack? What is the nature of the threat?

So many variables...

Anyhoo, the nice thing (i.e. neighbourly thing to do) would be to clear the road, so that others do not need to face the dangers

The fast and adventurous thing to do would be to go off road, face danger, explore the world, see what's the truth to the rumours of 'danger'...