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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 6570535" data-attributes="member: 6696971">I'll try to do my best to capture what the conversation would be if this was a home game at the table (rather than what is revealed of the conversation in a PBP which typically won't capture PMs, emails, or face to face aspects of the conversation).  I try to arm my players with something resembling the quality of information that I think they would have if they were there, IRL, observing, orienting, deciding, and acting.  If there is a question at all, they have a lot of access to the metagame (which people do as well IRL when they collate and extrapolate based on RL experience and proficiency!), to move things along.  Another reason for this is that I like to err on the side of expedience in table handling time.  I don't want to play 20 questions (at all) and certainly not when I feel that the player should already have said information.  This is another reason why I allow my players to assume scene elements (eg in play it looks like they're just telling me that this or that mundane feature is present rather than the inverse).  I try to give them just enough sensory information, and plenty of metagame information, to make an informed decision.  If they need more, they might ask a clarifying question or they might just assume something and I'll pretty much universally just go with their assumption unless it is "out there" or "bad faith" (I don't recall the last time this was the case with people I've GMed.).  In the case below, as an analogue to AD&D, the player would have (a) the percentage chance to locate natural shelter, (b) the frequency/nature of random encounters (eg 1/turn or 1 per 3 turns), and (c) it would be rolled out on the table.So let us say that she failed that encounter and it led to a combat with the hyenas where the kids were minionized.  She would play herself, her bear, and the minion kids while I played the hyenas and the terrain.  At that point, she would be down multiple surges (probably at least 4 of a total of 10 for the day), possibly a daily or so.  Let us just say that none of the children perished in the conflict and the hyenas were routed.  On with it:[HR][/HR]Player:  Once all the hyenas are confirmed dead, I gather the children together and soothe their frayed nerves.  This place is clearly dangerous and moving around in the dead of night is quite a risk.  It would be nice to rest and recover and try this again in the morning....but...GM:  ...correct, no Extended Rest capability yet.  You can rest and recover once you've secured a place against the elements and against the threat of wild beasts, monsters, etc.  You've now confirmed that this mountain is filled with danger and your prospects for safe shelter are clearly limited.  Player:  I'm quite experienced in such locales.  If we follow the river and take it dead down the mountain, it should either lead us to some river people or empty into a larger body of water with a coastal village.  Doing it at night is not ideal however.  What are the prospects mechanically?GM:  You're right.  It isn't ideal at night.  So you'd want to follow the river down the mountain at night in hopes of locating a village?  I'd say complexity 3 SC with 1 additional Hard DC above normal.  With that limited vision, going to be lots of opportunity for natural terrain hazards to come into play, to wind up in enemy terrirtory, or stumble monster lairs.  Possibly find yourself at a dead-end where you have to backtrack completely...Player:  None of that sounds good.  This immediate area is teeming with wild-life though.  Lots of predators.  What if we stick around here and keep looking for shelter to hole up for the night.  On the slopes the worse we might get is probably a snake-bite or a dangerous bug sting.  Up here, with this large watering hole, there are obviously lots of large predators that can outright devour me or the kids.  GM:  Yeah, that's right.  If you find a safe shelter, you could get an Extended Rest and stow the kids.  Like you said, there will be much higher chance to be stalked or confronted (nested combat) by very dangerous wildlife up here in this thriving ecosystem.  Given that we have established that your prospects have contracted, it is the dead of night, and this place is dangerous...still going to go with Complexity 1 Skill Challenge, but 2 Hard DCs instead of 0.[HR][/HR]That is probably pretty close to capturing the conversation.  Does that help?</blockquote>

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