The Fine art of noncombat one-shots.

[Agent Oracle]

My current players seem quite happy with the world i've created: not because of it's originality (it's pretty blatantly ripped off) but they are enjoying the little noncombat encounters I toss in every day.

In the last campaign session, the players had to make a three-day trek from the wilderness where their ship crash-landed (sabotage they've determined) through the foothills and farmland to the nearest city their ship's onboard computer could find. When I was setting up the trek, I realized I could just yadda-yadda and *wandering monster* the hike, but that's so freaking BORING! I mean, getting there should be half the challenge, right? so... in that spirit, I wrote up some noncombat encounters for them to take part in.

I'm going to submit expanded versions of some of my noncombat encounbters here. If you have any noncombat encounters of your own, please submit them!

Stuck in the mud
As the players treked along, they came across a Wagon, abandoned and half-buried in the earth. One player approached it, only to find the earth sagged beneath his feet about 20 feet away from the wagon. jumping backwards (reflex save, DC 5), his boot stayed. When he retrieved his boot it was covered with a thick clinging mud, which had a blue tinge. When he studied the wagon for a bit more, he noted that there was a large, bulky chest at the rear of the wagon, half sunk in the mud.

If they walk towards the wagon, they will sink into the very soft (and obnoxiously sticky) mud, which will probably claim their shoes if they go in too far. The chest's contents are mundane, but the effort the players expended to get to it was priceless.

More to come as I have time!

 

[DethStryke]

That is an interesting concept. I really like the description in general. Ironically, this is a topic I’ve been giving careful consideration in the last few years. I toyed with a type of this idea when I was DMing 2nd edition. The problem that spurred the thought at the time was that in each journey, be it from town to town or massive multi-month travels, every time I rolled dice the players expected a combat. The same went for overnight watches. Anything that interrupts your night had to be a goblin or something trying to kill you. This was, of course, my fault as a DM, but I was confused as to how to “fix” it.

So I did the same thing essentially; sprinkled non-combat related "events" in the middle of journeys... perhaps to find a strange tree formation or signs of passage by other large beasts, etc. Always seemingly unrelated to the story, and honestly many times just randomly rolled up from a chart of around 300 random encounter seeds that I got from Dragon Mag and online sources.

The problem I ended up with was that my players began to seriously question any given motivation to do anything I presented. It backfired because things began to essentially be suspect as "not worth it." Even though I kept the ratio down, I spent more time and energy making what were essentially red herrings (of course, I didn't see it that way at the time) because I thought they were neat and everyone seemed to enjoy them. *shrug*

Where I am now as a DM is of two minds:

First: These noncombat events definitely have their place, but I think they are much better served to always have some kind of reward; advancing the story always, monetary or physical optionally. Perhaps a low level Potion or low cost Alchemical item. For your example, that chest could have held a note or diary that shed some extra light on the situation at hand or the world they found themselves on... foreshadowed events to come. Perhaps even had a false bottom that was very difficult to detect! If it held nothing but paper, it could be very thin indeed. It doesn't have to be money or magic items to be worthwhile, but a chest full of clothes does nothing to propel your narrative and can make your players feel that when they see something that may not be worth the trouble, they probably are right.

Second: Based on what makes a good level design in video games, having a connect-the-dots approach to every encounter is how a story is told. It doesn’t have to be clue-by-four city, but a little hand holding is not always a bad thing. This diverges from the more "realistic" realm of thinking in RPGs, but I wrestled with these aspects of my interest in RPGs and came to the conclusion that I had more fun when I was given just enough to connect the dots without having to contemplate every move for a week like a master chess tournament. It’s the difference between being frustrated by what to do next, and only having to think for a few minutes and then going “ok, this is what we should do!” While depth and realism have their place, it's a finer balance that should be struck and this is not one you can expect without a healthy dollop of both sides; realism and effective storytelling.

I'm far from the baddest DM on the block, but that's effectively where I am now. *shrug*

 

[Keifer113]

That is an interesting concept. I really like the description in general. Ironically, this is a topic I’ve been giving careful consideration in the last few years. I toyed with a type of this idea when I was DMing 2nd edition. The problem that spurred the thought at the time was that in each journey, be it from town to town or massive multi-month travels, every time I rolled dice the players expected a combat. The same went for overnight watches. Anything that interrupts your night had to be a goblin or something trying to kill you. This was, of course, my fault as a DM, but I was confused as to how to “fix” it.

So I did the same thing essentially; sprinkled non-combat related "events" in the middle of journeys... perhaps to find a strange tree formation or signs of passage by other large beasts, etc. Always seemingly unrelated to the story, and honestly many times just randomly rolled up from a chart of around 300 random encounter seeds that I got from Dragon Mag and online sources.

The problem I ended up with was that my players began to seriously question any given motivation to do anything I presented. It backfired because things began to essentially be suspect as "not worth it." Even though I kept the ratio down, I spent more time and energy making what were essentially red herrings (of course, I didn't see it that way at the time) because I thought they were neat and everyone seemed to enjoy them. *shrug*

Where I am now as a DM is of two minds:

First: These noncombat events definitely have their place, but I think they are much better served to always have some kind of reward; advancing the story always, monetary or physical optionally. Perhaps a low level Potion or low cost Alchemical item. For your example, that chest could have held a note or diary that shed some extra light on the situation at hand or the world they found themselves on... foreshadowed events to come. Perhaps even had a false bottom that was very difficult to detect! If it held nothing but paper, it could be very thin indeed. It doesn't have to be money or magic items to be worthwhile, but a chest full of clothes does nothing to propel your narrative and can make your players feel that when they see something that may not be worth the trouble, they probably are right.

Second: Based on what makes a good level design in video games, having a connect-the-dots approach to every encounter is how a story is told. It doesn’t have to be clue-by-four city, but a little hand holding is not always a bad thing. This diverges from the more "realistic" realm of thinking in RPGs, but I wrestled with these aspects of my interest in RPGs and came to the conclusion that I had more fun when I was given just enough to connect the dots without having to contemplate every move for a week like a master chess tournament. It’s the difference between being frustrated by what to do next, and only having to think for a few minutes and then going “ok, this is what we should do!” While depth and realism have their place, it's a finer balance that should be struck and this is not one you can expect without a healthy dollop of both sides; realism and effective storytelling.

I'm far from the baddest DM on the block, but that's effectively where I am now. *shrug*

You hit the button on one of the main aspects of DnD that becomes tiresome: Paranoia. I know players at our table who assume every NPC is out to get them. And yeah, they assume that every encounter is going to be combat oriented. BTW have you ever noticed that almost all combats occur during "normal adventuring hours" or at night when players are asleep? How come no one ever gets attacked at dinner time, or 10 oclock at night?

I liked your suggestion that non combat encounters be used in some way to foreshadow future events or advance the story. My encounter the other night with Lo Meng was one such encounter. You've had others that I can't mention.

Were you playing in Paul's Ravenloft campaign? I often felt like I was sitting, watching a movie, and only participating when combats happened. There was this huge backstory going on, and I never saw a way to either influence it or participate in it. We pretty much could only react to what was going on. He's gotten away from that and back to letting the players be pro-active, it seems, in how they achieve goals.

Pretty much I like to structure my adventures like a movie or miniseries on TV. So there are very few red herring encounters, but I do allow for players who wander off the beaten path to interact with NPC's who might seem important, yet really are just window dressing. But I like that. Tucker and Pokey are window dressing, but I like how Stone has taken them under his wing. Are they important to the adventure and story? Nope. Do they give clues or let information be passed along? Nope. But they help bring life to the world, so I think non story encounters and NPC's are important. Who knows, Tucker could grow up to be the next Lancelot or Cain....

 

[Aristeas]

So there are very few red herring encounters, but I do allow for players who wander off the beaten path to interact with NPC's who might seem important, yet really are just window dressing..

Same here. I never plant red herrings, I just fill the world with potentially interesting people and places, and let the players interact with whatever they want. Sometimes they just walk by and get on with the adventure. Sometimes they play around with whatever it is for a little while, and then move on. Sometimes they get completely sidetracked by one interesting NPC or place which has nothing to do with the adventure...in which case you make sure it has something to do with the next adventure, because if they were that interested you did something right.

In a recent campaign I introduced an orphanage run by Mr. Leech, who embodied every horrible nineteenth century orphanage cliche I could think of. He believed that laughter encouraged poor moral development, and that too much food made children lazy and complacent. The PCs spend a good hour tormenting this man: telling jokes to the children, passing out bags of candy, accidentally having animal companions bite him, poisoning his tea, soaking and then magically freezing his bedsheets, and finally contacting the board of directors to buy the orphanage just so they could fire him. He had originally had nothing to do with the plot, he just lived next door to it. But after all that effort was put in, it couldn't very well come to nothing, so I decided that there was a secret passage in the basement leading to the building next door, where the plot was happening. And Mr. Leech got his revenge a couple adventures later...

 

[DethStryke]

In a recent campaign I introduced an orphanage run by Mr. Leech, who embodied every horrible nineteenth century orphanage cliche I could think of. He believed that laughter encouraged poor moral development, and that too much food made children lazy and complacent. The PCs spend a good hour tormenting this man: telling jokes to the children, passing out bags of candy, accidentally having animal companions bite him, poisoning his tea, soaking and then magically freezing his bedsheets, and finally contacting the board of directors to buy the orphanage just so they could fire him. He had originally had nothing to do with the plot, he just lived next door to it. But after all that effort was put in, it couldn't very well come to nothing, so I decided that there was a secret passage in the basement leading to the building next door, where the plot was happening. And Mr. Leech got his revenge a couple adventures later...

Brilliant! I think this example also explains quite nicely something I failed to mention: When those "noncombat" encounters come up, they don't always have to start out tied into anything in your notes from the beginning. Once the players have hooked into it for whatever reason, being flexible and free thinking enough to draw some lines (even hastily thought up ones) are *leagues* better than none.

 

[hong]

Stuck in the mud
As the players treked along, they came across a Wagon, abandoned and half-buried in the earth. One player approached it, only to find the earth sagged beneath his feet about 20 feet away from the wagon. jumping backwards (reflex save, DC 5), his boot stayed. When he retrieved his boot it was covered with a thick clinging mud, which had a blue tinge. When he studied the wagon for a bit more, he noted that there was a large, bulky chest at the rear of the wagon, half sunk in the mud.

If they walk towards the wagon, they will sink into the very soft (and obnoxiously sticky) mud, which will probably claim their shoes if they go in too far.

Suddenly, ninjas attack!

 

[DethStryke]

BTW have you ever noticed that almost all combats occur during "normal adventuring hours" or at night when players are asleep? How come no one ever gets attacked at dinner time, or 10 oclock at night?

That's because even bad guys can't pass up all-you-can-eat night at the inn. Sometimes you just need a BBQ Rib break!

Pretty much I like to structure my adventures like a movie or miniseries on TV. So there are very few red herring encounters, but I do allow for players who wander off the beaten path to interact with NPC's who might seem important, yet really are just window dressing. But I like that. Tucker and Pokey are window dressing, but I like how Stone has taken them under his wing. Are they important to the adventure and story? Nope. Do they give clues or let information be passed along? Nope. But they help bring life to the world, so I think non story encounters and NPC's are important. Who knows, Tucker could grow up to be the next Lancelot or Cain....

This is why I'm of two minds with this concept, and specfically the second point: The realistic player in me screams bloody murder every time I think about it logically.... everything you encounter would not be related to the major story line.

But every great RPG I've played on Console or Computer have tied in every encounter into the larger narrative in the end... maybe through forshadowing, or as a side plot that doesn't *seem* connected right away but shows itself within a few steps. I had to really step back and think about it, and I came to the realization that whatever I think I know about what is "good" is irrelevant to the proven success this showed me, despite the (to me anyway) counter-intuitive nature of it.

Let me tell you, that was a mighty big Ego pill to swallow. In the end, I think it made me a much better DM though.

 

[Wraith Form]

Let me tell you, that was a mighty big Ego pill to swallow. In the end, I think it made me a much better DM though.

I'm unclear....are you saying that tying the NPCs back to the main story *is* or *is not* fun, in your final conclusion?

 

[DethStryke]

I'm unclear....are you saying that tying the NPCs back to the main story *is* or *is not* fun, in your final conclusion?

I'm a bit confused, as the line you quoted and the question you pose seems unrelated to me.

To answer your question: I am saying that tying those NPCs into the main story *is* fun, and more often than not it enhances your narrative to do so.

As to the quote, I will attempt to clarify:

My belief of what I "knew" to be "right" in regards to how much realism should be the centerpiece of the game came into direct conflict of the concept of what Computer & Console RPGs were teaching me. Understanding that perhaps what I "knew" was wrong in practice, or at least not always right, was a hard pill for my Ego to swallow. No one wants to be wrong, and most people have a hard time admitting it.

Also important to note: Up until that moment in time where I relented my view and really embraced the concept of being completely wrong and needing to really become a student of good game balance / design, I was completely devoted to realism in RPGs. I was too shy to be evangelical, but I definitely was headstrong in my defense if questioned as a DM.

Needless to say, all of these things now ring "Bad DM!" alarm bells in my ears when I remember them.

I have made mention of this in other threads as well, but I am very picky with what games I join and play in because of this: I greatly treasure and actively seek out the chance to experience different DMs. I liken it to studying under different professors; each have their own style or flavor and they all have something to teach you. Some more than others, but I digress. People like PirateCat and SepulchraveII, in my opinion, are like the wizened teachers of the hobby in this regard and I would go through great lengths to have a chance to play at their tables, for even a single session. Be it a combination of intelligence, knowledge, experience, luck, skill, patience, intuition, or whatever in however much combination, they exhibit extraordinary ability as a DM.

Historically for any trade, you found someone good at it and learn from them. Until DMing is a college major, this is still the best way to learn in my opinion. Ever since I gave up my ego at my (in)ability to DM, I have not failed to learn something from a decent DM, and most certainly my ability to DM has improved every time from those lessons.

 

[painandgreed]

I typically use role playing encoutners for such things. Using an interesting NPC, many times and old PC although not neccesarily one of mine who I know real well, to encounter the PCs on the road or in town. It's usually just idle banter but serves to pass off information about the game world to them, offer plot hooks, or contacts. If the PCs make a good impression, they can call upon them for aid later because the proper social resource at the right time can accomplish more than an entire game of combat sometimes.