TV Show plot devices in D&D

[sniffles]

If I could be so bold as to speak on behalf of players, I doubt many players would really care for a game in which it took weeks to heal a normal injury such as you appear to describe, Janx. It simply obstructs the flow of the game too much. It would leave that player feeling left out of the action and hence frustrated. Even on tv they usually hand-wave that sort of thing.

 

[Warbringer]

I have criticals do "wounds"; loss of CON. This cures at a rate of 3 (+current CON Bonus) per week. This loss of CON does not affect hit points, or Fort.

Depending on how savage the hit (how much CON loss in a single blow, a minimum Cure is needed: for a 3 CON loss, Cure Moderate). Healing can stem bleeding, but not replensish loss.

Hit points are gained back much quicker: 10 minutes rest 50% recovering; 1 hour 100%.

Fatigue and Exhaustion are more of a problem than hit point loss; -2 Fatigue once wounds taken; Exhauation once wounds have reduced CON to 5 or less.

Playing aropund with knockback; If "wounded" Fort Save (DC damage taken) or "knocked back" a number of feet equal to damage. Reflex save (DC Damage taken) to remain standing

 

[Nuclear Platypus]

There's also the Cliffhangerish cutaway scene that Brisco County did lots of times, usually at the halfway point. Also used to explain a complicated strategy in an episode of Farscape (Throne For a Loss) - Aeryn started the plan, they cut away and returned to her finishing it up. Earlier in the episode was the Penjak (sp?) jab to get Crichton into the Prowler (returned from commercial with him waking up and saying "You -hit- me?" and her "Pfft"-ing it away).

What about the holiday themed episodes? Halloween and Christmas most likely.

 

[Janx]

Platypus brings up some other interesting scene ideas. I suspect those can be used by the DM directly, simply by calling for rest breaks and such.

I'd like to refocus my notes on the "healing" problem into scenes to replicate:

3. serious incapacitating wound that leaves you out for a few sessions (bedridden)
This covers when a player is unavailable for the session perhaps. In a game with less combat, more roleplaying, this scene makes more sense. A combat intensive game would be hindered by wounded PCs.

4. serious medical problem that forms the plot of the session (go find cure)
Either one PC (the absent player) is sick and the focus is the cure or the village is sick and the focus is finding a cure, while some other complication looms overhead

6. being wounded and crawling to your friends then passing out (Garibaldi and Marshal Matt Dillan after the bushwhacking)
In theory the hero wakes up a few days later, either to save the day, or to find that his timely information has saved everyone.

8. Getting hit with KO
these happen so rarely in D&D. Usually bad guys die.

I'd also like to note, much like healing, combat in D&D doesn't fit the model presented in fiction. A typical D&D story has much more combat than any book or tv show or movie. An hour long action TV show probably has 3 combats possibly covering a time span of several hours or days. A D&D game typically has many more combats covering the same time span (every other room in the dungeon has a monster). Any messing with the healing model would require messing with the combat frequency model, which is part of how you present challenges and tell story.

Janx

 

[Chaldfont]

TV show plots are hugely impacted by commercials. Imagine having to write a story that gets interrupted several times. You can see the contrast by watching the Sopranos or Six Feet Under or some other cable show that gets back that 20 minutes of wasted time.

Thing is, commercials are great for cliffhangers and they make great break points for flashbacks or cutscenes. I do this on the fly for my games. If I need to get up to take a leak or get another beer or piece of pizza, I try to break with something interesting that will keep the players excited until I get back to restart the session.

Another thing to keep the energy level up is cutting back and forth between two scenes. This takes practice--you need to learn where to make the cuts--but it can be a lot of fun.