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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tovec" data-source="post: 5976795" data-attributes="member: 95493">My problem is that a lot of those solutions are expected to be used as sticks in this problem. I view a LOT of those solutions more as carrots, to motivate them and not to punish if they fail to get the job done. I realize that is largely the same thing but it feels really artificial if I have to use those situations over and over just to motivate my group.For every one of these solutions there is a "yeah, but why" moment that my players may ask. When I use them for fun, as a carrot, then that reason is built in. When used as a stick those reasons are often contrived. WHY must we recuse the princess from the dragon in 5 days but not 6 or 7? It can't be due to our efforts. If he was going to eat her then he was going to do it regardless of our actions, if our actions provoke him then that is all the same issue so reinforcements don't really matter in that way either. It can't be that that is how long it takes for the dragon to get home, and it takes us the same amount of time. The travel speeds are relatively fixed per day so that seems artificial to bring up an arbitrary stopwatch to gauge our actions.The problem for me has never been getting the party to press on. Rarely does it become, "shall we clear out everything today or do it over the course of the next 2 or three days instead". That almost never happens actually. The problem IS going NOVA because so often, too often, the party can plan their own path and adventure. That is a benefit of the system which opens itself up to this flaw.If the party can choose their assignments, if the good king isn't always summoning them to do heroic quest A or B, then the party can usually choose how to spend their resources. If they have income for disposable equipment and magic items then they can even set their healing/stamina rate too, so that becomes less of an issue.The solution of pushing them for some reason, or stopping them from getting a good nights sleep doesn't address this problem. Choosing how or when to nova is part of it. Why don't we focus on their capablilty to nova, which would solve both the timing problem (and force encounter solution) AS WELL as the root problem of nova-ing being a viable choice in the first place.That is why I voted "other". It isn't that I don't believe that nova-ing isn't a problem or that 15 minute work days aren't a problem. It is that I disagree that mechanics or advice alone are the solution, unless those mechanics are reducing the potential for nova in the first place. (And I know that's not what the question meant when it proposed mechanics as a choice.)Just my two cents.TL/DR version: It seems like we need to look at the potential for nova as opposed to how to make players not want to nova (stick solutions only).</blockquote>

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