Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Subway 02-08-06, 01:13 PM	I've recently added new players due to one of my players quitting. I had 3 before, one quit and I added 3 more because they all came together in a nice little package. Here's my problem... 1) I've had a bit of a fight going on between two of my players (in game of course) that I fear is going to split the party. I told them this is not something I want to have to do. Should I create some sort of module that brings them together and unites them or should I allow them to split the party and show them what happens when you come across harder monsters without sufficient party members? 2) Encounters! Nothing seems to phase them. I'm going by what the dm book says to throw out at them and nothing seems to stop them. The party is level 3, bard, fighter, fighter, fighter, cleric. Should random encounters really not be SUPER challenging? Should the more difficult encounters be kept for pre-created battles that will take place at certain locations when they get there? I've been throwing out Rogues and Fighters for the most part because all they will be encountering on the road will be bandits. My monster encounter list is like this... 1d100 : 60+ encounter (twice every 8 hours during the day) 1d100 : 60+ encounter (once every 8 hours at night) 1d100 Encounter Type 1-10 1 creature 11-20 2 creatures 21-30 2 creatures 31-40 3 creatures 41-50 3 creatures 51-60 3 creatures 61-70 4 creatures 1d4 1-2 Mixed 3-4 Not Mixed 71-80 4 creatures 1d4 1-2 Mixed 3-4 Not Mixed 81-90 5 creatures 1d4 1-2 Mixed 3-4 Not Mixed 91-100 6 creatures 1d4 1-2 Mixed 3-4 Not Mixed Then I have the type of critter based on each... 1d100 1-80 : Bandits 81-90 : Animal 91-100 : Magical beast Should I increase the overall party level to increase the difficulty of the encounters, or maybe mix some magic using mobs in there to keep the players on their toes? 3) Last but not least... PvP : One of my players took me aside and was interested in PvP. I told him I don't support that kind of behavior, but I don't disallow it. I made him start making bluff checks when trying to be nice and sometimes tricking the party. Is this a good way of having him roleplay his devious position. He fails sometimes which makes the party question his motives.
jnrhayz 02-08-06, 01:47 PM	Here is some advice, take it or leave it: 3) Before the next session, inform the group that you have been approached about allowing PvP conflict. You are (or are not-whatever you decide between now and then) willing to allow it, but you want the group to agree as a whole. The point of the game is having fun and if someone loses a character to the guy sitting next to him, it can cause real life issues. 2)Well, when I run a game, there is no such thing as a "random" encounter. If there are bandits on the road, they probably work together. It doesn't make sense for random bandits to just attack whoever comes along because then no traveler would get past the first group of bandits. If you want bandits on the road, determine the leader, figure out the size of the group, the strength of the group, and determine how many resources they are willing to use against one group of travelers. (This would be modified with appearant wealth level. i.e. lots of gold and jewels showing, nice horses or equipment, etc.) Obviously, traveling through the wilds would be much more "random" encounter like, but still, things that live in the forest usually have the intelligence to determine not to attack a large group of armed beings. Of course, stumbling across an orc hunting party happens also. 1) This is directly related to #3. I would inform them however that if the party splits you still will only run one game so someone is going to have to give up their character and this may cause real life hurt feelings. Remember to discuss with your group what they enjoy and want from the game and to try to incorporate the world and people in it into "random" encounters.
VirgilCaine 02-08-06, 02:00 PM	Your party is strong on melee and support characters. They will probably be able to buzzsaw through encounters they can close with. They have the firepower from three fighters to really hack apart a group of meleers and the bard and cleric just help them stay in the fight longer... Bandits can make traps...throw some at them. Hit them with Will saves--charm person, color spray, sleep, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Glitterdust... If their horses/mounts fail their saves (to Glitterdust or Blindess, so they're blind), the PC shouldn't be able to guide them or get them to move--they'll probably either not move or they'll run wild. Handle Animal checks could be tried to get them to move... Bandits could easily harass the party--shoot some arrows at them and run away...ten or twenty times, slowing running the party out of spells and hitpoints... Wait until they are camped at night, most likely with a fire... They could easily be attacked while unarmored or lightly armored. Since there's six people in the group, they are an EL 4 party not EL 3 for the purposes of monster determination--each extra party member adds 1/2 of a level.
Subway 02-08-06, 02:23 PM	I guess I didn't give the history of the area. It's been under attack by a group of bandits. Their shear number gives them the ability to bully most traderoutes. The chances of coming across them are quite good. Maybe if I roll small for number of bandits I can have them return to their camp and gather more to hunt the party?
VirgilCaine 02-08-06, 02:28 PM	I guess I didn't give the history of the area. It's been under attack by a group of bandits. Their shear number gives them the ability to bully most traderoutes. The chances of coming across them are quite good. Maybe if I roll small for number of bandits I can have them return to their camp and gather more to hunt the party? What are the PCs doing in this area? If the bandits think they will be there for any time at all, they'll want to "encourage" them to move on ASAP, so the caravans won't be able to take advantage of the bandits distraction and get a caravan through.
Subway 02-08-06, 02:32 PM	The city to the north (Aswar) has been taken over by bandits from an island to the north (Bandits / Pirates). They have pretty much raped / pilaged everything from that town, but they have decided to make it their new homebase. The other towns/cities do not know this yet. All they know is tradesmen have not been returning from Aswar. The players formed a party for the main town (Kingdor) to search out Aswar for answers. As the bandits grow in numbers due to new recruits and more coming by ship from the island to the north to Aswar. It's going to be an all out war if the players don't play correctly. So in conclusion, the roads have been littered with bandits.
jnrhayz 02-08-06, 02:43 PM	It would make sense that if they have been chopping up bandits and leaving them in their wake that the bandit leaders would probably send stronger opponents (including magic users) to eliminate this threat. They should be easy to locate unless they have been trying to go through unseen. (It sounds like they have not.)
Subway 02-08-06, 02:59 PM	Yeah, the party isn't all about stealth. They all like the "We'll kill anything we come across and we never run" sort of thing... I'm tempted to throw a few encounters that they should run away from to test and see just how dumb they are.
Sel_Carim 02-08-06, 04:01 PM	With regards to problem 2, In my experience nothing makes a player happier than to feel that they are handing it to the bad guys. Players like to feel cool and powerful. I ran a horror game once in which I had planned an encounter that I felt would really challenge the players. I carefully described them walking through the city, the maze of pipes overhead, the slow dripping of water, everything. In short I had set up the most suspenseful mood I could. When the creature finally attacked the main combat character attacked, rolled the equivalent of a natural 20 and obliterated my monster in one round. I was horrified that they would be dissapointed by the apparent weakness of the monster. I was wrong, the LOVED it! They loved that fact they had taken this beast out in style and flair. In fact, it was over a year ago and they STILL talk about that encounter and consider it one of that groups greatest glory stories. This approach, IMHO, usually requires three things 1. A good solid description of the enemies, bandits for example should seem menacing, full of swaggar, cruel looking weapons and plenty of smack talk. That way when the players grind them into the dirt they feel good about it. Every player would rather fight a well described flavorful monster that a cardboard cutout (something I learned through hard experience! :doh: ) 2. Don't overplay your hand too much. If you give the players too many encounters that they just plow through, then it may get booring. Use combat encounters in your stories, but don't over do it. Throw in social and problem solving encounters as well 3. Let the Big Bad Evil Guys be just that. Take hints from action movies, usually the heros mow through the normal badies like so much grass, however when they encounter the BBEG things get interesting. If you described the bandits as bad, describe the bandit king as worse, MUCH worse. Let the players sweat when they see him coming. Let the players get knocked around, beat up and hung out to dry. That way when they win they feel like they won by the skin of their teeth, this is good. If they defeat the BBEG to easily they will feel cheated, so make sure they work for it! And if they discover a clever way to beat him, or just plain get lucky GREAT, just so long as they feel that it was a close call. On the other hand, I once played in a game where the GM felt as I once had that if every encounter was not incredibly challenging that the characters would lose interest in the setting. Every encounter was mind numbingly difficult, in a word we felt like cockroaches running for cover from a giant with a rolled up newspaper. Turned out it wasn't fun, only frustrating as we watched our characters one by one get crushed by low power enemies. As far as what the bandits will do next? Whenever I GM or DM a group of NPC I always try to put myself in their shoes and as myself what would I do in that situation. In your case "what should I do about these adventures wiping out my raiding parties?" VirgilCaine and jnrhayz had some great sugestions. This way the bandits don't seem like cardboard charcters, the encounters remain fresh and interesting and the characters have a chance to use their brains to combat the new statagies used by the bandits. (That way if they get an oportunity to beat the bandits at their own game they have another glory story to tell!) With regards to PvP, jnrhayz has a good point. Definately talk it over with the group as a whole. PvP can leave players with hurt feelings. I almost lost a player once because I let PvP go to far, even though the player stayed and the issue was resolved, I think the hurt feelings remained for a while after the event. Admitedly, some older, more experienced groups Iv'e run games for have been OK with PvP, but newer players tend to be more sensative as it is difficult at first to separate out of character from in character. As it seems you have three new players in your group, IMHO, I would recomend that you shy away from PvP until the group is a little more experienced and the new players have had a chance to build up their IC/OOC barrier. Hope I didn't ramble for too long ;) Good luck with your campaign!!