Adventures in a Ruined City [Archive] - Wizards Community

Adventures in a Ruined City [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Reverend Duck
08-22-04, 06:58 AM I'm a quite new DM and have run about 7 adventures in one campaign, all connected to the adventure at hand—banishing the devils that have started a war against the Celestial plane.

So, the next session, my PCs have decided to search for clues to how the devils entered Celestia in a ruined city that was attacked by the devils, who left no survivors. (Perhaps Celestia doesn't have these types of cities according to the Manual of the Planes, but my version of it does, anyway.)

What I want pointers on is how to run the exploration of the ruined city. Most of the houses are entirely destroyed, and so the PCs will have to search through the area to find any clues. How should I handle this? Rolling for Search checks every 5 minutes? Or rolling on a chart? Perhaps creating a detailed map to hand out to the PCs, perhaps even with notes already on it, like "Ruined Temple" or "Smashed Fountain" (thus removing the search element)?

My players are of the kind that usually seem bored by descriptions, and, rudely enough, sometimes start talking when I am describing what happens, so I am looking for a few pointers on how to handle this adventure.

Any advice appreciated!
Masamune
08-22-04, 09:24 AM the easites thing to do is let them take 10 and take 20 on search checks. it might take a heck of a lot longer in the game time, but you don't have to make 800 search and spot checks
Autosponge
08-22-04, 09:40 AM Set a length of time it will take for them to find the clue they need (like 2 weeks). Then they use the 'help another' rule and roll their best combined search result. Based on that result, lengthen or shorten the search time required. If it's a really bad check, damage the clue to make it less usefull to them or something.
Art_Tillary
08-22-04, 10:59 AM Autosponge is on the right track.

1 - Ask them how long they are willing to search. A day? A week? 25 years?

2 - Ask how thoroughly they are going to search. Look in and see if it's obvious? Lift all the rubble out of the way to search to the floor?

Ask them what they are going to search. Will they search every private home? Every business? Or just temples? City government buildings?

You need to decide where the clue is, home, business, temple, etc. (ie #3) If they aren't going to search that type of building there is no chance of finding it.

Decide how hidden is. (#2). This compares to their roll.

The really big one is time. If they are not willing to spend the time, the odds of finding it are really really low. If you figure it's going to take 3 months (not unreasonable to search just all the temples) roll like autosponge suggested. If the modified number is higher than the time they are willing to spend they don't find anything.

Also, be sure to include random monsters, keep track of food and water, etc. To make matters even more distracting, let them find small and moderate amounts of money and such. Maybe they'll give up on the clue and go for the loot. Then they have the problem of getting the loot home.

For comparision, archeologists have been working on the small city of Pompeii for over 100 years and have not excavated all of it.

AT
DeWayne
08-22-04, 04:57 PM First, I'd give them a map of the city before the demons trashed it. Until they, or someone else, has actually explored the city there's no way of getting a map of the ruins.

Then I'd come up with 12-15 different clues and locate them at different points on your own copy of the map. Just make sure that each of these clues is at a place that it would logically be. This way, if the players give some thought to how they're going do do the search, it'll really decrease the amount of time they have to spend. They can search for months at the wrong place and never find anything - there's nothing at that spot to find. But if they go to the right spots, finding the clue at that location will take minutes to days depending on how obscure it is or how well hidden.

A couple other suggestions: First, put some kind of time limit on the party. Perhaps there's going to be a major demonic offensive and they need to find these clues and piece together what they mean in order to stop it.

Second, put some kind of threat in the ruins to give them something to worry about. For example, the demon army left a demon with EL a level or two above the party level and some of his lower level underlings to guard the city in case the good guys tried to do exactly what the PCs are doing. Remember - the demons DON'T know the PCs are coming, they're there 'just in case.'

If you don't do something like these last two I think the adventure is going to turn into an endless series of search checks.
Reverend Duck
08-23-04, 09:39 AM Thanks for the advice, everyone! I think I will find much of it useful.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Reverend Duck 08-22-04, 06:58 AM	I'm a quite new DM and have run about 7 adventures in one campaign, all connected to the adventure at hand—banishing the devils that have started a war against the Celestial plane. So, the next session, my PCs have decided to search for clues to how the devils entered Celestia in a ruined city that was attacked by the devils, who left no survivors. (Perhaps Celestia doesn't have these types of cities according to the Manual of the Planes, but my version of it does, anyway.) What I want pointers on is how to run the exploration of the ruined city. Most of the houses are entirely destroyed, and so the PCs will have to search through the area to find any clues. How should I handle this? Rolling for Search checks every 5 minutes? Or rolling on a chart? Perhaps creating a detailed map to hand out to the PCs, perhaps even with notes already on it, like "Ruined Temple" or "Smashed Fountain" (thus removing the search element)? My players are of the kind that usually seem bored by descriptions, and, rudely enough, sometimes start talking when I am describing what happens, so I am looking for a few pointers on how to handle this adventure. Any advice appreciated!
Masamune 08-22-04, 09:24 AM	the easites thing to do is let them take 10 and take 20 on search checks. it might take a heck of a lot longer in the game time, but you don't have to make 800 search and spot checks
Autosponge 08-22-04, 09:40 AM	Set a length of time it will take for them to find the clue they need (like 2 weeks). Then they use the 'help another' rule and roll their best combined search result. Based on that result, lengthen or shorten the search time required. If it's a really bad check, damage the clue to make it less usefull to them or something.
Art_Tillary 08-22-04, 10:59 AM	Autosponge is on the right track. 1 - Ask them how long they are willing to search. A day? A week? 25 years? 2 - Ask how thoroughly they are going to search. Look in and see if it's obvious? Lift all the rubble out of the way to search to the floor? Ask them what they are going to search. Will they search every private home? Every business? Or just temples? City government buildings? You need to decide where the clue is, home, business, temple, etc. (ie #3) If they aren't going to search that type of building there is no chance of finding it. Decide how hidden is. (#2). This compares to their roll. The really big one is time. If they are not willing to spend the time, the odds of finding it are really really low. If you figure it's going to take 3 months (not unreasonable to search just all the temples) roll like autosponge suggested. If the modified number is higher than the time they are willing to spend they don't find anything. Also, be sure to include random monsters, keep track of food and water, etc. To make matters even more distracting, let them find small and moderate amounts of money and such. Maybe they'll give up on the clue and go for the loot. Then they have the problem of getting the loot home. For comparision, archeologists have been working on the small city of Pompeii for over 100 years and have not excavated all of it. AT
DeWayne 08-22-04, 04:57 PM	First, I'd give them a map of the city before the demons trashed it. Until they, or someone else, has actually explored the city there's no way of getting a map of the ruins. Then I'd come up with 12-15 different clues and locate them at different points on your own copy of the map. Just make sure that each of these clues is at a place that it would logically be. This way, if the players give some thought to how they're going do do the search, it'll really decrease the amount of time they have to spend. They can search for months at the wrong place and never find anything - there's nothing at that spot to find. But if they go to the right spots, finding the clue at that location will take minutes to days depending on how obscure it is or how well hidden. A couple other suggestions: First, put some kind of time limit on the party. Perhaps there's going to be a major demonic offensive and they need to find these clues and piece together what they mean in order to stop it. Second, put some kind of threat in the ruins to give them something to worry about. For example, the demon army left a demon with EL a level or two above the party level and some of his lower level underlings to guard the city in case the good guys tried to do exactly what the PCs are doing. Remember - the demons DON'T know the PCs are coming, they're there 'just in case.' If you don't do something like these last two I think the adventure is going to turn into an endless series of search checks.
Reverend Duck 08-23-04, 09:39 AM	Thanks for the advice, everyone! I think I will find much of it useful.