Challenges [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Challenges [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Bawlzie
08-25-06, 05:17 PM Hello. I am pretty new to the DMing world (and very new to the D+D forums) and i need some help with making my campaign interesting. By that I mean doing not just what my usual DM does (fight, fight, fight, trap, fight, story line, fight, story line, trap, boss fight) but acutely make the fights and traps challenges for the players to work through, instead of just mechanically killing, looting and moving on. By that i mean something like forcing the players to fight as class specific chess pieces (Fighter=Knight, Wizard=Bishop that sort of thing) or separating the party and making them go through tests in 7 different rooms each testing them with one of the 7 deadly sins (this one was for a campaign set in Europe... with a slightly screwy time line but its still fun to play).

Any use full ideas out there?
Brotha_T
08-25-06, 06:25 PM There are plenty of resources for just that on Wizards if you just look under a few rocks. I suggest starting by browsing through the Master DM Competitions:

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=435826

There's a thread index a few posts down that will help.
Captn Blake
08-25-06, 07:03 PM Also, to make it interesting, it helps to make sure that the fight serves the story line. I'd hate to kill a Hill Giant just becasue he's there and has neato treasure, but fighting one that you had hired as protection - who was supposed to be leading you to the iron door of Blackcrag or something, but who really led you into a marsh to kill you and steal your stuff makes it all the more rewarding - and important - that you kill him. Buuut if you kill him, will you ever find the door? Or your way out?

That makes it much less brainless - where each decision carries consequences. Anyway... that's what I try to do. Serve the story with my encounters.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Bawlzie 08-25-06, 05:17 PM	Hello. I am pretty new to the DMing world (and very new to the D+D forums) and i need some help with making my campaign interesting. By that I mean doing not just what my usual DM does (fight, fight, fight, trap, fight, story line, fight, story line, trap, boss fight) but acutely make the fights and traps challenges for the players to work through, instead of just mechanically killing, looting and moving on. By that i mean something like forcing the players to fight as class specific chess pieces (Fighter=Knight, Wizard=Bishop that sort of thing) or separating the party and making them go through tests in 7 different rooms each testing them with one of the 7 deadly sins (this one was for a campaign set in Europe... with a slightly screwy time line but its still fun to play). Any use full ideas out there?
Brotha_T 08-25-06, 06:25 PM	There are plenty of resources for just that on Wizards if you just look under a few rocks. I suggest starting by browsing through the Master DM Competitions: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=435826 There's a thread index a few posts down that will help.
Captn Blake 08-25-06, 07:03 PM	Also, to make it interesting, it helps to make sure that the fight serves the story line. I'd hate to kill a Hill Giant just becasue he's there and has neato treasure, but fighting one that you had hired as protection - who was supposed to be leading you to the iron door of Blackcrag or something, but who really led you into a marsh to kill you and steal your stuff makes it all the more rewarding - and important - that you kill him. Buuut if you kill him, will you ever find the door? Or your way out? That makes it much less brainless - where each decision carries consequences. Anyway... that's what I try to do. Serve the story with my encounters.