My Midsummer Festival event will have a dungeon themed in the arts created by a famous, now retired playwright known for his exquisite sets that seem to come alive. Adventure teams can run this gauntlet of traps, tricks, puzzles, and beasts scoring points for expedience. The point of the dungeon is not to be deadly but a fun themed change of pace where the players can relax from some of the drama in the campaign and give their characters a "vacation" day in which they can build positive memories and bragging rights for future years competitions, or against other adventure teams etc. Additionally there's lots of opportunity for hooks meeting other teams, etc. What I am asking for help with is fleshing out a particular room I have conceptually but can't seem to get rhe details right in my head.
The theme for this room is stage acting and the set is literally a stage on which the characters must act something out. I want to allow for roleplay, which makes me lean away from using a scene from an established play like hamlet or something. I thought I could use an improve format like a game from whose line is it anyway, such that I describe a scene that they would act out and the director, not liking the direction could give further input. The problem withy this open setting is really determining success or degree thereof. I'm not too worried about using every class skill in this room since the overall dungeon utilizes different strengths in the other rooms.
So this is an open request for input and ideas. In terms of pace each room is lasting about 20-40 minutes of game time.
Play the scene without dice.
I like your idea! Since the dungeon is just for fun and dieing is off the table, the players will probably have a lot of fun with it.
One way to handle the scene is to not use dice. Do not let the players make rolls. Just keep asking them to describe what their characters do. If a player says his theif does some impressive cartwheels, then let it be so. If you think the scene is dull and needs some spice, make something happen. Just make it up and don't worry about being fair.
One caution, don't expect your players to love acting as much as you. Don't expect them to speak dramatically at the table.
Reward them for what they do try to do.
You said that there will be a director who will judge whether or not he likes the PC's performance. Well, unless your players completely refuse to participate, let the director approve of the PC's performance.
Dice and stats get in the way sometimes.
Encourage your players to trust you. Let them know that you are not out to get them.
LoTRO did something like this for one of their Yuletide festivals. Basically you attended a play and when you got there you got selected to fill in for one of the actors who was missing. You then had to emote your role depending on the part you're playing. The audience knows how the story should go so when you mess up with an inappropriate emote you'd get heckled and have trash thrown at you. The play they used was "The Mysterious Dissappearance of Mad Baggins" with Bilbo as the protagonist, Gandalf as the villain, and extras as....extras. Bilbo's player would do emotes like /bow, /talk, and /wave. Gandalf would be expected to /shakesfist, /rude, /laugh, etc.
You could convert this to D&D by having the player thrust into a role and he would have to use skills to successfully pull it off. You could use a real life play, fairy tale, maybe something from Canterbury Tales or something. You could have it be an in game story too and the player has to use history, religion, nature, performance...whatever to remember it, and you would give him a general outline as detailed or vague as his success.
Acting the part could use lots of improve with some skill checks sprinkled in as appropriate (if they're even needed). Insight to detect the mood of the audience, performance, persuasion, acrobatics, deception, disguise all of these could be used.
Success would be measured by adapting and improving the role to the delight or disdain of the audience.
Edit: here is a link to the event, scroll down to Frostbluff Theater, it's explained way better.
http://cstm.mymiddleearth.com/2011/12/lotro-yule-festival-guide-2011/
Good ideas both. The one without skills might be good if they've had a lot of failure so far but using the skill checks is what I had been looking for to find the degrees of success. I like the insight to gauge the audience.
Invest wrote:
Give the PCs the script from a famous scene in a movie, and have them do dramatic readings as the characters. If the other players applaud, the group wins the skill check.
"I will send you my Apprentice, and he will take care of you."
"Oh thank you thank you, you are so very good to us!"
Granted most kids will probably remember Luke / Vader / the Emporer in the throne room better.