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ChaosDefender24
2009-04-15, 11:28 AM
Hey guys,



The PC's will be playing a game show-type thing at certain points in the dungeon in order to proceed.

I need inspiration. has anyone done this sort of thing before? What did you do, and how did it go?

overduegalaxy
2009-04-15, 11:32 AM
Xcrawl. It's a campaign world by Goodman Games.

It's almost exactly what you're looking for.

Dogmantra
2009-04-15, 11:33 AM
What sort of gameshow?
I love the idea, but being a bit more specific couldn't hurt.

I do have one gameshow idea:
If the same person/creature is the "host" in all of the gameshow parts, they really need a catchphrase.

ChaosDefender24
2009-04-15, 11:40 AM
See, I'm totally lost from here on out.

The ideas I'm coming up with aren't great. Of course most game shows are trivia, but what kind of D&D trivia are the players expected to know? One immediately thinks of skill checks, but I do NOT want it to end up to be a string of skill checks. This idea's too novel for that! Also, not sure how to implement the luck factor.

I think there could be an opposing team, of random cultists that used to inhabit the dungeon before dark forces took it over and put them in the game show.

Kyouhen
2009-04-15, 12:19 PM
Take ideas out of random game shows and see how they do. Put them in a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire room, but if they don't get the $1 million prize they get dropped down a pit to another place in the dungeon. Have a round of Wheel of Fortune where the Bankrupt spot on the wheel drops a boulder on them. And of course, what game show dungeon would be complete without an American Gladiators fight on a thin bar wielding a two-headed pillow mace over a black pudding?

Katrascythe
2009-04-15, 12:28 PM
Maybe your trivia could include real world events going on during the course of the game? Or random pieces of historical knowledge? And you can just completely kill the skill check factor simply by saying "DM says no skill checks." That would be for any trivia.

I also like the Survivor idea where it's random physical things to see who comes out on top. Family feud between party and demons. I doubt that'd work but it'd be hilarious.

Dogmantra
2009-04-15, 12:33 PM
"Today on Dark Dungeons, we have a couple of great groups of contestants, why don't you introduce yourselves?"
"Hi, I'm the team captain, Jim, the Bard"
"Hello, I'm Pete, the fighter"
"Hi guys, I'm Rexana, the cleric"

"And they're fighting against."

"Tremble minions! I am Varmor, the Dark Lord of DEATH!"
"Duh I smash puny kobold!"
"Why hello there. I'm sure you'd all love to stick around"

"So, let's get on with the show. To decide the first round, we're going to spin the wheel of luck. Go on, give it a good spin!" *wheel spins* "It looks like it's the fight above the pits of death! Choose your champions, and we'll see you after the break!"

"If you're just joining us, we're about to play the first round of Dark Dungeons, and this is how it works: the two combatants are standing on a walkway above the pits of death. The first one to knock the other off wins. Don't worry! We have a team of clerics ready to raise dead on the loser! So, champions, are you ready? Okay, fight!"

chiasaur11
2009-04-15, 12:35 PM
I'd read the current Dr. Mcninja storyline and and watch old Nick shows like Global Guts and Legends of the Hidden Temple.

Toss in some American Gladiators and Smash TV and you should have a few decent ideas to start with.

Katrascythe
2009-04-15, 12:51 PM
Might as well go all out and have a cooking competition. Just have the players bring food to the session and see who has the best meal. It's just entertaining fun like that.

Faulty
2009-04-15, 01:00 PM
Makes me think of this part of Banjo Kazooi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_ei79MB9ig). If the guy running the show is a recurring villain responsible for a lot of their troubles up to this point, or has been scrying on them, he could ask them questions about their past exploits a la that. If they get a question wrong, they'd have to fight increasingly tough enemies.

If you have or can get Dungeon issue 138, there's an adventure consisting of a number of puzzles that the PCs have to solve as part of a contest. It's almost entirely non-lethal, but you could adjust it to make the trap lethal.

Baalthazaq
2009-04-15, 02:03 PM
I don't like it when it stops being about the character and starts being about the players too much so I'd rather you have *some* kind of character related stuff as well as regular.

Something they can do in game to gain an advantage, etc.

Having said that:

Who wants to see a Million air (elementals).
Options:
Maybe they get fewer the more they get right.
Phone a Fiend. (Alternative: Send a Friend.(Phones don't exist, sending spells do))
Pixie (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/sprite.htm#pixie) Nixie (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/sprite.htm#nixie). (You can fight one of each instead of answering a question?)
Ask the Androsphinx (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/sphinx.htm#androsphinx).

The lifelines give the characters options here too. What Fiend are they calling? What do they ask the androsphinx? Do they convince the sprites to aid them in a way other than answering questions? Do they make a pact with the fiend? Etc.

Deal or no deal:
Same but with options instead of GP. "Your immortal soul" "Freedom". Obviously you want a Harvester Devil being the show's host. :)

Advantage: This particular game gives no advantage for char stats so you can happily just play the players.

Wheel of Torture:
Make them do fort tests to keep answering questions. The fort tests affect the characters, but it's the players who do the answering, good mix of rolls and roles. :)

Are you smarter than a Grey Render (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/grayRender.htm):
Have the party need to solve puzzles to get somewhere before the Render. give the render some advantage like being able to smash through 1 or 2 of the obstacles rather than solve them.

ChaosDefender24
2009-04-15, 02:03 PM
What I have so far:

Background info:

The players are 5th level. We've got an anthro bat dr00d who's usually wildshaped into a dire ape, (presumably) a fleshraker animal companion, a focused conjurer lesser aasimar wizard, and a human bardader who likes her Dragonfire Inspiration.


stuff:

They will be facing off against a team of four cultist NPCs from the dungeon. I haven't determined what happens if the PC's win or lose, nor have I decided what the cultists' abilities are. I am going to make the other team more difficult as the PC's encounter the game show at multiple times during the dungeon.

The game is called "Show Time!" and the mechanic is a clock. Each "round," the minute hand is spun to a random number, and that determines the kind of challenge. In addition, the hour hand moves one hour after each challenge, making a sort of wildcard.

The game starts out with the teams in "neutral" position. The team that wins gets the offensive position, and the loser gets the defensive position. From then on, if the offensive position wins, a point is gained and the "neutral" position is re-achieved, and if the defensive position wins, it becomes offensive and the offensive position becomes defensive.

I've just thought this up and haven't determined the specific mechanics for each game.

Minute hand:

1: Trivia – the teams are asked an interesting question.
2: Arm wrestle – one person from each team armwrestles, while the other teammates throw things at the enemy to try to hinder him.
3: Race – one person from each team goes into an obstacle race, while the other teammates shoot things at the enemy to slow him down.
4: Tug-of-war – group strength checks
5: Spicy food eating contest – Team members have to eat progressively spicy food, one at a time. If you can't stomach it, you're out. Last team with remaining members wins.
6: Bumper cars – the cultists and PC’s are ramming cars into each other. not sure what the winning condition is yet.
7: Balance – Someone from each team must stand on pedestals and hit each other with soft objects in an attempt to knock the other person off. Meanwhile the other team shoots things in an attempt to destabilize people.
8: Pushing an object – The offensive team is trying to push a heavy object into a certain location in order to win, while the defensive team is trying to incapacitate the offensive team.
9: Quick draw – everyone is given ray guns with which to make ranged touch attacks against the opposition. Hit and you’re out.
10: Blind man’s tag: poke the other team, only you can't see.
11: Capture the Flag – If you die, you respawn 2 rounds later.
12: Re-roll, positions switch


Hourly stuff:

12: Polymorph is dispelled, Nothing is weird!
1: The offensive team is shaken.
2: An advanced force golem is released into the arena. If it is killed it respawns in one round. (if it kills you you are just removed, you don't have to sit out next round)
3: Winning team gets a free polymorph into a troll.
4: Both teams are lit on fire for the round.
5: Losing team is hit by a fireball, CL 5th.
6: Polymorph is dispelled, polymorph into a troll is contested.
7: A tsucora quori is released into the arena. If it is killed it respawns in one round. (if it kills you you are just removed, you don't have to sit out next round)
8. Defending players are affected by bull’s strength for the round.
9: Polymorph is dispelled, troll polymorph is contested.
10: Players are randomly targeted by cruel disappointment.
11: Everyone is hasted.


If you are KO’d, you are removed from the round and healed to full health. If you are killed, you sit out the next round.

Baalthazaq
2009-04-15, 02:06 PM
Oh and to add to the above, if you have a bard:
Eberron Idol.