PDA

View Full Version : Flavor Encounters



Kajorma
2012-04-23, 01:05 PM
I'm running a D&D 3.5 game, and am trying to incorporate more storytelling than I have in the past. One of the things I am trying to do is add in random encounters that are in no way combat based.
One cheif example I am working from was from a game I was playing in. We were rafting down the river, and nothing was happening. The GM clearly wanted the rafting experience to feel like it took some time, and possibly effort on our parts, but was fumbling with how to get that done. The idea I came up with for this (after the fact) was thinking about LOTR where the players came across the giant statues in the river...guardians of whatever. Those statues served no purpose in the story other than to define the world, and give character to the river trip.
Flash forward to my current game. I had the party come across a old worn down statue with ancient inscription below. They attempted to identify it, the writing, etc with bardic knowledge, knowledge religion, etc etc. They searched the area as well. Because their dice hated them, they got no information whatsoever about the damned thing, and left it wondering what the hell I was trying to pull there.
Sigh.
Anyway, I want to try to continue doing things like this, so I'd like ideas about what kind of interesting tidbits the party can find. Currently they are in a hilly/plains type area with sparse trees. They are heading into an ancient forest, which will be dying from the inside (near a sacred grove of the local druids) for story reasons.
The party is currently level 2, but again, I'm not looking for combat. I can do CRs and ECLs for all that.

The Bandicoot
2012-04-23, 01:35 PM
Have them run into one or more nomads. Weather it's a traveling bard, a merchant caravan, or maybe another adventuring group.

Dr Bwaa
2012-04-23, 02:03 PM
My favorite go-to flavor encounter (when appropriate, which, to be fair, is not often) is a trio of Gnomish merchants peddling all manner of ridiculous turnip- and mole-related wares. Generally the PCs buy one or more of everything I can come up with, because "it'll be useful eventually or he wouldn't have thrown this at us!!!" :smallconfused:

Ravens_cry
2012-04-23, 02:11 PM
I had an idea where a group, on an in-universe deadline, pass by a family with a mother giving birth in a cart with a busted axil.
Do they stop and help, or do they continue on?
An orcish "merchant clan" (thanks RH junior) is something I also want to try.
Or make it goblinoids, goblins on wolves as scouts, massive bugbears pulling the carts, and hobgoblins as the merchants.

eggs
2012-04-23, 02:17 PM
The more narratively unjustified encounters the players get, the more tools you have to pull something crazy out of your ass later and say "Yeah. I planned that all along." :smalltongue:

Righteous Doggy
2012-04-23, 02:48 PM
I think its endless what you can add for flavor, doesn't have to be too meaningful, or it could mean everything. One time a dm of mine made me run into an old wizard who knew everything I needed! But was incoherent and likely insane... or lieing... Was one of the most fun encounters I ever had with him!
Anyways, last time I was in an open plains I was gored by an elephant bull out of nowhere. Could always run into local wild life doing their thing, druids and fey, cultist. Anything relating to the world! alas, since I'm not you, I don't know anything but trees and grass... never know what crazy things go out in the wilds though eh:smallwink:

Crow
2012-04-23, 03:14 PM
I always like one from the Legend of the Red Dragon BBS game.

You come across a group of fairies bathing in a pond!

(A)sk one for a kiss
(L)eave

...it was something close to that.

Ravens_cry
2012-04-23, 03:20 PM
Sweet merciful gods, my poor useless eyes!:vaarsuvius:

Crow
2012-04-23, 05:14 PM
Sweet merciful gods, my poor useless eyes!:vaarsuvius:

Yep, that game destroyed my eyes!

Ravens_cry
2012-04-23, 05:32 PM
Yep, that game destroyed my eyes!
Please don't tell me it was neon green lettering on a white background.
*shudder*
The horror, the retina flaying horror!:eek:

VeliciaL
2012-04-23, 05:56 PM
I always like one from the Legend of the Red Dragon BBS game.

You come across a group of fairies bathing in a pond!

(A)sk one for a kiss
(L)eave

...it was something close to that.

(T)rap one in a jar and save it for later

Really, from a fairy perspective, Link was a bit of a jerk.


I love the idea of random non-combat encounters that are just there. It does well to flesh the world out beyond questgivers and monsters. For added fun, once your players get used to dismissing these as you having fun, sneak plot points into them. "What, we were supposed to PAY ATTENTION to that?!"

But really, it's a fantasy staple as much as rescuing princesses from dragons. Knights are always running into tricksy fey in the forest and weird stuff like that. I wouldn't let D&D's combat focus stop me from fitting some into a campaign.

P.S. You think lime green on white is an eyesore? Try lime green on the quote box peachish color *eyescrub*

Diskhotep
2012-04-23, 06:22 PM
I always liked making the players have to come up with their random encounters. I would tell them that they arrived at their destination, and would give each player one encounter per session to describe based on a short phrase I would seed them with, like "We barely made it out alive!" or "...and that's how I found this hat!".

They were encouraged to be creative but not wacky, and I maintained veto power over their encounter. They weren't allowed to give themselves any major or important character details (i.e., they couldn't gain magic or rare items, or kill off an important NPC who "just happened to be there"), but they could restock the group with mundane items like supplies (from a wandering peddlar or a small village just off the road) or introduce a minor NPC to add to the roster of people they might encounter in the future.

With the right group, this method works really well, and takes a lot of the narrative burden off my shoulders.

Ravens_cry
2012-04-23, 06:26 PM
*looks at quote box*
:smalleek:
:eek:
*runs away in terror*
***
*comes back, averting eyes*
Non-combat encounters are indeed an excellent way to make a world richer, more than just a series of combats.

Crow
2012-04-23, 06:56 PM
(T)rap one in a jar and save it for later

Oh yeah! I forgot about that one.

Jay R
2012-04-23, 07:09 PM
Examples I've used or planned to use:

1. You come across a village, clearly recently raided. Near as you can tell, all participants in the battle on both sides died. From one of the few houses left standing, you hear a baby cry. (This radically changes what they can do, until they can get the baby to another village.)

2. Deep in the woods, you find a gingerbread house. It radiates magic. (The house is magic, just enough to keep the house from being eaten by forest dwellers. It contains no magic item, and the witch who owns it is not there.)

3. Along a dry riverbed, they find a mill, long since abandoned.

4. They find a hole carved into a mountain, with lots of small rocks below it, clearly taken from the hole. (This is just an abandoned mine. The tailings are valueless; that's why they pile up downhill of a mine.) Nearby there should also be an abandoned town, also containing nothing of value. But this might indicate that there is still ore to find.

Another potential encounter in the mountains or along a river is a trapper. He has nothing of value except pelts, but he probably knows a lot about the area around.

VeliciaL
2012-04-23, 07:19 PM
Expanding on the above, and on a more serious note: The players stumble upon a group of fairies bathing in a pool in the forest. The players may choose to interact: If they're rude or otherwise uncourteous to the fey, then the fey curse them (trap them in the forest maybe?). If they mind their manners and impress the fey, they're given a more positive enchantment instead (maybe shortening their journey through said forest).

This could be more poignant if the plot requires them to make it through said forest quickly.

EDIT: Another Zelda-inspired one:

The players find a goblin sitting in a small cave. It invites them to play a friendly gambling game with it. If the players attempt to attack it, it simply disappears and triggers a trap, but if the players play along, the goblin plays fair and happily concedes if the players win.

Kaun
2012-04-23, 07:51 PM
Flash forward to my current game. I had the party come across a old worn down statue with ancient inscription below. They attempted to identify it, the writing, etc with bardic knowledge, knowledge religion, etc etc. They searched the area as well. Because their dice hated them, they got no information whatsoever about the damned thing, and left it wondering what the hell I was trying to pull there.
Sigh.

On a side note, with things like this; only make them role if you don't want them to have the information. Because if you make them roll there will be a chance that they fail and get nothing.

Or alternatively give them some of the history from the inscription and some bonus info if they make the roll.

If your putting encounters in to teach them about the world, not giving them the info because the dice were bad is just a waste of everyone's time.

Kajorma
2012-04-24, 09:32 AM
If your putting encounters in to teach them about the world, not giving them the info because the dice were bad is just a waste of everyone's time.

I thought setting the DC at 10 for the basic information would be good enough, but it just didn't work out.
You have a point though, since that encounter ended up being disappointing to everyone.
I do want to make the things like Knowledges, and Bardic Lore play a large part in find things out though. My bard has put a bunch of points in these things (well 5s in a couple of the knowledges, since she's level 2) and as a rule, if a player specs into something, I try to make them roll it.

Also, there are some great ideas on here. I kinda want to put a river on the map just so the party can find a mill there. :smallbiggrin: I wont change the geography though. I'll just keep that one around for later.
Same as the fairies...since the life force of the island they are on has currently been stolen, all of the magical creatures in it are affected. I can't really introduce fey yet. Pretty soon they're going to come across a slain unicorn, before they find the site of the battle. If they run across any fey before they leave these woods, it will not be an idle encounter.
...But that's all getting into the campaign stuff. Thanks for all the ideas here people.

Sith_Happens
2012-04-24, 02:01 PM
I thought setting the DC at 10 for the basic information would be good enough, but it just didn't work out.
You have a point though, since that encounter ended up being disappointing to everyone.

If I had a dollar for every time I've seen a group forget that taking 10 exists and screw themselves over because of it...:smallsigh:

NikitaDarkstar
2012-04-24, 03:19 PM
If I had a dollar for every time I've seen a group forget that taking 10 exists and screw themselves over because of it...:smallsigh:

Which is why you can just assume that no matter how bad they rolled, if they have a rank in the skill (especially a trained skill, like knowledge) they get hte basic information anyway. I mean really, if you set the DC at 10 you wanted them to get the basics anyway, right?

Anyway, flavor encounters... just toss a few things around and see if your players bite first. More details to the world, a few npc's that aren't plot important, some ruins that aren't monster infested and such. See what they're interested in before trying to stick it down their throats. :)

And of course, a few randomly fun (but not weird) encounters can go a long way to depending on what tone you want.

Jay R
2012-04-25, 07:04 PM
If I had a dollar for every time I've seen a group forget that taking 10 exists and screw themselves over because of it...:smallsigh:

But dealing with a DM always counts as "threatened".