List of types of encounters? [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

danzibr

2012-08-14, 06:53 PM

Most would agree, I think, that a good campaign has many types of encounters. Sometimes you beat dudes down, sometimes you steal stuff, sometimes you find info from good guys or bad guys. I was thinking.. does anyone know of a list of encounters? Just for noob DM's like me. Like, make a campaign, categorize your encounters, you realize 90% are fighting tons of mooks, something probably has to change. For example, I'll get a small list going. Presumably fighting or not depends on certain actions, of course, like failing that move silently opposed check.

Fight a ton of scrubs: mostly dudes which are easily one-shotted. AoE'ers shine here.

Fight a really big scrub: big meaning high AC, good DR, or just tons of hit points, but not like... BBEG big. Something like Mr. Uber Charger shines here.

Fight a caster: this probably deserves to be separated from the above, but alone could be broken into several subcategories depending on the caster. Presumably you don't face a caster alone. Not sure what shines here.

Solve a puzzle: depending on the puzzle... well, it seems like the player more than the build is what matters. Seems to favor skill monkeys.

Steal something: likely involves sneaking past dudes or traps. Def favors skill monkeys.

Get info: I suppose there is the Gather Information skill, but from the stuff I write, more often than not it's the right role playing which is important.

After reading about some other campaigns on the forum, I realized I lean too much toward simple kill a bunch of mooks and kill a big mook, though I do have the others.

Another question: what's a good balance of these?

Kol Korran

2012-08-15, 02:58 AM

I think you might be missing something. Mainly two approaches:

1) Complex encounters: Like fighting a big bad AND some mooks AND have a caster ton the side.

or

Trying to fight off some guardiands While tryingto overcome the puzzle activating them AND the rogue trying to stop the flooding mechanism that will drown the party.

or

Some people trying to talk and sweet their way with the sheriff and noblewoman, While the sneaky bastard tries to jail break their friend

And so on. such encounters. True, you can't have them all the time, but i think you should aspire to build more complex encounters, they make everything more interesting. Oh- and time limit. can't stress it enough.

2) Designs situation, not set encounters, with potential "easy to Assemble" encounters to fit: Lets say for the ease of sake that you plan a dungeon of gnolls, undead and other beasties the gnolls use. You can go by he old approach and make it a link of tunnels (or the like) and stats the occupants of every room. If you want to be "realistic", you may have gnolls from room 3A rushing to help room 3 if they hear a fight.

But what if instead of this you make some sort of an abandoned fortress, which can be approached from many sides. Decide on the barracks, general amount of gnolls, important figures, and general defensive mechanisms and let the gnolls... respond to the players actions? It could go many ways, so you need to be adaptable. You should invest in the conditions of the place (How hard it is to climb walls? The guard towers? Have the gnolls cleared some of the woods? Have they dug trenches? What lighting is there in the place? Where is the water? Any hidden ways in? Do the gnolls hunt outside? so the party might ambush some? Do they use animals or beasties to hunt or defense? Do they employ any magic? What are their tactics for defense? rigid or more flowing?)

Next you do some "cases and responses" thinking with yourself- how would the gnolls respond if the players do THIS? and THIS? most likely the players might surprise you some way, but this should be a good start point.

I suggest stating to yourself some "potential" encounters that can be used with some alternating (Guard tower complement, fast response team, hunting team, the special beast they send to deal with trouble, and so on) but be ready to adjust this on the fly, according to the situation.

Note that this might Especially fit if you want the players to be more creative than just "lets smash them!", and works particularily well when the players might deal with small portions of the opposing force, but not with a large mass. (For example, in the gnoll example- the players might be of 3-4th level only, and there might be about 40-50 gnolls in the fortress. Do the players try to kill them all? what if the gnolls barricade themselves after a few attacks?)

I suggest giving XP for Situations rather than encounters if you go by this approach. might be more ad hoc(i try to base it on the "reasonable amount of encounters" i think is needed to complete the goal. If the players do brillantly- good for them, if not- well, stupid players).

Also- I have at time faced them with opposition I didn't know how they would get through. You do not need to devise solutions for them (especially in mid- high levels). They are the heroes- let them figure it out.

A few more suggestions for this type of "design a situation, not an encounter" From a campaign I DMed ("Many Facets..." from my sig):

- Needing to travel ever changing maze like underwater tunnels. there was some sort of a sign language they could use (A puzzle that frustrated them as hell), and many "random" encounters. They ended up using their skills wisely and capturing a scrag and threatening it to guide them truely.

- A complex siege in a city of bridges against a combined force of drow, Yuan ti and undead, with multiple potential goals. The party was "supposed" (hate that word) to mostly protect the place and look for potential artifacts at night. Instead they found a way to break through and strike several decisive blow behind the lines. (There were multiple potential encounters that could be used for situations)

- Another siege in a great church (The party was constantly under attack), with the enemy coming from many sides at waves, with different troops, while they needed to protect an important figure and try and persuade her to run, but leave her troops behind (she was their leader). The party came out with various defensive plans, and thought of a few ventures to the outside, though they didn't act on them. (point it- i was prepared that they would)

- The Party needed to get inside a heavily defended fortress, guarded by allies who were deceived/ charmed. They had a special magic. making every small group have joint hp. i Had no idea how they would do this. this was near the end of the campaign . I planned for combat, for subterfuge and more. they solved it quite easily though.

From A current Campaign, more fitting low levels (pirate campaign)
- There is a sort of a strange looking old lady living on the reef. all kind of signs point that she is more than she seem (the party think they see mandibles, this is no place for an old woman to survive, she moves quite fast and springy). They need some box which is in her cave. Do they fight her? persuade her? trade with her? try and distract her while someone steals stuff?

- The party is being tested by a treasure test between many isels, with all sort of clues, and competing teams that try to beat them to the punch. This is a sort of a Mega situation. Do the party just follows clues? do they try and trick the test makers to give them some advantage? do they lay ambush to another crew? work with them? sabotage their efforts?

- One of the clues is hidden with a pirate captain and his crew currently lounging in a big bar, spending well stolen money. The captain wants them to "entertain" them. will they entertain? how? will they persuade the captain? perhaps try and steal the clue? perhaps just fight the bastard?

and so on and so on...

this makes for MUCH better adventures than a set line of obstacles- it makes the party Choose their obstacles ( to a degree) allowing them more freedom and being proactive.