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View Full Version : Help me make this an awesome RP encounter?



rubycona
2013-02-27, 08:09 PM
I'm running a very, very RP game. We've actually not had a single combat encounter, unless you include the PCs deciding to duel. And randomly kill a commoner. Including at least a little combat might be a good idea, but it's not necessary.

Anyway, so the next step in the plot is to talk to this wizard and get some information. The PCs don't know exactly what information they need to get, but they have the right sort of questions, and incidentally, the NPC wizard has no idea that this information is significant. It's a tidbit from his adventuring days. (Involving an artifact).

I can handle it, no matter what the PCs do, because it's a groundhog day scenario, and he isn't included in the people who remember. So they could interrogate and kill him every other day, if they really wanted. They know he has information, and every 48 hours, he forgets everything - they're getting it, one way or another.

I've managed to give the impression (inadvertently) to the characters that this is a supremely important encounter. When, really, this is just the next in a list of steps - it's just the first time the PCs feel like they have a real idea what they're doing, what they need to do next. A sense of purpose. A plan.

So, I want to accommodate that, and make what was going to be a relatively simple interrogation scene, into what they expect it to be - a major scene.

Only... I've no idea how to do that.

The wizard has no real use, aside from having this information. The only bits that are set in stone are, this wizard is a retired adventurer of high level (I'm thinking 14-17 range), that he's wealthy (though not obscenely so) and living off the proceeds of his investments from the gold of his adventuring days. He should have lots of interesting magical goodies, and artifacts are game.

And the PCs are visiting him, uninvited and unexpected, at his home in the middle of the night (strange choice, I thought, but what could go wrong? It's groundhog day!)

Considering the groundhog day element, I have every liberty to be as vicious as I please, but realism is the biggest element here. (And I'm completely game with murdering them all for breaking into his house in the middle of the night. In fact, a TPK could be quite convenient.)

Realism and fun... what thoughts do you guys have on making getting a bit of information from an NPC lots of fun?

Really appreciate any insights you can give!

Edit: This is Pathfinder with liberal use of 3.5 books and homebrew. Also the PCs are level 11, but considering the wizard can't level or prepare for them, I'm 100% okay with him being dramatically more powerful than they are.

Almaseti
2013-02-27, 09:31 PM
Have the wizard be hostile, at first. Or have him answer things sarcastically and with conflicting information. Make sure you make a point of the sarcasm, in that case. Have him just generally be a misanthrope, and they have to get him to somewhat like him in order for him to answer their questions truthfully.

Tsriel
2013-02-27, 09:38 PM
So basically, you're the senile old wizard from NWN2 that you have to visit to learn more about the sword shard. Fun!

TBH, seems like you already have a grasp of the situation, but I'll throw in a couple points. If he's old and that senile, he'll clearly need a jog to his memory. Give the PCs an out that would allow them to do this.

Violence probably wouldn't work here. Old wizard aside, why would he want to talk to anybody with blood on the brain?

He's old, and probably grouchy from such an unusual, unexpected visit. Give the PCs some gruff for doing this, but not so much to where my above statement would likely occur.

Stubbazubba
2013-02-27, 10:33 PM
Why wouldn't he be prepared for them? Even a level 14 wizard has ample access to Prying Eyes (1 5th level slot), which gives him at the very least a heads-up on anyone coming knocking, (something I would use every day, or at least every night) and certainly an adventuring party is something he would then start doing something about. Maybe a Mass Hold Person (1 7th level slot) right before the door, which would then allow him to read their minds with Detect Thoughts (1 2nd level slot). If I were a level 14 wizard, I would totally have all these prepared each day, even if I was a little crazy.

Anyways, this could make their encounter much more interesting. What he does with them once he knows what they're after is entirely up to you. He still has plenty of high-level spell slots left, even besides this rudimentary security measure, that you could fill with interesting things. Other than that, I can't say how he would react to what the PCs want or know or whatever. Is he cooperative? Is he resistant? Does he want to cook them out of sheer curiosity? I dunno.

Kol Korran
2013-02-28, 03:35 AM
I remember two encounters/ conversations I played which proved quite challenging:
1) in shadow run our group needed to get some info from a priest, but the information was given to him on a... confession. This age thing s very difficult... basically make the info some secret the wizard September to protection for some very very good reason, and see how the party deals with it. Suggestions:
- swore to a friend/ wife.
- a terrible embarrassing/ damning secret.
- something might try hinge on this info, like an ongoing bet?

2) in a d&d get we needed to get access to a place, and the small played the one granting access ad extremely grumpy. But more importantly, he was looking for a confrontation ( not the violent kind) and he found a way to counter nearly every argument we through at him:
- we ready need to get in! It's a matter of life and death!
- that what they all say!
- the people of x will get this place!
- good, some current at last! bugger off!
- actually we are the e'er people of x in disguise!
- up close I don't think I like you at all!
and so on.. it was hilarious, frustrating, but memorable.

Some other ideas:
the wizard is in the middle of an experiment, which may involve summoning, breaking the laws of physics, or altering shapes ( of PC's as well) the wizard may not even be in it's true form. The idea is to handle a conversation with all kind of buzzer things happening, distracting the wizard's attention. The party need to deal with these distractions to get the wizard focused enough to answer a question. Some of these may be quite "troublesome" and the PC's need not lose their temper (much)

The wizard is having a party, but due to his high level it's not a usual party- high profile people yeleporting in, planar high ups as well, demons, elementald, celestials (leave th hostilities at the door please! Bad manners in this party!) And so on. It should be a dizzying snd awe inspiring collection of beings (not to mention the fancy accomodation the wizard prepared for the guests! No expenses saved for this party!)
The party stumbles into this, let in by the servents/ caterers, now facing with the most dire challenge of all! To mingle...ske the wizard a gracious host, not admitting that he doesn't recognize the pcs, but also not in the mood to ho undet inquistion. Can the party get what they need by smsll talk? Can tjey musyet the ethics not to offend the prince of the brasd city, the torture demon of the seventh hell or the head Templar of St. Vignettes church?

possible complications:
- antagonists to the over group are also at the party for some reason. But everyone needs to "play nice"... though trying to complicate/ Be snitch or sully the reputation of the other group is fine.
- party games, extreme style, might enable the group to gain (or lose favor). Some might be simple/ funny "charades"/ " limbo" and s on) and others more dangerous/ lethal (after all ressurection should be available )
- also this could turn out to be the wizard's birthday party! Make it 100. The party need to come up with a gift on the fly, but due to the nature of the guests, and the occasion, this should really be something! Can the party come up with at least a passable idea?

I hope this helps, would love to hear how it went! :smallsmile:

rubycona
2013-02-28, 11:11 PM
Thanks for the ideas so far! :)

I'm wary of making something special happen with the wizard (birthday party, unusual circumstances, etc) because I'm worried about the PCs fixating on him and running into a dead end.

Also, whatever I have him doing, he'll be doing every single day in the campaign. Groundhog day, and all that. So... yeah. *scratches head*

I think I like the being in the middle of a weird experiment thing... hmm...

Harlan Vold
2013-03-03, 02:52 PM
Given the groundhog day element, I would strongly advise making the most of it. Do something that plays around with time and actions and consequences.

For example: Have some kind of incredibly complex, rube goldberg/chaos theory type chain of events which lead to the wizard's accidental death seconds after the Pc's turn up, and they have to spend the day (repeated as many times as you want) unraveling the chain of events and preventing them in order to keep the wizard alive long enough to answer their questions. A puzzle of causality, as it were.

Surfnerd
2013-03-03, 03:26 PM
If the PCs do decide to fixate on it you could always make an side arch out of it. There is no reason why you can't let them fixate on it, give them some other leads and allow them to help him.

Just a thought on combining a few of the other posts, the wizard is having a party and invited his contingent of strange and unusual guests from across the multiverse. Its not a birthday party, but he believes he has cracked a code dealing with time, the multiverse, etc... Perhaps he has discovered the possibility of time as a purveying force like negative energy, chaos or elements that has its own dimension and is hoping to exploit this knowledge and show his clients is new discovery perhaps being able to barter or trade his information to the highest bidder. Unfortunately his calculations weren't accurate and he has gotten himself stuck in a time loop.

The rest of his clients, allies, friends and acquaintances at the party are teleported in every 48hrs for several hours before the wizard unveils his experiment. You could have the party goers aware of this situation and have come to live with this situation, or perhaps some of them have set up wards to prevent their being teleported or some also repeat their 48hrs over and over or all or none.

He could be babbling on about everyone being late, that they aren't the right guests, the show must go on etc..... If some attendees are still stuck being teleported every other night perhaps they can help the players understand the situation.

You could even have a madman amongst the party goers who has figured out the teleportation schedule and uses it to get into dangerous situations etc....

Or maybe they are all being teleported in and out of the Time Plane or some demiplane and don't even know what is going on and that its been several years or months etc.

Just some ideas

Sith_Happens
2013-03-03, 07:24 PM
For example: Have some kind of incredibly complex, rube goldberg/chaos theory type chain of events which lead to the wizard's accidental death seconds after the Pc's turn up, and they have to spend the day (repeated as many times as you want) unraveling the chain of events and preventing them in order to keep the wizard alive long enough to answer their questions. A puzzle of causality, as it were.

Definitely do this.

Harlan Vold
2013-03-03, 07:41 PM
Definitely do this.

I've been thinking about it though, And I'm having trouble working out a suitably complex/interesting chain of events that players would have fun unraveling.

However, It did occur to me that the player's actions could also cause other problematic/amusing eventualities based on how they try to change things.

E.g. They might stop the crossbow laid on his desk from accidentally being fired, but the book that fell on it instead hits the fraying rope which tethers the chandelier above him...

Sith_Happens
2013-03-03, 09:16 PM
I've been thinking about it though, And I'm having trouble working out a suitably complex/interesting chain of events that players would have fun unraveling.

However, It did occur to me that the player's actions could also cause other problematic/amusing eventualities based on how they try to change things.

E.g. They might stop the crossbow laid on his desk from accidentally being fired, but the book that fell on it instead hits the fraying rope which tethers the chandelier above him...

Obviously it needs to be a chain of magical events related to the crazy experiments he's performing at the time.

Alex001
2013-03-04, 01:06 AM
Even if Encounters isn't designed for heavy role play,