Running terrain based encounters

[raspin]

Hi. I'm a new Dm but I've burned through a decent number of combat encounters, some puzzles, traps and roleplay encounters.

I've not tried any terrain encounters mostly as I'm concerned they might be dull, easily side stepped and I'm not sure how I'd run them. I'd like to try some though...things like flash floods, landslides, a stampede, a wildfire or crossing a white water river.

Anyone any able to offer any advise on the mechanics of running these sorts of encounters without making them tedious dice rolling exercises? I use roll20 with maps so it would probably be staged on a battle map.

Thanks

[PeteNutButter]

Give the players another time constraint or it'll be dull.

Either they have to save helpless villagers from the landslide or whatever or just have it as part of a combat encounter.

You need both urgency and a fear of harsh consequences if they fail.

If you just have everyone make a DC 15 dex save or take 3d6 or something no one will care. Threaten their lives or the success of their adventure and they will start getting crafty with rope and spells etc.

[INDYSTAR188]

In Out of the Abyss there is a sinkhole that opens up on players (DEX Save dc 15; I made it 25' wide & 35' deep). I used it in the middle of a combat encounter but it could be used in other ways. A npc the party cares for might fall in. They might find the Mcguffin only to have the ground collapse under them. Maybe the crash disturbs a tomb and now they're scrambling to get the item and escape.

They are most effective when there is a chance of severe failure.

[gfishfunk]

Whatever you decide to use, tell your players "Out of character, be careful with this stuff. It can and will kill you." That will make them view it with trepidation either way.

I would provide a known hazard in combat, and let one of the foes shout out to the rest "Shove 'em in!"

I would provide an unknown hazard out of combat as a trap.

If the whole encounter is a known terrain feature without combat, I would give them 20 minutes out of game to decide what to do and how to deal with it - and let them know that a consequence will occur if they do not solve it in time, even if that consequence is not known.

[MaxWilson]

Combining with combat is good. Remember that taking any falling damage at all means you fall prone. Out of combat, that's not a big deal. In combat, that could matter more than the actual 1d6 damage you take, because it grants advantage to attackers within 5' and slows your movement that round.

[raspin]

Thanks for the replies. Gfishfunk it is the last of those I am interested in.

I've had the need to cross a wide area of deep mud with random mud mephits hiding in it and popping up paralysing pcs while a giant worm, who seeks via vibrations, erupts from the ground at a random spot. I felt j needed the worm and the mephits and it worked. The players loved it and said it was tense (even the one who got swallowed).

I'm wondering how I'd mechanically run, say, the need to cross a fast flowing river, without falling back on combat to spice it up and add edge. I'm sure it's possible I've just never run an encounter like it.

Any pointers appreciated. I'm getting make it dangerous, make sure they know it's dangerous and try and create a sense of urgency when they do it if pos. So that done
.how does it play out?

[raspin]

Is that correct? Any falling damage makes you fall prone? Is that raw cos I'm currently discussing monks slow fall with a player and that might change some things.

[jkat718]

Is that correct? Any falling damage makes you fall prone? Is that raw cos I'm currently discussing monks slow fall with a player and that might change some things.
1234567890

At the end of a fall, a creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it fell, to a maximum of 20d6. The creature lands prone, unless it avoids taking damage from the fall.

[raspin]

Thank you jkat

[gfishfunk]

Glad your scenario worked.

I would use a lot of meta to get people to approach the hazard in a rush: tell them that they have x amount of time (or any amount of time) in game to figure out how to cross the obstacle, but they only have 20 minutes out-of-game to figure it out, or something bad will happen in-game.

Its meta, its incentive, and you can always simply say 'I just want to keep the game moving. If we get stuck here, I will do something to make the game keep moving and it won't be pleasant. Mischievous DM Grin." People might be wondering why you are saying the words 'mischievous DM grin' out loud, but there will be a sense of urgency for them to deal with the hazard.

I would approach the hazard as a series of checks: 4 successes versus 4 fails. Bad plans automatically assume 1-2 fails. good plans automatically assume 1-2 successes. If they come up with a plan that rally requires no rolls, they should get it straight up without a roll. That is my philosophy, at least.

Example: raging river. They come up with a simple plan: shoot an arrow to the other side, embed it in a tree, and have a rope attached. Tie it off on the other end. Cross. Probably a normal plan? Possible rolls: attack on tree to embed the arrow deep enough, rope tying roll?, acrobatics, athletics.
- But wait! - Suppose they have a wizard that can teleport across. That makes it easier. Consider it one success somewhere.

Even if the reasons for having a lot of rolls makes sense, don't require a lot of rolls. Its tedious and makes the chances of a horrible failure less remote. If they have to do ten rolls, they will fail one.

[raspin]

. "Mischievous DM Grin." People might be wondering why you are saying the words 'mischievous DM grin' out loud, but there will be a sense of urgency for them to deal with the hazard.".

As we play voice only, and maps and tokens, on roll20 saying that would probably make sense.

Thanks buddy, mechanically that makes sense. My concern was endless str checks and dex saves but this seems like an elegant solution.

Also I was concerned about situations where one or two bad dice rolls ended really badly for a pc. With a number of strikes to win or lose, and a good or bad plan counting toward the total before they start, it should mean really bad outcomes are only likely if preceeded by awful plans.

Thanks.