DM Thread: Dealing with complexed mechanics w/o slowing game play

[Cosmic Idiot]

My imagination often out does both my intellect and ability to focus. This leaves me with great ideas for my campaigns but a quagmire of mechanics and details that require rules that don't exist. So I figure, I'm not the only one who has this problem, and that this thread may help myself and others come to creative solutions that satisfy both the rules and our players.

[Cosmic Idiot]

My most recent idea was incorporating a hedge maze into my game. Mazes have always seemed fun to me, but I play over Discord and I don't incorporate any programs to use maps and figures (Lazy yes, but I work full time, have a family, often need more time than I have to prepare a session). We only have a battle grid for combat. So to keep it interesting, but not impossible to keep track of anything, I picked a map that has a pattern built into it in places. I gave them the map, but they don't know where in the map they are. It's a pocket dimension they were transferred to, and they have enemies wondering through the same maze. Everyone is after the same goal, but no group understands the others motives. To add to the parties troubles, the maze is pure magic, and has it's own defenses that work against all intruders. I'm looking forward to seeing well it works, and will post the results on how well my plan works out.
Game details
13th level Gestalt game
Druid/Barbarian
Monk/Rogue
Ranger/Bard
All 3 have home brewed abilities to take on Demigod like forms once per day.

[Buufreak]

I like the idea of this thread. I'm away from my laptop with links, but there is a dm's toolbox sitting around here somewhere for just such a thing as this. But a new one never hurt, either.

The mechanic I've always wanted to implement was something ala Shadow of the Colossus, in which climbing the opponent to reach weak points worth striking is half the battle.

[DarkSoul]

I like the idea of this thread. I'm away from my laptop with links, but there is a dm's toolbox sitting around here somewhere for just such a thing as this. But a new one never hurt, either.

The mechanic I've always wanted to implement was something ala Shadow of the Colossus, in which climbing the opponent to reach weak points worth striking is half the battle.Maybe an expansion of the Hammer and Piton feat from Dungeonscape? That feat is pretty easy to take anyway.

[RNightstalker]

Familiarity will help keep things running smoothly. I would suggest incorporating a single mechanic at a time if possible to build up your proficiency with said mechanic and then integrate more mechanics as time allows. Also keep a thread of previous rulings to help keep consistency. More running parts will also require more prep time on your end.

[upho]

I'm using quite a lot of homebrew situational story-related mechanical advantages and disadvantages in my current game, different for each PC based on significant personality traits and previous behaviors (an idea pilfered from Paizo's Rise of the Runelords AP). For example, in a highly magic complex similar to the maze idea in the OP, one or more of the PCs could be affected positively and/or negatively in some manner in a certain area, time frame or encounter, such as:

Goblin alchemist (obsessed with knowledge of alchemy and the arcane, dedicated to spreading knowledge and enlightenment, ashamed of his background as a savage homicidal pyromaniac)

Positive: flash of insight, treated as trained in Knowledge skills, +5 bonus to Knowledge checks. Negative: engrossed in writings, -5 penalty to Perception and initiative.
Positive: automatically makes DC 30 monster lore checks to recall info on two visible enemies when rolling initiative. Negative: feels awkward using fire, takes a -5 penalty to attack rolls with alchemist bombs and any attacks dealing fire damage.


Half-giant warder (intelligent but naive, kind and loyal defender sworn to protect the weak, but is easily provoked into rash and violent behavior by insults)

Positive: learned, +5 Aid Another bonus to help with Int-based skill checks. Negative: naive, -5 penalty to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate and Sense Motive checks.
Positive: brave defender, +5 to saves vs fear. Negative: blind fury, half of damage dealt by first melee hit each round is also dealt to random ally within reach.


Tiefling bloodrager (grew up shunned and bullied, bravely opposes evil wherever found, afraid of being viewed as a monster, alcoholic)

Positive: watchful, +5 to Perception checks. Negative: drunk, -5 to Dex-based skills
Positive: self-medicating, gains Good for What Ails You rage power. Negative: must drink alcohol every second turn (move action) or stop raging and become fatigued for 1 round.

The players are unaware of the exact effects unless they're obvious. To make things easier for me, I kept all numeric bonuses and penalties at +/-5 and have mostly used the same set of effects, although they've slowly grown increasingly specific and more significant along with the development of the PCs' and their "track records". Thankfully, tracking key behaviors for each PC has quickly become routine after a session and it hasn't increased my work noticeably, while the effect on the game has been great so far, giving the PCs' personalities and their actions extra weight, along with the eerie feeling they're being watched and evaluated. The players (and PCs) have recently figured out some signs which indicate these effects may be triggered. They also suspect there might be a connection between certain actions in their past and these strange pros and cons, though they're still stuck only taking their actions in one or two certain specific situations into account rather than more general behaviors.