Hunting

[Rider]

I'm looking for ways to make tracking/hunting large creatures and monsters more interesting. Right now, using RAW it really comes down to a series of skill checks that feel very dry and dull. I want to make the actual hunt a central part of the adventure.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to accomplish this?

[Christew]

Sounds like a good space for a skill challenge.

[Zhorn]

It would still use skill checks, but I'd aim to make that narrative of the scenario and the information gathered from the checks play a larger role instead of check being a pass/fail system.

Player don't just "roll survival to find the den of this creature", instead it's about gathering clues and details about how it hunts, what grounds it is known to frequent, what behaviours it has that differentiate it from red-herrings in a similar area.

The movie 'Jaws' is a good example of what to aim for. It's not as simple as just getting the party in the same general area as the creature to duke it out. You need find where it usually would be, draw it there, have a way of keeping it there, dealing with it, AND determining if that was the righto one, or the only one.

[Kurt Kurageous]

The movie 'Jaws' is a good example of what to aim for. It's not as simple as just getting the party in the same general area as the creature to duke it out. You need find where it usually would be, draw it there, have a way of keeping it there, dealing with it, AND determining if that was the righto one, or the only one.

Rewatch Jaws. Note how Brody studied about sharks, then how he and Hooper conferred and agreed on where the shark was, then how they used Quint's expertise to actually get the shark in harpoon range. And then why/how Hooper went into the shark cage as a way to get the shark. Not everyone agreed on that one. "You go in the cage, cage goes in the water, you go in the water. Shark's in the water, our shark. Farewell and adieu, you fair Spanish ladies..."

So what you are asking for are high stakes decision points. High stakes, cause each wrong answer means no encounter and perhaps something bad. Like how Brody and Hooper together lost the argument with the mayor about closing the beaches, resulting in a boy's death.

So write a few decision points into your hunt. Do you stay here and hope the bear returns to finish eating something, or continue to follow the trail away, or go to the high ground?

[Sorinth]

To make it interesting that party has to do more then just follow it to a lair and then fight to the death. So as others have suggested there needs to be decision points along the way, they should also gather information that makes it obvious that they need some sort of plan of attack.

A far greater movement speed or something like flight will force the party to have to find a way to trap the beast somewhere. Perhaps the beast is way too strong to face in a straight fight but the party will learn of a weakness that if exploited can even the odds.

[Vogie]

I think you could also take a Witcher-style approach to the hunting. Instead of just rolling the normal stuff like Stealth and Survival, turn the prey into crazy things. Spiders the size of RVs, cowmimics, things that need specific types of weapons and/or tactics to take down.