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Totally Guy
2008-08-31, 05:53 AM
I'm thinking of using a "time passes" technique in the next session I run. The players have managed to conclude quite a dramatic plot and established a status quo where monsters and money come their way. This was unexpected.

The next phase of the villains overarching plot is quite slow and subtle so I'm thinking of maintaing this status quo until I can realistically show the next part of the story.

If I were to use the time passes technique in their current position they should have some XP and money to show for it. I can work this out, 1 appropriate encounter every couple of days for 3 weeks for example.

But would you feel cheated if you were awarded XP and money for some assumed successful combat that has happened off camera? As well as the DM dictating that the characters all do what the DM says.

I could sandbox it for the week or pack in sidequests. But then thy wouldn't be doing the job they managed to put themselves in last session which would be jarring after such a dramtic ending yesterday. And running the combat would just take too long and be boring.

Anyone got examples of instances where "time passes" has been used successfully or not?

Myshlaevsky
2008-08-31, 05:55 AM
Speaking as a player, I would prefer to be able to pursue some project of my own in this time and forgo the experience and monies. While I wouldn't be annoyed about 'time passing' I think there is the opportunity to insert something more interesting here, if the situation allows. I've no doubt others will help you far more than I can.

If it is a short period of time it would not concern me that much at all - and I wouldn't be bothered about XP and money in the space of three weeks.

nagora
2008-08-31, 05:57 AM
When time passes you don't get XP. If their job is boring then that's exactly why they don't get XP for it - they're adventurers.

As a player I'd be fairly offended to get XP in those circumstances.

kamikasei
2008-08-31, 06:05 AM
When time passes you don't get XP. If their job is boring then that's exactly why they don't get XP for it - they're adventurers.

There's a difference between saying it'd get boring to run through everything each character does separately in their time apart and saying it'd be boring for that character to gain those experiences.

I'd see this as conceptually like a season break on a TV show. The characters conclude a story arc together, they individually pursue activities that don't really bear on one another or the overall story, then they reconvene with a few new tricks up their sleeve when something tied into their previous adventures comes up.

I think it'd be reasonable to give them a level or two and a bit of gold (up to you what the scale of the rewards should be, of course), let them tidy up their builds and equipment, etc., and talk to them - together or separately - about what they want to have done in the meantime. It sounds like they're staying together as a party but doing something fairly long-term and routine, so just say "okay, if you guys don't mind I'd like to move the clock forward a bit instead of playing through the weeks it'll take you to complete this task. You can assume you faced a certain amount of challenge and got a certain amount of reward and the sidequest is now concluded. Other than the agreed work, what would you like your characters to have done during that time?"


But would you feel cheated if you were awarded XP and money for some assumed successful combat that has happened off camera?

No.


As well as the DM dictating that the characters all do what the DM says.

Yes. This would bother me; be careful with it. Better to get them to agree to the timeskip and give their input on what their character would get up to.

BobVosh
2008-08-31, 06:33 AM
I wouldn't be offended, but I wouldn't like it. Unless you are specifically worried that they don't have enough money or levels for the next part there is no real reason to give them exp/money. I would however suggest they get a chance to craft, build connections, etc.

only1doug
2008-08-31, 08:03 AM
I would ask the players what they wanted to do next, they might wish to spend the time researching, crafting, politicking etc. if they do any of these then you can give them a single skill check on what they claim is the relevant skill.
Progress toward completion is based on how well they roll and how hard it would be able to achieve while using that skill.

If they choose to try to make money then again they choose which 1 skill to roll against, with the skill chosen & skill check total giving you a guide to how much they make.

If they wish to adventure then the skill check total will result in xp earned and gold gained (with low rolls resulting in gold lost due to Expensive costs related to mission).

If the entire group wishes to adventure then you should run a interim mission, download a suitable pre-made adventure and let them have a break from the story arc.

shadow_archmagi
2008-08-31, 08:08 AM
I'd be all fine for that.

"Hey guys, you want me to run a bunch of boring and routine combats, or would you rather just say you won them and finished the duke's mandate for blue diamond chests and its a few weeks, levels, and thousand gold later now?"

Prometheus
2008-08-31, 10:49 AM
Speaking as a player, I would prefer to be able to pursue some project of my own in this time and forgo the experience and monies. While I wouldn't be annoyed about 'time passing' I think there is the opportunity to insert something more interesting here, if the situation allows.
I completely agree.

I was a DM who found a nice way to conclude my D&D campaign at around level 17, but my players who worked so hard to grow their characters up from level 1 kind of wanted to see their future plans for their characters development. So I made an "epilogue" in which seven years passed, each player gained seven levels and an appropriate amount of gold. Than we had an epic adventure that let them have fun with their characters and even managed to tie up every loose thread I had in the plot. But while money and XP was kind of the point of my "time passes" and I did it in an extreme way, I still had the character's each chose something for their life to go on.

The Paladin married a King, managed affairs, and gave birth to a child. The acquisition Rogue got to draw out his Stronghold that he designed with his gold and his Stronghold feat. He also got acquainted with a long-lost brother he never knew he had, when he found him attempting to rob the place. The Fighter trained the castle guard. The Druid returned to the wilderness to heal some of its damage and collect another trained animal friend. I gave the Sorceress some scrolls and the opportunity to research new spells (and in this case, also Epic spells).

bosssmiley
2008-08-31, 11:06 AM
No level ups for wipe dissolves!

Finish the current adventure and, if no-one has any side-quests they want to do, open the next act in the wreckage of an epic old-school "Conan-and-Fafhrd-wish-they-partied-like-us" bender. :smallbiggrin:

Viruzzo
2008-08-31, 11:17 AM
XP: none or little. It could represent research or such things, but fast forwarding through combat and quests is a bad idea.

Money: some, but possible in another form i.e. spellbooks, items, buildings... Material stuff but not (only) gold.

But most important of all is the idea most people suggested, to give them the chance to make something in that time. As an example, last time we went on a "time passes" phase I (as a paladin) directed the building and estabilishment of a church in the half-destroyed city we had saved. I didn't get money from it, but rose in rank in my churc's clergy and gained fame and contacts. More abstract advantages that are equally rewarding while more interesting than money.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 11:39 AM
I'm on both sides of this.


On the pro-skip thing, it fits with the adventurer's predisposition for free XP and phat lewtz. On that note though, if nothing seriously exciting happens to them through the week, they really shouldn't gain XP. Or at least not a great deal. Also, hitting the FF (that is, fast forward, not a game by Square) allows them to get right into the yummy plot and action of whatevers supposed to happen in a few weeks game time.

On the anti-skip thing, I do like controlling what my character does when and if possible, and I absolutely loathe when a DM says "this is what your character does because it moves along the plot."

I do, however, have a solution if you don't necesarily want to go through those few weeks in-game time and want to cut-to: miniquests! Everybody loves them. And they don't have to actually by real miniquests, but as was suggested before: Let Wizardy McMagicpants go ahead and have some time to make some scrolls or whatever. Let RogueyMcSneakypants go build his contact list. By all means, let them go buy stuff from Akbar's Discount Store or something (cookies all around if you do let them go to Akbar and they get the reference).

quillbreaker
2008-08-31, 12:03 PM
You can't just give them something to do that will take one session real-time but months game-time? Say, a man who has important information has been sent to a penal colony before they realized what they had. Go get him. That's one session of looking around a dusty underpopulated continent with at least 4 months of travel time attached.

kamikasei
2008-08-31, 12:04 PM
You can't just give them something to do that will take one session real-time but months game-time? Say, a man who has important information has been sent to a penal colony before they realized what they had. Go get him. That's one session of looking around a dusty underpopulated continent with at least 4 months of travel time attached.

He already has something for them to be doing that will take several weeks.

crimson77
2008-08-31, 12:12 PM
I do not see a problem with letting a few weeks or months pass in game time. Characters need some vacation time. If you have crafters in the party then they can get a lot accomplished. Ask each player what their character did for the last month and give them small xp or gp rewards. For instance, one player might say "I focus on making a set of armor how much did I accomplish?" Another fighter type might say, "I was a bouncer at the local pub, how much xp and gold did i make?" Then give a small amount to him for bouncing low level commoners (like 50-200 xp & 20 gp for his services). Others may wish for a vacation and owe money for their suite at the local inn. Remember adventures need down time too. I do not think that you need to worry about this too much. I have used this technique for years and often did not even give them a say in what their characters did.

Fiery Diamond
2008-08-31, 08:34 PM
I honestly don't know where the people saying the characters shouldn't get XP are coming from. "Time passes" should be done with in-universe changes making sense -- if they did what they are going to be doing, but is going to be off-camera, and that would, if played, net them XP and gold, it should net them XP and gold.

However, I strongly agree with Sharikov and Prometheus. Ask them what their characters want to do and let them make skill checks, etc. for that. If you can think up something interesting for them to do that wouldn't take much time IRL but would take longer in game, I would recommend that if it doesn't conflict with what the players want their characters to be doing to benefit from what they have set up.

I hope that made sense...

-Fiery Diamond