Random Encounters and Other Ways to Bring Back Excitement

[mr_odd]

Hey guys! It's been a while since I have been posting, but something came up in the past two session I have run. While every session has dips of exciting, intense fast pace action and peaceful, relaxing slow paces, there can come times where things simply get....boring. What are some random encounters, events, plot hooks, mishaps, lucky events that can take a player that has lost interest, or a rut in the game, and put it back on the roller coaster tracks?

[Nobot]

I would say it depends on the setting and location.

In cities, I sometimes get good results by having players spot NPC's up to no good/mysterious business (this can range from pick pocketing to seeing a shady character in a tavern sell a plan to local fortress or treasure map (yaargh) to another character).

In the wild, mysterious temples or ruins work best in my experience. They also give you the opportunity to provide a little more depth to the setting than just a random encounter with some bandits.

I think there are a lot of random encounter tables around. Some of them are fun, like the random quest hook table in D&D 3.x's dungeon master guide. Have you tried checking those out?

[draken50]

Rather than trying to add more encounters that are not boring, I'd really look at where the game is dragging and ask "Why?"

Long story short, cut the boring parts.

I've seen games drag when players try to spend too much time getting every item that could potentially be of use ect. The things, the GM actively made it seem like an important part of the process. It's not, and it's boring. You can give them a cart pre-loaded with stuff, or just make it so they don't have time to go shopping.

Take an honest look at what is slowing things down, and get rid of it. You don't need it. It was probably the toughest lesson I had to learn as a GM.

Now lets say you're running an investigation or something and go barking up the wrong tree. At that point, in my mind they need to either meet an engaging interesting NPC ect., or it needs to be clear they aren't getting any further. A natural instinct is to make things more realistic: Administrators are busy and require appointments, you have do deal with the peons before you get to the manger ect. The thing is, real life is boring, and I've never met a player yet that played RPG's wanting them to be like "real life".

If it's your players lazing about .. Give them a swift kick in the butt.