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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    ElfWarriorGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2018

    Default Consequence, Courage and Karma

    So i was trying to think of some way to add some damage/consequences to my players between two major "encounters". I tend to run tougher encounters and im trying to have the party 'clear' the area over a week.
    So with two major encounters and to show that it take all day to clear the section they are in i was wanting a mechanic to simulate the consequences of their day in this area.

    This is what ive come up with and would be curious what flaws might be in my thinking.

    1. Between the two encounters i intend to say the day is almost monotonous as you search and clear building after building, its not without incident thou.
    2. Presented to the players will be five dice bags. Each with a die based on their class (4 d8s, and a d6). Im calling this Consequences, Courage and Karma.
    3. The bag selected will be the damage dice received in the 'offscreen' encounters (Consequence). But a player can choose to take a second dice bag allowing another player to forgo taking it. (Courage).
    I want them to describe what they did to take this hit, the moment of heroics.
    4. The player who takes a second bag can then also use that damage dice on any d20 roll they roll or I roll against them). This is Karma.

    I was thinking of adding a 6th bag with a d20, if no one picks the 6th bag, i as the DM get to use it against the players.

    What do you think?

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Imp

    Join Date
    Feb 2017

    Default Re: Consequence, Courage and Karma

    Quote Originally Posted by KyleG View Post
    So i was trying to think of some way to add some damage/consequences to my players between two major "encounters". I tend to run tougher encounters and im trying to have the party 'clear' the area over a week.
    So with two major encounters and to show that it take all day to clear the section they are in i was wanting a mechanic to simulate the consequences of their day in this area.

    This is what ive come up with and would be curious what flaws might be in my thinking.

    1. Between the two encounters i intend to say the day is almost monotonous as you search and clear building after building, its not without incident thou.
    2. Presented to the players will be five dice bags. Each with a die based on their class (4 d8s, and a d6). Im calling this Consequences, Courage and Karma.
    3. The bag selected will be the damage dice received in the 'offscreen' encounters (Consequence). But a player can choose to take a second dice bag allowing another player to forgo taking it. (Courage).
    I want them to describe what they did to take this hit, the moment of heroics.
    4. The player who takes a second bag can then also use that damage dice on any d20 roll they roll or I roll against them). This is Karma.

    I was thinking of adding a 6th bag with a d20, if no one picks the 6th bag, i as the DM get to use it against the players.

    What do you think?
    I think that if a day's events aren't worth being played through, then they hardly are worth special mechanical consequences, positive or negative.

    Also, PCs all have a lot of problem-solving capacities, just giving them a "you get damaged as you clear out buildings, and you can't do anything about it" is kind of making those capacities pointless.

    A Monk who can run 80ft up a wall to grab an item on a perilous edge isn't going to risk being damaged, for example. A Barbarian isn't going to be damaged the same as a DEX Fighter if it's a combat encounter. Someone with good WIS and Animal Handling could clear a building out of the dangerous animals without issues. Etc.

    IMO what you're proposing would leave a bad taste in my mouth, as a player.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    ElfWarriorGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2018

    Default Re: Consequence, Courage and Karma

    That's some good points. My main goal was to ensure the 10 major events of this area were completed over a week or more in what is a small area. The players will be given a heads up how I was expecting to play thru the area with each encounter having some exploration round the area before cutting to the next major encounter for the day. But I wanted to also not have them fully capable at the last emcounter for the day.

    Clearly I need to rethink things.

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