Keeping it interesting for all...

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Captain_K
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Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by Captain_K »

Keeping the 9 or so flavored fighters in CnC happy and busy is pretty easy, give them something to fight.

the base mages and the thieves give me a bit more trouble without getting them killed.

Does anyone have plot ideas, common tasks, etc. for keeping them engaged in the game in general and then when in a fight.
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Hakdov
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Re: Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by Hakdov »

Same sort of thing really. Give thieves stuff to steal, traps to find, walls to climb, and locks to pick. Give wizards scrolls to find, magical weirdness to investigate, magic items to detect and identify, and creatures to fight that is much easier to beat with the right spell. Give clerics undead to fight, religious quests, and people in need of help.

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Persimmon
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Re: Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by Persimmon »

Hakdov wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 12:59 pm
Same sort of thing really. Give thieves stuff to steal, traps to find, walls to climb, and locks to pick. Give wizards scrolls to find, magical weirdness to investigate, magic items to detect and identify, and creatures to fight that is much easier to beat with the right spell. Give clerics undead to fight, religious quests, and people in need of help.
Agree here. I basically assume that mage types can identify basic potions and common magic items with a siege check. Likewise with runes and scrolls. They might not be able to use the spells therein, but they'd know what it is. Tougher or more unusual stuff requires a bard or sage.

I presume clerics have basic theological knowledge and knowledge of the undead and denizens of the lower planes depending upon their deity/pantheon. This could include some knowledge of special abilities.

For thieves it's never an issue because of traps, walls to climb, shadows to hide in, etc.
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Re: Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by Lurker »

I have always loved giving the classes not in the middle of the melee chances at perception to notice things that the front line tanks may not have a chance to see, but will need to know about real soon !

Things like the mage noticing what do dads the orc shaman has dangling around his neck or stuffed in pouches in his belt, to know that it looks like he likes to use fire based spells, and that the next spell may be a fire ball (so everyone step back and take cover !), or someone notice that 4 more bad guys are running through the trees, and did they have long bows … get ready for a volley of arrows !
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jahydin
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Re: Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by jahydin »

Hakdov wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 12:59 pm
Same sort of thing really. Give thieves stuff to steal, traps to find, walls to climb, and locks to pick. Give wizards scrolls to find, magical weirdness to investigate, magic items to detect and identify, and creatures to fight that is much easier to beat with the right spell. Give clerics undead to fight, religious quests, and people in need of help.
Spot on for me too. When designing dungeons (surprisingly, something I finally just started to do...) I actually design rooms loosely tied to each of the six main attributes. Helps immensely since I'm terrible at dungeon design.

Strength Room: Challenging fight made easier by clever tactics.
Dexterity Room: Rogue skills put to the test!
Constitution Room: Deplete supplies, small HP loss, or environmental hazard.
Intelligence Room: Puzzles! Also a situation made trivial by the right arcane spell.
Wisdom Room: Undead fight, situation that can be made trivial with the right divine spell, situation where perception helps.
Charisma Room: Role-play opportunity with NPC in order to make an ally, get information, or avoid a fight.

I find with that template it's a bit easier to generate something fun and interesting for just about any class. Also its fun to see situations tackled in completely different ways despite setting them up just right for them!

My goal is to someday be creative enough to make dungeons large enough to not only accommodate the six attributes rooms, but also have rooms that combine them as well. Like a Str/Dex room could be a combat fought on top of platforms you had to hop around.

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Hakdov
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Re: Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by Hakdov »

Here's an old wotc article on just this sort of thing-

https://web.archive.org/web/20090602052 ... /20060728a

It's a real shame that they don't seem to have these articles still available on their website.

Edit- found an archive of all the old 3rd edition articles here-

https://orbitalflower.github.io/rpg/res ... chive.html

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Re: Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by Fizz »

Having to break into a tower (of a wizard or otherwise) is always a good way for a thief and wizard to show off their abilities. How to get in? How to avoid detection? Where to look? What to take? Etc etc. I have run whole adventures on this premise. It can work well.

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Re: Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by jahydin »

Hakdov wrote:
Tue May 11, 2021 7:46 pm
Here's an old wotc article on just this sort of thing-
https://web.archive.org/web/20090602052 ... /20060728a
That article is really helpful, thanks!

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Grandpa
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Re: Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by Grandpa »

Sometimes GMs forget that just because there aren't a bazillion listed skills in C&C that there are not skills people can use/have separate from class abilities. I don't have a distinct skill system but I have skills that I use. E.g. Appraise. Rogues of course have this "skill" they can use for any type of valuable. Healing. Clerics, Druids & Rangers in my game can use this skill to diagnose, treat, etc. Recon. (a mission to obtain information by visual observation or other detection methods, about the activities and resources of an enemy or potential enemy, or about the geographic characteristics of a particular area) Rangers assassins and some Rogues can use this skill.

I don't list these for the players but introduce as the situation presents itself or to give an inactive PC something to do and contribute. These for the most part revolve around class but there are exceptions and is easier to adjudicate if you have PC backgrounds to draw from.

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Persimmon
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Re: Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by Persimmon »

I may be in the minority here but I always liked those late 1e non-weapon proficiencies as a way to flesh out characters and their backgrounds more. I'll still pull out my Wilderness & Dungeoneer's Survival Guides sometimes and jot down notes for certain characters reflecting that they have backgrounds allowing them to do certain things stemming from those proficiencies like piloting small watercraft, identifying fungi, or whatever.
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Captain_K
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Re: Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by Captain_K »

I use the skills lists from 2e DnD as a start and suggest folks weave back story and "secondary professions" into their PCs (I was an apprentice silver smith with my family before the Gods claimed me as a Priest...).
Can you swim? read? play the flute? whittle? these are all non-class abilities or skills but are great fun to have.

You all need to cross the river, there is only an old canoe and one paddle. The strong fighter says, "Give me the oar, I'm Strong! Everyone in!" The thief says, "No give me the oar, I'm dexterous and that is needed to miss the rocks!" The quiet mage inserts, "I grew up on a river, I've been in canoes all my life, you better let me handle the paddle. Now here is where to step when you get into the boat, I will steady it while you three load in. I'll come back for the rest of you on the second trip, four is the limit."
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Re: Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by Fizz »

Persimmon wrote:
Thu May 13, 2021 1:29 pm
I may be in the minority here but I always liked those late 1e non-weapon proficiencies as a way to flesh out characters and their backgrounds more. I'll still pull out my Wilderness & Dungeoneer's Survival Guides sometimes and jot down notes for certain characters reflecting that they have backgrounds allowing them to do certain things stemming from those proficiencies like piloting small watercraft, identifying fungi, or whatever.
I'm with you. Non-weapon proficiencies became an optional part of 2nd ed AD&D. My only complaint about them is they were unevenly defined- some were very specific others were very broad, and some were really combinations of others.

-Fizz

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Grandpa
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Re: Keeping it interesting for all...

Post by Grandpa »

Persimmon wrote:
Thu May 13, 2021 1:29 pm
I may be in the minority here but I always liked those late 1e non-weapon proficiencies as a way to flesh out characters and their backgrounds more.
Yes, those were pretty good and minimalistic while still allowing for a variety of useful skills. That's a great way to go and fits C&Cs simple is better philosophy

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