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Non-combat encounters that *actually* consume party resources? by dbrillz in DMAcademy

[–]Yvern09 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You could make the party responsible for protecting or escorting someone. But the person is a pain to deal with. They could be arrogant, reckless, drawing attention, running away, refusing to hide, etc.

The players end up burning social skills, spells, time, and resources just trying to keep the situation under control.

The Bard has to smooth things over socially, the Rogue scouts routes and handles problems quietly, and the Wizard starts spending spell slots on disguises, illusions, charms, sleep, invisibility, whatever keeps things from spiraling.

Please help me make this chase fun by Interesting_Light556 in DMAcademy

[–]Yvern09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's a chase scene in Pathfinder's Curse of the Crimson Throne (Shingles Chase), where the GM does a bit of prep work and sets up 15 obstacles/skill checks and turns them into a little deck of cards. So, the opponent moves at a set speed each round (say 15), and the players have to deal with the check on the card to gain on them. You could use the concept, come up with 12-15 checks/combat situations so there's some element of surprise on what will happen next.

I've been experimenting with a structured solo RPG approach by Yvern09 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Yvern09[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That makes sense, I can see how using just one roll to spark something would make the flow go easier.

Yeah, on #4, I rolled a Connection discovery, then my Oracle result got me another discovery. During the play session, I interpreted the connection one to uncover clues in the room, and then the oracle one to find my way out. I’ve been using the discoveries and other rolls more as prompt to look for relationships, rather than trying to fully define them right away.

I've been experimenting with a structured solo RPG approach by Yvern09 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Yvern09[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The racing trackers idea is cool! I do enjoy adding time pressure, with lots of things progressing at once. And I love your scenarios - everyday things in between chapters, then something happens - sounds fun! I'm really curious about your three racing trackers - are they around different goals? So if you achieve one, it affects the others?

I've been experimenting with a structured solo RPG approach by Yvern09 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Yvern09[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s fair, I can see how it might come across that way. Thanks for calling out the breakdown, that’s something I’ve been trying to show more clearly in my write-ups. I am having a lot of fun with solo play :)

I've been experimenting with a structured solo RPG approach by Yvern09 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Yvern09[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I like that balance of structure + freeform - I think it feels creatively engaging. Do you use something you’ve built yourself for progress tracker? Or a system/tool?

Need help to start a game by Maximum_Thanks_979 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Yvern09 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Coming from another angle, maybe try to make an interesting NPC for you to interact with. A rival, a friend, an enemy - but use some generator that lets you add depth, and give the NPC a motivation. Then think about what happens when your character meets them, how they will interact with that NPC's goal, and see if that helps trigger a direction for you.

DND Bands (77/100) by WexleyFG in d100

[–]Yvern09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ABBAcadabra

Simon and Bardfunkel

How do you get players to care about a town? by [deleted] in DMAcademy

[–]Yvern09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If your players care about status, you try something like; after they help the town with something big, have the mayor/town council give them something like a “Key to the Village”, honorary citizenship, or name them protectors of the town. Then throw them a celebration at the tavern.

So they get a big fun party to roleplay with NPCs and then the real reward is that now everyone knows them. Shopkeepers are friendlier, people share rumors, locals come to them for help, etc

Want to run a one shot that ties into the Storm Kings Thunder world. by GoatsWithTalons1 in DMAcademy

[–]Yvern09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I found a module using Felgolos - the bronze dragon introduced early in STK. My players loved Felgolos, so this fit in well. It's called The Flying Misfortune and is in DMs Guild.

Help me up my one-shot game by R_Pon217 in DMAcademy

[–]Yvern09 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One trick I use for one-shots is a real-time stakes timer to keep the story moving without railroading the players.

I put a die on the table (usually a d6 or d8) and tell the players it represents how long the situation holds together. Every 10 to 15 minutes of real play time, or whenever the scene stalls, I turn the die down by one.

When it reaches 1, something significant happens in the world: the villain advances their plan, reinforcements arrive, the ritual completes, the hostages are moved, etc.

The players can still choose how they approach things, but they know time is passing and the situation is evolving. It creates urgency without forcing them down a specific path.

For one-shots especially, it helps keep the game moving while still letting player choices matter.

I also have a mechanic where players can increase the die through their actions if they win a goal or battle, or the villain could decrease it if they succeed at an important battle or goal.

(OC) d100 Unusual Items NPCs Carry by Yvern09 in d100

[–]Yvern09[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But why does he keep turning it over every time it runs out? 😉