oniasuka's page

I have a very very bad problem.

I'm a stickler about keeping everything in a set place because I lose everything otherwise. I'm also a random charts kinda gal. I usually have about 30 papers behind my screen when I DM, and I'll admit that it's really hard to find things when I need it.

Is there any way to remedy this? Do you have any organizational tactics?

Thank you.

Well, I can offer the thing that instills a sense of panic into me in real life:

Make the problems roll in faster than they can deal with them.

EDIT: To explain on this a bit - have multiple NPCs requiring their help, and make it clear they can't do it all, that they'll have to start deciding what to deal with and what to leave. Give them that "argh, whatever we do we're screwed!" feeling :)

Thank you. That is beautiful. I'll set up 20 quests for them to do right then and there that pull them in different directions. I had them answer a long questionnaire when we started. I think it's time to start pulling things off of there to make them feel guilty about not doing things.

There are a few things to consider.

1st, what level are your PCs?

2 - Do you normally do puzzles?

3 - How invested are they in the current city?

It may seem a bit cliche, but one way you can add that sense of urgency is to foreshadow bad events that will happen if they take too long. Once way of driving that point home (that you're tracking time)would be to constantly ask them how much time they're spending on tasks, or if you want to be more subtle, maybe keep a turn tracker up front and visible (that way you can non-chalantly advance the tracker while they talk, reminding them that time's ticking away).

Also, if they have NPCs that they value, maybe have them get kidnapped, or be placed in dangerous situations that the PCs need to address, and if you do several of these at similar times, it forces the PCs to think about which one to work on first and to plan out how best to accomplish everything before the place burns down.

These are just some ideas.

These guys are level 2 right now, so I can't throw too much at them (but bomber mites will definitely be in play when we meet up on Monday). I try to incorporate puzzles because I think they break up battles nicely, and I know the woman who plays the ninja LOVES puzzles. First I did a puzzle where they had to piece together an picture that had fallen apart, and last time they had to place diplomats for a dinner party.

I feel that they're invested in this city because that's where they've spent all their time. I might be misreading them, though, because I've invested so much time into this city.

The rebel leader's (he's who they wanted to help with the diplomatic dinner) daughter was just stolen by someone. I'm pretty sure they already know who stole her, but that doesn't mean they can get to her any time soon. So as they're trying to get to her, there's going to be civil war going on, but I want to have more than "We fight this mob of people" and "Let's go to the noble's house."

I do like the idea of the round ticker, though... Any other ideas?

This is my first campaign, and I'm having a really hard time figuring out how to instill a sense of urgency, panic, and chaos in my group for the next game.

Some social unrest has just exploded into a civil war within the city. Mites, which are like rats in this town, are going to start pouring in and taking over parts of the town. I may even add in a big baddy at some point to show them that even when this goes away, there's something more they need to go after.

Beyond chases and battles, I don't know how to set the stage. I've got a monk, phalanx, cleric, ninja, and oracle. Timed puzzles might be good, or skill checks, but I'm not sure how to incorporate this.

Thank you for your time.

I apologize for the length of this post!

Yesterday, I finished the second session I've had with my group. This is the first time I've really decided to be a GM for a campaign, so I'm having a hard time with some things. I rely a lot on random charts to push me in a direction most of the time because I want to provide a more open ended game (within reason).

The dungeon included a level with many battles to help them gain xp and introduce them to the tactics that I plan on implementing (mites using oil and torches to light everything on fire). That seemed to work out well, but I worried I was putting them through too much combat.

The next level had some puzzles and illusions, and very few monsters since I worried that they were already put through 3 hard battles before.

The final room contained a trap before the boss to weaken them, and I provided many places for players to take cover as I swarmed them with mites, water filling the room, and the boss (a strong mite riding an Akata).

Now that I've gone through all that, I have some questions. First, what is a good interval to put battles in? Next, what style of puzzles might work for dungeons and city life (I have someone who is extremely good at puzzles, so it can't just be "Solve this riddle"). On top of that, when I asked a few of the players what I should improve on, they said the NPCs should have more character to them. I usually have defining qualities, but I can't do voices too well. How can I make NPCs come to life when they return to the city? On top of that, are there any suggestions on what I can do for the next, very political, quest they're going on? It has to do with the poorer class being so mistreated by this one noble woman that even the other extremely racist noble houses want the adventurers to stop it. Gotta keep the peace, right? Finally, what puzzles can I use in a city? I'm thinking about making them create the seating arrangement for a political dinner with the rebellion leaders and the nobles, but I feel like I should have more than just that.

Minor suggestions go a long way! I can bluff a story if I have something to work off of. Thank you!

Also keep in mind the raging barbarian with the adamantine weapon is going to comlpete the challenge by breaking down the wall between them and where they want to be.

Oh thank goodness all my guys are still level 1.

That being said, what's the DC I'm looking for level 1 characters doing acrobatics and the like?

I just started a campaign a short while ago, and one of the members of my group, I feel, should be engaged more in the story and dungeon. I know she isn't bored with the game, but she doesn't interact much with the other characters, as RPing isn't her thing, and her character will be able to do cooler things when she levels. But I know one thing that will get her interest: puzzles.

The thing is, she's really really good at puzzles. I'm not sure I could make up something that would be difficult enough for her and still interesting to the group. This is where I need advice.

I think I might be able to tackle this in a few ways. Either I can separate her into a different area of the dungeon (just a bit) and make that puzzle much harder for her to figure out and an easier one for the group downstairs to do, or I can take a new approach to puzzles. I was considering locking her in a room that's just adjacent to the group with a grate between them. She could shout out what she sees on the wall (I would give her a picture to tell them about) as they rearrange things around the room.

The other thing I had in mind is simulating running from one room to another in the dungeon trying to remember what you saw before and imitating it. I could post a picture in the hall way of the house, have them run over to it, and then run back to the table and pick out the pieces to put on the table.

I don't know how this would work though, and I don't know if I should find some other way to deal with this problem. Her character, by the way, is a Ninja. Perhaps that could be used in the puzzles, too.