RolePlay suggestions needed

[Lathelus]

Hello! I want to make a thread where I can ask you guys, more experienced DM's, how do you RP some mechanics. I noticed lately that my improvisations are becoming repetitive, which isn't a good thing obviously. I simply run out of ammunition, please give me some extra mags. Here are some of my questions about RP methods you DM's use.

First, stealth check. I know the mechanics, there are loads of guides on the internet, no problem. But, when it comes to RP, I have no idea how to narrate that (not only as a DM). Let's say, a rouge is hiding behind cover during a fight, he rolls for stealth, succeeds, goes behind a nasty orc, and stabs him in the back with his dagger. But what did he do IC? He ducked, hid under his cloak, and simply made a few steps towards the enemy? How do you imagine that check?

Second, entering a town. Simple "you walked past the main gate, guards looked at you..." etc. became boring. How do you narrate entering a town?

Thanks in advance, but I think that I could have some more questions in the future.

[MySinIsPride]

So all stealth rolls are opposed by perception checks. In this case since the orc failed in his check to perceive your player skulking about you could word the description as, "You slip into the shadows hoping to avoid the orc's fierce gaze. With his attention currently occupied on defending himself from the vicious onslaught of your companions, it appears you maneuver around him unnoticed." Or something like that. Use whatever exists in the environment to rope into your descriptions, use whatever could be distracting the creature to aid you, and use whatever the player has as equipment or abilities to form your statements.

As for city or town descriptions, each location is unique so I tailor my write-ups based on its distinguishing characteristics. Maybe one town is in the middle of an election cycle and the whole town is filled with banners with names painted on them. Maybe another town has been under constant threat so there is a depressed atmosphere among all the people. My players just recently entered into a town which was gearing up for a festival so after they entered I talked about the lively state of things. I rattled off details about a group of drunken guys singing a tavern song as they walked by (one player actually jumped off the wagon and joined them), I spoke about the kids playing in the streets, and also detailed how a group of women approached each of them to put colorful leis around their necks followed by a gentle kiss on their cheeks.

Additionally, why does the gate need to be open? Maybe they have to convince the town militia to let them pass. Maybe the town's in lockdown and they have to sneak in. If the party is well known locally as heroes have people cheer for them as they pass and have a nearby mother shove a baby in a player's arms to kiss its forehead. Lots of options, you just have to think outside the box about what makes the particular location special. Brainstorm a couple ideas and then expound on them.

[Lathelus]

Okay thank you :P

[Tinalles]

I tried to post this yesterday, but the forum ate it.

For the first - if the rogue is doing this a lot, you may have to put up with some repetition. However, you can mix it up a bit by incorporating the terrain and the actions of the other PCs:

"The divine radiance of Valina's channelled energy dazzles your opponent just long enough to slip under his guard."

"You slip behind the pillar, wait a heartbeat, then burst back out the same side you entered. The fighter had already turned in anticipation of your emergence on the other side, and takes a dagger to the gut for this unwise assumption."

Because the terrain and the actions of the PCs are going to vary from combat to combat, that should introduce an element of randomness that will (hopefully!) keep it from getting TOO repetitive.

As for the second, a town is a character. It has a personality. Bring that out in your description.

"The scent of woodsmoke drifts lazily off the half-dozen chimneys of Haversford. You can see the villagers going about their daily business as you approach, footsore and weary from your travels. A young lad casts corn to a flock of chickens, under the watchful eye of a grandmother in a rocking chair on the porch ..."

"Sprawling out messily across the land between Tyrinian's Gulf and the Cerulean Spire, the city of Galinor presents a warren of tangled streets sure to confuse unwary visitors. Though the guards are attentive enough to collecting the taxes levied by Lord Berinox, they pay scant attention to the soft-footed waifs who dart in and out of the bustling crowd, periodically followed by the cry of 'Stop, thief!' to no good effect."

[Mark Hoover 330]

When it comes to being descriptive, less is more. For stealth or other physical skills, recap the physical actions.

- Moving silently through the melee and using your companion's assault as cover you maneuver unnoticed behind the orc

- He never saw it coming; more than a phrase this has become the mantra in your head as you grin over the grievous wound the surprised orc is howling from

For towns, give them a once over first, try to pick out notes of their personality from the stats of the settlement. For example, let's say there's a Village with a Tourist Attraction that adds to the Economy as their one defining trait:

- The villagers smile and wave as the road winds through the fields. Ahead bucolic horizon yields to buildings of wattle and daub surrounded by a modest stockade. Then, just above, you spy the looming cliff of Sunder's Rock for which the village was named. "See that 'venturers?" the grizzled sheriff hails from the open gate. "That's where the Caverns o' Craziness begin 'n end! If'n y'd want a guide or hirelings, I'd be glad to lend some local boys. The name's Gruender Greathelm, WELCOME t' Sunder's Rock!

[Lathelus]

Thanks for all your suggestions! You're awesome :)