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Ozreth
Learned Scribe
229 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Oct 2010 : 22:19:38
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So I'm gathering resources for my very first Realms campaign, and it sure is daunting!
One thing I have been pondering is travel and time relation. Typically in my games I will say something like "you've been travelling for 8 hours, it starts to storm, you have to eat..." bla, bla but obviously with a bit more enthusiasm : )
But I feel like my game in the realms should have more of a frontier feel, especially since I'll be starting it in the north. I want my players to feel the wear and tear of travel. How can I do this without spending literally 8 hours describing how they are walking, walking, and still walking while pointing out various landmarks along the way?
I don't mind having them travel for an entire session, as long as it feels real and adventurous, but this is not something I have come to master yet.
SO, advice? Tips? Thoughts? Anything will do!
Thanks : )
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Mr_Miscellany
Senior Scribe
545 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2010 : 23:09:18
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I'm of the opinion that a DM's description of travel to his or her players should be just like a short essay: concise and to the point.
If you want to grab that frontier feel and put it in your player's minds, the best way to do that is to describe in short, concise sentences the terrain, the wind, the temperature and the rugged look of the North.
Then proceed to use the game rules to back that up: every hour of travel, call for skill checks if the players are following a rough trail (one that’s easy to get lost on); make a point of asking for Knowledge checks after telling the players they come upon the carcasses of a small pack of dead orcs (so the PCs can determine they were slaughtered by a dragon or other flying creature) then every so often call for Spot checks…if someone rolls high, tell that player that his or her character has spotted what looks like a huge dragon on the horizon; use imagery like the sight of wind-blasted bones sticking half out of the muddy earth, of old, rusty and broken weapons, faded tabards and pierced armor, etc…then alert the players that they’re in the middle of a massive field of the dead…a sight of a long-ago battle between men and orcs (or worse)…let the players root around amongst the bodies for treasure, maybe they spread out and find some treasure or maybe they find a pack of zombies that try to pull the PCs into the earth and eat them.
The weather is a major factor too. Some D&D books besides the DMG offer up weather hazards you can use to test your players through ability checks (to battle through the cold of a blizzard, say) and skill checks (to find shelter from the snow and wind and/or to anticipate such hazards ahead of time).
Unless you have very generous players, simply reading to them and slowing play down to a crawl just won’t work. Players want to play the game, so combine your knowledge of their character’s skills and abilities with your knowledge of all the dangers the North has to offer in order to put the players right in the thick of it.
This is the trick to getting players interested in what you have to offer them.
Again, this is all in my opinion and YMMV (your mileage may vary).
Kick ass scroll btw. I like the North a lot and I like thinking about ways to scare the crap out of low level players.
[Edit: I'm using Third Edition D&D terminology in my reply. 4E, while not as robust as 3E, can still afford you some opportunities to really test 1st level characters.] |
Edited by - Mr_Miscellany on 21 Oct 2010 23:17:23 |
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2010 : 02:50:37
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| Yeah, I guess all I want to throw in is the idea of skill challenges. Maybe 2 survival checks/day if they're traveling off road, with some misc. encounters if they get lost. Check your geography and discuss creek crossings (maybe they pick up leaches), cliffs, etc. with creative problem solving from the travelers. |
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Ozreth
Learned Scribe
229 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2010 : 06:56:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr_Miscellany
every hour of travel
Tons of great info in your post, thank you so much. One question it leaves me with is the above: how do you measure an hour of travel in your games? After an hour of real time play goes by? Or do you just say an hour has gone by in game and roll a die for weather or encounter even if its only been 5 minutes?
Also, if it helps further conversation, we are playing 3.5. |
Edited by - Ozreth on 22 Oct 2010 06:58:14 |
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mensch
Seeker
80 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2010 : 09:30:30
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You could have a look at "Sandstorm" and "Forstburn", both 3.5e D&D books which deal with harsh conditions.
I wouldn't get too worked up on the ramifications of how time should work OOC in relation to IC. If something is long and tedious, make a vivid description. Making a session actually feel long and tedious for your players is obviously not a good idea. 
Most of the time, when my players are on a long hike I let them roll the relevant checks. You could have some little setpieces along the way to differentiate from short travels, for example your players have to cross a ravine, or climb down a glacier. Basically what Mr_Miscellany describes.  |
Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to know that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice. – Robert Frost (1874 - 1963) |
Edited by - mensch on 22 Oct 2010 09:30:42 |
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Mr_Miscellany
Senior Scribe
545 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2010 : 17:29:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Ozreth
Tons of great info in your post, thank you so much. One question it leaves me with is the above: how do you measure an hour of travel in your games? After an hour of real time play goes by? Or do you just say an hour has gone by in game and roll a die for weather or encounter even if its only been 5 minutes?
I don’t know if you’ve ever had to travel with your parents in a car for what seem like endless miles of boring roads and the same terrain. I have and I don’t recall it being terribly fun. It was when we got to the destination that the fun started.
So IMO that tedium of real life travel shouldn’t get in the way of having fun at the gaming table you know?
If I want to make the trip part of the adventure, then I’ll divide each day of the trip in half and roll for an encounter or just make one up for the first and second halves of that day’s trip.
If there was no encounter, I announce that time has passed and ask the players if they're going to push on or rest for the night.
If there was an encounter during the day, I usually won’t roll for an encounter at night while they rest. Give 'em a chance to recuperate and them hammer them the next day. 
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Edited by - Mr_Miscellany on 22 Oct 2010 19:08:03 |
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Halidan
Senior Scribe
USA
470 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2010 : 19:05:54
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Personally, I use travel time to relate bits and pieces of Realmslore that my players wouldn't otherwise know. For example, when my players were recently traveling through Harrowdale, I told them that just after lunch, the road was blocked by a large flock of sheep, who showed no intention of moving, but started bleeeting loudly as their horses and wagon approached.
One of my players was raised on a farm in real life, and his character assured the others that the sheep were just calling for their shepard. While I'm not sure how a mage from Sembia would now this, but since he was correct, I let it stand.
After about five minutes, who should appear but two young humanoids, looking like long haired, teen boys whose torso had been placed on the body of a lion. The two humanoids introduced themselves, appologized for the sheep delaying the travelers, and answered a few questions about the road ahead for the PC's.
And thus, in just a few sentances, my players learned that Harrowdale had a small community of wemic shepards (courtesy of Elminster's Ecologies - The Settled Lands). Not an important fact at all, but one that would have been hard for me to pass along otherwise. |
"Over the Mountains
Of the Moon
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied,
"If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Allen Poe - 1849 |
Edited by - Halidan on 22 Oct 2010 23:16:42 |
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Ozreth
Learned Scribe
229 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2010 : 19:12:14
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Mr Miscellany: Good call on splitting the travel days in half and doing encounters and whatnot that way. I suppose a lot of this will depend on how much of the realmslore I can soak up in the next couple of months. I'm afraid my knowledge of the Drizzt books just wont cut it here. But Im studyin!
Halidan: Brilliant! I'll definitely remember to look up little tidbits about the areas my players will be travelling through before sessions to drop little pieces of history here and there.
Thanks guys : ) |
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How do you handle travel and time in your games?
