New answers tagged encounter-design
2
I had a great grandfather who lived in something like a frontier town. He loved to tease my father (his grandson) by telling him stories about rounding up criminals. One of the things he always pointed out was that they never let their quarry surrender. Prisoners are difficult to guard, people fall asleep, handcuffs are rarely on hand, and knots can be ...
1
It has already been said many separate things.
From myself would add the following options, which could be useful in a similar situation:
1) As a result of the success of the check can be CA for all, until end of your next turn for example.
2) The King of the barbarians, it is not Kobold minion: if the enemy is strong, one successful check is not enough - ...
2
It's a solid group, and it doesn't hurt that they are experienced gamers. From what you've described above, it looks like they'd dominate by getting in the face of the foes and pounding them down by concentrating attacks. The barbarian and monk are fast enough on their own to get into their faces and start putting the hurt on almost immediately and if the ...
2
What I suggest: take a break from the usual Big Bad Monsters - instead, let someone harass them and then disappear. If they pursue, an environmental ambush follows, if they dont, then they get hit by the same hit-and-run tactic again and again. Add greater invisibility, flying snipers, fast movement units, anything that can land a poisoned arrow in your PCs ...
4
I consider it a fine solution. Obviously I'd consider whether the boss being intimidated makes sense. If he is alone against many opponents, he surely could be intimidated (maybe even should). If the characters are not very skilled, or his group is large, or he has the advantage, it would be strange that he would surrender.
If you don't want him to ...
10
Make it a climax instead of an anticlimax
This was the bard's crowning moment of awesome, I would treat it that way. Now, instead of having the barbarian king's head, you have his surrender. This would be better in most situations, and I would play that up heavily. Now depending on the reason for the fight the players have options including making him ...
53
Congratulate your player on solving a problem without fighting. Really. It does not often happen in FRPGs and yet even ancient cultures managed to avoid fighting most of the time.
Talk to the group about whether they would like you to craft encounters where not-murdering-everyone was a viable solution.
Incidentally this seems very much the way a bard ...
38
Sometimes a skill-focussed player can bypass entire obstacles with that skill. This is a shining moment for them (which you don't want to step on), but boring for the rest of the group.
The general principle I'd follow here is "Yes, but...", useful throughout GMing: Don't say no, but do say what obstacles arise as a result.
First, take a look at the ...
-2
Whilst I'm not a DnD player, I've come across numerous such situations in my time GMing 7th Sea campaigns, especially with slightly belligerent players who refuse to understand properly how roleplaying works. Maybe the best way to deal with it is to set out from the offset of the campaign that "the GM is always right."
EDIT: Having said that, I might extend ...
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