tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247585863914172917.post2407144308733330381..comments2023-12-21T04:41:09.480-06:00Comments on Renovating the Temple: Alternatives to the Random Encounter ClockAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06113033843564920306noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247585863914172917.post-44127946379138522252014-02-26T23:53:55.768-06:002014-02-26T23:53:55.768-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Kate Uptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03923707579635399360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247585863914172917.post-7622412505567237982014-02-21T11:00:10.740-06:002014-02-21T11:00:10.740-06:00You're right, of course; there are many other ...You're right, of course; there are many other functions to a wandering monster than just time pressure. But let me be clear about the sort of interaction I mean: The players are discussing whether or not they want to search for secret doors down the whole corridor. The GM says, "Okay, to search for secret doors is a turn for each 10' section you search; I'll roll a random encounter check every turn." The players decide maybe that's not such a good idea.<br /><br />This still works with breaking up too much player discussion about extraneous or related-but-time-consuming things: the threat of a possible monster is almost as effective as the threat of an actual monster. You just have to communicate why and when you're rolling.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06113033843564920306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247585863914172917.post-163002351442475372014-02-21T09:07:53.085-06:002014-02-21T09:07:53.085-06:00While there is nothing wrong with using time press...While there is nothing wrong with using time pressure of some kind as an RPG device, I have always used, and primarily seen WMS being used, as a canonical excuse for the GM to break up digressions/tedious tangents/etc. with the fantasy equivalent of "Five men burst through the door with guns, what do you do?"<br /><br />Sure, it's often a kind of time pressure, but it's a time pressure enforced by *immediate action*. And just as often, it's NOT time pressure, it's just a quick jostle of the elbow. (After the PCs slay the All-Goblin Amway Sales Team, they've been distracted from their fifteen minute argument about whether it is worthwhile to pry up every flagstone in the room to check for secreted pretties.) <br /><br />Not that there isn't merit in other forms of time pressure, nor did you claim that time pressure is the only function of WMs, it's just the IME experience, the primary purpose of WMs is jostling, and time pressure is more direct if it is needed.<br /><br />Other uncorrelated thoughts: <br />Time pressure can backfire, when the players resent it or handle it poorly.<br /><br />One fun alternative to time pressure is toll pressure, where there is a steep "cover fee" for the dungeon, encouraging longer expeditions instead of shorter raids.<br /><br />Conversely, you can do pure time pressure with dosimitry, where you get a pure X amount of "badness" (taint, rads, years of aging, whatever) per Y time spent in the dungeon. This encourages lightning raids.<br /><br />A lot of old school random encounter tables for wilderness areas included stuff that would TPK any party of the level the module was for. I always assumed this was to remind the players that their PCs were in a larger world where everything bad could not necessarily be killed (by them) and encourage the odd sneak/negotiate/plead style interaction that are so hard to get players to do in the dungeon. martinlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14046036634336503492noreply@blogger.com