I'm running a game with younger players and in most situations they want to try to befriend monsters/creatures when they can. So for their next adventure I'm sending them to an island to evacuate Almiraj that aren't native to the island and have overpopulated it in the absence of any natural predators. There will be things for them to interact with other than the Almiraj, but for the main quest of rounding up all those cute, horned bunny creatures, I was trying to come up with a more unique way of searching for the Almiraj beyond standard Perception and Investigation checks. Any suggestions on ways to mix-up the normal mechanics in this situation?
I'm running a game with younger players and in most situations they want to try to befriend monsters/creatures when they can. So for their next adventure I'm sending them to an island to evacuate Almiraj that aren't native to the island and have overpopulated it in the absence of any natural predators. There will be things for them to interact with other than the Almiraj, but for the main quest of rounding up all those cute, horned bunny creatures, I was trying to come up with a more unique way of searching for the Almiraj beyond standard Perception and Investigation checks. Any suggestions on ways to mix-up the normal mechanics in this situation?
Borrow 4e skill challenges (the way people actually played them, not the way they were written): let each player propose a way they're being helpful, with whatever skills (or possibly tool proficiencies) they actually have.
I was trying to come up with a more unique way of searching for the Almiraj beyond standard Perception and Investigation checks
It may take some time for them to catch on, but the beauty is that you don't have to figure out alternatives. You just tell your players the situation and let them propose checks as Panta said.
This is what roleplaying is all about. You introduce a challenge and the players think about how their character would tackle it. A ranger or bard might be casting speak with animals and asking other island creatures about the Almiraj. A barbarian might look around for food they might like and try to set a trap, or once one was spotted, might use Athletics when it bolts to chase it back to its warren.
Sometimes a check might be kind of an assist on another check - like a Nature or History to provide information on Almiraj might grant advantage on a Perception check because you have a better idea where to look.
One other thing to think about is that you should be prepared for failure. If you just let them repeat checks until they succeed, it's not really a challenge. Have a plan for what happens if things go wrong.
Have them make a stealth check to hide behind a tree and a nature check to see if they can try to lure them out by sounding like a carrot.
I'll see myself out....
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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
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I'm running a game with younger players and in most situations they want to try to befriend monsters/creatures when they can. So for their next adventure I'm sending them to an island to evacuate Almiraj that aren't native to the island and have overpopulated it in the absence of any natural predators. There will be things for them to interact with other than the Almiraj, but for the main quest of rounding up all those cute, horned bunny creatures, I was trying to come up with a more unique way of searching for the Almiraj beyond standard Perception and Investigation checks. Any suggestions on ways to mix-up the normal mechanics in this situation?
Borrow 4e skill challenges (the way people actually played them, not the way they were written): let each player propose a way they're being helpful, with whatever skills (or possibly tool proficiencies) they actually have.
It may take some time for them to catch on, but the beauty is that you don't have to figure out alternatives. You just tell your players the situation and let them propose checks as Panta said.
This is what roleplaying is all about. You introduce a challenge and the players think about how their character would tackle it. A ranger or bard might be casting speak with animals and asking other island creatures about the Almiraj. A barbarian might look around for food they might like and try to set a trap, or once one was spotted, might use Athletics when it bolts to chase it back to its warren.
Sometimes a check might be kind of an assist on another check - like a Nature or History to provide information on Almiraj might grant advantage on a Perception check because you have a better idea where to look.
One other thing to think about is that you should be prepared for failure. If you just let them repeat checks until they succeed, it's not really a challenge. Have a plan for what happens if things go wrong.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Have them make a stealth check to hide behind a tree and a nature check to see if they can try to lure them out by sounding like a carrot.
I'll see myself out....
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad