0Just doing final tweaks on a campaign we are starting in a few weeks.
One of the option side quests has the potential for the party to be capture and stripped of all gear and incarcerated. Just working out how to do CR rating for a few guards they have to get passed before being able to reclaim their gear. How would I be best adjusting.
They should be lever 4 at this point which would need 16 guards to be a hard encounter. (i will be mixing up enemies just keeping it simple for the example)
1/2 the number? Or even a quarter? im hoping for more of a sneak away and steal back their equipment then a brawl so want it to be scary enough they move to that idea but if they mess up they have a fighting chance.
So how do i work out revised CR when it normally takes into account standard armaments.
i don't think you can really use a CR rating, it just won't mean much. Most of what the characters would do are ability checks, grapples, maybe an improvised weapon and creativity. CR ratings don't mean much in those scenarios...imo. Just give them some creative options to get out.
Just as a warning, "capture the PCs" story lines rarely work out well. In any case, it depends significantly on the characters; most classes that aren't built around using weapons aren't going to suffer much more than a loss of AC (which will make things harder by meaning they take more damage) unless you also do something that prevents recovering spells, weapon-based classes will suffer rather large damage penalties if they have to use improvised weapons (particularly dex-primary builds), lesser penalties if they can at least improvise a club or dagger.
How do you mean rarely work out? It is only planned as a short side to set them up to steal a boat more then anything. So hoping it wont end badly as such.
I think the “rarely work out” part comes from your assumption that they will be captured. For one, players don’t like being railroaded, and you knowing beforehand that’s what will happen is pretty much the definition of a railroad. (But I will say I may be reading the post wrong, and it’s a possibility, not a guarantee, in which case ignore the railroad bit.)
For two, many, many players will have their characters fight to the death rather than surrender and be captured, and when they wake up in a cell after a tpk, the railroad (if applicable) seems even more obvious and kind of contrived.
And to answer your original question, a big part will be about party composition. If you have a lot of monks, they’ll barely notice losing their gear. Caster who have spells with material components will probably get the worst of it. Though anyone who wears heavy armor will also have some troubles. I’d say consider your party, and try to tailor any fights or other encounters to what they party will actually be able to do without gear.
Appreciate the input. Its certainly not a railroad. But just covering the possibility with how it would work so if it does i do not need to think on my feet as much so to speak.
In general "What happens if the PCs get captured" is something worth spending at least a small amount of time considering, but you should avoid plotlines that depend on the PCs being captured.
Thanks all for the input. I've tweaked a few bits on the what happens if they do get caught, just so i dont have to end the session if it does happen to give me time to think. But not going to get hung up over it. Will see how it goes.
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0Just doing final tweaks on a campaign we are starting in a few weeks.
One of the option side quests has the potential for the party to be capture and stripped of all gear and incarcerated. Just working out how to do CR rating for a few guards they have to get passed before being able to reclaim their gear. How would I be best adjusting.
They should be lever 4 at this point which would need 16 guards to be a hard encounter. (i will be mixing up enemies just keeping it simple for the example)
1/2 the number? Or even a quarter? im hoping for more of a sneak away and steal back their equipment then a brawl so want it to be scary enough they move to that idea but if they mess up they have a fighting chance.
So how do i work out revised CR when it normally takes into account standard armaments.
Thanks
i don't think you can really use a CR rating, it just won't mean much. Most of what the characters would do are ability checks, grapples, maybe an improvised weapon and creativity. CR ratings don't mean much in those scenarios...imo. Just give them some creative options to get out.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
Just as a warning, "capture the PCs" story lines rarely work out well. In any case, it depends significantly on the characters; most classes that aren't built around using weapons aren't going to suffer much more than a loss of AC (which will make things harder by meaning they take more damage) unless you also do something that prevents recovering spells, weapon-based classes will suffer rather large damage penalties if they have to use improvised weapons (particularly dex-primary builds), lesser penalties if they can at least improvise a club or dagger.
How do you mean rarely work out? It is only planned as a short side to set them up to steal a boat more then anything. So hoping it wont end badly as such.
This is what i thought. Thanks
I think the “rarely work out” part comes from your assumption that they will be captured. For one, players don’t like being railroaded, and you knowing beforehand that’s what will happen is pretty much the definition of a railroad. (But I will say I may be reading the post wrong, and it’s a possibility, not a guarantee, in which case ignore the railroad bit.)
For two, many, many players will have their characters fight to the death rather than surrender and be captured, and when they wake up in a cell after a tpk, the railroad (if applicable) seems even more obvious and kind of contrived.
And to answer your original question, a big part will be about party composition. If you have a lot of monks, they’ll barely notice losing their gear. Caster who have spells with material components will probably get the worst of it. Though anyone who wears heavy armor will also have some troubles. I’d say consider your party, and try to tailor any fights or other encounters to what they party will actually be able to do without gear.
Appreciate the input. Its certainly not a railroad. But just covering the possibility with how it would work so if it does i do not need to think on my feet as much so to speak.
In general "What happens if the PCs get captured" is something worth spending at least a small amount of time considering, but you should avoid plotlines that depend on the PCs being captured.
Thanks all for the input. I've tweaked a few bits on the what happens if they do get caught, just so i dont have to end the session if it does happen to give me time to think. But not going to get hung up over it. Will see how it goes.