I have a guest character coming in for a single game coming up on Monday. She is going to be using a character from a one shot I did for her and a few other people. Her character is from the city that my players are going to be visiting for some information. The character she made for a one shot was a newly made captain of the guard, the current game with my PC's happens is 5 years prior to where she was meaning she is much lower in rank (possibly just joining the military in her private days). The issue with that is that in the one shot she was level 8 and if this before that I can only imagine that she is only going to be level 3 or 5 atm. My PC's are currently level 16. Other than role play how can I get her character involved with my PC's that would be meaningful?
If you need a little background the PC's are going to this city to use their large library to find information on a material that can help cure their friend of a major curse. They know it sits in the lands between the fey and the shadowfell, but they don't know how to get to either. My thought was that when they hand the current captain of the guard their letter of intention from a prominent leader asking for access to the library. I was going to have the captain order her to escort these adventurers throughout the city. But other than that, I don't know how else to involve her. Any ideas?
The disparity of levels makes combat either very dangerous or trivial for the guest/party. Why are they going to be lvl 3-5 instead of something higher?
They could initially be a guide or victim that needs help against some foe - the rest of her patrol has been taken out and she stands alone against her aggressors. The party turns the corner and (hopefully) saves her.
Have them chase clues from the library to other parts of the city - Sounds like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Somehow incorporate her necessity in opening the portal to wherever it is. You can let the player in on what it is - some sort of sacrifice. And let them play it out. Hopefully they can pull off the role play. Players often like being "in" on a secret which should work well.
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"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
The info the party needs to find is located in the restricted section of the library, and the library demands that a city guard watch them at all times lest they make off with any sensitive secrets. Your guest can keep an eye on the party in the restricted section... Which is restricted for a reason. Welcome to D&D Pagemaster. The books are alive.
Guard and party need to pass through shelves with magic that leaks out through the bindings. Books that try to charm you into reading them and setting something mischievous free. Books that project illusions of the Feywild into the aisles. Books that are hungry. The library gives guards a luck stone or an amulet of protection to help them resist the books, but this is the first time your guest has ventured into the stacks. Boy, she hopes the party checked the index first...No? Welp, hope you're good at navigating. She's heard you can really get lost in the reference section...
The info the party needs to find is located in the restricted section of the library, and the library demands that a city guard watch them at all times lest they make off with any sensitive secrets. Your guest can keep an eye on the party in the restricted section... Which is restricted for a reason. Welcome to D&D Pagemaster. The books are alive.
Guard and party need to pass through shelves with magic that leaks out through the bindings. Books that try to charm you into reading them and setting something mischievous free. Books that project illusions of the Feywild into the aisles. Books that are hungry. The library gives guards a luck stone or an amulet of protection to help them resist the books, but this is the first time your guest has ventured into the stacks. Boy, she hopes the party checked the index first...No? Welp, hope you're good at navigating. She's heard you can really get lost in the reference section...
Oh! I really like this. Got any specific traps that you can throw my way with DC's or effects? I think I will try to make this a maze inside the library!
Wally DM's Journal of Puzzle Encounters is a cheap pdf you can purchase with ~75 puzzles. Although they are not specific to a library, many can work just about anywhere. Worth a shot.
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Velstitzen
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
I've gotten some fun traps from Traps & Treachery II. Be careful not to use ones with too much damage, though. Your level 16 players will be fine, but your guest might get obliterated.
Think about traps that charm, entrance, confuse, or amuse rather than injure. Some traps can grapple or restrain. Maybe one of the books is on flowers from the celestial plane, and if you fail a Wisdom save, you get high off the scent of ambrosia and begin to float as you remember beautiful vistas you've seen, and the party has to get you off the ceiling. Maybe one of the books has an imprisoned genie who will con anyone with three wishes if only they'll be let out. Get creative with lore and environmental things and see what inspires you.
More benign ideas: Curse causes you only to speak in rhyme. Only to dance, not walk. Walk backwards only. Forget everyone's name. Sit down and make a campfire every time a bell is rung.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Velstitzen
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
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Hey everyone,
I have a guest character coming in for a single game coming up on Monday. She is going to be using a character from a one shot I did for her and a few other people. Her character is from the city that my players are going to be visiting for some information. The character she made for a one shot was a newly made captain of the guard, the current game with my PC's happens is 5 years prior to where she was meaning she is much lower in rank (possibly just joining the military in her private days). The issue with that is that in the one shot she was level 8 and if this before that I can only imagine that she is only going to be level 3 or 5 atm. My PC's are currently level 16. Other than role play how can I get her character involved with my PC's that would be meaningful?
If you need a little background the PC's are going to this city to use their large library to find information on a material that can help cure their friend of a major curse. They know it sits in the lands between the fey and the shadowfell, but they don't know how to get to either. My thought was that when they hand the current captain of the guard their letter of intention from a prominent leader asking for access to the library. I was going to have the captain order her to escort these adventurers throughout the city. But other than that, I don't know how else to involve her. Any ideas?
The disparity of levels makes combat either very dangerous or trivial for the guest/party. Why are they going to be lvl 3-5 instead of something higher?
They could initially be a guide or victim that needs help against some foe - the rest of her patrol has been taken out and she stands alone against her aggressors. The party turns the corner and (hopefully) saves her.
Have them chase clues from the library to other parts of the city - Sounds like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Somehow incorporate her necessity in opening the portal to wherever it is. You can let the player in on what it is - some sort of sacrifice. And let them play it out. Hopefully they can pull off the role play. Players often like being "in" on a secret which should work well.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Turn it into a puzzle encounter/skill challenge.
The info the party needs to find is located in the restricted section of the library, and the library demands that a city guard watch them at all times lest they make off with any sensitive secrets. Your guest can keep an eye on the party in the restricted section... Which is restricted for a reason. Welcome to D&D Pagemaster. The books are alive.
Guard and party need to pass through shelves with magic that leaks out through the bindings. Books that try to charm you into reading them and setting something mischievous free. Books that project illusions of the Feywild into the aisles. Books that are hungry. The library gives guards a luck stone or an amulet of protection to help them resist the books, but this is the first time your guest has ventured into the stacks. Boy, she hopes the party checked the index first...No? Welp, hope you're good at navigating. She's heard you can really get lost in the reference section...
Oh! I really like this. Got any specific traps that you can throw my way with DC's or effects? I think I will try to make this a maze inside the library!
Wally DM's Journal of Puzzle Encounters is a cheap pdf you can purchase with ~75 puzzles. Although they are not specific to a library, many can work just about anywhere. Worth a shot.
Velstitzen
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
I've gotten some fun traps from Traps & Treachery II. Be careful not to use ones with too much damage, though. Your level 16 players will be fine, but your guest might get obliterated.
Think about traps that charm, entrance, confuse, or amuse rather than injure. Some traps can grapple or restrain. Maybe one of the books is on flowers from the celestial plane, and if you fail a Wisdom save, you get high off the scent of ambrosia and begin to float as you remember beautiful vistas you've seen, and the party has to get you off the ceiling. Maybe one of the books has an imprisoned genie who will con anyone with three wishes if only they'll be let out. Get creative with lore and environmental things and see what inspires you.
More benign ideas: Curse causes you only to speak in rhyme. Only to dance, not walk. Walk backwards only. Forget everyone's name. Sit down and make a campfire every time a bell is rung.
Velstitzen
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.