I was hoping to brainstorm some ideas for fun puzzles or minigames for my players while they are attending a fancy dinner event. Little challenges to see how well they socially present themselves.
For example, something like "the party is presented with X dish. They have 3 different types of forks near their plate. Which one do they use?" Things that test the player's knowledge of formal dinners or just present fun challenges that are themed around an otherwise mundane meal.
Any ideas, even if they are half-baked (no pun intended) are appreciated.
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They could have to suss out the underlying meanings of the various interactions among the other guests. Like when person A says “[something]” to person B, what they really mean is “[something else],” but it’s all the stuff nobody can say out in the open. (Who’s flirting with whom , who’s 💩 talking who, who’s gossiping and about whom, etc.)
A great idea. Unfortunately this isnt a dinner party with lots of people, just one noble family of 3 and the party, so the number of possible interactions like that is a bit limited
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Four-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
They could have to suss out the underlying meanings of the various interactions among the other guests. Like when person A says “[something]” to person B, what they really mean is “[something else],” but it’s all the stuff nobody can say out in the open. (Who’s flirting with whom , who’s 💩 talking who, who’s gossiping and about whom, etc.)
This would be my idea too. Have various factions attending, and figure out from who's talking to whom, what they're plotting. Might need some subtle clues, some skill checks and maybe deduction. Like, the duke needs iron to supply his foundries for the war - but now someone with ties to foreign parties is showing a lot of attention to the mining cartels. Is it just to corner the market and get rich - or are they looking to grab the steel and send it to the duke's enemies?!
I mean, that's a fairly awful example - too simple - but then, if it get's too complicated, odds are the players will get it wrong.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Maybe the family has a custom where they have a test of skill before each course and the loser doesn't get to eat that course (No soup for you!). Something like, try to throw the grape closest to the wall.
For part of the dinner "event," the nobles might test how "cultured" their guests are with some comments about the food, or places that the party has been. For example, "this wine comes from (place) where I've heard it's made by (some exotic process)" or "So I hear you've been to (place)... they say the people there have a tradition of (something unusual)." And they might either be lying to see whether the party will catch them, or they might honestly have some details wrong. Maybe the region where the wine was said to come from, had the entirely wrong climate for growing grapes, or the "tradition" was just something done by the patrons of 1 tavern as a game. Depending on what your party's history is, and how you've developed your world, you could build a social challenge testing your players' memories, with some Insight or History checks to help them out.
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I was hoping to brainstorm some ideas for fun puzzles or minigames for my players while they are attending a fancy dinner event. Little challenges to see how well they socially present themselves.
For example, something like "the party is presented with X dish. They have 3 different types of forks near their plate. Which one do they use?" Things that test the player's knowledge of formal dinners or just present fun challenges that are themed around an otherwise mundane meal.
Any ideas, even if they are half-baked (no pun intended) are appreciated.
Four-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
They could have to suss out the underlying meanings of the various interactions among the other guests. Like when person A says “[something]” to person B, what they really mean is “[something else],” but it’s all the stuff nobody can say out in the open. (Who’s flirting with whom , who’s 💩 talking who, who’s gossiping and about whom, etc.)
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A great idea. Unfortunately this isnt a dinner party with lots of people, just one noble family of 3 and the party, so the number of possible interactions like that is a bit limited
Four-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
This would be my idea too. Have various factions attending, and figure out from who's talking to whom, what they're plotting. Might need some subtle clues, some skill checks and maybe deduction. Like, the duke needs iron to supply his foundries for the war - but now someone with ties to foreign parties is showing a lot of attention to the mining cartels. Is it just to corner the market and get rich - or are they looking to grab the steel and send it to the duke's enemies?!
I mean, that's a fairly awful example - too simple - but then, if it get's too complicated, odds are the players will get it wrong.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Maybe the family has a custom where they have a test of skill before each course and the loser doesn't get to eat that course (No soup for you!). Something like, try to throw the grape closest to the wall.
For part of the dinner "event," the nobles might test how "cultured" their guests are with some comments about the food, or places that the party has been. For example, "this wine comes from (place) where I've heard it's made by (some exotic process)" or "So I hear you've been to (place)... they say the people there have a tradition of (something unusual)." And they might either be lying to see whether the party will catch them, or they might honestly have some details wrong. Maybe the region where the wine was said to come from, had the entirely wrong climate for growing grapes, or the "tradition" was just something done by the patrons of 1 tavern as a game. Depending on what your party's history is, and how you've developed your world, you could build a social challenge testing your players' memories, with some Insight or History checks to help them out.