Hey Guys. I'm just curious what were the ways you guys have gone into this.
I'm currently making a campaign right now and I'm not sure how to exactly manage events that are timebased.
Player rests and sleeps always count as 8-hours or a day. All the while not really sure knowing what happens in the future days/events of the campaign.
I want to put "This event will happen on this day" or "This event will happen 2 months from now".
How would I go about into writing this? Time skips? Maybe the option for a players to wait for "1 month" in game time?
It's unlikely that the whole game world will stop and wait for future events.
Typically, the NPCs & Factions involved in the conflict are unlikely to be sitting still, but rather trying to advance their agenda - so have them continue to act. If that really messes up your timed schedule - then maybe your timed schedule needs to be re-examined to see if it's really plausible?
If the situation really is a peaceful & stable one until external events throw the equilibrium out of balance again ( the Orc tribes will leave the Frontier towns alone, for fear of the garrisons, until the height of the summer dry season wildfires decimate their hunting grounds, and they're forced to raid for food ), then there's nothing to say you can't start a completely different Adventure for the Party to fill up the time until those events trigger.
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To be more specific, there is an event I want to design to occur, say for example, only once every 200 years or so. I want to make sure that the players at least level 7 before it happens.
Should I be vague And just use things like "It's going to happen soon" ?
Let's say it is to happen in 14 days.
But in those 14 days, the players took more tests and other time-consuming events that took out more time than originally intended.
Don’t tell them exactly how long it will be before it happens, just that it will be soon. Then, when they are at the appropriate level, they can find the sage, or ancient book or whatever and realize it’s next week or in three days or something. And they have barely enough time to get there. If you tell them exactly when and they aren’t ready, it will seem really cheesy that you pushed it back or dumbed it down. Or you can go at it from the other side. You’re in charge of the leveling pace. Throw a couple hard encounters at them or give them story xp to boost them up to the necessary level more quickly.
You can use a upcoming even to add tension to your game. If you say in two days at midnight the end of the world even will happen then the pcs need to manage their time. It can add suspense, they can't rest because they need to be at a certain place and a certain time.
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
1- I can be pretty vague about it with the players- but as players get closer to the reaching "Level Requirement" for the event, I can start putting in the time limit.
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Hey Guys. I'm just curious what were the ways you guys have gone into this.
I'm currently making a campaign right now and I'm not sure how to exactly manage events that are timebased.
Player rests and sleeps always count as 8-hours or a day. All the while not really sure knowing what happens in the future days/events of the campaign.
I want to put "This event will happen on this day" or "This event will happen 2 months from now".
How would I go about into writing this? Time skips? Maybe the option for a players to wait for "1 month" in game time?
It's unlikely that the whole game world will stop and wait for future events.
Typically, the NPCs & Factions involved in the conflict are unlikely to be sitting still, but rather trying to advance their agenda - so have them continue to act. If that really messes up your timed schedule - then maybe your timed schedule needs to be re-examined to see if it's really plausible?
If the situation really is a peaceful & stable one until external events throw the equilibrium out of balance again ( the Orc tribes will leave the Frontier towns alone, for fear of the garrisons, until the height of the summer dry season wildfires decimate their hunting grounds, and they're forced to raid for food ), then there's nothing to say you can't start a completely different Adventure for the Party to fill up the time until those events trigger.
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
To be more specific, there is an event I want to design to occur, say for example, only once every 200 years or so. I want to make sure that the players at least level 7 before it happens.
Should I be vague And just use things like "It's going to happen soon" ?
Let's say it is to happen in 14 days.
But in those 14 days, the players took more tests and other time-consuming events that took out more time than originally intended.
What do you think?
Don’t tell them exactly how long it will be before it happens, just that it will be soon. Then, when they are at the appropriate level, they can find the sage, or ancient book or whatever and realize it’s next week or in three days or something. And they have barely enough time to get there.
If you tell them exactly when and they aren’t ready, it will seem really cheesy that you pushed it back or dumbed it down.
Or you can go at it from the other side. You’re in charge of the leveling pace. Throw a couple hard encounters at them or give them story xp to boost them up to the necessary level more quickly.
You can use a upcoming even to add tension to your game. If you say in two days at midnight the end of the world even will happen then the pcs need to manage their time. It can add suspense, they can't rest because they need to be at a certain place and a certain time.
OK - so a long term recurring event?
You could put it behind "signs" - there are the 4 (or however many you like) indicators that "event X" will happen.
You can control when these "signs" occur, and the the fact that they are happening, gives a rising sense of tension to events.
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
Gotcha.
Thanks guys.
I guess it is how I thought it would have been.
1- I can be pretty vague about it with the players- but as players get closer to the reaching "Level Requirement" for the event, I can start putting in the time limit.