So, I want to put my players through a simple puzzle + trial combination for them to get to the Forge of Spells. Feedback appreciated. Sometimes these ideas sound great in my head, but they're actually hot garbage. This forum makes a great sounding board. ;)
When they first stand before the door to the FoS, they will be transported to a library. In the library will be a puzzle I shamelessly lifted from reddit. In a nutshell, they have to determine the order of signatures of the Phandelver pact - "Those who have rightful claim to the Forge of Spells would answer this". Investigation/history checks to get clues. Sefris the Elf signed before Tammith, the Human signed before Malcer, etc... While doing this, the PCs are inconvenienced by gray oozes.
Once the puzzle is complete, the players are simultaneously, but separately, teleported to identical rooms. "Those who would claim the Forge of Spells must prove themselves worthy." In the room is a captive commoner in a small cage. There is a ballista in the room. The ballista starts pointing at 90 degrees from the commoner, but is rotating toward them. There are many potential ways to save the commoner, giving all PCs a chance to act to their strengths -
Brute force - stop, then break the rotation of the ballista through successive strength checks. Brute force 2 - Lift the cage out of the way, or tear the door off. Dexterity - pick the lock to free the commoner. Dexterity 2 - dismantle the ballista, or otherwise foul the mechanism. Intelligence - a puzzle that will halt the ballista. The puzzle won't test the player, but rather the character through arcana/history/nature/religion checks. Intelligence 2 - any successful combination of spells that could reasonably be interpreted to stop the spell or free the commoner. Constitution/Self sacrifice - As a last resort, the PC will succeed if they just stand between the ballista and the commoner. Anything else the players can think of that seems to me to have a reasonable chance of success.
Upon stopping the ballista, freeing the commoner, or a fraction of a second before the arrow hits the PC, the player will be teleported into the FoS. The commoner will appear briefly before them, and hand them the Pact of Phandelver. Much of the pact will be unreadable due to being written in ancient common, but they will be able to read "Whomsoever holds this pact has shown themselves worthy to claim the Forge of Spells." The commoner fades from view. Cue insane spectator, who didn't get the memo. They can fight the spectator, persuade it their claim is valid (it's insane, just the pact won't be enough), prove to it that its geas is hundreds of years expired, whatever they want.
In the (hopefully) unlikely case that the player fails altogether, that PC will be teleported back outside the room and I'll figure out something to keep their unworthy ass busy.
Look this is totally cool and if you want to do it go for it. My issue is that you are trying to make opening a door interesting. Doors are not interesting. What is on the other side of doors is interesting.
As to the test of character - you need to add a choice. Currently it has an obvious solution. Saving someone at no cost to yourself is not a test of character. If saving that person cost them 2 points off their primary stat permanently then THAT is a test.
Look this is totally cool and if you want to do it go for it. My issue is that you are trying to make opening a door interesting. Doors are not interesting. What is on the other side of doors is interesting.
As to the test of character - you need to add a choice. Currently it has an obvious solution. Saving someone at no cost to yourself is not a test of character. If saving that person cost them 2 points off their primary stat permanently then THAT is a test.
But hey, up to you. You know your group best. :)
I want to introduce something a bit different to the 'raaaaaah stab stab stab' that has become their modus operandi of late, so I'm beefing up the roleplay and throwing in some puzzles. I know my group about as well as anyone can know someone, because they're my wife and kids, so I'm pretty sure they'll enjoy something a bit different, even if it is shoehorned in a little.
I hear what you are saying regarding test of character. I was going down that path initially. But I really didn't like the idea of punishing them for winning. Seems like the kind of thing that works great in a passive story, but not so great when you are actually the protagonist. They want to run these characters long term, and it just wouldn't feel right. I considered that I could just make them think that they'd permanently nerfed their character and then reverse it, but that felt like it cheapened the moment somewhat (though I guess I'm doing the same thing with taking the arrow in place of the commoner). Or maybe I could give them the chance to earn their stats back in short order. Something to think about, I guess. This is exactly why I like thinking through these ideas in the forum.
That's what lead me down the path of a skills test based heroic rescue. I guess I could make it a very large room, with the doorway to the forge of spells at the far end - far enough away that there was no way to both save the innocent AND get through the FoS. Of course the door way will actually teleport them back outside the FoS, and saving the commoner will teleport them into it. In a meta sense, it's still fairly obvious that they aren't to go through the door, but it adds at least the illusion of a dilemma.
So, I want to put my players through a simple puzzle + trial combination for them to get to the Forge of Spells. Feedback appreciated. Sometimes these ideas sound great in my head, but they're actually hot garbage. This forum makes a great sounding board. ;)
When they first stand before the door to the FoS, they will be transported to a library. In the library will be a puzzle I shamelessly lifted from reddit. In a nutshell, they have to determine the order of signatures of the Phandelver pact - "Those who have rightful claim to the Forge of Spells would answer this". Investigation/history checks to get clues. Sefris the Elf signed before Tammith, the Human signed before Malcer, etc... While doing this, the PCs are inconvenienced by gray oozes.
Once the puzzle is complete, the players are simultaneously, but separately, teleported to identical rooms. "Those who would claim the Forge of Spells must prove themselves worthy." In the room is a captive commoner in a small cage. There is a ballista in the room. The ballista starts pointing at 90 degrees from the commoner, but is rotating toward them. There are many potential ways to save the commoner, giving all PCs a chance to act to their strengths -
Brute force - stop, then break the rotation of the ballista through successive strength checks.
Brute force 2 - Lift the cage out of the way, or tear the door off.
Dexterity - pick the lock to free the commoner.
Dexterity 2 - dismantle the ballista, or otherwise foul the mechanism.
Intelligence - a puzzle that will halt the ballista. The puzzle won't test the player, but rather the character through arcana/history/nature/religion checks.
Intelligence 2 - any successful combination of spells that could reasonably be interpreted to stop the spell or free the commoner.
Constitution/Self sacrifice - As a last resort, the PC will succeed if they just stand between the ballista and the commoner.
Anything else the players can think of that seems to me to have a reasonable chance of success.
Upon stopping the ballista, freeing the commoner, or a fraction of a second before the arrow hits the PC, the player will be teleported into the FoS. The commoner will appear briefly before them, and hand them the Pact of Phandelver. Much of the pact will be unreadable due to being written in ancient common, but they will be able to read "Whomsoever holds this pact has shown themselves worthy to claim the Forge of Spells." The commoner fades from view. Cue insane spectator, who didn't get the memo. They can fight the spectator, persuade it their claim is valid (it's insane, just the pact won't be enough), prove to it that its geas is hundreds of years expired, whatever they want.
In the (hopefully) unlikely case that the player fails altogether, that PC will be teleported back outside the room and I'll figure out something to keep their unworthy ass busy.
Look this is totally cool and if you want to do it go for it. My issue is that you are trying to make opening a door interesting. Doors are not interesting. What is on the other side of doors is interesting.
As to the test of character - you need to add a choice. Currently it has an obvious solution. Saving someone at no cost to yourself is not a test of character. If saving that person cost them 2 points off their primary stat permanently then THAT is a test.
But hey, up to you. You know your group best. :)
I want to introduce something a bit different to the 'raaaaaah stab stab stab' that has become their modus operandi of late, so I'm beefing up the roleplay and throwing in some puzzles. I know my group about as well as anyone can know someone, because they're my wife and kids, so I'm pretty sure they'll enjoy something a bit different, even if it is shoehorned in a little.
I hear what you are saying regarding test of character. I was going down that path initially. But I really didn't like the idea of punishing them for winning. Seems like the kind of thing that works great in a passive story, but not so great when you are actually the protagonist. They want to run these characters long term, and it just wouldn't feel right. I considered that I could just make them think that they'd permanently nerfed their character and then reverse it, but that felt like it cheapened the moment somewhat (though I guess I'm doing the same thing with taking the arrow in place of the commoner). Or maybe I could give them the chance to earn their stats back in short order. Something to think about, I guess. This is exactly why I like thinking through these ideas in the forum.
That's what lead me down the path of a skills test based heroic rescue. I guess I could make it a very large room, with the doorway to the forge of spells at the far end - far enough away that there was no way to both save the innocent AND get through the FoS. Of course the door way will actually teleport them back outside the FoS, and saving the commoner will teleport them into it. In a meta sense, it's still fairly obvious that they aren't to go through the door, but it adds at least the illusion of a dilemma.