I am curious as to some tools/tricks/ideas others have in dealing with and running "planned ambush" encounters.
Let's start with a hypothetical scene:
Our party of brave Adventurers finds the entrance to a "lost tomb" (aka dungeon) which could be filled with LOOT !
Unfortunately, another party, we'll call them "tomb robbers", beat them to this location by about an hour or so.
The Tomb Robbers have taken some basic precautions and setup a couple of simple traps/alarms. They also left a sentry to monitor things not far from the entrance.
The Tomb Robbers themselves are moving slowly so are only a couple of rooms in.
The Adventurers don't really know what's in the tomb, or if there is another way out (neither do the Tomb Robbers)
So, given the above. I think that once the first alarm goes off, the Adventurers will be on high alert -- so will the Tomb Robbers.
At that point, I imagine a standoff will occur with neither side willing to fight at the other side's chokepoint.
While that sets up a lot of tension, it doesn't actually force any action. In the above situation should a time element be added? Ie a rhythmic pounding from deep within the tomb? or perhaps something on the outside, ie another group of Tomb Robbers arriving slightly after the adventurers?
What are some things ya'll have done?
Thanks!
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"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
Not so much ideas, but a word of caution based on a similar situation with my game: the moment you ask for initiative, your players will most likely start fighting, assuming they are "bad guys". On the opposite side, if you don't ask for initiative, they will be inclined to think NPC group. (Again, this is something I found from my group.) Once I started adding this type of encounter to my sessions, I found that I had to adjust how I used the "roll initiative" statement. I don't ask for it until after the first combat action is performed/declared for every encounter so as not to telegraph what they "should" and "shouldn't" fight.
As for pushing the action, instead of a second group of tomb robbers coming in, use monsters. That much fresh meat in a place that normally doesn't have it is sure to draw some hungry creatures. A powerful enough creature at their back might cause them to withdraw (push in farther) right to where the robbers are. Then they have to decide whether to fight on two sides or try to convince the robbers to help fight in the seconds before the creature makes it to them.
I agree that initiative is a trigger word for Players, so be cautious there.
External pressure and/or a time limit would work here nicely.
As suggested, Monsters. The dynamic and motivation changes a lot if the monsters threaten one side, or the other, or both.
The tomb is slowly flooding. There is a storm raging, and both parties can see the water running in the main entrance and down into the tomb. The longer they both wait, the less loot anyone is going to get.
Something has happened that is allowing some creature trapped in the tomb to escape. It will be free in X hours. Again - whether both sides know this, or just one, changes the group dynamic.
The magical wards of the tomb can only be passed during certain time windows ( say, lunar conjunctions sacred to the God that the tomb occupant venerated, so that the priests could have attended to the tomb ) - so if they don't resolve their differences, no one get in until the next window ( which should be inconveniently far away ).
One possible, and interesting complications:
The partys are there for different reasons: to find a particular artifact, to gather loot, to find out what happened to someone's brother who was lost investigating the tomb. etc. - perhaps an alliance can be hit upon if they're not in direct competition.
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This could go a few ways. You have one member of the enemy gang outside the tomb setting off the alarm, or was he just inside the tomb and ran to alert his mates? If he is outside with spell casting ability or archery, he could "drive them inside" a bit further than they wish.
Setting off the alarm may or may not alert the party that they have been given away. The party may also detect that someone arrived before them and is probably still inside. Are there horses, a cart or something similar outside the tomb? They might assume a horn blast from outside the mouth of the tomb is a call for support outside the tomb and not necessarily alerting a gang already inside.
Then the whole affair could become a cat and mouse deal with the party not knowing how far ahead the enemy gang is, but the enemy gang knows the party is behind them. They could set various alarms to see how far behind they are. Did the party reach the room immediately before the room the enemy gang are in? Yup, sounds like they're right behind us, Bob.
Then, as you alluded, there is the problem of "Is there another way out?" If they knew there was not, the party could sit and wait for the enemy gang to bring them the goodies. But not knowing, the party has to deal with that possibility. And there may still be that other enemy guard behind them. If I were in the party I would suggest that we ambush the guard if we think he is coming in behind us. Grab him and question him about his buddies.
If the corridor sloped down ahead of the party into the enemy gang we may well wish to throw some flammable liquids down there and toss a torch in behind it. That would give them a reason to want to come up and fight toe-to-toe. But in the wrong spot, they could just run further in and then my party has to wait for the fire to burn itself out.
If the corridors are especially curvy we can't get a good look ahead, but they can't set up a good lookout behind them either.
In the end, I think the real initiative belong to the gang. They can set any number of magic traps that would deliver a small amount of damage and alert the gang of how much progress the party has made behind them. The cumulative effect could wear the party down. They may need to put the magic user out front and have him ready to deliver a fireball, magic missile or whatever as he ducks behind the corner and lets the fighters charge in there. That is a real tricky situation to deal with as a party. But of course, if there is no way out, the tables can be turned on the gang when they have to come to the party.
And then there are the monsters or traps waiting ahead for the gang. They could find themselves caught between two forces and cry out for help. What would you do if you heard the bandits up ahead fighting for their lives? You'd probably want to close in quickly and see if you can arrange things so both the bandits and the monsters lose. And then you kill the last one or two of them in their exhausted state.
That could be the best plan for the party. Stay near the gang and wait for the bandit's screams while watching their back for the lone guard who is trying to help his mates. But they still have to worry about traps sapping their strength as they follow carefully behind.
But what if the corridor split into two ways forward? Could the bandits duck down one side and ambush the party if they came that way, but if not, they could then follow the party in.
I still think overall, the bandits have an advantage so long as they don't run into a major monster encounter. They get to pick the point where they want to attack so they get to fight on terrain of their choice. I'd probably set a flammable liquid container over a doorway, let the party mostly inside the chamber I want to fight in and then spring the trap pouring fire onto the back portion of the group, firing arrows and magic into the party and then let my fighters tank them while they burn. Can I still be Neutral Good if I fight using those methods?
Good luck.
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Good day everyone,
I am curious as to some tools/tricks/ideas others have in dealing with and running "planned ambush" encounters.
Let's start with a hypothetical scene:
So, given the above. I think that once the first alarm goes off, the Adventurers will be on high alert -- so will the Tomb Robbers.
At that point, I imagine a standoff will occur with neither side willing to fight at the other side's chokepoint.
While that sets up a lot of tension, it doesn't actually force any action. In the above situation should a time element be added? Ie a rhythmic pounding from deep within the tomb? or perhaps something on the outside, ie another group of Tomb Robbers arriving slightly after the adventurers?
What are some things ya'll have done?
Thanks!
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
Not so much ideas, but a word of caution based on a similar situation with my game: the moment you ask for initiative, your players will most likely start fighting, assuming they are "bad guys". On the opposite side, if you don't ask for initiative, they will be inclined to think NPC group. (Again, this is something I found from my group.) Once I started adding this type of encounter to my sessions, I found that I had to adjust how I used the "roll initiative" statement. I don't ask for it until after the first combat action is performed/declared for every encounter so as not to telegraph what they "should" and "shouldn't" fight.
As for pushing the action, instead of a second group of tomb robbers coming in, use monsters. That much fresh meat in a place that normally doesn't have it is sure to draw some hungry creatures. A powerful enough creature at their back might cause them to withdraw (push in farther) right to where the robbers are. Then they have to decide whether to fight on two sides or try to convince the robbers to help fight in the seconds before the creature makes it to them.
I agree that initiative is a trigger word for Players, so be cautious there.
External pressure and/or a time limit would work here nicely.
One possible, and interesting complications:
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.
This could go a few ways. You have one member of the enemy gang outside the tomb setting off the alarm, or was he just inside the tomb and ran to alert his mates? If he is outside with spell casting ability or archery, he could "drive them inside" a bit further than they wish.
Setting off the alarm may or may not alert the party that they have been given away. The party may also detect that someone arrived before them and is probably still inside. Are there horses, a cart or something similar outside the tomb? They might assume a horn blast from outside the mouth of the tomb is a call for support outside the tomb and not necessarily alerting a gang already inside.
Then the whole affair could become a cat and mouse deal with the party not knowing how far ahead the enemy gang is, but the enemy gang knows the party is behind them. They could set various alarms to see how far behind they are. Did the party reach the room immediately before the room the enemy gang are in? Yup, sounds like they're right behind us, Bob.
Then, as you alluded, there is the problem of "Is there another way out?" If they knew there was not, the party could sit and wait for the enemy gang to bring them the goodies. But not knowing, the party has to deal with that possibility. And there may still be that other enemy guard behind them. If I were in the party I would suggest that we ambush the guard if we think he is coming in behind us. Grab him and question him about his buddies.
If the corridor sloped down ahead of the party into the enemy gang we may well wish to throw some flammable liquids down there and toss a torch in behind it. That would give them a reason to want to come up and fight toe-to-toe. But in the wrong spot, they could just run further in and then my party has to wait for the fire to burn itself out.
If the corridors are especially curvy we can't get a good look ahead, but they can't set up a good lookout behind them either.
In the end, I think the real initiative belong to the gang. They can set any number of magic traps that would deliver a small amount of damage and alert the gang of how much progress the party has made behind them. The cumulative effect could wear the party down. They may need to put the magic user out front and have him ready to deliver a fireball, magic missile or whatever as he ducks behind the corner and lets the fighters charge in there. That is a real tricky situation to deal with as a party. But of course, if there is no way out, the tables can be turned on the gang when they have to come to the party.
And then there are the monsters or traps waiting ahead for the gang. They could find themselves caught between two forces and cry out for help. What would you do if you heard the bandits up ahead fighting for their lives? You'd probably want to close in quickly and see if you can arrange things so both the bandits and the monsters lose. And then you kill the last one or two of them in their exhausted state.
That could be the best plan for the party. Stay near the gang and wait for the bandit's screams while watching their back for the lone guard who is trying to help his mates. But they still have to worry about traps sapping their strength as they follow carefully behind.
But what if the corridor split into two ways forward? Could the bandits duck down one side and ambush the party if they came that way, but if not, they could then follow the party in.
I still think overall, the bandits have an advantage so long as they don't run into a major monster encounter. They get to pick the point where they want to attack so they get to fight on terrain of their choice. I'd probably set a flammable liquid container over a doorway, let the party mostly inside the chamber I want to fight in and then spring the trap pouring fire onto the back portion of the group, firing arrows and magic into the party and then let my fighters tank them while they burn. Can I still be Neutral Good if I fight using those methods?
Good luck.