My wife is currently running a female Drow Druid/Rogue at our weekly Table. After last night's session she asked if I could make city encounters a bit more challenging, maybe even threatening.
I said, sure. I can make them lethal, because most city dwellers view the drow with racist hatred. is that what you want?
No. She said, mix things up. So far, most of the NPCs we've encountered have had a neutral attitude toward her character, she said. Which for the most part is true. I had a few NPCs toss tomatoes or spit unkind words at her, but that was about it. The drow are nasty, I explained. Drow society is rigidly structured. Females rule. Men serve the goals and ambitions of the family matriarch. The drow are nurtured to be cruel, manipulative.
But, characters are heroes.
So Adventurers I need some help coming up with a Confrontation Table that describes how commoners react to seeing a dark elf in their city. I'm thinking about two levels: Disrespectful and Escalated. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Not sure why the player characters have to be heroes. Heroes is something they become after they accomplish something big, and if they haven't done that, then they're just your average adventurer.
As for encounters:
- A local group of thugs thinks they can mug some easy money from a drow, and even if the drow goes to the guards/paladins/whatever police force you have in the city, they probably won't care.
- Some vigilantes might think the drow is up to no good, and stealths after them, trying to catch them in the act.
- Nobles or someone influental in the town may decide that they want the drow out of their town, and pays thugs/guards/mercenaries to get the job done. May or may not be intended to kill.
- A fanatic who worships the abyssal gods might seek out the drow, in hopes of joining the drow in spreading evil and chaos around the town.
- A corrupt noble might decide they want a drow slave for their secret "collection"
- A paranoid light-worshipping cult might be completely convinced the drow is evil (because most of them are), and send out paladins to capture the drow and torture them for information about their "drow friends who plans to take over the city through nefarious means".
- Other criminals in the city may commit some crimes, and then spread rumours that it was the drow who did it.
- There may be an area in the slums of the city where other drows gather.
- Someone may accuse the drow for something they didn't do, just because the drow is suspicious.
- Guards might arrest the drow just because.
- Children who sees the drow may start crying because their parents told them that drows will take away and eat bad children.
- Shopkeepers may deny services to a drow, because they don't want anything to do with their kind.
- Some other shopkeepers may be more prone to offer them certain 'services' which are better left unspoken.
- An organization may send out thugs after the drow, and when things looks bad, they coincidentally "save" the drow, putting the drow in their debt. Then they try to use the drow for their own means.
Lots of options for this. Some of these are even good for your PC. I could go on for a long time, but I'll just stop here.
Not sure why the player characters have to be heroes. Heroes is something they become after they accomplish something big, and if they haven't done that, then they're just your average adventurer.
The Table I'm running isn't ready for a non-heroic campaign. They have expressed interest in running a party of drow brought together for some purpose, but that kind of campaign requires a bit more willingness. Alignment aside, drow in the Underdark don't "Adventure". They conquer. So that right there eliminates heroism in the romantic sense.
Regardless, they're game.
The players with less TableTop experience want to become more familiar with the rules before venturing into the Underdark.
To give the experienced players something to consider, I said, I would be willing to open up the Monster Manual for some character races.
First question I got was, "Can I run a mind flayer????"
Next question: "What's off the table?"
LOL. Don't get ahead of yourself.... you're still trying to figure out if the paladin was murdered or if he died in fair combat.
My wife is currently running a female Drow Druid/Rogue at our weekly Table. After last night's session she asked if I could make city encounters a bit more challenging, maybe even threatening.
I said, sure. I can make them lethal, because most city dwellers view the drow with racist hatred. is that what you want?
No. She said, mix things up. So far, most of the NPCs we've encountered have had a neutral attitude toward her character, she said. Which for the most part is true. I had a few NPCs toss tomatoes or spit unkind words at her, but that was about it. The drow are nasty, I explained. Drow society is rigidly structured. Females rule. Men serve the goals and ambitions of the family matriarch. The drow are nurtured to be cruel, manipulative.
But, characters are heroes.
So Adventurers I need some help coming up with a Confrontation Table that describes how commoners react to seeing a dark elf in their city. I'm thinking about two levels: Disrespectful and Escalated. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Danke.
Not sure why the player characters have to be heroes. Heroes is something they become after they accomplish something big, and if they haven't done that, then they're just your average adventurer.
As for encounters:
- A local group of thugs thinks they can mug some easy money from a drow, and even if the drow goes to the guards/paladins/whatever police force you have in the city, they probably won't care.
- Some vigilantes might think the drow is up to no good, and stealths after them, trying to catch them in the act.
- Nobles or someone influental in the town may decide that they want the drow out of their town, and pays thugs/guards/mercenaries to get the job done. May or may not be intended to kill.
- A fanatic who worships the abyssal gods might seek out the drow, in hopes of joining the drow in spreading evil and chaos around the town.
- A corrupt noble might decide they want a drow slave for their secret "collection"
- A paranoid light-worshipping cult might be completely convinced the drow is evil (because most of them are), and send out paladins to capture the drow and torture them for information about their "drow friends who plans to take over the city through nefarious means".
- Other criminals in the city may commit some crimes, and then spread rumours that it was the drow who did it.
- There may be an area in the slums of the city where other drows gather.
- Someone may accuse the drow for something they didn't do, just because the drow is suspicious.
- Guards might arrest the drow just because.
- Children who sees the drow may start crying because their parents told them that drows will take away and eat bad children.
- Shopkeepers may deny services to a drow, because they don't want anything to do with their kind.
- Some other shopkeepers may be more prone to offer them certain 'services' which are better left unspoken.
- An organization may send out thugs after the drow, and when things looks bad, they coincidentally "save" the drow, putting the drow in their debt. Then they try to use the drow for their own means.
Lots of options for this. Some of these are even good for your PC. I could go on for a long time, but I'll just stop here.
These are fantastic! Thanks for the help Weenaru!