My players just escaped from a library where they killed a bunch of guards and a moderately important law mage. They made it out by jumping from a balcony and using feather fall, but the guards were well aware of where they were and they were quickly surrounded. A mystery NPC lead them into a portal, and that's where we ended. What they don't know yet is that the portal was an Arcane Gate and is only taking them to an alley across the street, so they are very much still in the thick of it, out of the frying pan and into the fire. I wanted to create something cool for their escape from the area. Something akin to a video game stealth/escape mission. I don't want to repeatedly have them roll stealth checks, and I would like to emphasize player strategy rather than the random chance of die rolls, but would be willing to do a skill challenge if you guys can help me come up with cool scenarios for them. So what can I do that would be cool and interesting? The game is set in a homebrew world, think of the environment in the Dishonored or Thief games, that's the vibe I'm looking for. Bit of a grungy steampunkish Industrial city vibe. Getting into the sewers or onto rooftops is definitely a possibility, as is sneaking through buildings (but what threats may be inside?). I do want some hiding behind corners as you wait for guards to pass, but I also want to go way beyond that and have a cool variety of challenges/obstacles as the PCs escape.
So what are some ideas for enhancing stealth in D&D for a tense sneaky stealth mission feel?
I would do something like have the mystery NPC give them a signet ring and tell them, “I have done what I can for now. Find me after you complete your escape.” and then step back into the portal.
From there I’d just make sure that the alley isn’t a dead end and I’d have them figure out what to do from there. Do they clinb onto the roofs? Do they walk out of the alley? If they do that, point out that they hear city guards before they walk out. Do they find a way into the sewers? Do they disguise themselves and bluff their way past the guards? Do they pick the lock on a door in the alley and escape through that building? Or do they come up with something that I haven’t thought of?
I’d make it so that all of those escape routes are possible and trying to fight their way out is possible too, but if they do that I’d have them wake up in prison with 1/4 of their HP, one level of exhaustion, and short rations so they only recover 1/4 of their HP per long rest and have to make DC 10 constitution saves to not become more exhausted every 24 hours if they lose the fight.
Let them think and be creative. You’ve created a great puzzle, see what they come up with!
Per the spell Arcane Gate, if the NPC went back through the portal, he would end up at the spot they had just left. It could be another spell if you have an idea (I never name the spell, only said that he opened a portal), but Arcane Gate seemed to be the one that met my needs--keeping them near the action so that they have to sort out a way to get out of there.
I am all for them having to figure out their own way out of the situation, but I want to have cool options planned. Ideas I have so far:
*A civilian sees them either fleeing or maybe even right after they come out of the gate. How do they keep him/her quiet?
*If they find sewer access, I could plan for a (hopefully) social encounter with a goblin clan. Maybe some lockpicking to get into the sewers, persuasion to get the goblins to help them?
*Maybe they find some giant riding dogs (horse-sized dogs in my world), do they steal them and flee? Stealth and animal handling checks!
*If they break into a house, what might they have to deal with? Keep a child from crying to remain stealthy? Keep a civilian quiet so they don't call for the guards (same as the first idea, I know, but both things won't necessarily happen).
If they get onto the rooftops, what happens up there? Acrobatics checks to climb up narrow ledges? I'm thinking guards may be posted on some rooftops with crossbows and may start firing at anyone that gets up there and shouldn't be (Assassin's Creed style). Now that I bring up Assassin's Creed, maybe there's a group of ruffians up there, and with a little coin and a persuasion check, the ruffians can cause a distraction.
And thanks for mentioning the possibility of them getting caught. I hadn't considered that. It would be pretty bad news if that happened, but I should probably think about what that might look like.
The NPC can be wearing a Ring of Invisibility or can have figured out how to move the end of Arcane Gate by casting it at a higher level or can cast Misty Step instead of going back through it or can be safe facing the guards for some reason. There are a lot of options why he’s able to go back through the portal, or why the PCs think he went back through the portal.
Or they can stumble onto a gang of were-rats in the sewers who were employed by the law Mage who they just killed as spies while they’re discussing the loss of their patron.
The options are endless and so are the things that the PCs can do.
One thing about the way D&D often does skill checks if there is just. Pass/Fail.
This leads to making Stealth.... not interesting. Because 1 failed check and the entire thing is up.
1) Remember to use "Group Checks" where 50% of the group has to fail the check to have the group fail. Because if you have 4 people roll a die a bunch of times people WILL statistically roll low.
2) FATE has a great mechanic called "I succeed with a complication". So a failed check isn't "the guards spot you" a failed check is "you notice the light of a lantern about to turn down your alley". This give the players a chance to recover the situation... and hey maybe it's not a guard, maybe it's a random civilian. Maybe it's someone they can get information from... maybe it's someone that might rat them out later.
One thing about the way D&D often does skill checks if there is just. Pass/Fail.
This leads to making Stealth.... not interesting. Because 1 failed check and the entire thing is up.
Not necassarily. You said yourself, the DM can give the player a chance to recover the situation rather than a single stealth fail voiding the attempt at a stealthy route.
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My players just escaped from a library where they killed a bunch of guards and a moderately important law mage. They made it out by jumping from a balcony and using feather fall, but the guards were well aware of where they were and they were quickly surrounded. A mystery NPC lead them into a portal, and that's where we ended. What they don't know yet is that the portal was an Arcane Gate and is only taking them to an alley across the street, so they are very much still in the thick of it, out of the frying pan and into the fire. I wanted to create something cool for their escape from the area. Something akin to a video game stealth/escape mission. I don't want to repeatedly have them roll stealth checks, and I would like to emphasize player strategy rather than the random chance of die rolls, but would be willing to do a skill challenge if you guys can help me come up with cool scenarios for them. So what can I do that would be cool and interesting? The game is set in a homebrew world, think of the environment in the Dishonored or Thief games, that's the vibe I'm looking for. Bit of a grungy steampunkish Industrial city vibe. Getting into the sewers or onto rooftops is definitely a possibility, as is sneaking through buildings (but what threats may be inside?). I do want some hiding behind corners as you wait for guards to pass, but I also want to go way beyond that and have a cool variety of challenges/obstacles as the PCs escape.
So what are some ideas for enhancing stealth in D&D for a tense sneaky stealth mission feel?
I would do something like have the mystery NPC give them a signet ring and tell them, “I have done what I can for now. Find me after you complete your escape.” and then step back into the portal.
From there I’d just make sure that the alley isn’t a dead end and I’d have them figure out what to do from there. Do they clinb onto the roofs? Do they walk out of the alley? If they do that, point out that they hear city guards before they walk out. Do they find a way into the sewers? Do they disguise themselves and bluff their way past the guards? Do they pick the lock on a door in the alley and escape through that building? Or do they come up with something that I haven’t thought of?
I’d make it so that all of those escape routes are possible and trying to fight their way out is possible too, but if they do that I’d have them wake up in prison with 1/4 of their HP, one level of exhaustion, and short rations so they only recover 1/4 of their HP per long rest and have to make DC 10 constitution saves to not become more exhausted every 24 hours if they lose the fight.
Let them think and be creative. You’ve created a great puzzle, see what they come up with!
Professional computer geek
Per the spell Arcane Gate, if the NPC went back through the portal, he would end up at the spot they had just left. It could be another spell if you have an idea (I never name the spell, only said that he opened a portal), but Arcane Gate seemed to be the one that met my needs--keeping them near the action so that they have to sort out a way to get out of there.
I am all for them having to figure out their own way out of the situation, but I want to have cool options planned. Ideas I have so far:
*A civilian sees them either fleeing or maybe even right after they come out of the gate. How do they keep him/her quiet?
*If they find sewer access, I could plan for a (hopefully) social encounter with a goblin clan. Maybe some lockpicking to get into the sewers, persuasion to get the goblins to help them?
*Maybe they find some giant riding dogs (horse-sized dogs in my world), do they steal them and flee? Stealth and animal handling checks!
*If they break into a house, what might they have to deal with? Keep a child from crying to remain stealthy? Keep a civilian quiet so they don't call for the guards (same as the first idea, I know, but both things won't necessarily happen).
If they get onto the rooftops, what happens up there? Acrobatics checks to climb up narrow ledges? I'm thinking guards may be posted on some rooftops with crossbows and may start firing at anyone that gets up there and shouldn't be (Assassin's Creed style). Now that I bring up Assassin's Creed, maybe there's a group of ruffians up there, and with a little coin and a persuasion check, the ruffians can cause a distraction.
And thanks for mentioning the possibility of them getting caught. I hadn't considered that. It would be pretty bad news if that happened, but I should probably think about what that might look like.
The NPC can be wearing a Ring of Invisibility or can have figured out how to move the end of Arcane Gate by casting it at a higher level or can cast Misty Step instead of going back through it or can be safe facing the guards for some reason. There are a lot of options why he’s able to go back through the portal, or why the PCs think he went back through the portal.
Or they can stumble onto a gang of were-rats in the sewers who were employed by the law Mage who they just killed as spies while they’re discussing the loss of their patron.
The options are endless and so are the things that the PCs can do.
Professional computer geek
One thing about the way D&D often does skill checks if there is just. Pass/Fail.
This leads to making Stealth.... not interesting. Because 1 failed check and the entire thing is up.
1) Remember to use "Group Checks" where 50% of the group has to fail the check to have the group fail. Because if you have 4 people roll a die a bunch of times people WILL statistically roll low.
2) FATE has a great mechanic called "I succeed with a complication". So a failed check isn't "the guards spot you" a failed check is "you notice the light of a lantern about to turn down your alley". This give the players a chance to recover the situation... and hey maybe it's not a guard, maybe it's a random civilian. Maybe it's someone they can get information from... maybe it's someone that might rat them out later.
Not necassarily. You said yourself, the DM can give the player a chance to recover the situation rather than a single stealth fail voiding the attempt at a stealthy route.