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Post by joatmoniac on Jun 25, 2020 7:30:40 GMT
I thought about using the reference to be from the line in Holy Diver, but then realized there is an entire song called Ride the Tiger, and I had to use that instead! With this exercise rorrik and I build upon the Dungeon Master’s Block episode 191, Mount Up, all about using mounts in our games. Now that we are excited about giving our players interesting mounts, the logical next step is to design some encounters for introduce these interesting mounts! Use the questions below to flesh out a mounted encounter. 1. What style encounter is it? a. Combat b. Puzzle c. Roleplay d. Skill Challenge e. Other 2. What advantages/disadvantages do mounted characters have in the encounter? 3. What advantages/disadvantages do dismounted characters have in the encounter? 4. Are there mount-related rewards from success? 5. Are there mount-related costs from failure? 6. You do you! We ride!! |
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Post by 00dlez on Jun 30, 2020 1:30:08 GMT
Desiccated Strider
The Mihl-Naas Empire spans far across the dunes of the great Salt Garden Desert. Life is hard to say the least, and punishments for mistakes are punished harshly… this extends to their justice system. While the Mihl-Naas revere the dead and the afterlife with fanatical attention, they use this cultural phenomena to punish the worst of their kind most severely… The Malun, as they are called, include murderers, rapists, child abusers, and blasphemers are all subject to the highest punishment and are sentenced to be punished in this life, and the next.
The Malun are bound for the Salt Cliffs far to the south, overlooking the sea, to be crucified. The strong, salt stained sea winds mix with the scorching sand-choked winds from the desert create a painful and brutal experience, as if crucifixion was pleasant to begin with. As the condemned hang, their bodies burn in the sun and desiccate from the salt winds – locals say it corrupts their very soul and prevents them from entering the afterlife, subjected to the suffering for all eternity. Rather than escort the damned themselves, the Law-Giver’s of the Mihl-Naas bind the condemned to the Desiccated Striders for transport across the desert wastes to the acolytes waiting for them at the cliffs. Desiccated Striders are large animals – elephants, rhinos, hippos, etc – found around the northern plains and oasis in the Mihl-Nass territory – that are sacrificed to the god of Salt at the time the punishment is given. Once the animal has desiccated in the hot desert air, the condemned is place inside of the animated corpse and lulled into a trance. The undead beast then begins its plodding walk across the desert to deliver it’s quarry for final punishment.
1. Combat – The party is tasked with the escort of an especially terrible prisoner across the desert. ((An orc/goblin/whatever leader who was captured during a recent invasion – a serial killer the party helped uncover and capture – the murderer of a prince or king)). Unable to safely escort the Strider on their own, the environment too harsh and the trip far too long, the Strider does not need to eat, sleep, or rest, and the party could not keep pace – the party must ride Striders of their own.
2 and 3.
Players mounted are protected from environmental hazards around them. Constitution saves are needed if the character leaves the sanctuary of their Strider – failure means damage is taken from the harsh sandy winds and pecking vultures. Additionally, those mounted do not need to sleep for the duration of the journey – unlike their entranced quarry, they are still somewhat lucid and able to perceive what is going on around them.
4 & 5.
In the inevitable attempt to free the condemned, the party is able to control their Strider through force of will, amplifying their own powers. If successful, the Strider becomes a powerful extension of the player: able to be the target of buff spells, make use potent melee combat abilities, become enraged with battle frenzy, etc. However, strengthening this link between the character and the Strider brings them ever closer to the grips of the underworld. For a time, the character can control this draw through use of Wisdom saves. After a number of failures, the character begins to loose their sense of self – eyes becoming jet black and their actions driven by other worldly forces. 6. Stats incoming. |
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Post by DM Onesie Knight on Jul 5, 2020 19:58:19 GMT
Around the busy port city of Sunharbour, you can't go twenty minutes without hearing the obnoxious bellowing of the King Seal, a huge species of black-furred pinniped that for the most part just lazes about the coves and docks of the city. They might look intimidating, but they are quite lazy and mostly just find another spot if you poke them with a broom. That said, they are strong and dangerous if focused, and they are as intelligent as dogs. It's not unheard of for a fishing boat or dockside warehouse to employ one as a guard animal. But among the elite regiments of the city guard, there is a secret cadre of warriors who ride the King Seal in stealthy commando raids, usually at night. They approach quietly, then dive and hold their breaths before inserting a small squad of highly trained soldiers.
1. Could be combat, could be a series of skill challenges, depending on what side the players are on and how things go. I could see the players getting roped into a raid and assigned their own seals, in which case they'd have to make stealth checks, riding checks, and breath holding checks in a sort of heist-flavored night raid. If, on the other hand, the players are discovered, we're now looking at a weird mounted water combat with air breathing mounts and riders. Or, if the players are for some reason the ones being targeted for a raid, they'll have to contend with mounted soldiers who can hide underwater and resurface somewhere else very quickly.
2. A fast swim speed and a strong bite are the main advantages. The King Seal is also amphibious, so maneuverability is great. It really shines as a mount in a dockyard, where there's lots of water and walking platforms intertwined.
3. Dismounted characters who get knocked in the water are sitting ducks when King Seals are around. They encircle and take turns diving in like a pod of dolphins on the hunt. On the other hand, a dismounted character can outrun a King Seal on land, or climb out of reach.
4. If the party impresses the city Seal Riders, they just might get to keep the mounts they used, or maybe get pups to raise as their own.
5. If the party fails a raid, they will certainly lose face with the city leadership. There might be farther-reaching damage from whatever nefarious plot they failed to foil. If they are the ones being targeted, however, failure means they are dragged before the court to face their sentence...
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Post by letterlost on Jul 8, 2020 4:48:34 GMT
The Bullywugs play a game called stirge gobbling. It is the only way, apart from bribery, to gain the respect of their Chief. Up to 10 people (bullywugs and PC’s) ride on giant toads in a large mud bowl arena, where stirge have been breeding, in an "everyone for them self" brawl. The goal is for your giant toad to eat as many stirge as possible (rules say 20, but the chieftain is the judge and calls when the game is over). The riders are armed with slingshots and pepper bomb pellets which deal non-lethal damage and you must make a constitution save or begin sneezing and have disadvantage on all attacks and saves, you may repeat the save at the beginning of your turn, these are used to distract other players and their toads. each round the giant toad will try to eat a stirge and the rider will either try to fire a pepper bomb at another player or toad or they may try to perform a trick (using performance) for “style points” (which don’t actually count as point but enough of them will impress the chieftain). Each time the giant toad jumps the PC must make an acrobatics or athletics to stay on (they will have advantage if they have experience or take a riding class), if they succeed a trick they may have advantage if seems appropriate, likewise if they fail a trick they may have disadvantage.
1. What style encounter is it?
a. Combat and d. Skill Challenge
2. What advantages/disadvantages do mounted characters have in the encounter?
Mounted characters are still in the game.
3. What advantages/disadvantages do dismounted characters have in the encounter?
They must get back on their giant toads, not easy as they have disadvantage on checks and saves while in the mud and if eaten by a giant toad will count as 5 stirge points and be disqualified and laughed at.
4. Are there mount-related rewards from success?
The winner is given an awakened giant toad (actually an unfortunate Bullywug who was true polymorphed as a punishment), any player who does not place first but wins the respect of the Bullywug chieftain is gifted their giant toad mount they used in the game.
5. Are there mount-related costs from failure?
Only that you don’t get one and have gained negative status towards all Bullywugs who learn of your failure.
6. You do you!
All participants not versed in giant toad riding will have to take a riding course the day before.
Giant toads, stirge, and Bullywugs use their stats from the monster manual.
Cheating is common, but if caught will have to bribe chieftain or be disqualified and face punishment (disqualification = failure, punishment = cleaning the giant toads).
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