Saturday, September 14, 2013

Pre-restocking my dungeon

Last game our session ended after 2 am - after 15 hours or so of play and over 12 hours of combat. We did something I hate to do, which is stop in the dungeon. Time rolls by in real time in my game, so pausing in the dungeon means hitting pause on the real world.

Plus it means that if we finish the delve the beginning of tomorrow's session, I need to be re-stocked as if two weeks went by. That way if they leave the dungeon and go back to town, then come right back (like I figure they will), I would be ready.

So I ended up having to pre-restock my dungeon. I know what will happen in the next two weeks, er, happened in the past two weeks, if the PCs just up and leave after mopping up after the lizardmen fight. I also had to pre-restock some places in case they go, wipe out extra monsters/break down extra doors/etc. and then leave and come back.

Complicated. Who knows the actual state of the dungeon when they leave?

And extra work.

Generally I hate extra work, but this time I'm still basking in the glow of a good fight. So it's okay. The work isn't wasted, really, because I can "save" those re-stock rolls for when I need them. I'm considering them pre-rolled dice, pre-thought results.

Still this is the first time I can remember where I had to pre-restock a dungeon. Has anyone else needed to do this?

4 comments:

  1. Maybe I am not understanding, but sounds like you're making it harder. Use some random tables to generate room squatters and/or loot, treasure, traps. And I know you can whip out monster stats blindfolded.

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    Replies
    1. It takes a bit longer with GURPS - and I don't have a random monster list to roll on. I pick them by hand based on what my rolls tell me is there. It's more work, but creating a table I was happy with would take even longer.

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    2. I ran GURPS campaigns for years and when I needed to restock or come up with monsters on the fly I just made them up, had a very simple template with their defensive rolls and some of their attack skills. If they needed a spell ability I just did the same thing, not worrying about the prerequisite spells. Usually I could get the monsters in two to three lines. If they had spells a little longer.

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    3. I could do that, sure, but it's still work I could have done ahead of time. So I did - why spend even a minute or two in game restocking when I can do it the days before? I know I'll probably need to, so why not do the prep?

      If I do it as needed, I either need to stop or do it rooms ahead - because my monsters will react to sounds and activities in the dungeon. So I need to pretty much restock everything within earshot to make it "live" in the way I want to.

      Even if I ran D&D with full tables right there, I'd rather roll them ahead of time and not use them than roll them as needed and hope it all comes out well.

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