Putting it all together
Let’s put the what we learned about the 3 Ws and the 3 Pillars into practice.
For the sake of simplicity and continuity, we’ll go with the Druid heirloom story we made in part 1
Where Does it Start?
The funeral of a local druid. An elderly man named, Pembroke.
- [Pillar: Social Interaction]
Mourners mingle, asking new comers how they knew the Druid. Talking or listening to NPCs reveals that the recently deceased left a shrine in the woods, where he kept a spiritual heirloom
The shrine is a place of primal power, so retrieving this heirloom will require the players getting to the shrine before the sun sets
This is a good time for the players to use skills like Persuasion, Insight, and Perception to learn all they can about the woods, the nature of the heirloom, and whether or not Pembroke had any enemies
What are We Doing?
Going to retrieve the heirloom.
- [Pillar: Exploration]
The woods are dense and unruly. It seems even the wildlife is mourning Pembroke’s death. However, hidden forces begin moving to hinder their progress. Since the players are trying to get to the shrine before the sun sets, they have to make the most of their time
This is a good time to use skills like Nature, Perception, and Survival, as well as Spells to get through obstacles:
Slippery trails, Rapidly growing thorn patches, or even spell effects like Spike Growth or Gust of Wind can make for good prompts for Saving Throws and physical Skills
More successful checks means players make good time. Less means they arrive very close to the deadline, maybe even minutes away
When Does it End?
Getting the heirloom out of the rock.
- [Pillar: Combat]
As the players reach the shrine, they find a flowering staff lodged in a rock
Getting it out requires at least 1 player to focus their full effort on. As they begin their efforts, enemies break through the tree line to stop the adventurers
As mentioned in previous posts, Combat and Exploration are by-and-large the same situation. So, they use the same skills, with an obvious lean towards abilities that do more damage
For some dynamic action, the player getting the staff out must use 3 full actions to free their prize, and complete the mission. Then it’s merely a matter of surviving the fight and getting back to town
