Dungeon Alert

[WaterAndWindSpirit]

So, because most good ideas have been found already, I want to steal shamelessly the Dungeon Alert idea from Persona 5.

Alert goes from 0% to 100%.

At 0%, nobody has any clues hostiles are in the perimeter.

When dungeon alert rises, guards are more alert and when it reaches 100%, the thieves are kicked out of the Palace.

So, basically, I want a system where every non stealthy behavior (missing guards, noise, equipment damaged, and so on) would raise the Dungeon Alert, and the higher the Dungeon Alert, the more guards are alert and taking action. I want to include BAD in it.

What I want to look like is something like this:

0-10%: Guards distracted, -2 Perception.
11-20%: Guards alert, rules apply as written.
21%-30% guards start patrolling in pairs, wearing heavy armor, off duty guards are called in.
31%-40% Guards get nervous, they start looking in the more obvious hiding places.
41%-51% Guards start looking less obvious places.
51%-61% regular check ins start. Guards missing a check in get massive patrols sent into their area.
61%-70% No place is fully safe from the guards. You have to be constantly moving.
71%-80%: Place starts locking down, any safety opened and lock unlocked raises the alarm.
81%-90%: Area that the HQ considers high importance are heavily patrolled, any communication hiccup raises alert level.
91%-99%: Outside reinforcements are called.

So, what could cause the Alarm Level to raise, based on BAD, aside from the obvious?

Thanks!

[Apollonian]

I'm not sure, but I'm going to keep an eye on this because I like the idea.

One thing I might do is consolidate it to fewer levels of alertness, just to make it more manageable.

I feel like there might be some way to tie it into the Reaction Roll mechanic, too, but I can't quite put my finger on how or why...

[D10]

Originally Posted by Apollonian

I'm not sure, but I'm going to keep an eye on this because I like the idea.

One thing I might do is consolidate it to fewer levels of alertness, just to make it more manageable.

I feel like there might be some way to tie it into the Reaction Roll mechanic, too, but I can't quite put my finger on how or why...

If determined at random, maybe this could be done like a roll to determine weather, and in the spirit of reaction rolls, a lower roll means bad weather/high alert while a higher roll means lower alert

[Anthony]

You could use the threat recognition levels from Tactical Shooting p33, though those are far fewer levels.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by WaterAndWindSpirit

So, what could cause the Alarm Level to raise, based on BAD, aside from the obvious?

Thanks!

Depending on what you consider obvious ... still, let me suggest first that you stick something on the random encounter table that will bump the alert level to represent something other than the PCs jittering the guards.

Secondly, you may wish to have points during the day - stand to's, rounds and similar things where the alert level naturally rises. Likewise, there will be dead points in any stag as the guards start to get bored and anticipate relief. Mealtimes and similar things should also drop the overall alert level. Part of good recce work is learning the enemy's routines.

Also, when alert drops, you may want a buffer so that it can drop below zero to represent fatigue and/or acclimatisation to "false alarms". Acclimatisation should probably stop after people start turning up dead (or just vanishing) but fatigue can get anyone ... especially once the guards have been thinned out a bit...

[sonic232]

A guard sounding the alarm or escaping your team of adventurers should raise the alarm for one.

A tie on any stealth vs perception checks should do this for the local guard. And then if they report the disturbance, the overall level should rise.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by Apollonian

I'm not sure, but I'm going to keep an eye on this because I like the idea.

One thing I might do is consolidate it to fewer levels of alertness, just to make it more manageable.

I feel like there might be some way to tie it into the Reaction Roll mechanic, too, but I can't quite put my finger on how or why...

I like this idea.

But I would probably make it so it's from the point of view of the guards. And if we base it on the Reaction table then, then "good" would mean the guards are more alert, while bad means they are less so.
The modifiers in brackets are to whatever rolls you feel. If the guards have to make a perception check to notice something they would get the modifier (minus for low or bonus for high). If a PC has to make a roll they will also get a modifier (bonus for low, minus for high)

(0 or less ) Disastrous: There are no guards left at all. [+/- 8]
(1-3) Very bad: The guards might be asleep or simple absent. Or all stay in one location to drink. When one of them do make a round they are alone and either drunk, distracted or otherwise not really keeping a lookout. They will not even check people unless they are obviously intruders [+/- 6].
(4-6) Bad: The guards are tired or have very bad morale. They make irregular rounds and usually alone. When on a post they spend more time on other things than keeping a lookout. [+/- 4]
(7-9) Poor: The guards do not expect trouble and only keep a superficial eye on things. They might skip a single guard-round. They might only check people if they seem suspicious. [+/- 2]
(10-12) Neutral: The guards make their rounds in pairs and are keeping reasonable watch and double check people they have reason to check.
(13-15) Good: The guards expect some trouble. They make sure to check any hiding places and check everyone they do not know. [-/+ 2]
(16-18) Very good: The guards know something is up. Additional guards are called in and they are ready for anything to happen. They make double the rounds and every nook and cranny gets searched and everyone is checked out. [-/+ 4]
(19 or more) Excellent: The guards are in the highest state of alert. Every single guard and every able body is keeping watch for anything. Everyone moves in pairs and guards moves in larger groups where possible. higher ranking people are also pulled from other duties as well. No one is allowed outside and so everyone who is not known will be put under arrest. [-/+ 6]


You could roll randomly for a place alert-level (like a reaction roll) and modify it based on the leaderships reaction modifier and loyalty of the guards. But it will likely be between Poor and Good.

Then once the PC's start making trouble it will jump.
Making noise might simple give +1. Maybe not enough to increase the level, unless it happens several times.
finding a dead guard will probably add +6. So even a the tired immoral guards who was a 4 would get to Neutral and start doing what is expected of them.
While a decent guard-corp at 10 who finds a dead guard will immediately go to Very Good and start making double rounds and be extra careful.


Simply find all of the actions you find PC's might take that would affect the guards alert-level and assign it a +/- number.