Adventures 2 (and all dat loot)

[Kieddicus]

Been looking over my Hexagram #6/Adventures 2 PDFs and just got the hard copies in the mail!

I have been loving all the adventures in the book, and really like how they integrate the use of multiple different skills. I am especially looking forward to hosting Van Liew's Darkness;I think it is a really interesting and unique adventure.

I might have to tone down the rewards in Jackson's Old School Adventure though! Not counting selling the potions or gear the player's walk out of the adventure with 25,000 silver! That is enough for every player to buy fine plate and still have a bag of gold leftover. Which seems a bit high for a beginning adventure.

[larsdangly]

TFT is a game where I don't mind sloshing around a bit of loot; the PC's will all be dead in a few weeks anyway, so why cheat them out of their fun?

[phiwum]

I guess I'm kinda a softy. I don't kill off PCs all that often.

Something wrong with me, I guess.

Well, there kinda is. It's hard to strike a balance in this game. Either a fight is too easy or too hard, it seems. Getting it just the right sort of challenge has been difficult for me and I've been erring on the side of caution, because once a fight goes south, a TPK is all too easy and fun for no one.

[hcobb]

Easy way to avoid having the players die is to give them enough loot to buy dozens of healing potions.

If you want to restore Death's sting then read my article in Hex #7.

[Chris Rice]

Just because the system is deadly doesn’t mean death has to be frequent or even inevitable. There are wider options than just “fight to the death.” Here are just a few:

* Avoidance

* Retreat

* Running away

* Surrendering

* Bargaining

* Ransom

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by Chris Rice

Just because the system is deadly doesn’t mean death has to be frequent or even inevitable. There are wider options than just “fight to the death.” Here are just a few:

* Avoidance

* Retreat

* Running away

* Surrendering

* Bargaining

* Ransom

The first fight that threatened to be a total party kill, I let them surrender instead and allowed the escape to be relatively easy. Bit of a softy.

[phiwum]

I'm not particularly interested in having a steady supply of healing potions. And, in any case, they do little good unless you actually win the fight. Once people start being knocked out, that starts looking more difficult.

[Chris Rice]

Originally Posted by phiwum

The first fight that threatened to be a total party kill, I let them surrender instead and allowed the escape to be relatively easy. Bit of a softy.

Things like that are good Roleplaying opportunities. If the players are defeated, captured and stripped of their goods and equipment but then manage to escape, they are now penniless, humiliated and without gear. Where do they go from there?

[phiwum]

In this case, to the nearby bank. The adventure was close to home.

But that meant they had to give the big baddie a second shot forthwith, since he could find them.

[timm meyers]

Originally Posted by Chris Rice

Just because the system is deadly doesn’t mean death has to be frequent or even inevitable. There are wider options than just “fight to the death.” Here are just a few:

* Avoidance

* Retreat

* Running away

* Surrendering

* Bargaining

* Ransom

100% agree.
To me the threat of death is what makes ITL so much better than other RPG's.
The problem is getting the players to understand this sooner than later. Without the fear of death (Kegs of healing potion, scrolls of resurrection, 100's of hit points etc.) the character actions tend to become D movie antics.
Putting your life on the line by engaging in combat is definitely #7 on the list. Any experienced soldier exhausts all other options before committing to a die roll with death.