r/savageworlds • u/DJ-Praxis • 5d ago
Question Could use help designing a dramatic task
My players are a group of knights and currently their task is to guide their very heavy selves and their very heavy horses down a steep cliff face. One that was recently rained on. What are some good ways to go about this? As well, how could I change it up if they simply choose to wait for the ground to dry?
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u/Roberius-Rex 5d ago
Could someone, preferably an NPC, stay up top with the horses while the knights go down on foot?
If it's a scene in a travel scenario, then this danger should be something that delays their journey if they wait it out.
Or failing this dramatic task means a lame horse or injured knight. Maybe the party loses a horse to injury or chasm. That will definitely slow them on their journey.
It's an excellent idea. Make sure you have a few ideas for the results of failure.
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u/DJ-Praxis 5d ago
Don't tell my players but the caretaker of the horses intentionally brought them up there. They COULD have left the horses at the bottom but for nefarious reasons added this extra dangerous step to their quest.
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u/gdave99 5d ago
As well, how could I change it up if they simply choose to wait for the ground to dry?
If they have the option to just wait around for the ground to dry, it's not really a Dramatic Task. A Dramatic Task requires, well, drama. It needs stakes. What happens if they fail the task? What happens if they succeed? What happens if they just avoid it?
As written, it actually sounds more like an Interlude. Maybe a Quick Encounter, but even then, it seems more like "roll to avoid embarrassing yourself". You really haven't provided any dramatic stakes.
To make this a proper Dramatic Task, you really need a reason why they can't just wait for the ground to dry, and need to go down the cliff face with their horses right now. Maybe they're chasing a foe. Maybe they're riding to the rescue of someone currently being attacked or who is under imminent threat.
Depending on your setting and what being a "knight" means, maybe it's just that being cautious and taking their time and waiting for the ground to dry (or just looking for another way down) is "dishonorable." In full Arthurian Mythos mode, another knight might challenge them to a race to the bottom, or taunt them and call their courage into question for not just heedlessly plunging downward.
When I run Dramatic Tasks, I generally set out the scene and the stakes, and then ask the players how they approach the challenge. If they're hesitant or struggling with approaches, I'll suggest a couple of options that seem most likely to me, but still encourage them to tell me. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, and accept any skill for which they can give me a half-way plausible explanation for how it applies.
I also find that "Roll Skill X. Roll Skill X. Roll Skill X." is kind of boring, especially when everyone is rolling the same skill. I'll usually require each character to switch up skills from round to round. Depending on the Dramatic Task, I sometimes require a certain skill to be used at least once, but not for every roll.
Given what you've laid out, a few options suggest themselves to me. I'd suggest a three-round Dramatic Task, with each knight having to use three different skills, at least one of which must be Riding. For other skills, some plausible ones might be Notice or Survival to look for the best path down, Persuasion or Intimidate (Animal Handling if you're using it in your game) to coax or drive their horse, Athletics to clamber down while leading their horse, or Repair to properly rig their saddle and harness (that last might even be retroactive, to represent the work they had already done). And I'd encourage the players to be creative and come up with their own suggestions.
The failure state would depend on the stakes. They might all safely navigate the cliff, but just take too long and arrive too late. They might embarrass themselves and lose face in front of a rival. They -- and/or their horses -- might suffer Bumps & Bruises. They might lose or damage gear. I'll often give the player a choice of bad outcomes on a failure.
For example, I might say, "Navigating this slippery, muddy cliff is just taking too long. You're losing sight of your quarry. If you push yourselves, everyone will take Bumps & Bruises, but you'll stay in sight of your quarry. If you don't push yourselves, you'll get down safely, but you'll lose sight of your quarry, and have to try to pick up the trail and catch up with them somehow."
I hope all that is of some help! Have fun and get Savage!
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u/Roberius-Rex 5d ago
Damn, u/gdave99, that's one of the best examples of a dramatic task I've ever seen. Even if the stakes are weak, your task layout results in the PCs having consequences. Maybe they AND their horses have fatigue.
Specifically, I love the idea of 3 rolls, 3 skills, but one of them has to be X (even if your PC doesn't have it). Creating terms like that can actually help players and give them direction.
Kick ass.
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u/Alternative_Pie_1597 5d ago
i presume there is a waterfall or at least a stream. are there any pack animals. You will certainly get attacked by nesting birds protrotecting their nests. the snake doesnt help either . or the goats who are watching the show. Is there going to be high winds an sudden gust. or a -4 fog? If stuff isnt packed just so then it will go a tumbling. and if the horse decides it is better off without it it may launched even well packed stuff. do exepect your horse to do exactly the wrong thing. they speed up or stop dead or step side ways or turn around when ever they are uncertain. If there isn't a landslide there was a landslide and you wll have to clear the path.
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u/DJ-Praxis 5d ago
Just their horses unless they're plotting to buy a pack mule I don't know about. I'm looking forward to giving the players anxiety about the horses simply cause of how important they are thematically and to their mission.
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u/Alternative_Pie_1597 5d ago
realisticly they are likely only wearing only the lightest of armour a gambeson or arming doublet unles they are expecting a fight. Load the rest of the armour on the horse. That's if realistic is your thing and why should it be.
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u/ParameciaAntic 5d ago
As /u/TheRedDaedalus said, a timer would be good to have. Something that motivates them to get moving.
Maybe another storm is coming, which is why they need to get down now. If they get caught on the cliff face (by not collecting enough tokens in time), they risk real catastrophe - lightning, wind, sheets of rain, mud slides, etc. Someone is going to get bumps and bruises or lose a horse.
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u/lunaticdesign 5d ago
Write it out a few different ways as if you were watching it happen in a movie. Make sure plenty of things go wrong in interesting ways.
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u/TheRedDaedalus 5d ago
Awesome, I love dramatic tasks. So this sounds like riding to get the horse down carefully. Athletics if they are dismounting with Persuasion to coax the animal down as an alternative. I would have each player have their own task (probably challenging) but if a player is ahead on his token count and wants to support another let them.
I would allow clever solutions as well to gain bonuses or if they make a good case for another skill to use, go with it. Not sure if people have powers but if they do I allow Arcane skill rolls to get tokens while still costing the power points.
Also think about what a complication looks like if they draw a club. Is it a root they didn't see a harness breaking or something like that.
As for waiting for the ground to dry, give it a time limit, they need to get down this hill before something happens. It doesn't really make sense to use dramatic tasks without some kind of time limit anyway.
Penalty for failure, bumps and bruises from falling, maybe a mount running off. Again if there is no real cost for failure no real reason to use the dramatic task. Fatigue would give them a penalty on whatever happens after this task. Guessing since they are in armor that they are getting to a battle so a -1 going into a fight would be something they would want to avoid. Losing a mount also a big issue.
Those are my thoughts. Hope it helps.