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There are various areas on this servers that PC's can team up and mission around without a DM but i've noticed that, to be honest, they are all areas where as you walk around you meet group of 3-7 spawns after group of 3-7 spawns at a time and occasionally there is a chest or barrel or something to loot and maybe a trap or lock to get through there or there and perhaps if someone took a static there is a big boss type to bash the hells out of.
In general this sort of area means you need various forms of combat optomised PC's and caster buffer sorts in support.
There has been recent changes regarding the UI and PrC requirements that really emphasise that you'd like people to be building PC's more for RP and less for the grind around.
What if there was some areas on the server, not neccessarily large complex areas either, that catered for the less conventional party. Areas there the tank was really just for support and the wizard needed to memorise spells like read magic and detect magic etc. Perhaps areas where the rogue would really need to scout the way in because if anyone just ploughed on into the trapped and locked doors, it would be certain death.
Areas that gave options to use all these added skills that seem to server no purpose unless a DM is DMing your party.
The easiest example I could give would be to throw in a few locked house doors around sundren in various locations. maybe they could have varying DC locks on them, ranging from a little town house to a mansion somewhere. Rogues and robbers could do break and enter and put their thief skills to the test in simply robbing the house. Xp could be gained for not being spotted, or the guild NPC could pay a small amount for recovered traps and even a bonus if you successfully recover all the traps. Of coures you are going to get Black taxed after the job so you know you have to steal a certain amount from the house to warrant taking the risk of going in in the first place.
The more advanced house (I.E. the mansion) could be filled with heavily armed guards and dogs, maybe the nobles could have a high spot and catch thieves in the act as they try to raid the footlocker in the bedroom. Diplomacy, bluff and intimidate skills might then be the only way to get out of trouble.
In general I keep finding myself in mage/rogue party combo's with no tank and it screws you for hacking through monsters. an invisible mage with an arsenal of spells and a skilled rogue could problem solve their way through a really wicked area avoiding threats and combat to bring in some well earned intelligent rewards. It's also the sort of areas a DM could get a lot more creative with if they wanted to join in and spice things up. These sorts of areas are to be honest very usable for running quests too. I used to DM on a NWN1 server set in waterdeep and there was fully kitted out noble houses that the Xanathar and shadow thieves used to regularly rob. Sometimes guiards would spot someone and it would break out into violence, sometimes the guards would loose, most of the time the robbers would all end up running and trying to escape through the sewers in violent persuits.
I ramble...
I know this sort of thing would be a lot of work and effectively mean building new areas but it's just a suggestion, don't smack me down yet. If someone has some time in the future and you guys are looking to expand the server and build new areas and put in new content. That is the time to remember this post and think about whether you are going to make another hack and slash loot and leave area or if you are going to be really artistic.
In general this sort of area means you need various forms of combat optomised PC's and caster buffer sorts in support.
There has been recent changes regarding the UI and PrC requirements that really emphasise that you'd like people to be building PC's more for RP and less for the grind around.
What if there was some areas on the server, not neccessarily large complex areas either, that catered for the less conventional party. Areas there the tank was really just for support and the wizard needed to memorise spells like read magic and detect magic etc. Perhaps areas where the rogue would really need to scout the way in because if anyone just ploughed on into the trapped and locked doors, it would be certain death.
Areas that gave options to use all these added skills that seem to server no purpose unless a DM is DMing your party.
The easiest example I could give would be to throw in a few locked house doors around sundren in various locations. maybe they could have varying DC locks on them, ranging from a little town house to a mansion somewhere. Rogues and robbers could do break and enter and put their thief skills to the test in simply robbing the house. Xp could be gained for not being spotted, or the guild NPC could pay a small amount for recovered traps and even a bonus if you successfully recover all the traps. Of coures you are going to get Black taxed after the job so you know you have to steal a certain amount from the house to warrant taking the risk of going in in the first place.
The more advanced house (I.E. the mansion) could be filled with heavily armed guards and dogs, maybe the nobles could have a high spot and catch thieves in the act as they try to raid the footlocker in the bedroom. Diplomacy, bluff and intimidate skills might then be the only way to get out of trouble.
In general I keep finding myself in mage/rogue party combo's with no tank and it screws you for hacking through monsters. an invisible mage with an arsenal of spells and a skilled rogue could problem solve their way through a really wicked area avoiding threats and combat to bring in some well earned intelligent rewards. It's also the sort of areas a DM could get a lot more creative with if they wanted to join in and spice things up. These sorts of areas are to be honest very usable for running quests too. I used to DM on a NWN1 server set in waterdeep and there was fully kitted out noble houses that the Xanathar and shadow thieves used to regularly rob. Sometimes guiards would spot someone and it would break out into violence, sometimes the guards would loose, most of the time the robbers would all end up running and trying to escape through the sewers in violent persuits.
I ramble...
I know this sort of thing would be a lot of work and effectively mean building new areas but it's just a suggestion, don't smack me down yet. If someone has some time in the future and you guys are looking to expand the server and build new areas and put in new content. That is the time to remember this post and think about whether you are going to make another hack and slash loot and leave area or if you are going to be really artistic.
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