Random Events

[Talir]

So we've got an abundance of random ambient events going on upon the island at all times, from corpses of dead adventurers to bounties and farmland invasions. There's likely more stuff out there that's yet to be encountered but I was curious to hear whether you guys had some ideas for other stuff you'd like to see.

Do you have suggestions for other random events than bounties, caravans, scouting and invasions that will also yield some XP and rewards for completion?

[The Man In The Mist]

I wouldn't mind seeing 'mist' transitions that when players enter get to see a 'vision of the past.' Of important events, or even made up ones, that shaped the server today.

Discussions between Intryzz and Alexander whatshisname before he entered the dreaming tank in the Pyrimo.

Sheriff whatshisname selling slaves to Duergar.

Lord Trenada loosing all of the Dominion's funds in the Underdark.

The sacrifice of Horose Grouse by the Psychopomp Michael to curse Trenada with Cyric's power.

Or a very rare one where you witness the ascent of Sanctuary's heroes as they finally see the sun for the first time.

Other such events that were turning points in the server's history. Completely scripted and viable for players to see and document.

The reward is a rare taste of the servers rich history and an XP bonus for finding it as well! :)

[Random_White_Guy]

- Wandering merchants visiting town after a muskroot sending.

- A party of "portal rats" in trouble on the outskirts of Nebezzdos in the night-time hours.

- More Wandering Travelers. Lawful vs. Chaos points for helping or ambushing.

- Withered Druids leading Withered invasions on Mistlocke.

- Bandits kidnapping a prominent merchant's daughter.

[Aethereal]

So many wizards and researchers are just out there questing and buffing up people or whatever to gain their knowledge and experience, not really demonstrating the strengths of their class as far as roleplay goes. My suggestion might help bring their role to life, or at least provide a way for PCs who aren't heavy questers to involve the server, and most certainly rile up conflict as other PCs, the Conclave and possibly druids seek to control and compete in these opportunities.

Essentially it would be a random event associated with arcane / magical pursuits: a way in which mages / alchemists / herbalists can involve other players with flavoursome goals tied specifically to their vocation.

I can add more details and help flesh out how this would be done as well, if the initial pitch gains any interest:

[INDENT]Every once in a while an announcement might be made detailing how a certain key reagent has sprouted in a specific part of the isle.

These reagents represent an interactable object for PCs with lore / spellcraft / alchemy / herbalism to tinker with to yield direct rewards. Sometimes they might be guarded by enemies, sometimes they might be locked and trapped, sometimes to even open up the section with the reward requires translating a code or calling upon lore of the isles.

Some of the rewards could be 'magic shards' of highest tier quality in addition to something which could be shared with other PCs, a little bit of XP reward for all involved as well would be good incentive.

This is just one implementation and I haven't included any specifics as far as the interactables are concerned. There are certainly other ways to implement it, something akin to Isaac Solomon's herb collection quest - or the fey crystals (which had a certain level of conflict in the past between wilderness and Conclave at least.)[/INDENT]

If anyone else has input on this, feel free to add possible implementations, thoughts, etc.

[gab1]

The invasions were great fun... bring them back i'd say, the more the merrier i'd say unless restrained by technical issues. It's good as well for different factions to have different invasions or events they can get into. Anyone remember Father Mororn's sendings of the troll invasion and defense of Mistlocke while many were away fighting the Comitals... Funny!

[Pandip]

I've always like the "Traveling" or "Wandering" areas, such as when going to the Morass from the River Tear and having to fight a band of lizardfolk. I think we sometimes, as players, take for granted just how dangerous Ymph can be, and I always love going to the Morass because there's this sense of urgency when you go through that transition and there's a bunch of red to worry about. Perhaps create a half dozen new traveling areas that have a low chance of occurring during certain transitions. It adds a lot more interest and life to the server and breaks some of the predictability/monotony of going from one familiar area to the next.

I think the Mist dream idea and Aethereal's ideas are both great. I like the mystery of the Mist, and I sometimes think it's a bit underplayed when using a Mist path and traveling quickly from one area to the next. I'd also definitely support anything that might help muddy the waters with the Conclave, who I get the impression feel like the big bad wolves to anyone who doesn't encounter them unless they're being subdued in PvP due to the circumstances of a DM event or something else.

[putrid_plum]

More stargazer related things, patrols or hunting parties, other tribes, flayers, camps/villages.

[Adhesive]

I like the mystery of the Mist, and I sometimes think it's a bit underplayed when using a Mist path and traveling quickly from one area to the next.

Doubly this. This Mist is, well, the Mist, and the paths should not be treated as an instant teleport to one quest or another, nor taken for granted, which I feel a lot of people do. Travelling the mist should be scary. It's mysterious, and is as liable to help you as it is to harm you, as we can see from the pass of Rabbantha. Adding more Travelling through the Mist areas with what Thomas suggested, and perhaps an impromptu battle where you might take part in a piece of history reenacted via the Mist would also be really cool. Heading through a mist path and then suddenly finding yourself in the middle of the Comital war or Red Elient would be exciting and scary.

[Knight Of Pentacles]

Perhaps symptoms of the Withering's effects on Ymph.  Like areas where you find large migratory groups of animals or monsters fleeing from the west and there's a possibility of being caught in the middle of the herd.

Also perhaps someone in the Scars Cave will occasionally announce that a certain rare animal is lingering about Ymph and who ever manages to bring it to the Scars Cave will receive a reward.  Alternatively another NPC offers a monetary reward for those who manage to capture it and turn it into them to be slaughtered for its parts, hide, meat ... etcetera.  This way it'll leave it open to both wild and uncivilized oriented characters while stirring up conflict between the two.

[Professor Death]

As much as I miss the snakes quest from the docks as a regularly playable quest, I also like the "ooohhh!" factor of seeing it pop up from time to time in the mistpath rotation.  I'd suggest making some OTHER old favorites like that pop up in rotation from time to time so we can experience them again, or adding in some newer ones that only appear during mistpath rotation.

While here, I further place my support behind the already suggested additions of more "traveling" mistpaths, with or without monster encounters.  Sometimes we get jaded and just go ahead and burst right through those mistpaths because we OOC know that we can always just pop right back through if we end up in an undesirable area.  

Now, here are some suggestions for additional random encounters and/or tweaks:

1) A mistpath that loads you into a maze - but right smack dab in the middle of it - you don't know where or why.  There may be several exits from the maze, but none are visible.  You must find one of them to escape - it MIGHT lead to where you came from, or to one of any other additional places.  Populate the maze with whatever nasties you choose.

2) More random monster lairs.  Sometimes I want to just explore the awesome of watching my level 7 or 8 dwarf slaughter some poor kobold colony (yes, I'd love to smash the kobold warren just to see if I could!).  However, this is only really possible if varying levels of such lairs are "findable" for those higher level characters.

3. Traveling merchants who buy things that might not normally be purchased, such as potions.  Or ones that purchase gems for more than the unrealistic 12 gold each, no matter what the gem.

4. More Netherese secrets - lost labs, treasure caches, temples, or other leftovers - especially ones that provide more flavor clues that support the material one can get hints of in some of the books and other sources available in Nebezzdos and elsewhere.

5. Class-specific skills opportunities - ones in which there is an opportunity to utilize class specific skills such as turn/destroy undead, open locks, tracking, etc.  Given that each random quest should be takable by a number of different classes, there would need to be some scripted opportunity to use a number of different class skills within the quests, so this is really generalizable out to any number of existing quests.

Overall, I want to conclude with a note that I've definitely got a sense that there have been a lot more different randoms I've experienced in the past few weeks, so kudos to the DM team for these!

[el groso]

The Longest Night. Awesome quest.

[NetherGonnaGiveYouUp]

I like the mist maze idea myself and also the concept of having a sort of wilds vs civilisation treasure hunt with some rare beast at the end to skin/save.  My own addition to this would be additions to the desert regions.  Specifically cool thematic random areas, such as ancient temples, old crypts or building on what others have said NPC merchant caravans under attack from Marauders/Sand Worms/Beetles with the potential to save them and buy specialty goods. It would be particularly interesting to have some sand blasted ruins though to explore considering the abundance of such represented IG.

[VanillaPudding]

I disagree with the maze idea. Assuming I'm on a new character, short on play time, or simply trying to get somewhere for a reason, the last thing I'd really want to do is be brought into some manner of maze that I am forced to deal with.

[SkillFocuspwn]

Having random events that can cause conflict is good, stuff like wilds vs. civilization, good vs. evil, faction vs. faction.

[Damien]

We've conflict regardless of events. Add more flavoursome ones, such as:

- A chance to have the ship/raft from sis liman or wherever be marooned on a speck isle and you are given a few hours to explore it while the ship is being prepared. It gives the chance to add a true feel of pirating and you could any anything from crab flayer tribes to a dungeon equipped with traps and puzzles.

- Give a reason for people to play at night. Honestly, whenever it's night I tend to log. Nighrisers become a plenty and the h'bala spawns increase in strength and number. I am sure someone will give some bs about how that's down to rp and your character but I'm certain about 80% are stand offish about heading places when its dark.

- Add something underwater. We've a underwater world and no reason to go there save going to sell p.o.s items for 15gp a pop to gain that coin. Perhaps something in exploring sunken ships with kraken tendrils, sharks and other ilk attacking you as you enter in search of spoils.

I'd say mainly give a reason to explore and adventure that doesn't require players making a shout about how they going east to show the might of their faction/faith/strength via muskroot. I do love exploring but its seldom ever worth the effort when you get there, even the drider pits, the ithy ruins and the haunted halls are barren and they are the most dangerous places to explore.