Source
r/DMAcademy•
Jetbooster

Giving a player a once-per-day item, but not breaking it over weeks of downtime

Need Advice: Other

Skreacher, do not read.

I have created a "Faulty Headband of Intellect". It has a passive effect of increasing a player's INT as per a regular headband, but with an active effect, once per day, that can be turned on that produces 50% positive bonuses, 50% negative-but-fun results.

One of those results, 1 on a d100, is that the headband becomes repaired, functioning as a regular headband from then on, 10 or under on a d100 means it becomes more effective, and more likely to become repaired (-X from the d100 roll, where X is the number of times it's rolled 10 or under)

However, as a Strixhaven campaign, we've reached the end of the first year. the characters are about to have 4-6 weeks of downtime.

I don't want the players to have a completely anticlimactic roll 42d100, skip over the effects as they won't be relevant, and boom it's repaired over the holidays.

How do I tune the active effect to be:

  1. Not too slow during active play
  2. Not too fast during downtime (of which there is a lot in Strixhaven)

I was thinking "The Headband can be forced into active mode during times of distress. The first time you roll initiative per day etc etc..."

Anyone have any better solutions?

Posted May 12, 2022, 2:19 PM UTC

19
obrien1103•

Tbh I would just honestly tell them out of game that it would be lame and not fun for anyone really if the headband was just fixed over the holidays.

Just pick up with the rolls exactly where you left off. Most PCs should agree that is the most fun game approach.

5
JetboosterOP•

Yeah, I'm looking for a in-game solution for a out-of-game problem really.

I might just give them 2 or 3 rolls to represent their tinkering with it over the downtime.

3
thegooddoktorjones•

First, I would not let them see the effect list on an item like this. Not sure you did, but if it can fix itself that should be a surprise, all the stuff should be a surprise.

Then, I would say it needs to be used in some kind of threat. Say it is intelligent but broken and demands conflict and blood to work.

That assumes this is what you want, to not have it happen over and over during down time.

3
JetboosterOP•

The effects list is indeed hidden from the players, I have it. This is why I felt the need for an in-game reason, since they won't be able to see that the item has a reasonable chance of becoming repaired if you spam the ability every day.

I like the idea of it requiring threat, which is why I considered the 'when you roll initiative' method.

1
Repect•

I think the problem is that youve th3 characters full knowledge of how the item works. Would the characters honestly know that the item could become fixed if they activate it everyday? Or is the player metagaming?

2
JetboosterOP•

The players have not yet received the item, and it does not reveal how exactly it works to them, but the description would need to say it "can be activated once per X" since I want to encourage it's use, but X cannot be so great that it gets ignored/forgotten.

I want the fun effects to come about as often as they can, but if you have 7 days of downtime I don't want them to get 7 rolls for free, since they wouldn't actually have to suffer the bad effects, since it would be skipped over/there would be no encounter.

1
JPicassoDoesStuff•

Ask them if they wear it during their summer break because there's a chance it could get lost if it's on all day while they are doing fun holiday stuff.

1
Heroicloser•

Reminds me of the 'Know-it-all' hat I gave my party. The wearer gets advantage on Intellect based skill checks because it makes you smart, but it gives you disadvantage on Charisma checks because it makes you into a smug 'know-it-all' while wearing it.

1
Left_Ahead•

You’ve written yourself into a corner with a poorly-designed home brew item. Just own it and tell them it only works during active adventuring and don’t worry about the downtime.

-4