A Game of Skills, part 4

We are still discussing the example of play in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy in the Exploits book on pages 103-104.

So the party reads the runes on the walls (no skill roll needed) and finds out they are in the right place: the tomb of a vampire who may have come back to cause trouble. We are doing marching orders and readying weapons, and one of them is maintaining a light spell for free while using the Cartography skill to map. The GM notes stealth with light is impossible, but they are blind without it.

Thank you for avoiding the modern 'make it easy' curse of everyone having night vision. This is why people play Shadowdark over 5E, and Dungeon Fantasy also smartly avoids this problem. Torches and light are instant drama!

We get a section of GM's advice, smartly saying that their opening the door and going into the tomb awakened the vampire. The vampire is moving around in the dark, but a secret quick contest between the vampire's Stealth skill versus the two wary party members looking for trouble - the mapper is busy and does not get to roll. One of the party members hears movement and calls for a stop.

Light, darkness, sounds, shadows, and detection of things moving around out there - the dungeon is alive! An enemy is stalking them. The light gave their location away. Making the dungeon a 'sim environment' is critical to enhancing the mood and adding to the fun. This also allows the party members to use their skills, even though the dice rolls here were secret. As a GM, I note everyone's Perception scores to make these rolls secretly instead of asking for them during play.

Before we get into combat, it is imperative to highlight that dungeons are a 'home-field advantage' to those who live there. They could have patrols, warning bells, secret escape routes, ways to come up behind the party, traps, animals or creatures to set free, doors to lock, or other devices and tactics to use when protecting their home turf.

The example of play here highlights parallel movement in secret outside of the party's vision. Too often, we stick an encounter in a room and wait for the players to walk in and 'activate' the room like it was some sort of MMO where one goblin can't see the other goblin being killed 10 feet away. Light, fires, spells, the sounds of battle, the smell of food, and even the party talking among itself can attract attention, and some monsters can see heat or smell fresh meat from a long distance away.

Once monsters start sneaking around the periphery, the entire area 'lights up' and becomes alive. Also, some monsters may need light to move and act, so this is a two-way street. A party hiding in the dark from orcs using torches to search for them is a tense moment!

And remember the players being creative with their skills and actions during these moments! An intelligent thief hearing movement may alert their party quietly and melt into the shadows with stealth. Weapons and shields need actions to be ready. Spells can be cast. Traps can be set or caltrops thrown down to deter a charge. Someone could bar a nearby door. Those characters who need to drop backpacks for movement and extra dodging ability should start planning to put them down now.

Remember what happens to the lights! A dropped torch could go out or land on the ground, giving off less light. A light spell that needs concentration to maintain could be disrupted if that wizard loses focus. A torch can be thrown toward an enemy, leaving the arty in darkness, and the oncoming creatures lit up (or hit by the torch for damage). A dropped lantern may break and spill flaming oil all over. New torches may need to be lit in combat.

During combat, someone may hear alarms nearby being shouted, and more trouble is coming their way. Don't stop the 'dungeon sim' when combat starts or in this preparatory phase - the whole dungeon is alive, dangerous, and reacting to the sounds and lights of the battle raging in a part of it. Some monsters could lock doors, set traps, and bar themselves in a room. Others could send scouts out or establish guards in different areas. Enemy mages could be preparing spells. An enemy VIP may take this chance to flee. Neutral monsters, such as giant spiders, may be attracted by the heat and noise to pick off the unwary from the darkness.

The 'dungeon sim' never stops and reacts to events, and if things quiet down - it could return to semi-normalcy. This isn't all 'anti-player' events; the other side could make mistakes, too - we will see more of this soon. We are in a pre-combat phase, but everything here impacts the combat. This also raises tension and creates uncertainty.

This is old-school gaming at its best, bolstered by a robust set of skills that never stops working for the player - and the other side, if you play them smart. Since GURPS is a more realistic game, you get a gritty, dangerous, and realistic experience highlighting how risky this dungeon-crawling business is in reality.