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Time limits are a difficult thing to handle in an open-ended tabletop game.
Trying the same in aDungeons & Dragonsgame is likely to blow up in your face.
Mounts can be tricky to implement; here are a few tips to get them running in your campaigns.
Scary Modron March by Andrea Piparo
Types Of Time Limits
Different types of time restrictions serve different purposes.
This lets the players decide where the boundaries are.
How To Use Hard Time Limits
These strict time limits cannot be defied.
Healing Hand by Ralph Horsley
Key NPCs might die, andcivil unrest will increase as hope for a cure wanes.
Hexcrawl
A military campaign or adventuring expedition can only go onas long as supplies and morale last.
The party’s leadership will be questioned,prompting desertion and mutiny.
Malnutrition and poor health might cause escalating debuffs.
Race
Another group is pursuing the same objectives.
The party might not know if they’re keeping pace with their rivals.
Healing Hand by Ralph Horsley
The final confrontation will become harderthe further the party falls behind.
Video games often have to designtimed scenariosthat still cater tovarious playstylesandskill levels.
They can provide examples both ofhow to narratively enforce a time limitanddifferent ways to represent them mechanically.
Dungeons & Dragons - Dungeon Master’s Screen - Wilderness Kit 3 by Greg Rutkowski
The game has a quantified morale system that applies debuffs if not respected.
Despite this,you are never forced to move quickly.
XCom 2
The aliens useescalating amounts of military force until they win.
There’s also the Avatar Project, a research goal that will allow them to instantly achieve their objectives.
Wasting time in the game’s strategy layer increases the difficulty of the tactical layer.
Lights, camera, roleplay!
