Starting an encounter

[Stormcrow]

Here's a problem I've experienced in running The One Ring.

When the players send their characters on a journey, it's easy to tell when it's time to switch into journey-mode. There's an obvious point at which the Loremaster can say, "Okay, show me your route" and start the process. Likewise, it's easy to tell when to switch into combat-mode: someone attacks.

How do you decide it's time to switch into encounter-mode? What happens to me is that when player-heroes meet Loremaster characters, they immediately start questioning them or influencing them or whatever. They resent me trying to get them to determine a goal for the encounter; they just want to talk to whoever it is and whatever they think to say, they say. They have no interest in separating their introductions from their interactions. They simply don't recognize the encounter as a distinct unit.

Now, there are exceptions when the encounter is pre-planned by the players. For instance, in "The Marsh Bell" the player-heroes go to meet Gloin pretty much because the Loremaster has told them this is where the adventure starts, so it's easy to enforce the encounter structure. But more spontaneous meetings don't work this way.

Assuming your players aren't particularly interested in the nuances of game rules, how do you identify the point at which play turns into an encounter?

[Hermes Serpent]

In a case like you are describing I might chose to note down what they say/ask and make some rolls for the NPC as reactions and adjust responses to match the die rolls.

Example: say the company meet a trader on the road to somewhere. I might start off with pleasantries - an Introduction - Hello my name is Theodred, son of Odalf, good day to you travellers. If the company fail to respond in a civilised manner I might change the NPC's attitude from approachable to disgusted with their obnoxious behaviour and only give curt, abrupt responses to questions and leave their vicinity quickly.

If they keep choosing not to engage in civilised behaviour then they will soon run out of things to do. They'll never get a job or help from anyone of note and once people of note start ignoring them everyone else will as well.

I might for someone unimportant not go with the introduction phase and just move to an informal question and answer conversation but while they'll get some information that way they wont get the connections that are so important in character and plot development.

[Stormcrow]

So, basically, skip the encounter mechanics entirely?

[zedturtle]

Well, having an Encounter is not very every time the characters meet someone. It is for when the PC meet someone powerful and need something from them. Your players should be nervous going into an encounter.

And yes, sometimes you need to say "Stop! This is an Encounter. Roll your Insight dice."

[Hermes Serpent]

I meant that if they don't want an Encounter then roll with it and don't make it an Encounter. After they've finished quizzing the NPC and gone on their merry way tell them that was 2 or 3 APs that they didn't get because they didn't engage in a proper civilised conversation and make use of their Common skills.

It sounds like you didn't sit the players down and have a session zero discussion about the game and how you saw it happening. If the players aren't used to a set of game mechanisms (they've never played before or only played certain types of games) then they don't know what they should be doing and your comment about not being interested in mechanics seems to indicate a failing to explain how things work before you started out.

You might need to tell your players that they need to watch the Hobbit movie and point out how the dwarves introduce themselves. A look at the scenes in Rivendell where the elves regard the dwarves as buffoons with the food fight might give them pause. Do they really want to be seen as the uncouth country bumpkins?

[Stormcrow]

Well, having an Encounter is not very every time the characters meet someone. It is for when the PC meet someone powerful and need something from them.

I wonder if this is actually the case. The rule books say, "When the company meets one or more Loremaster characters that do not qualify immediately as enemies, an encounter occurs." I would personally modify this to read "named Loremaster characters," as it certainly doesn't apply to the random yokel they ask directions of. But a named Loremaster character doesn't have to be powerful; they just have to be narratively significant. The rule books give an example of meeting a company of wandering dwarves in a tavern, for instance.

[Hermes Serpent]

While meeting people (Loremaster characters) does match the requirement for starting an Encounter unless the characters actually want something significant from said LM character(s) it probably shouldn't be run as a full blown Encounter. Asking directions doesn't seem to need a full-blown Encounter but asking for significant information about a location or person probably should.

Did you tell your players how it's supposed to work or was it a case of I'll explain it as we go along because you have no interest in how the game works but it sounds cool?

[Stormcrow]

My players have always been of the "I doan wanna lern roolz, just tell me what happens" type. I tell them anyway, but they promptly—and, I think, intentionally—forget.

[Hermes Serpent]

Must be tough and probably unsatisfying for you when you put the effort in and they don't give a s***.

I can see why there are plenty of advice threads that have "No gaming is better than bad gaming" as a mantra.

[aramis]

How do you decide it's time to switch into encounter-mode? [...]
Assuming your players aren't particularly interested in the nuances of game rules, how do you identify the point at which play turns into an encounter?

The moment they do any of the following, I generate the tolerance score:

• Try to convince someone of something
• Try to get information that needs one or more rolls to obtain
• Say something notably stupid or offensive
• Decide not to answer local's reasonable questions (Who are you? Why are you here? Have you a place to stay? Can you pay for that?)
• Start looking for clues or employment.

If they're just being basically polite, and doing nothing more than buying ales and a bench for the night, and doing nothing that requires a roll, there's no point.