Reading your idea I immediately thought of unknown threats. Environmental factors that the PCs movements, sounds ,actions etc. Will trigger. Like the bridge idea or weak floor, disturbed virus/nanobots. Also I thought about organisms that are tolerant at first but become increasingly agitated by the PCs presence and actions.
Heart Timer?
Adam_Boyes
#26
Yes exactly. I like the idea of the type of outcome of the heart timer running out is based on what the PCs do to trigger it. Treat the room with respect and the shy ghost helps you find the hidden passage. Trash the room while searching and the ghost attacks because of your disrespectful manner.
GMagnus
#28
This is an awesome idea and really changes the pace of encounters! My Effort-Machines o players are going to count it down in half a round xD
Lon
#31
This is exactly, or at least really really close to how I handle the downtime for character prep etc. between missions or long journeys sometimes during missions. Especially when I am accounting for DAYS time, when DAYS means that the longer end of that spectrum closer to an unspecified but low number of WEEKS.
Basically I’ll allot one less Heart than there are players at the table, and count actual effort or simple effort (5) for each turn. When the hearts are used up, the journey and the prep time/down time in town are over. Hope they’ve covered what they needed!
Eggroll
#33
I had this idea of the PCs wading through a horde of baddies. The heart timer represents how much damage they have done to it (the horde), causing the horde to send its meanest monster to deal with the heroes…
It kinda gives you a way to know when it’s time to send the big baddie. I usually have problems thinking when is it best to bring it in.
Quick examples: the monster that attacked Leonidas in 300. Or that armored troll that faced off against Aragorn in LotR.