D&D 4E 4e DM Cheat Sheet

Lexeme · Jul 23, 2011

Thanks!
The first page looks very handy and has made it into my usual repertoire. Looking forward to the second.

Robtheman · Jul 23, 2011

I would suggest the following for the other side, all of which focuses on creating dynamic encounters on the fly.

- Treasure/reward generation

- Random encounter compositions by party size and level (2-3 players, level 3, 1 elite, 1 standard, 4 minions, for example). This could help a lot of new players creating interesting party appropriate encounters. Would require a slightly more complex table but would be cool to have around.

- Environmental effects by tier (similar to the improvised action table) which would suggest 5-10 terrain challenges to choose from and how they influence combat. Examples: shifting sands at heroic makes it impossible to shift or imposes the slow status effect; necrotic auras at paragon cause anyone (good or bad) starting inside to take 10 damage and take -2 defenses until end of turn; linked portals at epic allow for moving around the room or forcing someone else through the portal with bull rush (perhaps some portal to a particularly deadly trap, etc.).

- conditions with current errata

- improvised ritual rules

Quickleaf · Jul 23, 2011

Robtheman said:
I would suggest the following for the other side, all of which focuses on creating dynamic encounters on the fly.

Good suggestions, thanks.

- Treasure/reward generation

I hadn't even thought of that! It'll take some adaptation to condense that onto a bit of a single page, but I think I can manage something.

- Random encounter compositions by party size and level (2-3 players, level 3, 1 elite, 1 standard, 4 minions, for example). This could help a lot of new players creating interesting party appropriate encounters. Would require a slightly more complex table but would be cool to have around.

That's a little tricky. And I'm not sure if "new players" are going to be the ones mostly DMing with this sheet. Most of us ENWorld DMs know that 4 minion is *roughly* worth 1 standard, 2 standards are worth an elite, and about 5 standards are worth a solo.

Still I'd planned on including some encounter templates (which is like what you describe), but not sure if I'll have room for that.

- Environmental effects by tier (similar to the improvised action table) which would suggest 5-10 terrain challenges to choose from and how they influence combat. Examples: shifting sands at heroic makes it impossible to shift or imposes the slow status effect; necrotic auras at paragon cause anyone (good or bad) starting inside to take 10 damage and take -2 defenses until end of turn; linked portals at epic allow for moving around the room or forcing someone else through the portal with bull rush (perhaps some portal to a particularly deadly trap, etc.).

Great minds

I was working on a list like this, but I didnt have enough examples to work from. I was mostly going off of the DMG 1 and 2 special/magical terrain. Maybe I'll take another stab at it.

- conditions with current errata

Check.

- improvised ritual rules

What do you envision this would look like? A list of costs by level?

Quickleaf · Jul 25, 2011

So, I have a big update today. There are now 4 (yes 4!) DM cheat sheets available on the OP! However, I need some feedback to finish them right.

The original one is called "Improv".

Second is "DM prep", which (so far) covers overland travel, monster XP, treasure, and magic item values. What else could I add here?

Third is "Rules", which is simply a list of skill DCs, prices, and errated conditions. Should I keep this as is, or replace the prices with something else?

Last is "Plot", which contains insight culled from the deepest recesses of the gamer collective consciousness and yours truly. Any cool tips/tricks or blogs unique to DMing 4e that I could mine to finish this off?

Cheers!

TheClone · Jul 26, 2011

I'd like to have the "monster origin/knowledge skill" table to be in it. Maybe instead of the prices? Though that'll be a different table size.

Ferghis · Jul 26, 2011

TheClone said:
I'd like to have the "monster origin/knowledge skill" table to be in it. Maybe instead of the prices? Though that'll be a different table size.

Knowledge check DCs are a moderate DC for the level of the monster for origin, type, temperament, and keywords; and a hard DC for powers, resistances and vulnerabilities. I haven't downloaded the latest version, but you're basically looking for the skill DC table.

EDIT: unless you mean a table that associates Dungeoneering with Aberrant, Religion with Undead, and so on.

TheClone · Jul 26, 2011

Ferghis said:
Knowledge check DCs are a moderate DC for the level of the monster for origin, type, temperament, and keywords; and a hard DC for powers, resistances and vulnerabilities. I haven't downloaded the latest version, but you're basically looking for the skill DC table.

EDIT: unless you mean a table that associates Dungeoneering with Aberrant, Religion with Undead, and so on.

No. I meant the table linking the monster origin with the appropriate knowledge skills. The table is right under the rule you described in the Rules Compendium. Like that you role religion for undead knowledge.

Quickleaf · Jul 26, 2011

TheClone said:
No. I meant the table linking the monster origin with the appropriate knowledge skills. The table is right under the rule you described in the Rules Compendium. Like that you role religion for undead knowledge.

I did include this (you had mentioned it upthread). It's on the "rules" sheet, conveniently under the Monster Knowledge Checks heading.

mneme · Jul 26, 2011

Lovely stuff!

But on the Rules cheatsheat, the mods for Stealth are reversed -- -5 and -10 rather than +5 and +10. Made even more glaring appearing right under Perception (which has mods going in the right direction).

Quickleaf · Jul 27, 2011

[MENTION=59248]mneme[/MENTION]
Ack! Go figure I could spell Dungeoneering at 2 am but couldn't get the +/- right. Thanks for catching that.

Btw any suggestions for what I could put in the tables I haven't filled yet in the "plot" sheet and "rules" sheet? For the rules sheet I was thinking a quick list of special terrain from the DMGs. For the plot sheet, not so sure.