Recent content by NewfieDave

My current group members are all co-workers, which makes it easy to communicate about when we can play. Unfortunately we work very different schedules - and all of our schedules change from week to week - so it's been a once or twice a month campaign thus far.

Fights can get dragged out for long periods of time, especially with a big group, but the action within the fight is more fast paced. The last session I DM'd only had time for two combats, but they were both very exciting and enjoyable for the group. The reason it was exciting and enjoyable was...

Trying to define magic using real world physics makes me laugh.

Perhaps you didn't word that exactly as the item actually works, but if I could only make 3 attacks per combat before automatically falling to 0 HP I would be very pissed with my DM (unless he allowed me the chance to know what I was getting into before using the item, or allowed me some way to...

Cursed items can work if handled very carefully. I would only consider using one if it jived with a character's (and player's) personality. It's ok to punish your players, but those punishments should be short term. Forcing a character to use a cursed item in the long term is definitely a bad...

I think the real question here is why didn't he just use Nimble Strike to shift and attack with his longbow?

Sort of. I think the current system lays a good framework for what skill challenges should do, but it has two flaws... The first flaw is that a table of DCs can't model every possibility (although it can certain serve as a handy guideline). Yes, you can map the roll probabilities and use all...

While I agree that such a table would be awesome, I don't think it's possible given the breadth of options available at the gaming table. There are simply too many "What if?"s to make a simple level by level table work for all possible party combinations and applications of creativity. It could...

I keep seeing complaints about skill challenges (and DCs/defenses in general) being too easy/too hard. I've read through some detailed math that shows the system is flawed, and it makes a compelling argument. This seems strange to me. How could such a flawed system make it through playtesting...

Minions also do fixed damage.

I don't think save or die is needed anymore on the player's side. The only real appeal to me is the whole "one shot, one kill" feeling you get from using such a power. You get that from killing minions now.

As per the referenced table on page 42 (which is the best thing the DMG has EVER given me!), the DC for a level 1 skill check of moderate difficulty is 15. I haven't got the slightest clue where you found that extra +5.

Can't Magic Missile be used for opportunity attacks?

To use a real world example... Just because you go to church every week does not make you a good person. It does make you a member of the church though. Most real world religions would probably define themselves as Lawful Good or Good organizations, but many people in the pews would be...

Some people tend to forget that trying to break through a metal door causes copious amounts of noise. As a DM I never forget that, and neither do the three encounters worth of monsters who were just alerted. Player cheese is best foiled by reminding the group who adjudicates the game. I feel...