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4e increased my DM prep time...
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<blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 5111184" data-attributes="member: 2067"><p>Some really solid stuff here. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>I should say that I enjoy 4e and I fully intend to keep playing and running it. I'm just looking to make it a bit easier on me, to get a bit closer to how I was DMing 3e. I've no desire to go back to the days of multiple buffs and high-level bookkeeping. That stuff got in my way even more than some 4e stuff does. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p>And I'm not so sure it's system mastery. I've been playing or DMing 4e since it came out, so I've got an OK handle on how stuff works. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I'm a fan of that. Minor tweaks to existing monsters makes a lot of sense. I'm a little concerned I wouldn't be able to keep it straight at the table, but I don't think it'll be any more complex than keeping track of conditions. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This is probably true for a lot of DMs who are used to doing prep, but I'm coming from "nearly zero," myself. I'd never build a 3e NPC or monster. I'd never (well, rarely) draw a map. I'd just pick a beast out of a book (usually, a monster, since it was only late in 3e that I had pre-generated NPC stats, but the DMG came in handy there), and I'd grab the DMG for the environmental effects that I wanted to add to the battle. </p><p></p><p>I'm a huge fan of your "let it ride" advice for NPC recruits. I'll probably do that in the future. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Well, that's part of the problem I'm having, I think. I don't know what roles I want, or what roles I should want, or what monsters might fill those roles, off the top of my head. Though the MM indexes help a bit on this, I end up eating game time flipping between indexes looking for monsters of a given role that make sense in the context of the adventure so I can insert them. </p><p></p><p>I wonder if there's a quick "role template" or something I can use to swap out a basic "goblin" for a "goblin soldier/goblin skirmisher/goblin artillery" kind of thing. That'd be crazy useful to me, I think. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>You're probably right. This might be linked to my dislike for maps and minis, too. I can give general evocative descriptions and have awesome imaginary setpieces, but the moment I have to physically stick something on a grid, I kind of balk. "Should this go here? Should it go there? What tactical options does this allow? What should be difficult terrain, what should be a skill check, how is that favoring certain characters over others?" </p><p></p><p>Perhaps I need a little crash course on map-making. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> Or a really good guideline for using 4e without a grid (I've seen a few OK ones, but they haven't impressed me much, 'cuz they largely rely on a lot of "DM doing the work" stuff. I'd rather make my players do the work. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> ). </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Nice! Since I'm mostly using the DDI when I generate encounters, I forget that the DMG has that section a lot of the time (and also some really useful templates for individual monster tweaking!). Perhaps I need to crack the spine on that book a little more often. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Yoink'd. Slick! </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I'm going to have to look into that, because I definitely see my games more as campaigns then as sets of encounters. This might help some of the flow problems I'm having.</p><p></p><p>Though I still think my main problem is in the encounters themselves. I guess I'll always be doing a little more prep in 4e than I was in 3e (quantity of monsters, maps, etc.), but I'd like to be able to pull as much of that out of my behindus as possible at the last minute. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> </p><p></p><p>Some good suggestions so far, keep 'em coming...any pointers on making maps or customizing critters would, I think, be double-plus good.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="I'm A Banana, post: 5111184, member: 2067"] Some really solid stuff here. :) I should say that I enjoy 4e and I fully intend to keep playing and running it. I'm just looking to make it a bit easier on me, to get a bit closer to how I was DMing 3e. I've no desire to go back to the days of multiple buffs and high-level bookkeeping. That stuff got in my way even more than some 4e stuff does. ;) And I'm not so sure it's system mastery. I've been playing or DMing 4e since it came out, so I've got an OK handle on how stuff works. I'm a fan of that. Minor tweaks to existing monsters makes a lot of sense. I'm a little concerned I wouldn't be able to keep it straight at the table, but I don't think it'll be any more complex than keeping track of conditions. This is probably true for a lot of DMs who are used to doing prep, but I'm coming from "nearly zero," myself. I'd never build a 3e NPC or monster. I'd never (well, rarely) draw a map. I'd just pick a beast out of a book (usually, a monster, since it was only late in 3e that I had pre-generated NPC stats, but the DMG came in handy there), and I'd grab the DMG for the environmental effects that I wanted to add to the battle. I'm a huge fan of your "let it ride" advice for NPC recruits. I'll probably do that in the future. Well, that's part of the problem I'm having, I think. I don't know what roles I want, or what roles I should want, or what monsters might fill those roles, off the top of my head. Though the MM indexes help a bit on this, I end up eating game time flipping between indexes looking for monsters of a given role that make sense in the context of the adventure so I can insert them. I wonder if there's a quick "role template" or something I can use to swap out a basic "goblin" for a "goblin soldier/goblin skirmisher/goblin artillery" kind of thing. That'd be crazy useful to me, I think. You're probably right. This might be linked to my dislike for maps and minis, too. I can give general evocative descriptions and have awesome imaginary setpieces, but the moment I have to physically stick something on a grid, I kind of balk. "Should this go here? Should it go there? What tactical options does this allow? What should be difficult terrain, what should be a skill check, how is that favoring certain characters over others?" Perhaps I need a little crash course on map-making. ;) Or a really good guideline for using 4e without a grid (I've seen a few OK ones, but they haven't impressed me much, 'cuz they largely rely on a lot of "DM doing the work" stuff. I'd rather make my players do the work. ;) ). Nice! Since I'm mostly using the DDI when I generate encounters, I forget that the DMG has that section a lot of the time (and also some really useful templates for individual monster tweaking!). Perhaps I need to crack the spine on that book a little more often. ;) Yoink'd. Slick! I'm going to have to look into that, because I definitely see my games more as campaigns then as sets of encounters. This might help some of the flow problems I'm having. Though I still think my main problem is in the encounters themselves. I guess I'll always be doing a little more prep in 4e than I was in 3e (quantity of monsters, maps, etc.), but I'd like to be able to pull as much of that out of my behindus as possible at the last minute. ;) Some good suggestions so far, keep 'em coming...any pointers on making maps or customizing critters would, I think, be double-plus good. [/QUOTE]
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