I, for one, would just like to say that I would love to play in WSmith's game.
Crash Course in 4th ed.
I, for one, would just like to say that I would love to play in WSmith's game.
Primitive Screwhead
First Post
Almost.. I have added a copy of the DMG page 42 charts and a copy of the knowledge charts {what PC's can glean from knowledge checks against monsters.. I lost the thread here that I got the PDF from...}
I also highly recommend Stalker0's Obsideon skill challenge rules. They provide a much better experience in play and are exceedingly easy to run. The core rules for skill challenges have the issue of players thinking that they are excluded or can hinder the teams success {which is true given how the rules work}.... so they don't play a part.
And to echo Ourph... NPCs are built using the monster builder.. but only if you expect to have combat with them. There is no real reason to stat out a NPC otherwise.
Garthanos
Arcadian Knight
Exactly.. its something encouraged by the Players Handbook.. and at times easy to overlook.
The DM should also encourage stepping beyond the borders of the system page 42 (in the DMG ) is their for a reason.
The first session my son and I tested featured many uses of the DM's best friend.
MadLordOfMilk
First Post
While it's not as entertaining to read front-to-back, the rulebooks are designed to be referenced extremely easily/quickly in-game.
Keep that in mind, especially if you do need to look something up.
Lord Zardoz
Explorer
There are a few things I will suggest to someone who is more familiar with pre-3rd edition versions of the game.
You are right about the DM screen being very useful. However, you may want to re-read the sections on Bull Rush (PHB 287), Grab / Escape (PHB 290 and 288), Opportunity Attacks (PHB 290) Delay (PHB 288) and Readied Actions (PHB 291). Of those elements, Opportunity Attacks will come up most often. Readied Actions and Delayed Actions are potentially very useful to a DM if you want to wait for one monster to get into a better position to attack, or if you want to pincushion a character as he enters a room.
Players and DMs will forget to do the following:
- Apply ongoing damage at the start of a character or monsters turn
- Make saves vs ongoing effects at the end of a monsters turn
- Keep track of who is marked by your PC's.
As a DM, I tend to forget to apply the -2 penalty for being marked. Players and DM's can forget to apply the ongoing damage. For things like Marked, and Warlocks curse, have the player who triggered them do the book keeping.
If you are using a published module, be aware that WotC likes to use a few monsters of a higher level then the players as opposed to larger numbers of monsters at the same level. The fights will be survivable, but it can lead to fights that take longer then they should due to the monsters a bit too durable. You may have noticed many posts about Grind. This problem is highly subjective, and how often it shows up varies from one group to the next. If you think a fight is taking too long, just do whatever you think is necessary to speed things along (quietly cut HP, or just run away / surrender).
Skill Challenges are a great new idea for 4th Edition that you may want to adapt to your regular games. However, the pre-errata implementation was flawed. If you want to run one, make sure you are using the errata for skill DC's. Here are 3 tips for skill challenges to avoid it turning into just a series of rolls.
- Decide on a worthwhile Reward: This can be a bonus to hit or def until the next encounter or next extended rest. Treasure is also possible.
- Decide on a worthwhile punishment: Skill challenges should not roadblock an adventure due to a single failed roll. If they do fail, you should incur a real cost. This could be Healing surges, penalties to hit or def for the next encounter, money or whatever else seems reasonable.
- Do not let 1 player make every roll: You want to engage the entire party.
- Do not let 1 skill be used for every roll: Same problem as above.
- Permit players to gain a success for non skill checks: An applicable use of a ritual or just good role playing should be encouraged here too.
- Be flexible on the resolution Mechanic: The 3 strikes model is workable, but not always ideal. Any reasonable mix of successes before failure, and any reasonable spread should work. I like doing 'every player gets a penalty for every 2 failures', or 'Every player suffers a +X attack vs Fort for 1d6 damage for each failure, no go make 5 checks.'
If you need to improvise a mechanical effect (a skill DC, a non standard attack to inflict damage, etc), use page 42 of the DMG.
END COMMUNICATION
You are right about the DM screen being very useful. However, you may want to re-read the sections on Bull Rush (PHB 287), Grab / Escape (PHB 290 and 288), Opportunity Attacks (PHB 290) Delay (PHB 288) and Readied Actions (PHB 291). Of those elements, Opportunity Attacks will come up most often. Readied Actions and Delayed Actions are potentially very useful to a DM if you want to wait for one monster to get into a better position to attack, or if you want to pincushion a character as he enters a room.
Players and DMs will forget to do the following:
- Apply ongoing damage at the start of a character or monsters turn
- Make saves vs ongoing effects at the end of a monsters turn
- Keep track of who is marked by your PC's.
As a DM, I tend to forget to apply the -2 penalty for being marked. Players and DM's can forget to apply the ongoing damage. For things like Marked, and Warlocks curse, have the player who triggered them do the book keeping.
If you are using a published module, be aware that WotC likes to use a few monsters of a higher level then the players as opposed to larger numbers of monsters at the same level. The fights will be survivable, but it can lead to fights that take longer then they should due to the monsters a bit too durable. You may have noticed many posts about Grind. This problem is highly subjective, and how often it shows up varies from one group to the next. If you think a fight is taking too long, just do whatever you think is necessary to speed things along (quietly cut HP, or just run away / surrender).
Skill Challenges are a great new idea for 4th Edition that you may want to adapt to your regular games. However, the pre-errata implementation was flawed. If you want to run one, make sure you are using the errata for skill DC's. Here are 3 tips for skill challenges to avoid it turning into just a series of rolls.
- Decide on a worthwhile Reward: This can be a bonus to hit or def until the next encounter or next extended rest. Treasure is also possible.
- Decide on a worthwhile punishment: Skill challenges should not roadblock an adventure due to a single failed roll. If they do fail, you should incur a real cost. This could be Healing surges, penalties to hit or def for the next encounter, money or whatever else seems reasonable.
- Do not let 1 player make every roll: You want to engage the entire party.
- Do not let 1 skill be used for every roll: Same problem as above.
- Permit players to gain a success for non skill checks: An applicable use of a ritual or just good role playing should be encouraged here too.
- Be flexible on the resolution Mechanic: The 3 strikes model is workable, but not always ideal. Any reasonable mix of successes before failure, and any reasonable spread should work. I like doing 'every player gets a penalty for every 2 failures', or 'Every player suffers a +X attack vs Fort for 1d6 damage for each failure, no go make 5 checks.'
If you need to improvise a mechanical effect (a skill DC, a non standard attack to inflict damage, etc), use page 42 of the DMG.
END COMMUNICATION
UngeheuerLich
Legend
Just a hint:
insert:
straigt line for push, pull, non-charm-slides and charges and you prevent a lot of rule abuses with zones etc.
usually game rules are not sooo problematic fluff wise, as long as you use tham as tools and don´t treaat them as a mighty god which you must worship for all cost...
insert:
straigt line for push, pull, non-charm-slides and charges and you prevent a lot of rule abuses with zones etc.
usually game rules are not sooo problematic fluff wise, as long as you use tham as tools and don´t treaat them as a mighty god which you must worship for all cost...
UngeheuerLich
Legend
oh and a hint for skill challenges:
don´t allow aid another when it is unreasonable...
rather have second skills which can grant an ally a bonus. It is better, because DCs scale with level, aid another doesn´t and gets automatic too fast...
don´t allow aid another when it is unreasonable...
rather have second skills which can grant an ally a bonus. It is better, because DCs scale with level, aid another doesn´t and gets automatic too fast...
Pseudonym
Ivan Alias
And here I thought our group was being so ingenious by doing the pipe cleaner thing. Great minds and all that.
We hadn't been doing one for bloodied though. I think it might be good for both the PCs and the DM, because there are all sorts of modifiers that are contingent on that condition which we forget. Consider it yoinked.
Henry
Autoexreginated
Only change I would have made to that screen would have been to add the charts from DMG 184 and 185 to 'em - they're very important to me and my on-the-fly sensibilities.
WSmith
First Post
Before I thank everyone again for the newest advice, I want say I have seen lot of reference to page 42 of the DMG as something that is very important, (not just in this thread). I am not getting why. Most of the stuff on the page I am already pretty good at but the table seems a little cryptic.
Also, I am not really digging the whole "skirmisher-controller-brute-etc." role designation thingies. That just seems like a added layer of complexity that doesn't need to be there. Am I missing something. If I want kobalds, give me kobalds. If I want gnolls, give me gnolls and I will adjust their power levels. I am not so sure why several different level "role" designations are necessary.
Also, I am not really digging the whole "skirmisher-controller-brute-etc." role designation thingies. That just seems like a added layer of complexity that doesn't need to be there. Am I missing something. If I want kobalds, give me kobalds. If I want gnolls, give me gnolls and I will adjust their power levels. I am not so sure why several different level "role" designations are necessary.
