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How VTTs Can Enhance Monster Tactics
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<blockquote data-quote="MNblockhead" data-source="post: 8070390" data-attributes="member: 6796661"><p>Starting with a new job that required my working away from home often and continuing with COVID-related social distancing, I've been running my campaign remotely. </p><p></p><p>Also, I recently bought and read "The Monsters Know What They Are Doing" by Keith Ammann.</p><p></p><p>This has got me to thinking about how I can use VTT features to make more interesting and tactically challenging monster encounters. </p><p></p><p>Since I'm relatively new to the VTT world and am trying to up my game to make battles more interesting and challenging to mid to high tier parties, I would love to read tips and experiences from other GMs. </p><p></p><p>The first and perhaps most obvious way to use VTTs to bring life to and up the challenge of combat encounters is the taking advantage of "fog of war" and line-of-sight tools when monsters retreat. This is especially useful in my current campaign, set in Rappan Athuk, a megadungeon. You don't know what is through the next door, what traps are laid out, etc. </p><p></p><p>Another VTT feature I find very useful is the ability to take easy measurements. Smart and experienced monsters can space themselves out to minimize players' area of effect spells and maximize their own.</p><p></p><p>Resolving invisibility - invisible enemies are easier to make challenging and to track in a VTT. You can remove visibility to players but the DM can still see where the monster is. This was always an annoying thing to track when I ran in-person games. I had gotten to the point that I would just put an invisible (clear) mini from Litko games and players would have to avoid metagaming. It wasn't very satisfactory. Theater of the Mind play was also annoying because the "fair" war-gamer referee in me would try to track everything in my mind or by scribbling diagrams and my tactically minded players didn't like that style of play (for D&D at least).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MNblockhead, post: 8070390, member: 6796661"] Starting with a new job that required my working away from home often and continuing with COVID-related social distancing, I've been running my campaign remotely. Also, I recently bought and read "The Monsters Know What They Are Doing" by Keith Ammann. This has got me to thinking about how I can use VTT features to make more interesting and tactically challenging monster encounters. Since I'm relatively new to the VTT world and am trying to up my game to make battles more interesting and challenging to mid to high tier parties, I would love to read tips and experiences from other GMs. The first and perhaps most obvious way to use VTTs to bring life to and up the challenge of combat encounters is the taking advantage of "fog of war" and line-of-sight tools when monsters retreat. This is especially useful in my current campaign, set in Rappan Athuk, a megadungeon. You don't know what is through the next door, what traps are laid out, etc. Another VTT feature I find very useful is the ability to take easy measurements. Smart and experienced monsters can space themselves out to minimize players' area of effect spells and maximize their own. Resolving invisibility - invisible enemies are easier to make challenging and to track in a VTT. You can remove visibility to players but the DM can still see where the monster is. This was always an annoying thing to track when I ran in-person games. I had gotten to the point that I would just put an invisible (clear) mini from Litko games and players would have to avoid metagaming. It wasn't very satisfactory. Theater of the Mind play was also annoying because the "fair" war-gamer referee in me would try to track everything in my mind or by scribbling diagrams and my tactically minded players didn't like that style of play (for D&D at least). [/QUOTE]
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