Status Effects, Minis, Glory Hounds
OK so here goes...
Status Effects
Status effects present my greatest annoyances in 4e.
- They're are a lot of them flying around combat at the same time
- Some have been errata'd (changed at a mechanical level) since the game first came out. This led to the Players Handbook and Dungeon Masters Guide having some incorrect information in them.
You will need to download and familiarize yourself with the officially released Errata for Skills and Status Effects. Don't bother memorizing every spell change and racial ability fix. Those are built in to the character builder.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/UpdateCompiled.pdf
Of particular interest to me were the significant rewording of Stealth (this one is complicated even with the fixes), and the use of other skills in combat.
I managed to understand and remember the different status effects by playing. Not to retract the hand of helpfulness, but I suspect these just take time to absorb.
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Minis
Mini's cost too much. Expect it to take a while to get a decent collection and expect it to cost more than you think it should.
This is not my area of expertise. =( I'm still working on the beginning of my set so I'd recommend spending some quality time with Google.
That said:
- Use pictures of things. If you end up getting a DDI membership you can download lots of images from the Wizards.com site. Print it in B&W and describe color, as opposed to using a laptop. I find the computer screen distracts more than it helps.
- Really ramp up your emotive descriptions of what things are doing. We usually stop at Sight. Consider describing Sound, Smell, Touch, and even Taste. The more vivid your descriptions the less your players will care about the mini on the table.
- Buy unpopular or out of production tactical combat game miniatures (games like, MageKnight, Lord of the Rings) if you want lots of one type of thing. These usually come with 8-20 of one type of creature (undead, lizardmen, dwarves, elves, orcs, etc.) for a reasonable price on clearance.
- Be patient and visit gaming stores whenever you can manage it. Always ask if they have a discount bin.
- Let the players know they have to pay for their own Mini. Have the players poke around Reaper Miniatures :: News. They have decent quality metal minatures. many of them are appropriate for the fantasy genre. Once they love one they'll pony up some cash. If they balk just remind them you have to buy all the other stuff.
- Some gaming stores are closing out on the plastic D&D minis from that card game. You may find them at a reasonable price online.
- Have a painting night where they all get together to paint they're minis if you are into that. Acrylics are a decent option to start with.
Visit Hot Lead Main for some good introductory (or advanced) information on painting.
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Glory Hogging PCs
- Number 1, explain in a friendly way (privately) that you need their help in getting the other players to participate more by letting them shine.
- Create conflicts in the game that clearly require something the trouble player cannot do.
- Have the players go in order around the table during skill challenges. If someone interrupts then politely ask them to wait until their turn comes up.
- Create an NPC that is inherently distrustful of that player due to something obvious about him (race, background, religion). Make the NPC approach and talk to a more timid player.
- Frame the trouble player and put them in the stockades. Make it a skill challenge for the other players to save him. This might build some appreciation for the importance of the rest of the party.
- Whatever you do, don't squelch them entirely. Usually these players add a lot of interesting material to the game but also have more "mercurial" emotions. Use the kid gloves.
Again, if you need specifics or clarifications just post.
OK so here goes...
Status Effects
Status effects present my greatest annoyances in 4e.
- They're are a lot of them flying around combat at the same time
- Some have been errata'd (changed at a mechanical level) since the game first came out. This led to the Players Handbook and Dungeon Masters Guide having some incorrect information in them.
You will need to download and familiarize yourself with the officially released Errata for Skills and Status Effects. Don't bother memorizing every spell change and racial ability fix. Those are built in to the character builder.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/UpdateCompiled.pdf
Of particular interest to me were the significant rewording of Stealth (this one is complicated even with the fixes), and the use of other skills in combat.
I managed to understand and remember the different status effects by playing. Not to retract the hand of helpfulness, but I suspect these just take time to absorb.
________________________________________________
Minis
Mini's cost too much. Expect it to take a while to get a decent collection and expect it to cost more than you think it should.
This is not my area of expertise. =( I'm still working on the beginning of my set so I'd recommend spending some quality time with Google.
That said:
- Use pictures of things. If you end up getting a DDI membership you can download lots of images from the Wizards.com site. Print it in B&W and describe color, as opposed to using a laptop. I find the computer screen distracts more than it helps.
- Really ramp up your emotive descriptions of what things are doing. We usually stop at Sight. Consider describing Sound, Smell, Touch, and even Taste. The more vivid your descriptions the less your players will care about the mini on the table.
- Buy unpopular or out of production tactical combat game miniatures (games like, MageKnight, Lord of the Rings) if you want lots of one type of thing. These usually come with 8-20 of one type of creature (undead, lizardmen, dwarves, elves, orcs, etc.) for a reasonable price on clearance.
- Be patient and visit gaming stores whenever you can manage it. Always ask if they have a discount bin.
- Let the players know they have to pay for their own Mini. Have the players poke around Reaper Miniatures :: News. They have decent quality metal minatures. many of them are appropriate for the fantasy genre. Once they love one they'll pony up some cash. If they balk just remind them you have to buy all the other stuff.
- Some gaming stores are closing out on the plastic D&D minis from that card game. You may find them at a reasonable price online.
- Have a painting night where they all get together to paint they're minis if you are into that. Acrylics are a decent option to start with.
Visit Hot Lead Main for some good introductory (or advanced) information on painting.
_______________________________________________
Glory Hogging PCs
- Number 1, explain in a friendly way (privately) that you need their help in getting the other players to participate more by letting them shine.
- Create conflicts in the game that clearly require something the trouble player cannot do.
- Have the players go in order around the table during skill challenges. If someone interrupts then politely ask them to wait until their turn comes up.
- Create an NPC that is inherently distrustful of that player due to something obvious about him (race, background, religion). Make the NPC approach and talk to a more timid player.
- Frame the trouble player and put them in the stockades. Make it a skill challenge for the other players to save him. This might build some appreciation for the importance of the rest of the party.
- Whatever you do, don't squelch them entirely. Usually these players add a lot of interesting material to the game but also have more "mercurial" emotions. Use the kid gloves.
Again, if you need specifics or clarifications just post.
im full of them. how should i reward treasure? i have read the DMG on giving out items and gold but i find it hard to understand and balance.
