D&D 5E Helping melee combat to be more competitive to ranged.

[Flamestrike]

That's exactly what I meant by "it's another thing for the DM to just fiat the Balor into existence in melee range." I get it, you love to use your DM's Fiat to provide hack-and-slash fodder so that your players have lots of casual murder several times a day to give them "deep character development."

I'm not going to tell you not to, but I will point out exactly what it is.

If an enemy wizard really did it to get revenge on the party, he'd do it more effectively by catching the party wizard at a bad time when the wizard is alone and going to the bathroom. No, you're just handwaving because you don't care why things happen as long as the party gets to make attack rolls. It's not necessarily a bad way to play, but it's not a universally-desired play experience either.

I don't want to ruin the surprise for you, but every single encounter is DM fiat.

You the DM decide what monsters are going to be there, why they are there, the number of monsters, the composition of the encounter, its difficulty and challenge rating, where they are, encounter conditions including encounter distance, the disposition of those monsters etc.

It's no more DM fiat to have a Balor plane shift in to trigger and commence the encounter than it is just having it sitting in a room all on its own twiddling thumbs waiting for the PCs to show up. Heck the plane shifting balor is probably a better encounter. Smart PCs will start thinking why was it after us and why did it target us? It also keeps them on their toes and keeps them guessing.

I can't give you a mathematical solution for how to be more creative or to be a better Dungeon Master. It's an art is much is it is a science.

 

[smbakeresq]

It's ironic that you're saying this in response to an example which prominently mentioned shadow monks and invisible sprites, neither of which leaves footprints because of Pass Without Trace and flight respectively.

Yes, your objection could apply to some scouts (Rogues, Bladesingers, Fighters). I just find it ironic that you're deploying this objection at the worst possible time--in response to an example which pre-refutes it.

Pass without trace doesn't mean you don't exert pressure on floor, and doesn't protect you from magical detection, in fact now you will emanate a magic field since under the influence of a spell, making detect magic reveal you unerringly. It also says no traces of your passage, you would still disturb the air, and if you were coated in something it would still stick to you. It is also completely defeated by an anti-magic field, you still have smell, and would still given away to blind sense and tremor sense.

Been tried ever since spell came out, years and years ago. In addition, most DMs rule that it leaves no trace of your passage but your current presence is clear i.e. as you walk across mud your footprints get magically deleted but there is still depressions in the mud where you are currently standing.

The bottom line is if you try to screw around with the DM he should just pound you right back. If you abused it I would just have traps everywhere so you fail concentration checks or just search for them so long that you burn half your ki just casting that spell. There is also no reason the DM shouldn't send a Shadow Monk hit squad right after, one for each PC.

The idea is to fun, for everyone.

 

[smbakeresq]

That's exactly what I meant by "it's another thing for the DM to just fiat the Balor into existence in melee range." I get it, you love to use your DM's Fiat to provide hack-and-slash fodder so that your players have lots of casual murder several times a day to give them "deep character development."

I'm not going to tell you not to, but I will point out exactly what it is.

If an enemy wizard really did it to get revenge on the party, he'd do it more effectively by catching the party wizard at a bad time when the wizard is alone and going to the bathroom. No, you're just handwaving because you don't care why things happen as long as the party gets to make attack rolls. It's not necessarily a bad way to play, but it's not a universally-desired play experience either.

Let me guess, you post more here than play since you have trouble finding a group right?

 

[smbakeresq]

Does anyone play the game or they just try to beat it?

 

[Caliban]

Does anyone play the game or they just try to beat it?

Do you have anything useful to contribute, or are you just posting to insult people?

 

[smbakeresq]

Do you have anything useful to contribute, or are you just posting to insult people?

About 50 posts before you showed up, go read all 37 pages first.


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[Caliban]

About 50 posts before you showed up, go read all 37 pages first.


Sent from my iPhone using EN World mobile app

It's a message board, people are gonna argue about stuff long after the horse is dead. If you don't like it, stop reading the thread. Posting just to directly insult people you are frustrated with doesn't help anything.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Eventually our good friend the monk is going to be caught all on his lonesome fighting a much more dangerous encounter without the party there to back him up. Alternatively the monsters are going to cotton on to the fact something is going on and go onto high alert warning everyone else in the dungeon, including the BBEG who may very well decide to speed up the sacrifice, or remove the Mcguffin, and reinforce all of his guards.

That's going to happen anyway as soon as the PCs begin an assault in earnest.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Let me guess, you post more here than play since you have trouble finding a group right?

Naw, I spend too much time on here for the same reason I spend too much time on Facebook: the Internet is très addictive.

But thanks for reminding me that this discussion is a waste of time!

 

[smbakeresq]

Naw, I spend too much time on here for the same reason I spend too much time on Facebook: the Internet is très addictive.

But thanks for reminding me that this discussion is a waste of time!

It has been for along time. The level of cognitive dissonance here is amazing.



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