WotC: Get Rid of the Tactical Encounter Format

It sucks!

I've heard that WotC has a new encounter format for 4E. I do not know what it is called. However, if it is anything like the Tactical Encounter Format, they should get rid of it.

I have been running Eyes of the Lich Queen for about 10 weeks or so now. It is a pretty good adventure. Except for the Tactical Encounter Format.

With it, one has to flip back and forth from the descriptive section to the tactical section. Sometimes, the treasure is listed in one section. Sometimes, it is listed in the other. Sometimes, descriptive information about the location is in one section, sometimes in the other.

ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

Give it a rest WotC. Each tactical section can be immediately after the descriptive section in the module. If a DM is doing a high level read of the module out of game, he can skip past each tactical section and come back later.

But during the game, it is a pain in the rump to flip back and forth from one to the other. It is real easy to miss something, especially for DMs who do not have a photographic memory and forgot some tidbit that they read earlier on when they were prepping for the session.


The information in each section is basically ok (although they beef up the tactical section with white noise, just to get it to fit on a page), but having them in multiple sections is a pain.

In fact, some of the directly related information (like the clues in the journal and the map) in this particular module are spread out over 4 or 5 different sections. That's real difficult to find during the game.


WotC. Try to organize your information better. Having each encounter in one section each might not be perfect, but it is a lot better than having it in two different sections.

I do agree that the initial reading of the module is easiest when everything is linear. By forcing lots of flippining it does increase the initital amount of time it takes to learn about the module. A casual browse no longer gives you an idea of what is going to occur when sequentially.

It might save you a small amount of page flipping while running the module, but you could simply offer monster stat blocks for download with a module. This would reduce flipping to. I hope they go back to the old format.

I had the same problem with Expedition to Castel Ravenloft. It's like, "Ok, so this knight guy is fighting things in a grave yard... turn to page ___ to see what it is." Not only is it anticlimactic, its makes the thing difficult to learn quickly, and its annoying!

Bah. I like the new format -- you just pay attention to the initial description, then switch to the the tactical encounter when initiative is rolled. Maybe there's some condensation that can occur, but it's definitely a step forward.

I like the new format too, but like the thread starter, I DETEST having to reference back and forth. THere has to be a better way.

Running REd Hand of Doom has been a total nightmare in that regards. I don't know what they could do to improve the format..perhaps pull out sheets or fold-up cards with stats or round-by-rounds (which I'd make myself, but I have a life, job, kids and oh, a life

I think it's based on the method that the RPGA moved to with multiple tier structures at the end of the scenario. That method has been successful and really made the encounters more interesting, but just not DM friendly.

How can they improve?

jh

Kunimatyu said:

Bah. I like the new format -- you just pay attention to the initial description, then switch to the the tactical encounter when initiative is rolled. Maybe there's some condensation that can occur, but it's definitely a step forward.

Click to expand...

The problem is that there are things in the Tactical Encounter that are needed *before* initiative is rolled up. Monster descriptions, pre-combat tactics, layout of the area (how are you supposed to describe it to the players?), etc.

Easy solution...

Have the adventure section (with notes, description, maps, etc) and the tactical section in completely separate booklets. Make the booklets paper (not hard bound) so you can fold the pages back. Essentially you can have two pages sitting side-by-side behind your DM screen.

Actually, in the Shattered Gates of Slaughterguard, the description of each room is included on the tactical page. Basically, there is a map of the whole dungeon, a 2 page intro to the basic dungeon set up, and the rest is completely covered in the tactical section.

Each room is labeled on the map, so where ever the PCs go, just turn to that tactical encounter, read the description, and go.

The downside of this is that the dungeons feel very compacted... I had to read through it several times to see how different encounters would relate and interact. I've played through the first two dungeons, though, and it's pretty good. But this is a literal "dungeon crawl" with not much complexity behind it.

For other cases, I think split booklets would work great.

Here's how I'd fix the situation:

1. TWO or more maps showing the actual tactics the monsters are "supposed" to take
2. Cardboard fold up with monster stats on the half-page and pictures on the top half (so the players could look at the picture and the DM can look at the stat blocks



jh

I'm running Ravenloft right now as a side adventure, and the formt is a headache. Once you get in the castle, what is the point of having the text seperated?

My only other pet peeve from the module are the entomber monsters: hit you so hard you are now (slightly) underground. This sort of effect boggles my mind. If it hit you harder, wouldn't it just do more damage? If you were hit hard enough to be driven into a cobblestone road (or even a packed dirt road, or a empty feild for that matter), your body is crushed.

I actually really like this format. It seems that it could use some better organization, however. They need to be more consistent in which area they give what information in. They are at about 90% for this but if they split it correctly, it should be fine.

The way it should work for the most part is that you start with the description of the room which is in the main adventure. It says "This room is 20 x 20 and there is a waterfall in the eastern corner. Encounter 9a is here". Then you go to Encounter 9a which promptly has boxed text describing the monster and its appearance. It also has a map of the area, a list of hazards and obstacles in the area that matter for combat and all the stat blocks for the monsters along with their equipment.

Then as soon as initiative is done then you flip back to the room description for any other treasure that the PCs can find that wasn't the equipment of the enemies along with any secret passages or exits from the room.

The only time I find the format is kind of annoying is when you have a non-standard group of people who insist on derailing the "average" way of finishing an adventure. Those who start looking for the treasure in the room before the battle is over. Those who start searching for secret passages in the middle of combat. Those groups that sneak into rooms invisibly and cast hold monster on the enemy before it knows they are there, etc.

However, other than a few times where I had to improvise and do some page flipping due to PCs doing the unexpected (and it was easy to do, I just use a scrap piece of paper to bookmark both the room description and the current encounter) it is MUCH better than the previous format.

I like knowing that the map of the area always has a big coloured box around it, bringing my eyes to it. I like knowing that the effects of all to obstacles and hazards are written right beside it. I like having the monsters stats on the same page (or 2 page spread) as the map and the tactics. It allows me to keep the book open to just those two pages and have all the information I need to run the battle in an easy to read format.