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Finally got around to using Obsidian with my group last Wednesday after a number of weeks of combat (we only play about 2-3 hours per week) heavy sessions. I thought I'd post some observations. The group were trekking through moorland after an exceptionally heavy storm (this was how the PC's...

Cheers for the advice. One point still remains a little fuzzy for me. The sleeping PC's require a Perception Check at -5 to be awoken by the sound of the monsters charging in and attacking. Roll against what DC? I'm assuming from the PHB perception section that the DC is 0 (Battle) which would...

6 PC's, two on watch, four asleep camped around an nice fire (range 10) in open terrain. 6 Monsters have snuck up to range 10, the two on watch are unaware of them. The monsters attack. How do I run this? My initial thoughts are these: The monsters have surprise on the first round, so can run...

I was doing a little work on my campaign this morning, and just wanted a little feedback/advice on a wilderness encounter I am writing up. To avoid spoiling the surprise for my players I'll stick to the mechanics rather than outline the encounter. It's a physical challenge, and the outcomes go...

Which makes you wonder why bother with all that dice rolling? Why not have the best guy make a single dice roll. Success or Failure. Sorted. I agree with the comment about the revised version being "playtest worthy", but doesn't it make you furious that they never bothered to do that before...

What's a noncombatant NPC? I'm not allowed to stab the guy because he's a noncombatant...or Swiss? If he's in the encounter then he's a target. Granted, one of the things about such a villain is that he can be "faceless" and not there. Imagine the shock when the PC's realise that the villain...

I wouldn't have thought of this. Good idea. And I like the fact that the other specialists in the party now also have their shot and judging how valuable something is, which kind of makes sense really.

I'm amazed they have the cheek to call it an "errata" item. Surely an errata is when there is a printers mistake or they forget to take something out of the final document. The changes that they've made to the skill system is a full blown revision! That's a hell of a lot of pencilling in I'm...

It good to see that player feedback has some effect. However, I think the comments of Jester and Amy reveal something quite important. The system was stuffed from the beginning. Did they playtest this game at all? How the hell did they not notice? The skills checks and challenges are such an...

Agreed, if you are actively looking for it. But if you've been walking for 6 hours are you that focused? If we consider a different environment altogether, the city, it has been shown that we tend to have a small zone around us where we are aware of things happening, and unless something...

Another Point of View: Does the minion know it's a minion? Possible Encounter: 1 Minion tax gatherer, and 4 Brute mercenaries. The Minion is the one in charge here. He certainly doesn't regard himself as a minion, as he has the backup of the 4 Brutes. Plus, as a villain he has the potential to...

Other editions addressed this issue with a random roll to decide the maximum distance at which a spot check can succeed. I realise this isn't quite the same thing as "how far away is the ogre" but at least it's guidance. 3rd Edition has a whole list of suggested dice sets to roll, for different...

This is partly what's bugging me. In previous editions things have seemed clearer. The issue of a "fair" DC is also a problem. If I check against Passive Perception, the PC's have no role to play. It's as simple as if their PP is less than the DC I decide upon they don't see it. Effectively the...

I'm having a little trouble getting to grips with the Perception skill. Imagine, if you will, a group of PC's walking along on a nice clear day. Maybe they will spot the ogre (200m away) in the field chewing on the arm...just the arm, mind you, combat's over...the arm of a peasant. The PC's are...

I definately agree with this. To my mind Passive Perception is kind of like a "Spidey-Sense". I'd give them enough information to let them know that they need to react to the situation. In the situation described in the initial post if the elf's PP was more than the DC of the trap/secret door...

Totally agree with you ac_noj. I couldn't make sense of it either. I see you have house rules of your own, but take a look at the Obsidian System mentioned earlier. To my mind it is explained very well [though download the pdf, it's easier on the eye], and it feels right. I've started...

I like the idea about the wolves not giving up. That's just what a natural predator would do. What time frame would you use between attempts? Certainly, the PC's cannot maintain constant vigilance for very long, so any check is still going to be against Passive Perception. For the journey...

Thanks for the replies! James, Cheers for pointing out page 60. I think 10 squares is a little too close for the terrain I am thinking off [Dartmoor in SW England], more likely the 20 squares. I think you are right that 5 squares is probably just about right for a successful ambush range. I'm...

I am setting up a couple of wilderness encounters for my campaign's level 1 party, and I thought "How cool to have them stalked, and attacked by wolves". Six grey wolves makes it a level 2 encounter worth 750XP. So, to my question... "At what distance do my PC's spot the wolves stalking them?"...

JasonBostwick, I just have to say it was really handy reading your post. I love it! This is perfect thinking "outside the box". I will definitely have to use this as a good example for my players. I like the idea of "narrative freedom", and I applaud your paladin player using his Initiative...