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<blockquote data-quote="Mephista" data-source="post: 6784245" data-attributes="member: 6786252">Frankly, EzekielRaiden, it depends on the group.&nbsp; Some people aren't be happy with 5e because what they want is a tactical war game.&nbsp; Others aren't happy because they feel like things are set up to be a stand-and-swing fest.&nbsp; Another group might actually be having issues because they don't like hitting as often.&nbsp; A fourth table might find that out of game designing is a huge part of their enjoyment.&nbsp;&nbsp; A new party might have issues when it comes to abilities that don't naturally lend themselves to evocative imagery to them.&nbsp; And this is compounded by the fact that people don't actually know what they want.&nbsp; The brain is a complex affair, and even a simple high chance of success on dice rolling triggers less endorphins and affects the enjoyment of the game.&nbsp; First, we have to figure out what the exact issue is, because every group is different.&nbsp; I'm not going to suggest that my method is a cure-all for everyone.&nbsp; I'm good at spontaneously adapting new spins on abilities or altering monsters on the fly.&nbsp; I encourage crazy stunts, and I have a list of house-rules to fix feats and classes to make them more interesting and dynamic.&nbsp;&nbsp; Hells, I have a system for mid-game changing of your subrace if you're an elf!&nbsp;&nbsp; I have a setting where its not unheard of to have entire covens of warlocks of different kinds working together as a challenge.&nbsp; My best suggestion for someone seeking to emulate my style is to look into different feats and spells that alter the terrain, and start using those.&nbsp; Web, Entangle, Evard's Black Tentacles, Arms of Hadar, Darkness, almost any illusion spell, some mind control effects.&nbsp;&nbsp; Anticipation and the unknown are two powerful weapons to keep your player's attention.&nbsp; I consider simple to be bad because its generally predictable.&nbsp; Predictable is boring.&nbsp; So, if you avoid being predictable while not going entirely off the walls, it helps a lot.&nbsp; Lairs are also fun.&nbsp; Use lair traits whenever possible when the players are exploring a dungeon, even if you have to steal them from other monsters, or design your own.&nbsp; I once made up Lair traits for a cursed sword that was spewing shadows into the local area that had to be fought while taking down a necrotic energy barrier.If your players know the MM fairly well, and know what to expect from enemies, design new ones.&nbsp; Don't use what they expect to see all the time.&nbsp; Give that orcish rager grappling abitlies and drag the rogue away from the party.&nbsp; Give the goblins some drow poison that they stole when fleeing their ex-mistresses during a surface raid, and some shamanistic backup.&nbsp; Have the secret cultists you were sent to exterminate uses a rope of entanglement when you weren't expecting it.&nbsp; Give the thief guild invisibility potions inside of fake teeth instead of cyinide capsuls.&nbsp; Make the leader of this thief guild a halfling-vampire or a blue dragon.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mephista, post: 6784245, member: 6786252"] Frankly, EzekielRaiden, it depends on the group. Some people aren't be happy with 5e because what they want is a tactical war game. Others aren't happy because they feel like things are set up to be a stand-and-swing fest. Another group might actually be having issues because they don't like hitting as often. A fourth table might find that out of game designing is a huge part of their enjoyment. A new party might have issues when it comes to abilities that don't naturally lend themselves to evocative imagery to them. And this is compounded by the fact that people don't actually know what they want. The brain is a complex affair, and even a simple high chance of success on dice rolling triggers less endorphins and affects the enjoyment of the game. First, we have to figure out what the exact issue is, because every group is different. I'm not going to suggest that my method is a cure-all for everyone. I'm good at spontaneously adapting new spins on abilities or altering monsters on the fly. I encourage crazy stunts, and I have a list of house-rules to fix feats and classes to make them more interesting and dynamic. Hells, I have a system for mid-game changing of your subrace if you're an elf! I have a setting where its not unheard of to have entire covens of warlocks of different kinds working together as a challenge. My best suggestion for someone seeking to emulate my style is to look into different feats and spells that alter the terrain, and start using those. Web, Entangle, Evard's Black Tentacles, Arms of Hadar, Darkness, almost any illusion spell, some mind control effects. Anticipation and the unknown are two powerful weapons to keep your player's attention. I consider simple to be bad because its generally predictable. Predictable is boring. So, if you avoid being predictable while not going entirely off the walls, it helps a lot. Lairs are also fun. Use lair traits whenever possible when the players are exploring a dungeon, even if you have to steal them from other monsters, or design your own. I once made up Lair traits for a cursed sword that was spewing shadows into the local area that had to be fought while taking down a necrotic energy barrier. If your players know the MM fairly well, and know what to expect from enemies, design new ones. Don't use what they expect to see all the time. Give that orcish rager grappling abitlies and drag the rogue away from the party. Give the goblins some drow poison that they stole when fleeing their ex-mistresses during a surface raid, and some shamanistic backup. Have the secret cultists you were sent to exterminate uses a rope of entanglement when you weren't expecting it. Give the thief guild invisibility potions inside of fake teeth instead of cyinide capsuls. Make the leader of this thief guild a halfling-vampire or a blue dragon. [/QUOTE]

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