D&D 4E Brainstorming a "Phil. of 4e 101" resource

[Manbearcat]

- Advice for encounter design (using terrain and traps, how to use minions, how to use solos, avoiding slog, etc.)

For maximum pithitude, I'm just going to include headers and not dig-down into the machinery:

1) Make the battlefield interactive

a) Make the PCs need to move.

b) Make the PCs want to move.

c) Make the PCs want to force move the bad guys.

d) Make the PCs want to stunt.

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2) Team monster

a) Diversify team monster.

b) Synergize team monster with each other.

c) Synergize team monster with the battlefield (especially if it is their lair).

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3) Solos

a) Retain their overall action economy but reward control effects against them.

b) They should get more dangerous as their Hit Points diminish.

c) They should ultra-mondo super-duper synergize with guards, lackeys, and their lair.

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4) General

a) Be VERY aware of the assumed math (eg try not to stray too far from PC 50-60 % hit rate) at Heroic and lower Paragon especially (loosen it up later); sparing use of Soldiers and above level enemies.

b) Always spend some of your encounter budget on hazards/traps and remember 2c above.

c) Don't be afraid to be transparent.

d) Team monster's HP pool isn't the "combat is over" marker.

e) Do CRAZY stuff mid-combat to change everything (reinforcements!, landslide!, flash-flood!, eruption!, gate!, building collapsing/burning!)

f) Everyone helps with set-up.

g) Rotate a lieutenant to help with accounting.

h) Have good visual cues.

i) Well-organized character sheets.

j) Everyone stays frosty.

k) Keep things moving.

l) If you haven't declared and resolved your action in 60 seconds then you're delaying. See j and k above.

m) If you miss your window for an immediate action, tough luck. See j and k above.

 

[Quickleaf]

Great stuff [MENTION=6696971]Manbearcat[/MENTION] as always! "Everyone stays frosty." +1!

I've only a couple more to add...

Pacing

a) Rests are a big deal in 4e, and making it hard to rest is a great way to put the pressure on.

b) Random encounters (if you want to use them) should consist of minions, groups of significantly lower level monsters, or "flavor" encounters. Do not have standard combat random encounters - take too long!

c) Don't be afraid to end the scene and frame the next scene - keeping the focus on what the players are interested in.

Skill Challenges

a) Always test if an idea *should* be a skill challenge. Is it a complex activity that cannot be resolved with a single check? Does it involve the whole party? Are there interesting consequences to both success and failure? How does failure move the game in a new unexpected direction?

b) Keep it loose and focus on strategies rather than having preconceived skill checks in mind. Don't get hung up on the "skill" in skill challenge.

c) Customize, customize, customize. Every skill challenge is different. Think "investigative challenge" or "chase challenge" or "negotiation challenge" or prepping for war challenge."

d) Provide a sense of development and change things up in response to the players' shenanigans.

e) If you don't have the players on the edge of their seat at some point, adjust accordingly until you do.

 

[MoutonRustique]

[MENTION=6696971]Manbearcat[/MENTION] - that is great stuff!

The only thing missing would be concrete examples - I like 3 - for those headers.

Explanatory text is nice and informative, but it's long to read, can feel like work (not the fun kind) and, very often, still leaves the reader with the most important question to answer : "Ok, awesome. Now... HOW, exactly do I do this? "

On the other hand, examples give concrete... well, examples, from which to draw immediate inspiration.

In a sense, the idea is to allow the user to copy. This allows for immediate success, which leads to greater interest and, further along, original exploration of methods.

My 2cp.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

And we are on our way to another AWESOME 4E advice thread.

Well done, everybody!

 

[Manbearcat]

[MENTION=6696971]Manbearcat[/MENTION] - that is great stuff!

The only thing missing would be concrete examples - I like 3 - for those headers.

Explanatory text is nice and informative, but it's long to read, can feel like work (not the fun kind) and, very often, still leaves the reader with the most important question to answer : "Ok, awesome. Now... HOW, exactly do I do this? "

On the other hand, examples give concrete... well, examples, from which to draw immediate inspiration.

In a sense, the idea is to allow the user to copy. This allows for immediate success, which leads to greater interest and, further along, original exploration of methods.

My 2cp.

Alright, how about for starters:

a) Make the PCs need to move.

* OH MY GOD THE FLOOR IS ON FIRE AND SPREADING!

[sblock]Burning Floor - Hazard

Hazard: Anyone passing through the flames runs the risk of taking fire damage.
Perception: No check is necessary to notice the fire.
Trigger: The fire attacks when a creature starts its turn in or enters a square of burning floor.
Specia: Each round that the fire burns, it extends its range into 1d4 additional squares, chosen at random.

Attack
Opportunity Action Melee
Target: Creature in the flames
Attack: Level + 3 vs. Reflex
Hit: The target takes 2d4 fire damage per tier plus 5 ongoing fire damage (save ends) per tier.

Countermeasures: Any attack that includes water or deals cold damage targeting 1 or more squares of burning floor douses the flames in those squares.[/sblock]

* OH MY GOD THIS GUY LITERALLY SUCKS MY WILL TO LIVE!

[sblock]Traits

Despair- Aura 3

Healing surge values in the aura are halved.[/sblock]

* OH MY GOD THAT DRUID JUST SUMMONED A CLOUD OF STINGING INSECTS ON US!

[sblock]Venomous Doom (poison, zone) At-Will

Attack: Close blast 3 (creatures in the blast) or area burst 1 within 20 (creatures in the burst); +26 vs. Fortitude

Hit: 15 poison damage, and the blast or burst creates a zone that lasts until the end of the encounter. The squares within the zone are difficult terrain for Medium and smaller creatures. Any enemy that enters the zone or ends its turn there takes 15 poison damage. The druid can have as many as five zones of venomous doom active at the same time. For each additional zone she creates beyond five, the druid ends one existing zone of her choice.[/sblock]

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Alright, how about for starters:
* OH MY GOD THE FLOOR IS ON FIRE AND SPREADING!
<examplesnip>
* OH MY GOD THIS GUY LITERALLY SUCKS MY WILL TO LIVE!
<examplesnop>
* OH MY GOD THAT DRUID JUST SUMMONED A CLOUD OF STINGING INSECTS ON US!
<examplesnap>

That definitely sounds like "terrified, elated, or amazed, preferably all three." I'll have some more comments to add later.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

And we are on our way to another AWESOME 4E advice thread.

Well done, everybody!

I do get where you're coming from. I agree that a 'manifesto' should be less about how and more about what and why.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

I do get where you're coming from. I agree that a 'manifesto' should be less about how and more about what and why.

Actually, I meant what I wrote.

The first few posts were excellent and I thought that [MENTION=6696971]Manbearcat[/MENTION] nailed it with his description of 4E:

(snip) The conversation of 4e should generate a play experience like that of a conflict-charged comic book; a storyboard. Literally. Closed action scenes with little sequential boxes that ultimately add up to a micro-story which in turn generate macro-story. These boxes zoom in on each character. The GM puts pressure on the player's character. The player of the character declares an action. The action is resolved. This continues until the closed scene is resolved, the table tallies the fallout (mechanical and fictional), and then we organically transition from that action scene to the next one. A Combat Turn or a Skill Challenge Turn is your little box. Make the most of it.

Quests generate your story. Themes, Paragon Paths and Epic Destinies generate Quests. The resolution of those Quests generate more Quests. Put it all together and you've got story. (snip)

So my post was an expression of genuine pleasure about a topic I'm always happy to read more about, and with a hope that we may end up with something to help show others how 4E can also work for them.

But after seeing your reply I now realise that my comment could be misinterpreted as sarcasm. It definitely was not intended that way.

 

[MoutonRustique]

awww... the forum ate my post...

very, very condescend version (and probably missing ellements)

Examples of 1b - make the players want to move

- holy lanterns place through out the room, they have fuel for a single round. When lit, all attacks that originate w/ it's bright light radius also deals radiant damage. Combine w/ undead.

- randomly placed floor runes -- at the start of each round, roll 1d4, on a 4 the runes activate
opt 1 : runes of teleportation allow teleportation between runed squares. Teleporting gives CA for next attack.
opt 2 : runes allow user to spend a healing surge to regain an encounter power
opt 3 : runes offer hit/dmg bonus for an energy
opt 4 : runes create shields (temp hp or defense bonus)
etc.
... or use multiple types of runes and the roll determines which kind gets activated. Mix-in "bad" runes or trade-offs for added DM fun.

- use allied NPCs that offer a buff : as an example, a group of soldiers some of whom are shieldbearers. They obey their commanding officer and so move according to her orders - adjacent characters gain +2 AC/Reflex.

... and their was a comment about the lack of use of these kinds of NPCs in 4e. This reflection was spurred by the gold threads of 5e. It's a shame because these kinds of NPCs offer easy paths to dynamic combats, interesting choices and roads to drama and conflict.

Also, I was noting that over-use of 2c can discourage players from trying new things - even in lair situations, something should be able to be turned to the PCs advantage (as opposed to just flaming vents in a salamander fight.)

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Actually, I meant what I wrote.

The first few posts were excellent and I thought that [MENTION=6696971]Manbearcat[/MENTION] nailed it with his description of 4E:



So my post was an expression of genuine pleasure about a topic I'm always happy to read more about, and with a hope that we may end up with something to help show others how 4E can also work for them.

But after seeing your reply I now realise that my comment could be misinterpreted as sarcasm. It definitely was not intended that way.

I think the question may be just what does it take to communicate the points made in the manifesto? Maybe examples ARE required? But I almost feel like if you have to delve into the details then your system isn't a very universal vehicle for your cause.