Having DMed for some time now, I have some questions that I'd like to hear answered from other DMs. I play 4e but that really doesn't make all that much of a difference to your answers; so if you only play 3.5, answer as if I do too.
-Dave
- Too much money: My players made me proud by using my own rules against me to quadruple their money, and now they have way too much for 1st level characters. I want to reduce their gold without giving them too much in return; I've been giving them additional rituals in the hope they'll spend some money casting them, but no luck so far. In other games I've offered them magical items at 100% value, which as worked, but in this particular game I'm trying to make magical items a rarity.
- Alternatives to magical items as loot: I've been handing out potions, gemstones, art items, ritual books, wondrous items and information. Yet my players keep looking at me expectantly, waiting for the magic hat of flying donkeys. Suggestions?
- Passive perception and taking 10: One of my players keeps trying to use his passive perception to make perception skill checks, but I'm insisting that he roll for them. The rules say a character can 'take 10' but I think it's a stupid rule; I only use passive insight and perception when the character isn't making an active check, as you're supposed to, eg. noticing a trap without a check, realizing that you're being lied to without a check, etc.
- Stopping mid-dungeon: Whenever we call it for the night, I tell my characters that they were able to take an extended rest at the next session to reset their HP, Healing Surges, etc. How do you handle this?
- Food and amenities in dungeon crawls: The adventurers kit contains all that is needed to survive for a few days, but we've never kept a track of it. Does anyone else?
- Role-playing XP: I'm offering 40xp for good roleplaying in game, but I try not to give the same player roleplaying xp twice in a session. when I do so I tell the player why I gave them it, and how they could get it again. How does this play out for other DMs in the long run?
- Tactics: At a small scale, how do you handle tactics? I've had some good sessions where I used mixed units to make a tactical battle, in particular one game where I used a mixture of swordsmen, halberdiers, and archers to good effect. But what about other things like retreat and surrender?
-Dave