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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DaveW" data-source="post: 5358284" data-attributes="member: 94430">Too many replies to answer to everything, thanks for your input! I'll try and address a few points though.I have a lot of varied terrain in my encounters, and it works really well. For example, in the fight I mention above, with archers and swordsmen and halberdiers, they were fighting in a burning bar. Every round, the fire would spread, and at the start I made them aware that there was a water pump outside. They failed to put out the fire and it spread until the players were separated from their enemies, who came back to haunt them at a later date. I was primarily interested in things like tactical retreat, archers surrendering if there's no melee units, etc. I try to work this into my combat as much as possible but I always feel like I could be doing more. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />These are good ideas, and I think I'll incorporate some of those into my reward systems.That is another question I wanted to ask; the big bad. How to get him out of a combat situation in a way that doesn't piss off the players? Especially if the battle is going their way. Jump through a portal when bloodied is one thing, but in a game where I was playing the DM forced us to flee when we had him down to 4hp. I felt robbed. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" />I haven't got the dark sun setting book, but I do try to give them apparently useful items that have no purpose, just to see what they do. I'll usually decide on the fly what these items can do as they experiment with them. If they think it has no purpose at all, I'll attempt to make it vitally important later, i.e. the magic hat of flying donkeys is needed to gain entrance to the donkey cult of neeehaw, or something silly like that.I don't want to penalise players who don't want to RP, but my group is pretty big on it. In my last session, here is what I gave RP experience for:1) Making a pun in-character2) Witholding information from other party members and filling them in when the time was right3) To the thief, for checking for traps consistently and being suitably cautious when exploring4) To the Goliath for issuing challenges to NPC's, as is his nature5) To the cleric for performing final rites on the dead, and for remaining in character.So I've been handing it out in small amounts for anything constructive, and I inform the players when I do it and why. I also made them aware that they'll get it only once per session, and they won't get it if they are 80xp higher than the lowest xp'd player. So that should keep things balanced. I might change my mind over time though.I like this idea too. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I think I'll consider something like this. If it makes sense, full rest. If not, then partial restoration. Thanks!I think this is excellent advice, and is really what I was hoping to hear, because it's what I do. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> My players, of course, really don't know what's good for them and want the shiny things. The game is better if such things are rare and awesome, and that's what I try to do.One thing I've started doing is allowing the players to roll for their own loot parcels. Whomever makes the killing blow gets to roll for the loot, and I tell them what they win. Next time however, I'm thinking of trying an open loot list; I'll allow them to see the loot parcels (which contains around 40 items) and disguise the cool stuff as 'magic item lvl1', 'mystery wonderous item', and so forth. I'll split it into 3 tiers, one for normal fights, one for chests, and one for boss fights, and let them roll, knowing what they can get with a good roll. I'll keep with having set loot items during dungeons as well, in order to ensure that they get appropriate magical weapons and armor (which I don't intend to include on the loot lists-I'll keep that under tighter control). Opinions?I think this was misunderstood by some. In 4e, you have a passive perception and insight. Here's an example, which happened in the last game, illustrating how I played it.Me: "Your keen elven senses detect something is not right. Your sharp eyes notice a false flagstone in the floor."Player: "Ok, I use my passive perception to take a closer look at the area."Me: "No, your passive perception is only for noticing things in the background. Now you're aware of it, you need to roll."Player: "Ok." [rolls, result is lower than passive perception.]Me: "You don't notice any kind of control panel, but you're convinced the false flagstone is a trap." [There was a control panel, but he missed it-passive perception is not high enough to spot it] "When you roll, you check each square adjacent to you. You have to move forward, square by square, looking for the false flagstones."Player: "I use my passive perception, as I know it's high enough to spot the false stones. I move forward square by square, using it each time."Me: "No, you cannot do that. You are now actively looking for the traps, and must make checks with every step to determine if you can see them."Player: "ok."I hope that makes it clearer. I'm a little confused about when it is appropriate to take 10, but I am going to continue to house-rule it in this way, similarly for insight ("You believe he is not telling you the whole truth. Make an insight check to confirm your belief").Seems to be the consensus here. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> I'll continue as I am. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I'm more inclined to go with number 1, because...Specifically, I had a machine that summoned an item. The players could then 'do things' to that item, but only if they'd configured the machine to allow it. The players summoned a pot of gold, then used the 'magic mirror' button to double their gold. They then decided to pool all their money together and drop it into the machine's hopper. They pulled the magic mirror lever twice, quadrupling their money; the machine had limited uses and they knew this beforehand, and this was their decision. I had not predicted such ingenuity from them, and although it seems obvious now, it was not obvious in the context of the puzzle. So I'm going to let them keep their reward, now I just need to get them to part with their money and give them something worthwhile in return. I have no intention of stealing it back from them. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Thanks for all the input guys. It's given me a lot of food for thought! If you have anything more to contribute, feel free, but I think my main questions have been answered. I have a few small changes to how I hand out loot to make, but I don't think I'm doing too much wrong. My players seem happy, even if they're complaining about not getting the magic hat of flying donkeys, so I'm happy. The only further questions I have are:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Keeping the big bad alive without cheating the players.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">How to deal with a player who doesn't RP when the others do. I have a player who enjoys playing but the other players seem to want him to get into character. He's trying, but he doesn't seem to have a definition for who his character is or what motivates him. Should I give him pointers, or let the other players try and bring this out in-game?</li> </ol>Thanks for everything guys, this has been very insightful. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />-Dave</blockquote>

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