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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 2345628" data-attributes="member: 20323">Colonelthread, I commend you for doing the hard work as a DM! And it's heartening to hear that your players do want more than a "tactical" description.  The problem with your question is that every town and forest will have a different feel, at least in my games they do. Here are my suggestions:Never Assume: Never assume emotions or actions of the PC's in your descriptions. In other words "you feel the cold sweat of fear roll down your neck as you brush aside the vines leading into damp musky passageway" isn't good because it assumes both (a) the PC feels fear, and (b) they are brushing aside the vines.Use Skills: Divide your descriptions of a major area, NPC, or item with descriptions divided according to Skills with varying DCs. For example, for the "Rhyton of Therxes III" you might have a simple physical description that anyone can see. Those with Appraise might be able to learn the base value and culture of the rhyton (DC 12), or even how it was made and who it might belong to. (DC 20) A History check can determine various information about the rhyton's story and owners (varying DCs). And so on.Less is More: That old rule about incorporating all 5 senses is great, but sometimes we DMs can get bogged down in description at the beginning of the game, and as the night wears on and the action increases our descriptions get less riveting. We burn out. The answer I've found is to stop trying so hard, and to really capture the scene with some unique quality...succinctly. Even smart players can forget the key points of an elaborate treasure chamber's description, but if you describe the treasure reflecting in the jeweled eyes of the golden griffon statues guarding the entrance -  that's something that a PC will remember, and maybe even use the reflective surface of the jeweled eyes to their advantage later.Use emphasis & sound effects: Don't keep your voice in the same monotone. Give important NPCs their own voice; this might be as simple as coughing and hunching over, or it could be a complex combination of nervous ticks and a heavy accent. Also don't hold back with sound effects. You'll laugh at yourself later. "Shhhh" go the willow trees rattling in the wind. "Aaaaa" go the sheeps in the distant pasture. An NPC who is exhausted might breathe heavy. In a cavern, any loud sound makes an eerie echo.</blockquote>

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