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<blockquote data-quote="maddman75" data-source="post: 3491712" data-attributes="member: 2673">If the rules are too complicated, stop following them.Your players don't get to see your notes, and here's a dirty little secret - the game is so damn complicated they'll never know the difference anyway.&nbsp; Just so long as you have a feel for the rules to give them something reasonable no one will be the wiser.So here's how to run an encounter without a statblock.&nbsp; The group encounters a monster swordsman, maybe a huge ogre in plate armor and a greatsword.&nbsp; The PCs go to attack him - we'll he's slow moving, but he's got all that heavy armor on.&nbsp; The DM decides that an AC of 20 sounds pretty good.&nbsp; They hit and do some damage.&nbsp; The GM thinks he's got good hit dice and a huge CON score being an ogre and gives him 75 hit points.&nbsp; (Alternately, you could use the 'they beat on him until you think he should fall down' method, but then you're writing down damage for no good reason.&nbsp; Players get itchy if they don't see the GM writing down numbers!)&nbsp; Run the whole battle like this.&nbsp; If he gets hit by a spell, eyeball his saves.&nbsp; Come on, ogre fighter!&nbsp; Good Fort, bad Ref and Will.&nbsp; Do the same with his attacks and feats.I guarantee your players will never even know the difference.&nbsp; Rules are for players anyway.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="maddman75, post: 3491712, member: 2673"] If the rules are too complicated, stop following them. Your players don't get to see your notes, and here's a dirty little secret - the game is so damn complicated they'll never know the difference anyway. Just so long as you have a feel for the rules to give them something reasonable no one will be the wiser. So here's how to run an encounter without a statblock. The group encounters a monster swordsman, maybe a huge ogre in plate armor and a greatsword. The PCs go to attack him - we'll he's slow moving, but he's got all that heavy armor on. The DM decides that an AC of 20 sounds pretty good. They hit and do some damage. The GM thinks he's got good hit dice and a huge CON score being an ogre and gives him 75 hit points. (Alternately, you could use the 'they beat on him until you think he should fall down' method, but then you're writing down damage for no good reason. Players get itchy if they don't see the GM writing down numbers!) Run the whole battle like this. If he gets hit by a spell, eyeball his saves. Come on, ogre fighter! Good Fort, bad Ref and Will. Do the same with his attacks and feats. I guarantee your players will never even know the difference. Rules are for players anyway. [/QUOTE]

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