How do you DM High level and stay sane?! (Piratecat help!)

[ReeboKesh]

Hey everyone I need help!

I'm currently running the Shackled City Adventure Path and just finished Test of the Smoking Eye (10th level). As I read the adventures to come, I'm floored by the amount of information that needs to be read/looked up/recalled to run some of the high level battles, namely the ones against high level character and spellcasters with lots of magic items. One character had 7 lines of text of 'magic protections' on!

I just feel like that is so much info for a battle that may last 3 rounds tops (what with the heavy hitting power of the characters involved), it all seems too daunting and taxing to bother with. I'm seriously thinking of dropping the campaign and never running a D&D game past 10th level again!

Piratecat your well known for high level play. How do you do it and stay sane (or insane if your prefer )?

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. The campaign is fun and I'd hate to see it go.
Reebo

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

It's daunting at first, but you get used to it eventually.

Easy not, write a "crib sheet" for high level NPC's, that breaks down their AC and other bonuses by item/spell.

That well when something gets dispelled or shut down via counterspell, you can easily adjust.

I've GM'd past 10th level a lot (My current group is 16th+) and while at first it seemed like a lot of work, it eventually because simple.

It looks scarier than it is.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Sit down and plan out what the NPCs and monsters will be likely to do ahead of time. Write down a 10 turn synopsis, just in case. You will most likely not actually use more than the first couple of rounds as written, but the act of writing it down can help clarify what is likely. Write down the DCs and saving throws of what the critter is likely to attempt based on who the critter is likely to use it on. (For example the Grapple DCs for if the Slithering Nasty wraps its slimy tentacles around the party wizard.) It means less looking up the numbers in combat, and can help keep you focussed on what the monsters are likely to do.

Round 1: Enemy Wizard casts fireball at PCs from the gallery above the great hall. If party tries to target Wizard with missile weapons then he uses a second Fireball in round 2.
Round 2 (if party advances): Slithering Nasty seeps out from the garderobe to attack PC wizard, armed henchman advance to engage the party's front line. Enemy Wizard casts Ray of enfeeblement of PC wizard to aid SN's grapple attempt.
Round 3: SN continues to grapple, armed henchmen continue to attack, Enemy Wizard casts Magic Missile on most damaged PC.
Etc.

The Auld Grump

 

[ZSutherland]

The other thing to remember is that if high level encounters are only lasting a few rounds (unless it's just PCs vs. mooks), you may be underplaying the capabilities of the NPCs and monsters and giving out easy xp. Remember, survivability scales exponentially with character level and an at level encounter should consume ~25% of the party's resources. That includes not just hit points but also consumables (sort of), spells, limited-use feats (like metamagic), and potentially character lives. If you're group is just playing all out offense and winning these encounters in a few rounds but still losing the appropriate amount of resources, you may want to alter the way you present encounters to encourage a slightly more conservative play-style. If they're simply locking down your encounters with very little resource loss, it's time to take off your gloves and push back. Properly equipped 10th level characters can take a lot of punishment and have a lot of options at their disposal, and clever players can walk all over a timid DM. Remember, as long as you don't TPK them by going overboard with it, ressing a few party-members isn't much of an issue at that level.

 

[ReeboKesh]

Thanks guys

TheAuldGrump: I've actually done that before and yes it works for combat situations

ZSutherland: My post is not about how to make the encounters easier/harder it's really a complaint about how much needs to be known to run an effective NPC vs PC combat at high levels. It probably doesn't help that I'm running a published scenario were the writer has used everything at his disposable like half-fiend templates, obscure defensive spells etc

I guess if I was running my own thing I wouldn't get so over the top with options and I would be more intimately familiar with opponents I create myself.

I need to get back to writing my own D&D games me thinks. Preprepared adventures, at least high level ones, seem to require more work to run effectively
Reebo

 

[Turanil]

<...> As I read the adventures to come, I'm floored by the amount of information that needs to be read/looked up/recalled to run some of the high level battles, namely the ones against high level character and spellcasters with lots of magic items. <...> I'm seriously thinking of dropping the campaign and never running a D&D game past 10th level again!

I can feel your pain. This is the main reason for me having abandoned D&D 3e...

 

[green slime]

It isn't so bad. Firstly, I do find running bought modules to leave a kind of stale feeling in my mouth. They aren't detailed enough in some respects, and are too detailed in others.

When I do run them, I always go over the NPC's they are likely to run into prior to the session, and stat them out on a seperate piece of paper. It helps me become more familiar with their abilities and limitations, and you can check things up then ("hang on, what does this feat/spell/ability do again? better check that up, will I remember 'till game time, better just jot a note or two down, to be on the safe side") While I do that, I usually try and anticipate the actions of the PC's and think of cool/exciting things to throw at them during the interaction.

Usually the notes on the spells are in my own abbreviations, so I use less than 7 lines to describe the entire NPC including effects in place or memorised spells. WotC can't refer to MC:E they have to state Magic Circle vs Evil.

 

[Numion]

My advice is to concentrate on what is important.

Combats don't last for long anyway, so most of the spell lists for enemy casters are unimportant, for example. They have time to cast only a couple of spells. So concentrate on the big guns - look at what are the most powerful spells, and familiarize yourself with those effects.

 

[Ashrum the Black]

I second the focusing on the big guns for the spell lists. Most adventurers hold to a "geek the mage first" mentality. (rightly so) So the normally don't get many spells off. Plan out the encounter in your head, for each of the opponents plan out how they will fight for the first few rounds. It helps dramatically. I especially like to think about how the mages will react as they can effect the battle in huge ways and have generally the highest intelligence, so play them intelligently.

Many of the dungeon adventures will also have a tactics section with a big fight to give you an idea of how the NPC's will react. Read that if it's there and it'll help tremendously. I've found after the first round or two the field is beginning to thin and the fight is begins to flow fairly organically.

I'd also say that you may need to do a bit of homework. My last campaign ended at around 16th level, this one is currently at 14th. In each campaign spells and ablilities for high level folks weren't an issue after the first couple of sessions because I'd already looked them up for the last session. So folks saying it get easier are right. Heck, in all honesty, the hard part is generating the NPC's stats in the first place and that is already done for you.

Also, depending on your mind set, you may want to take a look at a program like DM ginie. It does a lot of the tracking of the critters stats for you. Freeing you to focus on the tactics a bit. I personally don't use it, but some folks may find it very helpful in helping to track everything.


-Ashrum

 

[The_Gneech]

One thing that I do is to have "condition cards" -- basically tent-folded notecards with the information about a given buff or condition, that I set out on the table (for players) or behind the screen (for NPCs/monsters). A sample card might say:

RAGE
+4 Str/+4 Con
(+2 to hit and damage, +[level] hit points)
+2 Will saves
-2 AC
lasts (new Con modifier) rounds

When the rage ends, I take that card down and replace it with the "Fatigued" card.

Once you start going into fights with Bless, Haste, Bull's Strength, Rage, Expeditious Retreat, and Protection From Evil all up, it really helps you keep track!

And when the dispel magic hits, the players all cheer as you knock down the BBEG's buff cards one by one.

-The Gneech