New DM Problem: Describing Attacks.

[Piratecat]

Watch an action movie, and as each punch gets thrown or sword gets swung think about how you might describe that move in a game. It becomes automatic pretty quickly.

 

[DonTadow]

You could always have the players describe their own attack, that eliminates any confusion.

 

[Vanye]

The problem is, what else can a halfling's dagger do that could kill a large (or bigger) creature?

Cumulative damage.
"The creature, weakened by the damage already done to it, falls victim to your final thrust."

"You apparently nick an artery, judging by the blood the sprays. Your foe falls, suddenly lifeless."

 

[SteveC]

Watch an action movie, and as each punch gets thrown or sword gets swung think about how you might describe that move in a game. It becomes automatic pretty quickly.

Indeed! I second this: watch more action movies and start to think in those terms when you're describing an action. I also suggest watching said movies with your group!

--Steve

 

[Henry]

My personal style:

--I'm versed in as many verbs for strike, cut, and stab as I can get.

bang, bash, bean, beat, boff, bonk, box, buffet, clip, clobber, clout, collide, conk, crash, cuff, ding, drive, hammer, impel, knock, nail, percuss, plant, pop, pound, pummel, punch, punish, run into, slap, slug, smack, smash into, sock, swat, thrust, thump, touch, wallop, whop

amputate, behead, bisect, bite, carve, chine, chip, chisel, cleave, clip, crop, curtail, dice, dissect, dissever, divide, facet, fell, flitch, gash, guillotine, hack, hash, hew, intersect, lacerate, lay open, lop, mince, mow, nick, notch, part, penetrate, perforate, pierce, prune, quarter, rabbet, reap, rend, rip, rive, saber, saw, scarify, scissor, score, scrub, separate, shave, shear, sickle, skive, slash, slice, slit, sliver, snip, split, sunder, transect, truncate, whack

bayonet, drive, gore, jab, jag, knife, open up, penetrate, pierce, plow, plunge, prick, prong, ram, run through, shank, sink into, slice, spear, stick, thrust, transfix

The above is from a quick trip to thesaurus.com .

--I don't overdo it. I like to throw in maybe one descriptive every three or four hits; doing it every single attack might drown out the exciting and make it ordinary.

--Don't forget that not every hit is three inches deep; a 10 point hit on a 100 hit point monster might be a light gouge in the arm. It's still a hit, for purposes of poison, etc. but no need for every hit to be a heart thrust.

 

[frankthedm]

The problem is, what else can a halfling's dagger do that could kill a large (or bigger) creature?

It can't unless thrown...

A rogue cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

 

[Lazybones]

I'd visit the Story Hour forum; there's a lot of great game summaries there (and fictional accounts, such as mine) that you can use for inspiration.

 

[mearls]

Dave Noonan and I led a seminar at GenCon on DMing techniques, based on the Dungeon Mastering for Dummies book. Here's a handout I worked up for the seminar that might come in handy for you. I've attached it to this message.

 

[Kmart Kommando]

It can't unless thrown...

A rogue cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

The femoral artery on an ogre is well within reach of a halfling with a dagger. Severing that will cause bleeding out in a very short time. The side of the knee is also in reach, and can inflict a rush of pain that can cause the subject to pass out. With a feint, maybe the target overreached with his misplaced swing, and stuck his axe in the ground, leaving him wide open to an array of vital position strikes.

 

[Piratecat]

As a recommendation, though, don't describe an evil monk's surprise punching attack as "He slams painfully into you from behind." Just... don't.

Trust me on this one.

Ahem.