Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="CharlesRyan" data-source="post: 4607139" data-attributes="member: 5265">You're right about what they need to be told, but your execution in this example isn't keeping its eyes on the prize. Don't just think in terms of what you need to communicate tactically; think about what you would take in in the first second or two if you were the one bursting through the door. (Save additional details for after the encounter or when the players ask for them.)<ol>
<li data-xf-list-type="ol">The most important feature is almost certainly the monsters</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ol">Limit additional key features to just 2 or 3 things, tops</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ol">Tactical details are better illustrated on the battlemat, when possible, than in words (so avoid exact dimensions, exact placement of furniture, and so forth; instead, draw them on the battlemat)</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ol">On the flip side, description is the best place to convey atmosphere, but keep it to a &quot;glance&quot; level as well</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ol">Minimize, or, better, avoid any assumptions about the PC's point of view or actions (the &quot;You burst through the door&quot; bit)</li>
</ol>I'd go with something like this:&quot;A group of goblins crowd what is clearly a kitchen; the largest wears a chef's hat and stained apron. A huge fire dominates one wall, with a large table against the other. The room is heavy with the stench of smoke and rotting meat.&quot;That said, recently I've moved away from a prose format for descriptive text--even when short, it's boring to listen to someone read. I've gone with using bullet points, because they encourage me to deliver the info in a manner that's more spontaneous, rather than just reading them. So I'd actually go with:<ul style="margin-left: 20px">
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Group of goblins, room feels crowded</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Largest wears stained apron and chef's hat</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Huge fireplace dominates one wall; large table</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Stench of smoke and rotting meat</li>
</ul></blockquote>

[QUOTE="CharlesRyan, post: 4607139, member: 5265"] You're right about what they need to be told, but your execution in this example isn't keeping its eyes on the prize. Don't just think in terms of what you need to communicate tactically; think about what you would take in in the first second or two if you were the one bursting through the door. (Save additional details for after the encounter or when the players ask for them.) [LIST=1] [*]The most important feature is almost certainly the monsters [*]Limit additional key features to just 2 or 3 things, tops [*]Tactical details are better illustrated on the battlemat, when possible, than in words (so avoid exact dimensions, exact placement of furniture, and so forth; instead, draw them on the battlemat) [*]On the flip side, description is the best place to convey atmosphere, but keep it to a "glance" level as well [*]Minimize, or, better, avoid any assumptions about the PC's point of view or actions (the "You burst through the door" bit) [/LIST] I'd go with something like this: [INDENT]"A group of goblins crowd what is clearly a kitchen; the largest wears a chef's hat and stained apron. A huge fire dominates one wall, with a large table against the other. The room is heavy with the stench of smoke and rotting meat."[/INDENT] That said, recently I've moved away from a prose format for descriptive text--even when short, it's boring to listen to someone read. I've gone with using bullet points, because they encourage me to deliver the info in a manner that's more spontaneous, rather than just reading them. So I'd actually go with: [INDENT][LIST] [*]Group of goblins, room feels crowded [*]Largest wears stained apron and chef's hat [*]Huge fireplace dominates one wall; large table [*]Stench of smoke and rotting meat [/LIST][/INDENT] [/QUOTE]

Verification