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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GX.Sigma" data-source="post: 6367012" data-attributes="member: 6690511">Yep. As you* run more TotM, you'll develop little mental tricks to keep track of it, and verbal tricks to describe it. Little recaps help a lot. I like to say things like "So the zombies are engaging the Fighter and the Ranger, the skeletons are up on the balcony shooting arrows at the Wizard, and Strahd is battling the Paladin." Breaking it into little groups helps answer lots of questions.Usually, the only things the players want to know are:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Who is in melee range of me? (default answer: everyone that I said was engaged with you)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Is X close enough that I can move and hit him? (default answer: yes, but you get opportunity attacks from all the monsters engaging you)</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Do I have a line of sight to X? (default answer: yes, but if you want a clear shot, you have to move to a more vulnerable position and probably take opportunity attacks)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">How many Xs can I hit with spell Y? (default answer: I ask myself if there's a reason why it would hit more or fewer monsters than the player was expecting, and come up with a number based on that).</li> </ul>If it gets more complicated than that, it's time for a visual aid. I've found that players generally like having minis on the board. If you have minis on the table, even if you only describe stuff in terms of ToTM, the players will naturally use them as a tool to keep track of stuff. They'll draw maps and put minis down and say "Like that?"(*not meaning literally you, of course.)</blockquote>

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