When You Keep Killing Characters?
- Thread starter Retreater
- Start date
Herobizkit
Adventurer
I think part of the problem is the party not acting as a team, but as a group of individuals. This could stem from their poor understanding of each other's talents and abilities. Th suggestion to running some mock battles would be one way to go.
A second way to go, and much more difficult, is to make combat less "tactical" and more free-form. Back in the 2e days, we didn't have squares, or 5' steps, or whatever. The DM said you could swing at 'em, or not, or 5 of the 8 orcs were in the radius of your fireball and we were happy with it.
More cinematic fights could lead to more involement with the PC's, and if you gave Fate Points or whatever for players who tried or wanted to try fancy stuff, they might enjoy combat a lot more.
A second way to go, and much more difficult, is to make combat less "tactical" and more free-form. Back in the 2e days, we didn't have squares, or 5' steps, or whatever. The DM said you could swing at 'em, or not, or 5 of the 8 orcs were in the radius of your fireball and we were happy with it.
More cinematic fights could lead to more involement with the PC's, and if you gave Fate Points or whatever for players who tried or wanted to try fancy stuff, they might enjoy combat a lot more.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Hear, hear! It's D+D, not chess.Herobizkit said:A second way to go, and much more difficult, is to make combat less "tactical" and more free-form. Back in the 2e days, we didn't have squares, or 5' steps, or whatever. The DM said you could swing at 'em, or not, or 5 of the 8 orcs were in the radius of your fireball and we were happy with it.
And Option 1 - steady as she goes - works for me. They'll either learn or they won't.
I can't say I've ever been a fan of this sort of thing. A far better reward is just to have the cool stuff work once in a while!
Lanefan
Jeff Wilder
First Post
Personally, I favor a session or two of teaching, but not a "tutorial" per se. Simply play a normal session, allowing lots and lots of extra time for combat. Each time one of the tactically clueless players has a turn, ask a tactically sound player what he would do, and exactly why. Then ask the tactically clueless player what he wants to do.
It's very important that the player understand that it's his decision, but you sound like a good DM, so you know that.
After a session or two like this, turn them loose. Allow them to ask for advice for a while, but don't mandate it. However, at this point I think you'd be best served by natural selection ... if, after the teaching sessions, a player gets his character killed by poor choices in combat (not just by bad luck or a tough encounter), then remove the player from your "already large" group.
That's what I'd do.
It's very important that the player understand that it's his decision, but you sound like a good DM, so you know that.
After a session or two like this, turn them loose. Allow them to ask for advice for a while, but don't mandate it. However, at this point I think you'd be best served by natural selection ... if, after the teaching sessions, a player gets his character killed by poor choices in combat (not just by bad luck or a tough encounter), then remove the player from your "already large" group.
That's what I'd do.
Ry
Explorer
Given your post, I doubt killing characters off at random intervals is much fun for your crew, or for you. Why not change up the rules for death a bit? I've used and playtested these with great results with a few different groups.
Conviction, Death, and Reserve
Each player gets a pool of 6 Conviction. This pool is restored whenever the party has a night of complete rest (this effect cannot be magically reproduced). Conviction is spent as follows:
[sblock='Code']
[/sblock]
* When you roll extra d20s, you take the highest roll. You can roll as many extra d20s on a roll as you can pay for.
** Each of these can be performed only once per round. If you have an extra move and an extra standard action, you can perform a full-round action instead.
Conviction and Death
PCs have a death flag that they can raise in order to get 4 extra Conviction. This flag can be lowered by spending 4 Conviction. While a player-character's death flag is raised, they can suffer death as per the standard rules. While the flag is lowered, the player character can still be captured, imprisoned, fall off a cliff into a river and left for dead - but will not actually die. NPCs with names use the normal rules for death, but NPCs without names die at 0 hit points. Because this rule makes death something players have some control over, players should consider it very unlikely that their soul will be free to return in the event that they die (i.e. Raise Dead spells aren't likely to work).
As a variant, PCs with their death flags lowered can be killed, but only with two coups-de-grace. Most enemies - even villains - will not put this kind of work into killing a PC, typically thinking the first coup-de-grace will slay the character.
Conviction, Death, and Reserve
Each player gets a pool of 6 Conviction. This pool is restored whenever the party has a night of complete rest (this effect cannot be magically reproduced). Conviction is spent as follows:
[sblock='Code']
Code:
Table R-04: Conviction
Action Cost
Roll an extra d20 (if you declare before the roll) 1
Roll an extra d20 (if you declare after the roll) 2
Take an extra move-equivalent action on your turn** 1
Take an extra standard action on your turn** 2
Gain an extra use of another X/day ability, including spells 2* When you roll extra d20s, you take the highest roll. You can roll as many extra d20s on a roll as you can pay for.
** Each of these can be performed only once per round. If you have an extra move and an extra standard action, you can perform a full-round action instead.
Conviction and Death
PCs have a death flag that they can raise in order to get 4 extra Conviction. This flag can be lowered by spending 4 Conviction. While a player-character's death flag is raised, they can suffer death as per the standard rules. While the flag is lowered, the player character can still be captured, imprisoned, fall off a cliff into a river and left for dead - but will not actually die. NPCs with names use the normal rules for death, but NPCs without names die at 0 hit points. Because this rule makes death something players have some control over, players should consider it very unlikely that their soul will be free to return in the event that they die (i.e. Raise Dead spells aren't likely to work).
As a variant, PCs with their death flags lowered can be killed, but only with two coups-de-grace. Most enemies - even villains - will not put this kind of work into killing a PC, typically thinking the first coup-de-grace will slay the character.
PapersAndPaychecks
First Post
rycanada said:
Then the group should play something that isn't tactical (such as Call of Cthulhu or one of those horrible Noun: The Gerund things).
