This isn't a judgment against you or anything, but I don't understand why anyone would sell any of their D&D books unless they were completely broke.
space for other books.
If you're running out of space for books you need to get more bookshelves.
I've already got two tall ones and a short one and am considering by another tall one so that I can have bookshelves dedicated to certain interests (RPGS, Art, Miscellaneous, and Frequent Use).
Hexmage-PA on
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AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
This isn't a judgment against you or anything, but I don't understand why anyone would sell any of their D&D books unless they were completely broke.
Couldn't afford to ship it across from New Zealand to Australia. As I was no longer playing the game and needed money, I decided to sell it and see if I could recoup at least some costs. That's pretty much why.
This isn't a judgment against you or anything, but I don't understand why anyone would sell any of their D&D books unless they were completely broke.
space for other books.
If you're running out of space for books you need to get more bookshelves.
3000 square feet... and I'm still out of room for more book shelves. If I don't get rid of books, I'm going to have start putting bookshelves in the garage .
they have that stupid pdf store for classic D&D stuff, after the changeover to Next maybe they'll finally put all the 4e stuff there.
There's 4e stuff in the pdf store, too. They've just got a pittance of 4e material up now because most of the pdf store is stuff they had up for sale as pdfs before.
So I just got a nexus tablet and am a new dm (thus have no real habits to break). Any dm's have advice on how to integrate this convenient technology into my dm work flow?
I do, actually! Some of these are fairly old (my first tries at really going outside the normal Skill Challenge routine), so I bet I've learned a lot since then. Haven't looked at these rules in a bit. So, I'll provide what I have, then comment on what I'd change.
Vampire Hedge Maze:
Now begins a "combat skill challenge." Players must conquer the vampiric
hedge maze using a combination of skill rolls and combat prowess. Each
round, every player takes one action. The garden responds to potential
actions as described below. As players succeed, they either open up new
options, grant bonuses to existing options, apply penalties to the garden's
attacks, or deal damage directly to the garden. Once the players have
reduced the garden's HP to 0, they have overcome the hedge maze and
returned to the castle.
Skill rolls performed against the hedge maze must overcome a provided
DC to succeed. In case of success, the player deals damage to the maze
equivalent to the total skill result. In case of failure, the player
accomplishes nothing. In either case, the maze responds as described.
Critical skill rolls that are capable of success deal an extra 2d8 damage.
VAMPIRIC HEDGE MAZE
Level 9 Solo Hazard
Natural plant (undead)
HP: 400
AC 24; Fortitude 23; Reflex 23; Will 23
Immune: disease, poison, fear Resist: 10 necrotic Vulnerable: 5 radiant
Saving Throws +5
[A] Draining Aura (Necrotic) aura
At the start of their turns, each player must succeed a DC 20 Endurance
check or suffer 1d8 points of Necrotic damage
[M] Thorn Lash
+14 vs AC; 1d8+5 damage
[M] Flower Fangs
+12 vs Fortitude; 1d8+5 damage, and maze regains HP equivalent to damage
[M] Poison Prick (poison)
+12 vs Reflex; ongoing 10 poison damage (save ends)
[R] Vine Snare
+12 vs Reflex; target is grabbed. At the start of the player's turn, the
maze makes a free Thorn Lash attack against the player.
[R] Seductive Perfume (charm)
+12 vs Will; make a Thorn Lash attack against target as free action, and
target is stunned until end of maze's next turn
OPTIONS
(note: grabbed players cannot use options marked with an *)
MELEE ATTACK
Players may choose to use a melee attack power against the maze. As an
immediate reaction, the maze uses Thorn Lash on that player. Powers that
allow the player to shift as part of the attack ignore the Thorn Lash.
Bonuses against OAs apply. Powers that push, pull, or slide targets
impose a +2 penalty per square on the maze's attack.
RANGED ATTACK *
Players may choose to use a ranged attack power against the maze. As an
immediate reaction, the maze uses Vine Snare on that player.
ACROBATICS: Acrobatic Stunt (DC 19) *
Players may use Acrobatics to somersault over an impeding hedge wall,
flip through a dangerous area, etc. As an immediate reaction, the maze
responds with Vine Snare.
ARCANA: Detect Magic (DC 24, standard action)
The player identifies magical effects at work here. Players can now use the
Arcana: Identify Magic option to attack the challenge. As an immediate
reaction, the maze responds with Seductive Perfume.
ARCANA: Identify Magic (DC 24) *
The player identifies illusory effects that help the maze appear to change
and warp paths. Success on this check also imposes a -2 on the maze's
defense scores until the end of that player's next turn. As an immediate
reaction, the maze responds with Vine Snare. This can only be used after
a successful Arcana: Detect Magic check.
ATHLETICS: Climb (DC 20) *
The player attempts to climb over a high hedge wall. As an immediate
reaction, the maze responds with Flower Fangs. If the player can climb
at full move speed, the maze takes a -2 penalty to the attack roll.
ATHLETICS: Jump (DC 25) *
The player attempts to leap a low ledge wall. As an immediate reaction, the
maze responds with Vine Snare.
BLUFF: Gain Combat Advantage (DC 20) *
Once per combat, a player can gain combat advantage with a successful
feint. If the player fails, the maze responds with Poison Prick as an
immediate reaction.
BLUFF: Create Diversion (DC 20) *
The player attempts to trick the vampiric plants in order to bypass a
dangerous region. Each player may only attempt this once. If the player
fails, the maze responds with Flower Fangs as an immediate reaction.
DUNGEONEERING: Safe Passage (DC 24)
The player recognizes a pattern to the maze's attacks. For the remainder
of combat, the player receives a +2 bonus to all defenses. This can only
be attempted once.
HEAL: Grant a Saving Throw (DC 15) *
Use normal rules for this.
HISTORY: Old Tales (DC 22)
The player remembers obscure tales of such dangerous gardens. In one old
tale in particular, an explorer overcame such plants through extreme acts
of aggression. Players may now attempt to make use of Intimidate. This
may only be attempted once per player. As an immediate reaction, the maze
responds with Seductive Perfume.
INSIGHT: See the True Path (DC 22) *
The player sees through tricks to find the correct way out. In case of
failure, the maze responds with Thorn Lash. In case of success, the
maze responds with Vine Snare.
INTIMIDATE (DC 23, move action)
The player adds excessive savagery to their attacks. Deal an extra 1d6
damage. In case of failure, the player takes a -2 penalty to the attack.
This skill may only be used after a successful History: Old Tales check.
NATURE: Knowledge (DC 20)
The player's knowledge of plants reveals a specific weakness possessed by
this one. This unlocks the Thievery option. This may only be attempted
once per player. As an immediate reaction, the maze responds with Vine
Snare.
PERCEPTION: Spot the Path (DC 21) *
The player finds a safe way through the hedges. In case of failure, the
maze responds with Flower Fangs. In case of success, the maze responds
with Seductive Perfume.
RELIGION: Perform Rite (DC 22) *
The player performs a religious rite that attempts to burn the vampiric
plants. In case of failure, the maze responds with Seductive Perfume.
In case of success, the maze responds with Vine Snare.
STEALTH: Sneak (DC 24, move action)
The player attempts to creep by the plants unnoticed. If success, the
player gains concealment until the start of the next round.
STREETWISE: Navigate the Maze (DC 23) *
The player feels right at home here, the maze similar enough to dark,
dangerous alleyways. This use works like Spot the Path, only the DC
is slightly higher.
THIEVERY: Attack the Weak Point (DC 24)
The player makes a precision attack on the hedge's weak point. This
check deals Sneak Attack damage on success. As an immediate reaction,
the maze responds with Flower Fangs.
TURN UNDEAD
If the attack is successful, the maze loses its ability to perform
immediate actions for one full turn (i.e. against each player once).
In case of failure, the maze responds with Vine Snare as an immediate
reaction.
Comments:
The DCs can seem high to make, but each player probably has at least one trained skill with a +5 stat, giving a +14 at this level. So, it should work pretty okay; as usual, adjust based on your players' builds. Modify the maze's HP totals depending on the number of players you have. I think I had to knock off about 100 of those for a party of 5, but I can't remember. Be ready to wing it, this was only tested once!
Another thing -- I think I ended up giving players a full turn instead of just an action. You could probably go either way with it, but it has consequences for the support skills (and for escaping grab).
Haunted Tower ("Death Spiral"):
Players must climb the tower while being impeded by a variety
of obstacles (described below). Each round, each player must
choose to either climb the tower or remain stationary. Either
way, players are subject to some form of attack from the tower;
however, remaining still grants +4 to all defenses, and players
may choose to use a healing surge (no limit like with normal
Second Wind). Additionally, players may be immune to some
secondary effects from the various attacks. Some "attacks"
require players to make a skill check rather than being directly
assaulted; players who remain still enjoy a +4 on this check.
Before the round begins, read each attack's flavor text to
the PCs. They must each then make the decision to attempt
climbing or to move forward. Aid Another is not allowed;
no usage of powers or skills may benefit here, as it's assumed
the characters are doing everything they can to get up safely
(exception: movement-based utility powers may be used, following
normal rules for encounter and daily powers; at-will movement
utilities, however, are ineffective; also, healing and buff
powers are also available, minus at-wills). Players who
remain still may use Heal to grant saving throws to allies
on the same level.
If a player successfully moves forward, that player has
ascended 1 level. Players begin at level 1. Players must
reach level 10 to complete the tower. Any effects that have
range (such as Healing Word) can reach +/- 1 level. If players
wish to turn about, they must return to level 1.
If a player falls all the way to the bottom of the tower, the
player takes damage as if each level was 10ft; in other words,
1d10 per level. If an effect causes a player to fall, the
player may attempt an Athletics check each level (below the one
they fall from) to catch themselves, DC 15.
Roll on the following table each round to see which attack
is used against the players. If the same result appears two
rounds in a row, reroll until a new event is rolled.
DEATH SPIRAL ATTACKS
(1) WAILING GHOSTS
TEXT: A number of spirits gather high above you in the tower.
Suddenly, they fly down straight at you, unleashing a
horrific chorus of wails.
EFFECT: Attack +12 vs Will (Fear). On hit, target suffers
1d8+6 psychic damage and flees, going down 1 level.
(2) WALL SPEARS
TEXT: Small holes suddenly open in the walls alongside the
stairs.
EFFECT: Attack +15 vs AC. On hit, target suffers 2d8+8
damage.
(3) CHILL WINDS
TEXT: You feel a short gust of freezing wind. Suddenly, the
wind begins to pick up further.
EFFECT: Endurance check DC 18. On fail, no advance and
attack +11 vs Fortitude. On hit, target suffers 1d8+4
damage and falls.
(4) COLLAPSING STAIRS
TEXT: The staircase begins to rattle heavily.
EFFECT: Attack +10 vs Reflex. On hit, target falls.
(5) RAIN OF BONE
TEXT: Several small bones suddenly fall around you from the
darkness overhead.
EFFECT: Attack +15 vs Reflex. On hit, target suffers 1d10+7
damage and ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends).
(6) WARPED SPACE
TEXT: The staircase suddenly begins to shimmer and wind about
like some kind of strange worm.
EFFECT: Insight check DC 15. On fail, target falls if advancing;
if staying still, target descends 1 level.
(7) WHISPERS OF MADNESS
TEXT: You hear strange voices whispering in the back of your mind.
EFFECT: Attack +13 vs Will (Charm). On hit, target attacks a
random ally on the same level with a basic melee attack
and does not advance. If no allies are present, target
is oneself.
(8) ABYSSAL GUIDE
TEXT: Suddenly, an old creature of indeterminable race and sex
appears before you. In a grating whisper, it asks you to
explain why it should allow you to pass rather than be
escorted to the Abyss.
(on repeat rolls, the guide returns and asks for a second
reason)
EFFECT: Diplomacy check DC 15. On fail, target does not advance
and suffers 4d6+2 necrotic damage. Bluff and Intimidate
can also be rolled at DC 21.
(9) DECK OF FATE
TEXT: A skeletal figure blocks your progress up the staircase.
It stretches out a hand, offering you the chance to pick
from a deck of cards.
EFFECT: Players who choose to advance must draw a card. Drawing
any spade sends the character down 1 level. Drawing
the Ace of Spades sends the character to level 0. Drawing
any club forces the character to remain at this level and
suffer damage equal to the number on the card (12 for faces,
15 for the Ace of Clubs). Drawing the Ace of Diamonds
sends the character up two levels. Drawing the Ace of Hearts
grants the character an extra healing surge. Drawing any other
heart grants the character temporary HP equal to the number on
the card (12 for faces), but the character remains at the
same level. Drawing any other diamond sends the character up
one level. Drawing a Joker requires drawing two more cards,
summing their results (effect is cumulative; Ace of Spades
overrides all). Cards chosen are removed from the deck.
Attacking the skeleton automatically misses (accept damage
on a roll of 20, but inform that it's not a crit). The
attacker automatically suffers 1d12+10 Necrotic damage
as backlash and can't advance.
(10) BLACK SLIME
TEXT: Thick black slime spreads across the staircase, covering it
and much of the walls around you.
EFFECT: Acrobatics DC 24. Failure results in slipping prone,
unable to advance. Failing by more than 8 (DC 16)
results in falling (advancing only). Failing at all,
advancing or staying still, covers the player in slime
that begins to rot their flesh; attack +14 vs Fortitude.
On hit, target contracts a weaker version of Slimy Doom
(DMG p50). The Endurance DCs are 21/16/15. The ongoing
damage becomes 5 and 15. Disease level is 10. Each
subsequent hit by this effect in this encounter moves the
player down the disease track one level.
Comments:
I like pulling out decks of playing cards for scenes like this, so that entry makes me happy.
Nowadays when I build scenes like this, I typically go for opposed skill rolls instead of attacking defenses. It's more interactive for the players.
Also, reaching floor 10 turned out to be fairly frustrating for at least one player who had some bad luck combined with less than optimal applicable bonuses / defenses. Going for 5 is probably enough, but 7 should be okay. I had underestimated how many rounds would pass when a player has frequent need to choose to not advance. I think I did wind up lowering it when I ran this.
It's not in the text, but when I ran this I added an assist roll of some kind for players who had reached the top to give a bonus to a player still climbing (either to defenses or to a skill). I think I used Arcana and/or Religion for this one with a rather standard DC. Some of the comments I made earlier in the thread when referencing this as an example included additional improvements I've since learned to add to these kinds of scenes, such as assist rolls that can completely prevent attacks against allies.
Pit of Bones:
-- Descriptive Text --
The doors open to reveal a dark stone chamber of moderate size. The
walls bear faded tapestries that wither as fresh air enters the room
for the first time in what must have been ages. Across
the room, you see a stone door, but what appears from here to be a
deep pit blocks passage across the center of the room.
A vicious see-saw trap sits in the center of this chamber between the
entryway and the pit. Players who move forward to investigate the pit
trigger the trap, plunging themselves down onto spikes and sending their
allies flying through the air into the pit. The trap is 2 squares across
and 6 squares long; the spike pit is 20 feet deep.
The bone pit is 5 squares across and 20 feet deep. The base of it is covered
in bones, which deal additional damage to players who fall within (factored
into the trap's damage). Further, any character entering the pit
causes some of the bones to animate and attack any inhabitants of the pit.
Climbing the walls of either pit is DC 20 Athletics check for each attempt.
Invisible bridges actually span the pit on either side, adjacent to the
wall. Each bridge is 1 square across.
PIT OF BONES ROOM TRAP
Level 7 Solo Trap (1200 XP)
Perception
[DC 28] The character notices that the floor is different around the
12 squares of the see-saw.
[DC 31] The character notices dust resting on the invisible bridges.
Religion
[DC 26] The character recognizes the foul enchantments on the bones.
Trigger
- The see-saw triggers when a player steps on any of the far four
squares.
- The bone pit triggers when a player enters the bone pit.
Attacks
Spike Plunge (immediate reaction)
Trigger on PCs in any of the farthest 4 squares of the see-saw
+10 vs. Reflex; 2d10 damage
Spike Slide (immediate reaction)
Trigger on PCs in any of the middle 4 squares of the see-saw if Spike
Plunge fires
+8 vs. Reflex; 2d10 damage
Catapult (immediate reaction)
Trigger on PCs in any of the nearest 4 squares of the see-saw if Spike
Plunge fires
+10 vs. Reflex; 4d10 damage, character enters a random square in the pit
Dead Walk (immediate reaction)
Triggers if any PC enters the bone pit
Creates 1 skeleton and 2 decrepit skeletons in random locations within the pit
Rise of the Dead (standard action; recharge 4 5 6)
Can only be used after Dead Walk has triggered
Creates 1 creature (roll d4) in a random location within the pit
1-3: decrepit skeleton
4: skeleton
Countermeasures
[] Thievery DC 32 disables the see-saw
[] Athletics DC 50 (25 with running start) clears the bone pit
[] Invisible bridges circumvent the bone pit
[] Athletics DC 20 climbs at half speed from either pit
(NOTE: PCs take an extra 1d10 if they fall due to spikes and bones)
[] Turn Undead used within the pit disables Rise of the Dead for 1d4 rounds
(successful Religion check makes PCs aware of this)
Notes
[] Award no XP for slaying skeletons
[] Award 1/2 XP for avoiding the trap entirely due to perception wins
[] Award XP only once; PCs likely to have to cross this area again on
their way back
Comments:
This one barely counts because it's a very standard trap write-up (and even older than the other two), but it was so hilarious in play that I wanted to include it anyway. The players were laughing pretty much the whole time.
My trap bypass Perception DCs are always stupid high because I think bypassing traps like this with a single skill (ESPECIALLY one that you can win passively) is dumb. Players who really optimize Perception can still occasionally pull it off, but I tend to put uses for that skill within the challenge instead of as a way to circumvent it.
These were a different in a few ways than I remembered, but as it's been something like three years, I hope I can be forgiven for that I have some newer stuff on a flash drive somewhere; if there's anything useful on there maybe I'll toss it in.
The interaction system is actually for the card game, but I could probably develop a 4E equivalent. Maybe I'll do that and post it in case it's useful to somebody.
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oxybeEntei is appaled and disappointed in youRegistered Userregular
This isn't a judgment against you or anything, but I don't understand why anyone would sell any of their D&D books unless they were completely broke.
personally, the reason i'm thinking of selling off the gist of my TTRPG books is lack of use. the area i live is pretty much a pathfinder only area, much to my chagrin. as such, i'm not really getting much use out of any books, be it D&D, Shadowrun, GURPS, White Wolf, etc... even when i offered to run a game no one ever really got back to me, though they sounded kinda excited for shadowrun.
if i'm not going to use something, it's really just taking up space. it's the main reason i don't own much beyond my desktop & laptop, my videogames, my TTRPGs & a few boardgames, things i keep using rather often or find myself going back to.
i can only reread a book for fun so many times before it simply goes on the shelf and starts collecting dust yet again.
extra cash would be nice, sure, but isn't it always? i've got enough cash to pay the bills, put some aside and afford the odd luxury item now and then, but as of late what used to be my TTRPG book money seems to be funneled into videogames, the latest being Mario Sticker Star & Ni No Kuni and the retro-purchase of TMNT4: Turtles in Time (the actual SNES cartridge) & Donkey Kong Country (again, the cart).
TTRPGs aren't really high on my "things i should buy" list because i probably won't use them much beyond one or two readings.
you can read my collected ravings at oxybesothertumbr.tumblr.com
If I buy a book I keep it forever. For example, I still have every issue of Nintendo Power, EGM, Game Fan, etc I ever got at my dad's house.
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oxybeEntei is appaled and disappointed in youRegistered Userregular
good for you, i guess? keeping a lot of books you might not read is a luxury not everyone cares for though.
i don't own my house so permanent storage space is limited.
currently, me and three other people are renting a place and all things being normal, i'll probably be moving in year's time (stuff tends to happen: people move out, landlord wants to renovate, roommates are jerks, etc...), so i try to keep my personal effects at a minimum, with my TTRPG stuff being the heaviest and bulkiest of loads. and after moving 4-5 times in about 7-8 years, i keep trimming down the boxes of stuff i bring with me, keeping it to the essentials only.
and books i simply don't use are becoming less and less essential. i also don't really want to use my folk's place as a storage shed as it's kinda rude to just drop off my trash in their attic, doubly so since they live about an hour and a half's drive away and don't have a car, so even if i do happen to want to read "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other Strangeness", it's not easily accessible at the folks' place.
i'm having problems justifying the reason to keep all my TTRPG books around. i like the hobby, but the local scene isn't really into anything that isn't pathfinder.
you can read my collected ravings at oxybesothertumbr.tumblr.com
I am making a dungeon for my next scenario, and the basic idea is lots of plant enemies. Myconics, oozes and plants. It's their first dungeon, they're new to RPGs, so I want to make A Proper Dungeon.
The basic idea is that there was a place run by myconids, and a red dragon flew down, torched the place, laid some eggs, and flew off. The remnants of the myconids spill out from the forest it's in, causing trouble and attracting the attention of the PCs and their patrons.
Anyway, the basic plot of the dungeon will be the PCs getting in, exploring, fighting the remnants of the myconids et al, and eventually finding the eggs and a newly hatched red dragon babby, who will then try to eat them.
But my problem is, what kind of place will this be? A giant tree complex? A series of tunnels around a waterfall? An area of hot springs? A Feywild-touched maze?
It's in a forest, needs to be able to be attacked by dragon, and needs to be a dungeonesque environment. And I'd like it to be very vertical, to allow for some dungeoneering fun. My best idea at the moment is a waterfall, with caves in the cliff-face. The dragon laid its eggs in one cave which is open to the air, the PCs enter another, gradually they work their way down to the final cavern with the egg and dragon.
I suggest a large, steep-sided doline (sinkhole) that formed centuries ago, is filled with plants at the bottom, and is connected to a few tunnels leading farther underground.
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AegisFear My DanceOvershot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered Userregular
I like that idea, as it fits with the fungal forest schtick that myconids have going for them. Underground areas work well with this and a dragon wouldn't mind having a cave system in a gigantic hole in the ground.
I plan to have a main, large complex that has been completely caved in and burnt by the dragon, and then some smaller tunnels that were untouched.
The party will go down the big sinkhole, see the caved-in main entrance, follow smaller paths through the remnants of the colony (obviously having fights etc), eventually rejoining the main halls where the egg and hatchling are, at the bottom of a smaller sinkhole that provides an exit for the hatchling and/or PCs.
Might guard the room with some lesser fire elementals too.
So, we just played our 4th ever D&D (4e) session and ran into a bit of a problem...
Our party (of four) has a person who's a bit disinterested, it would seem. I'm the DM, we have two guys who are gamers, my girlfriend who has more D&D experience than all of us, and this problematic person. She's seemed a bit disinterested during some of our sessions, on her phone and huffing and puffing and whatnot.
Anyways, I tried to engage her this session by having one of the side quests cater to her character. She's a Cleric, the group had to win over the affections at the local temple, it seemed like a good fit. She was indecisive, disinterested...it was a total disaster. Basically the whole party was held hostage while she hemmed and hawed over what to do. What was supposed to be a mechanism of getting her more involved just blew up in my face, and worse, lessened the experience for the rest of the group. It was noticeably bad when it happened, but after this person left, the rest of the party requested that I don't "leave the Cleric to make any decisions again."
I realize part of this was a failing on my part, by trying to shine a spotlight on this character. There are probably less hamfisted ways to engage her without going down this path...although I can't shake the feeling that any of my other players would've handled the situation with much more grace and...fun.
So what do I do? The "if she's not having fun she shouldn't play" solution isn't of any help here; this is a big social thing for her and I need to find a way to make this work for her rather than find a new 4th party member.
Well, first off, every successful game I have known has had an explicit "no phones/devices" table rule.
You know what she doesn't like (or isn't good at), making decisions. Have you noticed though what she does like?
One friend I have isn't really all that into D&D the game but still shows up for them. They like the concept and socializing, but they just can't seem to keep interested in the game. In his case, you don't focus on him at all. He just wants to be along for the ride, and make quips. So people let him join and make quips, and often his course of action is recommended by the others in the party.
So long as everyone is having fun is the important bit. As you noted, everyone is not having fun when you make the cleric have to make decisions, so avoid that. Try to find what works, knowing what that is is up to you though.
I don't know how to help you here. Does she have any prior experience with RPGs?
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oxybeEntei is appaled and disappointed in youRegistered Userregular
talk to her, ask her what she wants from the game.
some people are social gamers, there for the company of their friends rather then the activity itself. if it weren't for the fact that my roommates tend to have large groups of their friends over, the only time i'd be talking to not-forum people would be at my weekly D&D game, where if it weren't for the fact that the group consists of people i've known and gamed with for 7 years now because they kick more ass then a machine built to kick butts, i would not be RPing at all... their choice of game system leaves much for me to desire. i've learned ways to interest myself in a game where i don't care for the system, mainly by finding something about the setting i find interesting and latching onto it, or giving myself a goal.
that is just me though.
sometimes during the week, before the session, bring this person aside, either in person or via email, and ask them how they think the campaign is going, if they think anything could be improved on, what she would like to do with the character or direction she'd like the story to go towards. put the invitation for engagement out there and let her know that her input is valued.
sometimes people like being in the background and just hanging out with their friends.
you can read my collected ravings at oxybesothertumbr.tumblr.com
She does not have any RPG experience, although she is a nerd to speak, so it's presumably within her power/interests to get it up for this. For lack of a nicer way to say it, she doesn't seem to have a ton of friends and this is one of her ways of socializing a bit with me and my girlfriend.
I do think I'm going to have to find a way to enforce a no devices rule, although it'll be tough to enforce now that it's kind of established. We're a very casual group, and all newbies, and I don't want to shatter the mood by suddenly taking this "too seriously." We all agreed from the outset that such an attitude is one of the reasons we've all avoided this for so long. It really hasn't been a problem except for her, and she's had other ways of withdrawing even without her phone (i.e. putting her head down on the table.)
Part of me thinks she just hates her class, because she doesn't seem to want to heal people and hang back. I've offered to help her reroll (keeping XP/gold, since we started with quickstart's pregens) but that's an (understandably) intimidating prospect, even with my help. I guess I'll have to sleep on it and see if I can think of some better way to handle this...
If you can, you might want to try boardgames instead? Tabletop RPGs aren't for everyone, and if it about socializing then consider an alternate activity to keep her involved in?
I kinda directed one player out of our group because they just didn't work well, and it made sense for the good of the group. It isn't the easiest thing but you usually get stuck to deal with this kind of thing as the DM.
Talk to her, ask her what she likes and doesn't like. Look in the DMG at the player types section. She may well be a 'Watcher' - follow the advice there.
You don't need to introduce a rule - just ask her, privately, to not use the phone so much. Less embarrassing than making a rule that everyone knows just means her.
Communication and, if she is a 'watcher' type, following the ideas in the DMG, are paramount.
Also, if she does want a new character, offer to make it for her. Or do all the chargen for her idea. Up to her.
Us nerds are generally poor communicators, and 99% of classic D&D problems can be addressed by good communication and accepting that there are different kinds of players.
Which is why the 4e DMG is one of my favourite RPG books ever, in over 30 years of buying the things.
It really hasn't been a problem except for her, and she's had other ways of withdrawing even without her phone (i.e. putting her head down on the table)
What.
I wouldn't get your hopes up with this one. Best case scenario she has some sort of behavioral disorder; barring that she's incredibly rude.
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dresdenphileWatch out for snakes!Registered Userregular
edited February 2013
My group has decided to pick up its weekly RL game after an extended hiatus. We'll be starting at 5th level. I'm looking for a little input on two things:
First: I've been assigned the Defender role, but I haven't played one since Essentials was released. Are any of the Essentials Defenders better than the "standard" ones? Are there any that are just awful and to be avoided? I think I remember hearing that Knights are pretty bad, but I could be wrong.
Secondary question: one of the guys in our group is going to play a Striker. He's not a complete novice at 4E, but he's one of those guys that would rather sit back and plink away with At-Wills rather than "waste" an encounter power on an enemy. I think he gets paralyzed by all of his choices and just goes for old, reliable Eldritch blast. He's asked for advice on what to play, and I'm thinking an Essentials striker might be the way to go? Good/bad/terribad idea?
First: I've been assigned the Defender role, but I haven't played one since Essentials was released. Are any of the Essentials Defenders better than the "standard" ones? Are there any that are just awful and to be avoided? I think I remember hearing that Knights are pretty bad, but I could be wrong.
Knights aren't bad, they are very simplistic, however.
Bear in mind it has been a while since I looked them over, but if I remember correctly they were slightly stickier than most other defenders for some reason, (I think it was something to do with aura rules) but the play mechanics are exceedingly straight-forward and repetitive. You may enjoy this, I found it... disappointing.
Secondary question: one of the guys in our group is going to play a Striker. He's not a complete novice at 4E, but he's one of those guys that would rather sit back and plink away with At-Wills rather than "waste" an encounter power on an enemy. I think he gets paralyzed by all of his choices and just goes for old, reliable Eldritch blast. He's asked for advice on what to play, and I'm thinking an Essentials striker might be the way to go? Good/bad/terribad idea?
If he wants simplistic strikers then (once again) Essentials comes to the rescue... unfortunately it's only in the form of martial characters. Slayers are very easy and do plenty of damage, (esp. when paired with a lazy warlord) but there's no real "simple" magic using class to come out of Essentials.
That was one of the things that put off more than a few people about the design: entry-level and 'easy learning curve' characters were only ever put forward for 'herp-derp fiter playur too stipud lulz.'
Something that may help is just to impress on him that "Encounter=use at earliest opportunity" and "Daily=use it or lose it."
If my role play is hindered by rolling to play, then I'd prefer the rolls play right, instead of steam-rolling play-night.
Well I spoke today to the problematic player referenced earlier. We took a break mid-session last night because she needed to run to the pharmacy before it closed, and after chatting today she explained that she wanted to go and get some anti-anxiety meds because she was feeling really off after not taking them for a few days.
Anyways, we chatted and I told her that she shouldn't be discouraged by some bad rolls. I explained that she played really well, and thought of a number of good ideas that really helped the party out, like checking out a temple referenced in a journal so they could heal the rogue's mysterious disease (the greed curse recommended a few pages back!) She seemed to appreciate that feedback, and told me she really enjoys the puzzles and would like to have a more active role in combat than what her Cleric does now. She said she'll flip through the PHB and try and pick out a class, and I assured her that I can help her roll a new character if she'd prefer something to the pregen Cleric.
Depending on what she means by "more active" we may be able to help with suggesting classes and supplements to look at. In the meantime, it's good to see problems at a table being worked out--even if it's not the problems at my table.
If my role play is hindered by rolling to play, then I'd prefer the rolls play right, instead of steam-rolling play-night.
In the same way that some people prefer tanky to glass cannon or vice versa, I think she really doesn't enjoy playing a support role. When she uses her powers I have to remind her of the effects that make them important (hey, that Paladin gets 3 THP!) or she'll be like "oh and he's easier to hit now or something."
I think I'll pick a striker or something for her, where her job will basically be to roll big dice and read big numbers to me. Whether she'd thematically prefer a ranger or something, I'll allow her to decide. But I'll definitely be back here to coordinate the build, especially considering the rest of the party's makeup (1 fighter, 1 paladin, 1 rogue).
Usually my go-to "simple striker" is the Slayer. They're really easy to run, really easy to optimize for big numbers, and really easy for other party members to buff.
My group has decided to pick up its weekly RL game after an extended hiatus. We'll be starting at 5th level. I'm looking for a little input on two things:
First: I've been assigned the Defender role, but I haven't played one since Essentials was released. Are any of the Essentials Defenders better than the "standard" ones? Are there any that are just awful and to be avoided? I think I remember hearing that Knights are pretty bad, but I could be wrong.
Secondary question: one of the guys in our group is going to play a Striker. He's not a complete novice at 4E, but he's one of those guys that would rather sit back and plink away with At-Wills rather than "waste" an encounter power on an enemy. I think he gets paralyzed by all of his choices and just goes for old, reliable Eldritch blast. He's asked for advice on what to play, and I'm thinking an Essentials striker might be the way to go? Good/bad/terribad idea?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
All the Essentials classes are simplified somewhat in that they involve far less bookkeeping than a standard class but they aren't "less effective" for all that. For the most part this means "always on" auras instead of marks and no 'encounter powers' in exchange for additional uses of class features, which means less action paralysis but also much less flexibility.
As for your at-will loving friend, the Thief is an interesting choice as it has a whole mess of at-will movement powers that grant different bonuses to their basic attacks; if your guy is good at the tactical side of things, that might be one to consider.
The warpriest is another option. It's a class that gets into melee with the rest of the heavy hitters, but has some buffing as an added bonus. Plus their effect riders on their at-wills fire off even if you miss, so that might be easier to remember.
These are great suggestions, keep them coming! Also, as a D&D noob I don't really know all of these classes off hand...I can borrow just about any book from my friend, just be sure to let me know what books to ask for with these classes
I'll certainly try to figure out if she's got a preference for melee/ranged, martial/magical, etc.
I would point her towards Heroes of the Fallen Lands / Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms. They're the first two "Essentials" books for 4E. The classes in there are generally "okay" to "great", so she's not going to be missing anything by picking one, and they're generally easier to run.
If you're thinking of running a PbP Gamma World game here then please, I implore you shoot me a PM or something dude. I've had the books for ages, but the South West of England is a terrible place to find any sort of tabletop gaming. Especially something like Gamma World. The character generation got me hooked and the setting kept me hooked, I haven't even ever played a game of it as I haven't even been able to find one online. All I'm saying is you, me, this awesome RPG. We could make something special. Here's hoping I don't come off too needy...
And I'm sorry if this isn't appropriate conversation matter for this thread, I just don't want to miss a chance to have a Hawkoid Yeti PC, or a Saurian Demon, or a Hyperkinetic Seismic, or a, or a.....
In all honesty, GMing a game hasn't really caught my interest yet. Aside from a couple of Savage Worlds campaigns a while back and a couple of PbP games I'm playing now, I don't have any experience playing tabletop RPGs. Mechanics are easy for me to pick up, so that's never a problem, I think I'd just like to play in a few more games before I try to take over the reins myself.
Posts
If you're running out of space for books you need to get more bookshelves.
I've already got two tall ones and a short one and am considering by another tall one so that I can have bookshelves dedicated to certain interests (RPGS, Art, Miscellaneous, and Frequent Use).
Couldn't afford to ship it across from New Zealand to Australia. As I was no longer playing the game and needed money, I decided to sell it and see if I could recoup at least some costs. That's pretty much why.
3000 square feet... and I'm still out of room for more book shelves. If I don't get rid of books, I'm going to have start putting bookshelves in the garage
Y'know, I haven't made a post griping about how big of a mistake it was for them to cease digital purchases in a while.
There's 4e stuff in the pdf store, too. They've just got a pittance of 4e material up now because most of the pdf store is stuff they had up for sale as pdfs before.
personally, the reason i'm thinking of selling off the gist of my TTRPG books is lack of use. the area i live is pretty much a pathfinder only area, much to my chagrin. as such, i'm not really getting much use out of any books, be it D&D, Shadowrun, GURPS, White Wolf, etc... even when i offered to run a game no one ever really got back to me, though they sounded kinda excited for shadowrun.
if i'm not going to use something, it's really just taking up space. it's the main reason i don't own much beyond my desktop & laptop, my videogames, my TTRPGs & a few boardgames, things i keep using rather often or find myself going back to.
i can only reread a book for fun so many times before it simply goes on the shelf and starts collecting dust yet again.
extra cash would be nice, sure, but isn't it always? i've got enough cash to pay the bills, put some aside and afford the odd luxury item now and then, but as of late what used to be my TTRPG book money seems to be funneled into videogames, the latest being Mario Sticker Star & Ni No Kuni and the retro-purchase of TMNT4: Turtles in Time (the actual SNES cartridge) & Donkey Kong Country (again, the cart).
TTRPGs aren't really high on my "things i should buy" list because i probably won't use them much beyond one or two readings.
i don't own my house so permanent storage space is limited.
currently, me and three other people are renting a place and all things being normal, i'll probably be moving in year's time (stuff tends to happen: people move out, landlord wants to renovate, roommates are jerks, etc...), so i try to keep my personal effects at a minimum, with my TTRPG stuff being the heaviest and bulkiest of loads. and after moving 4-5 times in about 7-8 years, i keep trimming down the boxes of stuff i bring with me, keeping it to the essentials only.
and books i simply don't use are becoming less and less essential. i also don't really want to use my folk's place as a storage shed as it's kinda rude to just drop off my trash in their attic, doubly so since they live about an hour and a half's drive away and don't have a car, so even if i do happen to want to read "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other Strangeness", it's not easily accessible at the folks' place.
i'm having problems justifying the reason to keep all my TTRPG books around. i like the hobby, but the local scene isn't really into anything that isn't pathfinder.
The basic idea is that there was a place run by myconids, and a red dragon flew down, torched the place, laid some eggs, and flew off. The remnants of the myconids spill out from the forest it's in, causing trouble and attracting the attention of the PCs and their patrons.
Anyway, the basic plot of the dungeon will be the PCs getting in, exploring, fighting the remnants of the myconids et al, and eventually finding the eggs and a newly hatched red dragon babby, who will then try to eat them.
But my problem is, what kind of place will this be? A giant tree complex? A series of tunnels around a waterfall? An area of hot springs? A Feywild-touched maze?
It's in a forest, needs to be able to be attacked by dragon, and needs to be a dungeonesque environment. And I'd like it to be very vertical, to allow for some dungeoneering fun. My best idea at the moment is a waterfall, with caves in the cliff-face. The dragon laid its eggs in one cave which is open to the air, the PCs enter another, gradually they work their way down to the final cavern with the egg and dragon.
Any better ideas will be very welcome.
Currently DMing: None
Characters
[5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
I plan to have a main, large complex that has been completely caved in and burnt by the dragon, and then some smaller tunnels that were untouched.
The party will go down the big sinkhole, see the caved-in main entrance, follow smaller paths through the remnants of the colony (obviously having fights etc), eventually rejoining the main halls where the egg and hatchling are, at the bottom of a smaller sinkhole that provides an exit for the hatchling and/or PCs.
Might guard the room with some lesser fire elementals too.
Starting to see it in my brain now.
Thanks again.
Our party (of four) has a person who's a bit disinterested, it would seem. I'm the DM, we have two guys who are gamers, my girlfriend who has more D&D experience than all of us, and this problematic person. She's seemed a bit disinterested during some of our sessions, on her phone and huffing and puffing and whatnot.
Anyways, I tried to engage her this session by having one of the side quests cater to her character. She's a Cleric, the group had to win over the affections at the local temple, it seemed like a good fit. She was indecisive, disinterested...it was a total disaster. Basically the whole party was held hostage while she hemmed and hawed over what to do. What was supposed to be a mechanism of getting her more involved just blew up in my face, and worse, lessened the experience for the rest of the group. It was noticeably bad when it happened, but after this person left, the rest of the party requested that I don't "leave the Cleric to make any decisions again."
I realize part of this was a failing on my part, by trying to shine a spotlight on this character. There are probably less hamfisted ways to engage her without going down this path...although I can't shake the feeling that any of my other players would've handled the situation with much more grace and...fun.
So what do I do? The "if she's not having fun she shouldn't play" solution isn't of any help here; this is a big social thing for her and I need to find a way to make this work for her rather than find a new 4th party member.
You know what she doesn't like (or isn't good at), making decisions. Have you noticed though what she does like?
One friend I have isn't really all that into D&D the game but still shows up for them. They like the concept and socializing, but they just can't seem to keep interested in the game. In his case, you don't focus on him at all. He just wants to be along for the ride, and make quips. So people let him join and make quips, and often his course of action is recommended by the others in the party.
So long as everyone is having fun is the important bit. As you noted, everyone is not having fun when you make the cleric have to make decisions, so avoid that. Try to find what works, knowing what that is is up to you though.
some people are social gamers, there for the company of their friends rather then the activity itself. if it weren't for the fact that my roommates tend to have large groups of their friends over, the only time i'd be talking to not-forum people would be at my weekly D&D game, where if it weren't for the fact that the group consists of people i've known and gamed with for 7 years now because they kick more ass then a machine built to kick butts, i would not be RPing at all... their choice of game system leaves much for me to desire. i've learned ways to interest myself in a game where i don't care for the system, mainly by finding something about the setting i find interesting and latching onto it, or giving myself a goal.
that is just me though.
sometimes during the week, before the session, bring this person aside, either in person or via email, and ask them how they think the campaign is going, if they think anything could be improved on, what she would like to do with the character or direction she'd like the story to go towards. put the invitation for engagement out there and let her know that her input is valued.
sometimes people like being in the background and just hanging out with their friends.
I do think I'm going to have to find a way to enforce a no devices rule, although it'll be tough to enforce now that it's kind of established. We're a very casual group, and all newbies, and I don't want to shatter the mood by suddenly taking this "too seriously." We all agreed from the outset that such an attitude is one of the reasons we've all avoided this for so long. It really hasn't been a problem except for her, and she's had other ways of withdrawing even without her phone (i.e. putting her head down on the table.)
Part of me thinks she just hates her class, because she doesn't seem to want to heal people and hang back. I've offered to help her reroll (keeping XP/gold, since we started with quickstart's pregens) but that's an (understandably) intimidating prospect, even with my help. I guess I'll have to sleep on it and see if I can think of some better way to handle this...
I kinda directed one player out of our group because they just didn't work well, and it made sense for the good of the group. It isn't the easiest thing but you usually get stuck to deal with this kind of thing as the DM.
You don't need to introduce a rule - just ask her, privately, to not use the phone so much. Less embarrassing than making a rule that everyone knows just means her.
Communication and, if she is a 'watcher' type, following the ideas in the DMG, are paramount.
Also, if she does want a new character, offer to make it for her. Or do all the chargen for her idea. Up to her.
Us nerds are generally poor communicators, and 99% of classic D&D problems can be addressed by good communication and accepting that there are different kinds of players.
Which is why the 4e DMG is one of my favourite RPG books ever, in over 30 years of buying the things.
What.
I wouldn't get your hopes up with this one. Best case scenario she has some sort of behavioral disorder; barring that she's incredibly rude.
First: I've been assigned the Defender role, but I haven't played one since Essentials was released. Are any of the Essentials Defenders better than the "standard" ones? Are there any that are just awful and to be avoided? I think I remember hearing that Knights are pretty bad, but I could be wrong.
Secondary question: one of the guys in our group is going to play a Striker. He's not a complete novice at 4E, but he's one of those guys that would rather sit back and plink away with At-Wills rather than "waste" an encounter power on an enemy. I think he gets paralyzed by all of his choices and just goes for old, reliable Eldritch blast. He's asked for advice on what to play, and I'm thinking an Essentials striker might be the way to go? Good/bad/terribad idea?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Bear in mind it has been a while since I looked them over, but if I remember correctly they were slightly stickier than most other defenders for some reason, (I think it was something to do with aura rules) but the play mechanics are exceedingly straight-forward and repetitive. You may enjoy this, I found it... disappointing.
If he wants simplistic strikers then (once again) Essentials comes to the rescue... unfortunately it's only in the form of martial characters. Slayers are very easy and do plenty of damage, (esp. when paired with a lazy warlord) but there's no real "simple" magic using class to come out of Essentials.
That was one of the things that put off more than a few people about the design: entry-level and 'easy learning curve' characters were only ever put forward for 'herp-derp fiter playur too stipud lulz.'
Something that may help is just to impress on him that "Encounter=use at earliest opportunity" and "Daily=use it or lose it."
Anyways, we chatted and I told her that she shouldn't be discouraged by some bad rolls. I explained that she played really well, and thought of a number of good ideas that really helped the party out, like checking out a temple referenced in a journal so they could heal the rogue's mysterious disease (the greed curse recommended a few pages back!) She seemed to appreciate that feedback, and told me she really enjoys the puzzles and would like to have a more active role in combat than what her Cleric does now. She said she'll flip through the PHB and try and pick out a class, and I assured her that I can help her roll a new character if she'd prefer something to the pregen Cleric.
I think I'll pick a striker or something for her, where her job will basically be to roll big dice and read big numbers to me. Whether she'd thematically prefer a ranger or something, I'll allow her to decide. But I'll definitely be back here to coordinate the build, especially considering the rest of the party's makeup (1 fighter, 1 paladin, 1 rogue).
All the Essentials classes are simplified somewhat in that they involve far less bookkeeping than a standard class but they aren't "less effective" for all that. For the most part this means "always on" auras instead of marks and no 'encounter powers' in exchange for additional uses of class features, which means less action paralysis but also much less flexibility.
As for your at-will loving friend, the Thief is an interesting choice as it has a whole mess of at-will movement powers that grant different bonuses to their basic attacks; if your guy is good at the tactical side of things, that might be one to consider.
Nintendo Network ID: AzraelRose
DropBox invite link - get 500MB extra free.
I'll certainly try to figure out if she's got a preference for melee/ranged, martial/magical, etc.
If you're thinking of running a PbP Gamma World game here then please, I implore you shoot me a PM or something dude. I've had the books for ages, but the South West of England is a terrible place to find any sort of tabletop gaming. Especially something like Gamma World. The character generation got me hooked and the setting kept me hooked, I haven't even ever played a game of it as I haven't even been able to find one online. All I'm saying is you, me, this awesome RPG. We could make something special. Here's hoping I don't come off too needy...
And I'm sorry if this isn't appropriate conversation matter for this thread, I just don't want to miss a chance to have a Hawkoid Yeti PC, or a Saurian Demon, or a Hyperkinetic Seismic, or a, or a.....
Oh look at me, I'm getting all flustered.
Great scott!
GW. Stands for Gamma World. I just this moment got that.
It's all right if you want to laugh.
I'm laughing a little bit. It's more of a nervous chuckle.
In all honesty, GMing a game hasn't really caught my interest yet. Aside from a couple of Savage Worlds campaigns a while back and a couple of PbP games I'm playing now, I don't have any experience playing tabletop RPGs. Mechanics are easy for me to pick up, so that's never a problem, I think I'd just like to play in a few more games before I try to take over the reins myself.