tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post2077811051876200823..comments2023-10-14T03:58:59.333-06:00Comments on The Tao of D&D: Village DefensesAlexis Smolenskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-78728704562532063782014-10-15T13:35:46.036-06:002014-10-15T13:35:46.036-06:00"You could go get yourself stung a bunch of t..."You could go get yourself stung a bunch of times. If you do, come back to me, I'd like to have your insight on mechanical effects for it."<br /><br />Years ago - mowing - I hit a nest of ground bees and they swarmed me. My only thought was to get away. I dropped everything and ran as fast and as far as I could. I was stung maybe 50 times in the legs. After about 30 minutes my legs started going numb - wait, numb isn't the right word for it. They tingled. It started at my feet and worked up. I got really concerned as it got to my waist... Got to the hospital for epi... Not allergic, just so many stings. Strangest sensation in my life...Pastor Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01365928184955951086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-73164587423431568132014-10-10T11:02:01.677-06:002014-10-10T11:02:01.677-06:00Success can sometimes be assumed; failure must alw...<i>Success can sometimes be assumed; failure must always be rolled for.</i><br /><br />You know, I think that this is the answer. I think I'm going to put that in bold letters at the top of any table or chart I frequently reference. I think this will solve a lot of my issues.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17939309042792833333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-23735335008936661482014-10-10T09:19:54.853-06:002014-10-10T09:19:54.853-06:00It is lines like, "My character would know . ...It is lines like, "My character would know . . ." that start arguments.<br /><br />This is why I employ a flat, non-modified d20 roll against player stats. "Let's find out if your character knows or not." Failure. "I guess he doesn't. Think of something else."<br /><br />Telling friend from foe: the character must be, at first, either partially blinded, inebriated, delusional, highly insane or otherwise not in possession of their faculties. 50 bee stings, with the commensurate half-blinding from stings around the eyes and the amount of poison coursing through the system, could easily cause a player to be both partially blinded and delusional.<br /><br />Now picture the character fighting a goblin, and immediately adjacent is another character fighting a goblin. Everyone is milling around, melee is confusing - the player announces that the character swings. YOU, the DM, ask the character to roll their wisdom. The character fails. "You were not careful enough, given your partial blindness and the bee juice running through your system. You have just hit your friend George."<br /><br />As above, the whole fire/cliff thing is, again, a wisdom check. IF the player has indicated their willingness to go NEAR the fire or the cliff, then no, it's not too harsh if they fall in or off. On the other hand, I would never say, "Your character is delusional, he walks to where he is near a cliff."<br /><br />There might be circumstances in which the knowledge of the cliff is totally unknown to the character, but I would be very careful about setting up such a situation - and the character would have to be in a dungeon or high in the mountains, so there would be some understanding that 'cliffs happen.'<br /><br />I don't know, you may be spoiling your players. That's your call. My advice would be that they'll accept your rulings on things IF those rulings are based on standardized die rolls and IF you firmly believe that those die rolls are reasonable given the situation. I've built that acceptance through years of play, as I always ask for that ability check with such things UNLESS I want the players to automatically do something. Success can sometimes be assumed; failure must always be rolled for.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-5550968560653854522014-10-10T08:50:59.696-06:002014-10-10T08:50:59.696-06:00That's all great for a start. I suppose the pa...That's all great for a start. I suppose the part that I have the most issue with is convincing my players that the effect is appropriate. My players are a little spoiled, and it's entirely my fault. <br /><br />Inability to tell friend from foe is another one I generally have trouble with, especially if we are using any kind of battle map. It usually ends up with either the player agreeing to be a complete schmuck, and attack anyway because "I guess it is what my character would do" or the player trying to move to a safe position before attacking because "My character would know to try and get out of the way."<br /><br />Maybe in that case have the possibility that any movement could end up going in a random direction? What if that direction took them into a fire, or off a cliff? Would that be too harsh?<br /><br />I mean, I suspect that your answer is that it isn't. I need to work on unspooling my players though.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17939309042792833333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-25417594904628698062014-10-09T12:31:44.220-06:002014-10-09T12:31:44.220-06:00Hm, Matt.
Experience is a big boon. You could go...Hm, Matt.<br /><br />Experience is a big boon. You could go get yourself stung a bunch of times. If you do, come back to me, I'd like to have your insight on mechanical effects for it.<br /><br />Abilities lost, weapon damage loss, inability to use body parts, inability to use some weapons, lowered saving throws, 1 hp damage per 3 bees, automatically surprised, inability to move or fight in armor, subtractions to hit, lost attack rounds due to disorientation, failure to recognize the difference between friend and foe when standing next to one another (or situations resulting in friendly fire), inability to concentrate on casting magic and reduced magical powers/effects. How's that for a start?Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-25406346619251396392014-10-09T12:01:23.007-06:002014-10-09T12:01:23.007-06:00Pain, discomfort, fear, and compromised senses are...Pain, discomfort, fear, and compromised senses are things that I always have difficulty imparting to the party. Any advice on how to mechanically represent being stung 50 or 60 times by a swarm of bees?<br /><br />I know I've had difficulty presenting hearing loss due to gunshot and canon fire, pain due to teargas attacks, and so on. Things that don't cause hitpoint damage, but where a simple penalty to actions seems somewhat odd.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17939309042792833333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-78581643822190753112014-10-09T10:45:56.087-06:002014-10-09T10:45:56.087-06:00" A broad culture shows itself."
This f...<i>" A broad culture shows itself."</i><br /><br />This from the fellow who disparaged the Count of Monte Cristo to me the other day. I felt inspired myself to reread it - I wonder if you've read an unexpurgated version of the book. What of the escape? The finding of the treasure on the island? The means by which Edmond inserts himself into the halls of power? The very fabric of the world through which he maneuvers? I think, my friend, you much sell the book short!Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-66233783445694747922014-10-09T10:37:05.061-06:002014-10-09T10:37:05.061-06:00So inspired. I don't have anything of value t...So inspired. I don't have anything of value to add. Just inspired. Ktuluhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05647503982190277299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-12183105019212916512014-10-09T10:05:32.652-06:002014-10-09T10:05:32.652-06:00Thank you, Alexis. Let the series rest, if you wan...Thank you, Alexis. Let the series rest, if you want. You've certainly showed yourself. That last example, even stolen chapter and verse, is also one of the best reasons one may wield against those who recommend a limited reading list. A broad culture shows itself. Thank you again. Scarbrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14354844943665937610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-78310313365631860352014-10-09T08:44:53.989-06:002014-10-09T08:44:53.989-06:00Such a great series. Thanks.Such a great series. Thanks.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.com