tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post2982867251608894822..comments2023-10-14T03:58:59.333-06:00Comments on The Tao of D&D: Heroic MimeAlexis Smolenskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-14649960562225730102010-10-06T13:02:55.250-06:002010-10-06T13:02:55.250-06:00"An answer: the DM should ascertain as early ..."An answer: the DM should ascertain as early as possible how the party conducts their searches, but without giving away why he wants to know."<br /><br />Here's a way to go about this if you're using lead/plastic figures (or counters, etc.) and scale floorplans. It's advisable to do this the first time the party is searching for secret doors (when it is unlikely that there is more than one to be found), in order to establish a default routine--if possible. When the players announce they're searching for secret doors (as veterans, my players just slur the words as "we checker seeker doors"), ask them to position their lead figures on the floorplans according to where they begin the search and to tell you the direction in which they search (e.g., Guygaks starts to the left of the main entrance and proceeds clockwise around the walls of the room; Adolphus starts in the far left corner and works counterclockwise, etc.). The DM uses dice to determine which character finds which door and can easily establish where each character is positioned when the first door is found. He then moves the figures to where they'd be standing at this moment and announces that a secret door has been found. The players won't know why the DM is doing this; the DM can throw them off by pretending to be interested in their respective positions for other reasons (such as where they are standing when/if the first character opens the newly-discovered door because of something that might happen when the door is opened). If this is too much of a giveway, he can inform the finding PC of the new door, ask what the PC is going to do about it, and then move the figures to their new search positions, waiting to see what the players do (i.e., continue searching or investigate the door).Steve Lalannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12257236994766166129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-58387261869108184952010-10-06T12:37:56.017-06:002010-10-06T12:37:56.017-06:00The passive skill checks of D&D4E mentioned ab...The passive skill checks of D&D4E mentioned above are a great way to handle many of these problems; I have adapted it into my own game rules (<i>Mailed Fist</i>).<br /><br />More ambiguous game situations and some answers:<br /><br />Does the DM assume the PCs stop searching for secret doors once they've found the first one in the room? An answer: the DM should ascertain as early as possible how the party conducts their searches, but without giving away why he wants to know.<br /><br />When they search for hidden trapdoors, does the DM assume they're also checking the ceiling? An answer: the DM asks for details of their search, such as, "where do you look?" He then assumes the same procedure for future searches.<br /><br />When looking into an unexplored room, do the party members look at the ceiling? An answer: the DM assesses (perhaps using passive checks) how easy it would be to spot the thing attached to the ceiling and judges whether to incorporate it into his general description of the room. If the thing is not in plain sight, and the PCs aren't explicit about where they look, dice are used. On the other hand, the DM should mention if the ceiling is high and/or in shadow, or if there are rafters or stalactites above; wary players can then direct their attention accordingly. <br /><br />When handling a mysterious item, does the PC remove his gloves? An answer: describe the item under the explicit assumption that the gloves remain worn. This allows the player to react unambiguously. Example: "you can't feel the item's texture very well through your gloves," or, "it's awkward handling the wine glass while wearing gauntlets" (the latter is either a giveaway if the glass is trapped or a red herring otherwise). The player may then tell the DM his PC is removing his gloves. Either way, the ambiguity is eliminated, and players become aware of the importance of volunteering such details and what the DM assumes. Also, a gauntlet-wearing character is more likely to drop an item or inadvertently crush/mangle something delicate.<br /><br />Where are the party members standing when they open a given door? An answer: have the players establish where they are standing when the first dungeon door is opened, and tell the players that you will assume this procedure from then on--unless instructed otherwise. This is much like handling marching order.<br /><br />A lot of these come down to the PCs establishing default or assumed behaviour. The DM can play with this to avoid the process of dungeon-exploration becoming mechanical.Steve Lalannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12257236994766166129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-90547291593974403032010-08-16T15:50:13.666-06:002010-08-16T15:50:13.666-06:00As a former freerunner, I would argue the point th...As a former freerunner, I would argue the point that the jump and grab resulting in bouncing off of the cliff very much depends on your technique. Using the feet and legs to absorb the energy makes it possible to make such a jump, and to transfer your forward motion into upward motion, using only the energy stored in the natural spring that is the amazing structure we call the leg. My skill at doing such is represented in 2nd Ed with a NWP, and in 3.x with ranks in the Jump skill, or alternately represented by being a class skill in 3.x. The point still remains however that a jump and hang is one of the simple fundamentals in free-running. :)Keiran Colehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17001106731332971318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-54974409072979772252010-08-13T13:14:55.364-06:002010-08-13T13:14:55.364-06:00I support telling the player what their character&...I support telling the player what their character's chances are for completing an action. I don't view this as metagaming, but rather risk assessment. What I don't support is giving the player information that would be outside their character's ability to know. Obvious information (like Alexis' example of the tiger in the garden) should be available, but if a character is especially dumb or stupid, they may not even notice the thick foliage, per se, being completely enthralled by the pretty fountain. Splashy-splashy!<br /><br />Using a character's ability scores helps a lot with these situations. Specifically, using Intelligence and Wisdom to guide the description. For purposes of my argument, I'm going to define Intelligence as knowing whether or not you could succeed, and Wisdom as knowing whether or not you should attempt whatever you're doing.<br /><br />If a character has a low Int, then when they evaluate their chances of succeeding, they have a low potential of getting an accurate result. "Can I make this jump?" I'll roll some dice to determine if this is the day the blind squirrel finds a nut or not. The higher the Int, the more likely they'll get the right answer.<br /><br />Evaluating their Wisdom is a little trickier. A smart character with a low Wis (i.e. poor impulse control) may well know that such a leap is impossible, but may be determined to try it anyway. How to resolve this? How do you get the player to step away from their desire to keep their character alive but to play their ability scores within reason?<br /><br />I think the answer for my game lies in an amalgamation of the scores. A smart/wise index number would be useful here. If someone is smart but has poor impulse control, that would lower their chances of getting a correct judgement of their chances of completing the leap. Same deal with high Wis, low Int -- they may know better, but be too stupid to realize that a 12-foot standing broad jump is nearly impossible.<br /><br />This plays out with almost no discernible difference to the player. "Can I make the leap?" is still answered with "You think so," or "Probably not."<br /><br />For the DM, there's a bit more going on behind the scenes, but I think this adds depth to situations where the outcome is uncertain, but evaluable by the character instead of complexity by implementing a more detailed task resolution system.Original_Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03521777462227997158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-79596443403840371882010-08-13T02:32:37.584-06:002010-08-13T02:32:37.584-06:00considering the jump off the ledge (or any similar...considering the jump off the ledge (or any similar situation), the player needs to know what his chances are (the character would probably know them, even if the player is considering movie-physics). if his chances are crap and he still goes for it... not the dm's fault.<br /><br />while it breaks immersion digging out a rulebook and looking up the jumping rules it solves any problems either player or dm could have with the situation (unless the rules are crap ;)).<br /><br />so your duty as gm is to give the players the tools to properly evaluate their actions. that might mean rules, a detailed description of a situation or maybe a simple "are you sure you want to do that?".<br /><br />dealing with hidden things should be done with dice i guess. most rulesets have mechanics for that, so why not use them? if the rules you use don't make some up. if a tiger is 90% hidden beneath some foliage they better get a good roll. obviously any actions/statements/special rules of the party need to be taken into account.<br /><br /><i>My point is this - no matter what information the party requests, it isn't going to be enough.</i><br /><br />which is a good thing. the game is boring if you have all the info.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-89797950786914539772010-08-12T18:56:50.397-06:002010-08-12T18:56:50.397-06:00In terms of traps I make "Detect Traps" ...In terms of traps I make "Detect Traps" a saving throw. Everyone can announce how they are checking for traps, but a mere second before setting off a trap..a thief can roll detect traps and pause at the last second. Think where indiana jones pulls his soon to be betrayer of a henchmen back at the last second from stepping on a pressure plate.<br /><br />I also always ask players "Movie physics or real physics...because if you choose movie physics that is going to make it very hard for you to mulch some opponent with a dastardly trap or sneak up on the villain without being subject to a horrid monologue". I do that from the get go so everyone is on the same page.<br /><br />The most frustration I find isn't from how the rules work, as from different opinions on the subject that come up in the time of crisis.Zzarchovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07714805545939725730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-48626699025730702722010-08-12T18:26:10.947-06:002010-08-12T18:26:10.947-06:00I think transparent rule mechanics are good ways o...I think transparent rule mechanics are good ways of handling situations like these. Since you've chunked out the jumping table you might want to replace it with a difficulty over distance table which allows for the possibly of failure for even short jumps in stressful situations. In the case of the impossible jump, I'd say, "The far side of the gap looks just out of reach. If you want to attempt the jump roll a d20 plus the maximum dex mod allowed by your armor type. You need to beat a 30." I've still had players push forward and commit to such folly and have slept soundly after their character met their deserved fate.<br /><br />4e has a decent mechanic for perception checks which you might find adaptable to your game. Characters have fixed (based on ability, level, etc. similar to "taking 10" in 2e/3e) passive perception scores which act as their default ability to notice things. The DM sets a difficultly level for each detail worthy of note. Characters with passive perception scores higher than the detail's difficult score successfully spot the detail. Players who state their characters are actively searching may make an active check using a regular skill roll which has the possibility of exceeding their passive score.<br /><br />An interesting result of this mechanic is that the DM knows in advance which player will notice which details assuming the players are not actively searching.<br /><br />In the case of the hidden creatures like your Tiger, an opposed roll mechanism is used. The players passive perception is compared to the Tiger's stealth role. (4e Tigers do have the stealth skill and are quite good at it.) I find this system works well and helps keep me in check.The Hex Masterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08687756788484550789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-32113639363676833592010-08-12T15:18:48.182-06:002010-08-12T15:18:48.182-06:00I think that in Star Trek, if young Kirk had stood...I think that in Star Trek, if young Kirk had stood up from his skid towards the quarry and displayed the iconic torn shirt, I could have forgiven every other flaw in the movie. As it is, I still loved that movie, but oh, for just one torn shirt.Original_Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03521777462227997158noreply@blogger.com