tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post6220551140586264016..comments2023-10-14T03:58:59.333-06:00Comments on The Tao of D&D: EngagementAlexis Smolenskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-39275435663603177482014-09-10T16:38:28.696-06:002014-09-10T16:38:28.696-06:00Harvicus,
While I have heard these issues before,...Harvicus,<br /><br />While I have heard these issues before, I have never actually experienced any of what you speak. I have often run only two characters at a time, and prior to my mass/level hp rules (which I only began in earnest about four years ago). I have never found the kill rate increased. Managing a proper monster to player is a skill that has more to do with how the players encounter the monsters than the actual number of monsters per player - but it is a skill that can be learned. The 'steep drop' only exists because the DM has clearly not learned this skill.<br /><br />TPK's happen when DM's behave disproportionally or habitually with players, without considering the circumstances or allowing themselves to adapt their worlds to the players' needs.<br /><br />I have never, ever, found players who are unhappy at the opportunity to run more than one character at a time. Please note my <a href="http://tao-dnd.blogspot.ca/2011/04/this-henchman-thing-gets-out-of-hand.html" rel="nofollow">henchman rules</a> when I say this. I chose the link given because it talks about the love the players have for the rule - but all the additional links are included.<br /><br />The later editions do nothing special to make a small party 'viable,' except that they make large parties utterly impractical. We don't need a change in rules. We have never needed such a change.<br /><br />We need a change in THINKING.<br /><br />Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-78365062210998665972014-09-10T15:36:33.510-06:002014-09-10T15:36:33.510-06:00Though I love the early editions, they seem to hav...Though I love the early editions, they seem to have a basic assumption that the party will have a good sized group due to both the use of henchmen and a good number of actual players.<br /><br />Speaking for myself, it has been difficult to find enough dedicated players to have more than 4-5 characters in the party, and those players also have a dislike of running more than one character or recruiting henchmen.<br /><br />Though the later editions can be said to pander to player power fantasies, they also make a small group such as this viable.<br /><br />Now you can certainly run small groups in early editions, especially with your HP for Mass rule addition, but there is a steep drop in survival rate. Enough that even what might be a simple battle can turn quickly into a TPK before players can even react.<br /><br />Your recent article on people who continually start new campaigns hit rather close to home for me. I blame the constant search for a set of rules that strikes the right balance of danger and survival as well as an attempt to recreate the romanticized memories of games I played in my youth.Stacktracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05778633676064958982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-72787968546755805602014-09-10T12:08:30.033-06:002014-09-10T12:08:30.033-06:00The reason that so many of us...who got in the doo...The reason that so many of us...who got in the door with AD&D...continue to love the role-playing game.<br /><br />And the reason so many of us...who love the role-playing game...continue to find dissatisfaction when playing the latter editions.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.com