Dungeons and Dragons help needed.
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Maybe the kolbolds guarding a treasure chest are having a drinking game. Take a shot everytime the gelatinous cube absorbs a rat.
You are the DM, you can do whatever you want with them. Sure there are rules, but the DM can wave things for the purposes of gameplay. If you want them noticed for the purposes of story do it, but in general gameplay I wouldn't know, I play AD&D like a real man.Ranorak said:I first posted this in the Off-topic forum, but I think it might have been out of place there, cause it was pushed to the 4th page in no time
So, I ask the same thing here.
I've been starting to play DnD 4.0 with a friend of mine.
We're both pretty much beginners with DnD, and seeing how 4.0 was considered noob-friendly, we went for it.
Now, seeing as I own the books, and have a slightly better imagination then my friend, I took the role of DM. As well as a fighter with a low int score to help him in combat.
It's all going good, and we're having loads of fun, but I was wondering a few things about monster encounters.
1) when do monsters "notice" PC? To formulate my question better, do they have a aggro range? What is the threshold that switches from passive to aggressive monsters?
2)How do I make monsters less static. I.e. those kobolds are guarding that chest, but what else can they do?
3)Do you have any tips on fun encounters, or general good ideas to make the dungeons feel more real, instead of a collection of rooms who might have a few static monsters waiting.
Thanks in advance.
Man, trust me, 4.0 might be user friendly but you will love the older versions.
1) I can't vouch for 4.0 but I'm used to giving my critters a Line of Sight if they don't have an ability or item(Cloak of one thousand eyes) that allows them extrasensory perception. Sneak checks and will saving throws mix in there if applicable, too.
2) Give them an autonomy based on the area(Sleeping orcs in the barracks) or
3) Make your own dungeons. Your first few dungeons will be a tad under par but you'll eventually be able to create adventures full of drama and dazzle which all starts with personal dungeon creation. What populates the dungeon? Why do they populate the dungeon? based on that, what could they be doing if you catch them by surprise?
In the end, though, man, you're the dungeon master. Get your hands dirty, you'll figure it all out soon enough. Also, don't be afraid to create your own monsters with statistics and special abilities. The Monster Manual is only a handy tool if you don't have the time frame required to do it, yourself. Otherwise, it breaks the flow to look up the premade monsters ability. If you make them, you then know them intimately.
I believe in ya', man. It's nice to know another DM is joining the ranks of the ubernerdy!
1) I can't vouch for 4.0 but I'm used to giving my critters a Line of Sight if they don't have an ability or item(Cloak of one thousand eyes) that allows them extrasensory perception. Sneak checks and will saving throws mix in there if applicable, too.
2) Give them an autonomy based on the area(Sleeping orcs in the barracks) or
3) Make your own dungeons. Your first few dungeons will be a tad under par but you'll eventually be able to create adventures full of drama and dazzle which all starts with personal dungeon creation. What populates the dungeon? Why do they populate the dungeon? based on that, what could they be doing if you catch them by surprise?
In the end, though, man, you're the dungeon master. Get your hands dirty, you'll figure it all out soon enough. Also, don't be afraid to create your own monsters with statistics and special abilities. The Monster Manual is only a handy tool if you don't have the time frame required to do it, yourself. Otherwise, it breaks the flow to look up the premade monsters ability. If you make them, you then know them intimately.
I believe in ya', man. It's nice to know another DM is joining the ranks of the ubernerdy!
Yeesh, I feel like a geezer in here. As someone who has DMed for the last 17 (almost 18) years I can safely say that you should listen to the advice most people have given so far. Use the stats for the monsters in the books, but then give them personality, motivation, etc. and use some dramatic license to make things interesting.
Oh, ignore the guys telling you to switch to an earlier edition. If the 4th ed. allows you guys to do what you enjoy, have at it. I'm partial to 3rd and its revision, but it is a lot less newb friendly right out the gate, so it's not too likely to be good for you and your buds. If you get a chance to play it with some people who know it already, then take advantage, since learning about it will do nothing but good for your own games.
Oh, ignore the guys telling you to switch to an earlier edition. If the 4th ed. allows you guys to do what you enjoy, have at it. I'm partial to 3rd and its revision, but it is a lot less newb friendly right out the gate, so it's not too likely to be good for you and your buds. If you get a chance to play it with some people who know it already, then take advantage, since learning about it will do nothing but good for your own games.
indeed you will probly find the graphs in the book some were for distence effect on spot listen heck as for making it seem more real put in details like 2 kobolts are asleep or a few are playing what apeers to be a betting game just small stuff that sentient beings would do
Ugh... 4th edition? Sigh...
Just ignore things and make it REALISTIC. They see them when they see them. They are not guarding a chest. THEY HAVE a chest, yes... but also they hunt, cook, laugh, and party... they are living intelligent beeings, not SETPIECES. That is one thing which the 4th edition clearly ruined more than anything: the FEELING of a real world (even it is a weird one)
Just ignore things and make it REALISTIC. They see them when they see them. They are not guarding a chest. THEY HAVE a chest, yes... but also they hunt, cook, laugh, and party... they are living intelligent beeings, not SETPIECES. That is one thing which the 4th edition clearly ruined more than anything: the FEELING of a real world (even it is a weird one)
1) Either when the DM desires it, or as soon as they can see them. Its not an aggro, its what any rational being would do, if they are hostile to players, they will attack on sight. Spot is used when someone is sneaking, listen if they are out of sight.
2) Kobolds are pretty simplistic which makes things easy, then can be patrolling, making a sacrifice to their primitive gods.
3) Make a story, have your characters being entering that dungeon for a reason. You should not be their to kill everything in sight, you should be looking for someone or something.
2) Kobolds are pretty simplistic which makes things easy, then can be patrolling, making a sacrifice to their primitive gods.
3) Make a story, have your characters being entering that dungeon for a reason. You should not be their to kill everything in sight, you should be looking for someone or something.
The hardest part of being a DM is creating a functional world: those kobolds didn't just spawn out of thin air to guard that chest: they got/found the chest somehow, they are planning to take it back to the tribe etc.
Caves, when inhabited by intelligent creatures, usually have a reason for going into those caves. Perhaps they needed a home. Perhaps they were scurrying away from a larger creature. The creatures have motivations and wishes of their own, and figuring them out and incorporating them into the story is the hardest part in being a GM I feel.
Also, do not be afraid to let your players do stuff on their own; some of the best campaings I've been in started when the party thief decided to pickpocket a random stranger! Or when our fighter made a deriding comment about the quality of training the local guards had. Your job as a GM is to create a world that is alive, guide your players trough it in adventure and glory-seeking (or just plain survival) and arbitate on the rules.
As far as encounters are considered, think of it this way: what normally would inhabit the area? Are there possibly ancient ruins or graveyears nearby? Constructs and/or undead are always fun for spicing things up - also make sure the encounters aren't just about swinging a sword a few times and getting loot: make the players do investigative work: perhaps they have ancient texts that need translating before they get enterance to those ruins, perhaps an ancient rune-triggered trap would fry anyone not aware of the proper counter rune, perhaps the enterance is hidden and revealed only in folklore and failed attempts of previous treasure hunters. Perhaps some of their past deeds had effects that are now catching up to them; if it really is something they did in the campaing, even better!
Tl;dr. The world is not static, the players are not the only creatures with wishes, ambitions and plans. Think of the world as a whole and imagine what kind of creatures normally would venture into or inhabit the area the adventurers are currently in. Try not to go for contrived things, such as giants appearing outside the city walls, not without first spreading rumours of war or tribes in the hills moving strangely or ill omens and priests and mages divinations: things do not just pop in and out of existance (well, for the GM they do, but not without feeling contrived if the players should have known something about it beforehand)
Caves, when inhabited by intelligent creatures, usually have a reason for going into those caves. Perhaps they needed a home. Perhaps they were scurrying away from a larger creature. The creatures have motivations and wishes of their own, and figuring them out and incorporating them into the story is the hardest part in being a GM I feel.
Also, do not be afraid to let your players do stuff on their own; some of the best campaings I've been in started when the party thief decided to pickpocket a random stranger! Or when our fighter made a deriding comment about the quality of training the local guards had. Your job as a GM is to create a world that is alive, guide your players trough it in adventure and glory-seeking (or just plain survival) and arbitate on the rules.
As far as encounters are considered, think of it this way: what normally would inhabit the area? Are there possibly ancient ruins or graveyears nearby? Constructs and/or undead are always fun for spicing things up - also make sure the encounters aren't just about swinging a sword a few times and getting loot: make the players do investigative work: perhaps they have ancient texts that need translating before they get enterance to those ruins, perhaps an ancient rune-triggered trap would fry anyone not aware of the proper counter rune, perhaps the enterance is hidden and revealed only in folklore and failed attempts of previous treasure hunters. Perhaps some of their past deeds had effects that are now catching up to them; if it really is something they did in the campaing, even better!
Tl;dr. The world is not static, the players are not the only creatures with wishes, ambitions and plans. Think of the world as a whole and imagine what kind of creatures normally would venture into or inhabit the area the adventurers are currently in. Try not to go for contrived things, such as giants appearing outside the city walls, not without first spreading rumours of war or tribes in the hills moving strangely or ill omens and priests and mages divinations: things do not just pop in and out of existance (well, for the GM they do, but not without feeling contrived if the players should have known something about it beforehand)
"those kobolds are guarding that chest, but what else can they do?"
Anything you like. You're the DM; you're in charge.
TBH this is less a rules question and more a world-building question. The game world is your world, even if you're basing it on prewritten material. You decide what the antagonists want and what they're prepared to do to get it, and in this example that could go something like this:
"I have these kobolds. What are they up to? Dunno, let's think . . . OK, let's say they're bandits. Works for me; they'll raid weaker enemies for money and food. Fine, so their set-up in base is probably a little loosey-goosey, less marine boot camp and more lets-all-lie-around-and-get-drunk bolthole. So there won't be too many guards, and those they do have will be pretty lazy, probably staying in one spot near the fire rather than going on patrol. Fine, and the set-up's pretty simple too, so they may have another area set aside for keeping loot in, a seperate area for prisoners, maybe a storeroom for the beer and snacks. Where is this place? Well, they don't strike me as being big on building things, so they probably moved in to a cave system or abandoned castle or something . . . or it could be a tomb. Yeah, that could work, they're living in the upper portion of some old tomb, and that way I can plausibly argue that there's more to it than just their few little dugouts; there could be a hidden passage that goes down to the real meat of the dungeon, somewhere the kobolds don't go because they're scared of getting killed. They could even throw prisoners down there for fun and games when they get bored, see how long it takes before the prisoner sets off a trap and dies. Cool. So what do these kobolds do when they're not sitting in a room? Well, they're bandits, so they could be out raiding, or on guard, or torturing prisoners, or getting drunk . . ."
Ask the simple questions and let the plot flow from there. A wizard doesn't just sit in his tower doing 'wizard stuff'; he has research to carry out, books to write, maybe people come to ask him questions, and once you start asking yourself 'what does my wizard do with his day?', the answers help you build the game world.
The key point is, it's you doing it. You're in charge. Build it as you see fit.
Good luck! Have fun.
Anything you like. You're the DM; you're in charge.
TBH this is less a rules question and more a world-building question. The game world is your world, even if you're basing it on prewritten material. You decide what the antagonists want and what they're prepared to do to get it, and in this example that could go something like this:
"I have these kobolds. What are they up to? Dunno, let's think . . . OK, let's say they're bandits. Works for me; they'll raid weaker enemies for money and food. Fine, so their set-up in base is probably a little loosey-goosey, less marine boot camp and more lets-all-lie-around-and-get-drunk bolthole. So there won't be too many guards, and those they do have will be pretty lazy, probably staying in one spot near the fire rather than going on patrol. Fine, and the set-up's pretty simple too, so they may have another area set aside for keeping loot in, a seperate area for prisoners, maybe a storeroom for the beer and snacks. Where is this place? Well, they don't strike me as being big on building things, so they probably moved in to a cave system or abandoned castle or something . . . or it could be a tomb. Yeah, that could work, they're living in the upper portion of some old tomb, and that way I can plausibly argue that there's more to it than just their few little dugouts; there could be a hidden passage that goes down to the real meat of the dungeon, somewhere the kobolds don't go because they're scared of getting killed. They could even throw prisoners down there for fun and games when they get bored, see how long it takes before the prisoner sets off a trap and dies. Cool. So what do these kobolds do when they're not sitting in a room? Well, they're bandits, so they could be out raiding, or on guard, or torturing prisoners, or getting drunk . . ."
Ask the simple questions and let the plot flow from there. A wizard doesn't just sit in his tower doing 'wizard stuff'; he has research to carry out, books to write, maybe people come to ask him questions, and once you start asking yourself 'what does my wizard do with his day?', the answers help you build the game world.
The key point is, it's you doing it. You're in charge. Build it as you see fit.
Good luck! Have fun.
1) use your digression, if the party is in a lightless cave and coming towards a monster with tremor sence, it'll almost definately know they're coming because they're sumbling etc. Or use dice. Make the party roll a stealth check against the monster's perception (if they're actively trying to sneak) if they are just wlking use 10 + the multiplier of the least stealth party member (monsters only need to hear the loudest guy)
3. use traps, make up partol routes etc. I'll have more later but dinner needs making.
3. use traps, make up partol routes etc. I'll have more later but dinner needs making.
This is a hurdle lots of new DMs cross when they're new to tabletop rpgs.Ranorak said:
1-They become aware when you say they do. No sooner, no later. Remember, as the DM YOU are the monsters. Put yourself in their head. It's not an mmo, there is no aggro line.
2-Those Kobalds can do whatever you want them to do. Are they playing dice? Paper rock scissors? Maybe one is asleep. Remember, the monsters are more than stats.
3-While I could go on for ages here, my advice to you is to branch out of the dungeon. It's a big step but you're in charge of the whole world. There's a giant epic story out there just waiting for you two.
There's a lot of advice here that you should read and use. The DM's guide is another good source. The basic answer to almost all of your questions is: if this is a living and breathing world, what would they do?
That mentality explains everything you ever need to know. Monsters don't just sit in a room waiting for a "hero" to come in and hit them on the head to take their gold. Monsters don't just build a trap in a hallway for no good reason either. The world is dangerous but not dangerous enough that you put a pit trap between your bedroom and your toilet that you could slip up on when you wake up tired and aren't paying attention.
Take care about what you put in a world. Start with things that are fun but try and see why they are doing this.
Some of the major pitfalls I see are excessive traps which make no sense (who the f*** puts giant spinning blades in a room? remember for a lot of these places it is indeed their home), or have monsters that don't react appropriately.
The second part is important: creatures sleep. Sometimes they go to the toilet too. They aren't permanently frozen in guard position staring at a door for 24 hours/day. Your PCs are going to be imaginative and you should reward, not stifle, this creativity. They will invent ways you never dreams of doing to overcome your problems. Encourage it. Remember that when you attack someone, they do NOT instantly co-ordinate and perfectly manufacture a defence. Play some things as stupid that do make mistakes - don't plan everything to a T for these creatures. When they do face something highly intelligent it will be all the more interesting.
That mentality explains everything you ever need to know. Monsters don't just sit in a room waiting for a "hero" to come in and hit them on the head to take their gold. Monsters don't just build a trap in a hallway for no good reason either. The world is dangerous but not dangerous enough that you put a pit trap between your bedroom and your toilet that you could slip up on when you wake up tired and aren't paying attention.
Take care about what you put in a world. Start with things that are fun but try and see why they are doing this.
Some of the major pitfalls I see are excessive traps which make no sense (who the f*** puts giant spinning blades in a room? remember for a lot of these places it is indeed their home), or have monsters that don't react appropriately.
The second part is important: creatures sleep. Sometimes they go to the toilet too. They aren't permanently frozen in guard position staring at a door for 24 hours/day. Your PCs are going to be imaginative and you should reward, not stifle, this creativity. They will invent ways you never dreams of doing to overcome your problems. Encourage it. Remember that when you attack someone, they do NOT instantly co-ordinate and perfectly manufacture a defence. Play some things as stupid that do make mistakes - don't plan everything to a T for these creatures. When they do face something highly intelligent it will be all the more interesting.