D&D 5e, starting a game soon, any DM's have tips?

lordhughes · 1 Sep 2016 at 08:39

Pudney said:
I learnt my lesson when all the "tough" characters had the squishy people at the front for the opening of the first door...

Eberk was at the front, he was the only one to pass the saving roll.

DeaAnnemaj · 1 Sep 2016 at 14:56

Had a great time! ("Greenjas gf" here)
As long as we know up front we can do pretty much every evening, I'm sure we can figure something out in september!

gradyhawks · 2 Sep 2016 at 22:31

I'm free anytime to play, well might be busy promoting my dice business some nights, but I can shuffle things around.

Not forgotten about getting the story so far up either, just busy with work.

No1newts · 3 Sep 2016 at 08:16

I'm excited to see the story!

What's your dice business? I'm after some dice at the moment as I now have my regular group so toss me a PM if you want and I'll have a look.

gradyhawks · 3 Sep 2016 at 19:36

Dice business is something I've got in the works at the moment. I've PMd with details for now, need to ask the mods about seeing if I can maybe get a thread up or something just to let people know.

Will just say to everyone else reading, if you were going to buy a set of nice dice for DnD, just hold fire till the end of September! (PM me and I'll send details!).

Story will be done Monday, work to do until then

Pookie Bear · 4 Sep 2016 at 12:17

Apologies for the lack of response - been a busy man.

I see we've got one member away on holiday, and I'd not want to finish the session without the entire original group - so we'll need to wait for him to get back.

Also, send me info on the dice shop - I only typically use one shop, but always open to ideas - and never have enough dice

gradyhawks · 12 Sep 2016 at 01:49

Took my bard to an adventure league game ... came into the game at level 3, so a bit stronger. I killed a powered down lich and then got killed my some "Claws" ... I do wonder how he will roleplay knowing that his end is only 2 levels away!

Still busy busy with work and dice... I swear as soon as I get an hour free, I will write everything up.

No1newts · 12 Sep 2016 at 12:33

Who are we missing who is on holiday?

Pudney · 12 Sep 2016 at 19:56

No1newts said:
Who are we missing who is on holiday?

lordhughes was away 5th to 17th September.

No1newts · 12 Sep 2016 at 22:30

I'm continuing into the third chapter of my adventure with my home DnD group Saturday with the players just getting level 3 at the end of the last part (after the hunter fell down a flight of stairs trying to stealth and was then 1 shot by an angry Bearded Demon

)

Wanted to try and open up the adventure going into this bit and give them a choice of 3 paths but haven't had the chance to write as much with work so pushing them down a path before it opens up again after this next part.

They have a sentinent demon sword to contend with (carried by a gender confused dwarf fighter) and have to work with a fanatic crusader to save a high priest in a demon infested village. Bring it!

gradyhawks · 12 Sep 2016 at 23:09

Have to make a new character for a game tomorrow night, adventure league where you start at level 3.

Can't decide on:
- Another Valor Bard
- Elderitch Knight
- Bladesinger

Anyone care to help me decide?

No1newts · 13 Sep 2016 at 07:28

Bards are always fun if you like your RP'ing. I love DM'img a bard who RP's properly, they can offer a tonne of laughs.

Could go hyper aggressive barbarian?

Bickaxe · 13 Sep 2016 at 12:55

Any character is fun is you don't take it seriously. I've found as a player and GM that those players enjoy things a lot more.
I like to play races and classes that shouldn't work or have the main stat as the dump stat. It certainly makes things interesting. My halfling barbarian was useless but a lot of fun.

No1newts · 13 Sep 2016 at 15:19

I'm not a fan of deliberately gimped characters (as a DM I tend to lean toward the tough side on all challenges I pose the players) but I would agree that it is hugely more fun if people don't take themselves too seriously. It doesn't necessarily even need to be the whole group, one player can really change the tone of the game and make it more fun for all involved without turning it into a shambles.

Bickaxe · 13 Sep 2016 at 16:49

I see your point but I game with people that are not great at RP and are very much by the book or have no idea what to do. I like to provide the light entertainment and force them to solve things and take the initiative that I could do so they get the experience. But yeah, one player is all it takes to change things.
(As much as my halfling barbarian was useless, I didn't want him to die so I could create a new character)

No1newts · 13 Sep 2016 at 19:29

I get your point more in the context now, with serious number men you're offering the "comic relief" which is a cool thing to keep it fun. I think I would cry DM'img a game that was just serious numbers people with little interest in RP'ing, may as well just be playing a board game then

Pookie Bear · 14 Sep 2016 at 08:51

I have a decent mix of players in my group. There are some min-maxers, some RP'ers and one who does both (and when I play, I'm the latter as well - although I do occasionally slip on the RP front

). The main thing I press for when my players are creating their characters is to try something different. Last game we had more variety in races and classes than ever before, and I thought it was great. Not so much for the player I convinced to play a female character - but we all got some laughs

Bickaxe · 14 Sep 2016 at 14:34

No1newts said:
I get your point more in the context now, with serious number men you're offering the "comic relief" which is a cool thing to keep it fun. I think I would cry DM'img a game that was just serious numbers people with little interest in RP'ing, may as well just be playing a board game then

Its more a case of them not knowing what to do and not interpreting the book in different ways. Its when the wizard casts certain spells and doesn't think of how else they can be used or they insist on having a familiar but then never use it, the monk that never uses combat manoeuvres as flurry of blows. I do sit there and avoid suggesting things but its difficult. They are learning though.

Bickaxe · 14 Sep 2016 at 14:39

Pookie Bear said:
I have a decent mix of players in my group. There are some min-maxers, some RP'ers and one who does both (and when I play, I'm the latter as well - although I do occasionally slip on the RP front ). The main thing I press for when my players are creating their characters is to try something different. Last game we had more variety in races and classes than ever before, and I thought it was great. Not so much for the player I convinced to play a female character - but we all got some laughs

Our current game is based on Stargate but we are all dwarves. Makes it easy if someone can't make it as its weekly missions. One rule was that you can't play a class you have played before unless you random roll for it. I did. I'm a fighter again (although this time we are using Pathfinder Unchained rules so I have more options). On the plus side, the others are discovering magic which they avoided before as they didn't like all the options.

Pookie Bear · 15 Sep 2016 at 08:08

My group are often very heavily melee-based. If we have a cleric, he's a warpriest, if there's a wizard, he's a spellsword, if he's a druid, he's a shapechanger, etc... Even when we had a full wizard, he was always the first to charge into a dangerous spot.

We're starting a new 5e game next week, based on the classis Temple of Elemental Evil, and I'm a PC for the first time in 5e. I've gone wizard to see if I can show the group how useful they can be without just flinging magic missiles and fireballs everywhere. I only have one direct damage spell, and it's a cantrip. Fingers crossed I don't turn into a liability