Tagged Questions

3
votes
1answer
181 views

What to buy to start out 4e D&D (DM and PC) (Complete Noob, no previous experience) [duplicate]

So we're a completely new group of people, none of us have experience, and I've been assigned DM, which I think is a good idea. But we don't know where to start, or what to buy to get started on our ...
18
votes
9answers
909 views

How do I kidnap my characters without bending the rules?

I'm about to start a new arc with my characters and I'd really like it to begin by having them be kidnapped. It would be easy for me to just do this by fiat and say that "You are knocked unconscious ...
17
votes
6answers
726 views

How to encourage a player's creativity without breaking the game?

I've just started a new D&D 4e campaign with a new group of players. One of my players came straight from 2nd edition, and has never played 4e before. She doesn't seem to grasp the layer of ...
17
votes
2answers
763 views

GM attacking a recently stabilized ally: is this allowed?

The title pretty much sums up my question. I was playing the Scales of War campaign with a group of friends, and my character was getting absolutely destroyed in an encounter. I had failed two death ...
3
votes
2answers
184 views

Average experience per encounter for a two person party?

I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons for a while now as a player. I've recently started up a new game that I am DMing. I am going to run the Kobold Hall adventure for starters. The problem I have ...
9
votes
1answer
182 views

As a DM, what is the best way to create custom weapons and armor for your PCs?

After quests have been completed, or during the course of completing them, your Player Characters might pick up new armor or weapons that you have put placeholders in for. What is the best way to ...
11
votes
3answers
398 views

Cheating on rolls as a DM to adjust the difficulty on the fly (or other means to adjust difficulty)

I was a DM for the first time yesterday. It was a lot of fun, and all things considered, I think I've made a pretty darn good first session. It was, however, too difficult. I've based the various ...
12
votes
1answer
131 views

Are there guidelines for creating & customising MM3-style monsters?

I've heard that Monster Manual 3 came with an improved design philosophy for monsters (particularly solos), and there are questions about updating pre-MM3 monsters for MM3. I want to create and ...
5
votes
1answer
124 views

What should I look out for, when scaling a late heroic published adventure for late paragon/early epic tier?

I will be including a level 9 published adventure in my campaign soon. The thing is, the four players will be somewhere between level 18 and 24 when they hit the dungeon. Aside from obviously scaling ...
5
votes
1answer
91 views

Do I need both DMG1 and 2 to create adventures?

I'm working on my first custom campaign for my players (I have previously run modules out of books and Dragon magazine), and I am wondering if I should read both DMG1 and 2 or if it's possible to just ...
0
votes
0answers
163 views

Old School gamer attempting to get back into it…with some trepidation [closed]

I use to play D&D since Version 2, when it was banned at schools because it was thought to be devil worship, then later after a few people went a little nuts and used their "character personas" as ...
36
votes
9answers
3k views

How should I respond to a DM who unfairly plays the “rules-lawyer” card?

My question: How would you, experienced role-player, deal with this situation? I was recently invited to join a 4e startup goup. I've RP'd a fair bit in my day, but not in decades, and never D&D. ...
0
votes
1answer
214 views

Free action/no action encounter power available to all players?

The DM I play with for encounters passes out these power cards that are either a free action or a non-action (can't remember) encounter power that lets you add to a skill check roll, add a damage die, ...
10
votes
2answers
416 views

How do you calculate damage for MM1 and MM2 monsters?

I realize this may be a subjective question, but I'd really like to know what the consensus is. I know that WotC changed the way they calculate monster damage from MM3 and onwards, but there's isn't ...
3
votes
2answers
982 views

How do beastmasters' companions work?

I am playing D&D for the first time, and working on being a GM at that. We had our first session today, and it was very fun and went very well. However, one of my players chose a beastmaster, and ...
7
votes
1answer
695 views

Are there any rules or guidelines for creating original magic items and rituals?

I am running a D&D 4E campaign, and I particular enjoy that a lot of the 'man-made' spells that the PCs encounter--when for example, raiding wizards' hideouts--can be described as "you can get a ...
22
votes
4answers
902 views

Monster Manual 1 - Is it balanced? Should I balance it?

I've been DM'ing a little lately 4 edition D&D and of course I'm confused again: My first adventure was a big question mark, I didn't use the exact guidelines for creating an encounter and ...
5
votes
1answer
866 views

Practical use of Masterplan in first time DM

So, I have played D&D (and other RPG rules) off and on for a long time, and now have boys of an age that I could DM for them and have some good father/son/nerdy time. I have never DMed myself. I ...
5
votes
4answers
541 views

Should I announce to the players they are in a skill challenge?

I am completely new to DMing and I am considering including a skill challenge in my next game. Most of the players are new to 4e and one of them is new to D&D in general. Should I explain to them ...
3
votes
3answers
232 views

Tactics for Battle of Albridge

I'm currently thinking about the Battle of Albridge in my Reavers of Harkenwold campaign. One of my players stated he wanted to have a big battle with the Rebellion troops against the Iron Circle. I ...
11
votes
6answers
530 views

Out-Of-Control Characters

As I review the suggestions the DMG (pg32) has I wonder what other suggestions that realistic. I know that if a player is out of control (ie: killing masses for no reason) a DM would send Imperial ...
4
votes
2answers
177 views

Is there a tested spell-research like mod for D&D 4e?

I'm looking for a mod to D&D 4e which reintroduces spell-research in a balanced way. Are there any of them around, which have been play tested and seem to work without unbalancing things too far?
12
votes
2answers
3k views

Dungeons and Dragons Treasure Parcels

I'm new to D&D and would like to distribute treasure evenly in my dungeon for my level 1 PCs. I've read up briefly on the treasure packages but am still a little fuzzy on how they exactly work and ...
26
votes
8answers
1k views

What are the most important differences for a 1st Edition AD&D Dungeon Master learning to run D&D 4E?

I'm a campaign designer and DM with 20+ years of AD&D 1st edition experience. I've been "retired" from the game for over a decade, assume I don't know anything about 2nd, 3rd, or 3.5. Now I'm ...
2
votes
3answers
705 views

What race/class combinations would you like to see in pregenerated characters? [closed]

I am running a one shot for the local gaming association and am making pre-generated level one characters for people to use. So what Race/class combinations would work best in a group of ...
13
votes
7answers
335 views

What major differences are there between convention DMing and home DMing?

I've been DMing for a while in 4th edition D&D, but I've only been DMing for Living Forgotten Realms and D&D Encounters. Now I'm thinking of starting to do some home games in various systems. ...
5
votes
3answers
137 views

Scaling for battles when the number of players is unknown?

I play in a D&D 4e game at the local game shop where the number of players who shows up can vary from five to fifteen. Obviously a normal battle for fifteen characters would be overpowering for ...
15
votes
13answers
1k views

Sunrods, should they be used?

Sunrods, those banishers of darkness, are they a problem or not, I've met a number of DMs that don't want them in their games. Are they a problem?
13
votes
3answers
459 views

Do marks go away when one of the parties is dead or incapacitated?

While DMing for DnD Encounters, I had an interesting rules concern come up, that I can't see handled in the rules specifically. We always assumed that when a character or monster goes unconscious via ...
30
votes
9answers
1k views

How to deal with a Batman PC as a DM?

I'm running one of the D&D Encounters tables at the local game shop. In Chapter 3 the players can create their own characters. Everyone had normal characters with the exception of one player who ...
18
votes
5answers
357 views

How do I run a game for a larger group?

I am currently running a Dungeons and Dragons 4 campaign for a group of 9 players. Whittling the group down to a more manageable size is not really an option since they are all family. When we do ...