Linked Questions
32 questions linked to/from How can DMs effectively telegraph specific dangers in D&D?
16
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How can I dissuade my players from attacking a deadly foe who isn't meant to be attacked? [duplicate]
I will be taking over as DM of our group in a few weeks. Our party right now has a large number of magic items, and while I don't have a problem balancing that, I would rather replace lesser ones ...
- 3,404
16
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5
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How can PCs estimate the power of opponents? [duplicate]
It's common for players to assume that opponents are always “level appropriate.” However, mixed level modules change this situation. Recent modules like Tomb of Annihilation can have PCs stepping into ...
- 11.8k
4
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0
answers
141
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How can I better describe how dangerous an opponent is to players without ruining immersion by simply telling them statistics? [duplicate]
Yesterday I was running the 5th Edition Hoard of the Dragon Queen adventure and one of the players was separated from the party. He entered a room in the dungeon and saw three blue guard drakes as ...
- 141
108
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18
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How can I make my PCs flee?
My players never run away or avoid conflict. Ever. I throw them ridiculous encounters, they will stay and fight. If I tell them, "You know you're not gonna make it, just run," they stay and fight and ...
user4000
58
votes
17
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Dealing with "fearless" players
I have some "badass" players in my group who do not fear death, 4 out of 6 to be precise, which causes problems for the rest players as they feel they are always getting dragged into trouble, trying ...
- 1,131
51
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12
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Risk of a TPK vs realistic NPCs
I am a novice DM running a game for an even more novice group of players and I beginning to think that my next session may result in a TPK (total party kill, for the uninitiated). Is this something I ...
- 1,933
36
votes
17
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How to handle character death in adventures with save-or-dies
I am currently running an LotFP adventure using D&D Next, the amazing Better than any man. In SevenSidedDie' s great answer to a previous post of mine he touched upon philosophical differences ...
- 12.3k
59
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11
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Techniques for allowing character defeat without character death
Character death can be extremely disruptive to an ongoing RPG, particularly in a game where character agendas are the driving force behind the plot. However, for a good story with a sense of conflict ...
- 4,533
37
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9
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How can I tell how powerful an NPC is without being explicitly told?
Recently in a session, I almost caused our party to fight a lich at level 5. For D&D 5e, a lich has a CR of 21. There were a few clues to his strength that I missed, such as being locked in a room ...
- 18.5k
34
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8
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Should the DM allow characters an equal opportunity to flee or avoid an encounter?
Last session I DMed, I killed a player's character.
The party wanted to assassinate the main political figure in a town. To inspire general dislike, I made the political figure a racist thug. I run a ...
- 343
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11
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How can GMs evoke the tone of danger in an RPG?
Forked from this question which focuses more on exploring signals of specific danger.
Here, my question is: how can a GM evoke the feeling of danger during a game? How can they create tension that ...
25
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6
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5k
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How to deal with time-sensitive decisions? [closed]
Before I start I have looked and seen similar questions like this, but I don't think the answers truly address the issue I'm having with my group.
I'm having an issue with my group with mostly new ...
- 2,405
31
votes
8
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5k
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What are the DM's responsibilities when dealing with a character's death?
This facet of RPGs is the thing with which I have the least experience/comfort level. I'm sanguine about the idea that Dungeons etc. are inherently dangerous places, and that the PCs behavior is ...
- 422
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How do I help my players figure out how to stay alive in a realistically-deadly sandbox campaign?
Related:
What to do when a player character does something that seems suicidal?
and
How can DMs effectively telegraph specific dangers in D&D?
I like playing sandbox-style RPGs (whether ...
- 4,069
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8
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How much, if at all, should a DM coach new players on basics?
As DM, how much should I coach a party (composed entirely of brand new players) to consider things like assigning someone to stand watch while the party sleeps, covering/hiding provisions, recovering ...
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