All Questions
49,057
questions
549
votes
30
answers
70k
views
How do I get my PCs to not be a bunch of murderous cretins?
Most RPGs teach you that casual violence is the best solution to all your in-game problems. This is so well established a part of the vast majority of RPGs that there are entire satire RPGs like Greg ...
- 175k
438
votes
6
answers
180k
views
What is "my guy syndrome" and how do I handle it?
I've been reading forum posts and blogs who mention "my guy" syndrome as a specific type of difficult player, but I can't seem to find a solid definition for the term. Can someone explain this ...
- 6,909
274
votes
15
answers
37k
views
Managing a Medieval Low Orbit Ion Cannon
Sometimes I hate my players.
My table is currently composed of five diabolically inventive players. They come from a mixed IT/Engineering background, so more often than not, I have to deal with some ...
- 15.9k
246
votes
16
answers
128k
views
Without a magic item economy, what is gold for?
PHB page 144, Equipment, Wealth, Selling Treasure
Magic Items. Selling magic items is problematic. Finding someone to buy a potion or a scroll isn’t too hard, but other items are out of the realm ...
- 3,191
218
votes
21
answers
33k
views
Dealing with difficult male players, when you're a new female player?
There was quite a bit of discussion about this after I posted this question, so I thought I would do as advised and re-ask the question in a new topic.
I will be playing D&D 5th edition soon with ...
- 2,583
209
votes
10
answers
99k
views
How does rolling two d20 and taking the higher affect the average outcome?
D&D 5E has an "advantage" concept where instead of rolling 1d20, you roll 2d20 and take the higher. Likewise, disadvantage means rolling 2d20 and taking the lower.
How does this affect ...
- 3,104
194
votes
21
answers
79k
views
Player claims their wizard character knows everything (from books). Solutions?
I have a player who is an elf wizard and his entire backstory and goal is knowledge related. He made his elf well over 200 years old and claims that his character has read a massive amount of books (...
- 2,503
194
votes
9
answers
84k
views
I'm at a loss with “Dungeons and Dragons.” How does one play it, anyway?
I'm no gamer at all, so this could be like a very silly, basic question for you guys. The thing is that I always read about "Dungeons and Dragons" game (not the video game, but the normal game to play ...
- 2,091
188
votes
10
answers
19k
views
How does a player correct a GM mistake without being a rules lawyer or pushover?
You are playing in a game. The GM says that you need to roll a given roll. The rules clearly state something different.
I realize one solution is to go along to get along, then tell the GM after the ...
- 17.4k
188
votes
6
answers
16k
views
What's the greatest number of hands I can have to annoy my mother-in-law with?
My mother in law is coming to visit tonight, for dinner. She hates me, and will criticize my food. But tonight is my night. I've prepared the dish she most hates, a beautiful roasted Tarrasque chop, ...
- 45.9k
184
votes
6
answers
175k
views
What are the primary differences between the rules of D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder?
What are some of the rule changes that Pathfinder brings in comparison to D&D 3.5? I am curious what changes were made so I can explain to my group what it has to offer.
- 9,952
180
votes
7
answers
15k
views
How to let my players fail their rolls intentionally, but covertly?
I'm experimenting with some pen-and-paper role-playing involving characters with hidden agendas. To foster a proper sense of paranoia, I want these hidden agendas to be unknown to not only the other ...
- 53.8k
172
votes
7
answers
26k
views
What is the source of the "spells do only what they say they do" rules interpretation principle?
Every time somebody asks a question like "can I use X spell for doing Y" the answer is usually "no" because spell descriptions are very short in 5e, and usually they don't ...
- 65.4k
164
votes
13
answers
21k
views
How can DMs effectively telegraph specific dangers in D&D?
There are some play-styles of D&D in which the spectre of player-character death is considered a feature of the game rather than a bug. For my own reasons (which aren't the point of the question), ...
- 243k
161
votes
18
answers
23k
views
How to deal with players who like to use the local authorities to solve their problems
The problem
I have a player in my group which tends to approach local authorities (may it be guards or churches) when facing a threat. He thinks that, given his role (a bard in a medieval world, so, ...
user1368
157
votes
22
answers
20k
views
How do you help players not focus on the rules?
Background — My Group's Gaming Style
When I GM, I run games loosely from a rules standpoint, and do not feel bound to adhere to what the rulebook says when it doesn't make sense in a given situation. ...
- 175k
156
votes
5
answers
17k
views
Is there a maximum attainable beard thickness?
This other question asks if attuning to a Belt of Dwarvenkind grants the following benefit (and literally nothing else):
you have a 50 percent chance each day at dawn of growing a full beard
if ...
- 1,563
155
votes
26
answers
55k
views
Players skipping side quests just to have a laugh at the DM
Something that's happening frequently at my table recently is that the players are making choices deliberately to waste my preparation.
If they see something that obviously took some preparation that ...
- 5,313
151
votes
14
answers
32k
views
Betrayed by my GM; how can I respond?
I was introduced to D&D three months ago and really delved into the world. I had so much fun creating my character and tried very hard to roleplay him differently from myself.
I did my very best ...
- 1,383
151
votes
9
answers
14k
views
Can I begin roleplaying if I'm visually impaired?
I've been reading about RPGs for a long time, and I'm extremely interested in trying it... But I'm afraid to start because I'm visually impaired and have to use a screen reader to navigate a screen. ...
- 2,781
150
votes
14
answers
18k
views
Who created the idea of Experience Points?
The idea of XP in all its many forms has been around for quite some time.
What designer had the idea of quantizing success and advancement through a numerical method? What game was it for?
The ...
149
votes
18
answers
38k
views
How can I find other RPG players?
I'd really like to learn how to play pen-and-paper RPGs. I know that it takes a few players to actually sit down and play, but I'm not at all sure where to find more gamers.
How do I find existing ...
- 1,599
146
votes
11
answers
38k
views
Can you drink a potion one-handed underwater?
I have a player who wants their PC to drink a potion underwater while one-handed, and as a DM I'm not sure how to rule it.
Ask for a Dex check? What DC? Is it even possible? I couldn't find anything ...
- 1,553
143
votes
9
answers
25k
views
How to stop players from making the game X-rated
After 30 years, a few of my friends and I finally managed to get together and play D&D. We've managed to play 2hrs once a week for the last 6 weeks.
I unfortunately ended up being the DM. My ...
- 3,379
141
votes
17
answers
28k
views
What can I do when I accidentally gave out an overpowered item?
In our last game, the players worked their way through a series of fiendish traps into a high security vault, where they recovered a Staff of the Magi. After the game I looked at the stats, and ...
- 2,733
137
votes
5
answers
48k
views
Are peoples' competencies really as flat in D&D 5e as its math suggests?
Bounded accuracy is a major feature of the new system. It promises that bonuses to rolls won't grow too much throughout a character's career. And indeed, a first-level fighter would have an apex skill ...
- 14.7k
134
votes
3
answers
196k
views
What are the big differences among the D&D editions?
I've been out of the loop for a while, and I used to play AD&D 2nd ed, but today I find there are a lot of different versions that have fairly different gameplay.
Can anyone summarize the really ...
- 2,612
133
votes
9
answers
124k
views
New girl gamer in our D&D group is causing weird tension - what to do?
I'm concerned because a new player just joined our D&D 5e group and is super flirty with all the male players (both in person and as her character - she's a bard). And the problem is that she's ...
- 1,257
131
votes
9
answers
28k
views
What's the point of long, empty hallways in dungeons?
Many dungeons—published and homemade—often contain a multitude of long, empty passageways between rooms.
For example, my DM is running "The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan" from Tales from the Yawning ...
- 63.4k
130
votes
12
answers
25k
views
Evil Campaigns: How to explain the difference between being evil and being a jerk?
My friend has recently started running an evil campaign. His players are having serious difficulty telling the difference between comitting evil deeds and doing random things that are evil acts.
...
- 20.4k
129
votes
7
answers
133k
views
Why would I ever cast True Strike?
One of my players has complained several times that True Strike is a useless spell. The effect of True Strike is:
On your next turn, you gain advantage on your first attack roll against the target, ...
- 144k
128
votes
11
answers
24k
views
Given powerful low-level Clerical healing, how can sick, crippled or otherwise unhealthy people exist?
In my attempt to make a more harsh, uncaring setting, I’ve hit a stumbling block in terms of the ease with which even low level Clerics can treat the poor and the sick:
A 1st-level Cleric can bring ...
- 2,359
127
votes
9
answers
32k
views
PC ate a necklace of fireballs bead. How dead should they be?
So one of my loony players found a necklace of fireballs. He is a suicidally over-confidant Tiefling sorcerer.
Against all logic and reason, and probably just to prove that he could, he ate one of ...
- 4,385
125
votes
6
answers
72k
views
What is a session 0?
What is a "Session 0"?
When is it done?
What does it contain?
Is it recommended, if not mandatory?
What is each person's role (DM/GM, players, etc.)?
What topics are best discussed there?
Usually ...
- 7,001
124
votes
10
answers
44k
views
As a man, how can I roleplay a woman better?
I rarely play characters of the opposite sex, and I find that I'm not very good at it, at least in my own estimation. This is hampering when I GM because it limits my range, and makes things hard ...
- 24.1k
122
votes
20
answers
12k
views
How should a GM deal with "standing orders?"
I have a player who always tells me whenever he goes into a dungeon or other hazardous location,
I am always checking for traps wherever I go. Assume that I am always looking around, wary and being ...
- 7,037
122
votes
2
answers
58k
views
Why is the D&D gorgon a metal bull?
In mythology, the gorgons were Medusa and her sisters; snake-like beings who petrified those who saw them.
In Dungeons & Dragons, gorgons are bulls with metal scales and the ability to breathe ...
- 9,297
119
votes
2
answers
342k
views
What are the most and least-resisted damage types?
Inspired by these related questions, as well as my previous question on the matter, I'm curious what the most and least resisted damage types are in DnD 5e? Ideally I am looking for a list similar to ...
- 8,848
117
votes
10
answers
24k
views
As a player, I am approaching a situation where "My Guy" syndrome seems inevitable and almost appropriate. What can I do to soften any problems?
Alright, so this problem takes a bit of background to explain, but in a nutshell:
Having talked with the other players in the group, and having seen how things play out in-session with the party, ...
- 4,085
117
votes
17
answers
18k
views
How to prevent metagaming induced by trying to not metagame?
We have a lot of questions on how to prevent metagaming on this tag. But usually the metagaming is something like
Using player's knowledge to optimize your character's actions.
Now, I've ...
- 36.8k
117
votes
6
answers
215k
views
Is there a legal way to get D&D 5e core rulebook PDFs?
As much as I like having the hardcover core rule-books in front of me, usually I read or reference most information for RPGs on my computer. Unfortunately, my google-fu has failed me at finding ...
user5834
116
votes
22
answers
28k
views
How to deal with player MacGyver-ism?
Role playing is an excellent hobby to train your problem solving skills. You learn to look at situations from different view points (i.e. the characters) and you have various skills and resources at ...
- 10.3k
115
votes
6
answers
18k
views
Can a snake be prone?
It sounds like a silly question, but it caused way more discussion the other night in my Adventurer's league game than I'd care to admit...
In 5e, the prone condition is described as:
A prone ...
- 1,573
114
votes
14
answers
18k
views
Dealing with (supposedly) in-character bullying
There is a member in our current gaming group that has been difficult to deal with and I would really appreciate some advice. For context: We are a group of four people, including the DM, and have ...
- 3,929
114
votes
6
answers
23k
views
How can we handle "firing" our DM?
I'm new to the game and new to this site, so hopefully I'm ok in asking for help with a situation that is plaguing our otherwise happy group.
My roommate and I have been hosting D&D 5E in our ...
- 1,061
114
votes
2
answers
80k
views
What do the terms "lines" and "veils" mean?
I have seen the terms "lines" and "veils" used on this SE (including on the chat) a number of times, especially in terms of social contracts between players.
What do these terms mean?
What is ...
- 5,328
113
votes
11
answers
40k
views
I failed to open a lock. Now what?
Picking a lock typically requires a DC 15 Dexterity check (Basic rules, p. 49). Likewise for manacles (p. 50), which can alternately be escaped with a DC 20 Dexterity check or broken with a DC 20 ...
- 9,184
113
votes
10
answers
20k
views
As a player with ADHD, how do I avoid disrupting the game?
I read a question by a DM wanting to know how to work with a player who cites ADHD as reason for disruptive behavior.
Almost all answers are of course things the DM could do. Now I am wondering, what ...
- 1,073
112
votes
44
answers
52k
views
What tools are useful to organize a GM's campaign notes? [closed]
There are plenty of tools available to organize campaign notes. I've tried 4x6 cards, files on my computer, notebooks, and more. I have thought of trying mind mapping software such as FreeMind, note ...
110
votes
12
answers
16k
views
Is there a limit to Rule 0?
Rule Zero: All other rules can be changed by the GM.
I appreciate that there is a massive amount of work that goes into being a GM and the last thing that any GM wants or deserves is to have his ...
- 1,225