What's awesome about this is that it's all built on solid foundational advice: design encounters as more than just straight-ahead fights; have motives and goals for the monsters and think in advance about how they'll try to achieve them; build in complexity so there's more than one way to win or lose the fight. All advice you've given before, but focused here on how to solve a particular problem we've all encountered. I take notes after every one of your videos. With all of the D&D RU-vidrs out there, I've often heard the advice before. The difference is that you are incredibly good at making things clear, with well-thought-out explanations of ideas and great examples. I present you with the greatest compliment one DM can give to another: after watching you, I wish I could be in one of your games.
That is very high praise, mate, thank you! I'm really happy to hear that the content on my channel can cut through what is quite a saturated space on D&D RU-vid.
I feel like your explanations are very easy to understand for people 8n any level of experience. Being able to explain something in a way that is as direct and simple as you do is a skill that makes you one of the best ttrpg creators who i am comfortable recommending to anyone.
Hey, that's much appreciated! I know a lot of my content is geared towards new DMs, but I'm glad some of the videos are also useful to more experienced folk like yourself.
Another one that I've taken from homebrew and I guess 4th edition: when fighting a load of minions, give them 1 HP and use small flat damage values. Players will feel cool carving through swarms of weaker minions while not being able to ignore them, but it also cuts down on the amount of dice rolling so you don't have to roll as much. Only downside to making monsters retreating is keeping in mind movement speed and action economy. Because I've made monsters run away, and more often than not the players can still keep up, and intentionally drag it out because they don't want the monster to get away. So I've implemented an additional rule: If it gets off the map, it escapes, but you can chase them if you want, and then we base it on skill checks to see if they can keep up with the monster or if the monster escapes.
I used ro run hordes of enemies this way, but now i prefer to use the Minion mechanic presented in the MCDM Monster book, is easy to run, fast, cinematic and my players love.
I like the torn wings and dropped AC options. Especially if the players roll a critical strike. I'm imagining the NPC puts up its Shield to block but as the PC makes contact it explodes and splinters into a useless pile of kindling.
4:26 Great example of this is in Metroid Prime 1 where you fight Meta Ridley and throughout the first half of the fight where he's flying around, giving him a distinct advantage that he very much utilizes with his attacks. Half way through the fight, his wings burn off and he has to fight you on your terms now.
ways I speed up combat: 1st - remove initiative roll 2nd - remove 'action economy' 3rd - change to AC as damage reduction. (remove the to-hit roll) thus, my combat scenes are very dynamic, fast and Inventive. players stay engaged and know that time is a significant factor.
And what are counters for the things removed? When the players are only learning how to evem play in DnD, rules help to understand how, when and what exactly they're able to do at which point. If we'll get rid of all the described, we get a free for all, with no way to track things. I'm curious what's the alternatives.
@neksuscat Ad&D and 2nd ed are primarily role-playing games with combat. 3e, 4e and 5e are tactical combat games with some role-playing added. when players hands are tied with a long list of restrictions (action economy) and only a few activity options, it's a removal of role-playing. as GM, I can facilitate any/all choices the players make for their characters. it is my job to set the scene and make a compelling world. the players job is to add color and depth to the story by being the heroes. as I point out, in most play thru vids, you see distinct changes in both players and GM once the phrase 'roll for initiative' is declared. the GM is figuring out turn order, what activities the antagonist will try and time appropriate responses to the character actions. the players are rolling initiative, seeing the turn order, discussing what activity each character will attempt. if miniatures are used, then add the whole movement, position and reaction dilemma. all of this - removes players from the role-playing experience. it has evolved into a tactical war game and is played exactly like one. there is nothing wrong with that, but most people don't recognize the difference. the AC as damage reduction is just a different way to play out combat. it's a bit faster than rolling both to-hit rolls and them damage rolls. as far as teaching to new players, it's much easier to simply ask them what they would like to make happen. then give them some dice rolls and narratively describe the scene based on the rolls. they get into the action and engage the story. by explaining the nuances of the tactical combat and the list of limitations (when and how), it's time consuming and removes the new players from the immersion. most of this should be laid out during session zero with the character creation. how actions resolve and how combat interactions work. if you are running a demo game, then you would want the rules as simplified as possible and explain that there are rules which cover a variety of more complicated activities. hope this helps
Hey really love the content man any tips on players that torture npcs for info not sure why my players love to do it often but how do you limit this or dissuade them from engaging beside just a firm no?
Have you ever even watched his games? Tales Arcane is well on his way to being one of the great GMs of our time. Pacing is probably his greatest strength, and also one of the hardest skills for most people to develop. In this video he was kind enough to share some his techniques he uses. If you're not interested, that's your loss.
Ideas related. 1 and definitely not for every table. For higher lvl games roll dice on a electronic device. That the dm and other players can see. Especially if you have good trust at the table this speeds up calculating die rolls. Especially larger rolls. Smaller rolls + d20 skill checks could still be rolled. ( Non applicable to online play) While knowing what the monsters will do is good. On an individual lvl. If their is a group setting their team dynamics pre combat can be helpful. Cowardly, flee on death of a companion. Hot headed. Attacks head on. Are 2 individual bits. But for a group. A bully type leads the group and when he dies the group scatters. The group has several hot heads. .... Barbarian types..... But theirs a creature keeping them engaging in tactically smart combat. That creature or 2 goes down and the hot head smarts decrease. A squad of disiplined soldiers holds the line and usually withdraws if pressed. Routing only due to sevear moral shocks. A leader or key member in this type of squad .... Has less effect on death. If the soldiers are experienced. In essence. Take a monster groups composition and stick several weak points in it. That when x happens y triggers. Then give tells about these weak points to the players. Allowing them to choose how to use these weak points.
