Author Topic: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)  (Read 42688 times)

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Necrosnoop110

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #60 on: January 23, 2011, 11:36:12 AM »
Q11 What exactly happens when you "trip" a flying creature?

Agita

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #61 on: January 23, 2011, 11:37:54 AM »
Q11 What exactly happens when you "trip" a flying creature?
A 11

Depends on how it flies. For creatures with wings, it drops. Creatures with a (Su) fly speed are basically unaffected.
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kevin_video

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #62 on: January 23, 2011, 07:05:03 PM »
Q 12 Anyone know of the Savage Tide module? I know someone's running it in the PbP board. Anyways, can someone explain to me how a half-fiend human death knight ex-paladin/blackguard gets DR 15/cold iron and good as well as Unholy Toughness, yet the human half-lemorian demon death knight fighter/rogue/tempest only has DR 15/magic and no bonus HP at all? Did I miss a memo somewhere? I thought half-fiends got DR 10/magic if they had more than 11 HD, and death knights get DR 15/magic.

Where did they get this from, besides their @$$?
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Necrosnoop110

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #63 on: January 23, 2011, 10:21:22 PM »
Q11 What exactly happens when you "trip" a flying creature?
A 11

Depends on how it flies. For creatures with wings, it drops. Creatures with a (Su) fly speed are basically unaffected.
For a creature with wings what exactly does "it drops" entail? Does it drop it's move rate? What if you "tripped" a flying creature and you were high up in a cliff would that flying creature immediately drop to the ground prone regardless of the distance? Or does it only fall so far? If only 'so far", how far is that exactly? As a follow up what are the falling rates for 3.5 D&D? Standard real world physics or something else?  

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #64 on: January 24, 2011, 11:42:58 AM »
Are you talking about the difference between a ghoul and a ghast, or is there some other book that has this progression?

It was my understanding that (basically) a ghast was just a ghoul with a few more hit dice, and a single extra ability. Your link does imply they are related but not actually the same. So . .. .. .. . If I were to advance a ghast to 15 hit dice, would it's + Nat AC bonus also improve, and by how much? Is there a diffenitive chart, or pattern to follow?

If I just gave the ghast class levels, should I add to it's +Nat AC? That is assuming it should gain +Nat AC as it gains hit dice. .. .. .. . I'm so confused.
Here are the rules for increasing a monster's Hit Dice.  There's no flat natural AC increase for increasing the monster's HD.  Size increases will increase NA, but a ghast stays medium throughout its advancement, so a ghast won't gain any AC.

 Although, if you look at the monster's advancement, it only lists 5-8 HD for a ghast, which means that they're not really intended to go beyond 8 HD.  It's not to say you can't follow the advancement rules I posted and make a 15 HD ghast, but it wouldn't really be a good challenge at that level.
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SeekingKnight

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #65 on: January 25, 2011, 02:41:24 PM »
Q13

What is the best way to design encounters?  I believe most of the people here acknowledge that CR is a poor way to judge how tough an encounter will be.  So for an adverage party of 3-5 players what should I use to determin a good challenge?

Agita

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #66 on: January 25, 2011, 02:46:06 PM »
Q11 What exactly happens when you "trip" a flying creature?
A 11

Depends on how it flies. For creatures with wings, it drops. Creatures with a (Su) fly speed are basically unaffected.
For a creature with wings what exactly does "it drops" entail? Does it drop it's move rate? What if you "tripped" a flying creature and you were high up in a cliff would that flying creature immediately drop to the ground prone regardless of the distance? Or does it only fall so far? If only 'so far", how far is that exactly? As a follow up what are the falling rates for 3.5 D&D? Standard real world physics or something else? 
I'd say 'dropping' means 'fall as normal'. For falling rates, look here.
EDIT: I guess that doesn't actually say how far you can fall... I'm sure I saw rules for that somewhere, let me break open my Rules Compendium.
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kevin_video

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #67 on: January 25, 2011, 03:01:50 PM »
Q13

What is the best way to design encounters?  I believe most of the people here acknowledge that CR is a poor way to judge how tough an encounter will be.  So for an adverage party of 3-5 players what should I use to determin a good challenge?
It stands to reason that an average party of 3-5 characters can take on a CR of its level +3. So a party of level 5 characters should have a difficult time with it. Is it going to be very difficult? Possibly, but it depends on their arsenal. A basilisk and medusa aren't going to be much of a threat to a party that's immune or resistant to gaze attacks.

I like having a back up. If the party's going through the encounter too easily, have a creature's mate show up, or maybe the creature the party's fighting is actually the baby, and momma's right around the corner. If it's bandits, give one of them a signal whistle to blow so reinforcements know to back them up. Heck, make one of the guys who show up their boss and give him a few more levels.

But really, just keep taking notes on your party, and adjust as needed.
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RobbyPants

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #68 on: January 25, 2011, 05:18:39 PM »
But really, just keep taking notes on your party, and adjust as needed.
Yeah.  That's your best bet.

Keep track of their average AC, attack bonus, damage, saves, and DCs.  You may want to keep a mini-character sheet of each of them.  This will help you figure out what the monsters can do to them, and what they can do to the monsters.  So, if the fighter has an AC of 18 and 21 HP, and the ogre attacks at +8 and deals 2d8 + 7 damage (average of 16), then you can figure out that he'll hit 55% of the time, giving him an average expected damage per attack of 8.8.  He'll likely drop the fighter in about three rounds.

Now, this might be more involved than you want to get, but you can still at least figure out what a full attack will do to the beatstick when he's in melee.  Figure out if the monster is strong or weak against the party's common tactics.
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Why are so many posts on the board the equivalent of " Dear Dr. Crotch, I keep punching myself in the crotch, and my groin hurts... what should I do? How can I make my groin stop hurting?"
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Sunic_Flames

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #69 on: January 26, 2011, 03:01:08 PM »
Q13

What is the best way to design encounters?  I believe most of the people here acknowledge that CR is a poor way to judge how tough an encounter will be.  So for an adverage party of 3-5 players what should I use to determin a good challenge?

The best way is to determine WHY CR is flawed, and then work around those flaws.

For example stupid enemies are never level appropriate at high levels, and are only barely such at mid levels regardless of what the numbers say. There are a number of reasons for this, and they don't all start with Ray and end with of Stupidity.

Magical Beasts, as a type are not credible threats. Same goes for anything of the Construct type.

Beatstick enemies generally stop being relevant past low levels. Brute monsters last a bit longer. Conversely, it's hard to go wrong with a spellcaster enemy when it comes to making fights that pull their weight.

Enemies that are the opposite: More powerful than their CR says are surprisingly rare. Generally it only comes up when an enemy either has an accelerated casting advancement, or you are deliberately trying to optimize an encounter. And that latter one doesn't work very often either.
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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #70 on: January 26, 2011, 10:48:49 PM »
That, and caster enemies can hit disproportionately hard. A caster who wins init might do the 1/4 of party resources thing by offing a player.
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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #71 on: January 27, 2011, 10:32:49 AM »
Direct save or dies don't kick in until higher levels, and are usually blockable by Death Ward. If you are high level, and don't have Death Ward you deserve to die.

Even so yes, they are capable of taking meaningful actions in the 1-2 rounds before they are defeated.
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Sunic may be more abrasive than sandpaper coated in chainsaws (not that its a bad thing, he really does know what he's talking about), but just posting in this thread without warning and telling him he's an asshole which, if you knew his past experiences on WotC and Paizo is flat-out uncalled for. Never mind the insults (which are clearly 4Chan-level childish). You say people like Sunic are the bane of the internet? Try looking at your own post and telling me you are better than him.

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kevin_video

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #72 on: January 30, 2011, 09:35:19 PM »
Q 14 When running a gestalt game, who's all affected? Just the PCs? The PCs and BBEG NPC and their minions? Everyone including that little commoner named Joe down the street?

It's my first time running a gestalt game, and it's only got two, maybe three, players. It's also going to be an E6 or E8 game (haven't decided yet). I'm going gestalt because I felt it'd be more beneficial with so few players. But I don't know who's all supposed to be gestalted.
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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #73 on: January 30, 2011, 09:38:58 PM »
Gestalt is typically applied only to PCs and important BBEGs.
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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #74 on: January 30, 2011, 09:41:38 PM »
Gestalt is typically applied only to PCs and important BBEGs.
So if the BBEG is a ranger/sorcerer, and the minions were originally just going to be warriors, then keep them as warriors. Same for the NPC commoners, and maybe that lone cleric in the neighboring town you sometimes visit so he can heal you when you ask him nicely.
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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #75 on: January 30, 2011, 09:43:35 PM »
Pretty much, yeah.  Too much work for generic NPCs who are never going to live long enough to use the extra options anyway.
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kevin_video

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #76 on: January 30, 2011, 09:44:47 PM »
Pretty much, yeah.  Too much work for generic NPCs who are never going to live long enough to use the extra options anyway.
I'm alright with that. It's not that I don't want to put the work into it, but I do like having to deal with less headaches.
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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #77 on: January 31, 2011, 04:44:18 AM »
Q 15 Follow up. How bad of an idea would it be to allow gestalt character access to the multi-class feats such as Ascetic Hunter, Swift Hunter, Daring Outlaw, or Master Spellthief, just to name a few? Some of them wouldn't do anything, like Sacred Outlaw (wouldn't get Rogue + Cleric levels for sneak attack and turn/rebuke undead), but Ascetic Hunter adds half your FE bonus to your stunning fist's DC.

It doesn't look all that powerful, but I thought I'd ask nonetheless.

EDIT: BTW, when I say that, I'm thinking RAI, not RAW. RAW it'd be very powerful to have two classes stack with each other to equal twice their level.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2011, 04:50:41 AM by kevin_video »
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wotmaniac

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #78 on: January 31, 2011, 05:45:11 AM »
I'd say it depends on the games power level.
Since the gestalt rules pre-date any of the multi-class feats (IIRC), there's obviously no way that the gestalt rules could have accounted for them.  That being said, the spirit of the gestalt rules would indicate that such feats should be right out (given the mention of banning dual-casting and other synergizing PrCs).

however, if you're running a particularly high-powered game, I can see allowing them, but capping their benefit at character level.

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The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (For DMs)
« Reply #79 on: January 31, 2011, 05:52:46 AM »
RAI, it wouldn't be allowed.  Master spellthief is badly phrased enough to be broken even without gestalt.
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