DM Tips
How do you track HP for multiples of the same creature?
Hey #DnD DMs (might as well try and toss out to @matthewmercer @mattcolville while I’m at it) How do you track HP for multiples of the same creature? If you have, say, 5+ Goblins, how do you track and remember which is which for initiative, HP, and the like? For me, I group Initiative to Enemy Types for ease (4 goblins of the same stats? On the same count. A goblin leader with different stats? A different count). For tracking HP, I write down a Marker on my sheet relative to where they are on the battle map, like a mini radar ping.
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) October 10, 2021
If I have a good monster wrangler player, I don't even need to manage positioning. The monster wrangler player manages them and calls out "You got one attack" and I roll.
— Matt Colville? (@mattcolville) October 10, 2021
While they move around afterward, I can still maintain a thread of who-is-who based on the initial placement and where they are now. If it gets messy/crowded, I might redraw that radar ping with numbers assigned to each HP tracking point and update the number locations each round
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) October 10, 2021
Would you be willing to give a visual aid my brain is having a hard time imagining what your saying (I’m going to be DMing my first game soon) Totally! pic.twitter.com/1FXifNVWR7
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) October 10, 2021
This is how I tend to do it too, but I’ve started just adding up damage taken instead of subtracting from HP total. Once damage is equal to max HP, they’re dead. Aye, same! I do the mental math on how much damage has been taken via those “-3, -6” type notes, and once it equals the total HP, then BOOM. Down!
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) October 11, 2021
For me as DM, it’s quite helpful. Saves the stress of juggling all those numbers (of monsters as well) in an already quite DM heavy part of the game, the start of battle. The calm of a simple highest to lowest list soothes the moment a bit. Plus it makes for a tidier notepad 😉 Thiiiiiis. 🙂 For battles with smaller numbers, just asking can work great! For bigger battles, having to plug in all the varying bits can get a bit unwieldy/chaotic for myself.
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) October 10, 2021
I've been using the D&D Beyond Combat Tracker and a text-based combat position tracker in Discord. It works pretty well! Of course, my games have been online since early 2020. pic.twitter.com/YRGQANPxmb
— SlyFlourish.com (@SlyFlourish) October 11, 2021
Handle NPC battles off-screen
#dnd tip: Handle NPC battles off-screen. Describe the results rather than roll dice against yourself.
— SlyFlourish.com (@SlyFlourish) August 13, 2021
#dnd tip: Give players time between sessions to consider their downtime activities.
— SlyFlourish.com (@SlyFlourish) August 15, 2021
Tips to manage Downtime
#dnd tip: Run turns for downtime scenes for each character like you would for any other scene. Make sure every character gets to do something and doesn’t take too much of the spotlight.
— SlyFlourish.com (@SlyFlourish) August 20, 2021
#dnd tip: Warn players ahead of time that you’ll be including a downtime scene so they can prepare ahead of time.
— SlyFlourish.com (@SlyFlourish) August 21, 2021
Skill check: I just ask you to roll to see how well you do/if you get extras
DM Tip:
Sometimes I know whatever you’re going to do is going to succeed, I just ask you to roll to see how well you do/if you get extras. I tend to do this too and then get burned on Nat 1s and hiding needed info behind rolls. So first rule is don’t ask for a roll for info players need.
— Robert Ekendahl (@rekendahl) October 15, 2021
Doesn’t matter what they roll, the baseline assumption in this instance is success, the roll just determines any extra or maybe an unexpected mishap
— Dan Dillon (@Dan_Dillon_1) October 16, 2021
The point is to earn more, not less. They will know x and y, no roll needed. I ask them to roll, and if they do well, I give them z. It’s a way to get bonus info.
— Alphastream (@Alphastream) October 16, 2021
I suspect that these rolls feels better for me the DM than the players. I feel smart in only revealing x & y but players being unaware of z simply feel the roll is empty (and suspect we made y up on the spot anyway) I find players like rolling dice. I do it to engage them. “Your wizard may know more. Make me an Arcana check.”
— Alphastream (@Alphastream) October 16, 2021
If you know Gumshoe, it’s a bit like that. You know the important clues. But with a roll, you could get extra hints (like spending a point in Gumshoe).
— Alphastream (@Alphastream) October 16, 2021
Would the same approach work if you knew they couldn’t succeed and just wanted to gauge how poorly they failed? Certainly could!
— Dan Dillon (@Dan_Dillon_1) October 16, 2021
DM Tip:
Sometimes I’ll throw a challenge at the players that can only be solved with an ability someone just got for leveling up.
Just to see the joy when they go “OMG YES I JUST GOT THAT ABILITY” That’s the good stuff
— Dan Dillon (@Dan_Dillon_1) October 16, 2021
Not sure about this yet.
If they roll bad, do they succeed but a complication arises?
In other words you get a ‘Yes, but…’ result. Depends. And this isn't a thing I do across the board, necessarily.
Say for instance I know they're going to get a piece of lore or information that furthers the plot. They're GOING to get it. But I want them to make an Intelligence (Arcana) check and if they roll well, extra.
— Dan Dillon (@Dan_Dillon_1) October 16, 2021
And if they roll poorly, consequence?
As you said..they’re getting the info anyway but asking for a dice roll means there must be a success or a failure to move the story forward No it doesn't. If the story moving forward is a foregone conclusion, the die roll can determine degree of information gained that could propel them further, or in other directions.
That said, sure, poor rolls could mean mishaps or consequences or costs.
— Dan Dillon (@Dan_Dillon_1) October 16, 2021
Adding monsters is the way to make a fight more dangerous
#dnd tip: Adding monsters is the easiest way to make a fight more dangerous.
— SlyFlourish.com (@SlyFlourish) July 29, 2021
#dnd tip: Highlight the important points of your narration and keep it brief and focused.
— SlyFlourish.com (@SlyFlourish) July 30, 2021
A kid-friendly D&D character sheet
A kid-friendly / Beginners D&D character sheet #DnD #dnd5e #dungeonsanddragons https://t.co/I5ASytBtYW
— Zoltar SageAdvice 🔮🐲🎲 (@SageAdviceDnD) January 4, 2022
