How to effect an auto hit for correct judgements [Archive] - Wizards Community

How to effect an auto hit for correct judgements [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Noon
05-09-07, 03:20 AM I was looking in the D&D basic box again the other day, thinking how I'd design a 'introduce new players' game.

I was thinking that in the first room(s) a basic resources gamble would be a good start - where the players have some potions or scrolls they can burn in order to power themselves up. But at the same time they want to save these things (because of cost or some dramatic reason). They would spy upon the monster in the room through some crack, then decide how much stuff they want to use up.

What I thought would be good is if it all adds bonuses to the roll to hit - if they guess just the right amount of resources to use, it's basically an automatic hit (barring the roll of a 1, I guess) - because you guessed correctly. But with monsters having AC of 12 and such, you'd need bonuses that add up to +11 and such. That's not terribly feasable, unless I'm missing something in the system.

Any ideas how to cover this - ie, you get it right, there is no random factor involved (basically because I don't want to penalise the correct answer by involving any level of randomness)
Fgarber
05-09-07, 07:47 PM Well, you're making the players "guess what's in the DM's head," by trying to guess what you think the optimal amount of potion drinking should be. I think that's a bad idea, but YMMV.

Maybe, in the player's view, it'd be better to drink that 1d8 healing potion spell when they're only down 1 hp, believing it's better to enter combat with full HP than risk trying to swig a healing potion in the middle of combat and risk an AoO.

What I'd do is use a "potion of striking" that lasts for 1dX rounds, and gives the players a +10 to the attack roll (they should hit most of the time). Or a Potion of Heroism that temporarily boosts their levels. That way, they can choose when to risk it.
Noon
05-10-07, 12:03 AM I'd rather keep to official gear as an introduction to the game.

I think there are some magic items that are auto hitters (there's a spear of lightening somewhere I think). Perhaps if there were some greater cost to using them - like they were given by a village to help fight the evil, but drain the people there somehow on a long term in some mysterious way, leaving them vulnerable. Thus you wouldn't want to use lots of spears, but some fights might be lethal otherwise.

Well, you're making the players "guess what's in the DM's head," by trying to guess what you think the optimal amount of potion drinking should be. I think that's a bad idea, but YMMV.
I'm not making them unless they come to the game with some preconcieved notion of what play is about - if their new, they will accept play as it comes across (if their going to accept anything about play).

Besides, I've had to guess what's in the head of plenty of other people in card and board games - here its the GM honestly trying to render a world.
"But RPG's aren't about that card/board game stuff"
Sorry to anticipate this reply, but I've heard it so often the responce
"Well, once everyone believes that, it'll be true" comes to mind automatically.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Noon 05-09-07, 03:20 AM	I was looking in the D&D basic box again the other day, thinking how I'd design a 'introduce new players' game. I was thinking that in the first room(s) a basic resources gamble would be a good start - where the players have some potions or scrolls they can burn in order to power themselves up. But at the same time they want to save these things (because of cost or some dramatic reason). They would spy upon the monster in the room through some crack, then decide how much stuff they want to use up. What I thought would be good is if it all adds bonuses to the roll to hit - if they guess just the right amount of resources to use, it's basically an automatic hit (barring the roll of a 1, I guess) - because you guessed correctly. But with monsters having AC of 12 and such, you'd need bonuses that add up to +11 and such. That's not terribly feasable, unless I'm missing something in the system. Any ideas how to cover this - ie, you get it right, there is no random factor involved (basically because I don't want to penalise the correct answer by involving any level of randomness)
Fgarber 05-09-07, 07:47 PM	Well, you're making the players "guess what's in the DM's head," by trying to guess what you think the optimal amount of potion drinking should be. I think that's a bad idea, but YMMV. Maybe, in the player's view, it'd be better to drink that 1d8 healing potion spell when they're only down 1 hp, believing it's better to enter combat with full HP than risk trying to swig a healing potion in the middle of combat and risk an AoO. What I'd do is use a "potion of striking" that lasts for 1dX rounds, and gives the players a +10 to the attack roll (they should hit most of the time). Or a Potion of Heroism that temporarily boosts their levels. That way, they can choose when to risk it.
Noon 05-10-07, 12:03 AM	I'd rather keep to official gear as an introduction to the game. I think there are some magic items that are auto hitters (there's a spear of lightening somewhere I think). Perhaps if there were some greater cost to using them - like they were given by a village to help fight the evil, but drain the people there somehow on a long term in some mysterious way, leaving them vulnerable. Thus you wouldn't want to use lots of spears, but some fights might be lethal otherwise. Well, you're making the players "guess what's in the DM's head," by trying to guess what you think the optimal amount of potion drinking should be. I think that's a bad idea, but YMMV. I'm not making them unless they come to the game with some preconcieved notion of what play is about - if their new, they will accept play as it comes across (if their going to accept anything about play). Besides, I've had to guess what's in the head of plenty of other people in card and board games - here its the GM honestly trying to render a world. "But RPG's aren't about that card/board game stuff" Sorry to anticipate this reply, but I've heard it so often the responce "Well, once everyone believes that, it'll be true" comes to mind automatically.