Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JFargo 04-08-05, 01:06 AM	Sometimes you have the fortune to have a new player, one that doesn't know all the cliches, one that's just learning to feel their way along in a game of D&D. These players can be fantastic, because you get to teach them. Not only do you get to teach them the mechanics of the game...but you get to teach them small little gems of knowledge, and ocassionally they let you know exactly what they have learned. For example. 1. "Never blackmail a troll, even if he's blind, defeated and what you consider to be in the palm of your hand." 2. "Sometimes running is the only option, but if you're the only one that survives because of it, expect a few people to hold a grudge..." 3. "Wait. You mean that Inns ~aren't~ considered safe-zones?" :D
Decepticons 04-08-05, 01:17 AM	4. There is no Save Game feature.
Moon-Lancer 04-08-05, 01:24 AM	5: fighting isent everything. 6: To hold game believability above water, one must realize that death is hard to over come in the beginning. 7: If you dont know what it is, dont touch it.
JFargo 04-08-05, 01:29 AM	7: If you dont know what it is, dont touch it. My ~mom~ taught me that one, not D&D. :rolleyes:
Temrek 04-08-05, 01:38 AM	8. Sneaking out of the main fight to take out the leader means he will just kill you first. 9. Dont enter melee combat with a troll when you are weilding a blade made out of the creatures natural fear (or hate, fire) when you only have 2 hp left.
JWSIII 04-08-05, 03:58 AM	10: Know thy spell radius', or suffer the slings and arrows of outraged allies 11: You can't swim in full plate, and chain mail is rarely a good idea either.
Solidcobra 04-08-05, 04:48 AM	If you are a druid. You will win. (Yeah. too many NPC druid rapes, i think) If you are a cleric, same thing. (Same) The Annulus isn't an artifact, but rather, normal platinum coins, in my campaign settings. Always. Undead bad. There's a reason Resident evil heroes don't stand tall and proud and slaughter all the undead with their pinky. The area is your best friend or your worst enemy. (^_^)
The Stray 04-08-05, 05:55 AM	No mattter what the circumstances or how good the offer might look or how badly you need the help, never, ever, EVER make a deal with a devil.
Lord Psilos 04-08-05, 06:36 AM	17. That it's a great tool for recruiting people into your own cult! (http://***************/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp) No, wait... I never got anyone into my cult... nor was I asked to join one. Damn, I feel pathetic now...
anshar 04-08-05, 09:47 AM	18. If you try to live in your armour 24/7 bad things will happen.
cambric 04-08-05, 10:20 AM	19. Becareful who you befriend. Just because someone "appears" to be nice, doesn't mean they are your best friend...nor does every orc/goblin that you see means it's "evil" just because of it's race. 20. Learn to pick and choose your spells wisely. 21. Just because you can sneak into every place, doesn't mean you should. 22. Resting is a GOOD thing! No reason to believe you have to clear out the entire dungeon in one day.
sukael 04-08-05, 10:25 AM	23. Never be afraid to use your bag of gold as a melee weapon.
Arrowhen 04-08-05, 10:33 AM	24: It's not 1st Edition anymore: that greatsword-wielding kobold in masterwork full plate probably has more than 4 hit points.
SneakyPetey 04-08-05, 01:04 PM	D&D can still be fun even though... 25. Your characters have good alignments. 26. The party doesn't fight amongst themselves constantly. 27. Enemy wizards use illusions to confound the party. 28. The threat of PC death is always imminent. 29. The DM is a ****-retentive freak of nature... :D
Santrilla 04-08-05, 01:13 PM	30. Never, ever ask "Is he dead yet?". Because he'll mysteriously pull a Cure Moderate Wounds potion out as soon as you ask... 31. Cure spells damage the undead. Yes, even that vampire who's in your party.
Herald@Large 04-08-05, 02:54 PM	32. Think before you act: DM: You see an apparently empty room. Reckless PC: I run in! DM: The floor gives way beneath you. Make a Reflex save. 33. There is almost never a good reason to kill a fellow party member. Even if you are CN. 34. Never p*** off the DM. 35. Never trust a chortling DM. ;)
striderII 04-08-05, 03:03 PM	36. That ten times out of ten, it is more rewarding to craft a well-rounded character than throw numbers on a sheet. 37. The game is about cooperative roleplay - selfishness is not welcomed or tolerated. 38. Fun is the watchword, so long as it is not at another player's expense. 39. A group that fights as a team has a much better chance of surviving an encounter than a group that is comprised of individuals. 40. Just because you have access to magical defenses, doesn't mean your family back at home does, or that your nemesis isn't aware of that fact. strider
Rumple_Cragstan 04-08-05, 03:52 PM	41 - I don't tell you when to roll a sense motive check... if you buy my BS then so does your character. 42 - Not every evil NPC is out to rape, kill, and humiliate you. 43 - Not every non-evil NPC is incapable of lying to save his own rear. 44 - Not every evil NPC dresses in dark, concealing clothing and sticks to the shadows. 45 - There's no such thing as a fool-proof plan. Or a DM-Proof plan for that matter. 46 - Two good players who want to throttle eachother can still have thier characters be buddies. After all, our lives outside game have little to no affect on our character's lives. 47 - There's some nasty combos that the DM is holding back for a REASON. When you start to make use of them, so does he. 48 - Adventurer's are NOT above the law.
General_Ridley 04-08-05, 04:46 PM	if you are locked in a room with no way out, look for the obvious.
Mnky 04-08-05, 05:08 PM	50. Just because someone is bad dosn't mean you can kill them. 51. If you can't make it to a session the DM will probabaly let another player take control of your character. And while he will prevent suicide, you might not find them in a good position. (The last time somone couldn't make it their character wound up locked in a fishtank with 1hp and a pirahna) :evillaugh
Capt. Pixel 04-08-05, 07:44 PM	52 - Wandering off into the wilderness alone is tantamount to suicide. I don't care who you are. :cool:
Gnome_Dragon_Disciple 04-08-05, 08:00 PM	53: A character has a backstory, motives, feelings, opinions, beliefs, family, friends, and hobbies that may well be in conflict with what you as a player know. 54: Just because your fighter can slay seven orcs in one round by level three, don't expect me to throw ONLY seven orcs at him. For that matter, complaining about too much roleplay (as in actual character and plot development) likely won't make me feel like putting in more combat. It WILL, however, make me feel better when I pit you against something bigger than you can take, then penalize you when YOUr character decides to run away from a single dragon when your character has a wisdom and intelligence of 3 each and has charged headfirst into literal hordes of undead, giants, orcs, goblinoids, and damn near anything else capable of forming a horde. 55: When I say "the class/PrC/race/item doesn't fit the setting", you're not going to convince me otherwise by telling me about all of the cool things you could do if it did. 56: D&D may be anime in another campaign you've played, but when I have stated numerous times that my campaign is NOT anime, characters that are blatant ripoffs of anime characters won't live long. 57: A character you create yourself and play well will live much longer than another Drizzt ripoff with a munchkin build. 58: True Suspension of Disbelief is a goal every player should strive for and DMs try to facilitate, but it's damned hard to reach when the first few questions out of your mouth when sitting down to make a character are "What's the starting level? Can I play [insert insanely absurd race/class here]? Can I play [insert thing that doesn't fit game setting and player knows it and/or intentionally remained in ignorance about it here]?" instead of "What's the history of the world? What are my racial options?" and then listening patiently, thinking realistically, and then "Can I play a character with [insert character concept/backstory here]? What class would you reccomend?".
Cathon 04-08-05, 08:18 PM	59. Add that number next to the weapon on your character sheet to the d20 roll to determine if you hit or not. (Hey, they are newbies!) 60. When your BBEG is a bard, don't expect him to fight fair. (After having the party framed for an assassination.)
jazzman831 04-08-05, 09:07 PM	61. If there are buttons on the ground, which are obviously some sort of puzzle, don't ever, EVER jump on them. If you are a rogue you should know better.
Lord Ian Stark 04-08-05, 09:15 PM	7: If you dont know what it is, dont touch it. My ~mom~ taught me that one, not D&D. :rolleyes: Yikes, where would we be if Eve thought of this of Adam. :eek:
UltimateReality 04-08-05, 09:43 PM	17. That it's a great tool for recruiting people into your own cult!Dude. That man, his website, I think even just mentioning his freaking name is against the CoC (hate lit). And #62, for on_the_wings_of_TPK: How to play the game. Flat out n00bs to powergamers, rpers, and tacticians in six months to a year. :dancin:
VirgilCaine 04-08-05, 10:36 PM	heroes don't stand tall and proud and slaughter all the undead with their pinky. That's because they can't shoot worth crap, are set up with little ammunition against all believability, and besides, 9mm sucks. 52 - Wandering off ... alone is tantamount to suicide. I don't care who you are. There. That makes sense too. 18. If you try to live in your armour 24/7 bad things will happen. That is, in your mundane heavy/chainmail/breastplate armor that isn't magicked to stay clean and dry [and eliminates the Swim check armor penalty]. 63. Just because you take a precaution against pit traps, doesn't mean it will work...but it's not a bad idea to do so, and in fact, impresses the DM.
Kaligrad 04-08-05, 10:38 PM	59. Add that number next to the weapon on your character sheet to the d20 roll to determine if you hit or not. (Hey, they are newbies!) I've got a group I've been playing with for months and they still can't seem to get that. :nonono: 64. Go ahead. Be creative. Capture that guy I sent who was supposed to say one line, then die. I'm still going to kill him off before you get any information out of him.
Vaalingrade Ashland 04-08-05, 11:40 PM	64. Look up. No seriously. 65. The tall walls and round the clock 8th level mage guards are not there for decoration. What's out there will kill you. 66. Metagame inspired rascism is a deadly mistake. 67. (Coolary to 66) Green Dragons are smarter than you. 68. There is a reason its called Cooperative story telling. 69. If they actually called it a Kill-a-Majig... Run. 70. No, really, look up. 71. Let me finish my flavor text. This is the difference between knocking on the door in front of you and breaking your foot on the foot thick stone its made of. 72. Charisma is not a dump stat. 73. If I start quoting an anime or talking like an anime character, just roll for initiative. I've done it enough now that you should know that. 74. Look up, damn you!
Glenn4Moose 04-09-05, 11:55 AM	75. If you aren't specific that woman you picked up in the bar, who you had originally thought to be a human or an elf or some other relatively attract rave, is going to be a dwarf or a half-orc or an ogre or an ochre jelly depending on how often you forget to say specifics. 76. Playing smart works but don't think the DM will let you get away with saying things like "Wow, we are tearing apart these <insert appropriate encounter level>...you sure you have the right CR?". Thats just asking for trouble. 77. Yes cows do fall out of the sky and no you can't get a reflex save and NO your evasion/improved evasion won't work and yes I do need that many d6's. 78. If you roleplay you will get nice little bonuses and if you don't except something horrid to happen to you. 79. Always expect the unexpected. A dragon lying on the ground has just as much possibility of being dead as alive and no, not all undead are evil because I said so. 80. Take knowledge skills damnit. Just because you know things out of character doesn't mean that your pc knows left from right. Also, attempt to make them better because that one point you had at level 1 isn't going to help you when you can easily get good information on what you need to do but roll really badly.
Fanatic-Templar 04-09-05, 12:35 PM	81 - If you do something atrociously stupid, I have the right, nay, the sacred duty to rip your mortal shell apart and spread your essence across the multiverse. Consider yourself warned.
Rulesgnome 04-09-05, 12:55 PM	82. Rules are not there to tell you just what you can't do. They are there to tell you what you can do as well. So learn them already!
Tiruvel 04-09-05, 01:23 PM	83. When you're character is trying to do something, always remember - the d20 is your friend... A d4 isn't, wasn't, and never will be good at attack rolls... ;)
JFargo 04-09-05, 09:08 PM	84. Pale skin does NOT always equal a vampire! 85. In social situations, the Barbarian should not be the most eloquent person in your party.
High Octane 04-10-05, 12:29 AM	55: When I say "the class/PrC/race/item doesn't fit the setting", you're not going to convince me otherwise by telling me about all of the cool things you could do if it did. Word. 86. There is no F***ING mana in D&D! 87. Roleplaying can be a rewarding, relaxing experience. 88. The DM isnt the only one who thinks your stupid comments arent funny anymore. 89. Just because something hasnt gone wrong before, does NOT mean it wont. 90. Pay attention!! The subtle hints the DM is giving you MIGHT be beneficial. "Wow this roll is IMPORTANT!!! Maybe its so important that you might want to SPEND a lot of thought, about the ACTION involved in the roll. Get my POINT?" "Huh? Sorry I was talking about City of Heroes with someone. What did you say?" "Get another character sheet nimrod." 91. Your DM doesnt know everything. Your DM cant plan for everything. If you suspect hes making some crap up on the spot, he probably is. Be thankful if he can.
angryman 04-10-05, 09:07 AM	84. Pale skin does NOT always equal a vampire! Hehe, in my old game, it did. 92) If I'm describing something and you ignore it, then you do something stupid because you didn't fricken listen, then yes, you're not going to see the red dragon even though it's the size of a barn. 93) NPCs don't exist solely for your amusement or to dump quests on you. 94) You are not the most important folk in the multiverse. 95) You are not the most powerful folk in the multiverse. 96) There will always be someone stronger, faster, smarter etc., than you.
Crimsonsun 04-10-05, 09:29 AM	91. Your DM cant plan for everything. If you suspect hes making some crap up on the spot, he probably is. Be thankful if he can. :eek: :bow: :bow: Yoinking that, with permission
SilasleCake 04-10-05, 09:40 AM	97) You don't start at level 0. 98) If you don't own the PHB your DM will do whatever he wants. 99) If you keep on counting how much damage you have dealed to an enemy and keep on saying it outloud, your enemies will suddenly become much stronger :D
LadyCreator 04-10-05, 02:23 PM	83. When you're character is trying to do something, always remember - the d20 is your friend... A d4 isn't, wasn't, and never will be good at attack rolls... ;) Amen. My PCs were trying it with d12s for awhile... 100. You can make choices. I drop LOTS of adventure hooks :) And I'm not going to tell you what to do when you're wandering around town. Just talk to people. 101. Know what your skills do - it will save your life.
High Octane 04-10-05, 03:37 PM	:eek: :bow: :bow: Yoinking that, with permission go ahead.
hsahj 04-10-05, 04:50 PM	102. The DM can change the rules deal with it :pbbbtt: :pbbbtt:
icuall 04-10-05, 08:17 PM	103. Be nice to those who are more powerful than you are. 104. Stick together while in danger (for those parties that always split up) 105. Watch each others back - just like friends do in real life. 106. Think before you act or talk.
twad 04-10-05, 08:35 PM	107- its not a good idea to talk about your plan to assasinate the king in the middle of the tavern, and planning it loudly.
Drath'ri 05-05-05, 05:50 PM	Word. 91. Your DM doesnt know everything. Your DM cant plan for everything. If you suspect hes making some crap up on the spot, he probably is. Be thankful if he can. Can i steal this and put it in my sig?
Cyra 05-05-05, 06:08 PM	108.) Q: so how do you roll initiative? A: Add your dex modifier and whatever applicable modifiers 15 minutes later.... Q: what do I add to initiative? A: ...dex another 15... Q: what do I add to initiative? A: .............dex another 15... Q: what do I add to initiative? A: for you? your new intelligence modifier, -7
Jacilla 05-05-05, 06:11 PM	109. When the party is faced with six Will-O-the-Wisps, and you're the only one they can reach, and you've only one hit point left, and the rest of the party is telling you to run ... you probably should. 110. "I don't do that then." Is a bad thing to say after the DM has told you something doesn't work.
Insane Pixie 05-05-05, 06:11 PM	111. You roll a d20 for ALL checks. DM (Me, duh.): Make an attack roll. Long, awkward pause... Barbarian: Which one do I roll? EDIT: The worse part of this is that this guy wants to DM. And use two campaign setting books. :help:
MasterRookie 05-05-05, 07:02 PM	That his character is a wizard not a sorceror. It says so at the top of the sheet.
anomaly_agent 05-05-05, 07:53 PM	112: The game isn't all about fighting. 113: The game isn't all about fighting! 114: The game isn't all about... forget it. You die. It was a landslide; who knew? 115: Sometimes in a situation, your options for action extend beyond the numbers on that piece of paper.
Gnome_Dragon_Disciple 05-05-05, 08:49 PM	116: How to DM well. There's a touching story behind it, really... The group I've been playing with had a REALLY bad DM. Think Killer Dungeons-a-plenty. The sort of DM who saw nothing wrong with a campaign that goes through five character sheets per session from party death... People weren't happy, so I've been DM since about January. For some time, the players had been clinging to their old patterns of "if I sneeze, he'll kill me! I'd better not do anything whatsoever and forsake everyone else in the party". Indeed, many of them were drifting towards the Evil allignments. And no one was having fun. One player wouldn't even pay attention to the game since she wouldn't do anything that would risk her character's life. I eventually had to wipe the campaign and start from scratch, this time barely touching my dice and placing more rewards on creativity, placing RP requirements on feats and PrC's, and stressing the importance of teamwork by ruling no Evil allignments. And it all got better. The players were having more fun, I didn't feel like I had to keep my players in line, and life was good. Then I got burnt out with Forgotten Realms, and I've been pouring over Eberron since mid-March, trying to start up my new campaign, which is much harder since I have the four players I want in the campaign but there's been steady schedule conflicts for about two and a half months. So one of the players decided he would DM a campaign for myself and one of the other players on campus until the school year ends and our schedules will be a bit more free to start my high RP Eberron campaign... And I could tell he was taking a large number of elements from my DMing style. Things like "If it would be stupid for your character to not have it, then you have it." and "Don't roll for it. Tell me what you want to do, phrase it in an in-character train of thought, and THEN roll for it. I'll tell you if you succeed or not, and we'll work it from there. And no, I'm not telling you what the DC is."