Post/Author/DateTime	Post
EbonyDragon 02-04-06, 01:28 PM	I DM in live games (have done a couple on the net but not many). I always seem to kill the player's characters even when i use monsters with ECLs the equivalent of what they are (I have yet to get a group past lvl one without every having died). Am i doing something wrong or do they just suck and have dice that hate them and love me? :dragon:
krazykelc 02-04-06, 01:37 PM	they should easily be able to defeat a monster of their own encounter level. this seems strange to me. the dice can't be that favoritive. make sure they've got all of their bonuses for everything (feats and blahblahblah) added in. and if they do and they're still doing a crappy job analyze their playing style and give them some tips. can we have more details on a typical battle sequence in your game? love to help more.
PenderGrass 02-04-06, 01:45 PM	I DM in live games (have done a couple on the net but not many). I always seem to kill the player's characters even when i use monsters with ECLs the equivalent of what they are (I have yet to get a group past lvl one without every having died). Am i doing something wrong or do they just suck and have dice that hate them and love me? :dragon: Although, either could be the case, let's concentrate on your "failings" as a DM. It is always a good idea to double-check the encounter against the PCs prior to the game (this is why it is a good idea to have a copy of everyones character sheet). Playtest the encounter by calculating every roll at an average minus 1 (this gives a low average and accounts for more "bad" rolls happening). Not every encounter needs to be an exact match for the ECL rules. Throw some that are below their ECL and some that are above it - this way they are not always in a pitched battle. This is especially important at lower levels where the PCs are very fragile. Small levels should equal small challenges. Encourage your Players to run when things look dire - tell them they should have an escape plan, always, regardless. Sometimes PCs die. Especially 1st level PCs. Make sure you are giving them options to adventure small - if they don't choose to, than it is on them. :dragon: ****
DrMorganes 02-04-06, 02:05 PM	Actually, an even-CR encounter should NOT be "easily defeated". Even CR should take 20% of the entire party's expendable resources: spells, hit points, ammunition, single-use magic items (scrolls, potions, etc), magical item charges, etc. The entire party should be able to survive the encounter, on average, but poor dice rolls and crummy player tactics can definitely have an impact on the outcome. CR is calculated based on a few assumptions: There will be 4 PCs in the party All PCs will be of equal level There will be one PC from each of the four basic class types: melee, arcane caster, divine caster, and expert. At its most basic this boils down to a fighter, wizard, cleric, and rogue. If your party deviates from this you WILL have to fiddle with Challenge Ratings. A group of 4 Level 1 wizards, ferinstance, is going to have a harder time with 3 MM-standard goblins than a group including a power-attacking cleaving fighter. From here, post back with the party makeup and a few examples of your typical 1st level encounters. Perhaps your players just have bad luck with the dice, but perhaps there is some encounter tuning we can recommend to help you boost your Level 1 survival rates...
danielinthewolvesden 02-04-06, 02:08 PM	Actually, an even-CR encounter should NOT be "easily defeated". Even CR should take 20% of the entire party's expendable resources: spells, hit points, ammunition, single-use magic items (scrolls, potions, etc From here, post back with the party makeup and a few examples of your typical 1st level encounters. Perhaps your players just have bad luck with the dice, but perhaps there is some encounter tuning we can recommend to help you boost your Level 1 survival rates... Right. What he said. Let's hear more. Now, it is true that 1st level is the very hardest level to live through- one crit can kill a PC. So, I start my players at Lvl 2 (also so if they are very brave they can play an LA+1 race). But- just being tough and just having poor tacticians amoung the players wouldn't make for a TPK every time. Something's wrong.
dungeonmasterblog 02-04-06, 07:39 PM	Also keep in mind, as a DM, it's not your job to kill off characters, it's to run a fun game for the players while provide constant challenges. One thing I always like to do is have a guardian angel NPC ready in the wings if I make something a little too difficult for the players. Plus it adds a little drama. For me, killing off a character should be a big deal. The players are supposed to be running heroes, and when one of them dies, it should fit into the story somehow. Dungeon Master http://www.dungeonsdragonsblog.com