Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Super_Demolition_Christ 10-02-05, 12:46 AM	lots of character dying is the lack of teamwork on the part of players. How can we fix this? 1)Dont entirely abandon the spellcasters(who cant win grapple checks against mindflayers)
Ehlijen Iswa Tschingjo 10-02-05, 07:36 AM	2) Stabilize fallen team members! 3) If one of the party is being attacked, assume you will be attacked as well, don't just doze off 'because you didn't like that character anyway'! 4)Figure out what the other characters can do and help them. E.g. Give the ranger a clear shot, try keep a fireball templates worth of room empty, don't stand in front of the barb when he wants to charge, help the rogue flank etc. 4b) Tell the other team members what you do best. 5) Don't just keep track of your Hp, also note how often the other have been hit and plan accordingly. And yes, I think this thread is much needed. Or at least it should be appreciated.
homey188 10-02-05, 11:36 AM	6)dont attack teamates(somepeople dont know that one) 7)aid another 8)try to take different skills than your teamates, 4 people exactly the same is bad 9)take spells thhat support the party stucture 10)have atleast 1healer, 1 sneaky, 1offensive magic user, and 1 tank. as long as you have thoe, feel free to use hybrid types(ranger, paladin,druid)
Otto the Bugbear 10-02-05, 11:52 AM	11) Take spells that help out the entire party at once. My favorites are Haste and Bear's Heart. (similar to #9) 12) Use good tactics for battlefield control. Webs, Walls, Entagle, Dangerous Fogs, and Summon Monsters all contribute to this. A party that controls the movements of the enemy, will defeat said enemy far easier. 13) Retreat is always an option! Cheers Otto :)
fairypuff 10-02-05, 12:02 PM	14) Keep the Tanks alive without them your screwed. 15) be inovative
Leibel 10-02-05, 02:25 PM	16) Think ahead: If your going into a forest pole-arm's are not advisable; also make sure you all have the same pole-arm if your doing a phalanx formation, plan on using terrain features, etc. 17) Make sure one person has fletching, one cooking, one survival and so on for essential skills - some parties I've been in have been killed because they did not take along a person with one skill - those shirt's say kiss the cook for a reason. 18) Take along adequate supplies - unless for some reason everyone has survival(the all Druid/Ranger/Barbarian party) take along essential supplies especially food and a cook. Protect the pack animals. I've seen parties get wiped out because of a lack of food - it's anticlimactic to do heroic things then starve to death.
Black Kitten 10-02-05, 02:38 PM	19) Wear light armor whenever you can. This will ensure that you can be mobile when you have to. If you want to be a tank, even then you can use light armor, especially when you take a route like Swashbuckler. I've seen parties nearly drown since they went underwater due their armor. 20) Carry things for other party members they need, but you don't. Such as potions, torches etc, etc. 21) Pull your weight if others can't! If they s#ck at doing something, don't stand around and laugh about their failure, help!
Light of Day 10-02-05, 03:24 PM	Most of what I have to offer are just my group's regular activities with a "don't" label in front of them, but what the heck: 22: Don't take uneccessary risks that could kill your team-mates off. If you've already nearly killed the tank due to massive damage by firing into the grapple, the answer to "should I chance it and shoot again?" is NO! 23: Don't alienate other PCs just because you don't agree with their choices of spell/feat/skills etc. This goes DOUBLY so when the spell/skill/feats you think they should have are the same ones you have, and hence redundant (e.g. the fireball-happy wizard who made fun of my sorceror for picking lightning bolt over fireball. Fat lot of good we'd be fighting a red dragon if all we had was fire spells, huh?). 24: As much as it's good to work all of your team-mates and their strengths into your stratagies, don't take any of you or your abilities for granted. If you absolutely CANNOT win a fight without your tank being there to absorb all the damage coming at you, what are you gonna do if the enemy dominates him and turns him against you? 25: Always have a backup plan. Even if it's just "throw down smokesticks and run like crazy!" 26: Try to avoid actions that hinder your allies as much as helping you. For instance, if the rogue is relying on being invisibile, for heaven's sake DON'T cast invisibility purge! :banghead: 27: Stick to the plan. Many perfectly good plans have lead to disaster because one guy felt like ad-libbing at the wrong moment. If all your allies are relying on you to do X, don't do Y instead without a VERY good reason. 28: Remember, doing well in a fight involves minimizing damage to your party as well as maximising damage to the enemy. And no, putting aside a resurrection fund does NOT count as minimizing the damage to your party. 29: Try choosing spells and feats that complement each others. For instance, if the rogue likes sneak-attacking, the wizard could take glitterdust to blind enemies for the rogue, and the fighter could take blind-fight so he can afford to get caught in the glitterdust himself.
^Graff_EpsilonIX 10-02-05, 04:46 PM	30. Make tactical decisions with the entire group and as a bonus feature, help wizards... prepare spells.
twad 10-02-05, 07:27 PM	31- Try to have everyone have at least those 3 weapons types so you can fight better: *Pole-arm/spear with reach: If your stuck in a corridor, the guy(s) behind you can attack as well, and you can ready it against a charge. *Main melee weapon: dont need explanation. *Ranged weapon: if everyone have one, you can get that many extra attacks before the ennemy can close-up on you, and you can shoot down those flying ennemies.
Super_Demolition_Christ 10-02-05, 09:50 PM	32)Always have backup plans. What are you going to do if the fighter needs to retreat? What if the Wizard runs out of ranged spells? What if the Ranger runs out of arrows? What are you willing to leave behind(a week monk cant carry you away at 140 feet a round if you insisted that you leave nothing behind and you and all your stuff way 200lbs)? 33)make escape plans. In an our first battle of a near epic campaign, we all got screwed in battle but where ok, cus the monks ran at 90ft a move action, the rogue could shadow jump, the paladin had a mount, and i could turn into a gold dragon(flight speed 200ft baby)
tharivol266 10-02-05, 10:16 PM	34)have a general plan for all combat.--it seems dumb but when everyone just goes ass wild you're bound to get shin deep in ****
Tedly224 10-02-05, 10:22 PM	35) Support your Rogue(s) by getting targets flanked for them. Don't do this "at all costs", but for heaven's sakes don't follow the mentality of "you got that one over there covered? fine, I'll fight this one over here..." Flank those enemies, people. Especially lower numbers of enemies who are superior in Hit Dice/level to your individual party members. 36) Druids? Consider making deals with a party member to keep you covered to buy you time in summoning monsters with your spontaneous casting at the start of a round. Even if it's against *weak* monsters that you're fighting, there's no excuse not to burn a level 1 or 2 spell to do this once you're level 4ish or higher. It goes in setting up rule 34 above, and if those monsters you summon only last for "a round or two", then that's fine. The initial "round or two" is when a party discovers they have a fight won, or they have to flee or face destruction.
Pagan Saint 10-02-05, 10:26 PM	37) Make sure the party's feats and skills compliment. If nobody has search, how will you find treasure? 38) Make sure your character is self-sufficient enough to survive if separated. Sure as hell, the cleric does not want five people all screaming to be healed at once. 39) Someone should know some good utility spells. You learn this the hard way when you play warmages. Coordination is the key.
gamerd0rk 10-02-05, 11:31 PM	Make battle plans like 1st the bard willl trip the monster with his whip, and every one else will gather around getting there attacks, so when the monster stands up every one will get attacks of oppertunity. another good thing is to make sure every one is doing there part, rogues scouting ahead, fighters protecting the spellcasters, spell casters boosting the fighters with things like bull strength, and so one. That way every one helps each other
Some_call_me_Tim 10-03-05, 07:12 PM	40) When picking spells, feats, abilities, tactics, consider what will allow the team to be most effective, not necessarily what will allow you to be most effective. 41) If you are ineffective, get out of the way and stay out of trouble. For example, if you are a mage and invisible but out of spells don't try to toss a dagger at a Balor. The extra 1d4 damage is small compared to the resources that will be required to protect/heal/resurrect you. 42)If you don't know what to do, don't be afraid to delay. It might very well open up an opportunity you didn't see. Also don't be afraid to delay if someone better suited for the task is next. 43)Don't hog all the glory, unless the entire party except you was frozen, turned to stone, or whatever, it is a party victory. People don't want to play your side-kick, if you make them feel second rate they will take their buffs etc. elsewhere. 44)Don't be afraid to ask for help. They might be able to help you and not know you need it. Let others know your status. You ain't gonna get help if they don't think you need it. 45)Don't try to do everything yourself. Each class/character has strengths and weaknesses, let better suited characters tackle the problems their good at. In other words, when stealthy characters go to scout don't say "The tank will come along in case you get in a fight." Hello?! You make more noise than a pitched battle when you walk down a dungeon corridor.
Herald@Large 10-03-05, 07:34 PM	46. Remember that it's your PC *plus* the other PCs, not your PC *against* the other PCs. You don't "win" this game by amassing more gold or magic goodies or kills. 47. If your PC is a rogue, don't have him/her steal from the other PCs "just because he/she is a rogue". All it does OOG is create bad feelings in the other players. And IG it can result in your PC picking up a nickname like "One-Handed Jack" ... 48. If you gain a certain perverse enjoyment from having your PC say or do obnoxious things simply for the sake of being obnoxious, *don't*. That sort of "humor" gets old *very* fast. "Use a joke once, you're a wit. Use it twice, you're a half-wit."
Meshakhad 10-04-05, 06:50 PM	Originally posted by homey188 8)try to take different skills than your teamates, 4 people exactly the same is bad I can think of a few skills that would be the exception: Balance, Climb, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, and Swim. If an entire PARTY can do those, your options are much greater.
Kalli 10-05-05, 04:18 PM	49. Always have a plan B. Though you mostly hear about this from the other side of the DM's screen, it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan just in case your rogue gets caught trying to pull his sneak attack on which Plan A hinges. 50. Fireball is not the end-all be-all of D&D spells. 51. Potion of Cure Light Wounds -- 50 gp. Raise Dead -- 5000 gp. Equipping everyone with at least one of the former is some protection against the latter.
20goingon1232 10-05-05, 05:53 PM	52. Never, ever cast area-effect spells that will catch your fellow players when you are low levels. Casting a Colour Spray that knocks your best tank out for 10 rounds is NOT a good thing, especialy with a couple of melee bad guys in your face...!