Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ZWildfire Aug 24, 2015 23:57:35	Long story short, I'm in the works of creating a homebrew one-shot (for now), and I'm looking for generalized tips for preparation.  So far, I've been keeping actual maps down to a minimum, and instead use a story telling method to play. As well, I'm setting up all of the NPCs, and encounters, with a couple extras on the side, should the party decide to go off elsewhere. I am planning on setting up the one-shot as a full campaign, but only after I get into the swing of things, and maybe run this one-shot a couple times around.  Also, some other questions are present.  I was thinking of changing some mechanics for the 5e D&D. IE: One thing I want to alter is determining flanking. A and B are attacking C. To gain advantage on their attack rolls (except for thieves, they ago gain advantage) the average dex of A and B has to beat the dex of C. I know the DMG is more of a guideline, but should I be trying to change mechanics as a new DM? Secondly, what rolls shouldn't I hide? Personally, I wanted to hide the initiative all together, as well as the NPC checks and/or attacks. The reason is, I want to try a be descriptive as I "tell the story" and I feel that hiding the checks/attacks will help stray away bland "hit or no hit" rolls. I think it's more fun to hear that your thirteen roll can either be an axe bouncing off the scales of a dragon versus finding that chink in the armor to embed your dagger.  I apologise if this is a bit all-over-the-place. I was trying to type these questions out before heading off to work, and it's a bit hard to sort through the questions/ideas in my head.    Edit: I currently use Roll20.net, while I try to find more local friends.
#2 Rya.Reisender Aug 25, 2015 0:34:48	I don't really recommend adding houserules, especially not for flanking. That would just limit your own freedom as DM. 5e already gives you the ability to grant advantage/disadvantage as you see fit, so why not use that for situations where you think an attack should be on advantage because the enemy is strongly distracted by someone else? This way you can be more situational.   Also I found that hiding rolls should only be done when absolutely necessary. Showing the rolls doesn't prevent you from being more descriptive. In fact the result number strongly effects how I narrate the attack. On a particular bad roll, my players are always excited with how I'll narrate it.
#3 pukunui Aug 25, 2015 1:02:22	I'd suggest playing 5e straight to start with. Don't house rule anything. Don't use any of the optional rules (like flanking) either. Just run keep it simple. Once you get the hang of things, you can start adding or changing things. (Make sure you get your players' buy-in when you do, though; don't spring any nasty surprises on them.)   As for hiding rolls ... I've found that trying to keep things as descriptive as possible sounds great in theory but doesn't really work that well in practice. For one thing, it's more for you as the DM to keep track of. For another, if your players are paying attention, they'll soon figure out the numbers anyway, so you might as well just be open about them right from the start. I don't think they'll detract from the gameplay all that much. And let's not forget that we *are* playing a game here. As long as everyone's having fun, that's all that really matters.
#4 iserith Aug 25, 2015 5:52:40	ZWildfire wrote:
#5 Ralif_Redhammer Aug 25, 2015 7:16:07	I’ll concur on not mucking around with flanking rules. It will slow combat down, turning the game into chess rather than the narrative combat you’re looking for, as the group constantly jockeys for position.   Hiding initiative and attack rolls will add a lot of book-keeping to your job as a DM. I think doing so will also handicap your players, taking away some of the game element. If you’re wanting to do a more narrative/storytelling game, I would focus on the non-combat elements. Craft an interesting, interactive story alongside your players, and let the rules system as written support that.
#6 WorBlade Aug 26, 2015 19:26:21	With minimal maps and a story telling approach, there is no reasonto add combat rules. Just say "you characters don't manage to manuver around the enemy for advantage this round" or the reverse as you see fit. Hide rolls that would give something away from a metagame sense if the players see the roll. Seeing your monster attack rolls lets them figure out the monster's to hit bonus in short order. Rolling to check for traps is another case. If they know that rolled a total of 22, they know there is no trap. Or if the totalled 6 they probably missed it. Simply being told "you check and find no traps" keeps some tension going. I usually give a little clue. If I rolled great for them and there is no trap I tend to say something like "You feel very confident" there is no trap. Of course that is also t he responce for a 1 that doesn't set the trap off or a total under 5.
#7 bakerjw Aug 27, 2015 4:54:57	If 2 PCs are flanking an NPC and one of the PCs gets a hit prior to the other PC attacking, I would opt for PC #2 to get advantage. If in battle, you get slapped up side the head with a mace or take an axe to the side, you will not be prepared to block or do anything to a flanking opponent.   But then again, I would also ensure that NPCs would disengage and pull back out of a flanking situation.
#8 ZWildfire Sep 02, 2015 1:36:22	I appreciate the feedback from you all. Clearly I have more to learn. I think I'll stick to being a player for a bit longer.
(Reply to #8) sleypy	ZWildfire wrote: