What are some tips you'd give to a first-time DM, specifically for D&D 5e?
>>47445242
Don't run D&D.
>>47445242
Your players, and your own, enjoyment is more important than the rules. Do not be afraid to fudge a bit if you need to.
That being said, a campaign with no challenge is boring. Make fights lethal, or at least lethal seeming.
>>47445403
pic related
>>47445242
If your players are sane, work with them.
If they aren't, don't listen to them.
More importantly, learn to say no.
> Chaotic Neutral anything, especially rogue
No, just no.
> B-but it's what my character would do!
No.
> But it's important that I play my narcissistic, amoral, kleptomaniac thief and never face the consequences of my actions.
No.
Learn to refuse to suffer their idiocy, and you'll be on a good start.
>>47445242
Make encounters rare and important, 2-3 encounters can make the game go slow
>>47445242
Read the whole rulebook.
>>47445522
yeah basically
dont be one of those pussy ass grognards that just sighs every time someone detracts from someone else's experience and then go home and complain on tg about it
>>47445242
>>47445513
Learn why the rules are important.
Then learn why, when an how you can ignore them.
Also, related to >>47445529 , go read this http://theangrygm.com/manage-combat-like-a-dolphin/
I don't know what is the general consensus here on /tg/ about Angry, but I think this article is pretty good.
>>47445530
This, to be honest family
I played my first month of D&D not knowing that your max stat cap was 20
>have powergamer who taught me to play
>try DMing because why not
>don't read manual because lel who needs book lernin"
>be incredibly frustrated as he plays a level 1 Monk with 23 AC
>other players with normal characters just watch him smoke encounters
>I'm red in the face becaue I can't challenge him without annihilating the others
>learn later that he plays uncapped because that's what his old group did
>mfw
>>47445585
>Angry
If I had to judge I'd say he's abrasive with an annoying gimmick but nonetheless gives pretty good advice
>>47445522
I have 2 characters in different campaings, both CN
What's the deal? I thought I just don't take side unless there's a personaly motivation or some reward, while I am not tied to follow the rules but that doesn't mean I don't know that what I do is wrong or right.
>>47445242
Stop, then run something else.
>>47445242
You replying OP? Honestly this>>47445522
Alos D&D 5th ed isn't that rules heavy and that combined with the fact that your a first time GM means I don't think the fact that you're running 5th matters in this context.
Maybe check out Spoony's vids? he generally gives good advice, just take it all with a grain of salt.
>>47445824
Pic related.
>>47445403
>perpetually triggered anon
Why are you on a D&D board if you can't stand D&D?
>>47445864
While I agree that guy is a faggot, your picture actually makes you ten times more of a faggot.
It's like an auto-lose in any discussion, even if it's not an actual argument.
>>47445871
another persons here, while I have no problem with D&D, tell me where the fuck it says "D&D board"
>>47445824
TABLETOP GAMES
for fuck sake
>>47445864
No I haven't replied yet. I think a big for me is that I worry I'll end up planning too much for the campaign or not planning enough. How do you know you have enough material to start a game? What are your option on random tables for encounters/loot/etc?
>>47445767
The way I see it is:
> I don't care if the good guys win, I'm here for the loot.
Not exactly groundbreaking, but I can work with that. I would ask myself why your character is even on a quest in the first place, but he/she would be given the benefit of the doubt, maybe
bonds would be formed later in order to make him/her care. Does it work well with the other PC? Does it add to the other player's fun? I'm on board.
> Lol I stab the guard in the neck in front of the king, then I slather myself in marmalade and sing the song of my people and ask for a reward, am I randumb yet?
Surprisingly common CN depiction. I don't care for it at all. Nor do I care about the "lol I wanna do a Henderson", btw.
>>47445242
>Read the books
>Explain the core mechanics of the game to your players before you start
>Make the characters all use the same attribute array (I recommend 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8, as does the book).
>Recommend the Fighter and Rogue classes for novices to tabletop RPGs, and the Cleric and Wizard classes to the more advanced players
>Start them off at level 1, level them up to 2 halfway through the first session, level them up to 3 at the end of the first session
>When a player wants to do something, let them do it if it's relatively simple or easy to do, make them roll an attribute check if it's risky or complicated, and only say 'No' if it's impossible for them to do.
>Don't worry about distance and movement too much in combat, let players move and attack who they want to, at least until you all learn the ropes
>Make the first encounter very easy, then the next one a bit harder, and so on until you figure out what really challenges them
>Don't throw TOO many enemies at your players, they'll lose track of them and mobs are very deadly in this edition. Try throwing one or two different creatures at them instead, so they can tell them apart easier
>Let players find potions of healing or other useful stuff, especially after a tough fight, and don't be afraid to throw some coins their way. If the party has no Cleric, definitely give them potions of healing between fights, otherwise they'll run out of steam and die.
>Cheat!
>>47445905
Plan a lot, be prepared to scrap it all because your players want to start a logging company.
>>47445925
Or start a revolution in order to legalize gay marriage and ignore the lich.
>>47445242
Are you running an already built campaing, are you using one as a base or are you doing something new?
Are your players actually interesting in role play?
Aside for those, the general recommendation is have fun and don't stop your players from doing something wrong, but make sure that they learn everything has a concecuence (world building)
>>47445913
in that case the PC either gets executed or imprisioned for life.
The only wrong thing a player can do is not accepting the concecuences of their actions
>>47445891
>It's like an auto-lose in any discussion, even if it's not an actual argument.
...No. Not it's not. Why do you think it is? It's a reaction image that highlights why this person is an idiot perfectly. What, would you prefer I used the one of the crying girl instead? I mean that's just semantics man.
>>47445913
I would say you don't generally let new players play CN unless you know they're not playing randumb and actually have an interesting character that make the game more fun.
>>47445925
This is sorta true. I person make loose plans and let the players walk through those plans in the way that they choose. You need to be good at improvisation I'd say or get good at it.
>>47445905
Know that if you run D&D you are perpetuating a cancer and you will never be able to enjoy roleplaying. D&D is a wargame, not an RPG. If you convince people to play it under the auspices of roleplaying, you are deceiving them.
Whatever you are wanting to roleplay, there is an actual RPG suited for it. Do not play D&D and especially do not ruin other players with it.
>>47445974
oh right, I forgot about this >>47445925
Pretty much be prepared to improvise a lot. Players tend to break the game more often than not, and don't always follow the main quest, so learn to reuse dungeon maps, a prepared list of names for random npcs, etc.
>>47446019
or you can take D&D as a "learning the ropes" game, and with time and experience go to other games that are more heavy in role play like WoTC
anyway, you are a faggot
>>47446045
>or you can take D&D as a "poisoning the well" game
Indeed.
>>47445899
I'm so glad you asked.
You see, several years ago, there were a fair number of D&D threads being made in /v/ and /b/, to the point where people were starting to take notice. There were other games, but chiefly D&D, just as it is now and has been for quite some time.
"But, D&D is not a video game!" the people said, and there was much confusion, since there were so few boards back then and D&D did not fit in any such category.
After pondering the issue, the simplest solution came to mind. A new board, not for video games, but for Traditional games, a place for all those D&D threads, as well as the scatterings of other games like Magic and even those 40k threads that appeared in /b/, alongside any other game that was not video in nature.
And, that was the genesis of the board. It's why /tg/ is the /dnd/ board. Why it's the /40k/ board. The /mtg/ board. The /exalted/, the /gurps/, the /chess/, the /catan/, the /tickettoride/ board.
To come to the /dnd/ board when you are triggered to the point that you can't help but shitpost at the mere mention of the game is the sign of a person of distinct mental deficiency, and he should seek treatment before he induces a stroke in himself.
>>47446019
>D&D is a wargame, not an RPG.
lel
K then, please explain why you think that.
>>47446019
>D&D is a wargame
No it's not, you're thinking of Chainmail/Battlesystem/The War Machine/D&D Minis Handbook. D&D is a 'floundering about looking for gold while trying not to get stabbed in the asshole by goblins' game.
>>47445974
Some players don't accept them. In trying to be "cool", they create PC that in no circumstance could work in a group, as the thief I mentioned. So, unless you trust the player in question not to be a total idiot, you're way safer vetoing CN (and CE, for that matter).
Red flag extraordinarie:
> PC's backstory mentions rape
>>47445979
When I have a new player that's learning the system, or an entire party of new players, I always ask them to play good PC. Even then, sometimes you have to remind them that they aren't playing videogames, and actions have consequences.
>>47445979
No, it's a image that basically says "Look, I'm liking what you dislike, and somehow miss the hypocrisy." It's being ten times the faggot of the person you believe is being a faggot, because you don't even recognize how big of a faggot you are being.
It's better to just not post at all, since it undermines anything you ever hoped to say.
>>47445242
Make up random encounter tables, have a rough outline of what you want to accomplish for a particular story arc, flesh out notable NPCs and that's the most amount of planning you'll need.
When coming up with larger encounters, try to design "set pieces" that can be dropped into various locations in case your players behave like human beings and do their own thing.
The final fight with a bandit lord, for example, should be fleshed out, but also be able to occur in a variety of locations, just in case the PCs set fire to his hideout, thus nullifying the multi-level stronghold you spent the last two weeks designing.
>>47445522
>> Chaotic Neutral anything, especially rogue
>No, just no.
Ehhh... See this is both good advice, and also over reacting. Its true CN is the typical murderhobo style, but it really depends on the player. One can be CN and not necessarily be That Guy.
Take pic related.
Damon Salvatore is a self centered asshat most of the time causing problems for everyone around him. Not purposely, but indirectly. But when something threatens a part of his life that he actually cares about he will go to any length to stop it. Not because its the right thing to do, his motivation is his own self-interest.
>btw don't judge me on my TV choices, TVD was part of my gf's vampire fetish when she first moved in. Eventually it rubbed off on me.
>>47446061
>>47446066
All editions of D&D are fundamentally designed around combat encounters. Player characters are defined by their classes, which are their combat roles, and progression is equivalent to becoming more competent at killing. Most versions of the game directly tie character progression to killing. Several editions, including 5e, have next to no mechanics for anything unrelated to combat. Nearly all mechanics, "noncombat" or no, function on principles associated with play in combat.
Of course this is all expected, given that D&D was originally created as a small scale wargame and had nothing to do with roleplaying.
>>47446069
>I always ask them to play good PC. Even then, sometimes you have to remind them that they aren't playing videogames, and actions have consequences.
Oh yes I know exactly what you mean. I had a good experience with my GF's first time playing though since she doesn't play video games too much so she wasn't too 'kill the thing, get the loot minded.' Played true neutral, (driven by money) quite well actually.
>>47446081
Yeah, no. I'm not the one who cares about what other people do or don't like; he is. Hence the image highlights how silly he is being. It doesn't imply anything about my own opinions.
>>47446126
good thing there is something called "house rules" and "having fun is the most important"
>>47446126
>D&D was originally created as a small scale wargame and had nothing to do with roleplaying.
No, D&D was created as a dungeon exploration and RP expansion to Chainmail.
Chainmail was the wargame, D&D was the bits that were not the wargame.
>>47445242
Try to plan stuff out, especially combat encounters beforehand as you may not be that great at improvising starting out. At the same time don't get upset if players muck up your plan it's inevitable and part of the fun
Blatantly steal stuff. Setting ideas, characters, encounters from books. It makes it easier, saves you time, and helps you learn what works and what doesn't.
Try to get your players to read the rules. It won't happen, but it's worth a shot.
As you play, learn what kind of things each of your players like and try to incorporate a bit of everything. One guy is all about combat? Make cool encounters. One guy is really likes RP stuff? have a party with NPCs to interact with. One guy likes puzzles? Fuck that puzzles are hard.
Not going to be a dick like others in this thread and tell you not to play DND, 5e is a decent game. DND often ends up being "My first RPG!" due to it's popularity, but IMO isn't actually that intuitive or easy compared to some other systems. For combat stuff it's pretty good, but take a look at other games as well if you're into the hobby. Variety is the spice of life
>>47446126
Wow, you're kind of stupid.
>several editions, including 5e, have next to no mechanics for anything unrelated to combat.
Wow, you're not just stupid, you're blatantly lying.
>Of course this is all expected, given that D&D was originally created as a small scale wargame and had nothing to do with roleplaying.
You mean that it was a departure from wargames. Roleplaying was what made D&D D&D.
It's like being shocked that submarines can go underwater because they were originally based on boats that did their best to stay on top.
>>47446158
>good thing there is something called "house rules" and "having fun is the most important"
Just run another more appropriate system you fucking autistic.
>>47446162
>ackshully muh history says D&D was only BASED on a small scale wargame and not a small scale wargame BASED on a regular wargame
I don't care, loser. Try refuting my points instead of pointing out arbitrary trivia.
>>47446126
Well there are a few simple rules for roleplaying, i.e. diplomacy and other face-player roles but very little yes. But why do you NEED more than that? I've never needed more than that myself. Roleplaying comes from playing your character, not from rules.
>>47446195
>I'm just trolling
Well, I'm done with you, Mr. "Waste time responding to my ludicrous shit as if they were points worth refuting."
Want to be refuted? Read the books instead of relying on spiteful hopes and wanton imagination of what they contain.
I highly reccomend watching podcasts of other DMs and learning from them. Their mistakes and successes should influence your progression into this hell of a game. I'll tell you one of my many plights.
>be me
>holy dwarf cleric of Torag (Pathfinderfag)
>inna party with two players that are completly homocidal and one sane person.
>a rouge that is a carbon copy of deadpool
>dwarf ranger who's personality is "fuck bitches get gold"
>actual quote from his character
>a half elf fighter who really could have been intresting if he hadnt un sticks and left after shit got too crazy
>by the end of the campaign my dwarf was dead, I was full-time DM
>ranger had become a drunken barbarian with the constitution of a god (literally he had like 50)
>used akimbo colossal waraxes.
>I shit you not
>damage so high it averaged around the 2 hundreds each round
>Rouge had somewhere around 60 AC due to his 50. fucking. Dex.
>they even started creating their own classes/ prestige classes to make themselves even more OP.
>kicked those fuckers out when the ranger threw the handbook across the room and lit a fire in my basement for shits and giggles.
pic related
>>47446203
>why do you NEED lots of rules for combat I manage just fine with having everyone use ATTACK, MOVE, and USE SPELL
Please end yourself.
>>47446126
Beitto desu yo.
>>47446236
Combat needs mechanics inherently. Roleplaying doesn't. Please attack my argument not me.
>>47446351
Despite what a lot of trendy narrativist faggots claim, "roleplaying" doesn't magically induce events to happen, within or outside of combat. Your assumption that combat is special in its need for arbitration and mechanical depth is completely absurd, and shows that your only interest in the game lies within its combat.
An RPG exists to create an environment where possibilities can be explored. The most fundamental rule of any RPG must be that it abides by some kind of logic that dictates what events are possible and with what likelihood, and events are impossible and with what likelihood.
D&D is not designed with this in mind, nor do its mechanics even remotely guarantee it. It exists to create compelling combat scenarios for its players. It is a wargame.
>>47445242
When you doubt, TPK and call it a day
>>47446460
>shows that your only interest in the game lies within its combat.
Completely wrong. Combat is my least liked part of any rpg.
>The most fundamental rule of any RPG must be that it abides by some kind of logic that dictates what events are possible and with what likelihood, and events are impossible and with what likelihood. D&D is not designed with this in mind, nor do its mechanics even remotely guarantee it.
Oh I see so what you're saying is you have no common sense that allows you to define what is and isn't possible and no imagination so you need to a system in place in order to make up a simple scenario.
>>47446536
You are trying to argue with a troll.
>>47446579
I know. I don't want the newbie getting the wrong idea.
>>47446536
>Completely wrong. Combat is my least liked part of any rpg.
You're either lying or you're a limp-wristed narrativist faggot.
>>47446601
As silly as it sounds, thank you for that. It's why I've taken to stamping down any faggots trying to push 3.PF on newbies. You just can't let it stand.
Hey OP, if you are still around, the best way to get good at DMing is to DM. Make sure your players know it is your first time, and it'll be a little rough.
If they aren't ok with that, then is it really worth it?
Of course, don't use this as an excuse to not try, but don't hate yourself if it isn't great either.
>>47446644
>I'm an easily triggered troll
Please, if you're so genuine in your goal, adopt a tripcode already so people can properly thank you, you tireless servant you.
>>47445242
You've always heard the expression "it's not about the destination, it's about the journey". Well, bear that in mind when designing campaigns. "Wide open sandboxes" tend to leave players flummoxed about what to do. It's fine to tell them what to do; it becomes railroading once you start trying to dictate how they do it.
If they wind up getting sidetracked by something they find more interesting, that's good too. I'm just saying don't say "you're in a tavern", say "you've been hired to kill the evil lich".
>>47446655
I'll be DMing a group of all newbies.
>>47445242
Okay, for your first game, run some short premade thing. It should let you and your friends get a feel for how the game goes.
>>47446627
>you're a limp-wristed narrativist faggot.
Yeah, no. Just no. The problem there is no GM to call out bullshit. You've failed and lost, get over it.
>>47445242
Don't run 5e
Run 3.5 or pathfinder
OP here..
Let me get some feedback on what I've got so far for a campaign.
Players start off in an orc encampment prison based inside a mountain, but when they escape they realize that these orcs are in this like fertility cult and were roasting the prisoners using a red dragon who's wings they cut off to feed to their queen so they can keep the bloodline pure. The higher-ranking orcs also stole a bunch of shit from the house of a nobleman and use the lower levels of the encampment to imitate an aristocratic lifestyle.
I've only really fleshed out the but the big bad is this being from another dimension that can see into all of the other planes of existence through a rip in it's dimension. Since it can see snippets of all time and space it learned magic and uses that to gain influence in other dimensions to gain enough power to rips it's way into a more interconnected plane and take over all of existence.
>>47446627
>I'm gonna assume you're lying, because it doesnt fit my narrative.
You know why combat needs mechanics? RP comes from players interacting with he DM. Combat comes from players interacting with monster stat blocks. The quality of RP in ANY setting depends on the people you're playing with
>>47446688
They you will all kinda suck. Which is a great learning environment
>>47446828
I've heard of dumber shit. Go for it. Your BBEG sounds too big though.
>>47446828
Worry more about more mundane enemies for the time being. Interdimensional Time-Traveling Mind-Control Monster seems more like a tier 4 enemy; if you're starting at 1st level, look more at tier 1 enemies. The orcs are a good place to start.
>>47446688
Ok so newbies are a little unpredictable. So expect to be surprised by what they want to play or do. Also manage there expectations.
Maybe do this >>47446690
You don't need to do this if you can make a simple plot and make it work in the game and you're good at improv.
Personally I'm largely an improv GM. I make a loose plan and then I see what the players get up to. I usually find that they sort've form or find their own plot and then I just develop and support the hell out of that plot.
>>47446832
Wow I'm being defended.
>>47446828
That's pretty interesting OP. I have one gripe though. Dragons should be scary, powerful and hard to kill. I would suggest that the dragon the orcs have is a baby or something like. Then have the momma be mad. Plot idea right there.
>>47446665
I'm not the nigger screaming and crying about all of D&D. My ire is only to those sad, braindamaged fucks that insist 3.PF is a good game, rather then a literal abomination that ruined a generation. AD&D, 2e, 4e, 5e? All fine.
But I sincerely wish any pathetic little cunts that still play 3.PF would die. I want the cancer to die.
>>47446965
>People who like a different game system than me should die.
I think you need to calm down, get a job, something. You are clearly taking this too seriously.
>>47446965
Damn dude, take a xanex or something.
I personally have never played pathfinder or 3.5 or whatever the hell it is.
All of the greatest stories I've read over the years on /tg/ seem to be out of PF.
>I actually wish I had someone familiar with the system to DM for myself and some friends so we too could enjoy such lovely antics in what to me sounds like the perfect ruleset for long term sandbox play.
>>47447343
It sounds good, but it's really a broken shitpile. If you want fucking about in sandboxes/hexcrawling, you more want the OSR branch of the D&D family.
>>47446965
once again, I don't know who is worse: the Fantards who love a system to death and talk about every chane they get.
Or the Anti-fans who will fucking wish everyone who liked it died, or even better, don't even know what the fuck they are talking about.
>>47446965
Please, put on a tripcode. You think you're doing a noble service, so be proud of your posts.
>>47445242
My advice: ask this question literally anywhere that isn't 4chan. You are more likely to get useful advice on Yahoo Answers. Everyone here is a mentally deficient deviant who wants to fuck an anime character on a pile of Magic cards and Warhammer minis.
>>47447614
You say that like being a mentally deficient deviant who wants to fuck an anime character on a pile of Magic cards and Warhammer minis is mutually exclusive with giving good advice.
>>47447450
Maybe, just maybe, it's the system that literally ruined a generation, who's effects we are still feeling.
You know, the literal brain-damage that fucking abomination of a system has inflicted on people.
The pathetic little fucks that think shit like Caster Supremacy is proper and right.
>>47445242
Read the DMG. Read Robin's Laws.
>>47447614
Okay, Virt, enough's enough. Fuck off already, you stupid troll.
>>47447646
Please kill yourself Virt.
Everyone else, stop replying to him.
Since there's no one who should be stupid enough to fall for this level of retarded trolling, we can safely assume any further replies are just him replying to himself.
>>47447680
Virt loves 3.PF, you stupid jackass.
>>47447705
No, you troll in every direction, Virt, saying stupid things about everything. Now fuck off already.
>>47446828
Might want to not worry about a villain in the far future and focus more on what the players will actually encounter.
>>47445242
Talk to your players, set the expectations with them and tell them that you're first time DM (Even if they know that, I still tell my new groups that i'm rusty to set the bar low and then they're often pleasantly surprised)
Find a balance between over planning and under planning. Over planning will drain you and i've seen DMs fall into this trap however under planning will embarrass you and lead to a bad experience. This is a tough one for noobies but it should be something you try to tackle because it's key to hosting a fun game
Try and figure your players out, not everyone will want the same thing. Some players want to roleplay, some want to rollplay. Work out what works for making a fun game.
Tip from a veteran: Consider music. This is done in film all the time. Music is basically cheating when it comes to setting the mood of a scene. Even if you're not running a moody campaign i'd give it a swing.
Last but most importantly, Have fun yourself. too many DM/GM/ST's I hear about just ruin themselves in their games. DMing should be a delight rather than a chore. Make things fun for you first and once you're having fun, the players should by proxy be having more fun than they would if you're not having fun.
>>47447642
You make an interesting point.
>>47447745
No, there's two things Virt literally can't control his verbal diherah on. The first one is calling 5e Next and screaming about it, and the other is Dungeon World.
>>47447791
Agreed. Focus 90% on next-session prep and 10% on story arc. Your players will fuck up your long-term story plans every time.
Also, be ready to improv. Have a bunch of quick set-piece encounters ready for when your players decide they don't give a shit about the quest the noble King gave them and jump on a boat to go fight pirates.
>>47447793
One of the best pieces of advice I ever read was that the GM isn't trying to kill the characters; the GM's job is to give the characters an opportunity to be heroes. Give your players an experience that feels like a high-stakes, potentially lethal challenge, but also give them a fair chance to win.
>>47445646
Was he rolling with d8s?
Learn how to improvise and advance the story, keep the goals clear. If clerics try to fight all evil, or rogues try to rob everyone, if fighters try to fight among the group, if wizards have to enchant every piece of copper. Rectify this shit.
>>47445242
Get your players to show up on time, put their phones away, and read the bloody source material at least enough to know the basic mechanics.
Make sure you and your players all agree on what type of campaign you're gonna run, and are operating on the same set of assumptions on how things will work.
Bring plenty of food and drink.
>>47445522
At first you sound like a dick, but you perfectly describe this one guy in my group who exclusively plays neutral evil halfling rogues and goes out of his way to steal and kill and it always gets us into some sort of mess but he never actually gets punished.
Our DM is usually chill about us getting away with stuff but he is annoyed at this guy, and our previous DM went out of his way to kill one of his characters just because he was that annoyed (although that was a dick move by the DM).
>>47445513
>Your players, and your own, enjoyment is more important than the rules. Do not be afraid to fudge a bit if you need to.
At the same time, breaking the rules might upset you, or your players. Do not be afraid to follow the rules if it helps you.
>That being said, a campaign with no challenge is boring. Make fights lethal, or at least lethal seeming.
You could put in puzzles or social challenges! The failure state doesn't have to be "Hitpoints equal to negative constitution"!
The failure state can be "you don't accomplish what you set out to do, and have wasted a session" or "You don't get to score with that hot fictional imaginary waifu".
Even winning, but feeling like you only won because you brute forced it, can be a failure state - since the player feels like he's a dumbass and not very good at the game.
>>47448343
>At the same time, breaking the rules might upset you, or your players.
I mean that might be a valid complaint from a player if they didn't know that you weren't following the rules on a particular issue but generally I think that can get 'rules-lawyery' very easily. Best to state that you're not following a rule ahead of time IF you know you want to ignore it. Homerules ho!
>>47445522
Chaotic neutral can be fun.
Just get your entire group to be Chaotic neutral.
Playing a narcisstic, amoral, kleptomaniac loli-looter is just inherently entertaining.
You can even make a campaign of it!
The Three Evil Kingdoms of You Can't Do That, Muh Consequences Muh Morals, and Bad Wrong Fun Stop It, are oppressing their people with their Lawful Stupid behaviour.
You play as a ragtag group of rebels who are sick at having to do what the town guard says or be jailed, and are going to fight back with military force, until you can have fun without any guardsman or judge or paladin or king or God getting in your way.
>>47448397
Your reply was too rational and helpful.
Get the fuck out of here.
download the 3.5 monster manuals; they provide much more extensive information on the organization and culture of various monsters than the 5e ones do. honestly i was astonished when i transitioned. the 5e monster manual is really bad at providing anything more than a stat block.
>>47445871
This isn't a D&D board, it's a traditional games board.
Are you the same faggot that asks "why are you in a roleplaying game if you don't roleplay?" when it's not a roleplaying game?
>>47448523
Are you the faggot who gets really triggered who people ask him to roleplay?
>>47448523
>when it's not a roleplaying game?
Man, this bait is getting stale. You're echoing it too much for anyone to fall for it more than once a thread and soon enough it'll be as overt as a Virt post.
3/10 at least idiots are still responding.
>>47448552
Are you the faggot whose mom I fucked 12 years ago?
>>47448571
You overestimate /tg/.
>>47445913
>. I would ask myself why your character is even on a quest in the first place
He's here for the loot.
Does your quest give him loot?
>>47446019
*continues liking what you don't like*
>>47448624
I'll take that as a yes.
>>47448646
>He's here for the loot.
So why not do something that doesn't involve a greater than 50% chance of brutal death, but still rewards monetarily?
>>47446069
>PC's backstory mentions rape
I wonder if you can create a backstory that contains nothing but rape.
>>47446351
>Combat needs mechanics inherently. >Roleplaying doesn't.
Roleplaying needs rules, or else you and your players cannot agree on what has happened during the roleplaying.
>>47448692
Pretty easily.
>So why is your character adventuring?
Rape
>Okay, what about their parents?
Rape
>Their friends?
Rape
>Hobbies?
Rape
etc.
>>47447680
>Everyone else, stop replying to him.
I am going to reply to Virt, because fuck you.
We don't shun people in this community for having the "wrong" opinion.
>>47447614
Hi Virt what did you eat for breakfast today? I ate some chips and noodles with veggies.
>>47448683
>So why not do something that doesn't involve a greater than 50% chance of brutal death, but still rewards monetarily?
Huh. So adventuring isn't the "Get rich quick" path in your world?
I guess he really wouldn't have a motive to join the party in that case.
But
what's the motivation for the rest of the party, if adventuring isn't the Get rich quick path?
>>47448769
It is, but it's also the 'get dead even faster' path.
>>47448725
"What are your stats?"
Rape Str
Noncon Dex
Molestation Con
Rohypnol Wis
Marriage Int (dump stat)
Immigration center Cha (main stat)
>>47448779
Then he's a risk taker who thinks he's too good for the laws of probability and staistics to apply to him.
All you need is a bit of delusion about how good you are, and even the riskiest route can seem like a milk run.
Then, once you've gotten balls deep on the noob quest to rescue 6 rats from the dire 200gp on behalf of the Knowledge (Cliche), then you can just go full sunk costs fallacy and "welp I'm already in this far, might as well keep going"
>>47448809
>>47448779
Hang on, does acknowleding that the character can have (mis)conceptions about the world and his own abilities, that are different from the player's (mis)conceptions, count as roleplaying?
Damn I guess I accidentally In Character
>>47448850
>>/reddit/
>>47448725
"Your starting inventory cannot contain 65 Rape"
>>47448927
>>>/tumblr/
>>47445925
...This is so true in so many ways.
>>47448948
Nonsense. Just make it so that in doing the accounting for their logging company, 1d4 spreadsheet golems come to life and try to attack the players' Numbers, so the players have to fight off the spreadsheets with their statblocks.
>>47448943
What fucking purpose do you think your post served, other than to open yourself up to halfhearted praise? You're not asking a question, you're not saying anything of interest, you're just fishing for a compliment or someone to play along with your bland, generic, "humor".
>Damn I guess I accidentally In Character
This absolutely reeks of desperation for acknowledgement, you pathetic little worm.
Fuck you.
>>47448967
Ragnar, The spreadsheet's in my inventory! ... No not in my backpack you dumbshit, in the LIST OF ITEMS!
Oh crap he's taking cover behind the encumbrance rules
>>47448981
Thank you for the compliment :)
>>>/tg/
You really should watch your diet though, so much salt intake isn't good for your heart
Here's some good advice.
1. Players will never take the obvious route, always be sure to have multiple ways for them to complete objectives.
2. Always expect the unexpected. Players will do things that you will NEVER expect. First of all, just go with it and give them some good and bad consequences.
3. Don't be a crybaby GM. Accept what happens and take note of it. Plan for either nasty or good things to happen.
4, Saying "No" is perfectly acceptable. However don't abuse this power.
5. Players are there to have fun, give them something fun to do.
6. The GM should also have fun. Hence why you wanna run the game in the first place.
7. Balance fights in accordance to the players strengths and weaknesses.
8. If they wipe an encounter easily, DON'T PANIC! Just be sure to throw some nasty stuff next time.
9. Good things to put into battles include: Lots of Mooks for the players to kill, some stronger leaders of the mooks and finally the Master of them all. Mix melee, ranged attacks and casters to the enemy types. It will make fights more exciting and less generic.
10. For the love of god, be sure to give gear that players can USE. I've had too many times where GM's give us a bunch of useless shit that we don't need.
11. If a player complains to you about the RU-RU-RULES! be calm and collected and debate them and determine whether it's legitimate or bullshit. (This is one of those parts where you say "no" or yes) give the player the floor and discuss, don't let others speak until you are done.
12. Don't be super restrictive with alignments, flexibility in alignment makes for dynamic and interesting characters. I personally enjoy exploring how alignments work within society.
Just a bit of advice from my experience.
>>47449099
>Here's some good advice.
Lol woooooooooooooooooooooooooow
>>47449104
That was fast
>>47449115
I ... I just shitposted a reply without reading your post.
I'm sorry.
>>47449125
It's fine just read next time.
Funny thing though, I was expecting this to happen.
>>47448930
>rape
>>47448716
But everything in the game happens because the DM says so.
>>47447614
>Not wantingto fuck an anime girl on top of Magic cards
Wew what a fag
>>47449886
Games have improved and evolved since 1980. Players describe things too.
>>47446125
Yes, I get that. But that forces me to find a way for him to interact with the quest at large. Simplest way, as you say, is to "threaten a part of his life that he actually cares about". So, I gotta threaten that PC's family, or friends, but then I become the asshole GM that made the player describe their family only to kill them. I can do that, mind you, I've done it in the past, but it leaves a sour taste in my mouth as well the player's, simply because he had to play a fucking CN snowflake too cool to care instead of something we could both work with.
>>47448334
Thing is, your DM is annoyed, you know he's annoyed (so that means he's obvious about it and/or has bitched about it with the other players), yet he lets the lolmurder halfling player do whatever he wants. Wouldn't your experience be better if you (and the GM, and the rest of the group) didn't have to suffer that particular asshat's idiocy? All it takes is a simple no.
>>47448423
If everyone's ok with that, sure, why not? But they should be ready for it, cause if everyone sees how much speshul and unique and cool and free-spirited CN is, the whole world slowly starts functioning on murderhobo logic.
Are the PCs ready to have barmaids shitting in the PC's beds just because they can?
Oh, look, that's the PC cart, they keep all their loot there, lol no, that's going to burn with their shit inside.
What? A PC has died? Quick, before they can resurrect him, lop off the head and fuck the stump lolololol.
The god of CN fuckery has called them to his otherwordly realm. As soon as they get there, he stabs one of them in the crotch, sets him on fire, and asks to the group if they would like to work for him and his trouser-anaconda (who's named Jim, btw, thank you very much).
See how much they like it.
>>47448646
Oh, the quest brings a disordinate amount of loot, trust me. Thing is, the evil guy pays even more. Why is the loot obsessed PC working with the party?
>>47445242
Make encounters and events rather than stories and plots. You are a Dungeon Master, not a novelist.
>>47446125
Caroline Best Girl
>>47446828
>>47446688
Seems a lot to bite on you first ever adventure, but having ambitions is not a bad thing. Only thing I would ask is that you elaborate on the whole cult-thing. As it is, it seems a neo-nazi magical realm fertility cult, which can be a bit off-putting unless the players are ok with that. Do you know what your players are going to do PC-wise?
>>47451513
Your advice is terrible. OP, don't do this.
>>47445924
>Standard array
Go die in a hole please
>>47445905
There's a guy on Youtube called Matt Colville who's been making some videos on running D&D; maybe this will help?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8&list=PLlUk42GiU2guNzWBzxn7hs8MaV7ELLCP_
>>47454008
I'll look into it.
>>47445242
I wrote something about this recently. Allow me to paraphrase:
Don't plan extensively. PREPARE extensively. It's helpful to have a "library" of characters/towns/encounters/etc. handy for use as required. Supply the foundation and the players can build the rest. Don't fret about thinking over EVERYTHING in advance--you don't have to have all the answers right away.
Speaking of, ask LOTS of questions. Both to yourself and to your players. Thinking critically about your setting, the characters, and what could/couldn't happen will help you prepare. Asking your players questions gives them opportunity to engage in what's going on. This is crucial.
The players are the game. You're in charge, but the players can and should have the agency to make choices for themselves. To do otherwise and railroad them is to run an RPG with the RP.
Expect players to do strange, unexpected things. The "Floating Islands" philosophy will help you. Having material ready in advance will enable you to use it in RESPONSE to the players, rather than forcing them along. They get to make choices, you get to strut your stuff. Everybody wins.
Pic related, it's DMing.
>>47458961
Shit, "...to run an RPG withOUT the RP". Ahem.
TL;DR being a PC and being granted choice is critical. No one wants to play a Final Fantasy cutscene at the table.
>>47448782
>not noncon con
lel
Just bee yourself
>>47446732
This. Not only are the books cheaper but it's more fun . Plus you won't get past low levels anyway so you won't UN into the broken shit.
>>47446965
Please actually explain why you hate 3.pf.
Not why you think it's bad, why YOU hate it so much.
I'm not even saying you are wrong I am just curious. I will not attack your opinion based on your experiences.
>>47445242
>>47445924
A useful habit to learn is not to say "no", but "yes, but...". Players can be allowed to attempt stupid things if it's fun for everyone involved, and it it keeps creative juices flowing. Straight denial is functional, but less fun.
>>47451519
>implying you wouldn't want a piece of that Bennett witch brown-sugar
Mmmmm
>>47459922
Pf raped and murdered his family,
Burned his village.
>>47461411
>Sure you CAN <inset stupid thing>, just know that there's always consequences. And they aren't always instant
>>47462050
>implying that is a bad thing.
>>47459922
Because it caused, as mentioned, literal brain-damage in a whole generation of players. People that think that 3.PF is a good, well designed game. That no amount of facts can change. Hur, it's the DM's fault the rogue is useless, it's not the fact that the wizard has spells for that. Huurr, it's their fault the druid has a class feature that is better then the Fighter's entire class. Hurr, it's ok the book actively lies to us!
And let's not forget the tribalism. Those stupid, sad fucks that try to adapt the system to EVERYTHING. "I want to do a scifi game! I KNOW, let's adapt 3.PF to it!" Every time. Or because 3.PF is such a mess of rules and takes so goddamn long to learn, EVERY game must be that degree of retardation, so they never try anything else.
It's fucking poison.
>>47462176
Not at all. It can lead to really interesting situations. I just feel that a fair warning is in order, because some players expect to be able to whatever and get away with it.
Anons, help - I cannot find the DM/GMaster how-to guide. It was either an online PDF or a Mega DL link and I want to train to create and adventures and guide adventurers.
>>47445891
>your picture is an auto lose argument because i said so
fuck off.
never ever say "no", even if it goes against the rules, it just makes you look like a fuddy duddy who can't have any fun. if a player gives you an extremely outlandish request always replay with something along the lines of "yes, but [insert you explaining that it's probably not going to work here]".
>>47465671
Do you mean the 5e DMG?
>>47461411
I always just have them roll DC25 when they try to do something stupid. If they fail, I punish them severely. If they succeed, I just suck it up and let them do the thing.
>>47448423
You had me at loli.
>>47466385
>never ever say "no", even if it goes against the rules, it just makes you look like a fuddy duddy who can't have any fun.
So why even use the rules? If the answer is always yes, there's no reason to have rules that outline situations where the answer could be no.
Just sit at the table and tell a story, you don't need dice.
>>47466181
A flawed argument is a flawed argument, regardless of whether it's in a picture or not.
And there's hardly anything more flawed than saying there's something wrong with saying you dislike something they like if your rebuttal is that you like what they dislike.
Throw alignments in the trash entirely IMO
Just tell the players to make an interesting character and see where they run with it
>>47449099
>12. Don't be super restrictive with alignments, flexibility in alignment makes for dynamic and interesting characters. I personally enjoy exploring how alignments work within society.
Even when you're playing in a setting like Forgotten Realms where alignments are a cosmic force, morality is objectively defined by an outside entity and not your culture or the place you happen to be in, there are mechanical effects to alignments, and "muh greater good" doesn't mean a thing, alignments STILL aren't restrictive.
They only ever inform what a character is likely to do. Players and DMs have been making this retarded mistake of saying "but you're LG, you wouldn't do that" or some variation for decades, and nowhere does any book tell you to say that shit. If you're LG and you want to stab that baby, GO THE FUCK AHEAD. You should probably take a reality check and ask yourself if this is something the character would really do and if maybe you as the player are just making an odd choice not in fitting with their stated alignment or actions up to this point for the sake of gaining more loot / having an easier time / doing something cool, but no one and nothing can stop you from actually doing it. You just probably won't be LG after stabbing too many babies.
And if you're a player and you get upset about a deserved alignment shift and feel this is now forcing you to roleplay a certain way, you're fucking retarded again. You can act however you like, but routinely acting out of an alignment (especially when you've had a pattern of acting in a way that has shifted you to something) just means you probably don't understand this whole roleplay or alignment thing to begin with. This is assuming your DM also understands alignment and isn't just shifting you chaotic because you did something "random" or broke a town law.
Following the real alignment rules of a setting like FR is actually really rewarding.
>>47446213
>playing Pathfinder
i found your problem
>>47467137
it's not always a straight yes, did you read his post?
if my players ask me to do something fucking stupid i'll say "You can certainly try" even if it's something that is not possible at all.
>>47468274
>even if it's something that is not possible at all.
Fuck you. Jesus christ, fuck you to death.
>>47467547
> If you're LG and you want to stab that baby, GO THE FUCK AHEAD
> no one and nothing can stop you from actually doing it. You just probably won't be LG after stabbing too many babies.
So, how many stabbed babies are too much for a LG PC? 5? 3? 10? 1558? How many before the GM gets to say something to the supposed bastion of law and good?
>>47468522
Unless that baby is the vile spawn of Evil itself, I'm pretty sure one is the limit on that one.
>>47468588
And yet, "too many babies", babies as in more than one baby, clearly states that there's an amount of babies that's acceptable to stab, and I would really like to know it, so as to avoid being a fun-hating GM.
Could it be 42?
>>47445242
For all that is good and holy, learn the books by heart. Read that shit like it's the goddamn bible, then read it some more.
Also, build a world to begin with. I've found that people get better results from taking the time to build a fully fleshed-out world and letting the players loose in it than by going with the flow and pulling things out of their ass. Even if it takes you a month or more to do it, it saves everyone from a fuck awful campaign and wasting everybody's time every week.
>>47468441
I think what he's saying is, that he is going to allow the person to make an attempt. the PC is probably going to die because again impossible, and the player should realise that. and has no one to blame but himself.
>>47446059
I heard the different genesis story, about 40k spam and 40k sagebombing of stuff.
>>47468522
Well, stabbing babies is largely only, so you'll remain Lawful. Obviously if you were a servant of a deity who loved babies or had a personal code about baby protection, you'd get some Chaotic points for breaking your oaths and personal code of justice.
The Evil you do is inversely proportional to how Good you are. Someone who's capped out their Good-Evil scale at 100 is going to have more of a drop from a single baby murder than someone who's hovering at 80 or 70. Note that this isn't "100 Good points" and you don't stop being Good until you hit 0, but 100 on a Good-Evil Axis, where 0 is As Bad As You Can Get, and 66 is the Threshold of Mechanical Good and Neutrality. 20% of your current score per baby murder, round up, while Good; 15% while Neutral, 10% while Evil. You get baby slaughters before you're down to Neutral, and four more before you hit Evil: 100G -> 80G -> 59N -> 50N -> 42N -> 35N -> 29E.
Obviously, there are additional modifiers for the exactly how depraved you are in going about this, so it's possible to have a more precipitous drop, especially as a Neutral character.
The decreasing effectiveness of baby murder and other evil acts in shifting alignments is why it is in Hellish creatures' best interests to seduce Good or Neutral characters into performing Evil, rather than relying on creatures who are already depraved to begin with. More bang for your buck. A Paladin who commits a heinous murder and falls is pumping more Evil Juice into the cosmos than a lich's undead army slaughtering an entire village and raising them as new servants.
This also works the other way. Doing a Good deed shifts you up less the more Good you are to begin with. It's in a Paladin's interest to get normal people to do Good more than it is for him to solve every problem personally, and redeeming a baddie is a big coup for the forces of light and Goodness.
>>47469083
If that's your attitude and way of thinking you're gonna be a shit GM. You should probably not even try you autistic fuck
>>47472221
And since "the Greater Good" doesn't exist, neither does "the Greater Evil", and it's not a good idea for demons or evil PCs to do Good deeds under the excuse of enabling them to do greater Evil in the future.
Saving that noble's daughter from Akranazzor the Defiler is a Good deed. It doesn't matter that you've eliminated one of your Evil rivals and absorbed some of his power or army, or you're interested in the reward from the noble (a nice magical item you can use to kill innocents better), or that it will ingratiate yourself to him and make it easier to establish yourself as a political figure in some city where you can use your newfound power to hire corrupt henchmen to other positions of authority and fuck everyone over.
This is an important parity to the difficulty of remaining Good in D&D; a lot of people play as though Evil characters can break all the alignment rules because "hey, evil breaks rules", but really they have mirror copies that work the other way. In the same way that a Paladin character has to be very careful about taking shortcuts, the easy way out, attractive offers of loot and power, or making the "tough decision" to kill the lichlord even if it means the death of innocents "because even more people would have died if he wasn't stopped", so must Blackguards avoid being "heroic". The orc tribe that is hassling that village is better off NOT slaughtered, but subjugated under your iron fist and used to outsource your reign of tyrrany; kill a chunk of them to serve as an example, but then arm the rest and teach them how to most effectively pillage that town, so long as you get your "cut" and everyone knows that they serve YOU.
>>47472372
God that's a stupid.
>>47445242
burt
>>47472500
Elaborate.
How does relative morality, "shades of grey", and all that other stuff enable you to tell a better story in a setting that has very real cosmic forces of Good and Evil? How does handling those alignments objectively as the setting describes PREVENT you from telling a good story?
I think if you actually play something like FR's alignment system straight, you'll find it's much more challenging and rewarding than doing whatever you (the player) wants, because it's so easy to justify any action with "greater future gains", while murderhobos don't have nearly as many concerns as the righteous, because Evil gets a free pass on cosmic interaction and only running afoul of earthly laws is a potential source of trouble.
You might think it's easy to justify NOT falling into the "Greater Good" traps in an objective system because "that's how the universe works, and our characters know and can explain this," but no one you're explaining it to has to know or understand. Good fucking luck retaining your bright and noble image in the public mind as a Paladin when you explain to the villagers that you had to let the lichlord and his hostages go (repeatedly) because of a cosmic numbers game. This is where the real moral quanderies and questions of conscience arise.
>>47445522
Chaotic Neutral can be fun. I'm playing a CN Bard in 5e that is just doing her own thing, basically in it for the money.
>>47472649
> in a setting that has very real cosmic forces of Good and Evil
No such setting exists, because it cannot exist. "Cosmic forces of good and evil" are as intrinsically relevant to moral category as strong nuclear force and boron are.
>>47445242
>What are some tips you'd give to a first-time DM, specifically for D&D 5e?
This tip is not specific for 5e but, start out with a dungeon crawler. Focus your energy on the encounters and the map.
>>47472772
Considering that souls are real things in most D&D worlds and that certain behaviors damn your soul to torment or uplift it to reward, or that certain items with "evil aura" or "good aura" do more damage to certain creatures, it isn't unfair to say that they are real cosmic forces.
>>47462458
I started with 3.5 because my first DM was most used to it and had the books. I've got to say it's the easiest to run homebrew content on that fits in. At the same time, adapting a whole system (like I'm doing with both Pokemon and Avatar:TLA) isn't best done in 3.5, you should learn from each and determine what the best tools are from each.
4e is the worst for adapting, though, and other editions do literally everything better. It's not boring, though, I'm playing 4e with a group currently.
I'm actually finding 5e to be really good. Takes the best of the changes 4e made, plays like a balanced 3.5e with those changes adapted in, making it simpler without taking away the general feel of D&D.
>>47445522
>No CN
Whete did fun touch you? Show me on the doll.
>>47466578
I've had someone roll DC40 to DC50 before. But I also GM with luck rolls, and performing other actions first can decrease the DC or erase certain penalties. For example, a couple of people in my campaign tried passing a military blockade by boarding an armed ship. The first mate claimed they were merchants, armed to fend off pirates. Bad luck rolls meant it was a slave ship and they ended up captured after a fight. Getting paperwork certifying the ship to sell/trade would have eliminated that possibility, making the worst result a pirate ship (they would have had to help with a job on the way to their destination or be thrown overboard, or taking the ship was a possibility either way, slave or pirate).
>>47473252
> it isn't unfair to say that they are real cosmic forces.
There might be strange cosmic forces at play in your setting but they are not intrinsically connected to morality. Neither are gods or the afterlife.
>>47473396
But they are. It is a literal rule that they are. You are arguing real world philosophy against fictional world rules. Binding rules. Rules that define that world. There are gods who personify good, and what they deem as good is good. It is arbitrary by its very nature and in that world there are some things that have been defined by cosmic entities as good or evil. At this point it is not a diffrrence of opinion as opinions do not matter.
In the DnD world good and evil are concrete facts. How you feel about that does not change it.
>>47473396
Also a quick note, who the fuck are you to define someone elses's setting? "In your setting this may be so but it's not like this." No. Shut the fuck up. You can't define someone elses's setting, IT IS THEIR SETTING. I discussed the DnD setting because I didn't even notice you mentioned their direct setting.
>>47473467
>>47473514
Fiction is not immune to logic. "Objective morality" is no more possible in your fantasy setting than it is in the real world, for the same reasons.
>>47473597
You really are a stupid bitch, ain'tcha?
>>47473597
You dunce, by that logic zombies and vampires and magic aren't possible either.
The rules literally say "there is objective good and objective evil." As you are not the author of the rules your word is meaningless.
And since your word is meaningless I refuse to continue giving you attention. Please do not attribute a lack of response as any kind of victory.
>>47474301
Zombies and vampires are not logical contradictions.
it would be more appropriate to say that your setting has square circles.
>>47474323
>Dead but alive is not a logical contradiction
>>47475479
Vampires and zombies are not alive. They may be animated by magic or something along those lines, but their biological functions have ceased. Or maybe they haven't, in which case they're not dead, they're just different-alive.
The category of "alive" isn't really that meaningful or interesting in any case.
>>47475747
>They may be animated by magic or something along those lines, but their biological functions have ceased.
And you're not catching the contradiction between dead, but animated?
Like to be perfectly clear, vampires and zombies, the undead in general, make perfect logical sense to you, but objective morality doesn't?
>>47445242
Make sure your magical realm is magical enough
>>47475919
>And you're not catching the contradiction between dead, but animated?
There is none. They're dead in the sense that they died at some point, but now they're either alive again or physically animated by some force. There's absolutely nothing confusing or logically impossible about that situation.
>>47445242
>What are some tips you'd give to a first-time DM, specifically for D&D 5e?+ 0 post omitted.
Don't run a low-fantasy political campaign.
>>47472221
>>47472372
I actually quite like this.
>>47445242
>What are some tips you'd give to a first-time DM, specifically for D&D 5e?
try not to make it too weird or complicated.
Prepare for anything, expect the unexpected.
>>47445913
CN Bard. He's the over-protective big brother of the party's paladin. He's a coward and only with the party because the only thing he fears for more than his own safety is the paladin's own. He warms up to the party slowly as he begins to consider them friends and not "those colossal idiots enabling my sibling's self-destructive tendencies".
>>47462458
I started with 3.5. and I enjoyed it for a while, but I looked into other games quickly and branched out from there.
I won't argue that 3.pf aren't horribly designed pieces of shit, but I will say that the players of them you hate so much would have just latched on to another game if DnD never existed, because it's the kind of people they are, rather than the game itself.
>>47477276
For playing that CN bard, you have my thanks. Your PC is evolving, and as a GM, I love it.
>>47472262
I am sure of being a shit DM, thank you very much. If you could please tell me how it's acceptable to stab a baby and justify being LG, I'm sure I would be a little less shit GM and you would have my eternal gratitude.
>>47473331
I'm sure everyone finds your CN PC as beautiful and intriguing and speshul and hilarious as you do, anon.
>>47472734
Allow me to quote myself >>47451431
> Oh, the quest brings a disordinate amount of loot, trust me. Thing is, the evil guy pays even more. Why is the loot obsessed PC working with the party?
Are you by any chance fighting a poor BBEG?
>>47474323
holyshit you're either actually autistic or being purposefully obtuse.
If the fictional premis of the setting is that magic exists, and souls are cosmic moral economics, then you can have objective moral good and zombies as part of that fictional setting. Because its a fictional setting. You fucking idiot.
>>47478114
>>47445522
Alternatively understand what alignments mean. If some dude is playing a cn rogue and starts stealing from random peasents then he's NE not CN
>>47473597
Objective morality exists in real life. Checkmate aetheists.
>>47478289
>>47478253
The sane part is always overlooked, for some reason.
Allow me to better explain myself: I think I, as a GM, have the right to tell a player that purposefully created a PC that in no way can, would or will work with the other PCs to not do that, or not to play that, especially when by allowing that I ruin the other players fun as well as mine. I may be a shit GM for believing that, but I really believe it is my duty as a GM to protect my players' fun, and to allow them to enjoy their roleplay. If a player refuses to let me do that and willingly ruins other people's experience, he has no place at my table. If a player manages to play a CN anything that convinces me, he can and I will thank him for it. I hope I can get my message across, since English is not my first language as one might notice.
>>47478421
That makes perfect sense. I played a CN ranger, but he still had reason to do stuff with the party, and I didnt play him lolrandumb. Chaotic means impulsive, not retarded.
>>47445403
Pic related
>>47446195
Wow anon, you truly are an autistic faggot.
>>47471985
That's the story 40kids tell each other to try and justify all the shitspam they do. In reality, no one really gave a fuck about 40k, mostly because it was only spammed in /b/, and even then it wasn't all that much spam.
>>47445960
you're a goodman
>>47466385
okay Mr. Time wizard
>>47445646
Except 23 AC is totally doable.
>>47466385
>don't just say no
>be a politician about it
>>47445242
"evil feeds upon it self, good redeems its own,"
if group is acting good, trying to do something nice/heroic luck is on their favour.
if group is evil, in troll mode, doing it for "fun", playing "their" character, abusing rules luck is not on their side.
cheat a lot using formula above.
don't kill characters on spot, make them suffer
dont say no, let them try and suffer.
and never ever argue rules during game play, just go on with with flow, settle the argument after game play.
Home rules are fun, but once it is decided it is permanent and applies to NPCs/Monsters as well.
Take notes, lots of notes, you will surely forget it later...
>>47445913
this is not CN, this is pure insane
and insanity deals accordingly, such characters
ends up in a cell or gallows pole, simple as that...
>>47445242
Ignore everything this stupid fucking board says.
>>47447614
>>47447642
screencap'd
>>47467547
>Following the real alignment rules of a setting like FR is actually really rewarding.what's FR?
>>47485984
Forgotten Realms, probably.
>>47445864
>spoony
>>47488288
Thank you.
>>47445242
No natural 20s on skill checks. In 5e, a 20 is just an automatic hit with extra damage. A 1 is just a miss.
Outside of combat, they have no extra bearing on success or failure beyond their numerical value.
>>47489144
Boring.
>>47485876
epic
>>47445242
Just ran my first game half a year ago so I'm far from experienced in this. First game went great, but if I had a time machine I would definitely tell newb me these things:
> 1: It's going to be awkward:
Roleplaying is weird at first, this will go away rather quickly if you'd lighten the tone and go easy on the story. Players need to play their character before they become their character.
2. Maps:
Only print or draw the world map if you are not running a module. For cities and landscapes show the player a picture and let your description and their imagination do the rest. For battle use a small whiteboard. Best investment you can get.
> 3. Winging it:
Write out 20 or so names taken from some names, places and descriptions from online generators and cross them out when you use them. When the time comes for you to make up something be generic rather than special. A guard named Fred or an inn called The red Dragon isn't cringy. It's the norm.
> 4. Battle:
Get good at describing failed attacks or glancing blows. It adds a lot to the game and keeps combat fun. Roll in advance for multiple generic monsters. If a player have a cool idea allow it and let the player narrate how they fail/succeed. Also allow players to narrate their killing blow on bosses.
> 5. Other stuff
Give the players a small amount of xp to distribute among the other players . A good music playlist is also a giant help. Make an ambient one and a combat one. Don't allow mobile phones and don't be an autist.
I fucked up on most things above but learning it was fun as hell. Cheers
>>47493018
>be generic, rather than special
I'm of two minds about this. On one hand, I agree with the notion that not every conceivable location has to a be a special snowflake hub, especially if players don't care. On the other, I prefer ensuring that every location is at least reasonably memorable. It breaks my heart when my players want to return somewhere but don't remember any landmarks or names. If there's anything I'd take away from that, it'd be "consistency". It's easier to stay workmanlike, but exhaustive detail can have its own benefits.
>Give players a small amount of xp to distribute among the other players
I've been playing with my groups for nearly a decade and never thought of doing something like this. Learn something new every day, I guess.
>>47493018
>When the time comes for you to make up something be generic rather than special. A guard named Fred or an inn called The red Dragon isn't cringy. It's the norm.
What an awful attitude. People like you are the worst.
>>47445403
fpbp as always.
>>47493608
When winging it, it generally works best. Generic inn #4 can be named the Red Dragon because youll never see it again. Not everywhere needs to be a unique location with a brochure's worth of histoy and points of interest.
Having said that, take notes of even banal shit. I once gave a throwaway npc a name and short descriptor. PC ended up spending more time with her than I expected, the npc got fleshed out, and a session later I discovered I had created my player's waifu. My description hit a button and every interaction after that ticked off another box on her list of standards.
tl;dr take notes because faceless npcs can become important on accident
>>47445242
Stick with the basic rulebook, NO MATTER WHAT. People get clever and say 'hey can I just use this race?" DON'T. FUCKING. DO. IT. They're out to get the wombo-combo ultra-awesome characters and if you give them an edge (I'm looking at you, fucking Aasimar), they all want an edge and then it gets silly.
