Recently started a campaign with someone who has never played d&d before as the dm (he wouldn't take no for an answer and he's pretty imaginative so we figured what's the worst that could happen) the setting he came up with, albeit pretty standard, has had some pretty cool encounters and puzzles so far with some good workarounds to challenges built in. The only problem is that he didn't understand how levels and AC work so combat is utterly impossible since the entire party is level one and can't do shit to any of the monsters we've encountered meaning were forced to run or talk our way out of everything or be killed in a single blow. Anyone else have a similar story?
Maybe sit him down and explain as best you can how to balance his world :)
>>47782486
>cannot mindlessly slaughter, must roleplay
oh anon you are unworthy of this first-time DM
>>47783187
Nigga, they're playing DnD. I am pretty sure they do plenty of roleplaying, but they also, ya know. Want to fight Monsters.
There's a reason why the Fighter isn't called the Workthroughourdifferenceswithwordsandfeelingser.
>>47783206
my dear negro, there is a such thing as laying a trap or coming up with some other strategy
the fighter is also not called cantbebothered to think
OP claims DM does not understand that everything the PCs come across could oneshot them ...seems like a far-fetched claim to me
more likely, he puts those challenges their consciosly as obstacles
now perhaps he is being too railroady but that is another matter
>>47783277
No. You shut your whore mouth right now.
I have had a GM who thought that a good challenge for PCs to work through would be an Ancient Dragon who was for some reason ruling an island of Lizardmen out in the middle of nowhere.
The same GM also put two Level 3 PCs against 5, count 'em, 5 CR 3 enemies because he did not understand how CR worked.
He also put a level... I think it was 4 Fighter against a Mimic in Pathfinder, and was surprised when he died almost immediately.
Like fuck this is far fetched.
it's alright to cry anon
who has not been on the receiving end of poorly designed encounters
at the same time players tend to stroll through the world as EL is a law of nature
>>47783277
Or, because he's never fucking played the game before, he actually doesn't understand that, you faggot.
>>47782486
>didn't understand how levels and AC work
So he has utterly no idea what he's doing? Because those are pretty basic concepts that are fundamental to the game. You can't pull him aside and say something like "Hey, man, your game is pretty cool and has some neat encounters and puzzles, but you seem to have misunderstood the way levels and AC work. See here, in the book? When you blah, blah, balh..."?
>>47782486
Suggest someone co-DM and help design combat encounters with him.
>>47782486
My Star Wars Saga Edition GM failed to notice that CR is calculated differently for Ship Combats than it is for ground combat, and his "easy fight" damn near one shotted us, and left us scrambling to just stay alive.
>>47782486
It can be hard to gauge encounters, especially as a fresh DM. I've had DM's grow frustrated at the party trouncing encounters that should be at our level CR wise, only to then throw shit at us that is unexpectantly hard.
The answer is, the combat is there to provide a challenge and guide the fun of the game. No-one is trying to beat anyone, which is the weird part of tabletop roleplaying. So maybe he hasn't wrapped his mind around that, yet.
>>47783527
read OP for comprehension nigger
ah summer
