of Dice and Dragons

I’ve mentioned a few different ideas on how you can use index cards to help better organize your game and wanted to pass along another quick tip, use them for treasure items.

When the party comes across an item hand them a card with just the physical description on it such as a bottle, a sword, or a silver box. This not only gives them a tangible item to show that they found something it’s also something that can be passed among party members to show who is actually carrying the item and you can take the card back should it be lost, stolen or sold.

While that alone is a great tool you can take it a step further, have the group write on the card any special characteristics or abilities as they discover them. For example, you hand them a card that says “Long sword” on it. Now as they continue their travels they discover that it’s magical, a +2 to hit and damage to be exact, it was once called the “Orc Slayer,” as it was often used to great effect during the orc wars by Sir Reginald Ashen, knighted for his valor during those same wars.

Now the party has something they can refer to not just for the mechanics part of the item but also for some of the story around it, which of course you as the GM can use for further adventure and plot hooks.

May your dice roll well!

Over at Treasure Tables Martin made the following statement in his posting
PC Backgrounds: Opening and Closing Doors

If you imagine the hooks and plot elements in the PCs’ backgrounds as open doors, it’s a good idea to close those doors during play.

A very true statement which I thing all GMs should take heed of - something I was (to a point) negligent of during my last campaign.

In a number of instances I would spin part of the tale, sometimes using material from the background of the PCs, that would open up new possibilities for my players - hints of new places, strange artifacts or a new villain to deal with.

Problem was, I didn’t close nearly enough of them.

That in and of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing but when you leave more open than you close the players begin to feel that they aren’t accomplishing anything which leads to dissatisfaction with the game - not a good things when one of the tenets of gaming is to have fun.

My suggestion is to keep a running list of those plot lines you’ve opened and ask your players to give you a list of those plot lines they think are open so that you can compare them. This way you can at least get a better idea of what everyone’s perception is and hopefully you’ll be able to “close a few doors” and give your players a bit more enjoyment at the table.

May your dice roll well.

Has this happened in your campaign?

The PCs have just obtained a new level and as they head out for parts unknown they discover that their new encounters are all beefed up - almost as if they gained a level as well. I know I’m guilty of it, new opponents or the same ones as before with a level or two added to match up with the party’s new level.

I think that it’s due to two factors, the players’ desires and the systems we play.

My group plays D&D primarily and the leveling system is aimed at combat encounters - specifically combat encounters that are of an equivalent level to the PCs’ party. If you give them weaker opponents it slows down their progression which in turn makes for unhappy players as they want to advance their characters and get the “new stuff” associated with the new level (spells, feats, skills, etc.).

So what happens? The opponents continue to get tougher, combat sessions get longer and character advancement slows down as it now takes more sessions to reach the next plateau. You’ve created the same slow progression issue, you’ve only used a different method.

As a suggestion I would recommend you, as the GM, set a guideline for how often you want to level the group and then follow it. For most groups I think you’ll find that advancing a level every 4-6 sessions will be about right. That should be fast enough to make your players happy but not so fast that you can’t keep up. We took this approach and everyone seems to be happy with the results.

So that takes care of the leveling of characters but what about the encounters?

There is actually a simply solution, don’t change the opponents or at least not right away. This sounds easy but the habit a lot of GMs have (and I’m guilty of it myself) is that you want to challenge the party. We all have a sense of competition in us and even though the GM and party are not suppose to be competing, it can sneak into your game.

In most fantasy settings low level parties go up against low level creatures such as orcs or goblins - so why don’t they face them at higher levels? Think about this way for a moment, if you give your higher level party opponents that use to take them to the limit but now are more easily handled, aren’t you making a more enjoyable game? Think about it from the player’s perspective, now that level means a bit more, they can actually see the value of their increased melee ability or powers. Of course don’t go totally soft, give them a “big baddie” once in a while as well, but now those opponents will be a focal point of an adventure and not just another combat that they need to survive.

So remember, just because the party level goes up doesn’t mean that the encounters have to follow suit.

May your dice roll well.