With a little help from our friends at SLC Nerd, DCR took on three great questions from real gamers. That's YOU!


THE GAMER FORGE
EPISODE 2
ELECTRIC BOOGALOO


Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Devin Carlson

Comment
I remember reading once about gauntlets that had an effect that somewhat worked like Monkey Grip (Complete Warrior feat). The thing was that the wording was off just a bit.

How I read it, and my DM agreed, was that you could use this with the Monkey Grip feat, and your player would be able to wield a weapon as though it was two sizes larger.

I think it was in the Magic Item Compendium. What are the gauntlets called? I loved them, but now I cannot find them.

Can you guys help?

Gamer Forge Response:


When you actually want to have a monkey on your back, or more accurately, in your hand, DCR says:

1. First, why would you want to do that? Are you trying to mimic a specific character, or are you trying to break the system?
2. The items you are looking for are called Strong Arm Bracers. We like the name Bracers of Dr. Zaius better. You should call them that.
3. The bracers allow you to wield a weapon a size larger than you without penalty. They stack with the feat Monkey Grip, allowing you to wield a weapon two sizes larger. For instance, you can literally use a giant's club as if you were a giant. Or using the Bracers of Dr. Zaius, you can create a fighter along the lines of a popular anime or video game franchise.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Seattle Gaming Group

Comment
Gentlemen,

It has been some time since our little gaming group up here in Seattle have had to write you regarding any issues. We love the Gamer Forge and the show itself is just amazing. Keep up the good work!

Now for my question. I was recently asked what are the benefits of role playing and I was at a complete loss for words or a reasonable answer, I didn't have anything solid that was based off of any facts. I know that there are benefits to roleplaying but at the time I couldn't come up with anything solid.

My question is this What are the overall benefits to RPGs and playing them?


Your faithful listeners,

The Seattle Gaming Group

Gamer Forge Response:
 
What are the bennies to the RPG experience? DCR says:

1. Three words: essential life skills. Inventory and financial management, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, problem solving, applied mathematics, compromise, and diplomacy are just a few of life's great lessons that are learned from the Role Playing Game. More importantly, these lessons are reinforced. The best adventures are won and retold by a group that learns and understands these.
2. You are a legend. In comparison to say, an MMO, you can actually do something that no one else has done and have a story that only you can retell. An MMO, while worthy in it's own rights, cannot give you that achievement. When you slay a dragon in an MMO, you are, at best, the first one to do that today. In the pen and paper RPG, you are in almost every respect the only person to have done that, period.
3. No limit, baby. Sure, the video game looks cool and may help spark you imagination. We aren't necessarily trying to knock the video game, but one flaw we must point out is that they still have limits. There is only so much they can show you. The only limit to an RPG is how much imagination you're willing to apply and how much you're willing to talk about it. Just start talking about the small nuances of your new character's kilt collection, and listen to the discussions that come from that. If you need more convincing, consider this: The characters on The Big Bang Theory play RPG's, and they are some smooth operators.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Noobie Complete

Comment
I was directed to your website by some friends and I was looking over your gamer forge posts. but didn't see anything that could help me so I thought I'd write in.

We're a completely new group of people and none of us have any experience. We drew straws and I ended up assigned as the DM, which I think is a good idea, and could be fun.

But we don't know where to start, or what to buy to get started on our noobish adventure.

What should we buy, what should we do our first few times? Any tips? thanks :)

Gamer Forge Response:

This is one of the few questions that gets the easy answers, but there can be so many. When you are starting a new game or picking up your first RPG book, DCR says:

1. Lord Flagoon recommends to just roll with it. Throw a few things into your pack and go. Part of learning is making mistakes, and everything about playing a game is having fun. There isn't a wrong way to play, but you won't know what works for you, until you find out what doesn't work for you. It's more important to get the game moving. Don't over think it.
2. Revan says it's best to start simple. Just grab the initial player's handbook for whatever game you choose, disregard all the supplements for now, and start from the starting line. You can always add supplemental material later.
3. Guy Named Joe decrees that you don't gain anything by trying to tackle it by yourself. Don't worry about your pride as a geek by not being able to recite all the rules from memory. If you don't know, ask a friendly employee at Epic Puzzles and Games in West Valley City or Lehi, Utah...or whatever your closest game store may be. There really isn't a perfect kit that can be put together for an adventurer, because every adventure is different, and every adventurer approaches it differently.


*Bonus XP: There may be no perfect kit for everybody, but there are items that any good kit should have. Author Jaleeta Clegg recommends that every good kit include plenty of clean underwear. You just never know. The McManus brothers say you should have rope. John Rambo would (probably) tell you to bring a survival knife. Tallahassee (probably) recommends a heavy, blunt object and a sweet jacket. Don't try to be prepared for

Gamer Forger Listener Email:

Name:
Sam Hutchinson

Comment:
I've got a character who needs more melee weapon damage. What kind of things can you do to increase the damage?

Gamer Forge Response:

When it comes to putting that extra force behind your swings, DCR says:

1. A nasty combination of getting a ridiculously high melee damage output would be combining the feats Improved Initiative, Death Blow, and Improved Trip, along with a weapon called a Ghost Head Broadsword, can raise your muscle to its upper limits. Improved Trip states that a successful trip attempt results in the character NOT having used the attack action for the trip attempt. Death Blow states you can make a coup de grace as an attack action, not a full-round action. The GHBS features a 1d10 damage with a times 3 critical multiplier and an 18-20 critical threat range. So, quick math reveals (1d10+STR+magic+feats) x 3 x (z) = OMG! Where z=number of attacks per round. A coup de grace is considered an automatic critical hit. Who says junior high math doesn't pay off?

Another option requires a significant purchase or, alternatively, a great deal of looting. The epic items, Gauntlets of Relentless Might, and Headband of Perfect Excellence should get you licking your chops. The Gauntlets give you a boost of +6 to STR and CON, while the Headband give you a whopping +6 to STR, CON, and WIS. Great for monks! Because, twinking your characters, that's why.

....and players wonder why some of this stuff didn't transfer from one edition to the next.

Gamer Forger Listener Email:

Name:

Louis Christie

Comment:
The Player's Handbook states that you can get "bonus spells" for certain ability scores, but does that mean more spell slots/spells per day, more spells known, or both?

Gamer Forge Response:

Can you spell slots? Get it? Spell? Slots? Yeah, us neither. DCR says:

1. Bonus spells gained through a high attribute do NOT grant additional spells known. Only spells per day. A "wizard" can know any number of spells that they have in their spell book, but only that many. They can't spontaneously know more. Conversely, a sorcerer has innate knowledge of spells, but cast via force of personality, not knowledge. Making a sorcerer smarter won't change anything. Also, bonus spells also doesn't grant you access to spells of levels you don't know yet. Example: a first level wizard who has bonus spells up to third level, doesn't start off knowing third level spells. Once they can cast a third level spell (at level 5, if memory serves), then they can utilize the bonus spells (per day) for their high intelligence score, thus casting more spells per day than the standard wizard.

...again, none of this grandfathered in to the fourth edition.



Gamer Forger Listener Email:

Name:

George Stevenson

Comment:
A lot of the time I find that my players are using their knowledge about the game to there characters advantage even when the character would have no way of knowing certain information.

Here is an example. Trolls do not regenerate when struck by acid or fire damage. A lot of times I find that my characters always carry around a vial of acid or a fire spell just in case they meet a troll. When they have never faced a troll ever in the life of their character.

Another example would be when the characters find a portal that is blood red, a player will say, "That portal will take us to the Abyss!!" and BAM the surprise is gone.

There's more but I'm not going to make a huge list of examples. I mean I'm really glad that my players take the time to read up on this stuff but sometimes it ruins the suspense and belief of the game, I mean how would a half Orc barbarian know that a certain marking on a wand means its a Wand of Burning Hands?

My question is this: How do you get players to use character knowledge instead of player knowledge?



Gamer Forge Response:

The ultimate thin red line between playing and cheating: metagaming. DCR says:

1. Describe monsters as if you don't know what it is. A very common (and very easy) pitfall of gaming is players like to spend time immersing themselves in the lore of the world in which they play. It isn't good or bad, it's just something everyone does. Counterbalance this by no longer assigning the common name for the enemy the first few times they encounter it. Don't call a "gnoll" a "gnoll". Getting the players in the spirit of the world starts with the Dungeon Master getting in the spirit of the world. However, once the characters have been around for a while and survived a good deal, it's cool to let them know aspects of creatures, especially commonly encountered creatures.
2. If you feel that the metagaming crosses the line into cheating, the next step is to not let the players assume the have the advantage. Remember the old adage about "assume"? It makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me". The moment someone makes the assumption they have the advantage, they will behave as if they do. Another easy pitfall. At the early stages of the game, players assume they know exactly how to entice the goblin king out of its cave? Put the kibosh on that by saying, "Roll me a (insert relevant lore check here), please." If they succeed reasonably at the check, then they can know some of the information on the goblin. Otherwise, they don't know, and can respond with something like, "Find another option, please." Certain aspects of logic are enforceable!
3. You will never fully be able to curb it. You can't make players forget what they learned about the game unless that player is Homer Simpson, or you have a fondness for causing head trauma. But we don't judge, either way.


*Bonus XP: Still feel like you're not doing enough melee damage? Try this little tidbit: the D&D 1st edition rules on an assassin sub-class allow for a special attack that can kill an enemy outright, regardless of how many hit points they have. The player has a percentage chance, based on level, of successfully using the attack. Even better, if the attack fails, he/she still deals normal sneak attack/backstab damage. A little house rule can transfer this into a more current rule system. The assassin starts with a small percent chance of killing the target, say 25 percent. Then every other level thereafter, that percentage goes up. So, around 10th level, they may have a 50 percent chance of assassinating the enemy. Now, if that doesn't whet your appetite for destruction, then maybe you start seeing a shrink. Just saying.

Gamer Forger Listener Email:

Name
Dixon Michaels

Comment
Hello Dungeon Crawlers Radio!

What can I say, but I think I royally screwed up my game. Let me kind of explain what’s happened. So my group has been playing for over a year now and they are roughly about level 11. So they are well established characters that have the means or taking care of themselves in almost any situation. The party is a group of five, including a rogue, mage, cleric, and two fighters that can really dish out the damage. They work together really well.

So they have accepted a quest to retrieve the fabled item of Rovak and during the quest was able to piece together the clue to bring them to the cave of a long dead Dragon, Golfinix. The enter the cave and clear it out with ease, but when they arrived in the chamber where the item was rumored to be they found a half eaten and bloated body of a Drow upon the floor. Now the Drow have not been seen in this year for several decades so this was a great surprise to the characters and so they wanted to investigate further but the Cleric reminded them of their responsibility to warn the surrounding villages and send a warning to the King. After this was done they searched out a fellow by the name of Cor’Valtis to learn of any possible Underdark passages that could possible come close to or connect with the dead Dragon’s lair. When indeed Cor’Valtis identifies such one passage they party takes off after the foul elves.

Now this is where things basically go wrong.

The players find the small cave begin their progress down into the Underdark. Now because only one of them is a Dwarf and the rest are Humans they are basically blind unless they use their items the produce light, sun rods, torches, or magical devices. The players didn’t think anything of this…But of course down in the Underdark they are a giant beacon of come get some!

After several fights with some really nasty creatures the players barely make it near to the Dragon’s cave to find that the Drow had magically created a tunnel that connected to the passage and the cave. At that point they decided to follow the tunnel to a smallish cavern that housed a adamantine tower of some sort. Of course it was a trap because why? The Drow scouts had seen their light source and went to investigate. The group crossed the cavern with ease and no threats came at them, because the Drow were closing off any escape routes. The rogue easily picked the lock on the tower door and in went the group with weapons in hand.

They had a small skirmish with a iron golem inside the entryway which was vastly much bigger on the inside than the tower would allow one to think. The battle was tough but they dispatched the golem. Once that was done they went to open the large doors that allowed them to move forward it was here that the rogue rolled a 1 and failed on disarming the trap, thus setting off an alarm and having his hand puncture by a misfiring spring. With the alarms going off the two fighter’s broke down the doors and proceeded to barrel into whatever was on the other side of the doors. 8 Drow with nasty swords and other weapons in hands. During the battle the rogue started to feel ill and faint and failed both saving throws and succumbed to the poison that was coursing through his veils that was on the spring. So she drops down to the floor unconscious, the Drow then focus their attacks on taking out the mage and the cleric. Which of course brought up some annoyance and heated words from my players saying the NPCs would not go after them since they are in the back. I again reminded them that these were thinking NPCs and not feral beasts or dumb goblinoids.

With a few crossbow bolts coated with sleep poison and failed save throws the mage and cleric dropped to the floor out cold. The two warriors nearly dead were able to pull off a save and defeat the remaining Drow. The alarm is still ringing and they have only gone two rooms into the tower. One of the warriors when to take a peak outside and nearly got his head chopped off by a Drider before slamming the door shut and throwing down the locking bar. Now the PC’s are stuck, two asleep, and one dying of poison and the only person that could save him is asleep.

I don’t want to bail them out because they have walked into this ill prepared and are level 11 characters. One of them may die as they have to move on. So really the question here is two part first I would like you to help put the argument to rest that the Drow would have tactically gone after the spellcasters in the group and not the stronger fighters first. Then secondly when should I do in regards to my players? Should I throw them a bone and a safe way out? If I do should there be some consequence to their actions? Because honestly I don’t think the Drow would just let this pass? Let alone what should the consequence be for failing to retrieve the item as promised?

Can you help me out here!

Dixon

Gamer Forge Response:

Drider? We hardly knew her! Har har! DCR says:

1. The easy one: Of course, the drow would target a cleric. The drow matriarchal society reveres clerics. Some surface-dwelling fools bringing their heretical beliefs to offend Lolth? Yeah. Provided your cleric is taking great pains to hide his cleric-ness(?), then the drow foes would know to target their efforts there, thus gaining a tactical advantage.
2. If, for some zany reason, your heroes escape this situation, don't go easy on them. The worst thing one can do for their players right now, would be to hand-wave or in any way gloss over the escape. At level 11, these characters have earned the privilege of getting the full details of their adventures. Now, the players have a few options. First, it's not out of the question to attempt to parlay. With circumstances being so dire, the two fighters may have to resort to this. Second, attempt to fall back and try again. Get some hirelings or mercenaries for some extra muscle. Lastly, you may have to surrender and negotiate the terms of your release. This may include having to do a favor for a matriarch. It will most likely be something that will kill you or compromise you. But, at least you will be out of this frying pan.
3. This part we can't stress enough: don't hammer down on them. These heroes have learned some of the valuable life lessons of adventuring, so there's no need to keep crushing their spirits by heaping on punishment after punishment. Sometimes, having failed at a quest is punishment enough. One or more of them may die trying to get out of this predicament. Telling the story of how they do it, and giving the details of the losses necessary to make it happen will be the true reward for your players. Just make sure you keep things moving. Don't let this little tragedy slow down the pacing of your game.


*Bonus XP: You think things are pretty dire? Try reading Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. That's a pretty hopeless situation. Sure, soldiers get to ride around in robots, but a never ending mass of faceless, nameless killer spider/beetle things? The whole story is a satire, not unlike the movie Robocop. Coincidentally, both film versions were directed by the same guy, Paul Verhoeven. Weird, huh? But that says something about how players/viewers can handle the direness of the scene. No matter what the final outcome is, maybe it's best to look back with a smile and laugh at it. This scene has the makings of a great war story to tell the young ones when you become old geezers and tell them about what gaming was like when you only had a piece of paper and a pencil and a twenty-sided die, uphill...both ways!

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Calvin MacDonald

Comment
Gentlemen and the lovely Firebird.

I first want to say thank you for putting on such a great show. I've been listening t for the last year and I have to say you have had an amazing line up of guests!

I'll be honest I don't get to see to many of the guest you've have on the show over here in Perth, Scotland.

So with that said greetings from across the pond! And I'd like to know where Lord Flagoon has a plot oh land and when he plans to come across the pond and have a pint with us!

And now for my gaming question.

One of my players wants to play an unarmed fighter. What I need to know is; do spiked gauntlets count as weapons or as armor for the purposes of enchanting?

I hope you can help me out and Lord Flagoon we'll always have a pint wait'n for yah!

Gamer Forger Response:

This one was easy. When you gotta have spikes on them fisteses, DCR says:

Spiked gauntlets make you armed even when you aren't holding a weapon. When enchanting spiked gauntlets, they count as weapons, not armor. Enchant accordingly.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Jack Reynolds

Comment
My question is quick and simple.

Could an undead in 3.5e D&D such as a skeleton benefit from wearing magic items like rings of protection?

Gamer Forge Response:

We don't always give our skeletons magic items, but when we do:

Sure. Rings of Protection count as a deflection bonus, thus can stack with different bonuses that a skeleton or other undead may have. The only similar bonuses that stack are "dodge" bonuses. So a deflection bonus stacks with a natural armor bonus, which stacks with a luck bonus, etc., to calculate an Armor Class. Stay armored, my friends.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Steven Rostenberg

Comment
Can a Rogue (D&D 3.5) use sneak attack on both the first and second attack?

I know this seems like a question you can simply Google but the answers vary and my clan is under the impression that I can only use it on my first attack (once per round) and not on my second attack.

From Googling, I've understood that as long as the monster / enemy is flat-footed, flanked or caught off-guard, I can apply sneak attack on both my first and second attack in a round.

Is this correct?

Is it normal if the clan simply decides that that gives me an unfair advantage in combat and gives me only one sneak attack per round?

Gamer Forger Response:

Sneaky, sneaky! When getting your sneak on, DCR says:

1. If for some reason you get multiple attacks, you get to apply the sneak attack bonus damage to each successful hit. Here's the justification: sneaky types (typically) aren't gonna be wielding the large weapons and (usually) don't have access to powers and special abilities that enhance their normal damage output. They're just not built that way. But they have to get an edge somehow. With that being said...
2. Full-round actions. Multiple attacks can only be taken as part of a full-round action, meaning if you move or do anything else during your turn, then you only get the one attack. A lot of what a sneaky type does, is move and juke and jive around the battlefield, so getting multiple attacks in a round is usually out of the question. If for some reason, your sneaky type manages to stay still and have an enemy back up into him/her, well, then that means you don't have to move, and can take multiple attacks, dealing full sneak attack damage on each successful hit. It sounds like a lot of work, but that's part of getting the most out of your sneaky type.
3. Know your role. "Rogues" aren't really known for carrying the giant swords and battle axes. It's just not their bag, baby. Besides, "rogues" should be focusing their efforts into filling in the gaps that might be missing within the party. Every adventuring group needs a resident pimp. Just saying.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Raz Dragon

Comment
Okay so I really need you help because my last game session didn't end up so well and I am just not sure what to do here?

Let me explain what happened.

My player which I will call Steven rolls to attack during a big encounter that progresses the story and he, rolls a 1. Next round, rolls a 1. Round after that, rolls a 1. Fourth round, rolls a 2.

I'm serious this really happened all night his rolls were never higher than a 6 or 5 and he was going back and forth between two different dice too.

It just so happened that this whole encounter had outrageously unlikely rolls and all the players seeing more low single digits than they had any right to, while I ended up rolling four d20s all at once for an area attack and getting four 20s.

At some point or another, all the role-playing in the world doesn't save you when the dice are just not in your favour. What is a DM to do in such situations where players are getting frustrated at the dice and, as a result, are getting upset with the game?

Gamer Forge Response:

Lastly, when things are looking grim for the group, DCR says:

1. It's just a game, and a game can be put on pause. It's cool to take a break, get a breather, grab a drink, make a corner-store run, something. Everybody, and I do mean everybody, has a bad night of dice rolling. That's what happens when you play with probability. Law of Averages says you will encounter times like this. Oh, well. No matter how awesome you have yourself set up to be, you will fail every once in a while. The only piece of advice regarding this would be : "cope with it". You will not be awesome 100% of the time.
2. Beware of escalation. It may be tempting to offset a bad night of rolling by permanently enhancing the characters with magic or other means. Don't do it! There is no substitute for probability. Part of playing the game is rolling the die and risking not winning that night. To cheat probability like that is to miss the point of playing a game, period.
3. So everyone ended up dying? Is that really the end of the world? DM's take a lot of time to come up with cool stuff to happen each week, and it stinks when it gets shelved due to a TPK (total party kill). There's no reason bits of what you had planned can't just be transplanted into a new story. Don't let a bad night of rolling wreck your whole experience of Dungeon Mastering, or playing an RPG in general.


*Bonus XP: To get a good grasp of what it means to be part of a team, try watching episodes of Leverage. Each member of the team has a distinct, specialized role and each one of them is specialized to the point that they are the only ones who can do it. Sure, what they do is usually illegal. Okay, almost all the time it's illegal. Point being, a "rogue" should be able to fill roles within a group that aren't being covered, and do it well enough that they won't be replaced anytime soon. That's one of many things that make a good team. Each member contributes in a unique way, and goals are achieved due in no small part to that unique help.