Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Hank Johnson

Comment
There are many instances in Pathfinder and other 3.5 based systems when you might need to reduce a monster below 1 or 1/2. For example, if I'm using a CR 1/2 monster from a 3.5 source in Pathfinder, I'm supposed to reduce it's CR by 1. So what do I do in this case? Reducing the CR by 1 using rote math would put me in negative territory. Or, for a more practical example, what if I want to include many weaker versions of a weak CR 1 enemy? I'd apply the CR -1 template, but then what would the CR be?

Do I drop down to the next fractional CR? Or do I go in halve the CR?

Note: I realize that this is partially a theorycraft question, since this situation only occurs at very low level encounters or in encounters with LOTS of low level enemies. However, it's been bugging me for awhile and I'd appreciate your input.

'Tanks!

Gamer Forge Response:

It's a lot of math, but DCR cracked the case...

1. Once a challenge rating drops below five levels under the group's rating, or five levels above, that challenge shouldn't be thrown at them. It's either far too weak, or much too strong. But we totally get that you gotta quantify the challenge somehow, for the sake of calculating experience and loot.

2. However, dropping the challenge rating to one quarter means that the only time it would be worth any experience reward is at first level. So this may be a great scenario if you want some first level characters to be involved in a large scale battle.

3. Without knowing the full context of why you're dropping the CR so low, it's hard to determine the actual answer. As far as we could figure, we answered your question. If we didn't, then our answer is "Knight Rider". That's right, "Knight Rider".

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Michael Jacobson

Comment
I was poking around and looking at the Paladin and liked their lay on hands class feature. I, however, do not like the Paladin itself. So I was wondering if there were abilities one could acquire that work like Lay on Hands without being a paladin.

Gamer Forge Response:

I'm a paladin! And you can be, too! To get a little closer to your deity, DCR says:

1. The resource book, Defenders of the Faith, features a prestige class called a Hospatalier. It allows someone who doesn't have the Lay On Hands class feature to use it. In theory, a fighter with a high Charisma score could do it, as could a wizard or barbarian. So could David Hasselhoff in Knight Rider. Just saying.


Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Dallas Gaming Group

Email
[email protected]

Comment
I haven't been able to find a way to create a classic dwarven battlerager that is official. I want to build a dwarf that wears spiked armor, spiked gauntlets, spiked everything, that charges enemies, grabs them, punches, bites, and shakes violently to use my body and armor as a weapon.

(I know there's an "Battlerager" fighter build, but it's unrelated to the classic dwarven battlerager.)

Gamer Forge Response:

These aren't the usual warm fuzzies that you want to share. These ones are gonna hurt! When you're trying to make the one-of-a-kind "Battlerager", DCR says:

1. Not really. There isn't a "class" that gives you everything to make what you're asking for. But, a fighter/monk combination could do it. Take your first four or five levels as a monk to increase your unarmed damage and speed. The next three or four levels should be taken as a fighter, to grant you access to the feats necessary to become a "Grapper" prestige class. Feats like Improved Grapple and Improved Trip will help immensely. A high Constitution will be more useful than a high Dexterity. You will be harm's way before anyone else and you need to be able to survive longer. Unless you're Knight Rider. KITT automatically survives everything. Its a rule. It ain't pretty, but that's how we got your Battlerager figured.


Bonus XP: If you're still having trouble putting your adventurers into large scale battles, try looking into Warhammer Fantasy or Lord of the Rings RPG. Both of these have great suggestions for creating large, outnumbered battles. If you can't quite get the numbers to balance out and heroes are either outnumbered or overpowering, have them either driving KITT, or have them face KITT in battle. Also, it would be pretty sweet to have that snarky voice making quips in the middle of Lord of the Rings-type dialogue. You should do that. Guy Named Joe will personally bestow enough experience to level your character if you do. But you must provide proof of it happening. A 30-second video would do just fine.

Previously, on Catacombs Talk Forum...

Gamer Forge Listen Email:

Name
Simon Donovan

Comment
Gentlemen,

My gaming question is this. When playing a wizard and creating magic items in 3.5 D&D is there a way to create those magic items without having to burn up experience points or if I have to atleast do it in a way that I don't have to burn a lot to do so?

Thanks

Gamer Forge Response:

Oh, Oh! It's Magic! But it's also gonna cost you. When you're making items, DCR says:

1. Nope. It will always cost you XP.
2. But...it doesn't necessarily have to cost your own. Your DM may allow you to find a way to sacrifice someone else's XP. It's very evil, but it may be worth asking about if you're desperate to not cash in your XP.
3. If you can't sacrifice someone else, the cheapest route becomes making scrolls. They cost the least amount of your experience to make. That's why wizards begin play with the feat to do so.

Gamer Forge Listen Email:

Name

Rick Richards

Comment
I'm starting to play Star Wars Saga edition and I don't want to play a Jedi or a sith. What is a good class to play and why?

Gamer Forge Response:

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...DCR says:

1. The SW Saga Edition features five (and only five) core character classes, each balanced out so as not to overshadow each other. Jedi, Noble, Scoundrel, Scout, and Soldier.
2. Scoundrel features the most commonly used skill set, along with special Talents that negate frustrating penalties, suppress enemies' bonuses, and enhance your defenses and skills. As an added benefit, this class is rounded enough to fill in gaps that may be left open by the other, more specialized classes, like Soldier.
3. However, Noble is the underdog, here. They're not supposed to be the front line fighters, nor the "caster" specialties of the Jedi. But the special Talents will help your allies in almost any scenario. Also, the "Wealth" Talent straight up gives you money just for being alive. Just so that it's clear, let's put it on it's own line in bold, italic, underline:

Free. Money.

Gamer Forge Listen Email:

Name

Steven Broadbent

Comment
We are starting a world of darkness campaign. Any advise on how to run the game since this is my first time running this system?

Gamer Forge Response:

"World of Darkness" doesn't mean "World of Confusion". When taking on this scary world for the first time, DCR says:

1. Commonality. It doesn't really matter how much you love vampires, if nobody else in the game cares about vampires. Find the level where everyone meets as far as familiarity. If your gaming group is familiar with the movie "Monster Squad", then start in a world similar to that. When giving descriptions and examples, draw from that pool of knowledge as well. On the flip side, if a player isn't connecting to what you're offering, that player has every right to not play. Respect the player's decision to show up or not.
2. Learn the core mechanic. This would apply to learning any new game system. Before you start running, you've got to understand the core mechanics. All the nuanced stuff will come with time. If you have to look in the rulebooks just to find out how to determine success at an attack, then you quickly lose the trust and respect of the players. A GM should be regarded as an authority on the subject.
3. World of Darkness is filled to the brim with it's own lore. Tap that like you would a keg in college. Each book in the system is somewhat connected, so finding lore for you campaign setting is a breeze. It looks like a mountain when put next to each other, but remember that you can just take one and leave the rest. You've gotta put on training wheels before you can ride the ten-speed.

*Bonus XP: To help get players psyched up for playing a game set in a universe closer to the real world, start with the music. If you've got a half-decent laptop loaded with music, try loading that puppy up with some tunes that might help fit the mood. Get some player input about the sorts of things they would hear in a supernatural thriller. To give that extra kick in the pants, try creating several playlists to reflect radio stations, so when characters hop into a car, have a radio station turn on and start playing. It's a little more effort to put it together, but so worth it once players begin to "get it" and feel more connected to the world that they are helping shape. For help in getting started, just turn on your radio in your own car, and scribble some quick notes on five or six random stations. Also, playing the classic Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a great way to start. The music makes for a more personable, if not perfect, immersion experience.

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.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Wax Eagle

Comment
I'm currently working on a homebrew system and one concept I was intending to incorporate is that there is no in-game currency; items are traded using a barter system. The thing is, how do I set a 'base price' to measure the worth of an item against?

For example, how do I indicate that generally a sword is worth 3 skins worth of water but a dagger is only worth 1?

I had thought to have units of water as a base price for every item of equipment, but then that just seems to be changing one currency for another.

Are there any systems with a similar mechanic?

Gamer Forge Response:

This week, the DCR crew got an e-mail concerning the use of the barter system. Who runs Bartertown? DCR says:

1. Determine the most valuable commodity. Is it water? Is it metal? Wood? You need to determine the preciousness something that everyone wants. The Dark Sun game setting places metal as the high end resource. That effectively becomes that world's version of gold. In the Mad Max films, water and gasoline are more precious than anything. Value of commodities goes down from there. Don't worry about setting prices for something, because the barter system doesn't price goods, because the value of goods depends entirely on the individual needing them.
2. Just how willing are you to part with "X"? If your characters are desperate for that last box of Twinkies, they must be willing to part with something they have, because money doesn't exist. In the film, Book of Eli, Denzel Washington has to part with his material goods in order to get enough water for his journey. This is the very core of the barter system: personal value. So, in order to emphasize the need for such value, have the players keep meticulous track of their goods, because those goods are now their money. When situations arise that require them trade for new goods, take a quick peek at their sheets so a level trade can occur. Don't necessarily exploit that personal value they place, but keep it in context with the world in which they play. Just because a player values a magic shield, doesn't mean the trader wants the magic shield. Maybe that last skin of water or last day's worth of rations is way more appealing...
3. It works both ways. Players need to be able to examine the resources of the immediate area and the landscape. A dwarven city won't have much use for rough cut gems, while a river town may not have need for fresh fish. Just keep the descriptions of the areas your players visit so that the needs of the people come into play. This big detail helps breathe more life into your campaign world by showing just how the world revolves while they're not around. Lastly, the barter system is NOT an exact science.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Devin Patchery

Comment
Here's the situation. There's a locked door that prevents any further progress into the dungeon. There's a keyhole in the door and a message basically saying that the key needs to be wished for.

In the room with the locked door is a wishing well. Each person is limited to one wish, and successive attempts just inflict damage to the wisher.

It's very straightforward: someone needs to wish for the key and it will appear, and they can unlock the door. The intent was not to present the players with a complex puzzle or anything time-consuming. The intended effect was that all but one player get a free wish, but one person has to sacrifice their wish to get past the door (and later be rewarded for their selflessness).

But, as always, things did not go according to plan. Without even discussing the key, each character went ahead and made their selfish wish. Okay, no big deal. You can brute force the door or just break it down with an axe. But my players are terrified that something awful will happen if they destroy the door, even though I have done nothing to indicate this.

They've tried wishing for the key, but since they all expended their wish, the well just damages them and doesn't work. So they've now set their mind to solving this puzzle that doesn't exist. They are trying to find deeper meaning in the words on the door, trying to word the wish more precisely, taking unnecessary damage all the while. The last 30 minutes of our session was spent on this.

Now I'm all for causing a little party frustration. But it's starting to drag on. I want to explain to them that they've simply exhausted their wishes and need to find an alternative way to get past the door. I want to smack the fighter over the head and tell him to just bash it down. But that's not the way I roll (heh, heh).

I would provide subtle clues - the magic aura of the wishing well fades, or something along those lines, but the damage has already been done. They've inspected the well and the door and I've already told them that there is nothing different about it.

How can I get my players to overcome this obstacle without just telling them outright?

Gamer Forge Response:

We love this situation! We really do! When players are stuck between a keyhole and a wishing well, DCR says:

1. Well, duh! You gave players a free wish. Was any other outcome truly expected? Indeed, the DCR Ten Commandments state: Thou shalt respect the consequences of thine actions. Your players were given an open invitation to solve this challenge and they squandered it. But let's go back a bit. No, it's not too much to expect that adventurers will have a few moments of altruism and selflessness. The outcome of this situation can help illustrate the importance of thinking beyond munchkin-ing out their character sheets.
2. A funny consequence may be to have another adventurer NPC walk out of the locked room  holding some generic loot and show them what they missed out. Remember, that this is a moment of consequence, so they shouldn't even get an opportunity to mug the NPC and jank the loot, because that just bypasses the challenge. Also, don't get preachy about it. Once they see what they missed out on, just move on with the adventure. They won't hold it against you if you don't keep holding it against them.
3. The deep part: Does the rest of your adventure hinge on getting what's behind the door? There doesn't seem to be any reason why your story can't just move on somewhere else. Remain mindful, Dungeon Master, that you are running a game and are responsible for keeping things moving. If players make too much noise in the room, have something sneak up behind them and attack, or do something to get them moving along.


*Bonus XP: Most films and books that deal with an apocalypse or some kind of global context as part of it's setting are a great place to start looking at how a barter system works. Mad Max, The Book of Eli, The Road, The Hunger Games, and District 9 are all settings that involve the use of a barter system. Just find your commodity and transplant it into your game's setting. To get a very real look at bartering, imagine what it would be like on a deserted island with the adventurers. Money loses value quickly while resources and small, everyday contrivances take over as the new gold.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Matthew Spencer

Comment
Hey DCR could you talk about this on your show? We are a small gaming group in Calgary and could use your insight.

Also we just have to say we love the Ed & Double D special!

So here is my question.

How do I deal with overly cautious players?

Recent encounters with hard to hurt opponents have left the party pretty beat up. Now the players are now seemingly scared by similar encounters and prefer fleeing.
I'm GMing a game of Pathfinder for friends, using a premade module. They plays a team of four characters and it's been going great so far. Recently though, the group has started facing harder opponents with various immunities or high damage output. Result: the party has taken a beating but is still alive. My players confidence though? Went down for the count.
The party had a series of encounters with creatures that displayed unusual powers and immunities. Some of them were more dangerous than I think the module intended, and others would have been less dangerous but the party didn't react the way the module expected (not least because they were spooked by the earlier dangerous encounters). The party also didn't get any mental breathing room by being given fights they could simply smash in between these more dangerous or unusual encounters.
This resulted in the players quickly getting spooked, feeling like they were in over their head, and so we spent the session with the characters running away. It did not make for a fun session on either side.
How do I reassure the players and make the fighting something to look forward to rather than a frustrating experience of hide and seek?
Should I start adapting the scenario to manage the player's fear level and put a few easier encounters to show their party is not inept? Or should I push some tools that could help against those opponents?
Sub-questions:
• How do you reassure your players when a new encounter brings back an unexpected previous-encounter trauma?
• How do you reconcile the fact the encounter is meant to be scary, is indeed scary to the players, but you suddenly wish it would not be?
The issue has been discussed with the player right after the session since it was obvious we were both disappointed by these few hours. He admitted being gradually scared by multiple things:
• A previous encounter with a creature which required spending more resources than usual to defeat. The problematic encounter is meant to look like that creature at first, so... trauma.
• The description of the new creature (it is eerie and menacing in various ways)
• The legend one of the PCs remembered, which seems linked to the creature (legendary creature?!)
• The problematic encounter's secret true nature led to alarmingly unusual and apparent rule-breaking effects when the party didn't figure out the truth quickly.
The player actually enjoys combat, quite possibly more than roleplaying encounters. He is not yet knowledgeable about all the tactical possibilities of the system though (nor am I, really).

Gamer Forge Response:

Holy guacamole! This one was a doozy! Its a bummer when your heroes get their day wrecked, but when it comes to climbing back on the saddle, DCR says:

1. It's okay to stroke their ego a little. That's the importance of henchman. Not every battle or conflict needs to be epic-sized. If "epic" is the norm, then what becomes the new "epic"? When the players are having a problem getting their confidence back, throw them a bone. Give them a battle or two with some puny goblins or something. But when you throw them a bone, DO NOT throw them a curve ball. If they find a five skeletons, then they find ONLY five skeletons. No swerves. What they see is what they get. The bridge of trust needs to rebuilt, and it won't happen if they don't trust the one responsible for telling where the bridge leads.
2. Introduce an NPC to accompany the heroes to give them a boost of confidence. But friends don't let friends play NPC's willy-nilly. An adventuring NPC should never outshine or outperform a player character in any statistical manner. The NPC is there to act as cheerleader, or worst case scenario, as training wheels. If the players grow attached to the hireling or henchman or whatever the NPC ends up being, just have it handling things non-specifically in the background. Let the players have the spotlight whenever possible. If you want to hire a mercenary or henchman to carry your adventure gear, remember that players should have to pay or share the spoils of battle, including experience. This opens the door for when the players wish to separate from the NPC by not letting them get too attached. On the other hand, if the players do get attached, they won't mind so much sharing the spoils and can be there to cheer on the players once the training wheels come back off. This is about getting their confidence back, after all.
3. Now, for the hard part. And we all three agreed that this one is tough. But some lessons need to be learned the hard way. If your players drew the conclusion that the creature was legendary because the words "legend" and "creature" appeared in the same sentence, then they deserve what happened. If the DM gave them ample chances and clues to keep them on a certain path, and they still arrived at that conclusion, then they deserve to be running. They bit the hand that fed them. But now that that part is over, now its time for both parties to move on and learn from the mistake. Hopefully, the players can take a hard, objective look at the problem and the outcome, and take back an experience of growth. And laughter. If you can't laugh after learning, then what was the point of learning anything?

Bonus XP:  For the penultimate NPC, look no further than Star Wars. C-3PO was annoying, eccentric, droll, and flat-out hated by fans. But there were a few moments where the heroes would not have succeeded without his help. Yet, he was out-classed physically by everyone else, including R2-D2. When it came time to fight, he scooted neatly into the background, and helped set the mood for the entire film franchise. He was endeared just enough to keep him around, and filled just the right niche when the time was just right. Most importantly, he was right beside the heroes during their greatest moments and welcomed them home, not do the work for them or take credit. Perfect. Simply perfect.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:
Name
Mark Jacobsen

Comment
A friend of mine is planning for a campaign in a colonial/pirate setting, and is planning on re-skinning crossbows as firearms, (i.e. light crossbow = musket, hand crossbow = flintlock), but I was wondering if there were already rules for such weaponry.

Gamer Forger Response:

Catch-a-Gun! Uggghhh. That sounds bad, just typing it. When you a crossbow just won't cut it for your pirate, DCR says:

1. The DMG says 1d10 with a times two critical multiplier. Fantasy settings often don't give much love to firearms, even Renaissance-era flintlocks. So, unfortunately, that's all the official answer gives us.
2. However, D20 Modern gives a host of options with your firearms. The books Ultramodern Firearms and D20 Weapons Locker give all the deets about all the guns you will ever need, including the stats and damage for the game. If you were expecting some huge damage rolling because it's "from the future", then prepare for disappointment. most guns comes up as 1d10 with a times two critical multiplier. Just like it says in the DMG. Most game systems give all the rules for firearms, and most just carryover from setting to setting. You just won't get the ridiculous damage rolling no matter where you go.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name

Walter Smith

Comment
I’m just curious if any supplement out there includes an Animal Companion that is not, in fact, an Animal. As in the type.

I mean that just any Druid of sufficient level can take; there are probably feats that allow you to get nonstandard Companions from other types, but I mean just ordinary “Animal” Companions.

Bonus points if the Animal Companion in question is an Aberration, Dragon, Elemental, Magical Beast, or Plant, and thus qualifies for Rapidstrike.

Super bonus points if you find a Construct or Undead, because that would just be weird.

Gamer Forger Response:

Catch-a-Familiar! Okay, just had to try again. That's the last one, promise. When your run-of-the-mill familiar just isn't sitting at the cool kids' table, DCR says:

1. Familiars can often be designated as any commonplace animal. Part of the point of the familiar is that, by themselves, they don't stand out very much. Most familiars confer a small, one-time bonus at the start of game play. Usually a small bonus to a skill or a small, special attack the familiar can do. It's what the familiar does over time is what makes them special.
2. If you want a familiar that is not only different, but almost diabolical, try a humunculous. It's a familiar that is constructed from the master's own blood. It behaves in the same way as a normal familiar does, just more...gross?

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name

Rick Bosco

Comment
Why are wizards and their ilk so restricted in their choice of personal armor in most fantasy roleplaying games? (...let alone novels etc.)

Sure, learning takes up a lot of time, especially about such an arcane and cryptic subject as magic - but this is just a stereotype. Games and worlds could both easily be designed otherwise.

Why is this stereotype so prevalent, and where does it come from?

Gamer Forger Response:

Does the clothes make the hero? DCR says:

1. Armor, in all actuality, is bulky and restrictive. There's nothing in the rules that says you absolutely cannot wear armor, it's just never recommended. A sorcerer's/wizard's movements are commonly the most important aspect of the magic. It's more dramatic that way, trust us. Also, mages become some of the most potent damage dealers around. So a heavy cannon that also becomes impossible to damage? Talk about unbalanced!
2. Lightning Rod! It's about the real-life repercussions of what you're doing. A fireball is very, very hot. When you wrap some meat in tinfoil and make it very, very hot, what happens? It cooks! Remember, a mage in heavy plate mail acts as a lightning rod when casting lightning spells, and becomes terribly frozen when using cold spells. However, you can double-dog dare a party member to stick their tongue to your armor right after casting "Touch of Frost" on yourself. Just saying.
3. Action heroes! Bruce Willis wasn't awesome in Die Hard because he was wearing heavy armor. Hell, he wasn't even wearing shoes! Star Wars Saga Edition best reflects the action hero mentality with an ever-increasing defense. So, we say NOT wearing armor has it's merits, so don't knock it. Unless, of course, you want to make a few extra coin by double-dog daring someone.


*Bonus XP: To go the extra mile, take a few minutes and give your familiar a bit of personality. A simple quirk to draw a little more attention to it and have a little fun with it. But remember that the character is the main focus, so don't stress the familiar too much. Archemedes from the animated Sword in the Stone is a classic example of a familiar. Not very exotic. Quirky. Understated. Relevant. All the makings of a great supporting character.

Sweet! A series of easy to answer questions!

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name
Robert Tiffany

Comment
I could have sworn that I read somewhere that the War Domain granted Improved Unarmed Strike when the god favored them, but I can’t find it now. Did I just imagine this, or is it an actual rule somewhere?

Gamer Forger Response:

So, when it comes to being EXTRA AWESOME in the eyes of your deity, DCR says:

1. This sounds like a house rule. Nothing wrong with that. A cleric is, by default, already favored by his/her deity. That's the source of their spells. If a DM wants to grant an additional favor for being an EXTRA AWESOME cleric, then who are we to argue?

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name

Kevin Hardison

Comment
How does a mount interact with its rider in regards to Reflex saves?

Example:

•If a mount has a better reflex saving throw can the rider use its save instead of his own?
•If a mount has evasion and the rider does not, does the rider gain the benefit of it?
•Does the opposite apply as well? (rider with evasion on mount without, mount uses rider's save )
•Is the relationship between rider and mount important ( e.g. animal companion, special mount, familiar, 'bought the mount with gold', 'raised him from a pup', etc.)?

Gamer Forger Response:

When you can't quite figure out how your special mount helps you, DCR says:

1. When calculating your mount's NADS (Non Armored Defense Score), use either the typical saving throws for a standard creature of it's type, or the owner of said mount, whichever is higher.
2. Evasion is granted by the rider. A familiar sometimes grants Evasion to it's master, but not normally to a rider of a mount. Evasion must be gained by the rider all on his/her own. That being said, the bonus granted by the ability should only be used by the mount while mounted.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name

Hank Fielding

Comment
Degrees of cover and concealment are defined in the Player's Handbook (pp 280-281). There it discusses cover, superior cover, concealment, and total concealment.

However, many powers and features elsewhere make use of partial cover and partial concealment, which the PHB doesn't mention at all!

What do these new terms mean, and how are they different from regular cover and concealment?

Gamer Forger Response:

When you can't shake the feeling that someone is watching you, DCR says:

1. Ability to see vs. ability to hit. Sometimes they can be the same. You can hide behind a brick wall and can be neither hit nor seen. But if you can hide in a tree, chances are good you can possibly be hit, but not necessarily seen. Often, concealment warrants a percentage chance to miss outright, no matter what the attacker rolls to hit. Cover is often quantified as a bonus to armor class or defense. Concealment is described (usually) as partial or full, while cover is defined as half or total. Reference your corresponding rulebook for the proper bonuses to apply depending on the situation.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name

Jennifer White

Email
[email protected]

Comment
The Warlord ability Inspiring Word states that it allows a target to use a healing surge - does it require the target to use a minor action to use such healing surge? Or is it basically the equivalent to a healing spell assuming that target has a healing surge to spend?

In other words, to use Second Wind (the only time I can use a healing surge in combat) I have to spend a standard action to do so...if my Warlord uses Inspiring Word on me do I need to spend an action to use a healing surge and if so, what type of action?

Gamer Forger Response:

What is war good for? Healing, kids! When your Warlord is doing his/her best to help, DCR says:

1. The Warlord is the one spending the action to apply the healing, not the target. The recipient only marks the healing surge off their page and applies the healing to their character. No further action is required. Go, you!


*Bonus XP: For a fun example of cover vs. concealment, watch the film True Lies. Tom Arnold trying to hide shows just what it means to cover, but not conceal. At the end of Sherlock Holmes Game of Shadows, Robert Downey, Jr. gives a fine example of concealment, without cover.