Author: Ameron (Derek Myers)

Skill Focus: History

History is one of those skills that many PCs are trained in but don’t really know how or when to use it. Here are 10 new and creative ways to get more out of History.

The basic assumption is that History can only be used to remember things that happened in the past. Sure it can be used in this way, but this is certainly not the only way to use History.

Eleven of the seventeen core classes can take training in History. Three races have a +2 racial bonus in History. So there is a very strong likelihood that every party will have multiple PCs who count History as one of their best skills. If everyone’s so good in History why isn’t it being used more? Lack of imagination, that’s why.

Tags 4e, D&D, Dungeon Master Resource, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, History, Player Resources, Skill Challenge, Skill Focus

Humour

Dice

dice-01a If you’re like me, you have a variety of dice in all shapes, sizes and colours. Many people, myself included, are very particular about their dice and have many superstitions about them. Let’s look at a few.

Tags 4e, D&D, Dice, Dungeons and Dragons, Dungeon’s Master, Humour, Natural 20, Player Resources

DM Resources Skill Challenges

Skill Challenge: It’s Mine

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date March 23, 2009
4 Comments on Skill Challenge: It’s Mine

A retired soldier, down on his luck and in desperate need of cash, recently pawned his dead wife’s wedding band. After coming into a few coins, the result of a lucky wager, he returned to the pawn shop to buy back the ring. Unfortunately the shop was recently burgled and the ring was stolen along with four others.

Setup

The PCs are hired by the soldier to recover his wife’s missing ring. He could have a previously existing relationship with the party or maybe he heard of thier heroic deeds.
The PCs are hired by the shopkeeper to recover the stolen rings. As a reward, he offers to give them the item they came into his shop looking for in the first place.
The PCs overhear the soldiers tale of the missing ring while they have a meal in the local tavern. They take pity on his situation and offer to help.

Tags 4e, D&D, DM, Dungeon Master Resource, Dungeons and Dragons, Dungeon’s Master, It's Mine, resource, Skill Challenge, Skill Challenges

Editorial

Worldwide D&D Game Day 2009

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date March 22, 2009
4 Comments on Worldwide D&D Game Day 2009

gameday2009 I spent Worldwide D&D Game Day 2009 at 401 Games, a game store in downtown Toronto meeting new gamers and playing the adventure One Night in Weeping Briar. This was an adventure for five, 11th level characters and was designed to appeal to experienced gamers as well as people trying out D&D for the very first time. Overall, I think it was a great success, but I do have some feedback about Game Day that I’d like to share based on my experience.

Tags 4e, D&D, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, One Night in Weeping Briar, PHB2, RPG, Wizards of the Coast, Worldwide Game Day 2009

DM Resources Player Resources

Playing Really Smart Characters

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date March 20, 2009
16 Comments on Playing Really Smart Characters

So you’re playing a character with a really high Intelligence, a really high Wisdom or both. You, on the other hand, are just an average guy who likes to play D&D. Your real-life Intelligence and Wisdom are probably somewhere between 8 and 11 (I’ll be generous). So how do you make the most of a smart character’s best attribute?

Tags 18 Intelligence, 4e, D&D, DM, Dungeon Master Resource, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, Smart Character

DM Resources

Split the Party

Generally speaking, you shouldn’t split the party. Sure, it might make sense based on the situation the PCs are in, but it’s a nightmare to play it out. What usually ends up happening is that half the people at the table can’t do anything but watch while their companions go left and they go right. It’s extremely difficult to keep the people not in the “active” group focused since PCs not in the scene can’t offer suggestions or actively participate. When I’m the DM, I do everything I can to discourage splitting up.

But an interesting thing happened this weekend during my Sunday night game. We split up and it worked spectacularly. My hat is off to Suddry, that evening’s DM, for taking a usually disastrous situation and making it one of the most memorable nights of D&D we’ve had in a long time. Here’s how it played out and what we learned from it.

Tags 4e, D&D, Don't split the party, Dungeon Master Resource, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, PHB2, Skill Challenge, Split the party, Splitting Up

DM Resources Skill Challenges

Skill Challenge: Defend the Camp

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date March 16, 2009
1 Comment on Skill Challenge: Defend the Camp

The PCs are camping in the wild. Someone, or something, approaches in the middle of the night. In this circumstance, combat should only be considered as a last resort.

Setup

Presented below are three possible reasons for the PCs to be engaged in this skill challenge.

The PCs are in the process of setting up a permanent base camp. The location has strategic importance and needs to be secured.
There are few defensible locations to make camp in this area. Leaving this one means resting out in the open, exposed to all possible threats.
The PCs have setup camp in hostile teritory. The sounds of combat may alert nearby hostile forces.

The exact nature of the threat is left up to the DM. Some of the DC may need to be altered depending on the creature threatening the camp.

Tags 4e, D&D, DM, Dungeon Master Resource, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, resource, Skill Challenge, Skill Challenges

DM Resources Editorial Player Resources

Playing Characters With Low Ability Scores

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date March 12, 2009
19 Comments on Playing Characters With Low Ability Scores

I’ve met a lot of gamers who love to min/max, especially during character creation. They’re willing to sacrifice abilities, powers and skills that they don’t think they’ll ever use in order to make the ones they expect to use all the time that much better. The most common trade off is low mental scores (Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma) for high physical scores (Strength, Constitution and Dexterity). If you’re objective is to play the big, dumb Fighter then this is the way to go. But how do the low scores in your bottom three abilities affect your ability to role play the character?

Tags 4e, Cheating, D&D, Dungeon Master Resource, Dungeons and Dragons, Dungeon’s Master, Low Ability Score, Player Resources

Player Resources Skill Challenges

Skill Focus: Endurance

Do you think your really high Endurance is only good for holding your breath? You couldn’t be more wrong. Here are 10 new and creative ways to get more out of Endurance. So, for all those Fighters who have training in Endurance and don’t know what to do with it, read on.

Tags 4e, D&D, DM, Dungeon Master Resource, Dungeons and Dragons, Dungeon’s Master, Endurance, resource, Skill Challenge, Skill Challenges, Skill Focus

Humour Top 10

Overplayed Characters (Part 1)

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date March 10, 2009
38 Comments on Overplayed Characters (Part 1)

It’s time to banish certain character builds from D&D forever. They have earned their place in gaming history and are now so overplayed that they’ve become cliché. With so many interesting combinations of race, class, weapon selection and demeanor you shouldn’t have to fall back on these character types. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about then read on.

Tags 4e, D&D, Dungeons and Dragons, Dungeon’s Master, Humour, Overplayed Characters, resource