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Dungeons & Dragons 5e: Hard to Kill

Started by Panjumanju, February 14, 2015, 08:18:26 PM

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shlominus

#30
February 16, 2015, 04:44:33 AM
Quote from: Doom;815889I can see fungi, zombies, and rocks ignoring a downed foe, but in a world where enemies that aren't dead can pop right back up, it'd be pretty common tactics.

You've got to let the game rules affect the world, or else the game world will stop making sense.

zombies would probably be the monsters most likely to eat you once you go down in my book, but otherwise i agree.

whether a monster attacks a downed opponent or not is totally situational, there are many factors to consider. some will (all the time/sometimes/in very specific circumstances), some won't. that keeps the players uncertain and afraid, which is always a bonus.

Quote from: Omega;815906Leading to newer players just throwing themselves at everything because thats all theyve known and thats what was presented as an "RPG".

i have seen this a with younger players who's first experience with "roleplaying" was an mmorpg. it can be quite enjoyable.

"nooooo! ... can we redo the fight?!"

:nono:

Necrozius

#31
February 16, 2015, 07:53:12 AM
Exhaustion has upped the lethality of my campaign, or at least the tension. Even a relatively "easy" fight is hella tougher when all of your ability checks are at a Disadvantage and you can only take half moves.

The problem is that we keep on forgetting to implement the Exhaustion effects! So I'll be making flashy Condition cards to help.

Exploderwizard

#32
February 16, 2015, 08:25:01 AM
Quote from: Omega;815931That was preferable in AD&D. You got 1000 exp for getting offed and raised. :eek:

ONCE!!  

IF the DM felt that the player was sadder but wiser for the experience. So if you went down swinging chanting " 1K XP BABY!"  chances are good you wouldn't get it.
Quote from: JonWakeGamers, as a whole, are much like primitive cavemen when confronted with a new game. Rather than \'oh, neat, what\'s this do?\', the reaction is to decide if it\'s a sex hole, then hit it with a rock.

Quote from: Old Geezer;724252At some point it seems like D&D is going to disappear up its own ass.

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;766997In the randomness of the dice lies the seed for the great oak of creativity and fun. The great virtue of the dice is that they come without boxed text.

Panjumanju

#33
February 16, 2015, 09:26:02 AM
Quote from: Sommerjon;815856Are you supposed to be killing X number of characters per a X number of sessions?

No, I'm just afraid they might start thinking themselves immortal. I want players to think of running away if they're in over their heads. It's a sandbox, and if this keeps going I expect they'll waltz in somewhere over their heads assuming they couldn't possibly die, and as a result they all do.

If a character dies now and again it keeps the other characters in check with their mortality.

//Panjumanju
"What strength!! But don't forget there are many guys like you all over the world."
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matthulhu

#34
February 16, 2015, 10:19:10 AM
Quote from: Panjumanju;815955It's a sandbox, and if this keeps going I expect they'll waltz in somewhere over their heads assuming they couldn't possibly die, and as a result they all do.

Mmm, that's the smell of some good Dungeons & Dragonsing 101.  Lather, rinse, repeat. You can tell a kid the stove is hot, but he still won't know.

Old One Eye

#35
February 16, 2015, 11:42:32 AM
Quote from: Ronin;815875At the same time why would a monster attack an opponent that is down and seemingly out of the fight. When there are other opponents trying to crush their skull with a mace? Just a thought.

Mechanically, if they roll a natural 20 on the death save, they get back up and keep fighting.  This simulates what we have seen in a zillion action movies.  Taking a moment to thwack them when they are down helps prevent that, much like we have seen in a zillion action movies.

I have had monsters/NPCs thwack PCs when they are down.  Depends on the circumstances.

Sacrosanct

#36
February 16, 2015, 12:16:09 PM
I should create a permanent injury list.  Every time your PC drops to 0 hp, you roll on the list and get a permanent injury.  I wonder if that would make players a lot more cautious instead of always thinking they have 3 extra rounds before dying with no other ill effects ;)
D&D is not an "everyone gets a ribbon" game.  If you\'re stupid, your PC will die.  If you\'re an asshole, your PC will die (probably from the other PCs).  If you\'re unlucky, your PC may die.  Point?  PC\'s die.  Get over it and roll up a new one.

Exploderwizard

#37
February 16, 2015, 12:25:09 PM
Quote from: Old One Eye;815965Mechanically, if they roll a natural 20 on the death save, they get back up and keep fighting.  This simulates what we have seen in a zillion action movies.  Taking a moment to thwack them when they are down helps prevent that, much like we have seen in a zillion action movies.

I have had monsters/NPCs thwack PCs when they are down.  Depends on the circumstances.

For me it depends on the monster and its mindset. A hungry ghoul might fall on a fallen foe and start chowing down. A tactically savvy warrior might put a shot in a downed foe especially if not hard pressed by living enemies. Other intelligent enemies might stabilize a fallen enemy and drag them away from the battle for torture/interrogation if there are enough allies still around to permit this.
Quote from: JonWakeGamers, as a whole, are much like primitive cavemen when confronted with a new game. Rather than \'oh, neat, what\'s this do?\', the reaction is to decide if it\'s a sex hole, then hit it with a rock.

Quote from: Old Geezer;724252At some point it seems like D&D is going to disappear up its own ass.

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;766997In the randomness of the dice lies the seed for the great oak of creativity and fun. The great virtue of the dice is that they come without boxed text.

Old One Eye

#38
February 16, 2015, 01:02:53 PM
Quote from: Exploderwizard;815967For me it depends on the monster and its mindset. A hungry ghoul might fall on a fallen foe and start chowing down. A tactically savvy warrior might put a shot in a downed foe especially if not hard pressed by living enemies. Other intelligent enemies might stabilize a fallen enemy and drag them away from the battle for torture/interrogation if there are enough allies still around to permit this.

Yep, yep, yep.  The enemy's mindset is critically important.  In a recent battle in a game I'm running against slavers where the PCs got their tails kicked, the slavers were stabilizing the downed PCs' wounds so they cound be bound and sold on the block.

Tommy Brownell

#39
February 16, 2015, 01:18:29 PM
Quote from: Sacrosanct;815966I should create a permanent injury list.  Every time your PC drops to 0 hp, you roll on the list and get a permanent injury.  I wonder if that would make players a lot more cautious instead of always thinking they have 3 extra rounds before dying with no other ill effects ;)

Astonishing idea. Shame they didn't put something like that in the DMG!

We have had one PC death in our game so far...coming when a PC was cut down, and one his second Death Save, he rolled a natural 1, which killed him instantly because it counts as his second and third failure.
The Most Unread Blog on the Internet.  Ever. - My RPG, Comic and Video Game reviews and articles.

Ladybird

#40
February 16, 2015, 02:37:16 PM
I dunno, that seems a bit gamey, and like it's taking advantage of the fight being under a turn structure rather than being a chaotic melee.

Post-fight, sure; but during the fight, things should be too messy.

(And then there's question "how much medical work can someone full of adrenaline really do in six seconds, to a patient so badly wounded they'll die in 18 seconds". In games with longer combat rounds, the medic would have more time to do things, but the opponents would have more time to "distract" them.)
one two FUCK YOU

Omega

#41
February 16, 2015, 03:40:43 PM
Quote from: Exploderwizard;815954ONCE!!  

IF the DM felt that the player was sadder but wiser for the experience. So if you went down swinging chanting " 1K XP BABY!"  chances are good you wouldn't get it.

This is why you make sure to weep profusely (pull nose hairs if necessary) and rail at the cruel cruel god of RNG that caused your poor defenseless magic user to be struck down in his or her prime!
Why RNG god whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! :cheerleader:

Simlasa

#42
February 16, 2015, 03:58:09 PM
Quote from: Sacrosanct;815966I should create a permanent injury list.  Every time your PC drops to 0 hp, you roll on the list and get a permanent injury.  I wonder if that would make players a lot more cautious instead of always thinking they have 3 extra rounds before dying with no other ill effects ;)
Yeah, I think I'd like to see something like that in play.
In our game last night the rogue went down to 0 and revived three times in one fight against an Otyugh... brought back by Paladin/Potion/I can't remember... and at no point did he try to separate himself from the fight... the whole of which really should have had the beast pursuing us down the wide corridors while we shot it with our ranged spells/weapons... rather than running to sit on its lap like it was fucking Santa.

Tommy Brownell

#43
February 16, 2015, 04:00:45 PM
Quote from: Simlasa;815975Yeah, I think I'd like to see something like that in play.
In our game last night the rogue went down to 0 and revived three times in one fight against an Otyugh... brought back by Paladin/Potion/I can't remember... and at no point did he try to separate himself from the fight... the whole of which really should have had the beast pursuing us down the wide corridors while we shot it with our ranged spells/weapons... rather than running to sit on its lap like it was fucking Santa.

DMG, page 272. Everything from Minor Scar to Lose an Eye.
The Most Unread Blog on the Internet.  Ever. - My RPG, Comic and Video Game reviews and articles.

Omega

#44
February 16, 2015, 04:02:28 PM
Quote from: Sacrosanct;815966I should create a permanent injury list.  Every time your PC drops to 0 hp, you roll on the list and get a permanent injury.  I wonder if that would make players a lot more cautious instead of always thinking they have 3 extra rounds before dying with no other ill effects ;)

Lingering Injuries table page 272 in the DMG.
When takes a critical hit, or When drops to 0 hp but does not die, or When fails a death save by 5.

I am using it when the PC is at zero and gets hit again as that is an automatic critical and probably would have a lasting effect even if its just a scar.

Next page has system shock! Which is more lethal at lower levels than high... Kind of like the AD&D version, just not as forgiving.
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