Combat Should Be A Puzzle: Here's Why
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- Today we are talking about the importance of making your combat like a puzzle, and how to use the environment of your campaign world to make your combat engaging and engrossing.
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The perfect solution to get the goblins is "Trebuchet!"
Bonus points if it throws other goblins
Honestly thought this video put into clear words some of the advice you may stumble upon but not fully understand. The elements of combat that contribute to that cinematic feel while maintaining agency was explained in the first 3 minutes of the video. Very straight forward and useful information
Thanks! It was a labor of.love for sure but I wanted to coalesce some of the stuff I learned the hard way. Glad you enjoyed it!
Cool video with some great points.
I'm not sure if it's expanding upon what was already said, or if it a different point entirely, but I wonder if it's worth expanding on the "Get the goblins" objective too.
A number of the examples lead to a point at which combat begins, and once that happens, making sure the objective isn't just 'kill all enemies' is important, I think.
- Make sure the goblin leader is defeated in sight of other goblins
- Start the fight and then lure the goblins to X location
- Keep them occupied long enough to free and escape with these prisoners
I think depending on what you're going for it can be worth it to expand on an initial goal. However speaking from experience I find my players can find many ways to make something as simple as kill all goblins into a complex thing.
God I love your channel. It makes me want to write adventures for people
Glad you liked it man! I had a lot of fun with this one
Great advice. I always enjoy it when players find a different or unexpected way to solve a problem even when it sidesteps combat. I had not really thought about being sure the terrain encourages creativity, even if it is just more ways to hack and slash.
You'd be surprised the amount of damage a player can do with a topographical map and some prep time.
The map is two dimensional, yet the mechanical difficulty of climbing the sides of the Goblins' hill fort is never stated. Inexperienced players take the direct approach because they don't understand that the obstacle is dangerous. Also, Fly is available as a 3rd level spell.
So two quick things. 1 hopefully the players will realize when they don't have it go well. 2. I don't take dnd spells or abilities into account for these videos. The concepts are designed so you can use them in any game
Actually, this is good advice for just about any kind of situation. Allow for multiple ways of accomplishing a goal, make sure there's multiple ways to start or finish a quest, the environment should inform what's going on and (this one is a bit different) if the Players can attempt something again, there should be a change.
It's absolutely true. Although for some other stuff and some future videos i have different specific strategies, but yeah this framework works for everything
So, from personal DMing experience: Your players will always choose the frontal assault unless they are an especially experienced group, OR you condition them to do something different. Two different campaigns I ran, I told the group in session 0 that fighting everything head-on is not going to be the answer to everything you see; I also mentioned that encounters would be custom-tailored to their specific party's strengths. Both times, there were individuals who took up a leadership role who decided to do exactly what I had warned them against.
In one campaign, it led the party to a near TPK (no PCs died, but they were all either down or at low HP at the end of it due to the "leader" attacking something he shouldn't have in spite of the rest of the party's protests), and in the other, one of the PCs was killed, and the party was quite upset about the whole situation. In the latter instance, I ended up sitting down with the group, explaining how many avenues they had to solving the problem and how many ways each of them had to use the strengths of their characters (there were about 10 different solutions that I alone could see, and I was certain another experienced player or strategist would be able to see others), and I gave them a second chance to try it again from the beginning (from before the PC had died).
Needless to say, it went much better the second go-around, and those players have generally become more open to understanding their personal strengths and the strengths of the group as a whole.
I'll be honest learning that the hard way is the only way some groups learn and that's a part of rpgs. At least it feels like it's always been a part to me. I will say most groups I've had haven't jumped to the frontal attack immediately so it may also just be differences in people we play with.
@@DesksAndDorks I would like to play with some of the people you play with then. I've played with numerous different groups and every one has yielded similar mentality to combat
@jestertreecko741 weirdly enough it's usually my adult groups that play that way. My kid groups are the ones who want to problem solve in weird ways and it's honestly a blast.
Good video with some great ideas. Only thing I would change was the loud background music it needs to be turned down it was very distracting.
Appreciate the feedback! We just got new music so I'm working out the kinks
@@DesksAndDorks never the less it was a great video. You've earned my sub, as meager an offering it is.
Not a meager offering at all. Best thing someone can give you is their time, so know it is appreciated!
This is a helpful checklist! Thanks :D
No problem! Hope it helps!
Great advice here. Great points that you make, Good video. :)
We had a combat that took place underwater against a tentacle creature and being underwater was very different. You had to take take into account how long you ncan hold your breath, etc etc.
Really liked it and made me think a bit differently how to approach the combat.
So in this case, the environment definitely informed our combat. Was cool.:)
Underwater combat is so hard to do well so that's awesome it went that way! Having limiting factors on your abilities like that is such a cool way to make combat fun
@@DesksAndDorks yeh at one point we had to deep dive because someone was being dragged underwater by some tentacles.... really made things interesting
When it's done well that kindness encounter goes crazy.
In other words, read "The One HP Dragon" by Clayton Nolestine of Explorers Design. Best blog post of the year imo.
Very similar to the wisdom I've heard of a dragon dies when it stops being fun to fight.
Yup, this is a very good approach! I'm trying work more of this into my own games. :P At least, I do try my best to recognize my party's alternative solutions as valid!
That is the first and most important step! Once you've got that down it will come with time for sure.
Is the music more important than what you're saying? Because it's louder.
Yeah you're not the first to mention the music. We got new software and for whatever reason the music is one volume during editing and another when it's uploaded.
@@DesksAndDorks Any chance this software has annoyance settings, and you could switch yours back down to low?😜
Lol sadly not. It does seem like it takes some amount of glee for tormenting me.
Great advice!
Can I give some myself? Could you turn down the ambient music, please? It's almost as loud as your voice and I find it difficult to focus on your wisdom!
Good luck on your journey!
I had the same thought! It's a little frustrating my editing software plays the music softer then it actually is. I appreciate the feedback!
@@DesksAndDorks Ah crap, must be frustrating indeed! But the content itself is spot on so you're definitely on the right path!
@Drabytt I appreciate it!
As a gamemaster. I believe campaigns in the Dungeons and Dragons community. Should move away from the player centered way of thinking. In theory, it causes gamemastered to rethink the mistakes they make as a gamemaster. Resulting in a better campaign. This is the gist of the arguments for the current player centered environment. In practice, it only creates more reasons for players to dismiss gamemasters. I have noticed since channels like Den of the Drake started to get popular. The videos themselves have only caused player expectations to go up. Clowns clowning on gamemasters. Using their hive mind as proof that their way is the right way. If you see a group jumping all over a single individual, come to that persons aid. If you can, start banning clowns. I am hesitant to even GM as an experienced gamemaster of around 33 years. Due to the anti-gamemaster mentality. So I have not gamemastered online for years.