Blog
Running ABILITY (and Skill) Checks
Along with Magic and Combat, Ability Checks are one of the three major actions a player can take on their turn.
Becoming Frightened!
Fear is a magical condition that happens when an adventurer is affected by a fear spell or the frightful presence of a monster.
Survival Checks
WISDOM (Survival) Ability Checks are the catchall Ability Check for adventuring in a wilderness setting.
Balancing Adventures
The only rule of DnD that we consider unbreakable is the “Rule of Cool”. The Rule of Cool is: “If any rule is getting in the way of your players having a great time at your table, ignore that rule.”
The Restrained Condition
The official game rules about player movement, grappling, incapacity, restraint, and engagement are very detailed. We greatly simplify movement by declaring, “If you can see something, you can engage it,” unless the text tells you otherwise. One of those exceptions is when an adventurer is Restrained.
Turn Undead
One of the classic powers of a Cleric is the ability to dramatically admonish undead creatures and cause them to flee.
Healing and the Long Rest
There are countless ways for players to lose Hit Points, but only a precious few ways to regain them.
Adventuring Supplies
All players start every new adventuring session with a fresh pack of seven days hard rations and a water skin. Additionally, allow each adventurer to pick from one of the following packs: Wizard, Dungeon or Outdoor Packs.
How to Wish
As a Game Master, listen to the exact words your player uses when making a wish. Don’t be excessively mean, but look for parts of the player’s wording that might open the door for a twist.
Roll for Initiative!
Initiative is the first roll of any combat encounter, setting the stage for the entire encounter to follow. You “Roll for Initiative” to establish the order of the monsters’ and players’ actions. Everyone involved in the combat has an initiative score that, moving from highest to lowest, tells them the order in which they get to make their action.
Advantage and Disadvantage
Advantage is a simple system a Game Master can use to reward players for using smart tactics or having an edge in a situation - or simply to add some role playing flavor.
Rolling a “Natural 20”
After adding up all their bonuses, it’s common for players to have a total of over 20. But when a player rolls a d20, and a 20 is the result on the die, we call it a “Natural 20”.
How do illusions work?
An illusion is a magical effect that makes its target see, hear, feel, or smell something that isn’t really there.
Dungeon Delving in Darkness
Exploring dungeons is dangerous business, especially if you can’t see where you are going.
Saving Throws
Making or failing a Saving Throw is often the dramatic high point of an adventure.
Ability Checks Made Easy
Rolling an ability check can often be the most rewarding and most challenging part of any game session. Let’s break down how to make this easy for Game Masters.
Rolling Ability Checks as a Group
Very often as a Game Master, you will find yourself saying “Roll a Perception Check as you enter the room” or “Roll a Stealth Check to get past the guards.” But who rolls, and how do you resolve the check when it’s an entire party of adventurers?