In my last post I recommended to “love the delve.” I can understand that many of us (most?) do not play D&D because we love battle tactics more than anything else. I feel safe in stating that most of us play D&D for the story as well. Yet a three to four room delve every week runs the risk of being all battles and very little story or plot. Plot I will address in the near future, but for now I want to look story. I can hear you now… “Jason, story and plot are synonyms!” Yes they are but I am going to define each a touch more subtly. Story; I feel, is the elements of the game that build immersion. Good story telling pulls in the audience and makes them believe. A good story does not ask players to have huge suspensions of disbelief. A great story portrays a world that is complete, concise, coherent and consistent (the 4Cs of world building). Plot on the other hand is the events as they take place. The “why are we here and “what is my character’s motivation to explore the world.”

It is general agreement in the D&D 4e blogosphere that asking your players for a list of magical items that they would like to have for their characters is the best way to fill treasure parcels. The benefit is that the treasure given is a true reward for your players and eliminates the silly rigmarole of having to disenchant unwanted items and then use the resulting residuum to enchant the item the players want. Generally I agree with this practice but as a bit of a grognard myself there is something unsatisfying for me about it. The make believe world should feel real and a real world would have treasure that is not perfectly tailored to the character’s desires. Remember the 4Cs, a complete world has people and events that are not the characters. More importantly some of the treasure found may be needed yet unknown to the characters and their players that the item is of great value or will be in the future. A great example from the Lord of the Rings are the Elven Knives that the hobbits find in the Barrow Downs, the hobbits take them at that time because they are great weapons, but none could ever imagine; at the time of their finding, the use they would have against the Witch King. Finally, some treasure should be introduced that may have greater value as a trophy. A world feels real if character’s find some treasure that they choose to keep just because. Perhaps they will place it on the mantle or declare it to be an heirloom of their family line.

The treasure parcels recommend four magical items to be given to the party at each level and each of the items are recommended to be 1-4 levels greater than the party (which makes me wonder how to give out 1^st level magical items, but that is a conversation for a different day). With a small amount of preparation you can divine all the magical items that will be given out over the course of the next few adventures. At 4 magical items per level you can create a random chart of 20 magical items the first five levels. Ask each of the players for either 3 or 4 magical items they would specifically like (3 if you have 5 players or 4 if you have 4 players). Then fill in the few other slots with items you would like the characters to have or that are integral to the plot. Then list all the magical items in order of their level and number them from lowest level to highest level 1-10; the second half will not be numbered. Each time a magical items is found roll a d10, reward that piece of treasure and move the items up on the chart. In this way the magical items you are granting to the characters keep in pace with the level of the characters.

The chart is easy to update and to change. At each new level remind your players what items they have on their wish list and ask them if they want to make any changes. Also, ask them what new item they would like to add. At any time you can choose to make changes to the chart as well. Add or remove items as plot points change or items no longer have benefit. Fit the new items into the chart at the appropriate level. Now you have a living chart that grows and adapts to the story, your player’s desires and the character’s level.

This has added a subtle touch of reality to my game and still granted the magical items my players want so they can build characters they love to play. Please try it out in your game and let me know how it works or any ideas you have to improve it.

…I feel I should end all my blogs with a witty catch phrase like “keep on rolling them 20s,” or some such silliness. Got any ideas? Let me know, but until then… Keep on rolling them 20s.

Since before 4e D&D hit the shelves I was gunning for it. I was so excited about every last bit of news that came out about 4e that my gaming group was sick of my constant excitement and blabbing about how great it was going to be. They all pre-ordered PHBs at my urging. I think more to shut me up than because they wanted them. I also pre ordered the DMG and MM and those preview books and Keep on the Shadowfell. It all arrived and we ogled over the printing and the quality and the art and we began to make characters. Then that was it. We did not like it or did not understand how it was created and why it was made the way it was.

Over the next few years I tried to come back to 4e and failed. Something was missing, something seemed wrong and I could never put a finger on it. So we would put it back away and played 3.x (but not really happy with that system either). We started playing a lot of other games, “board games” like Arkham Horror (which is amazing). But never did we play any other RPGs, it felt like cheating to me.

Then essentials came out, that changed everything. Suddenly I loved the feel of the game again (I’m not going to get into why, I’m not wholly sure why). Essentials helped me to better understand the intent of 4e. It’s not a game designed to satiate my nostalgia. Nostalgia is pure evil. It’s the memories of all the things we did when we were young. It’s memory through rose tinted glasses. I remember the long weekends spent playing D&D with friends and only remember that it was some sort of Shangri La of role playing. I conveniently forget about the fights, the hundreds of restarted games, etc…

It turns out that 4e is designed for the modern world, not the past world of high school students with unlimited free time. It’s designed for people who have lives, who have jobs, who have families, who only have a few hours each week or every other week to play D&D. My problem with 4e all along has been some kind of nostalgia creeping in and trying to rebuild the glory days of D&D that were never really that glorious. But they were fun, and so is 4e if used properly.

I love AngryDM’s statement, “there are lots of ways to play D&D, but if you’re not playing it like me you’re doing it wrong.” It turns out I have been playing D&D all wrong and I do owe many thanks to AngryDM, Sarah Darkmagic, NeoGrognard, NewbieDM, Critical Hits, Sly Flourish and At Will for helping me finally get it. It was AngryDM’s post about The Peanut Butter Conundrum and Winning D&D that really began my true understanding of the right way to play 4e. It turns out that you don’t play 4e like 2.0 or 3.x and that 4e is designed for people who have busy lives.

I know… you have made it through to 505 words with me and are beginning to wonder why it is that I wrote this blog. You’re thinking (or so I guess), “Argokirby, was this simply cathartic?” The answer is no. I do have some pearls of wisdom to share, and hopefully they are real and not the kind that rub off on your teeth.

First is… love the delve!

I have an old saying that I think I invented that I teach to new DMs. KISS. I know, I know that’s not new, but my version is. Keep it Simple AND Stupid. It’s the “and” that is added. A great adventure can have a background like this… “Lord Holcher has been kidnapped by goblins, he is the last of his line and is descended of demi-gods and has immortal blood that flows in his veins. The goblins have kidnapped him to perform a ritual to extract the power of his blood. The brave adventurers have tracked them to the cave entrance you see here…” Begin Adventure. See it’s not all that creative, but it’s captivating. Lots of unanswered questions and a quick intro to action.

The best rule I have for creating a delve is the 3 part rule. A “bad” guy (part 1) has taken something (part 2) from a “good” guy (part 3). The King’s daughter was kidnapped by the Evil League of Evil; go get her back. They save the daughter but learn that she is the head of dark cult that steals the souls of noble children. See what I did there, it’s a complicated plot twist. So the heroes head off to the cult strong hold, when the finish that adventure they learn that the daughter they saved “escaped” and bla bla bla…. Each adventure has 3 simple parts and you only have to plan 1 delve at a time. Once one delve is over you can build on it or move to a new plot. You can even bring up a plot from a few delves back.

Second… Embrace the Time Frame!

I have 4-5 hours a week to play D&D and all my planning time has to be squeezed in where I can get it. So that leaves very little time for planning. My players are the same way.  When we get together we want to kill monsters and have fun, not spend hours role-playing a shopping trip through town. 4e puts the power in the players hands to build their characters and buy equipment (even magic) for their characters without having to role play (aka get permission from the DM) to get what they want. This is good. Players can show up with the characters they want and still be legal for the delve. Of course some story continuity needs to be maintained, they can’t go shopping if their characters are lost in the desert. But, as DM you should let the story get the characters to places where it’s okay for the players to do what they want.

Get the players the magic items they want in the dungeon. Ask them for a wish list of items they want. Put them on a chart with a few items you think they could use or that advances the story and use that chart to randomly give out treasure.

Thanks for sticking through till the end. I think I will look a little more closely at how to create random magical treasure tables from the items your players ask you for and write up a post about how to make that work and keep it fare.

As always please comment away, I would love to hear what you have to say and get some ideas.