FAQ: Bloodied Creatures and Bad Rolls

Some more questions, some more answers.

How Can I Tell if a Creature is Bloodied?
More commonly known as, I've been pounding on this character for ten turns why isn't it dead?

Nothing is better than spectaculary descriptive DM/storytelling. However at higher levels monsters are tricky creatures, have more powers and with abilities like "second wind" everything can get hazy.

Also experience needs to count for SOMETHING. Or at list a little bit.

Anyway, this little bit will help for those times when a creature is new, the players have been hitting forever (and rolling crap hit points.)

I glommed this from http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/27715649/Are_players_not_supposed_to_know_how_many_hitpoints_monsters_have_left!?pg=3

1. Free Action: Succeed on a monster knowledge check against the average DC for the monster's level. (This can happen at any point in combat before step


2. Minor Action: Succeed on a Heal check against the hard DC for the monster's level (trained only).

Basically, if you have a general knowledge of the creature in question and have the knowledge required to identify severity of wounds, overall fatigue, and other physical ailments, you could likely assess how healthy this monster should be against how healthy they currently are.

What If I Fail the Above Check?

You can check once a round. You may have picked up additional knowledge.

How can I identify the Monsters AC?

More commonly known as, Can I hit this creature with a weapon that I am untrained with while leaping over a flowing pit of lava?

Same check as above. Though this time using a dungeoneering, or some type of other check. I will be more specific in the future on it.

Why Haven't I hit a creature in a month?

Also known as the Rick-accidentally-emailed-the-group-complaining-about-hitting-monsters rule.

Craptastic rolls are like speeding tickets. You remember the time you got caught but not the other 99 times nothing bad happened.

In any given week there are 2-3 posts where your character actually takes a swing at a monster. The average roll appears to be 10.5, which one would think that given the size of the dataset you will need 100 rolls before your average is 10.5.

Or to put it another way - you're rolling crappy this week and it is likely to get better over time.

Or you could always...try attacking a creature with a lower AC.

Or the DM screwed up and you should ask what the hell happened.

Either of the three probably has equal odds of success.

That is all.

Wayne

FAQ

People have been asking questions.
I aim to answer them. There are three sections: General, Fighting, and Posts

FAQ

GENERAL
1. How powerful am I compared to the rest of the world?
Good question. You are way stronger than the average person. A town guard tends to be level 1 or 2. Most scouts tend to be level 2 or 3.

If you have been in an area for a while chances are people know your name or who you are. At least on your chosen field.

For example if you are a dwarven warrior who has battles in the Berkshire mountains then a human rogue in Boston probably has no idea about him. Conversely a dwarf might have an idea.

If you are wandering around then Some people know of you skills- having dealt with you.

Bards start singing songs about you around level 10.

To get to level 8, well you have definitely been in some battles and done amazing things OR you have just been piss lucky and not been killed yet.

2. What do I know of outside realms and state-territories?
History is a lie agreed upon by the victors. Rumor, half-truths and facts make up what you have heard.

Your streetwise skill (based on charisma) is how you glean most information when you reach a new town or area.

3. How are the races toward each other?
There is a notable human v non-human vibe. Most major wars were fought over land and power , mostly running along the lines of race. In the last 100 years there has been a lot more race mixing - though memories are long.

Money and greed and heroism all tend to make strange bed fellows so race mixing is not as rare.

Though the chances of seeing a human/elf army are slim.

Mixing of races are tolerated in the larger cities, particularly in the northeast where most of you have lived.

4. Great so if I am a non-human I am screwed?
Hardly. Heroes are never screwed. Except by other attractive people.

The major map is base on the united states circa 1773. What about Europe, South America, et al?

You all know Europe exists. Though crossing the Atlantic is hazardous at best. Even dragons don't really like to do it.

Everything else...rumor...rumor...rumor.

5. Then how was the world created and North America populated?
Depends which race you ask. They all have a creation story. The humans showed up last though.

6. Is the DM going to make all posts in second person singular?
Posts to all will be in third person. Private posts are second person singular.

7. How come the DM won't tell me what character classes are in the party?
Building your character independently is fun. You get to play who you want.

8. I thought first post was July 1st what is up with these moves already?
Character backgrounds needed to be fleshed, along with strong motivations. Especially given you are all strangers. Rather than do the module bs where I tell you why you ate there I thought it better to use storytelling.

Also, a few practice posts doesn't hurt so we can all get into the flow. Especially the DM.

Fighting

1. Can I Just Knock Someone Unconscous?

This one has come up a few times already. The Ph4 says you can knock a creature unconscious, fair enough though there are some holes in the rule that a player or DM can ride a large sized orc army through including the fact there are no consequences to saying, "I'm going to knock the dude out!" since death and unconscious occurs at 0 hit points.

Here are the revised ground rules.

1. DECLARE INTENT. You HAVE to tell the DM you are trying to knock the opponent out. If the opponent falls to the ground and THEN you tell me you were going for the knock out. Too bad. You can declare intent on a round-by-round basis (though not blow-by-blow) and switch intent between rounds.

2. CONSEQUENCES OF THE KNOCKOUT ATTEMPT. When delivering damage with a wepaon from class a, if the damage done reduces the creature to 0 hit points or fewer, you have knocked the creature unconscious, else the damage from the attack is halved (rounded up). Class b weapons cannot be used for a knockout attempt. Class c weapons provide full damage.
a. 1/2 Damage. Bladed or blunt melee weapons, hurled rocks or stones.

For example, you're fighting a creature who has 10 hp left. You go for the knockout and deliver 8 hp damage with your long sword then the creature is only loses 4 hp (10 - 8 = 2, so it becomes 10-4)

b. Excluded. Arrows, darts, thrown spears, bolts, or anything thrown the air (including other characters in case of picking up halflings and flinging them...)

c. Full damage Mind based spells do fully damage.

3. UNCONSCIOUS PEOPLE CAN STILL DIE. If you do knock someone out they can still die. You must get to them before they are reduced to negative hit points (standard D&D 4 rules apply).

4. ACCIDENTAL DEATH. You can accidentally kill someone anyway. You will roll d20 - target 15 minus your character level. For example you are an 8th level fighter the target is 7 (15-8). This is to account for skills and experience.

2. What do I know about this creature?

You all have basic knowledge of all races on this world up unless I say otherwise. Like if you run into a dwarf, you know the basic attitudes of a dwarf. If you run into a demon from the outter planes well that is a little different.

POSTS
1. Can I change what happens after the DM makes a post?

Short answer: Sometimes.

The mighty Dungeon Master is not infallible despite his best attempts. Dangerous to admit, I know. When a post happens there may be times a player character would have taken an action during another character's move.

For example:
The town guardsmen approaches, his sword in his scabbard. He points an accusing finger at Voss while screaming, "I'm going to kill you! You murdered my dog, my cat, my parakeet and my sister!" The guardsmen takes out a sword, swinging at Voss.

Okay, terrible move aside Voss is perfectly valid in telling me "tired of having fingers pointed at him - this the third time this week - Voss grabs the finger and breaks it."

Now what? I've made the move already. I modify and repost. This is about the players having actions and reactions.

Conversely if I feel like a player character is trying to take advantage of the DM's good graces then no repost happens. Such is life.

Most likely this will happen in the early stages of combat as we figure out game play dynamics and the such.