TOPIC: Do you want to become a Combat DM?

I too would be interested in learning and have no experience as well.

It's looking like I have enough people interested to possibly do this at GHC on Thursday evening. Details are TBD, which of course involves coordinating with Jeff.

Note that Thursday evening is when the build will be happening. I'm curious if there are any veteran combat DMs who are attending GHC but *not* involved in the build that would be interested in helping to teach this session?

If so please contact me. Thanks!

Please make sure they can do math... it really sucks only getting three rounds of combat because the DM spends 3 - 4 minutes doing math!!!

I think the point of training is to make sure of that exact thing.

Foe the record, I can do maths.....

I was told there would be no math.

ACs are going to try to make sure combat DM training is more standardized and effective next year at GC.

We need to convert to a THAC0 system.

henwy wrote: Find a way to fix that concrete floor so that standing on it for 2 hours doesn't make me want to kill myself.

+1

Lordoftherealm wrote:

henwy wrote: Find a way to fix that concrete floor so that standing on it for 2 hours doesn't make me want to kill myself.

+1

The anti-fatigue mats make a huge difference. And, when there is no chair, I sit on the token bucket. I'm not proud.

Brad Mortensen wrote:

Lordoftherealm wrote:

henwy wrote: Find a way to fix that concrete floor so that standing on it for 2 hours doesn't make me want to kill myself.

+1

The anti-fatigue mats make a huge difference. And, when there is no chair, I sit on the token bucket. I'm not proud.

Just carpet the whole dungeon like room 1 of Moongate.

I think quality combat DM's are what drive the core of TD. I have been put into many unfortunate situations in past years where one of several things happen:
1. The combat DM is taking more time adding numbers than the group has to take actions and we run out of time.
2. The DM is confused and I miss on a 17 slide one round and hit on a 14 slide the next round.
3. I don't believe the DM is actually doing any math and is just making it "appear" fun for everyone... "and you kill it as the horn blows" (even with no good slides that round).

In reality, when the combat DM's are not honest and accurate, there are a few negative results:
1. If they are dragging the combat out for theatrical effect, characters end up taking damage they shouldn't have. They may have used potions and/or spells they shouldn't have had to use, and this affects later rooms and token purchases unfairly.
2. The idea of purchasing better tokens become meaningless because if the combats aren't honest and actual, then having the better tokens meant nothing. "I wasted my money on making Io's +4 Keen Slayer Bow with a compass in the stock and I might as well have been swinging a turkey leg" (Yes, I know bows don't have a stock).

That being said, I thought the combat DM's all did great this year. I only had one combat where the combat DM dismissed my druid's slide of 15 as obviously a miss on NM, then realized the second round I was actually hitting on about anything 10+ (Go combat Druids!).

I think training sessions like this would be great for TD. I think Kirk has only been a combat DM for a few years, so it is awesome he is stepping up and pushing for this training!

Beertram wrote: I think quality combat DM's are what drive the core of TD. I have been put into many unfortunate situations in past years where one of several things happen:
1. The combat DM is taking more time adding numbers than the group has to take actions and we run out of time.
2. The DM is confused and I miss on a 17 slide one round and hit on a 14 slide the next round.
3. I don't believe the DM is actually doing any math and is just making it "appear" fun for everyone... "and you kill it as the horn blows" (even with no good slides that round).

In reality, when the combat DM's are not honest and accurate, there are a few negative results:
1. If they are dragging the combat out for theatrical effect, characters end up taking damage they shouldn't have. They may have used potions and/or spells they shouldn't have had to use, and this affects later rooms and token purchases unfairly.
2. The idea of purchasing better tokens become meaningless because if the combats aren't honest and actual, then having the better tokens meant nothing. "I wasted my money on making Io's +4 Keen Slayer Bow with a compass in the stock and I might as well have been swinging a turkey leg" (Yes, I know bows don't have a stock).

That being said, I thought the combat DM's all did great this year. I only had one combat where the combat DM dismissed my druid's slide of 15 as obviously a miss on NM, then realized the second round I was actually hitting on about anything 10+ (Go combat Druids!).

I think training sessions like this would be great for TD. I think Kirk has only been a combat DM for a few years, so it is awesome he is stepping up and pushing for this training!

There are two ways to calculate combat damage.

One lends itself to color commentary but is slow. It's great for early rooms and groups you know will win, so dawdling is fine in the main dungeons. You have 12 minutes so might as well use them, and it's more entertaining. But it's the only method most DMs use.

The other is all about speed. I use it in Grind, or in room 7 NM with lots of moving parts, or any room where you know that time is going to be the REAL killer.

Both are meant to be 100% accurate. Nothing really is, of course, because people make mistakes.

(In short - the usual way is to calculate damage "line by line" on the party card, but you're constantly ping-ponging your eyes between token/party card/Bardsong/random bonuses, and every transition adds time. The faster way, which eliminates a lot of context-switching, is "column by column": add all token damage, add all party card bonuses, add Bardsong in a lump, add potions/bless/etc. The more hits you're dealing with, the more time you save. But you have to be comfortable keeping a running sum in your head.

It be happy to show people both ways at GHC, but I won't be there. I know Kirk uses it so I'm sure he'll show people.

"I wasted my money on making Io's +4 Keen Slayer Bow with a compass in the stock and I might as well have been swinging a turkey leg"

I can really relate to that!