My thought leans towards there being two different types of D&D for DM’s of the game:

One version of the game (old school) exists where the players have to match wits agains the DM to solve puzzles, clear obstacles, etc; and one exists (post year 2000) where the players’ rule knowledge, along with the DM’s rules knowledge duel it out.  I know that’s a bit of an unfair statement, it doesn’t always come down to skill roll vs. DC to solve a puzzle in modern era, but sometimes it feels like it does.

I can’t help to think that sometimes modern D&D design has taken players to a point where they’re simply rolling check s to see if the challenge is beat, rather than using their brains to figure it out.  On the flip side, I wonder how many DM’s have gotten lazy and have accepted this method as a fine way to play the game.

So I’ll throw this out there for discussion:  Does the version of the game influence DMing style and what you accept at the table from your players, or is running a game a one size fits all approach, no matter the edition?

Here there be Spoilers: Players wanting to be surprised when they play Lair Assault should steer away now!

The other weekend, I sat down to judge my first session of Lair Assault – Forge of the Dawn Titan. In a sort of “slot zero” session, I had arranged for many of the DMs at my local game store to have a chance to play through the module before having to run it for participating players.

I could do a book-report style summary of the story going on with Lair Assault, but I think that would steal a lot from reading the module itself – which I highly encourage. It seems like common sense but I will re-state the obvious: read the module in advance. Lair Assault  isn’t laid out like Encounters or other published adventures. Encounters is simple, Lair Assault is a couple degrees beyond that.

Then entire module is built around a fire theme.  I was not impressed with how they implemented the theme, it felt very dull and uninspired. The designers took a sort of brute-force approach to making fire damage deadly: Halving resistance, massive auto-damage in certain situations, fire themed monsters, etc. I imagine it was possibly a conscious decision to use something with straight forward execution. While WotC has emphasized Lair Assault is supposed to be for experienced players and DMs, I can’t help but think they took into account that this is a totally new program and it will probably draw new and intermediate DMs from its sister event:   Encounters.

The Run Down

I don’t want to write an exhaustive report of everything in the module, but for reference’s sake, here are some bullet points:

• The party knows who and what they’re there for: Mordai Veil.
  
• The party knows the map, thanks to Lord Neverember, so the DM doesn’t need to conceal the map.
• The dungeon runs as one long encounter, one initiative and go!
• They have 20 rounds to complete their goal, no resting!
• After 4 rounds fire erupts from the forge, causing all kinds of damage and changes to the map.
• DM should play smart and mean, even with normally dumb monsters.
• DMs should be playing to TPK, but not by fudging, bending the rules, or being a dick.
• Expect the party to be optimized to the max. If they aren’t, don’t soften the blows.
• Party wins or fails, game ends at 20 rounds.
• Dish out Glory Points and challenge them to run it again sometime – possibly in Nightmare Mode!

Prep Work

Not bad at all, reading, and selecting your monsters are your main goals. There are groups of monsters at certain levels (4 through 7) and you have to select which ones you’d like to use for your upcoming session. As far as prep work goes, it’s fairly easy, basically a run of “Level Four: Choose A or B, Level Five: Choose C or D, etc.”  If you’re running Nightmare mode you get to choose one additional monster per level. Minions count for four of that monster – so if you select the minion cultists, you get to play 4 cultists on the map.

In addition to the swappable monsters, there are two pre-picked monsters: Mordai Veil himself (of course) and a fire elemental. Mordai Veil is required to be placed in a certain room (The Forge), but the fire elemental can actually go anywhere on the map just like the other creatures. You can scatter your creatures all over the map, but no more than four per room (you can group the minions or split them up, they still count as only one creature).

Placing your monsters is possibly the most tactical decision you’ll have to make in your prep work. You could flip a coin to pick your monsters, but placing them becomes a careful study in environment and monster interaction. The map has rooms with different hazards that you should be doing your best to take advantage of at all times. Placing your monsters in rooms where they can benefit, or in rooms where they can cause great disadvantage to the characters is ideal. A DM should also consider their timeline.  The map changes drastically after 4 rounds, I had to take this into account when placing my monsters. The module comes with a mini reference map that is laminated – it was ideal for marking monster locations with dry erase.

The map is large and interesting. There isn’t a square of wasted space and all of the rooms have something unique going on in each of them. Know your group and you can judge the route they might take. A new group that hasn’t done Lair Assault is likely to try for the most direct route, while a group that has already made those mistakes will avoid repeating mistakes or missing any advantages they can gain.

Be Prepared… for Metagaming

Lair Assault is not a lark through story roleplaying land. That’s not to say as a DM you shouldn’t bother roleplaying the NPCs and monsters as they fight the party – by all means do so! Have Mordai mock and taunt the characters, have the cultists scream their loyalty to Maegera as they die, whatever rocks your socks.

Don’t be surprised, however; if the group has read up on the module and knows exactly what to avoid and what to take advantage of. If the metagaming bothers you, consider telling yourself this: the module explicitly states that Lord Neverember hired wizards to scry on the location – this is why the party is describes has having “map in hand” when the adventure begins. Any metagame knowledge might be roleplayed as some information or insight gained from those many scrying sessions. In any case, it is still impossible for your players to know exactly which monsters you’ve selected and where you’ve placed all of them until they encounter them directly. However, don’t tolerate metagaming that ruins the fun for other players. Players only get one chance to be surprised, and surprise is fun. If a pushy metagamer is spoiling things for other players, be firm and ask them to scale it back.

If the party fails, TPKs, or even if a few characters die but the mission is accomplished, remind them this is meant to be a try-try-again challenge. For those that succeed dare them to try Nightmare Mode, or challenge them to gain every possible Glory Point (including the secret ones). Focus on making Lair Assault deadly fun and it will be!

• Related: Lair Assault Tools over at TheSheDM’s blog!

Well, I want to bring it back.  So I’m ready to start production on Season 2 of the show… It’ll be the same format, just with a little bit more content as I hope to include both D&D and Dragon Age in each episode, while trying keep the same short durations (obviously a little bit longer to accommodate two questions).  The Minicast was always about no BSing around… just getting to the point and go!  It’s going to stay that way.

So I’ll hope former listeners will join us again, and new listeners like it enough to stick around.

For my peeps that took part in the first season as guests… you’re on notice, looks like I’ll need your help again!

The voicemail line is 305-349-3026, and you can find the show on itunes.

In my preliminary planning stages for the online game I’m planning to run centered on Neverwinter, I’m going to try to plan in a different way.  Rather than the players stumbling unto plots and adventures, I’m going to craft these for them specifically instead, using the themes as my compass.  So for example, the Neverwinter Noble theme’s ultimate goal is to prove that he is the rightful heir to the throne, so off the top I know that his endgame is a confrontation with whomever currently has the crown.

Simple enough, and I think I found the perfect way to do it.  Back in 2009, Dave Chalker introduced his 5×5 method of campaign planning.  It’s basically a bit of structure to the campaign, where you take a quest, and add 5 steps to reach its conclusion.  Then you’d do the same for 4 other quests, and you’d have a whole campaign, where some of the locations would criss-cross, etc., leading to climactic epic finales for all.  It’s a neat tool to plan around a “sandbox” type setting in my opinion, which is what Neverwinter ultimately is.

So I decided to go with a grid type arrangement for my campaign, and taking the 5pc’s and each of his or her themes, I’m going to craft the campaign around that.  Each quest will be tied to each specific player.

So… I actually pulled out my Hat of Nerdom and created a grid in Photoshop for my planning purposes.

My 5x5 planning grid

Now, these images are placeholders, as the party make-up hasn’t been determined yet, but it’s a great way to get me to visualize things.  So, looking at the grid, under the pictures, there’s a slot for the PC’s name and theme, and directly under I’ll put his ultimate goal.  Then in the squares under, I’ll fill it with a macro view of how he’ll arrive there (the circles are there for me to check off which steps have been cleared and which pc is getting too much or not enough attention as we progress).

Steps aren't filled in, but that's the general idea...

The neat part about this is that as I plan, I can come up with a way to have certain steps intersect, so that the story that pertains to one PC can also aid another PC on their quest and we knock out two birds with one stone.  So for example, the Neverwinter noble is looking for clues of his lineage and finds a relic belonging to his family hidden in some ruins, while at the same time the Heir of Delzoun finds clues to the entrance to Gauntlgrym as they explore.

One location, two quests knocked out, and it’s easy for me to visualize and keep track.  I need to keep track of which steps would intersect, and I’m leaning towards color coding or something similar to that.

There’s nothing on here because it hasn’t been planned yet, but I thought I’d share some insights into how I’m going to tackle my Neverwinter planning.  I’m the type of guy that needs some help to keep organized, and something like this will help me tremendously.

Don’t forget to check out Dave’s 5×5 method at Critical Hits.

If you would like to support NewbieDM.com, perhaps you’d consider visiting Amazon.com for your next rpg related purchase. Check out the following products:

Neverwinter Campaign Guide

Dungeon Tiles Master Set

Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale

Thank You!

Organization

One of the greatest things about Goodreader is its ability to serve as an archival solution for your gaming pdf’s.  It has the capacity to create folders, rename them, and move things around from folder to folder with just a few swipes of your fingers.

Goodreader's directory view

So as you can see, I have a few folders there, one related for work and one for rpg’s.  A touch of the rpg folder will then take me inside it, to reveal the rest of my stuff:

Inside the folder... more folders

So as you can see, storing your stuff within the app is easy and you can keep things nice and organized.  Everything can be renamed to whatever you want too, and it even handles zip files.

Reader

When you open a pdf in the Safari web browser on the ipad, it gives you the option to open it in Goodreader, which then adds it to the apps directory structure.  Once opened in GR, you need to rename the file, as it assigns it a name made up of random letters and numbers.  I haven’t figured that out yet.  Why does it do that?

As strictly a reader, Goodreader does everything you would expect it to do, and perhaps a bit more.  Flipping the page is easy, a simple tap on the right side of the screen does that.  Tapping the screen with three fingers brings up the menu, which allows you to access the bookmarks, search, or create markups.  Markups are perhaps the coolest thing about Goodreader, and a feature that I’ve used quite a bit as a DM.  When you markup a PDF, the program creates a duplicate copy, an “Annotated Copy” it calls it, so you are never really writing on your original file.

Markup your pdf however you want

On a pdf you can add bookmarks, highlite text, write on it yourself directly (with a stylus or finger), or type on it.  You can also create basic shapes on the pdf (for example if you want to circle text or something).  The great thing is that you are never really defacing your original file, only a copy.

What if you annotate your pdf so much that you forgot all the notes that you’ve made?  That’s fine, because Goodreader can tell you where and what they are:

A listing of all the annotations I've made on this pdf

I’ve used the annotations feature to mark where I’ve left off in an adventure, for highliting important text, or to make a note that I need to add an enemy to an encounter or something similar.  It’s a great feature, and I’ve used it quite a bit.  You can always delete anything you’ve added, re-write it, change the sizes, all with the tap of a finger.  And remember, you are writing on a duplicate, not the original.

DM Prep Tool

I found a cool use for the app as I was prepping for my Dragon Age game here at home.  I like having monster stats printed out, and found that Goodreader aided me tremendously.  By pinching and zooming in on a statblock, then taking a snapshot of the screen (home button and the top power button pressed together) I created printable stat blocks.  I simply emailed the pictures to myself and printed them out with Windows’ picture printer as 2 5×7 images.  Easy and effective for what I needed.  I like having paper statblocks for my encounters so I can track HP easier for example.  I’m not 100% fully digital just yet.

The statblocks, printed out

So as you can see, Goodreader can be a powerful tool in your DMing arsenal as you transition from an analog DM to a digital one.  If you know of any other tools similar to this one please share with us in the comments below.

If you would like to support NewbieDM.com, perhaps you’d consider visiting Amazon.com for your next rpg related purchase. Check out the following products:

Chessex Role Playing Play Mat: Battlemat Double-Sided Reversible Mat for RPGs and Miniature Figure Games (26 in x 23 1/2 in) Squares/Hexes

Dungeon Tiles Master Set – The City: An Essential Dungeons & Dragons Accessory (4th Edition D&D)

The Witchlight Fens – Dungeon Tiles: A 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Accessory (4th Edition D&D)

Thank You!

A caveat:  These are things that I’ve learned from me, for me.  This isn’t gospel and your mileage may vary…..

Curb Your Inner Tolkien

This is probably the most important tip I can give young and fledgling newbie DM’s out there.  Relax, take a deep breath, and start out small.  Yes, I’m sure your epic story that spans multiple levels is fantastic.  I’m sure it would make a great novel too, perhaps even a movie trilogy.  That’s great.  Keep it on the backburner for now.  Go kill some orcs and take their stuff first.  Learn the system you are running.  Go have your players kill a few critters in the newbie zone and return with pelts in exchange for gold.  I made the mistake in my 4e game of writing myself into a corner that I was stuck in from the very beginning because I was overly ambitious.  I’m not telling you not to have a plan, but I am telling you that you don’t need to play all your cards on your first few sessions.  Enjoy the game, there’s plenty of time for foreshadowing later.  Trust me, there’s a lot of sessions to be played before the party meets the big bad evil guy you’ve designed.  He and his croonies can wait.

Size Matters

When I first got my game group together back in ’08, I put out a call and I was suddenly facing a situation where eight people wanted in on my game. “This is good, a few will drop out” I told myself.  Well, maybe one dropped.  For the most part I ran seven players for the duration of my 4e game.  That was a nightmare.  It was too much for me to handle on several levels:

• Player Spotlight – It’s just was not possible for me to grant everyone a moment to shine with seven players.
• Combat Speed – Yes, overdone topic, but applies.  It dragged.
• Overlap of roles & classes – Hard to care about being the party cleric when there’s another cleric at the table.  But you can’t really tell players what to play. In 4e, I found players in my game tended to play classes and races closer to the core of traditional fantasy,which led to overlap.

I wouldn’t run a seven man party again, right now I’m running a four man Dragon Age game and it is rocking. There’s a possibility of a fifth player joining the group, but that’s okay.

It’s Not Just Your Game

I find it important to remember that the game I run isn’t just for me, but for everyone at the table.  Take the time to ask questions after each session, send emails out during gaming breaks… “Are you guys enjoying the story? Do you like the system? What’s been your favorite part?” And then use these data to tweak or modify your game.  My players didn’t really like dungeon crawls, and we haven’t set foot in a dungeon while adventuring in Ferelden, and I’m not sure we will.

Keeping players engaged off the table is important, whether it’s via email recaps, wiki management, or simply emailing each other talking smack.  It makes them want the next session to approach, and gives them something to look forward to. You don’t want to let a few weeks go and nobody is talking about your game, as it could lead to indifference when your email goes out to get the group together for the next game night.

Use this time between sessions to talk to your players about the game and figure out what it is they want to do with their characters.  It’ll let you plan around those goals and it’ll show the players that you are willing to work with them towards fulfilling what they want out of the game.

Manage Your Table

With gaming time at a premium, it’s important to know how to manage your table.  I’m not advovcating you being a tyrant, but there’s a time and place for everything.  Set aside a few minutes before the game starts to catch up, talk a bit, prepare some snacks and go to the bathroom.  Once game time starts, try to limit the distractions.  The bigger the group, the harder this will be.  Some players may be interested in listening to what you have to say while others are just waiting for the fights to start.  That’s fine, different players play for different reasons, but don’t allow someone’s lack of interest in ta part of the game affect some other players’  interest.

When you need to raise your voice a bit to bring the attention back to you, do so.  If you let it get away from you for too long, you’ve lost the table and you might as well put away the dice.

If you can, set the tone early.  Try to limit the electronic distractions from the beginning.  In my case, Dragon Age isn’t a game with online components, so there’s no reason to browse the web while playing.  All the info the players need is on their character sheets and my handouts.

Find Game Hooks Everywhere

There’s a story everywhere, find them, jot them down, and save them for later.  Involve your players, have them give you some character backstory from which you can pull out a story angle later.  “My player is eventually hoping to find his sister” can lead to maybe introducing her much later on as an unexpected, and powerful, NPC enemy.

I’m a big fan of the 36 Dramatic Situations.  Milk that, as that’s a valuable source of plots and situations.  Don’t be afraid to steal from the best of filmmakers, novels and stories.  You don’t think Game of Thrones is somehow going to find its way to my table?  You bet it is.

Don’t Let the Bits Slow You Down

This is one of those “mileage may vary” tips.  I found that I’ve changed somewhat in this regard over the past few years, but some people enjoy this style of play tremendously.  That’s fine, it’s a personal thing, but I’ll speak only for myself.  When I first started with 4e, I found myself really involved in the presentation of the encounters.  The maps, the minis, the terrain, it all had to kick ass.  4e fights are set pieces, and perhaps in a game where we were maybe getting through two fights a night, it made sense for me.  Also, I was very dependent on computer aided battle management and initiative tracking, while now I just use index cards and get on with it.

Now I’ll just draw a quick sketch on a flip map and get on with the game.  if I have a poster map, I’ll throw it down.  My minis don’t need to match anymore, If I use the minis at all.  I’ll drop pennies on the map now if I have to:  “Here’s the bandit.  The quarter is the big guy”.  My game just moves a bit faster not worrying about these things, and in the end my players just don’t really care either way.  Again–very personal.  Caring about that stuff isn’t wrong, just not my personal style anymore.

So are these tips the end all, be all?  Not at all.  As you newbie dm’s out there pick up more experience, you’ll see that you’ll develop a style that fits you and your game.  I’ve found myself developing a back to basics approach to gaming, where simplicity trumps complexity.

Again, this isn’t the only way, or the right way, just my way.

Now the question is…. am I still a newbie dm?  Ask me next year.

]]> http://newbiedm.com/2011/07/20/3-years-behind-the-screen/feed/ 7 darpbegins newbiedm darpbegins http://newbiedm.com/2011/07/15/the-easiest-combat-map-youll-never-make/ http://newbiedm.com/2011/07/15/the-easiest-combat-map-youll-never-make/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:00:09 +0000 TheSheDM http://newbiedm.com/?p=3184 ]]> Like a kid playing with Legos, I derive a childish glee from clearing off my coffee table and laying out dungeon tiles. I also have vinyl grids and wet-erase pens. When tiles can’t help me, carefully drawing vinyl maps is a close second in the glee department. I’m a busy DM though, I don’t always have the time or the creativity to come up with a bunch of amazing maps. Sometimes I lay out a bunch of tiles but forget to pack them for the game.  Sometimes I need a backup plan and I need one fast.

 Anxiety Saver

Luckily, I have an amazing resource for map-making right at my table: my players. That’s right – turn over the vinyl mat and markers to your players and let them draw the map. Whether you forgot your map, or didn’t have time to get it done, deciding to let your players draw the map instantly wipes one item off your list of Things To Do.

Give your players a time limit (2-3 minutes is plenty of time) and a basic prompt like “You’re in the woods, there’s a road running north-south, add lots of trees” and then sit back and watch. When time is up or when you like the look of the map enough you can stop the players and reclaim your markers. If you were planning to implement terrain hazards or traps, now is the time to implement it. I usually don’t need to do much more than decide where to plant the additions – usually in something they already drew or add a quick doodle myself.  Don’t hesitate to alter anything they drew – like changing height on an elevation, or adding a hazard where they clearly wanted a nice safe clear spot. The map may not be a work of art at this point, but it’ll probably be a very interesting piece of work.

Investment Strategy

Chances are your players will love the chance to be in control of their surroundings. They have a vested interest in the combat map – they’re the ones fighting on it of course. As a DM, how many times have you described a detailed environment, only to have players completely ignore certain elements? Or point at something and ask you “What did this do again?”  When the players draw the maps, I’ve noticed the level of attention increases dramatically. They remember what they contributed and when the “What is this?” question comes up the other players are quick to pipe up to promote their own contributions.  “I drew that! It’s a 10ft deep pit with rough rocks at the bottom!”

Running a weekly game, I frequently recruited my players to draw.  The players even began to anticipate it.  When they saw a blank vinyl on the table, they sometimes they’d start eyeballing my markers a little too eagerly.  Comically, they’d always try to out maneuver me by adding terrain features that they hoped would benefit the group. Such additions – pits, hazards, elevations – more often than not ended up being more or equally frustrating for them when the monsters were well placed or devised clever tactics. However, because of (rather than in spite of) these obstacles,  the players truly revel in their triumphs. They feel like the tables were turned on them but because they persisted and won their triumph was that much sweeter. And when the fight did go sour: they good naturedly cursed themselves for not adding more beneficial terrain features! They always vowed to do better next time they had a marker in hand.

One Size Does Not Fit All

While it is fun, clearly letting your players draw the map has its limitations. I recommend you only employ this type of mapping when running encounters in large open spaces that will benefit from lots of random details. I suggest anything outdoors, gladiatorial arenas, inside large spacious caverns, or even inside a very large building like a warehouse or an enormous ruined cathedral. Dungeon or indoor settings with limited spaces are not ideal for this style of mapping. Players will want to draw large open areas, even if you define a very limited area.  Plus, less space means less things your players can draw.  They may end up more frustrated by the attempt than entertained.

Hey guys, NewbieDM here…. As you may know, I love showcasing what readers of the site do in their own games, and often provide a space here for tutorials and other things that DM’s may find useful.  This article, by Scott Harris, caught my eye when he first proposed it to me.  Aerial combat is one of those things that can get a little confusing or hard to represent at the table, so when Scott pitched me the idea of a tutorial for making stands to represent height I told him to go for it.  So here now is the tutorial, I hope you enjoy it, and keep those great pitches for articles coming, you never know when yours might get published.

When it comes to aerial combat in D&D (or any other game with the option for flying charactes/creatures), I’ve never found a gaming aid that offers the options I truly wanted. There are different aerial combat aids out there, but they are either too limited or too expensive (or both). In particular, the aids I’ve found fall short in simulating the relative altitudes of miniatures in combat. For example, if my character is 60′ off the ground (in the gaming scale), then I want the miniature to actually be 12″ off the table (i.e. assuming a 1″ = 5′ scale). Since I was unable to find a stand that offers the features I wanted, I decided to build my own. Below are instructions on how I did it.

For lack of a better name, I’m calling this aid the Aerial Combat Stand or ACS for short.

The ACS is very inexpensive and easy to assemble. The stand itself can be built in about 15-20 minutes (assuming you have all of the supplies on hand). Other “add-ons” take a little more time, but are still inexpensive, easy to make, and worth the extra effort.

Materials

In order to build the ACS, you will need the following materials.

Item Quantity Price Notes

A Few Comments on the Materials

The most important part of the ACS is the telescoping magnetic pick-up tool. This is one of those handy tools that’s used for picking up small metallic materials (e.g. nuts, bolts, washers, etc.) that have fallen into hard to reach places. The telescoping nature of this tool is what allows your miniatures to be at different altitudes. The magnetic tip is also useful for holding larger miniatures (more on that later).

For the ACS, you want one of the silver/chrome pick-up tools that does NOT have a fancy handle. Also, it MUST have a screw at the end opposite the magnet. The end screw is crucial for attaching the pick-up tool to the washer base we will be building. Luckily, the type of pick-up tool that’s ideal for the ACS is also the one that’s the least expensive. I got lucky and found some very inexpensive ($1.50 USD) generic pick-up tools in the automotive section at Sears. Sears also offers a Craftsmen version ($4.99 USD) that works well, but it has the Craftsmen logo on it, which (if you’re finicky, like me) takes a little away from the mystique of the game setting.

Another version of pick-up tools that is hard to find, but adds a nice effect, is where the magnetic head is on a swivel. The swiveled magnets allow your flying miniatures to appear as though they are banking/turning in flight. It gives the whole thing a little extra added realism. The down side being that they will likely cost more. If you find one of these and want to pay the extra money, then be sure the swivel is strong enough to hold your larger/heavier miniatures.

Another important material is the type of glue you use for building the washer base. I suggest Gorilla Glue because it provides a strong bond, is easy to work with, and sets up quickly (i.e. 10-ish seconds). If you can’t find that, then any super glue that works with metal will probably be fine. Also, if you can find super glue that dries clear (and works with metal), then that’s the best option.

Don’t bother with the fancy metal epoxies (e.g. steel reinforced epoxy). Those are a little cumbersome to work with and overkill for this project.

Assembly

Okay, let’s get down to building the darn things. The steps for creating the ACS are really quite easy…

Step #1: Prepare Felt for the Bottom of the Washer Base (approximate time to complete = 3 to 5 minutes)

Flip the felt over so that the paper backing is facing up. Place one of the 3/4″ cut washers on the felt, and trace an outline around it with a pencil. With a sharp pair of scissors, cut the felt along the lines you traced. You will want to cut the inner circle of the washer out as well. Once you are done, the piece of felt you cut out will look like the letter “O” (or a flat donut). Set this aside. You will need it in Step #3. Do NOT peel off the felt adhesive backing, yet.

Step #2: Build the Washer Base (approximate time to complete = 5 to 10 minutes)

Once the four 3/4″ cut washers are glued together, you can glue the fender washer to the top of the four washer base. Since this washer is smaller, you will not need quite as much glue. Also, it will be a little easier to get glue on your
hands so take your time. Be sure that the hole in the middle of the fender washer is centered in the middle of the four washer base you have already assembled.

Once all of the washers are glued together, let them sit for a few minutes to make sure the glue is dry.

Tip for stacking the washers (prior to gluing):

Each side of the washers is a little different. There is a flat side and a slightly rounded side. In order for the washers to stack nicely, make sure the flat side is facing down (i.e. the rounded side up) prior to gluing them together.

Tip for getting super glue off of your fingers:

When working with any type of super glue, it is almost inevitable that you are going to get some on your fingers. I have found that the dispensing tip of Gorilla Glue minimizes this issue, but it does not totally eliminate it. When you get super glue on your fingers, let it dry, and then use an emory board (a.k.a. finger nail file) or fine grade sand paper to rub it off. It works remarkably well.

Step #3: Attach the Felt Base to the Bottom of the Washer Base (approximate time to complete = 1 minute)

Take the piece of felt you cut out in Step #1, peel off the adhesive backing, and attach the felt to the washer base you created in step #2. I find it easiest to peel off the backing, set the felt down (with the adhesive side up) and then
place the washer base on top of it. If any of the felt is hanging over the edge, then you can trim it off with a pair of sharp scissors.

Step #4: Attach the Telescoping Pick-up Tool to the Washer Base (approximate time to complete = 1 minute)

Remove the screw from the bottom of the pick-up tool, and use it to attach the pick-up tool to the washer base (i.e. through the fender washer’s hole). If you have fat fingers, then it may be a little tricky to get the threads of the screw to poke out
the small hole of the fender washer. Jiggle it around until it falls into place.

Step #5: Enjoy

You can use the poster tack to attach your miniature to the magnetic side of the pick-up tool. Adjust the telescoping pick-up tool to the desired height and your miniature is flying. If you only have small miniatures, then you are all set. If you want
to have larger miniatures flying about your gaming table, then read on to learn how to build the Miniature Platform.

Building the Miniature Platform (Optional)

The platform is intended for larger miniatures or for situations when multiple small miniatures are at the same altitude and/or next to each other (e.g. locked in combat). Essentially, it is just a bit of clear acrylic cut to size (e.g. 2×2″ or 3×3″) with a small washer glued to the bottom so that it will stick to the magnet on the telescoping pick-up tool on the base we’ve already built.

A Few Comments on the Materials

When you get your acrylic, you don’t need to get anything fancy. Just make sure it is clear. The acrylic I use is .080″ thick, and is labeled “easy to cut”. Also, you don’t need a whole bunch of it. Acrylic comes in various sized
sheets. If you get a 10×12″ sheet (or something about that size), then you’ll have plenty to work with.

Step #1: Cut the Acrylic to Size (approximate time to complete = 15 to 30 minutes)

Important Note: In the picture to the right I put some black felt under the acrylic so that
it would be easier to differentiate the acrylic from my work bench. You would not actually do this when
cutting the acrylic.

Cutting the acrylic is the most difficult part of building the platform. If you’ve never cut acrylic before, then you’ll probably want to practice a few times, and don’t worry if you make a mistake or two. You will also want to do this at a sturdy work bench and NOT your kitchen table.

You will not really be “cutting” the acrylic. Rather, you’ll be scoring it multiple times, and then snapping off the piece you want. To begin, measure out the dimensions of the platform you want. I created a few 2×2″ platforms and a few 3×3″ platforms. Those should be large enough for most miniatures, and anything bigger will not be stable when it is attached to the combat stand.

Once you’ve got the dimensions determined, you will want to score the acrylic with your plexiglass cutter. You will need to hold the acrylic down very firmly. I actually used some small clamps to hold it in place, because I found it difficult to do
free hand. Also, you’ll want to use a straight edge to make sure your scoring is straight. I recommend a metal straight edge, because you might end up cutting into a wooden one with your plexiglass cutter.

When scoring the acrylic, start with several light to medium strokes. This will make it easier to ensure the score line is straight. Essentially, you are creating a shallow groove in the acrylic. Once you’ve got a good groove started, you can make five or six firm cuts along the groove. You will need to press down very hard. With these multiple cuts, you will likely be about half-way through the acrylic. Once you are there, you are ready for the last step of the cutting process.

After you have cut about half-way through the acrylic, set the cutting tool aside and prepare to snap the piece off. To do this, hold the acrylic firmly with one hand, line the groove line you created earlier with the edge of your work bench, and
push down slowly with your other hand. This will cause the acrylic to snap in two along the groove you created. Repeat this process until your platforms are cut to the size you want. You should wear some eye protection when snapping the acrylic just
in case stray pieces go flying. Also, you may have some sharp edges and corners on the cut acrylic, so use a file or sand paper to grind those down.

Step #2: Add Grid Lines (optional) (approximate time to complete = 5 to 15 minutes)

A nice touch for the platforms is to add grid lines to them. This only makes sense if the miniature combat system you use makes use of grids. I use the platforms for D&D which uses a 1×1″ grid. So, I put a 1×1″ grid on my platforms. You should do
whatever makes sense for the game system you will be using the platforms for.

Creating the grid follows the same steps as cutting the acrylic, except we won’t be snapping the piece in two. Rather, just use the same scoring method as before. That is, several light cuts to create the groove, and then one or two firm cuts. You
don’t want to do more than one or two firm cuts, because we won’t actually be snapping the piece like before.

Create as many grid lines as are necessary for the size of your platform.

Step #3: Glue On #6 Flat Washer (approximate time to complete = 1 minute)

On the same side of the platform as you added the grid lines, we will now be gluing the small #6 washer to the center of the platform. Once the platform is finished, this washer serves as the mechanism for attaching the platform to the magnetic tip of the telescoping pick-up tool on the ACS base.

There is not anything fancy with this step. Just add a drop of super glue to the center of the platform and set the washer on it. The small washer will have a flat and rounded side like the larger washers. I put the flat side of the washer
towards the glue so that it lies flat. Also, when I set the washer on the glue, I will push it down slightly to make sure it is flat against the acrylic. This will help to make sure the platforms are parallel to your playing surface when the
glue dries.

When gluing the washers onto the acrylic, you will want to use a little extra care to avoid using too much glue. I’ve found that some super glues cause a slight discoloration of the acrylic, and if you accidentally get some glue on other areas of the acrylic then it won’t look quite as nice.

Once the glue dries, you are all set to have your miniatures fly across your game table.

Weaknesses

The Aerial Combat Stand works pretty well, but it is not perfect. I have found the following weaknesses with the stands.

Minimum Height

The stand works great if your miniature is at middle to high altitudes (i.e. at or above 4″ or 20′ in a 1″ = 5′ scale). If you want your miniatures to be flying lower than that, then it won’t work that well. This is due to the minimum length/height of
the telescoping pick-up tool.

Maximum Height

The opposite of the minimum height issue, is a limitation to how high the stand can go. If you want your miniatures to be at an altitude higher than the telescoping pick-up tool allows, then you can compensate by saying the base of the stand
starts at a higher altitude (e.g. 100′, 200′, etc.). Presumably, this would only become an issue if you had multiple stands in use during some sort of aerial battle.

Don’t Bother Painting It

Using the materials I’ve listed, your entire stand will be a silver/chrome color. I tried painting the washer bases on early versions of the ACS. I primed and spray painted them. I found, though, that the paint was prone to
chipping when the bases from multiple stands bumped into each other (e.g. when transporting them). I didn’t care for that, so I removed the paint and decided that painting the stands was not worth the extra effort.

I also tried painting horizontal lines on the telescoping pick-up tools for designating altitude, but found that the paint would scratch off when you expanded/collapsed the tool. So, I wouldn’t recommend that either. In order to get the correct altitude,
you can use a ruler, tape measure, or the grid map you are using in your game.

A Few Parting Comments

For ease of storage and transport, I usually leave the telescoping pick-up tools detached from the base and then attach them
when gaming starts.

While gaming, I find it useful to have a small tape measure on hand to determine the distance between flying miniatures and
other miniatures/landmarks.

The Aerial Combat Stands offers a realistic option for your aerial encounters. It allows you to have flying miniatures at altitudes that correlate with your gaming table. The ACS is easy to use, easy to assemble, and easy on the pocket book.
I hope this tutorial makes your game day a little bit more enjoyable.

Happy gaming!

Scott Harris

P.S. The artwork for the cool cardstock buildings, castle walls, and roads in the pictures above were created by Dave Graffam of Dave Graffam Models (davesgames.net). I encourage you to check out his site. He has some truly awesome products.

P.P.S. The dragon miniatures were supplied by one of my gaming buddies. Thanks Adam!

I’m going to start the series off with an app that has quickly become a favorite of mine, Index Cards.  Index cards use in writing is a tried and true trick of the screenwriting trade.  On the cards you can lay out your scenes and arrange them in order, swap scenes around, etc., in a way that makes sense for your story.  So why not take that to the gaming table as well?

An screenplay index card layout (image via: complicationsensue.blogspot.com)

I’m going to create a simple adventure, and show you how the index card app may help you in the process of creating your own.

So the app starts you off with a corkboard, much like what you may use in real life to pin notecards on:

So lets look at how you can keep track of your NPC’s with it.  You can even create “stacks” of similar cards:

Our first stack, Important NPC's

Each card in the stack is an NPC, with a flavorful description on one side, and game stats on the other.

An index card describing an NPC

You can also include game hooks within the NPC description.  Find the dwarf’s lost sword is a good one.

Or better yet… create another stack with minor quests…

Now we're building a little collection of elements.

So for the actual adventure, perhaps we come up with encounter cards, or scene cards, and that’s the bulk of the story.

The Encounters/Scenes stack is now part of the project.

Inside the stack, we have different types of cards.  I chose the following for this example:  Combat Encounter, Roleplay Encounter, and Exploration Encounter as these are the three types of encounters in Dragon Age, the game I currently play.  You can color code the cards, so I assigned a different color to each type of encounter card.

Color coded cards can help you keep track of each type of encounter.

So what I’ve been toying with is using the app to then build an outline of my story, because the app lets you move the cards around and place them in any order you want. I duplicated the encounter cards and removed the duplicates from the stack, that’s why the stack and the cards are both on screen at the same time….

This is where you'd start building your sequence of events...

Now keep in mind that you can also transfer cards to other projects, so for example, the Minor Quests can be transferred over as drop-ins to another adventure, as well as NPC’s, or anything else you have.  After everything is done, one of the options you have is to transfer the whole thing via email as an RTF text file.  It won’t be formatted as an adventure exactly, but it is a good outline for when you sit to write one.  Also, you can, if you are detailed enough, include enough info in the index cards that you can in fact just run right from the app or the outline.  Another option has is to share the project via dropbox, which could be very useful as well.

Here’s the outline in RTF form for this small project.  I had to convert it to a PDF to upload it.  It does not export to PDF on its own.

Sample Adv. The Red Dragon _1

So there you have it.  I feel that this app would be a good one for you Ipad owning Dm’s out there looking for writing or story aids.  Screenwriters use this method a lot, I can’t see why transferring it to the gaming table wouldn’t be as useful.  At best, it can help you build a coherent story, and at worst it can help you build a nice library of elements you can use in your games such as minor hooks and npc’s.

Here is the Faq page from the app developers.

What do you guys think? Do you think this would be useful? Can you recommend any other writing apps for the series?

Well, I’m bringing this up because of a recent change of heart:  I decided to bribe my players.

The problem that had been plaguing me for several months was the lack of players participating or contributing to our campaign’s wiki and forum over on Obsidian Portal. I begged players to discuss topics or help update the journal and the wiki and I received less-than-lackluster results. I knew the ability to contribute existed among them (time, access, etc) but only one or two players participated on a semi-regular basis.

I decided to attempt bribery but I didn’t want to offer XP; our group leveled up less by XP and more by the number of sessions completed. The game was set in Dark Sun, so I couldn’t offer magic items without risking making magic items less special and I couldn’t balance holding back items if it meant less participation. Money was nice, but again I didn’t want them to have excessive wealth in the gritty world of Dark Sun. Eventually I had an idea, one that wouldn’t disrupt the delicate balance of wealth in Dark Sun.

I announced to the group that they would be rewarded for their participation on Obsidian Portal with money – but that money would never appear in-game. I explained that every post, every wiki page, every bit of participation had a specific value and that amount would be added to an out-of-game fund everytime they contributed. This savings account of gold pieces can be spent, but only with the consent of everyone in the group. I agreed that any item they voted to purchase, I would work it into the next session – probably as part of the next treasure bundle in the game if it was mundane enough. In this way I could reward the players, prod them into choosing their own reward, and balance my other treasure rewards. For interesting items I might bring them in with plot hooks attached. Ideally, the group could save the money and use it to purchase items they would not have otherwise recieved in-game. One example I mentioned to them would be getting the entire group matching magic tattoos. The group liked the idea and agreed to persue it. It did stimulate activity on Obsidian Portal and I made sure to keep the balance updated and notified everyone in the group every time someone contributed.

The group is currently taking a break from Dark Sun. They haven’t redeemed their money for any items yet, but when we do return to playing I intend to continue this plan and see how it develops. Additionally, I have another D&D group just getting started and I’m planning on implementing the same reward system, although with an adjusted rate of reward to see if it garners more interest.

If anyone else uses Obsidian Portal, I’d love to here how much your players participate and if you reward or encourage them to do so more often. If you decide to implement a plan like this one, I’d also love to hear how it turns out!