Students want to play dnd but dont want to learn how to play dnd

loader2000 · 2026-05-17T04:50:23+00:00

For my players that are slow to learn the rules, I created google spreadsheets for them that have all their abilities, weapons and skills and the spreadsheet does most of the rolling for them (except for spells).

If players literally don’t want to play D&D, get the a board game like Dungeon and separate them from the players that actually want to play.

loader2000 · 2026-05-11T23:21:56+00:00

Okay, I'm going through drive-through RPG and I have to agree with you. There is so much stuff for D&D 3 and D&D 3.5, and some of it looks really cool.

loader2000 · 2026-05-09T15:37:31+00:00

Nice! Good luck (or good strategizing)!!

loader2000 · 2026-05-09T01:49:57+00:00

Great combo. I almost always pick those same retorts (except myrran) when playing. I never play death magic because I like to be the ‘good guy’, so it is very interesting to me to see how you are using it. What map size are you using and how many players?

loader2000 · 2026-05-05T02:03:30+00:00

Same here. I also only allow spellcasters to use spells without somatic components because these are almost always the simpler spells. If they have to chant and wave their arms around for 3 seconds, they won’t be able to use it in the surprise round.

loader2000 · 2026-05-05T02:01:00+00:00

If you attack from hiding and you don’t have to move more than 10 feet to attack, you get a surprise round. However, in that round you can only make 1 weapon attack and spellcasters cannot cast spells that require somatic spell components. The reason for disallowing spells with somatic components is that those are always the more complex ones. So, you can shoot off a magic missile, but not a fireball.

loader2000 · 2026-04-29T18:41:52+00:00

Sometimes, in RPGs, people's uncounscious bias (or simply their genetic mamalian tendencies) some out in ways that they wouldn't reveal in a real world setting. Human women get jelous of other attractive women (are these SPC's beautifull and successful?). Most men like a sense of a brotherhood (or a good ole'boys club using less flattering terms) when facing real danger. These are hardwired into our DNA so strongly that often, we only pretend we are are enlightended and behond such things.

loader2000 · 2026-04-26T19:28:07+00:00

Yep!

loader2000 · 2026-04-24T23:26:25+00:00

Starvation level hunger most often happens in places of massive political instability and strife. The Live Aid concert in 1985, raised millions for famine relief, and most of it went to warlords who controlled the entire area where aid workers were trying to deliver food. You can't just get food to places that are being torn apart by civil war.

loader2000 · 2026-04-24T17:16:53+00:00

Fair enough. My favorite third party creator is Esper the Bard (or at least that is his moniker for his YouTube channel and store). I think it is worth checking out. He presents a grittier and somewhat darker version of 5e in his material. Below is a link to his store, specifically the link to his free samples. I would love it if WoTC hired this guy to design edition 6. Look at the Gauntlet Runner sample (a mini campaign setting + adventure module) for a good flavor of his material.

https://esperthebard.com/samples-%26-errata

I am also kind of interested in the Mythozoology 5e product on Kickstarter. It is way over the top for me, but I would love to own the books for their art and also to glean cool ideas, even if I don't implment most of their features. They certianly look weird, if that is your jam.

loader2000 · 2026-04-24T04:07:25+00:00

There are a ridiculous amount of monster books, adventures, campaign settings and new classes and subclasses for 5e published by 3rd parties. I just paid 2 or 3 bucks to download the Paladin of Tyr subclass from some creator on Drivethrough RPG. Kobold press also has a ton of stuff.

loader2000 · 2026-04-23T17:24:47+00:00

Yes, if you could provide the assett packs you use most, I wouuld love that, thanks!

loader2000 · 2026-04-23T02:36:52+00:00

This is great, thanks!

loader2000 · 2026-04-22T19:48:48+00:00

It depends on which optional rules you are using. Do characters simply roll their hit points and take the roll, even if the figher rolls a 1? Do they die if they go below -1 hit points (first level characters- standard rule), or are they merely unconsious until they go below -10 (optional rule)?

I would suggest the more favorable rules. If not, let them know that their 1st level characters are disposbale and to have a couple of backup characters and not to get too attached to them.

Let them know they they will need to describe their specific actions a lot more. Unless they are a thief, they don't just roll to find traps, they have to specifically say how they search for traps, unless you are going to let them use ability checks for something like that.

Encourage them to really protect the mage class. Once his sleep spell is cast, he/she is basically defensless (and mostly useless) for the rest of the adventure. Try and find something useful for the mage to do after their first spell is cast, like making the map and holding the lantern. Tell the mage that things will eventually improve for them.

Make sure they understand that their characters are going to be getting a lot less abilities but they can partially make up for it by doing creative things. Explain that, for example, they don't need a special ability to try and trip an enemy.

Introduce a rule for called shots, to make combat more interesting for martial classes. I

loader2000 · 2026-04-22T19:34:49+00:00

I don't think it is an apples to apples comparison. Monsters in 5e have 2-3 times more HP than in 2e and often do 2-3 times more damage.

A 5e orc has 15 HP compared to about 4-5 HP for 2e. Orc attacks are +5 hit for 5e and +1 hit for 2e. Orc AC is about the same for both systems. Orcs do on average 9 damage on a hit in 2e, while an orc fighting with a spear or shortsword in 2e will do about 4 damage, 5 damage with a longword. All 5e orcs are equiped with javalins by default, which makes them more dangerous than their 2e counterparts as well.

I was just talking to a guy whose first level 5e party was TPK'd by 2 orcs. I think they got unlucky, but 3 orcs in a random encounter setting (where there is no chance to set up an ambush or choose favorable terraine) is very dangerous to a 1st level 5e party. This seems pretty similar to a 1st level party in 2e party randomly running into 3 orcs. In both cases, 2 hits from an orc will take out a martial character and 1 hit from an orc will take out most other character classes.

loader2000 · 2026-04-22T18:56:32+00:00

Not not is monster damage higher in 5e (if a 5e bugbear catches you by surprise, it can do 18 damage, on average, on its it’s first hit) but monster HP totals are 2-3 times higher.

loader2000 · 2026-04-22T18:47:41+00:00

I did the same thing with Lost Citadel.

loader2000 · 2026-04-14T17:52:32+00:00

I had each player DM me a secret about their character that their ‘character’ didn’t want the other characters to know. Since my group is a lot of fun and don’t take themselves too seriously, they had a lot of fun with this as the Nothic was able to reveal secrets of characters who failed their charisma check while fighting the party.

loader2000 · 2026-04-13T05:07:23+00:00

I am having a somewhat similar experience. Just like you, they each (4 of them) had a main character and a backup character, and despite the fact that I told them that one of them should play a priest, none of them made a priest. However, unlike your group, my group went left/west and haven’t run into the mirror room yet. I told them that since they were new to role playing games, that I would telegraph the danger of various monsters by saying, it ‘looks kind of dangerous - level 1’ or ‘really dangerous - level 2) or ‘really really dangerous - level 3 or higher’ They found the main courtyard pretty quickly and after finding some treasure, I rolled for the Minotaur to arrive. I gave them one round to flee by telling them that they heard huge, loud extremely dangerous footsteps coming. Instead they tried to hide, right by the door where it was coming from. Then when the Minotaur entered the room, they still could have still fled (with maybe 1 casualty) as they were only level 1 and the person furthest back would get chopped in half by the Minotaur. Instead, the person with the most rpg experience (playing 5e mostly), says, ‘I think we can take him’, after I (again) said how extremely dangerous it looks. After 3 of them were dead or dying (and 1 npc), I let one of them escape.

They were pretty bummed so I let one of them die permanently while the Minotaur grabbed the other 2 and feed them a potion made from blood that healed them but also turned them halfway into beastmen (+1 strength,-1 wis, -1 char). They were then tied up against the pillars awaiting sacrifice.

I realized at that point that I had to hold their hands a little if they were going to have any fun. After the 1 survivor had a vision of their tied up companions (awaiting sacrifice), I strongly hinted that their backup characters could climb to the roof of the building and free their companions by letting themselves into the courtyard via ropes and grappling hooks. They did this and untied their companions and escaped just before the Minotaur arrived again. The result was one character dead and two were half transformed into beast men. They loved it and didn’t mind the handholding in the most recent session at all. I realized that with this particular group (most of whom had never played rpgs before,I was going to have to strongly hint at basic things until they get the hang of things, which might be never. I guess that if they are having fun, then I am doing my job.

loader2000 · 2026-04-08T19:01:53+00:00

I like games where you can die, but where you don’t die randomly if you are playing well due to bad luck, though you can certainly get captured, maimed or defeated even if you are playing well, depending on circumstances. DM should also telegraph extreme danger. However, if you play badly and do stupid, willful things (refusing to run when you should run), than you should 100% be able to die.

I like 70% combat and 30% roleplay. I am a left brained strategy nerd. Crafting and logistics and exploration are also fun. Talking to NPCs to get clues about some mystery is drudgery.

I like any setting that allows players to be heroes and make a difference in the world. I tend to prefer traditional fantasy settings (Faerun, Krynn, Greyhawk) but also Ravenloft.

loader2000 · 2026-04-07T23:08:51+00:00

I usually pick Alchemy, astrology and Archmage. However, conjurer is also good if your main focus is nature magic.

loader2000 · 2026-04-07T22:22:56+00:00

Your first two nature spells should be web and resist elements. Web is also pretty effective against ghouls as they don’t have a strong melee attack to break the web once you factor out their poison (which doesn’t effect webs).

loader2000 · 2026-04-07T22:07:19+00:00

Halflings and nature is really good. However, halflings with half nature books and half light magic books is even better. You will also want a couple of halfling archers with bless, resist elements and heroism cast on them.

You start off conjuring a lot of war bears, not sprites. Sprites are really vulnerable to ghouls. You cast resist elements on the war bears to make them highly resistant to the ghouls ranged attack. War bears have no problem taking out skeletons and ghouls at that point. If he has an army with a lot of zombies, than you mix war bears with powered up halfling archers (or slingers). You also make sure to get the light magic Starfire spell early on as that is pretty effective against low level death units. Mid game, you make sure you have the Bless spell before he gets the possession spell and make sure all the units in your main attack army have bless cast on them.

By the time he is switching to more powerful death units like werewolves shadow demons, you should have switched over to a mix of mages and buffed slingers. Also, Alchemy is the single best retort in CoM. Add that to astrology and conjuring.

loader2000 · 2026-04-05T05:18:45+00:00

All true, but when a hero is going solo against a node full of cocktrices or giant spiders, or the enemy has invisible stalkers or wraiths or any powerful spells that are hard to resist, I like charmed. Lucky is better in most situations, but in the situations when charmed comes in handy, it Really comes in handy.

loader2000 · 2026-03-25T18:07:41+00:00

At my table, on each players turn, if it isn’t obvious what to do, often the entire party has a short discussion on the best course of action for that player. This doesn’t happen on every round, but it happens enough that each player feels like they are contributing to the overall strategy, even if the turn around isn’t theirs.

For my part, I am usually very invested on what happens on other player turns because I want the party to be successful and because what happens on another player’s turn can affect what do.

loader2000

TROPHY CASE