DM Tip Twitter Archive: March 2010

by Mike Shea on 8 April 2010

Below is an archive of all of the Sly Flourish DM Tip Twitter posts for March 2010. Get daily DM tips athttp://twitter.com/slyflourish!

#dnd tip from @newbiedm: AWESOME resource for fantasy names and titles.http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names.htm

#dnd tip: Don't try to force your game to be a certain way. If you're group is out for a laughing good time, make it so.

#dnd tip: If you can find them, Deathcap and Arcane Ballista miniatures can make for some great environmentals / terrain power pieces.

#dnd tip: Use email as a method to run quests for individual PCs.

#dnd tip: Want a nasty undead beast like the old level-drainers? Give them a disease on hit that stacks -2s to attack each failure.

Here's my portal prop for Nerull's Gate in @brucecordell's "Death's Reach" adventure http://bit.ly/b1aNNG #dnd

#dnd tip: Spend some time making sure your bosses will work the way you want. Don't just grab them from the Monster Manual without tuning.

Good #dnd 4e article on combat length. Worth reading and pondering: http://bit.ly/crUICf

#dnd tip: Stay on your feet to keep your game energetic. It will keep you awake and keep your roleplaying interesting.

Woo! @wizards_dnd put out level 6 pregens in the card format in PDF for #dnd Gameday! http://bit.ly/lvl6pregens very useful!

#dnd tip: Don't force skill challenges and roleplaying. Sometimes your group just wants to fight!

Fun #DnD campaign from @milambus: The Breakfast Club meets Dungeons & Dragons. High School students are teleported to detention in D&D.

@Light_Outlaw For erasable maps, I prefer the Gamemastery Flip-mats: http://bit.ly/bsNgP4 #dnd

Got two sets of Harrowing Halls (http://bit.ly/bviGeA). Very cool 3d terrain in this set. I'm glad I got two, they go out of print fast #dnd

#dnd tip: Give your beholder a swiss-cheese room where they can travel through tunnels in any direction. Got this from @davethegame.

#dnd tip: Use room positioning as a reward for a skill challenge. Give your PCs the high ground if they succeed or at a disadvantage if not.

RT @gamefiend: New blog post: Character Flaws http://at-will.omnivangelist.net/2010/03/character-flaws/

#dnd tip: Did your monsters hear the PCs coming? Give them a round of readied actions!

From @cwgabriel - Add a "capture the beast when it is bloodied" mechanic for a quick battle Pokemon style! http://bit.ly/d1hdnr

#dnd tip: Try using Living Forgotten Realms cards in your home campaign as extra rewards. http://bit.ly/cw9ig2

Good quick #dnd battle tip from my friend @mike_schiller: Set up monsters and Pcs Final Fantasy style and remove movement from equation.

#dnd tip: Use room positioning as a reward for a skill challenge. Give your PCs the high ground if they succeed or at a disadvantage if not.

I love how many folks at #pax are using the folded-card over the DM screen initiative system. http://twitpic.com/1bdijh #dnd

#dnd tip: Try an encounter with invulnerable minions until a challenge has been passed.

#dnd tip: Give solos a lot of environmental effects they can manipulate.

#dnd tip: Give certain monsters a penetration ability to burrow through resistances once they've seen it in action. Reverse "variable" res.

#dnd tip: Introduce your campaign villain at level one. Have Orcus show up in a town and wreak havoc! Revenge is a great motivator.

One of my players picked "Volcano Girls" by Veruca Salt as his theme song. He clearly gets it. #dnd

Cool looking web-based DM tracker that imports from iPlay4e: http://laughterforever.com/inCombat/

#dnd Tip via @EpicDestinies: If you're running Eberron check out 80's-90's action movies for inspiration; Under Siege, Air Force One, Speed

#dnd tip: Sometimes it helps to write your own unseen background stories. What actually happened 500,000 years ago in that tomb? #dnd

.@gregbilsland your theme music action point house rule is awesome. I'm going to #dnd tip that later and use it in my game.

Good Dungeon's Master article on character building. I like using a character archetype from TV or Film. http://goo.gl/fb/nfre

if you missed it, I wrote an article on fun terrain effects and PC terrain powers with the Harrowing Halls tiles! #dnd http://goo.gl/fb/pj7k

Like these tips? Consider using these links to purchase theMonster Manual 2, orDungeon Masters Guide 2 or use this link topurchase anything from Amazon.com.