ITT: we share the wisdom we collected with each other so others don't make the same mistakes

ITT: we share the wisdom we collected with each other so others don't make the same mistakes

I'll start, always have a weapon for ever encounter you may come across so you are not floundering during combat.
for example: in a recent encounter our ranger/rouge who primarily uses bows was forced into close combat with a few bugbears, even with cunning action he couldn't get away far enough to use his bow. it was then we realize he didn't pack a weapon with finesse (i.e scimitar or rapier)or at very least a dagger so he couldn't fight back. needless to say we salvaged a short sword for him after the encounter. so if you are range pack a scimitar and if you are close combat pack a crossbow just in case

> Always have both a melee and ranged combat option for every character.

> Once you reach the level where your own mage can cast Invisibility, prepare yourselves to deal with invisible enemies.

> Greater Invisibility is a hell of a drug. Remember enemies can get it too.

> Don't split the fucking party.

> Thou shalt not let the fighty types say "let's keep going" when the mages are out of spells.

> In D&D 3.PF, summoning meatshields to tank hits and spells is generally more efficient than healing your own party members afterwards. But it needs preparation and can be slower.

> Do not deliberately eat the Big Monster's attack of opportunity in order to do something trivial.

Don't invest in an skill that doesn't fits the style of the game you are playing unless you are playing with GM you know is good, chances are your GM wont let you use investigation or survival for anything unless he has previously planned to introduce to intrigue or survival aspects into the game.

I’ll add one. Take a minute to examine any objects of interest. May have writing or some other clue

After making a character solely to solve skill challenges and then have the campaign have about 3 of them in a year long campaign, this is some very good advice.

I've found that playing a session missing a player (in smaller groups of 3 to 4 players) is almost always a bad idea. Forgotten plot lines, character interactions being missed, less effective in combat, it's almost always better to take the week off and do something else or have a silly one-shot or dream sequence with no consequence.

stay calm, relax, don't take the game too seriously, but don't take it too lightly either. find a balance so that way the table can have fun without having to work at it

Pay attention to your DM and ask to clear things you dont get OOC, its easier to identify plot points when you know what is goin on.

Have as many Immovable Rods as your DM will allow you.

If you have a Cleric and a Wizard, make sure you have enough 10ft spears for everyone in the Party to have one.

Bite every plot hook you find as hard and as fast as possible.

Remember everything your character has, has bought, should have, finds and possibly has on them or somewhere else but still technically owns. Write it down if you have to, but never forget what you have, and why you have it.

Never be afraid to try to eat/feed someone the mysterious food/drink/plant/animal/potion/edible rock. It might have tremendous effects on the character/story. If it has a negative effect, then treat it as character growth.

If you ever meet someone/something more powerful than you, make a deal when you can. Especially for supernatural beings, and if the price is "Too high" take the deal anyway and find a workaround with your newfound power/'gift'/notbeingdead/time/[resource]

>Never be afraid to try to eat/feed someone the mysterious food/drink/plant/animal/potion/edible rock. It might have tremendous effects on the character/story. If it has a negative effect, then treat it as character growth.
Reminder:
>There is a big red button under a spotlight in an empty room of a dungeon
>Newbie players shuffle around it nervously
>Experienced players press it with the longest stick they can carry
>True veterans strut up and slam the button while staring the GM in the eyes, and laugh as the trap kills them

Half the fun of DnD is coming up with new characters to play.

everybody knows that you retard. fuck.

You should add the disclaimer
>these tidbits only concern the people who want to play Dungeoncrawls exclusively and don't care about playing an inexperienced character in any setting other than medium-high fantasy DnD Path/Starfinder.

this should be the new adventurer's guild thread.

Here's some wisdom for you: It doesn't matter how much wisdom you try to pass along; people will still do the same stupid mistakes you made and only then learn something from it.

Never play games without at least one or two friends in the group.

Agreed. If there is an enchanter or potion seller, just ask them for “something interesting”. It’s for this reason I’m currently on fire.

Witches and demons are bad news, even if you think you'll be fine. you never know when one will turn into a colossus of conglomerate organs or explode or something. plus, with witches, they're probably providing medicine to a nearby village or something.

>mages are out of spells
>better stop what we're fucking doing
>because Shitbag McWizardsleeves can't do anything but mumble in runespeak and wave his fucking hands around like a tard

Even Gandalf knew how to lay down the law with a blade

>Shitbag McWizardsleeves
This made me laugh far more than it should have.

>Thou shalt not let the fighty types say "let's keep going" when the mages are out of spells

Instead, how about, "Thou shalt not let the mages out of the city with some amount of scrolls, potions, wands, staves, utility items, tanglefoot bags, alchemists fire, crossbow, sword or fucking anything that lets them be useful when the run out of spells." Your games shouldn't revolve around a 2 hour wizarding day.

bump

Gandalf was an angel though.

Roleplaying isn't about doing the most optimal thing or picking the safest option all the time. In other words, most of the advice in this thread should be entirely ignored.

Go out adventuring without sufficient supplies. Fight a monster without having the best weapon to kill it. Split the party to cover more ground while exploring that haunted castle. Level cool skills you know won't be very useful in your campaign. Press on even though you're out of spells and at half health. Open the scary door without spending half an hour checking for traps. Charge the undead horde. Take the devil's deal. Push the fucking button.

Safety is dull. Optimization is boring. You're on an adventure, act like it.

...

Your group must be very regular. If we skipped a session every time only one person couldn't make it, we would never play again.

...

Gandalf was smart enough not to be a one-trick pony. Have your character be trained with more than one kind of combat, regardless of class or race.

For you wizards out there:

Always have mage armor prepared and cast at the start of the day.

The one thing I learned from Veeky Forums is to never, ever allow lesbian PCs.

>Optimization is boring
Fuck you
-t. Factorio

>I've found that playing a session missing a player (in smaller groups of 3 to 4 players) is almost always a bad idea. Forgotten plot lines, character interactions being missed, less effective in combat, it's almost always better to take the week off and do something else or have a silly one-shot or dream sequence with no consequence.

in our group this works well, but we made the experience that it is really important to totally forget the character of the missing player while he is not there. He's completely inactive, can't be separate from the party, can't fight, party should not do decisions based on this char etc... Works really good for us. But we have to parties in one world where a few players play in both parties and it would be impossible to wait always until everyone has time to play

Always speak in character. That doesn't mean accents and voices but try to avoid "I tell him what I saw" or "I ask what she's doing here." Actually say what your guy would say.

This is honestly the best advice here.

is this advice or what you don't like?

When you run into a problem, take a second to step back and consider what your character would know about the problem. Would your first level rogue know that cold iron burns fey creatures? Has your fighter ever seen what happens when someone is scratched by a ghoul? Can he tell the difference between a ghoul and a zombie?
Don't be afraid of getting a bit messy, that's what adventuring is about. But don't be stupid, 14 foot collapsible poles are your best friend.

On the other end, GMs, make your own monsters every so often. Old players get jaded to how scary some creatures really can be when they've memorized their strengths and weaknesses. Give them the feeling of apprehension when they meet a new nasty in some dark corner, and the joy of kicking its ass when they take the hints that you've dropped about how to beat it. Let them feel like a bright eyed and bushy tailed newbie again.

>Roleplaying isn't about doing the most optimal thing or picking the safest option all the time.
It really depends on the campaign. Some games are you vs. the dungeon. Others are pretty much entirely about you exploring your character. Most are somewhere in between.

>Split the party to cover more ground while exploring that haunted castle.
Last time we split the party, I died.

I agree for the most part except splitting up. Unless absolutely necessary it’s just shitty and tedious

Always have friends so that you can have people to play TRPG's with. Twenty years and I still haven't managed to fix this mistake.

One of the most efficient ways for a group to die is for issues between players going unresolved.
This happens because "nerds" generally are afraid to rock the boat and voice a negative opinion.
As GM, part of your job is people management, and you MUST be proactive in rooting out problems between players and putting them to bed, because the players often will not, and it is the group as a whole that suffers for it.