Basic D&D
Please, please, please, please make my save vs. dragon breath.  Yes!  What, I still die.  You suck!  This game sucks!  I hate you all!  Grumbles and rolls new character sheet.

1st/2nd edition AD&D
Please, please, please, please make my save vs. dragon breath.  Yes!  What, I still die.  You suck!  This game sucks!  I hate you all!  Grumbles and rolls new character sheet.

3.x edition
Fortunately I min/maxed against this very possibility.  One hit, in the right place should do the trick.  What, you gave him class levels?  Prestige classes?  You bastard?  Fort save?  What?  Oh this roll had better be a 20.  Dammit, I thought one hit kills were done with in 3rd edition.  You suck!  This game sucks!  I hate you all!  Grumbles and rolls new character sheet.

4th edition.
Three hours of intense mini combat later.  I hate you all!  This game sucks!  You cheated!  You can’t put a trap, okay seven traps, in the middle of the battlefield that only the dragon knows about.  What were you thinking?  Aaargh, I thought they did away with party wipe in this edition!  Grumbles and opens character creator.

Welcome back to Dungeons and Dragons Corner.

You can find Character Sheets Here.

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Okay, so the debate has waxed hot around the internet, so I’m going to add my grease to the fire in the next series of posts.  Try not to take me too seriously because, as with everything else I do this exercise is about finding the fun.

Sample the first:  character creation.

Basic D&D

Roll 3d6 six times.  Put your lowest score into Charisma.  Put your highest score into your class’s prime requisite.  Copy down your saving throws and attack numbers.  Roll starting gold.  Buy equipment.  Ten minutes later you are in the dungeon.

1st/2nd Edition AD&D

Roll 4d6 six times.  Put your lowest score into Charisma.  Put your highest score into your class’s prime requisite.  If you wanted to play a paladin or ranger then screw around with your stats until you had something that worked.  If your DM allowed it, reroll until you got a decent character.  Have the DM THAC0.  Make racial modifiers to your ability scores.  Have the DM re-explain THAC0.  Copy down saving throws and to hit numbers.  Have the DM re-explain THAC0.  Fifteen minutes later you are in the dungeon.

3.x edition

Roll 4d6 six times.  Compare your results to a point-buy character.  Haggle with the DM until he gives you more points to spend.  Re-read the pre-requisites for every prestige class available.  Re-read the level progression for each base class available.  Calculate out the feats you will need for the first prestige class.  Min/Max based on feat entry requirements.  Put just enough points into INT/WIS/CHA to cover the highest level of spells you plan on learning (unless you are munchkining a spell caster or bard), dump most everything else into strength.  Re-calculate.  Decide you to go a different route.  Email your DM and ask about tweaking a feat.  When he says no, email your DM asking about an obscure feat found in a hard to find splat book.  Keep tweaking until you have +12 to whatever key action you want to use at first level.  Two days later you enter your data onto a character sheet.  Fifteen minutes later you are in the dungeon.

4th edition
Choose a pre-generated ability score array from the PHB.  Curse silently because there is no tweaking going on.  Re-read the list of powers, silently cursing because nothing seems to stack and it doesn’t feel like there is room to wiggle.  Choose your powers.  Re-read the list of feats, looking for a loophole.  Choose a feat.  Buy some equipment.  Copy some numbers onto your character sheet.  Copy some numbers onto your power cards.  Half an hour later you enter the dungeon, still feeling like you got ripped off because you weren’t able to tweak anything and didn’t get to ask the DM once about an obscure feat.

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One of the basics of survival in any combat oriented rpg is to kill the bad guys.  In Dungeons and Dragons there are nearly limitless ways of accomplishing this task, and the less work that your character has to put into it the better.

Online D&D forums are full of all kinds of hints and tips about how to maximize your ability to dish out the damage, but there is far less information about how to eliminate the painful necessity of doing damage at all.

If you are clinging to 3rd edition, you have a few more options here, but 4th edition also has plenty of room for strategy.  In some ways even more.

The first key to keep in mind is that unlike many computer games the bad guys to in fact damage each other.  One of the greater fears about spell casters and their ilk are area attacks that can take out the entire party at once.  Often these types are paired with minions or partners whose job it is to bunch the party together.

Your strategy in these situation should be to always make sure that as many enemies as possible are within all possible areas of effect.  In other words if the caster wants to hit any two party members they should also be forced to hit at least one of their own allies.  This is most easily accomplished by keeping an enemy between the party members.

Next, look for opportunities to force the monsters to use hazardous terrain or to provoke opportunity attacks.  If you have a decent rogue type along then few traps should surprise the party.  Knowing which squares to avoid makes combat not only less dangerous but can be used to your advantage.  Skills such as intimidate and bluff can be used to good effect.  Also, using ranged attacks and blocking the good squares with skillful fighters can force enemies to either risk hazerdous terrain or opportunity attacks or be picked apart mercilessly at a distance.

Finally, never forget about compulsion effects.  3rd edition (and earlier) had many ways of taking control of an encounter.  These can be very powerful effects, starting at first level with charm person.  If you do manage to take control of the enemy, abuse the power mercilessly.  Lesser effects such as suggestion and charm person won’t allow you to cause an enemy to attack an ally or damage himself, but can be used to maneuver them into more vulnerable positions or to trigger traps of which they are not aware.

Always keep in mind that just like a real combat, D&D encounters are more than dice and numbers and the outcome can be swayed very quickly by using strategy and good jugment.

And be sure to have fun!

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This guest post is by Dragon Blogger who is has been playing Dungeons and Dragons for almost sixteen years.

I have developed many monsters, encounters and custom Dungeon Master information over the years. I have decided to guest feature one of my monster creations here on DnD Corner.

This monster I wrote several years ago before the DragonLance series was adapted to Third Edition Dungeons and Dragons, I needed a creature that the Draconians used to torture information out of their captives and this little beast fit the bill.

The drawing is rather crude, but was also by me.

Draconian Torture Wyrm
Dimunitive Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 1d8
Initiative: +7 (+7 dexterity)
Speed: 30’
AC: 22 (+1 natural, +7 dexterity, +4 size)
Attacks: 1 (+8)
Damage: bite (1d4)
Face / Reach: 1’x1’x1’
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities: Str 5 -3, Dex 24 +7, Con 10
Int 5 -3, Wis 10, Cha 10
Skills: Swim +6, Hide +10, Move Silently +8
Feats: Weapon finesse (bite)
Climate Terrain: Any, prefer warmer temperate
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral (Always)
Advancement Range: 2-4 HD ( Tiny)

Draconian torture wyrms are not encountered in the wild, in fact the only time someone has ever encountered one has been when captured by draconians. This little creature is used as the most effective torture device, it originally was said to be a magical creation that has spawned and been bred specifically for its purpose. Once the wyrm touches warm flesh it starts burrowing immediately, causing 1d4 dmge per round for 1d6 rounds until it reaches the spot it wants at the base of the neck on the spinal cord. When the wyrm reaches the spinal cord, it sinks its tail into the soft spinal tissue and its mandibles clench onto the brainstem. This forces the victim to make a will save vs. DC 20 or be under the control of the wyrm. If the victim succeeds in a saving throw, the wyrm will try again in 1d4 rounds causing another saving throw. If the victim succeeds twice at saving against the wyrm then the wyrm will savagely burrow and bite causing 1d4 dmge per round until it either kills the victim or decides to try again (50% chance of either).

While under the control of the wyrm, the victim cannot hide any thoughts or feelings. The wyrm will force the victim to answer whatever questions the draconians ask. The wyrm can even control the victim and make the victim fight at a –4 penalty to attacks and AC. These torture wyrms have a limited form of empathy that is understandable by draconians. While the wyrm is burrowed in the victims flesh, it can be cut out by a successful attack that does equal damage to the host as it does to the draconian. This attack can only be made with small piercing weapons, and only done if the victim lies still and is immobile. In this case the AC to hit the Wyrm is the same to hit the victim and both take equal damage.

Draconian Torture Worms and their creation and breeding method are kept secret by the Draconian’s, though it is rumored some Lizardfolk and even Drow have discovered the creatures and their value and have captured some to be used for their own nefarious purposes.

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