5e Grognard

Got a great response from Chris Scaturo's post on Lingering Injuries last week, so here is part 2. choice n. the opportunity or power of selecting My daughter is seven, she likes plain pizza.  My boy, he’s five, firmly believes that sausage improves every meal, particularly ones with dough, cheese, and sauce.  My wife, she’s <this line has been redacted>, of course, is lactose intolerant and a vegetarian.  Choosing who’s going to like me on Friday nights is always fun. Me: <Rolls a 20>The Ogre’s huge club crushes you, the protruding metal spike pierces your chain mail and drives deeply into your body.  Wanna you want to do? When I run games I try to let the players have some say in the storytelling process.  Whenever something REALLY BAD (or sometimes just kinda bad) I allow them to invoke the shrug it off rule. Shrug it Off Once per combat (or twice if you’re nuts) you may choose to take no damage from any one attack. ...

Going to mix things up today and have a guest writer behind today's post, Chris Scaturo . Lingering Injuries Linger- v. to be slow to disappear Sasha looked down.   The stone golem lay battered and broken; it would move no more.  Unfortunately, her foot was in a pretty similar condition.   It hurt.   It really hurt. Clyde’s simple prayer to Pelor wasn’t going to fix this one. Lingering injuries can add a dynamic that improves the combat narrative as well as the story arc. When presented with a long term penalty, characters are forced to make decisions. Suddenly, the formerly simple path becomes more complex.  Combat tactics will change and the games narrative may be forced into a detour as an immediate concern becomes more pressing than the overarching plot.   L’tera wasn’t sure what to do.   The scrolls needed to be delivered but Sasha’s injury was slowing them down.   They were able to fend off the Bugb...