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Questions tagged [narration]

For questions primarily about narration, the act of describing the events that unfold in the game world, either as player or gamemaster.

13 votes
4 answers
1k views

What are the techniques for writing descriptive posts in a timely manner as a game master?

To clarify, especially after Covid I have become an exclusively text based game GM and I am looking to improve my description of events (and maybe add a bit of an artistic flare) but that results in ...
Maiko Chikyu's user avatar
  • 21.5k
15 votes
3 answers
2k views

Can you safely assume that Beholder's rays are visible and audible? (based on rules / lore / novels / famous campaign streams, etc)

Some context: We're running Dragon Heist and the party is facing Xanathar himself. This question actually was caused by this discussion about the tactics of a party trying to distract the Beholder and ...
Lisa's user avatar
  • 1,929
12 votes
2 answers
4k views

Can I use a trap that will kill a character, if the party can either find a creative solution around it or cast Revivify?

We're running a series of one-shots with differing DMs every session, keeping the same characters and only swapping out the person who is DMing. The party is a little overpowered, and I wanted to do a ...
Mike's user avatar
  • 247
13 votes
3 answers
430 views

How to improve the variety of narration in my text-only game of D&D?

I, and one of other players in my play-by-chat group, have expressed a desire to improve the narration of our character's actions. When they brought this up, I noticed the sort of unvaried ...
AncientSwordRage's user avatar
45 votes
3 answers
7k views

How do I respond to players who keep asking powerful NPCs to help them in ToA?

I'm playing Tomb of Annihilation(ToA) with my group right after playing Waterdeep Dragon Heist. The group have met powerful characters like Vajra Safahr, the open lord Laeral Silverhand, Mirt, Artus ...
Varstark's user avatar
  • 431
8 votes
2 answers
804 views

How does a low Strength stat translate into the narrative?

I'm having trouble with something. In a ADnD 2e campaign how should a low Strength translate into the narrative/roleplay of the campaign? It's easy to figure out how high Strength would work when ...
Demon's user avatar
  • 111
7 votes
0 answers
60 views

How can I narrate combat without it getting repetitive? [duplicate]

Although I mostly run D&D games I like to try and distract players from numbers as much as possible and keep the game narrative flowing at a smooth pace. For the most part, this is fine: lots of ...
Bob Tway's user avatar
  • 5,264
21 votes
8 answers
6k views

Is there need for messengers in DnD 5e, if spell Sending exists?

In my campaign (DnD 5e) I would like to send players on a quest to save a kidnapped person. The person has high value information. He/she was ambushed and taken prisoner. My question is: is there a ...
Samogitian95's user avatar
17 votes
3 answers
2k views

How to describe that an enemy can avoid opportunity attacks?

I'm the DM of my group. When we are playing I try to describe the effects and actions of enemies and npcs without spelling out exactly what they are to keep some mystique to the actions. Like ...
Husky's user avatar
  • 1,109
7 votes
3 answers
820 views

How do I narrate Laeral Silverhand's Silver Hair attack?

Laeral Silverhand's statblock appears in the Waterdeep: Dragon Heist adventure (p. 207). Among her action options, she has an attack option labeled "Silver Hair": Silver Hair. Melee Weapon Attack: +...
muad-dweeb's user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
2k views

How do I deal with long travels?

My group has faced a lot of just traveling; so sometimes I just say it's been 3 days since you started traveling, because I don't really have anything big planned on that particular road. However in ...
Taylor Spaulding's user avatar
9 votes
6 answers
2k views

What can a GM do if player's rolls are just terrible?

I ran a game last night, a pre-written module (the game is not relevant) with a certain difficulty level (not so difficult in my opinion), and the party is composed of moderately experienced players ...
Snakehelm's user avatar
  • 2,427
7 votes
1 answer
431 views

How to narrate initiative in Ironsworn?

I'm trying to convert my mindset from DnD, and I'm especially confused when facing initiative in Ironsworn. I get it that the side with initiative is meant to be winning in combat and pressuring the ...
Vylix's user avatar
  • 32.9k
13 votes
5 answers
2k views

A Rogue dilemma: to roll for Stealth, or not to roll?

I need some guidance about how to best use Stealth checks for a campaign. When it comes to Stealth, say of a Rogue*, would it be better to allow players to roll for their own Stealth skill check, or,...
Thank-Glob's user avatar
  • 1,887
7 votes
3 answers
2k views

What does leveling up feel like as a character? [closed]

I am trying to grasp the narrative feeling of leveling up as a character in D&D 5e. Suppose at the end of a session a Sorcerer has enough experience points to level up. I am using the Sorcerer ...
Valamorde's user avatar
  • 689

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