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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.

22 votes
5 answers
4k views

How to design and run cinematic combats that move between zones?

I've been running D&D for a few years now, and I just want a little more from my combats. I've already got a very solid handle on designing environments to make combat more dynamic, but what I can'...
Robert's user avatar
  • 12.9k
22 votes
10 answers
4k views

Am I allowed to cut away from the player characters to show things happening elsewhere?

Instead of focusing solely on the protagonists (aka the players), would it be permissible to cut away from what they're doing to show (out of character) what else is going on in the world, ...
Jesse Cohoon's user avatar
  • 3,621
13 votes
2 answers
1k views

Are there guidelines for how to narrate different degrees of success/failure?

I find myself getting caught up in a story and sometimes when players roll skill checks I give them the information or allow for a success depending on several factors(their description, their ...
Skathix's user avatar
  • 2,359
1 vote
0 answers
59 views

Searching for adjectives about weights [closed]

I'm making a small RPG game and I'd like to not put the precise weight up for display, at least for non identified objects. The problem is I know of only two words, light and heavy, that describe ...
Valmond's user avatar
  • 111
3 votes
2 answers
790 views

How would you describe a character in heavy armor taking damage? [closed]

In order to properly describe combat Id like a clearer understanding of what it look like when a player in plate armor takes damage. PHB 5e. Plate consists of shaped, interlocking metal plates to ...
newbie's user avatar
  • 398
5 votes
3 answers
581 views

How can I efficiently convey different perceptions of the same thing to different players? [duplicate]

I'm building an encounter around illusions, but this works for other similar situations. The party moves along the narrow corridor. As they turn the corner, they see just another regular corridor. ...
BlueMoon93's user avatar
  • 46.7k
46 votes
9 answers
18k views

How to improve my descriptions of the health status of monsters

A bit of background; I'm a new GM to two players, one of whom played a bit of 3.5e and 4e while the other is a complete newbie. The veteran is used to knowing when creatures are "bloodied", as per 4e, ...
Alex's user avatar
  • 8,130
3 votes
2 answers
722 views

How should Monk's Slow Fall class feature be narrated?

Visualization of feats, effects, spells and abilities in D&D is generally somewhat straightforward: Paladin's Smite Evil - your weapon glows with holy energy and is unleashed when you hit Evil™ ...
Dragomok's user avatar
  • 911
8 votes
3 answers
3k views

What information does the GM provide players when dealing with a monster? What do they have to roll for?

A monster may have similar stats to a PC, e.g., Armour Class 10, Spear as a ranged weapon, etc. When an encounter occurs, what part does the GM actually tell to the players? I suppose something like "...
Samuel's user avatar
  • 237
8 votes
4 answers
493 views

How do I narrate a failed damage roll?

When you hit someone and then roll for damage, you cause damage, which should be narrated, such as "You cut him in two with a single strike! He falls down and is going to die soon!", "You chop his arm ...
R.I.P.30.12.21Baskakov_Dmitriy's user avatar
75 votes
13 answers
9k views

How do I narrate a player's PC's actions without causing unintended consequences for the PC?

Daxius: "I'd like to roll an investigate check on Statue 1." Rolls. "Solid... 19." DM: "You walk around the statue, gliding your fingers along the rough outlines of it's crisp, defined ...
Euch's user avatar
  • 4,076
5 votes
1 answer
747 views

Narrative Explanation of Wand Creation Cost [Pathfinder] [closed]

I am a GM looking for a narrative explanation for the wand creation costs (and by extension other simple magic items: Potions, Scrolls, etc). I know the RAW formula (375 gp × the level of the spell ×...
Kris's user avatar
  • 343
5 votes
2 answers
276 views

Narrating a lopsided combat vs. rolling it out

If the PCs are so overwhelmingly more powerful than their foes and it wouldn't make sense for there to be backup / higher level foes around from a story standpoint (no "deus ex machina" for the ...
Jesse Cohoon's user avatar
  • 3,621
6 votes
2 answers
370 views

How do I encourage more character movement as part of the narrative during combat?

For a long time I've been having a problem with most Tabletop RPGs: They feel way too static during combat, and it gets reduced into an exchange of who hits harder until everything is dead. Recently, ...
Aldath Le'Carde's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
75 views

How to Add Lore while Engaing the Senses to my Narritive? [closed]

How do I engage my player's senses as a GM, so as to provide an immersive experience for my players, without going into too much detail? How do I add a sense of lore to my world during prep, and ...
TheGunDojo's user avatar

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