DM Tip Twitter Archive: February 2010

DM Tip Twitter Archive: January 2010

Below is an archive of all of the Sly Flourish DM Tip Twitter posts for February 2010. Get daily DM tips at http://twitter.com/slyflourish!

#dnd tip: Have a spymaster NPC on your PC’s side that delivers them dossiers on key villains. Helps your players keep track.

#dnd tip: Be careful of monsters with stun effects. Players hate to miss an entire round of combat. Consider bonus damage, weaken, or daze.

Had a great level 23 Dracolich fight tonight using my powerhouse dragon rules. bit.ly/4zY1Bv His breath spawned minions! #dnd

@IllusiveDreams The Container Store has plastic shoeboxes good for storing minis if you don’t mind them getting a little banged up. #dnd

#dnd tip: Make it easy for players to flank opponents when not using a battle map so they don’t feel cheated and want the grid back.

RT @Wizards_DnD: Official page to the Robot Chicken Writers Play D&D is live. bit.ly/aDMWN4 Glad you Twitter followers enjoyed ys …

#dnd tip: Take time to customize encounters from published adventures around your players and their strengths.

Excellent article on campaign and adventure preparation by the @chattyDM: bit.ly/cPlupl #dnd

@samggreenberg probably don’t need both but I like bottle rings more than pipe cleaners for marks. I like pipe cleaners for area effects.

@newbiedm I think death gaze on Bodaks is meant to be encounter. I’d make it reliable though. At will is just too nasty.

#dnd tip: Hitchcock movies make great seeds for adventures. Check out The Birds, Notorious, Man Who Knew Too Much, and Rear Window.

#dnd tip: Encourage the use of ad-hoc terrain powers by using DMG p. 42 high-limited damage and only requiring a minor action to use.

#dnd tip: When running in a set gameworld, make sure that world’s key differentiators are often seen.

Learn #dnd DMing from the master. Watch and study Perkins behind the screen: bit.ly/aDMWN4

My #dnd props are looking more an more like some kind of home grown IED. yfrog.com/33hsvfj

@chattydm bit.ly/bEkR8L <- Good ship mat I've used for airships, spelljammers, chaos ships, etc.

@chattydm Evernote vs. Onenote: Evernote has Mac, PC, iPhone and web-based clients. Onenote only has PCs.

#dnd tip: In RPGs, Rule of Cool trumps all rules. If a player wants to do something awesome, make the rules work (via @chattydm)

#dnd tip: Let your players build out their own fortress of solitude. Change it or upgrade it each tier.

#dnd tip: The battle at Balin's Tomb in Lord of the Rings makes a great two-battle encounter: dozens of minions and then a solo cave troll.

BREAKING: New 4e Character Name Generator is live. bit.ly/cSq6H3 #dnd (via @Wizards_DnD)

#dnd tip: Use the Nycademon’s grab and fly power to drag tasty soft-armored wizards and strikers high up into the air – and them drop them!

Chris Perkins has done a set of commentaries for the Robot Chicken videos – bit.ly/aQH3D9 (via @FedoraPirate)

#dnd tip: For a great campaign idea ask yourself, “What if Galadriel had taken the ring of power?”

#dnd tip: Check out @newbieDM’s awesome video for building 3d terrain with dungeon tiles: bit.ly/dCV2nh

I’m a fan of mixing genres for music. Classical D&D soundtrack mixed with 80s one-hit wonders, Zeppelin, and the Heavy Metal soundtrack.

The official Dungeons and Dragons game soundtrack by Midnight Syndicate is pretty good! bit.ly/cntHuJ

@vectorman14 The best advice I’ve heard for beginners in sandbox games is @davethegame’s 5×5 campaign system: bit.ly/dBzLu4

Need suggestions for good D&D music. I’m a fan of Corvus Corax if that helps.

#dnd tip: The perception of choice is often as fun as a real choice itself. Just don’t tip your hand.

Great article from the @newbiedm on the ease of reskinning #dnd 4e monsters: bit.ly/bZ0KCD

#dnd tip: Give players plenty of opportunities to use the character features they like the best. Don’t eliminate them very often.

#dnd tip: The soundtracks to Battlestar Galactica make for some great heart-racing D&D music. Check it out on iTunes.

#dnd tip: Be specific when roleplaying. Write down key notes for any NPC you’re going to step into. Goals and attitudes are key.

Great #dnd tips from @davethegame on the 5×5 method. I started using this for my campaign and I love it: bit.ly/c2Ekgm

#dnd tip: Give surprise rounds as rewards for successful skill challenges. Give them to monsters on failures.

#dnd question to ponder. Where do YOU spend your limited creative energy? Is it in the right place? Will it have the highest impact?

Great #dnd tip from Chris Perkins: Spend your campaign building time in the right places. bit.ly/aTj213

Every time I look through the Underdark sourcebook, I find something else I like: bit.ly/cEwVDB #dnd

#dnd tip: Ask yourself if you’re being biased at all towards one of your players or another. Try to remain even headed at all times.

Like these tips? Consider using these links to purchase the Harrowing Halls Dungeon Tiles, the Hammerfast Adventure Site, the Goodman Games’s Death Dealer 4e Adventure, or use this link to purchase anything from Amazon.com.