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Dec 10, 2012 -- 3:33PM, KColette wrote:

Now, if you're running a low level zombie apocalypse campaign with lots of dangerous-in-melee monsters, hehehe... Then keeping track can add to the experience. I've actually been meaning to do that for a while now...

Not really.  In that situation, I'd switch to a magic thrown weapon (or, any other non-arrow-using class,f or that matter).  Welp, tension burst. 

Deciding that you're going to stuff over the one guy in the party who actually uses resources on an ongoing basis, for doing his job, is not good DMing.

Dec 10, 2012 -- 4:46PM, thespaceinvader wrote:

Dec 10, 2012 -- 3:33PM, KColette wrote:

Now, if you're running a low level zombie apocalypse campaign with lots of dangerous-in-melee monsters, hehehe... Then keeping track can add to the experience. I've actually been meaning to do that for a while now...

Not really.  In that situation, I'd switch to a magic thrown weapon (or, any other non-arrow-using class,f or that matter).  Welp, tension burst. 

Deciding that you're going to stuff over the one guy in the party who actually uses resources on an ongoing basis, for doing his job, is not good DMing.

That is assuming those classes are available. ;p

After all, in a zombie apocalypse scenario, any controller (and some non-controllers with lots of area powers, like the Sorcerer) can utterly break the tension. Any divine class will trivialize the threat.

That is ALSO assuming magic thrown weapons are available. As opposed to, say, Inherent Bonus system and generic, non-magical daggers.

And it's not 'stuffing over the one guy'. If you include making the monsters especially dangerous in melee, it's "making it tough on everyone, even the guy outside their threat range." It's not bad DM, it's ensuring everyone has a reason to be stressed in an adventure that is supposed to make the PCs feel stressed. In which case, it's good DMing.

I suppose I could have been better about sharing that information for the scenario, but I didn't want to derail the thread too much. Like I'm doing now. Ah well.

Dec 10, 2012 -- 9:40PM, KColette wrote:

Dec 10, 2012 -- 4:46PM, thespaceinvader wrote:

Dec 10, 2012 -- 3:33PM, KColette wrote:

Now, if you're running a low level zombie apocalypse campaign with lots of dangerous-in-melee monsters, hehehe... Then keeping track can add to the experience. I've actually been meaning to do that for a while now...

Not really.  In that situation, I'd switch to a magic thrown weapon (or, any other non-arrow-using class,f or that matter).  Welp, tension burst. 

Deciding that you're going to stuff over the one guy in the party who actually uses resources on an ongoing basis, for doing his job, is not good DMing.

That is assuming those classes are available. ;p

After all, in a zombie apocalypse scenario, any controller (and some non-controllers with lots of area powers, like the Sorcerer) can utterly break the tension. Any divine class will trivialize the threat.

That is ALSO assuming magic thrown weapons are available. As opposed to, say, Inherent Bonus system and generic, non-magical daggers.

And it's not 'stuffing over the one guy'. If you include making the monsters especially dangerous in melee, it's "making it tough on everyone, even the guy outside their threat range." It's not bad DM, it's ensuring everyone has a reason to be stressed in an adventure that is supposed to make the PCs feel stressed. In which case, it's good DMing.

I suppose I could have been better about sharing that information for the scenario, but I didn't want to derail the thread too much. Like I'm doing now. Ah well.

If the monsters are especially dangerous in melee range, that's not stuffing over the melee guys, it's stuffing over the whole party equally.  Melee range monsters quickly get into melee range with everyone unless adequately controlled or defended, which is a matter of whole-party tactics.  Making the one guy in the party who needs resources, track resources when no-one else needs or tracks them, is the very definition of stuffing that guy over to his detriment but no-one else's.  Unless you're also ruling that the fighter's weapons break, and the wizard runs out of bat poop, don't make the archer run out of arrows - because when he does, his character breaks and he might as well go home.  A ranged-weapon character who runs out of projectiles, is useless in this game.  Pure and simple.  Making a PC useless makes the player useless, so why would he keep playing if it came up?