| | Ref | Ouvrage | Question | | Reponse |
|---|
| 380. | DR129 | Dragon #129 | I don’t really understand how to
keep time or why time keeping is
even necessary. | | There isn’t really much to understand
about time keeping in the D&D game. In
fact, if you are a player, you don’t have to
worry about it at all.
The basic unit of time in the game is one
turn, which equals 10 minutes. The other
unit of time in the game is the round,
which is 10 seconds long. Both turns and
rounds represent game time that passes
for the player characters — not for the
players. Game time is “make believe,” just
like everything else in the game, and has
no relationship to real time.
You have to keep track of game time so
that you know when your player character
needs to rest, and when any spells that
he casts will run out. You keep time by
simply keeping track of what the PC does,
and recording the rounds or turns that
are used up as a result. Exactly how much
time a PC uses depends on what he does.
Exploring a dungeon requires that a PC
move about; how much time this takes
depends on how fast he can move. In a
fight, each character can normally make
one attack or cast one spell per round.
Overland travel is generally measured in
game days; this is more fully explained in
the Expert Set.
Time keeping can be easier if you mark
off units of time as they are used. There is
a sample time track in the Masters Set
Master DM’s Book, as well as a whole set
of time charts in “Time Flies . . ." by Lisa
Cabala, in DRAGON issue #123. |
| 381. | DR032 | Dragon #32 | I have a female character who has gotten herself
pregnant. How should I handle this? | | I don’t really want to answer this question now, but since
your letter is not the only one presenting me with this problem, I will say
this much. Stop fighting, practicing magic and doing other things that
cause stress. The chances of losing the child are great, and you don’t
need to add more to it. During this time period, medicine was still
progressing and it still wasn’t too great. Most of it was old wives’ tales.
After you have given birth, it will be months before you can even
begin to get back into shape and practice your skills. Female characters
who find themselves with child soon find themselves retired. This is an
occupational hazard that should be avoided. Don’t fool around and chance of gaining at all that experience you could be getting because
you are with child or just had one. It is not fair, but that is life.
The reason I don’t want to say more is because I am working on an
article for The Dragon about women in D&D and some of the problems
they face. I also intend to cover pregnancy in the different races and
how to handle it. |
| 382. | DR032 | Dragon #32 | I have a magic-user who has bracers of defense
armor class 2, a +2 protection ring and a dexterity of 16 giving
him the armor class of -2. This is wonderful, but the fighters
want to hide behind me and use me as a shield because of my
great armor class. I don’t think this is fair. They say they can
shoot arrows around me and we will all be safe. They also say
that since I have the best armor class I should be out in front.
The DM is no help, they just bully him. What can I do? | | The first thing you can do is stand up for your rights. Your
armor class is not due to the armor you wear, but your ability to dodge
blows and missiles. They can be hit by what you have just dodged. Also
tell them they are cowards and have no right to call themselves fighters!
I would not go adventuring with a group of people who used a
magic-user for a shield. That is disgusting. They should be thankful you
have such a good armor class. It means that you, being the weakest in
hit points, won’t be getting hit as often and the party won’t greatly risk
losing their most powerful character, their spell-caster. Tell your fighters to wise up. If they lose their magic-user, they have lost their most potent
weapon.
Tell your DM not to let them bully him around. His word is final,
PERIOD. |
| 383. | DR042 | Dragon #42 | I have a player character elf with psionics, but
according to a recent issue of The Dragon, elves are not allowed
to have ‘psionics. How come elves were allowed to
have them originally (check an old Monster Manual), but now
are not? Was it only Non-Player Character elves that were, or
all elves? Since my elf has psionics, should he be allowed to
keep them or should he give them up? | | Normally, elves are not capable of having psionics. The reference in the old Monster Manual refers to the rare and unusual exception.
As with any rare and unusual ability, psionics for elves should
be limited to NPCs, Whether or not your elf should continue to have
psionics is a decision your DM will have to make. |
| 384. | DR126 | Dragon #126 | I have a player who cheats — I
think. He never misses a saving
throw, seldom misses with an
attack, and never “mins out” by rolling
low scores. Recently, he made a
“successful” roll for divine intervention.
Also, every character he brings
into my game is loaded with money
and magic that I don’t think he
earned. What should I do? | | Cheaters tend to spoil things for everybody.
Try these solutions: Make sure you
or at least two of your trustworthy players
witness every die roll the player
makes. This will virtually eliminate cheating
in that respect. You can fix the other
problems by just putting your foot down.
As DM, you decide if and when a deity
shows up to help your PCs. Don’t let a
player tell you otherwise. If you don’t
want the deity to appear, it doesn’t. If you
allow a die roll, roll the die yourself. The
same holds true for treasure or magic: If
you think a character has too much of
either, don’t allow it into the game, no
matter where the player says it came from
— whether you believe him or not. Bust
doesn’t enter into this — only what you
think is reasonable. Remember: Your word
is law in your game. You should try to be
fair, consistent, and entertaining, but after
that, what you say goes. |
| 385. | DR032 | Dragon #32 | I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons for
several months, to the point where I have challenged
Asmodeus and won! Is Asmodeus in a lemure state now, until
he can regain his former status, or is Baalzebul in charge? | | WHEW! Either way, I’d say you are in trouble. There are
varying views on this question. One side agrees with you when you say
that he is in a lemure state, while others say Asmodeus is just banished
from the plane you defeated him on. Others go so far as to say that
Asmodeus is not dead, but just waiting to get you when you least expect
it. Any way you look at it, you, my friend, are in trouble.
If he is just in lemure state, then when he is back in full power he is
going to come looking for you to make sure you don’t do that again. If
he is dead, forever gone, then Baalzebul is going to come looking for
you to make sure you don’t get a chance to do it to him. Without all the
facts on how you mananged to defeat him, it is impossible for me to
give you a clear-cut answer. I can make suggestions, but when it comes
right down to what exactly happened and what state he is in, that is a
DM decision.
I feel that after several months of playing D&D you cannot be
anywhere near powerful enough to challenge the arch-devil himself.
However, since you say you defeated him, I would venture that he is
just banished from the plane you killed him on. I would also say that at
the first opportunity, he will bring you to hell to finish you off. Good
luck. You are going to need it. |
| 386. | DR031 | Dragon #31 | I have just bought the new DUNGEON MASTERS SCREEN, and it says that monks attack on the cleric’s table. But in the PLAYERS HANDBOOK it says that they fight on the thief's table. Which is it? | | Monks attack on the cleric’s table. A last-minute change by the staff members who worked on the DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE was made, reasoning that it would be better for the balance of the game
if monks attacked on the cleric’s table. We realize the change is going to cause some problems and we are doing all we can to ease the confusion. The monk, however, still saves on the thief 's table. |
| 387. | DR034 | Dragon #34 | I have just started playing AD&D and I don’t
know what the following weapons are: Bardiche, Bec de Corbin,
Bill-Guisarme, Fauchard, Fauchard-Fork, Flail, Glaive,
Glaive-Guisarme, Guisarme, Guisarme-Voulge, Lucern Hammer,
Partisan, Pick, Ransuer, Scimitar, Spetum and Voulge.
Can you tell me what they are? | | Alas, I don’t have the space to do so. However, all the
weapons but the Pick and Scimitar can be found in The Dragon #22, in
an article on pole arms. |
| 388. | DR034 | Dragon #34 | I have the D&D Collector’s Edition, the four
supplements, the Dungeon Masters Guide, the Monster Manual
and the Players Handbook. My friends say that they are all
different games, the hardbacks and the paperbacks. Is this
true? | | Yes, it is. Everything that says Advanced Dungeons
and Dragons is meant to be played together. If it doesn’t say Advanced,
then it can be played with the Collector’s Edition. |
| 389. | DR126 | Dragon #126 | I have two players who are always
getting into arguments during
games. They argue about rules, treasure
splits, mapping — you name it.
Needless to say, witnessing these
arguments is not fun for me or my
other players. What should I do? | | Players who argue a lot probably
shouldn’t play together. If this isn’t feasible,
start dealing with the problem before
the game begins. Tell the players ahead of
time that you don’t want them to fight.
During the game, try to shut the players
up before an argument starts. Try to anticipate
what the argument will be about,
and make a ruling on it, then make both
players stick to it.
After the game, explain to the players
that their fighting is spoiling the game for
everyone else. If the two players just don’t
like each other, they have to be made to
understand that you — the DM — won’t
tolerate personal arguments during the
game. When they argue about the rules,
make them understand that you — the DM
— make decisions about the rules. |
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