E002 - Combat - Theater of the Mind and Balance

Continuing the conversation about combat, the panel of Dungeon Masters expand the discussion to cover more specific tips for DM's.  The main talking points in this episode tackle the differences between Theater of the Mind and using Maps and Minis, how to balance combat encounters, and whether or not to help players when things go awry.

SUMMARY: All three DM's weigh in on the pros and cons of the Theater of the Mind style of play, looking at the concepts of player engagement, trust at the table, and cinematic moments in combat.  Dan then shifts the topic to cover how to balance encounters and difficulty levels, and the various strengths and techniques of the different dungeon masters begin to reveal themselves.  After moving through conversations about battle escalation and session pacing, the group goes off topic to analyze how to give environmental clues and reminisces about previous characters in their campaigns that have died.  When the discussion turns to whether or not to help the players, Adam reveals some of his techniques to keep some players alive longer by attacking other things besides their Hit Points, and Terry talks about the most sentimental item he’s ever owned as a player and what happened when it was in danger.

Shout Outs: The Original Die

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Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe
Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender
Logo by: Kate Skidmore