Combat in Stages | One Step Closer to Being a Better Game Master | D&D 5e | TTRPG

[@Tricsterfull]

Holy cow, you always find a way to make every part of DnD even spicier. Great video, combat in stages definitely elevate my combat sections, thanks!

[@HiddenNerdySide]

You're too kind. Thanks!

[@nicklasandersen7785]

Another great take on a way to run an interesting encounter, your players are lucky! Would you consider making an encounter following this, where the players have to hold the walls against the evil queen's returning armies, LoTR/helms deep style?

[@nicklasandersen7785]

@Kai McColl definitely, but also just a defense of the walls , with each party member doing a task each (holding a gate, removing ladders/hooks, jumping into siege towers) or doing them sequential as a group.

[@HiddenNerdySide]

Pretty awesome idea. I shall put it on the list!

[@irishbug4744]

Love this! Reminds me a lot of Matt Colville's Action Oriented Design, Id highly recommend checking out his video on that if you havent seen it

[@HiddenNerdySide]

I’ve seen it and it’s great! Some differences, of course, but both methods totally work (great Matts think alike)

[@HiddenNerdySide]

Thanks for watching! If you're new here, make sure to check out our community as well! Discord: discord.gg/3QVNZKRZaK Website: www.hiddennerdyside.com/ Patreon: www.patreon.com/hiddennerdyside

[@thotherinaceous9252]

Hey could you give me some tips I’m really struggling to get my podcast of the ground and I’ve done everything I can to get more followers. I am wondering how you got your KZbin up? Thank you:)

[@HiddenNerdySide]

Hey there. There are a lot of little things you can do like make engaging titles and thumbnails, use keyword research, target trends and so on. All that stuff is great, but the reality is - if you pump out good content, you'll grow over time no matter what. Very few people start out immediately good. If you look at my earlier videos and then look at my stuff now, you'll see the level of quality is night and day. But it didn't just become that way. Every time I made a video, I chose one thing to improve. Then I continued that with each and every video and overtime I got where I am. Set goals for yourself every video. If you're improving continuously, you'll get where you want to go :)

[@thotherinaceous9252]

@@HiddenNerdySide Thank you so much!! This is very helpful. You make great content, and I used your price-increasing guide in my home game and the players loved and hated him. Thank you so much!! If you want our show is called "Uncanny D&D" on Spotify. You're an inspiration!! Also, how do you deal with players that don't show up much? Should we stay away from Holiday specials? Is an hour too short, too long, or it doesn't matter??

[@seanpalmer5885]

I'd love to see how you'd design an encounter around a Behir, i know they aren't super interesting but i just love them. Also great video as usual

[@HiddenNerdySide]

They’re on the list and thank you!

[@shadowfall5288]

You deserve more subs than you have. Keep making more great videos!

[@HiddenNerdySide]

Thank you!

[@fridaymovies2924]

Great vid as always! Quick question/request: with the amount of content left to the DM & the player’s imagination in the Strixhaven CoC adventure, is there any shot of us getting an encounter that could serve as a side quest in that campaign? Maybe with something that came with a stat block included in the book but doesn’t really get a chance to shine in the campaign as written? That aside, I really enjoy your content (as an all-time DM it’s extremely helpful imo) and I’m looking forward to your next video! 🎲

[@HiddenNerdySide]

Thanks! And many things could be derived from such a book. I shall put it on the list!

[@nikp3572]

Great Job Matt love it cant wait for each next video.

[@HiddenNerdySide]

Aw shucks. Thanks!

[@franciscoesteves4304]

Hey. I was having problems with precisely that recently. Thank you. As always, great advice, and great timing.

[@HiddenNerdySide]

Thank you!

[@bropitz3514]

Great video as always! Also, I think you posted the stone giant video’s description in this video’s description box, lol

[@HiddenNerdySide]

Whoops. Left a line in by mistake haha. Thanks!

[@rylefstavenger4658]

this is incredible, im subbing!

[@levihankenson3801]

Legit useful. Thank you

[@HiddenNerdySide]

You’re welcome!

[@thatonepronoun7503]

Can ya do an encounter for a Rakshasa always wanted to use one

[@HiddenNerdySide]

It’s on the list!

[@getsomecinemainya5950]

So many ideas... Thx!

[@HiddenNerdySide]

You're welcome!

[@jayteepodcast]

Boxing has rounds, baseball have innings , and basketball quarters so it is not new but hard to have in this hobby for major roleplayers

[@HiddenNerdySide]

Fair comparisons, but I’d argue it’s actually much easier than one might think. It’s certainly not the first thing you’d teach a Dungeon Master and it takes a bit of extra prep, but with a little practice and proper placement, combat in stages can actually help promote major role playing by providing even more in-combat prompts and queues to dive deeper into your character. The more there is to directly engage with, the more opportunities for roleplaying they’ll be. So long as you don’t announce your stages in an unnatural way or go too overboard, I think hardcore role players benefit the most from combat in stages. But that’s just one DM’s opinion 😀

[@thegoodthebadthebeard2907]

You really deserve more views, I’m going to be sending my fellow dms in your direction

[@HiddenNerdySide]

Thanks for the support!

[@jackmalin2528]

Praise the Algorithm Ill ad to this one. How to make combat better? -Dont use minatures -Take less than a minute per player -dump initiative -make wizards roll for their spells -dump perfectly cast spell efect ranges -reduce hp of the participants -use a fiction first rule

[@HiddenNerdySide]

I can definitely see an argument for these suggestions but I’m curious, what does “make wizards roll for their spells” entail? Like dump saving throws?

[@justthecraft]

Issuing you a challenge: Out of the new Strixhaven book there is a creature called a Daemogoth and a Daemogoth Titan. I want to see what you can come up with. I think the biggest draw is the mini warlock pact abilities these creatures offer.

[@HiddenNerdySide]

I'll put it on the list!

[@byzantinex]

No disrespect intended, but is this machine talking like the Amazon AI? It just sounds different. Not bad, just curious.

[@HiddenNerdySide]

I’m a real human and that’s the first I’ve heard that comparison - but I’ll take it! Haha

[@byzantinex]

@@HiddenNerdySide Ok cool! I think it's the audio cuts or something which makes your voice change inflection from moment to moment that made me think that. Haha. All good. Great video!

[@IdiotinGlans]

I tried to do that, creating encounters in multipel stages with multiple threats. The result was a lot of work put into a fight that ended in second round with the party just unloading everything on the boss before she could do any of her cool stuff.

[@HiddenNerdySide]

That’ll happen! Haha. Definitely ways to avoid that but hey, you let your players kick some ass - and there’s nothing wrong with that!