ADVENTURE
SYSTEM

CHaracter sheet
creation

DISCLAIMER: The character sheet creation and attributes are adapted from The Storytelling system from GW2:

Step 1: Questionnaire

The Questionnaire is here to assist you in creation of your character, but you can skip to the step 3 and distribute the points to the attributes freely!

  • Select the choice that best describes your character's case

  • If multiple choices apply, select the one with the highest point-value...

  • ...but only if the character applies to all previous ones!

  • Torn between high and low values, the right answer usually lies in the middle!

  • Count your character's attributes and other stats using the instructions at the end

Question 1: Muscular structure
1 - Due to disability, sickness or something else, you're particularly weak.
2 - You dislike heavy lifting and carrying weighty equiptment.
3 - Among your own race, you would be fairly average in strength.
4 - You're fairly well-built and have either exercised a lot or done heavy physical labor during your life.
5 - Like blacksmith or warrior, you exercise your muscles a lot every day.
6 - You would be considered to be among the most physically powerful among your people.Question 2: Health
1 - You're sickly and very frail by your build.
2 - Often sick, you require a lot of sleep and dislike hard physical labor.
3 - You're an average, healthy villager, but not above catching the common flu.
4 - Fairly robust and strong, you enjoy outdoors life and challenges.
5 - Highly resistant to alcohol and poisons, you don't bother to look at minor bruises or cuts either.
6 - Practically never sick, and require only a few hours of sleep to revitalize yourself.Question 3: Hand-eye-coordination
1 - Nonexistential: if you try to throw or catch something, someone loses an eye.
2 - Tasks requiring precision are beyond you. You're more comfortable with rougher tools.
3 - Throwing items or archery are not too demanding for you.
4 - You generally hit what you're aiming at and would make a good archer.
5 - You could be a professional juggler with your quick and precise hands.
6 - You could be a professional juggler - with flaming scimitars.
Note: Don't get confused; this has nothing to do with the skill of using weapons, but rather accuracy itself. If the character doesn't know how to use weapons, consider him throwing a rock to a target.Question 4: Movement
1 - When you stumble, it takes a long while for you to get back up.
2 - Generally moving slowly, it is difficult for you to change direction once you've gained pace.
3 - You stumble on occasion, but not too often. If you fall, you stand up quick.
4 - You rarely stumble and your pace is quicker than that of those around you.
5 - There is grace in your movement: you can manage cartwheels and backflips with ease.
6 - Flying kicks and somersaults in the air are commonplace to you.Question 5: Physical Age
1 - You're very old (venerable) or very young (pre-teens).
2 - You're in your teens (humans: 11-15) or a "veteran" (humans: 50+).
3 - You're in late teens (humans: 16-19) or middle-aged (humans: 40+).
4 - You're a young adult (humans: 20-24) or past prime (humans: 30+).
5 - You're in your physical prime (humans: 25-30).
6 - You're a shining exemplar of a young hero of your race.
Note: To qualify for rating 6 here, the character should be in her prime, and particularly strong, energetic and otherwise capable atop of that. For the long-living races, consider the welfare that the age has affected.Question 6: Armor
1 - You're not armored - why bother.
2 - You have natural armor like fur, or thick winter clothes.
3 - You have a good studded leather armor that protects most of your body.
4 - You have a chain- or ringmail armor that protects most of your body.
5 - You're clad basically from head-to-toe in plate armor.
6 - Like above, but joined with large shield - or the armor is strongly magical.
Note: This is the armor the character most likely wears in combat situations. Do not give double values for different outfits. Spellcasters who heavily specialize in defensive spells should add 1-3 to their rating, depending on the level of their mastery, to represent passive wards or those who use shields should add +1 to their rating.Question 7: Talent, imagination, abstract thinking
1 - You're not sure what that is, but you probably don't have it.
2 - Not the brightest candle, much evades your understanding or slips quickly from your memory.
3 - Can do normal merchantsman's mathematics, but no abstract and philosophical concepts.
4 - A fond friend of stories, songs, books, and a good memory to go with that.
5 - An author of the former, constantly daydreaming, debating, making inventions.
6 - Abstract, geometrical and even insanity-bordering concepts are just your cup of tea.Question 8: Willpower
1 - You are easily discouraged and don't often initiate anything.
2 - You tend to abandon a cause if you don't get active support.
3 - You dislike doing something when faced with problems and hardships - better move on.
4 - You like to stick with your stances, but not so far you could said to be stubborn.
5 - Stubborn as shoe and rarely change your mind once you've made it.
6 - Utter fanatic. Would return back as a ghost to complete an unfinished task you set your mind into.Question 9: Schooling
1 - Illiterate: you haven't been formally taught by anyone.
2 - Received basics of formal teaching like letters and numbers in tutorship of somekind.
3 - Had a good upbringing with a private teacher, but haven't pursued academic life since.
4 - Have studied in an actual academy, library or monastery for years - could be called a scholar.
5 - Held a position in such facility - you taught an art or were part of some project or experiment.
6 - A long academic life comparable to that of a professor.Question 10: Spirituality
1 - Your heart is closed to the world; you're capable of truly inhuman deeds.
2 - Opportunist. The feelings of others are secondary to your personal gain.
3 - Emphasis on your own well-being, you sometimes consider the feelings of others too.
4 - It is difficult to see the suffering of others and you often seek to help them.
5 - Altruist: you would help them even if you disliked them personally.
6 - Enlightened. You have found your place and purpose in the world and are at inner peace.Question 11: Appearance
1 - For a member of your race, you're ugly as a boot and know it.
2 - Disfigured or scarred, but otherwise about average.
3 - You blend well into the crowd with your fairly plain features.
4 - Noticable due to your good looks, first impressions are generally good.
5 - You stand out from the crowd for your beautiful features, inner glow or fashion style.
6 - Regal or divine: your dazing looks stop people at their tracks.Question 12: Influence
1 - You find it difficult to work with other people.
2 - Most comfortable when working within a small local group of associates or close friends.
3 - You rather follow than lead, but have a circle of contacts and even some friends.
4 - People like your presence and listen to your words. They often do favors for you.
5 - Natural born leader. You likely run an organization or lead a group (with success).
6 - Major player of high intrigue or a full-time social butterfly with infinite contacts.Question 13: Magnetism
1 - Huh? What's that?
2 - Carefree. You're often dismissed by others and don't have much authority.
3 - When you get serious, others usually follow your example.
4 - Your glare makes people shut up; your smile beckons.
5 - Professional. You'd make a good stage artist - or a drill sergeant.
6 - Whatever the emotion you want to rouse, the crowd around feels it in their bones.Question 14: Alertness
1 - A wooden-legged ogre pirate could ambush you.
2 - You don’t generally watch over your shoulder or care about your surroundings.
3 - Average person. Not overly concerned, but notice when obvious danger is present.
4 - You usually notice when something’s amiss; it is difficult to surprise you.
5 - It is next to impossible to approach you without waking you when you sleep.
6 - It is like you have eyes in your back too; you seem to notice everything around you.Question 15: Intuition
1 - When guessing heads-or-tails, you usually lose.
2 - Your world is quite black and white, only what you can see and touch exists.
3 - You have good days and bad when it comes to sensing things.
4 - The back of your neck usually itches when someone is sneaking upon you.
5 - You possess a true sixth sense and perceive things others do not.
6 - The invisible world is visible to you; you possess a magical awareness of things.Question 16: Sensory Perception
1 - You’ve lost at least one of your senses permanently.
2 - At least one of your senses is severely impaired or all are below average.
3 - Your senses are pretty much normal and unhindered.
4 - At least one of your senses is extraordinarily keen, others average or above.
5 - You make up any shortcomings with two or more extraordinarily keen senses.
6 - One of your senses could be considered truly superhuman, regardless of what others are.Question 17: Combat Training
1 - You've received no formal combat training, no matter how much you've fought. for real
2 - Militia training or a score of advice from others, here and there.
3 - With your rudimentary military training, you can use just about any weapons.
4 - Lessons: At least five years of personal training from a qualified instructor.
5 - More than ten years of personal training from a weaponmaster.
6 - Swordmaster or equivalent yourself. Dedicated to the art and been so for decades.Question 18: Field Experience
1 - Not counting a fist fight or two. You've stayed out of battles.
2 - Streets: you've brawled, but nobody has died - at least on purpose.
3 - Mean streets: you've fought with deadly intent and may have killed someone.
4 - Skirmishes: seen actual battlefield, comrades and enemies dying, but not too often.
5 - Veteran of at least one full-scale war campaign, you likely have injuries yourself.
6 - Battlefield is where you are at home - you don't seem to belong to times of peace.
Note: Reference to a war campaign in 5-points indicates to actual wars that took many months, possibly years, not to a few-weeks excursions many characters may have done in-character.Question 19: Mental Age
1 - You're in your pre-teens.
2 - You're in your teens or slightly post-teens.
3 - Mentally fully matured to adulthood.
4 - You're middle-aged (humans: 40+)
5 - You're old of age (humans: 50+)
6 - You're venerable (humans: 60+)

TRANSLATING THE QUESTIONNAIRE INTO POINTS

• For Strength (STR): Questionnaire results of 1 + 2 + 17 (for question 17: you have 7 points to distribute between DEX and STR, which means that if you answer with 6 for STR, you get 1 for DEX, 5 for DEX means 2 for STR etc.)
• For Dexterity (DEX): Questionnaire results of 3 + 4 + 17 (for question 17: you have 7 points to distribute between DEX and STR, which means that if you answer with 6 for STR, you get 1 for DEX, 5 for DEX means 2 for STR etc.)
• For Constitution (CON): Questionnaire results of 6 + 18 + 5
• For Intelligence (INT): Questionnaire results of 7 + 8 + 9
• For Wisdom (WIS): Questionnaire results of 8 + 10 + 19
• For Charisma (CHA): Questionnaire results of 11 + 12 + 13
• For Perception (PER): Questionnaire results of 14 + 15 + 16You should have received a number ranging from 3-18 for each attribute.
And you have successfully turned your character into a numerical form!

Step 1:
Attributes

The classical character attributes, derived from D&D and many other similar games represent the character's basic qualities. In pen & paper RPGs, these stats are generally randomly defined by rolling three d6 dice. Here you have already defined your character's similar stats through the background you've created, without a single roll!Note that these are not the same attributes as in D&D! Their meaning or weight could differ here and there.Strength (STR) explains how physically strong the character is, how much he can lift and carry and generally how hard he hits. It's the primary attribute for warrior-esque characters, alongside with CON.Dexterity (DEX) shows how quick, agile and precise a character is, and how good he's in tasks involving climbing, jumping, dodging, riding, in operations of stealth, and using light and ranged weapons. It's the primary attribute for rogue-esque characters.Constitution (CON) defines how much punishment a character can withstand, and generally how tough and resilient he is. It is used to defend against conditions of sickness, poison, and other physical ordeals. It usually defines the character's Health Points, and is therefore important to all fighters.Intelligence (INT) describes the character's brilliance and wits, mathematical thinking, aptitude in sorcerous magic, memory and puzzle-solving skills. It is the primary attribute for mage-esque characters.Wisdom (WIS) goes alongside with INT, but rather describes how mature and experienced the character is - and especially how much he is likely to learn from that experience. It also shows attunement with the surrounding world and its gods, and can refer to things such as "good karma" and give spiritual resilience against fear and terror. It is the primary attribute for priest-esque characters.Charisma (CHA) is dedicated to the social qualities and skills of the character, like his outwards appearance, but also gift for speaking, convincing others, intimidation or entertainment and showmanship such as telling stories, dancing or playing an instrument. It's the primary attribute for bard-esque characters.Perception (PER) is my own addition to the classical attribute system. It pictures the character’s alertness to his surroundings, the ability to sense danger, perception, eye for details and the extent of natural senses and intuition. It’s the primary attribute for ranger-esque characters.

You should place a number ranging from 3-18 for each attribute.
The maximum amount of points to distribute between the attributes is 82.
The minimum is 75.

Step 2:
Translating attributes to dice

The final step for you is to assess what level of 'advancement' you have with each attribute!NOT-THE-SMARTEST-COOKIE-IN-THE-JAR 3-4 - you get -3 to rolls
SPESHIAL CASE 5-6 - you get -2 to rolls
A BIT SILLY 7-8 you get -1 to rolls
ROOKIE 9 – 10 – you get 0 to rolls regarding this attribute
APPRENTICE 11 – 13 – you get +1
EXPERT 14 - 16 – you get +2
MASTER 17-18 – you get +3

EXAMPLE SHEET:

A mage-thief character:
STR 8 (-1)
DEX 12 (+1)
CON 10 (0)
INT 16 (+2)
WIS 10 (0)
CHA 12 (+1)
PER 9 (0)The character is not strong, but they are dexterous and intelligent.
You can see how the attribute points translate into modifiers (the number in brackets).

Step 3:
How does it translate to RP?

During RP, the DM will initiate attribute checks. Let us assume below scenario:DM EMOTE: You are in a rush! There are guards running after you and you need to break the window open to make a daring escape! (13 STR)The (13 STR) in DM emote means that DM initiates strength check - and what minimal number it requires to succeed. Everyone who feels in their power to break the window is welcome to roll d20 dice.
Now, let's assume we have a player A and B. Player A is an APPRENTICE when it comes to STR attribute while player B is a walking Hulk with a MASTER level at STR. It means that Player A will get +1 to his rolls, while Player B will get +3.Player A makes a roll (let's assume it's 15!) and emotes the attempt. Considering he has +1 attribute bonus, he includes the (16 - 15+1 bonus point at the end of his emote, so DM is aware of his attribute bonus!)
Player B does the same, rolling 10. He emotes, adding (13) at the end of his own emote, since he gets +3 bonus.It looks like this:
Player A: ...rushes into the window, aiming to kick it open, Chuck Norris style! (16)
Player B: rams his side into the window, hoping to break just like DM breaks the souls of non-believers (13)Both players succeed at breaking the window! Now it is witing DM's hands to make it happen in a flowery way!DM: ...the window cracks open, as the Player B crashes into it, damaging it enough for the Player A to crack it into tiny splinters which shower the street below with the burning, screaming pieces of a long lost soul of the tree from which the windowframe was once made!

GENERAL TIPS & TRICKS

  • Firstly, pacing! Remember not to add too many encounters per event! Usually, 2-3 encounters are enough to last between 3-4 hours. Every major NPC interaction, location change or combat encounter will count as one encounter. Keep in mind the typing speed of DM/party. If you have slow-typers, for example, lowering the number of encounters might be a good idea.

  • When running a turn-based combat event, make sure to clearly divide the party and enemy phases, usually by starting your DM emote with 'PARTY PHASE' or 'COMBAT PHASE' (Thanks Sennavision for that idea!)

  • Minimise pre-writing script for an event. The longer the script, the more likely it is, that you will try to railroad the situation in the pre-written direction. No one likes to be railroaded, especially your players!

  • Be respectful of others' time! If someone goes AFK for a prolonged period of time, do not force your party to wait for them to come back (especially if they did not clarify when they will be back). When everyone is done with their emotes, make it clear in DM emote that you give approx. 5 minutes for any late-comers to contribute - and move on.

  • It might be a bit obvious, but as a DM try not to focus events around your character or cool things your character can/can do. If you decide to DM for someone, do not make it about yourself and your character - no one wants to be invited to an event to play an extra! Try giving your characters' their cool moments during the events run by others - if dice allow! And if you really want to have epic, cool adventures that do not rely on luck or events of others... try writing fanfics instead.

  • If you can, give personalised whispers or encounters focusing on the strengths of your party - your players will always appreciate being given an opportunity to shine!

  • Don't be afraid to copy or repeat the technique of DMs whose events you enjoy! A short story time: back in the days of WoW, one of the DMs I had the pleasure of attending events of used 'SUDDENLY-' as a break before writing down a dramatic and cinematic DM emote ("SUDDENLY-... bees!"... OK, OK, I am joking..). It made it clear something was about to happen, players knew to not write down their emotes yet - and everyone was waiting impatiently for the following emote!

EVENT TYPES - CHALLENGE RATING

Do not overestimate your capabilities, especially if you are a new DM! DMing takes time, dedication and experience to make your events enjoyable - and I saw a lot of new DMs going straight for complex campaigns and multi-chain events as their first challenge, which quickly burnt them out!
Below, I show a short list of types of events - and their challenge rating, to make it easier for you to choose the right type of event to start with!
Mind, the list is assembled according to my personal experiences.

CHALLENGE: EASY

A THEMED SOCIAL

The thing about themed socials is that they pretty much run themselves. Short of giving them a theme (ex. an improvised street theatre :) ) and giving an introductory speech/explanation of the event itself, ICly, the event is run by your players. And it can be a lot of fun!

  • You can make it more complex by adding games and challenges - ex. a drinking game, shooting game, riddle challenge and so on!

  • Try engaging your party, especially those you feel like they are drifting away! Since you don't need to pay attention to writing up DM emotes, make sure your character goes around and mingles with others!

CHALLENGE: MODERATE

A COMBAT EVENT

The combat event is one of the most straightforward and easy events to manage - BUT it will require a lot of quick typing from the DM, especially if your group is large!

  • Don't be cruel to yourself, don't DM for too large a group! My personal 'sweet spot' is between 4-6 players, I'd advise not going above 8.

  • Adding 'boss phases' might be a fun mechanic. For example, if the boss is heavily wounded, they grow more desperate and their attack pattern changes

  • Have a notepad open during the player emote phase - and start writing down the result of their attacks (and rolls) as they come through! It will minimise the time that your party needs to wait for the next DM emote!

  • Personally, I do not advise using dice for enemies or giving them health pools. Sometimes, players roll really badly and DM rolls really well. I personally give thresholds to enemy attacks. Ex. 'X attacks you with a wide cleave, roll 10 DEX/CON to dodge/endure'. I keep the enemy health pool invisible and mostly amend depending on the player attacks so that the enemy is downed when the time is right, narratively :)

CHALLENGE: HARD

A DUNGEON EXPLORATION + PUZZLES

The dungeon exploration event is considerably more complex than other events - it includes a bit of social, a bit of combat (sometimes) and usually some puzzles. It can be a bit of a struggle for a new DM, especially in terms of pacing and adding enough encounters to reflect this idea of exploration we expect from dungeon delving.

  • Not every puzzle translates well into text! You might need images or supporting materials (shared for ex. on Discord) to better translate your idea of a puzzle to your players.

  • Do not make them too complex. Once you know a result, everything is easy, but a complex riddle/puzzle might take a lot of time and easily demotivate your players. Do not be afraid to offer them some hints or clues, if needed!

  • It's good to have diverse type of encounters during your dungeon delving, so everyone can feel engaged. Not every character/player vibes with puzzles. Give these combat-oriented minds something to do as well!

CHALLENGE: PAIN AND MISERY

AN EVENT CHAIN

Sometimes, your planned one-off event proves to be too long and you need to divide it into pieces. Or, it is meant to be a part of a larger chain. That's fine! These types of events are usually the most engaging for players as they can feel they are being a part of a greater overarching story.

  • Make sure to release the events regularly - but do not overburden your players with too many events either! 5 chain events per week might be a bit too much (for you and your players) - but a weekly event might be just fine! Set up a day for the events before you begin your first event (ex. say the events will be hosted every Wednesday) - it will make it easier for you and your players to commit!

  • If possible write short updates or recaps after each event, so your players can easily refresh their memory of the previous event - or appoint one of the players as your note-taker, who will then release the event notes after each event. It's also a good catch-up to those that were not able to join the previous event!

A CHARACTER ARC

Once your character grows within the party, and develops friendships and deeper bonds, you might wish to explore the part of their backstory in a targeted series of events. I have seen many DMs start their DMing experience with their character arcs, which quickly led to burnout, disappointment and sometimes a lot of OOC frustrations between them and the players. So, a few things one should be mindful of:

  • The character arc is meant to explore a part of your character backstory, but your character should not be its sole hero! In fact, I'd advise you to keep your character in the background and allow their friends to help them! Treat your character arc more as a companion quest in RPGs than an opportunity to make all about your character and how awesome/tragic they are!

  • Use it as an opportunity to explore character interactions within your group! Maybe give personal quests/unique approaches for your character's best friend, lover or rival?

  • Adding some personal stakes to a mission will make everyone more engaged! if your character has a lot of friends and is likeable on an OOC level, making an arc around your character being in danger/imprisoned etc. - will make everyone want to contribute more - and will make them more engaged in a storyline!

  • DM for others, not for yourself. Please, if you are running a character arc to make it all about the heroic adventures of your character and keep literally everyone else as extras, just write a story instead and spare everyone the suffering.

CHALLENGE: MASOCHIST

A CAMPAIGN

What is wrong with you? Why are you even doing this to yourself? Maybe rethink your options, eh? It sounds like an unnecessary amount of effort for a small payoff-...
Wait, you want to do it anyway? Well then.

  • If you never bothered with DM notes beforehand, you should try making them for the sake of your campaign. Personally, I add a lot of main story NPCs, enemies and side-quest characters into my campaigns and, in the past, I got lost more than once on who is who. It's easier to rely on your good ol' notes for that (and saves you time too, long-term)

  • Make the payoff worth it. We're all in it for the loot - either physical or mental. Make sure your party gets something for staying loyal and partaking in your campaign: a fun character development opportunity, magical item or a chance to bond are possibly the most satisfying rewards! No one likes a pointless story that does not truly get anywhere (or appears to be just a bundle of random events loosely tied together)

  • Write down event updates, so people can easily catch up or reference them

  • Not necessary but having one Big Bad is usually good for the story. Don't introduce too many things/factions or hints for future campaigns or you will just confuse people!

  • Give your players a chance to shine. A stealthy event for a thief, a combat event for a big warrior and some opportunities for a wizard to figure out their stuff would be great! As well as encourage any healing RP during downtime, alongside socials.

  • Having one big event per week + opportunities for social in the campaign-established 'hub' gives your players a chance to give their characters an opportunity to socialise and discuss the storyline ICly (as well as update one another ICly!). And of course, build these sweet sweet character bonds!

  • Memes. Look - memes are one of the most reliable ways to make a campaign memorable. Make funny parts of the event into a meme! Save funny banter opportunities - all of this will stay with your team for months, reminding you of the good ol' times!

So you want to try DMing...

How to DM your first adventure?
A simple guide for those willing to give DMing a try.Step 1: The general premise for the adventure
Every adventure needs its starting point, something which will hook your players and bring them onto your event. Consider your audience first: what do they like, what they do not like. What kind of characters do they have? The most impactful events are those which bring the good ol' character development - so, knowing your players and their needs, but mostly - knowing their characters can make even a simple event an amazing experience.Below, I give you 8 examples of a potential premise of an event! Would you like to use one of them? Roll d8 and see what happens! :)
1) You have exchanged a solid amount of gil for a treasure map. Now, there would be no good pirate adventure without your loyal crew - so, why not invite others to join you? [Type of event: Treasure seeking, combat]
2) A debt collector comes upon DM demanding a ridiculous amount of coin for a debt that apparently has not been yet paid by the previous owner! He is accompanied by a group of thugs and it seems the resolution might not be peaceful! [Combat]
3) You hear the stories of a monster in the Shroud, killing the merchants, Wailers, and couriers who pass by its territory. It seems like it is time to do something about it [Combat]
4) A famed weaver claims himself able to weave the most beautiful robes Eorzea has known! You are curious enough to visit him - yet, to your concern you find yourself unable to see his wares, even if a man swears by the life of his family that he's holding it between his very fingers! Now, would you play along and try them on? [Slice of life, Funny]
5) Children in the village go missing! It seems like there is nothing found in their beds and cribs in the morning but a single black feather. You decide to investigate. [Horror, Mystery]
6) A merchant, who has been a provider of services for DM for the past few months has mysteriously died in his own house. The circumstances of his death are... odd. At best. You expect foul play - thus, decide to investigate! Was it a murder? Or a very unfortunate accident? [Murder mystery]
7) A goblin merchant holds a very curious item. In fact, the item is so curious that you wish to obtain it - however, he won't give it out freely! You will have to do a task for him - or two. But will you manage? [Combat]
8) An old Elezen lady has an item you need. However, she is not planning to give it up unless you answer 6 out of her 10 riddles correctly! Will you succeed in this game of wits? [Riddles]Step 2: Writing captivating NPCs
Before you make an event that requires the use of NPCs, try building their backstory - just like you would with your own Player Character. Many DMs fall under the trap of using NPCs as tools rather than people, which usually makes them flat and uninteresting. Give them quirks, traits which only they will possess - make your players -engaged- when interacting with them.Step 3: Combat
The, no doubts most difficult part of preparing an event.
Before you consider a combat event, let me give you a few advices which are very important for me, personally:
- Start with a small group of players. Do not make your event with 10+ people but a maximum of 6 (including yourself). Big groups mean delayed response rates (from both players and the DM). Delays mean the event takes a considerable amount of time. Players are getting stressed that the event will take many hours into the night (which some might not afford because of life.) In the meantime, you are getting stressed that the players have to wait for your emotes for too long...
- Do not -overdo- the fight. Do not add millions of enemies! Try with a single miniboss and a boss. It will already take you 2-3 hrs to solve the combat.
- Give players thresholds to go against. Then, at the beginning of each round, tell them to roll /random and prepare their emote accordingly! REMEMBER: at the end of the day, your players can -aim- certain attacks at the opponents you toss at them but it is in your hands to write down the damage report ;)
- Use initiative rolls to establish the order of combat emotes. Make your players prepare them in advance.The additional rule you do not have to apply: Do not give your main boss a certain amount of HP. Or at least, do not disclose it. It might be that your players will roll impressively high rolls through the entire encounter, which might quickly make it very short, shallow, and unsatisfying. The same can happen the other way, should your players roll very low - in such a case, an established health pool of your monster can stretch the encounter into an infinite amount of hours. An event with 1-2 encounters (miniboss + boss) should take no more than 2-3 hrs!Step 4: Additional checks.
Using additional checks during your DM event is a fun way to make the experience unique for each of the characters! Make them test their boundaries and use what they are actually good at to solve the issue.
For example:You are tracking a monster through the forest.
You ask your players:
"Those with good eyesight, please roll AWA for me!"Now, you know that players whose characters are given good eyesight will roll. Check the results of their /random roll and whisper what they could have spotted (or not) during the event. And make it unique for each of the characters! Perhaps two of them roll very high? Split the information into two and give both of the players different pieces of the puzzle!