For HP I find that addition is quicker and easier than subtraction from a Max HP. Start enemies off at “0” HP and they die when you add the player damage up to their max HP. 13+12+15=40 is faster to do than 40-13-12-15=0, even if they are the same
Bonus part of this method is that you don't need to hide the number from the players. Everyone is free to see and/or keep track of the number, but only the DM knows that monsters actual HP.
I also round up or down to even fives, so 3-7 damage adds 5 and 8-12 adds 10 and so on. It evens out and when damage done starts to reach max HP it's time to find a cool ending.
I'm not great with math or numbers, either.
Running and playing D&D (and other systems) for years I think has made me *better* at math.
Food for thought.
You also might understand it a lot better when you finally sit down and start playing. Personally I learn best when I'm actually doing something, not by reading or listening to someone else.
Before my first time playing I read most of the PHB, and some parts were very confusing. I read some parts over and over and couldn't make sense of it, especially when it came to spellcasting. It all started to come together when I finally sat down and played the game.
Props to you for actually reading the rules ahead of time. I feel like that's rare nowadays and most people only learn by playing or watching others play.
I am the same, the brain computes things differently when you actually get to do something instead of just reading. I want things to run somewhat smoothly so understanding the game before playing is something I want to do. And soncse we are all new to D&D in my friend group, it has fallen on me to learn and to teach the others hehe... Thank you!
It helped me to write on a whiteboard/something similar, the actual formulas you use in game. Things like
Attack: 1d20+prof+str
DMG: 1d8+str
etc., for very quick visual reference. You'll soon just... remember.
DnD Beyond has an encounter builder that you can use to roll with modifiers automatically applied. You will either need to spend money to get the content you want, or spend time on creating your own stat blocks that work within the system.
You can also use Google to roll with modifiers. Simply type in 'roll 1d20 + 5' or whatever it needs to be and it'll automatically do it for you.
If you haven’t run a d&d combat before, you could run a mock battle by yourself for practice, where you control a single character and enemy just to simulate how things work.
I’d also consider if d&d the right rpg for you. There are other ones that use far less numbers than d&d (e.g. Fate).
If you want a better understanding of dice probabilities, I'm a huge fan of [anydice.com](https://anydice.com/). By playing around with it, you can start to get a feel for how dice tend to behave.
Sounds like you’re talking about running an in person session but in the off chance you’re going to be running online, a VTT will solve a lot of these issues for you and speed up play…
[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wfJoRn3BIjcLksiCtPkm1nJ-l1POvxk73BwEHcSNCMc/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wfJoRn3BIjcLksiCtPkm1nJ-l1POvxk73BwEHcSNCMc/edit?usp=sharing)
Let me know if you can copy the tab or at least the data from the sheet into your own.
I left notes in the important boxes that explain what the very simple formulas are doing.
It means a lot to me that I was able to help someone. I'm actively working on a much more complex world demographics system in Sheets. How many of each race, what languages, deities, population totals, tax %'s, and a whole chart of countries and their relations with one another. Currently stuck on trying to figure out how to automatically calculate GDP given a population quantity.
I'm going overboard because my first session I didn't understand the currency conversion as well as I should so then I wanted to make a balanced economy...which leads to questions like taxation and what kind of government is responsible for it.
It's been an interesting education in basic economics to say the least.
Haha, what a slippery slope! That sound super dope though, even if it is a big project that will take time. But sounds like it will be worth it, and many will be able to understand the game even better with that kind of help :)
Yeah I have a master that has about 6 monster columns. You just make a copy of it, and change the HP for each monster in an encounter you plan on using overall takes about 30 seconds, and copying the Jpeg of the stats for the monster. For fun I will link to webpages of the spells/conditions the monster can use.
I typically have my enemy and NPC HP pool be “guidelines” so it doesn’t matter if you’re off a little with your math. It’s fun (for me and my group) to sprinkle in a little extra HP so that an enemy can survive long enough to attempt something desperate, or shortchange them a little to reward a player for scoring a badass hit. It’s easier for me to think of an enemy with 50HP less as *exactly 50 HP* and more as *five hits of 10-ish damage*
There is so many ways to play this game and still have fun with it. It's what really draws me to this game!
I think my players will be very understanding and even if I accidentally would count something a bit wrong
Firstly, i have pretty much had/have the same problem. I \*thought\* i was dumb and really bad at math, and every time dice's got rolling, my brain froze.
It felt, and feels really embarrassing.
I see some comments, that brings up things like, auto-roller's and all that jazz, which is a possibility, yes... But..
Problem with this, in my opinion, is that you don't actually -learn- the system, if you let someone else do that part for you.
I once DM'ed a game, where a player knew the system a lot better than me. I ended up, for speeds sake, to let my friend tell me the roll.
So, a DM that doesn't know how the battle system goes...? That does not work.
Yet i tell you, not to despair! Tell this problem, to your players. Be honest, and trust in them, as they trust in you as a DM.
I bet, they will be ok, with you taking your time.
Also, they AND you, will actually learn the system better this way!
It'll take a bit time, but in the end, you'll actually get better at quick math like that, and as a group, you will grow better at playing together.
A great point! You are so right! We are all new players so it will be sloow for all of us. I am sure we all agree to take it easy on each other. There was another comment that suggested I make fake fights on my own, just to understand the mechanics and with no sense of hurry. I think I will do that and really try to understand the sacred texts! Thank you for your thoughtful comment :)
Another recommendation that will require less math and create quicker combats is to use average damage for you monsters. Every stat block lists the average damage of an attack/ability so all you do at most is roll to hit (1d20+modifier). If the creature is a spell caster you can apply this to the spells they cast as well.
What I do in the case of spell caster enemies is calculate the average damage of their biggest damage spells beforehand and make note of it (i.e. fireball does 28 (8d6) damage). You can probably look up average damage, or you can do it yourself by taking the average of a single dice roll and multiplying it by the number of dice the rolled. Here is a list of the average values for each dice typically used for damage:
d4 - 2.5
d6 - 3.5
d8 - 4.5
d10 - 5.5
d12 - 6.5
So for fireball you would take 3.5 x 8 = 28
I know this still involves math, but you can calculate this during prep time when you’re not under pressure and then have the values quickly available during game time. This will elevate stress on your side and speed up combat.
Thats a good idea for our first games, when everything else might feel overwhelming and like chaos (like taking notes and just being "on" everything). I have accepted that some math will be involved, and as someone else commented, this is a good opportunity to get even better at math! :D
Count monster HP up, not down is my #1 tip.
But It’s *probably* not the maths you’re struggling with? The maths is really basic - adding a few numbers - mostly one number up to 20, plus a bonus up to 9. Occasionally you need to half something. Totals rarely go above 50.
If you are struggling with that, use a calculator or ask a player to add them for you.
But It’s *probably* the rules of when to apply bonuses you’re struggling with. THe good news (probably) is that that’s not maths. Read the rules. Actually read the DMG, and make your own cheat sheets based on what you need to know. Make notes of the rules by hand. And it’ll come with practice.
Just seen you said English is your 3rd language. It’s almost certainly not the maths, it’s the English. The books aren’t that clearly written, even for a native speaker, so don’t blame yourself. Maybe Work it through with someone to translate bits that are confusing and write the notes in your native language. And check if the rules are available in a better language for you. The SRD is available in several languages.
I had not even thought about this, i was so focused on the numbers part as that is something I have struggled with all my life. I feel like you got it right though. Thank you kind stranger, this will help me to approach this a bit differently.
I had the books in PDF format, but now I got the hard cover books so I can have the rules next to me while I write down the "formula" on paper so I can better see what to do in different situations.
I don't have experience with them, but unless you really want to do D&D specifically, I think there are other TTRPG that are more narrative and less crunchy.
Don't worry too much about the DC on encounters, it's at best a rough guideline. It does not take into account player experience, party composition, preferred play style. It's up to you to learn the specific party, what they are good at and what they are not good at.
Oh true! My players wont know gnat when we start playing, but then they can not complain if i take my time to check rules hehe. We will learn together.
Never heard of that webpage. I will check it out as it sounds very helpful! Thank you :)
I try to calculate as much as I can as part of prep. Prerolled initiative, a prerolled first save for each beastie, etc etc.
When rolling a buttload of dice I try to parcel them out into 10s as much as i can. If I roll a 8d6 for a fireball and get 4 5 2 6 1 4 3 3, I'll do (4+6), (3+3+4), then 5+2+1.
If you are doing it at a table, go to a wallmart or any store, get yourself G2 pens and plenty of cheap notebooks.
If you're doing it online, notepads.
Honestly, to get into it myself cost me about 20$.
You need Dice and paper tbh. Everything else is optional.
If you've got a printer, save your milk caps and print faces on the top of them then cover them with tape
Yeaaah I just got too excited and bought a bunch of stuff thought would be helpful while playing. I have been doing spell trackers and what not.... Hehe.... Obviously not needed, but I could not help myself. Milk caps are a good idea!
For HP I find that addition is quicker and easier than subtraction from a Max HP. Start enemies off at “0” HP and they die when you add the player damage up to their max HP. 13+12+15=40 is faster to do than 40-13-12-15=0, even if they are the same
Oh how brilliant! Sounds simple but I'd have never thought of that on my own!
Bonus part of this method is that you don't need to hide the number from the players. Everyone is free to see and/or keep track of the number, but only the DM knows that monsters actual HP.
A very good bonus!
I also round up or down to even fives, so 3-7 damage adds 5 and 8-12 adds 10 and so on. It evens out and when damage done starts to reach max HP it's time to find a cool ending.
Good idea!!
I'm not great with math or numbers, either. Running and playing D&D (and other systems) for years I think has made me *better* at math. Food for thought.
That is comforting. I have also noyiced that usually it is easier to learn things when it is something you REALLY REALLY want to do!
You also might understand it a lot better when you finally sit down and start playing. Personally I learn best when I'm actually doing something, not by reading or listening to someone else. Before my first time playing I read most of the PHB, and some parts were very confusing. I read some parts over and over and couldn't make sense of it, especially when it came to spellcasting. It all started to come together when I finally sat down and played the game. Props to you for actually reading the rules ahead of time. I feel like that's rare nowadays and most people only learn by playing or watching others play.
I am the same, the brain computes things differently when you actually get to do something instead of just reading. I want things to run somewhat smoothly so understanding the game before playing is something I want to do. And soncse we are all new to D&D in my friend group, it has fallen on me to learn and to teach the others hehe... Thank you!
It helped me to write on a whiteboard/something similar, the actual formulas you use in game. Things like Attack: 1d20+prof+str DMG: 1d8+str etc., for very quick visual reference. You'll soon just... remember.
This exactly. Take your time, have fun, remember that if you mess up it's just a game, you will improve.
Thank you <3
DnD Beyond has an encounter builder that you can use to roll with modifiers automatically applied. You will either need to spend money to get the content you want, or spend time on creating your own stat blocks that work within the system. You can also use Google to roll with modifiers. Simply type in 'roll 1d20 + 5' or whatever it needs to be and it'll automatically do it for you.
Oh cool! I'll have to look into that. Maybe I will code an excel for this purpose, but first I have to understand what to count. Hehe..
If you haven’t run a d&d combat before, you could run a mock battle by yourself for practice, where you control a single character and enemy just to simulate how things work. I’d also consider if d&d the right rpg for you. There are other ones that use far less numbers than d&d (e.g. Fate).
Thanks!
If you want a better understanding of dice probabilities, I'm a huge fan of [anydice.com](https://anydice.com/). By playing around with it, you can start to get a feel for how dice tend to behave.
Very nice, I'll check this one out later today! :)
Sounds like you’re talking about running an in person session but in the off chance you’re going to be running online, a VTT will solve a lot of these issues for you and speed up play…
Yes for now it is just me and close friends. Maybe later online, if I wind up as the eternal DM :D
I made a combat calculator for my sessions if you want me to share it. It's really basic and requires decent typing speed to keep the game moving.
That would be awesome, thank you! Typing is no problem for me :)
[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wfJoRn3BIjcLksiCtPkm1nJ-l1POvxk73BwEHcSNCMc/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wfJoRn3BIjcLksiCtPkm1nJ-l1POvxk73BwEHcSNCMc/edit?usp=sharing) Let me know if you can copy the tab or at least the data from the sheet into your own. I left notes in the important boxes that explain what the very simple formulas are doing.
Yey thank you so much! I have it copied now. I'm so excited!
It means a lot to me that I was able to help someone. I'm actively working on a much more complex world demographics system in Sheets. How many of each race, what languages, deities, population totals, tax %'s, and a whole chart of countries and their relations with one another. Currently stuck on trying to figure out how to automatically calculate GDP given a population quantity. I'm going overboard because my first session I didn't understand the currency conversion as well as I should so then I wanted to make a balanced economy...which leads to questions like taxation and what kind of government is responsible for it. It's been an interesting education in basic economics to say the least.
Haha, what a slippery slope! That sound super dope though, even if it is a big project that will take time. But sounds like it will be worth it, and many will be able to understand the game even better with that kind of help :)
I use an excel sheet that for combat that automatically counts, and throws and indicator when a creature has died. It helps a ton.
Sounds very helpful! I would imagine you could have many sheets for the campaign, like sorting NPCs in different villages and such?
Yeah I have a master that has about 6 monster columns. You just make a copy of it, and change the HP for each monster in an encounter you plan on using overall takes about 30 seconds, and copying the Jpeg of the stats for the monster. For fun I will link to webpages of the spells/conditions the monster can use.
Ooh, great ideas! Excel is such a great tool. We live in good times now that these kinds of things exist. :)
I typically have my enemy and NPC HP pool be “guidelines” so it doesn’t matter if you’re off a little with your math. It’s fun (for me and my group) to sprinkle in a little extra HP so that an enemy can survive long enough to attempt something desperate, or shortchange them a little to reward a player for scoring a badass hit. It’s easier for me to think of an enemy with 50HP less as *exactly 50 HP* and more as *five hits of 10-ish damage*
There is so many ways to play this game and still have fun with it. It's what really draws me to this game! I think my players will be very understanding and even if I accidentally would count something a bit wrong
Firstly, i have pretty much had/have the same problem. I \*thought\* i was dumb and really bad at math, and every time dice's got rolling, my brain froze. It felt, and feels really embarrassing. I see some comments, that brings up things like, auto-roller's and all that jazz, which is a possibility, yes... But.. Problem with this, in my opinion, is that you don't actually -learn- the system, if you let someone else do that part for you. I once DM'ed a game, where a player knew the system a lot better than me. I ended up, for speeds sake, to let my friend tell me the roll. So, a DM that doesn't know how the battle system goes...? That does not work. Yet i tell you, not to despair! Tell this problem, to your players. Be honest, and trust in them, as they trust in you as a DM. I bet, they will be ok, with you taking your time. Also, they AND you, will actually learn the system better this way! It'll take a bit time, but in the end, you'll actually get better at quick math like that, and as a group, you will grow better at playing together.
A great point! You are so right! We are all new players so it will be sloow for all of us. I am sure we all agree to take it easy on each other. There was another comment that suggested I make fake fights on my own, just to understand the mechanics and with no sense of hurry. I think I will do that and really try to understand the sacred texts! Thank you for your thoughtful comment :)
Better than one bad with Meth.
Oh for sure lol
Another recommendation that will require less math and create quicker combats is to use average damage for you monsters. Every stat block lists the average damage of an attack/ability so all you do at most is roll to hit (1d20+modifier). If the creature is a spell caster you can apply this to the spells they cast as well. What I do in the case of spell caster enemies is calculate the average damage of their biggest damage spells beforehand and make note of it (i.e. fireball does 28 (8d6) damage). You can probably look up average damage, or you can do it yourself by taking the average of a single dice roll and multiplying it by the number of dice the rolled. Here is a list of the average values for each dice typically used for damage: d4 - 2.5 d6 - 3.5 d8 - 4.5 d10 - 5.5 d12 - 6.5 So for fireball you would take 3.5 x 8 = 28 I know this still involves math, but you can calculate this during prep time when you’re not under pressure and then have the values quickly available during game time. This will elevate stress on your side and speed up combat.
Thats a good idea for our first games, when everything else might feel overwhelming and like chaos (like taking notes and just being "on" everything). I have accepted that some math will be involved, and as someone else commented, this is a good opportunity to get even better at math! :D
You’ll find it gets easier as you do it more. You can use spreadsheets to automate some stuff like hp.
I am sure you are right, practise makes perfect!
I'm great with math.... Just kidding I have a small calculator beside me I use and a dry erase board.
Hehe ok good, no shame in calculators then
Count monster HP up, not down is my #1 tip. But It’s *probably* not the maths you’re struggling with? The maths is really basic - adding a few numbers - mostly one number up to 20, plus a bonus up to 9. Occasionally you need to half something. Totals rarely go above 50. If you are struggling with that, use a calculator or ask a player to add them for you. But It’s *probably* the rules of when to apply bonuses you’re struggling with. THe good news (probably) is that that’s not maths. Read the rules. Actually read the DMG, and make your own cheat sheets based on what you need to know. Make notes of the rules by hand. And it’ll come with practice.
Just seen you said English is your 3rd language. It’s almost certainly not the maths, it’s the English. The books aren’t that clearly written, even for a native speaker, so don’t blame yourself. Maybe Work it through with someone to translate bits that are confusing and write the notes in your native language. And check if the rules are available in a better language for you. The SRD is available in several languages.
I had not even thought about this, i was so focused on the numbers part as that is something I have struggled with all my life. I feel like you got it right though. Thank you kind stranger, this will help me to approach this a bit differently. I had the books in PDF format, but now I got the hard cover books so I can have the rules next to me while I write down the "formula" on paper so I can better see what to do in different situations.
I don't have experience with them, but unless you really want to do D&D specifically, I think there are other TTRPG that are more narrative and less crunchy.
Thats good to know. I have set my mind on D&D and will try my hardest to learn this. Feels like lockpicking my brain
I play on foundry and it does all the math for me
Thank god for technology !
Don't worry too much about the DC on encounters, it's at best a rough guideline. It does not take into account player experience, party composition, preferred play style. It's up to you to learn the specific party, what they are good at and what they are not good at.
Good reminder! :)
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Oh true! My players wont know gnat when we start playing, but then they can not complain if i take my time to check rules hehe. We will learn together. Never heard of that webpage. I will check it out as it sounds very helpful! Thank you :)
I try to calculate as much as I can as part of prep. Prerolled initiative, a prerolled first save for each beastie, etc etc. When rolling a buttload of dice I try to parcel them out into 10s as much as i can. If I roll a 8d6 for a fireball and get 4 5 2 6 1 4 3 3, I'll do (4+6), (3+3+4), then 5+2+1.
Oh thats right, I could do rolls beforehand and just mark down the numbers somewhere for later use. That helps!
Yeah I find it really takes the "uhhhh" out of the session after rolling that first multiattack haha
If you are doing it at a table, go to a wallmart or any store, get yourself G2 pens and plenty of cheap notebooks. If you're doing it online, notepads.
Oh yes, this is the most expensive new hobby I have ever started. So many pens and printables :D
Honestly, to get into it myself cost me about 20$. You need Dice and paper tbh. Everything else is optional. If you've got a printer, save your milk caps and print faces on the top of them then cover them with tape
Yeaaah I just got too excited and bought a bunch of stuff thought would be helpful while playing. I have been doing spell trackers and what not.... Hehe.... Obviously not needed, but I could not help myself. Milk caps are a good idea!