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Stephanie Plays Games
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Добавлен 15 июл 2013
I mess around with D&D and other TTRPG rules and ideas and help you do the same!
📫 StephaniePlaysTTRPGs@gmail.com for professional inquiries
📫 StephaniePlaysTTRPGs@gmail.com for professional inquiries
Quick and Dirty D&D Combat Design
✨✨D&D Combat Design doesn't have to be hard or take up hours of your time! In this video, I’m sharing my unconventional approach to designing combat for D&D 5e - what I’ve referred to as “Fake Combat” is more aptly renamed as "Vibes-First Combat Design.” I'll show you how I ignore CR (mostly 😉), run most combats on the fly, and still manage to keep things balanced and fun!Whether you're a new DM or just looking for a fresh perspective - if you’d like to simply your D&D combat encounter planning -this guide is for you!
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💕 Link s 💕 (may contain affiliate links which help support the time and effort I put into these videos!)
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✨Link for Ryan Interview :: ruclips.net/vid...
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💕 Link s 💕 (may contain affiliate links which help support the time and effort I put into these videos!)
_____________
✨Link for Ryan Interview :: ruclips.net/vid...
Просмотров: 2 342
Видео
STEAL this Mechanic | Nimble 5e for D&D
Просмотров 2,7 тыс.21 час назад
Ready to level up your D&D game with another exciting new mechanic? In today’s video, I’m sharing a fantastic rule from Nimble 5e that you can steal and drop right into your own D&D campaign! You're really going to appreciate the way it streamlines combat and makes your sessions MUCH more dynamic. If you enjoyed this mechanic - get ready for A LOT more where that came from! Nimble 5e's Backerki...
D&D Quick Tip: Flying Characters aren't BROKEN
Просмотров 2,2 тыс.14 дней назад
Is flying broken in D&D? Let your characters fly and find out for yourself! 🦅 In this video, I’ll show you why allowing flying races in your Dungeons & Dragons game won’t break your campaign. In fact - it might make it even cooler! As a DM, it’s common advice to ban or nerf flying characters, but it honestly doesn’t have to be that way. I almost made that mistake myself! After seeing how much f...
1 Simple Tool | 3 EPIC D&D Villains
Просмотров 2,6 тыс.21 день назад
✨ *Ever wondered how to create truly unique D&D villains, characters, magic items and more? ✨ What if I told you there’s one simple tool that could transform your campaigns? In today’s video, I’m sharing my go-to secret for creating great “How did you come up with that?” moments - roll tables! But I’m not just giving away all my secrets that easily. Not only do I reveal how this tool can help y...
STEAL This Mechanic | Dragonbane for D&D
Просмотров 12 тыс.28 дней назад
The Swedes have stolen years of my life with Ikea fails, but today, I get my revenge! In this video, I’ll show you two super cool Dragonbane (Free League Publishing) mechanics to steal for your D&D games. We'll talk about trading initiative order for strategic combat and pushing a roll for high-stakes gameplay. Plus, a secret bonus THIRD thing! 💕 Links (may contain affiliate links which help su...
Flaws are FUN Actually | Embracing Negative Traits in D&D
Просмотров 2,3 тыс.Месяц назад
We've all heard the horror stories about PCs with obnoxious flaws. So how do we build imperfect characters that are fun for everyone at the table? In this video, we explore how to create compelling, deeply flawed characters that enhance the game rather than disrupt it. From identifying problematic archetypes to setting clear expectations and incorporating flaws in ways that benefit the party, t...
STEAL this Mechanic: Vampire the Masquerade for D&D
Просмотров 10 тыс.Месяц назад
Today’s video is all about ✨THEFT✨ - we’re stealing the Relationship Map idea from Vampire: The Masquerade for our D&D games! This tool will take your players' interest in their quests and in each other to the next level AND make your life as a DM easier to boot. We’ll cover what a Relationship map is, what things you should include, and how it can improve your D&D game! 00:00 Steal this Mechan...
Aquatic Adventure Hooks for D&D | Kraken Week
Просмотров 8 тыс.Месяц назад
Looking for some plot hooks to spice up your D&D campaign this summer? Well look no further! Whether you're looking for some Lovecraftian, Pirate, Feywild, or Creature feature flavor - there's an aquatic adventure hook here for you and your party! Want some free magic items/NPC Backgrounds/monster stat blocks from this video? Check out the free Kraken Week PDF below! drive.google.com/file/d/1E0...
5 Fun Goblin Builds for D&D | 5e Goblin Guide
Просмотров 2,3 тыс.2 месяца назад
Looking for a creative and fun DnD 5e build? Tired of feeling like your games are a bore? Look no further, spice up your next Dungeons & Dragons campaign with one of these unique goblin builds. Think goblins are only good as rogues and artificers? In this video, we explore five fun and unique goblin character builds that will bring chaos, humor, and strategy to your build! Whether you're a new ...
How to Not Suck as a New DM | 5 simple tips
Просмотров 8 тыс.2 месяца назад
Think you want to try DMing a game of Dungeons & Dragons? Starting a D&D campaign can feel overwhelming - but if you keep these super simple tips in mind both you and your players will have a blast! 00:00 New DM 00:25 Tip 1 01:33 Tip 2 02:31 Tip 3 03:58 Tip 4 05:00 Tip 5 Links Ginny Di Solo Play Video ::: ruclips.net/video/c2nVilB8QeY/видео.htmlsi=amhLY2GsQwki9y-i Lazy DM Session Prep ::: rucli...
Unleash Your Inner Vampire 🩸 Vampire the Masquerade Character Creation Guide (2024)
Просмотров 3313 месяца назад
Create a character for Vampire: the Masquerade 5e! Join me as I create my Nosferatu and show you how to build your own vampire. Now you too can play in the World of Darkness and relive your goth glory days! Links: VTM Storyteller’s Guide ::: www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/377132/The-Storytellers-Guide Vampire-V5? VTM Player’s Guide ::: renegadegamestudios.com/vampire-the-masquerade-5th-edition...
Roleplay UNFORGETTABLE D&D Characters with the NERD Method!
Просмотров 1,4 тыс.4 месяца назад
Roleplay UNFORGETTABLE D&D Characters with the NERD Method!
STEAL this D&D Campaign | Disney’s ATLANTIS the Lost Empire
Просмотров 5585 месяцев назад
STEAL this D&D Campaign | Disney’s ATLANTIS the Lost Empire
Player Led Crafting | Better Loot, Magic Items, Rewards, Treasure, in D&D 5e
Просмотров 6785 месяцев назад
Player Led Crafting | Better Loot, Magic Items, Rewards, Treasure, in D&D 5e
5 UNIQUE Aasimar Characters for Your D&D Adventure
Просмотров 1,1 тыс.6 месяцев назад
5 UNIQUE Aasimar Characters for Your D&D Adventure
7 Must-Follow Channels for New DMs | Best Resources for Great D&D Campaigns
Просмотров 1,3 тыс.6 месяцев назад
7 Must-Follow Channels for New DMs | Best Resources for Great D&D Campaigns
The Secret to ENGAGING World Building in D&D
Просмотров 1,2 тыс.6 месяцев назад
The Secret to ENGAGING World Building in D&D
Session 0 for Evil DMs | D&D TRICKS for creating your players into Dream Campaign
Просмотров 1,7 тыс.6 месяцев назад
Session 0 for Evil DMs | D&D TRICKS for creating your players into Dream Campaign
Never start a D&D campaign without this!
Просмотров 4,5 тыс.7 месяцев назад
Never start a D&D campaign without this!
Flight is not the end all be all. It has a number of disadvantage. A flying creature can not easily benefit from cover or stealth. Flying players can stray too far from their party and get over whelmed. Flying creatures are at the mercy of the weather. Strong winds and harsh rain or snow can count as difficult terrain for flyers. Flyers are at the mercy of ranged attackers. Most creatures can be given a ranged attack either through weapons or spells. Its not uncommon for bandits to have slings, short bows and crossbows. Weapons with the thrown property are also effective. Larger creatures can hurl rocks. If it does not make sense for it to have a ranged attack then use cover and stealth. Enemies can take advantage of the same things players can. Flight usually has some kind of restriction. Either in armor type or number of uses. A DM should always look for subtle ways to burn through a parties resources. Scenarios can be created to eat through limited uses for flight. As for armor type restrictions, as per the rules of flight a character that has their speed reduced to zero, can't move or is knocked prone falls. I believe its as a rate of 10ft a turn, but I might be wrong about that. My point is fall damage exists at a rate of 1d6 per ten feet for a max of 20d6. Magic exists. Earth bind is a second level spell that is tailor made to stop flying creatures. Tasha's hideous laughter can be a death sentence for low level flyers. Same with hold person, sleep, web and levitate. Those are only first and second level spells. Spells like fire ball, bestow curse, lightning bolt, sleet storm, ice storm, banishment, polymorph, resilient sphere, I could go on. There are a large number of spells that can either cripple of out right kill flying targets. Flight is common place in dnd and should only take some minor considerations to counter. Weather, terrain and local wild life are good ways to hinder flyers. If your party starts to abuse their flight then you can always give them a reason to walk. Or start handing out flight to the enemy. If one of your players is a flying race then make that race a more prominent fixture in that part of the world. Having your campaign turn into an air war might but fun.
Great vid! You mentioned Sly Flourish's monsters and 'glass canon' design - is that an article or vid Mike has posted somewhere and goes into that approach to monsters in more detail? Or was his reference to it just meaning the classic glass canon monster, high damage, low AC etc.?
I play a cowardly bard, she never really wants to fight but will fight with a tenacity unseen to protect her friends
It's really cool to hear from another GM that runs their games / encounters similar to the way that I do them! It's fun to have a skeleton to improvise off of like that during the heat of the battle to keep them guessing and reward creative thinking more dynamically. Those book recs sounded interesting. I bet there's lots of good inspiration in there for future events. Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words! 😊
Yes you’ll learn as you DM more and you’ll get better.
Yes let them fly. There are ways to deal with it if you want
Exactly! It’s just like any other character feature because we, the GMs, are in charge of how difficult something is 😂
The Valley Girl's Guide to GMing: Vibes Edition
Take the OSR approach. Make the foes believable and don't customize the challenge level to the player characters. Get the players to learn to fight dirty. If a foe is particularly powerful, foreshadow that. A believable world is one that doesn't care about what level the players are.
Yeah I definitely do that in a video game-type way to keep PCs from going into areas that are above their pay grade!
My player's favorite combat from the last sessions was an improvised bar fight were I just made up stats on the fly, didn't even define a number of enemies or put any minis. The combat ended when they knocked out 6 people. They had a blast with crazier and crazier descriptions. Granted making stats on the fly is a lot easier on Warhammer fantasy than DnD.
Omg I love this, that sounds like a blast 😂 Barring people who really need the visual support - I actually love theatre of the mind! Especially when it comes to smaller combat like that - you can get so creative and descriptive!
@@StephaniePlaysGames Yes! I use minis for strategic combat and theatre of the mind for a more cinematic feel.
When making combat, i usually take the stat block as a reference for what the creatures can do in terms of powers and actions, but throw away most of the numbers. Then, i use a roll expectation of "6-9-11" for players and a "9-12-15" for monsters. For players, i want them to roll 6+ for easy, 9+ for average and 11+ for hard. For monsters, i want them to roll 9+ for easy, 12+ for average and 15+ for hard. Then i take my players stats to create the status block based on the rolls i want. If the tank has 22 AC, minions should have a hard time hitting him. So i give my minions +7 to hit (22 - 15). The damage dealer has +7 to hit? So he should hit easyly the minions. So minions AC should be 13 (6 + 7). Now, the BBEG (for the same tank and DPS) would be hard to hit and good hitting, so i would give him +13 to hit (22 - 9) and a AC of 18 (11 + 7). This usually balances things A LOT.
@@brunonadai2547 Ooooh that’s definitely another great way to think about it! 😊
You mentioned sly flourish i think you might like lazy dms forge of foes
I love Forge of Foes! Honestly I like anything Mike has ever put out 😂
Yes! Combat encounters are more art than science.
Especially if you have players like mine 😂 Optimal choices who? And I’m not here to stifle creativity!
@@StephaniePlaysGames creativity IS the game
You said "Baroness in her Mansion" What are you taking about my wife for? 😂
Oh…hey, yeah I have something I’ve been meaning to tell you… I run a very mean secret security detail 😐 That’s it!
5/5 content 1/5 music (not being a hater, trying to be helpful 😅)
Hell yeah fake combat 🔥🔥🔥
Should I have called it something else? Yes. Will I double down on it instead? Also yes 😂
I also just go by vibes, i just pick whatever looks cool to me from the books and then yeet it in. Sometimes i just make up a whole monster from scratch right then and there. I've premade some monsters and I generally just go with my gut for stuff like damage and HP, and/or adjust an existing statblock to make it work for the level of players i have. I'm a big believer in "encounter design doesn't end when you roll initiative", your job as a DM is to curate the experience. If the enemy dies but it was too boring, i have them get back up and have a last hurrah with different abilities that are very thematic until someone knocks them out after a hit or two.
Exactly! I also come at DMing from a curation perspective and I think it’s a ton of fun that way! 😊
I loved the video, do you roll behind a screen? Do you have any tips for DMs who roll in front of the players?
I don’t because I’m a coward 😂 I run a lot of narrative intense campaigns and will sometimes fudge a roll if I think it’ll be anticlimactic (only ever in the player’s favor). I want to be better and not do this - but the only time I roll in front of the screen a for Big Deal Rolls where everyone knows the stakes or if I’m playing in a grittier game where everyone knows they will lose a PC at least once 😂
@@StephaniePlaysGames I still got lots of cool tips to think about from the video so thank you! Happy gaming!
I will admit I don't technically plan combat per se. I just expect my PCs to fight whatever comes up. I wouldn't call them murder hobos but if they come up against what could be considered an enemy they are normally apt to fight. Maybe they're just angry because they also got that weird fork.
They’ve never been the same since that fork (you should ominously say this all the time 😂)
I think this made me reconsider how im gonna try to do this next encounter im planning
I think in a comment below Anto gave the page numbers from the DMG that are very helpful for running this type of combat - they’d definitely be worth a look! I think the best thing I try to do for myself as a DM is remind myself that this is all trial and error - you’re just doing tabletop science! 🧪
@@StephaniePlaysGames oh yea I've been running for a decade but fiddling around with new concepts and improving on old wonky ideas is so good
Great advice! For a second I thought you were talking about FAKE fake combat, like not giving the enemy HP and just letting players hit it until you decide it's been long enough kinda combat lol.
😂 That’s what Ryan thought in our interview briefly too! I call it fake because I know other GMs who spend so much time looking at existing stat blocks and like hours balancing things _even though they hate doing it._ My way is slightly unconventional but still very much rooted in the reality of game design without having to torture myself!
Combat should give a vibe, not be a chore. My favourite vibe of combat is all or nothing, weighty and punchy combat, where one round can leave everyone bloodied and gasping for breath.
Yeah I’m the same! If combat is happening I like there to be big implications- I think that’s one of the reasons my PCs pick fights very carefully !
Good stuff sister soldier :) I'm a big improvised combat enthusiast as well. After a while it's kinda swirling attacks hazards and complications together in n initiative-arranged slurry of "what do u do now?"
I know! And as a player I hate that so I definitely couldn’t understand why I’d go and _do it_ as a GM 😂
I'd never considered the mental aspect of the DEX stat, I always thought of the sneaky side of DEX as the control you have of the little muscles you need to move slowly and quietly. But it makes total sense that sneaking would require both DEX and WIS, to know how loud you're being, or where to hide.
This is some great advice, though I'd recommend it only for more experienced gamemasters. It's much easier to tell when a novice is adjusting things on the fly, or never looked up the stats of a given type of creature before throwing it into an adventure. Elder dragons that breath for 20 damage, goblins that regularly tank two hits before going down are going to raise some flags for certain players and may make a lot of the combats feel arbitrary. Now an experienced GM knows kinda how things are supposed to play out, and can easily make stats they pulled from their posterior seem realistic, but someone who's only played a couple games probably won't be able to pull that off. Though this is definitely great advice though for those gamemasters that have been running for 10 years and still won't run a combat until they've got a full stat block that includes a creatures knowledge history skill check,
I very much like the mathematical part of combat design, but I'm glad there are multiple ways to do things are you're enjoying your way.
Ok I was doing this and feeling bad about it… until NOW!!!
Well, with a lot more winging it lol
😂 Honestly I’m the last person who’s ever going to tell anyone to do anything other than what’s fun for them and their table! Don’t feel bad about anything that’s working for you!
These are great tips especially combining stats. I wish I got to play d&d more lol being a hockey player d&d isnt high in popularity among most people I know.
Oh man! I feel like people so many more people out there might be into it than you expect! I have the curse of never being able to shut up so I’ve found SO MANY people who wanted to try D&D from a pottery studio I rent space at, I had a friend who had a bunch of skateboarding buddies that wanted to try, etc 😂 I always just start with “Oh, I’m a huge nerd so I was playing D&D and…” and someone almost always wants to know a little more!
@@StephaniePlaysGames I have met a few hockey players that were willing to try but most of them just use an orientation slur and continue to chirp me on the ice. If hockey wasn't technically my job I'd definitely not be doing it anymore. Too many people stuck in the 80s and 90s. Now I'm usually running games for my 13 year old son and all his friends but I'd like to play with people my age
I'm in a similar boat with encounter design. As a GM, I want to find out what happens just as much as the players do, so encounters are really just a pacing mechanism. I don't even consider whether or not the players could "win" the fight, so if the narrative or pacing requires they encounter opposition far above their weight-class, then I just let'er rip. Unbalanced encounters are far more interesting, and helps newbie players learn there are alternatives to, "I slice/shoot/stab <enemy>". Also, I always roll in the open so the players know their decisions matter.
The fear induced by a glass cannon is a good point. As both a player and a DM there’s much more terror in a combat that lasts one round and has the DM say “he does 30 points of damage” than a combat that lasts ten rounds of 3 points damage. The end result is the same but one feels like a slog through a war of attrition while the other will make everyone at the table sit up in shock
Yeah I’ve definitely had players go “Wait - what?!” as all of the squishier PCs immediately start retreating 😂
I love your kuo-toa ideas! There's so much potential with those silly guys for some wild monster horror + existential horror combinations.
I'm also very vibes based on encounter/dungeon design. I don't change AC/HP and stuff mid-combat though! Retreat is always an option. Also, reaction rolls and morale do wonders for making encounters fun and surprising (for me, too)! Enjoyed hearing how you run things
One thing I do that I think is uncommon is rolling for monster hp at the beginning of combat. It makes the difficulty variable in a way that I find exciting!
I do really enjoy things like reaction and morale rolls! As for retreat - neither me nor most of my players ever really take that route 😂 There’s definitely a reason I always have a pretty deep backup PC roster!
I don't balance encounters almost at all, but I also don't fudge any numbers or dice rolls. I feel like it takes some of the magic out of the game if I really am directing every event that happens, instead of the more collaborative experience the uncertainty of the dice enables.
I totally respect that! If I'm playing something me and the players agree will be grim and gritty I'm much more comfortable with them just having shit luck, but I do absolutely feel bad if it happens in any of my more narrative focused campaigns where they put SO much effort into creating awesome backstories and character arcs.
Another awesome vid, definitely something people should watch if they're feeling stressed about specifically 5e combat encounter planning. We gave up on CR pretty immediately which definitely seems the norm, especially since I like to homebrew basically everything. The only amount of work I do ahead of a game is periodically checking how much HP my players have on average, and how much damage they can put out in a round on average. Once I wanna plan a proper encounter I add up the total of all the players average damage per round then multiply that by how many rounds I want combat to last, that becomes my HP pool that I divide out to all (or just one) of the enemies. For attacks, I flip it around, how many rounds do I want one or two PCs to last before going down, dividing their hp up and setting the damage of an attack to average out to whatever that may be. Then I move these numbers up or down from those baselines and add special abilities, resistances, and weaknesses according to how hard or easy I want it to be (or just the vibes!).
Totally agree! I only really get into CR if I think something calls for a highly tactical, planned out battle but otherwise that is just SO. MUCH. WORK. just to have a great time with friends 😂 These easier methods may not be “as balanced” - but it’s absolutelyyy close enough for me!
I've always run combat like this... And felt super guilty about it. I don't want do deadly combat, or if I do I make an avenue of escape clear. I tinker with lair actions, ignore legendary, raise or lower hp and ac, have mobs 'forget' certain attacks. I'm a special combo of lazy and I really love my player's pc's. I want them to know they can die, but I do my best to give them the tools of survival. Because heroes survive. Usually.
Right! Honestly I'm the same - my players put so much thought into their PCs it’s hard for me to kill them. I save that for when I run more grim an gritty games like Shadowdark 😂
Right! Honestly I'm the same - my players put so much thought into their PCs it’s hard for me to kill them. I save that for when I run more grim an gritty games like Shadowdark 😂
This is perfect timing for me! Im a new DM. Ive been panicking over encounter design and setting up virtual tabletop stuff (so tedious) for my campaigns. this suggested mindset is a relief. I have been reading through the free booklet for flee mortals! And Its been enlightening, I'm hoping to get the full book ASAP
If you can, grab the Index Card RPG (Master Edition) and give the rules a read. It has much simpler combat than D&D and the most important lessons from ICRPG can be applied to D&D and other games. In fact the "How to use this book" opens with "Don't. Take the key innovations and put them in your other games".
It’s really great inspiration! Mike Shea of Sly Flourish is also such a great source of information for new DMs. Don’t be afraid to try multiple ways of prepping and running things - no matter what anyone tells you the only “right way” is the way that works best for you and your table 😊
@@StephaniePlaysGames I've been using Mike Shea's Lazy DM book for my prep this year and I love it. Right now I'm prepping a session using his 8 steps in combination with random tables from Knave 2e.
LOVE this! Despite being a big defender of RAW combat encounter design in 5e, I've been a vibes combat DM for most of my time behind the screen. I've got some helpful text references for folks who want to do this but don't want to feel it out from scratch each time; The "Monster Statistics by Challenge Rating" in chapter 9 of the 2014 DMG has a great table that gives suggested AC, HP, Saves, Attack bonus, and damage by CR which is really useful for building monsters on the fly. The "Damage Severity and Level" table in the improvising damage section of chapter 8 of the 2014 DMG breaks down dice expressions of damage by level range and whether you want the damage to be a setback, dangerous, or deadly, which is incredibly useful for improvising monster damage. Then the "Monster Features" table in step 20 of building a monster in chapter 9 of the 2014 DMG lists out a bunch of different monster abilities and which monsters have them, which is super useful for gleaning inspiration for giving monsters cool abilities. If you put these 3 tables on your DM screen, you'll never be caught out again when you're PCs start a fight you weren't expecting or you need to throw a monster at them at the last second.
Yesss! All of these really are such good resources! 😊
I've long wondered why these rules are almost always ignored by DM advice.
@@pheralanpathfinder4897 I think most of it is the 2014 DMG was so poorly laid out that very quickly a culture of "oh you don't need to read this, you'll learn more by doing or online that by reading this" developed, and just got worse over the last decade. But there's tons of actually useful stuff in there *if you can find it*.
@@IcarusGames I agree. I'm really interested in seeing the new DMG layout But I suspect it's larger size and the effort to cover more topics will lend itself to even fewer people digging deep. That most DMs start after being a player adds to the tendency to overlook stuff in a book that is often "read" by players just looking for magical items or insight into ways to beat traps and other obstacles.
@@IcarusGames Hard agree 😂 I'm glad I'm a huge nerd and like to read TTRPG rules for fun
Yup, always blows me away how stressed people make themselves about "perfectly balanced encounters." Ballparking is the only way to go.
So much depends on player choices which are completely out of our control 😂 I optimize for ✨ fun ✨
Hyperbole gang
I love this! I don't balance combat either. This video is refreshing. I too "design" my combat like this. Great vid.
Thanks for the kind words! 😊
Have you ever tried running combat like this? What other combat tricks do you have to help cut down on prep time?
Variety is the spice of life. Sometimes fast and deadly. Sometimes 5-10 short rests before a long rest to test resource management. Sometimes a single battle lasting 15 rounds against a tier boss.
My High Seas campaign I run has an Air Genasi PC that I've given a feature reward to (whole separate topic). He can cast Fly 1/day for free. Because it is limited, it definitely allows him to feel like the character fantasy is validated and have awesome moments, but it is not overbearing for every encounter's balance. I'm definitely a proponent of limited flight. Always-on flight from level 1 is something that can feel intrusive. As you've pointed out; there are ways to deal with it, but the problem many people have is that over half of DnD enemies are melee-only which means either the flying PC dominates the majority of possible encounters, or you have to edit enemies (which can feel targeted if you're not an expert at balancing) or go digging through options to find options that can take on the flying Warlock raining down eldritch blasts.