Dashed Expectations

_________________

-What size graph paper should I get? The game's movement system does count out spaces equal to their Agility stat, I believe (been a while since I read the book).

I have no played the game in person for awhile now but from what I've heard 1'' grid paper is the best for Tabletops. If you're interested in Hexes instead there's special paper just for that. Last time I played we used plain wrapping paper because it had a square pattern on it.

-I found a site with a bunch of cut out standies for characters and NPCs. Should I make use of these for tokens or use something more solid than paper?

Yeah those are fine. Really though you can use anything you want for physical tokens. Use your imagination. You see nerds in cartoons and comics using plastic ponies for monsters and that's all just fine.

-What are some key things a DM should know to make sure everyone is having fun?

UHH, I think the biggest thing I can tell you is to go with the flow of your players. Try to avoid saying "No you can't do that". If they want to do something dumb, you go with it.

-What other materials should I bring besides paper and pencils?

Lots of spare paper. Best for note taking. Don't forget all the books and dice. I guess if you're playing physical you want to have something between yourself and the players so they can't sneak at peek at what you've got written down.

-What exactly do I do when I ask for a "check" for skills? I'm kind of lost here.

I'm unfamiliar with how 2nd edition does it but the basis of it should be the same. When your player does something you think they can potentially fail (crossing a tightrope, searching a room for hidden items, trying to hide, etc) you have the player make a skill check. That player then rolls a dice, then adds their skill level to their roll. The number they get is compared to the number required to successfully complete the action (Commonly referred to as the DC (Dice comparison)). For example. I have 5 points in HIDE. I'm trying to hide from a monster. To successfully hide from it, I need a 13 or Higher. I would roll the dice, let's say I get a 10, and since I have 5 points in Hide, it'd be a 15. I succeed in hiding.

Now, there's no big list of DCs for ever action that's every existed, so you'll need to make up the requirement yourself. You need to figure out how difficult it would be to do the action. What I usually do is start from the middle (In this case 10) and increase or decrease it from there. Climbing an icy cliff is more difficult then trying to climb a dry one, so the DC for scaling the icy cliff would have to be higher then the dry one. Also, if the action is mundane, or the the player is not in any sense of urgency, it usually doesn't warrant a skill check. Having to do one every time you climb a ladder would be a hassle.

Oh also, a 20 is always a success. And a 1 is always a fail.

_________________

_________________