How Do I Even...?

So I'm happy you guys are invested in the turtles. Will make it extra fun for me to kill them off. >:-D j/k

Ok this is my first Battle Grid. Don't think I will be doing these often, but with this foe we are dealing with multiple AoE's so I thought it might be a good idea. Speaking of which, I have questions. How do you figure an effect's radius around a large creature? do you calculate from the creature's center as in Battle Grid 1 (first tab) or from its face as in Battle Grid 2 (second tab)?

Looks good!

I believe you calculate the radius from the edges of the creature, as seen in tab 2

When we started I said this was going to follow a "monster of the week" format and would not have an overarching plot but the story is starting to take on a life of its own!

To be honest, when I cast the Golden Child as bait on a story hook it wasn't supposed to go beyond this post but look where it's led you now! But I am having fun with it and as long as you guys are too then we're good! :-D

Definitely having fun over here!

Some of the most enjoyable moments in DMing usually involve the players or the story surprising you :)

I'm having a great time. It's always the little plot hooks that end up taking over :P

I am thoroughly enjoying myself.

In my experience, there's never a guarantee on what the players will do. You might set up a whole sequence of events that practically screams for them to enter a specific dungeon and discover their big-brained arch-nemesis (and his skinny daft sidekick) at the beginning of a plot to take over the world... but instead they go off to the High Lord's castle and try to bluff their way into a masquerade ball, simply because one of them heard about it in passing.

If you go with the flow, you'll find that fun and interesting things will happen, and the game takes on an unexpectedly new direction. The beauty of it is, at least at the tabletop, everyone will think it's all part of a brilliantly-crafted world you've established. And you just nod and smile as you scramble your mind to figure out what happens next.

I LOVE when you guys surprise me (and you do it quite a lot). I can't imagine how you guys do this at the table though! In this format I can take days scrambling. How one would do it on the fly is beyond me!

It does require some improvisational skill. You can start by describing the scene using all available senses. "You descend into the sewer. Your vision immediately goes black as a foul wind blows out your torch, but the rank odor biting into your nostrils paints a vivid picture of the slippery muck and moist waste that taints the floor."

And then you ask the players, "What do you do?" This gives you an opportunity to answer your own questions, starting off with the five Ws to figure things out (you don't have to answer all five, but it gives you a nudge). What will the players find? Who, if anyone, lives here? When did they begin living here, or were they always here? Why are they here?

Some answers won't come to you right away. You can use more obstacles and player decisions to stall if that's the case. "The characters come to a locked grate, likely placed by the city to keep out the unsavory. To the left, there is a large hole. Do they try to bypass the grate, or take their chances down the hole? If they choose the hole, how do they descend?" Sometimes these compounding decisions inspire your creativity in coming up with additional material; otherwise, it gives you a bit more time to think.

Some DMs rely on their knowledge of popular media to fill in the gaps, and this is why folk like Matt Colville and Matthew Mercer recommend you consume a lot of it. Think about the books you've read or the movies you've seen, and shamelessly copy the scenarios. Maybe the players stumble into the hideout of a muscular red tiefling that shaves his horns, a water genasi bookworm psychic, and a human sorceress with a penchant for fire; all three are an underground team of monster hunters, led by a kindly and wise old sage.

Have the players draw the map, especially if they're going into a dungeon. Make them responsible for keeping track of hallways and rooms, which you can then use to remind yourself of where they are and what could be around the corner. This also gives you wiggle room to make whatever turn the players take be the right turn. If they pick the lock on the grate, the tunnel leads to the lair. If they anchor a rope to descend the hole, they drop into the same lair. Use the unmapped areas to your advantage; the players don't know what's supposed to be there, so why should they question what you describe?

Another option in your pocket is that you can always call for a break. Use the bathroom. Get something to eat or drink from the kitchen, or make a food run. Give yourself the opportunity to think up the new scenario.

It's definitely tougher at the table to come up with stuff based on player actions. You'll often find that the players like to think out loud and guess what might be ahead. You can often use the players' paranoia to spark your own imagination and fill in any gaps.

When that doesn't work, stall for time! Throw a random battle in (always keep a couple handy that are believable in many locations). Goblins work almost anywhere, as do giant rats, and many large bugs.

Guys, this stuff is gold! Thanks! I will try to apply this wisdom to our game moving forward!

I think it was on Discord that the discussion on battlefield features came up.
So I'm going to try something here, see how it goes. Everyone give me one battlefield feature that you think you can use. Make one up. I reserve the right to reject it if it's too crazy, but knowing you guys, it probably won't come to that.

Are the non-platform areas empty space, or are they solid earth and rock? That is, if I were by one of the bookshelves, could I see the shelves on the other side of the map?

That's solid rock. And in our version there are no bookshelves. It's all batteries jars.

Jabes, Urban is always wanting to look around any battlefield and find ways to wreak unconventional mayhem.
Would love to...
...slam Rat God into a huge cauldron filled with burning coals.
...pick up a sturdy cast iron candelabra stand and stab Rat God with it
...pull up a steel grate and hit Rat God with it
...trip Rat God into a well, pit, or maybe a cage for prisoners

I was already thinking about asking for more details on those jars -- see if they could be smashed, tipped over, picked up, or used to electrocute.

All of the above!

So, here are some environmental effects that would entice Baracus:

Baracus is good at:

1. Hitting things multiple times. Any effect that triggers per hit will be very potent for him. So, a positive modifier on damage rolls given from a spell or aura.

Suggestion: Aura of Pain: A black orb follows the Rat God, a trans-dimensional demonic entity that has followed it through the planes and feeds off the suffering it causes. It cannot attack, but it enhances any damage roll by +2 (same damage type as weapon) in the room. It always hovers near the Rat God and flashes red whenever its bonus is applied. It has AC 10, HP: 10. It recharges its HP to full any time a creature takes damage in the area.

Feels a bit clunky mechanically. Not sure if it's worth it for the demon. Might be easier if it is just an aura coming out of the Rat God.

2. Taking damage: Baracus is a tank. Damage reduction, huge HP - he can take the pain. His foes might suffer disproportionately from terrain that damages because he can grappling and pushing things (especially with his new Way of the Open Hand techniques that trigger off of Flurry of Blows).

Suggestion: Twisted terrain. The portal is blending realities with what is on the other side. Every other round (or whatever) the portal spasms and the terrain of the room is twisted into a demonic hell version of itself. The floor and walls grows razor sharps spikes during this time, affecting the entire room as if affected by a 2nd level Spike Growth Spell.

Feels a bit too strong, and might annoying because of how it restricts movement.

3. Swinging his father's axe: Baracus is motivated by his quest to become as strong as his father.

Suggestion: Perhaps the walls between the planes are weak given the portal, and when Baracus calls his father to witness his actions, he actually feels his father's gaze upon him. Maybe his father's axe is imbued with MEGA POWER (double damage or maybe a smite spell cast upon on it) for short period of time, after which his father will judge his actions. Since a battle axe is not a monk weapon he won't be able to do any monk powers while wielding it, so damage output will probably be about the same or worse, but there would be lots of cool RP goodness.

Just shooting from the hip here, and I won't be at all sad if none of these see the light of day. All of them are a little clunky, could benefit from some streamlining / simplification / power balancing.

Relevant article: http://dmdavid.com/tag/creating-dd-locations-that-encourage-dynamic-combat-scenes/

Another idea: https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/9p8ycd/the_escalation_die_stolen_mechanics_13th_age/

Among the effects that favor specifically Baracus, I think my favorite is the Twisted Terrain. Possibly more suited to grid combat than TOTM though. In the same vein, I actually considered putting the pit trap back in.
Great article, Len! And lots of useful stuff in the comments as well, including  this other article on terrain features
Have any of you guys ever played 13th Age? Interesting system. One of the things I like best about it is this escalation die mechanic. I agree with some of the suggestions that for 5e the bonus to hit can get pretty extreme, and honestly kinda boring. You guys understand the game math far better than I...where do you think the escalation value could be applied in a fun, balanced way?