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26. Be ready to separate if you come upon monsters or spell casters that can affect all the PCs at once--wizards with web, clerics with silence or other area spells, etc. You should plan ahead of time who is going to do what. This makes it much easier. This is really the only good justification for the party not staying together. (Orcus)

27. Don't put the wuss in the back. Put the wuss in the middle (wusses, you know who you are). (Orcus)

28. Scout ahead. As an aside, the scout usually never gets ambushed. The ambushers usually wait for the main body to pass them. (Orcus)

29. Take advantage of special abilities like sneak attack and use terrain and situations to your advantage to flank or get cover bonuses. (Orcus)

30. NEVER, EVER decide to take an action just because it will get you XP. When PCs die it is usually due to them charging the monster with the high XP value instead of doing the smart thing and working together as a team. (Orcus)

31. If you can afford it (or even if you can't), have everyone in the party carry some kind of healing (potions, scrolls, items). If the priest goes down, or can't reach you, you're in a world of hurt. (Lythran Shadowbane)

32. Never underestimate the power of information. At low levels, this is usually limited to talking with townsfolk about local problems (what's marauding around the countryside today?). They live here, they sure know what's happening better than you. Maybe one of them has seen somebody else in town acting somewhat shady; a link to a nefarious plot, perhaps?

Don't forget to stay in contact with any organizations your PC may belong to. As Orcus said, priests have temple superiors, wizards have academies and masters, rogues have guilds, and fighters may have trainers. All of these people are important for knowing what's happening in your world.

As you get higher in levels, your skills and magical abilities will improve. This will garner you different ways of gathering info. Your wizard becomes an incredible scout with arcane eye and true seeing, the cleric can gain divine insight through spells like augury and contact other plane, and the rogue and the fighter make an effective good adventurer/bad adventurer team when interrogating prisoners.

There's something else to think about: when possible, don't kill all the bad guys. Subdual rules are in the game for a reason. Take as many prisoner as possible, then question them, mundanely and magically. The more you can get from them, the better. In a dungeon situation, the odds are already stacked against you. Every ounce of information you can get improves your chances for survival. (Mistwalker)

33. If you are EVER in a dungeon and a pile of dung attacks you, RUN!!! If by some fluke you forget this advice and decide to hit it with your sword (after all you've vanquished many a pile of dung in the past) and if by some stroke of misfortune your sword gets stuck...RUN. Swords are a dime a dozen, I don't care if it is a +5 to sneak attack, keen bladed, vorpal/holy avenger that does triple damage on all hits. You can always find another one. If you stay and wrestle with said pile of poo you are only putting more lives at risk because you know that one of your friends is going to be dumb enough to listen to your pleadings and try a half-baked rescue attempt, thus condemning an additional character to death! (Stormdale)

34. If the party cleric offers to heal you, take it! Don't put on a brave face and say, "nah, I've still got 58 hps left, I'm be right for another room or two." (Stormdale)

35. Expect the DM to play the bad guys with creativity and intelligence. The guys in room 5 will not just sit their patiently while you mop up their mates in room 4, then give you a few minutes breather or hold off battle until "you've got your wind back." (Stormdale)

36. If you've alerted the whole complex to your presence and several underlings have escaped, assume the worst. They probably haven't gone to get mops and buckets to clean up the mess you've made! Instead they have probably gone to report to some really, really nasty people higher up in the food chain. At this time, deciding to rest up in store room #5 to get hit points and or spells back is possibly not such a good idea. The bad guys usually check the store rooms first! (Stormdale)

37. If everybody is down to half hit points (or less), the wizards are out of spells, the fighters suffering from strength draining attacks and cleric is dead, scouting or "taking a peek" at level 10 is probably not the smartest thing to do. (Stormdale)

38. Don't overlook Spell Focus for your favorite school. +2 to save DCs could make a difference between "six charred ogre corpses" and "six bloody adventurer corpses". (Melan)

39. It is very tempting to build a character around a specialized concept (like tripping monsters). Don't - in many cases, you will be completely useless to the party. And, when you are super-effective, the DM will hate you. (Melan)

40. Corollary to 39: it is even more tempting to take four or even more classes. Don't do that, either - it might be fun at first, but on the long term, the party will be extremely weak! (Melan)

41. Leave the "party-attack" and squabbling for downtime. Don't get into fistfights in a dungeon. Subdual damage may go away in a few hours, but those few hours are enough to kill you. (Melan)

42. Once again: just because it is there, you don't need to even go near it. If someone says "yes, of course, but think of the XP!", slap the idiot and get out of the room while he gets killed. (Melan)

43. Rope. Always bring silk rope with you, preferably two or three coils at least. A miner's pick, crowbar and other such items are also useful if you have room. You should also bring magical AND normal light. (Melan)

44. As a wizard, the 5d6 Fireball (or the high level Cone of Cold scroll) is tempting - you could use it on that ogre/giant/ooze... But don't forget that the ogre/giant/ooze is one opponent and easily brought down by the party fighters. On the other hand, if you are confronted by 40-50 troglodytes, you could do 100-200 points of total damage with a wussy scroll! Area effect spells are for grouped enemies, period. (Melan)

45. Don't swim in platemail. In fact, as kewl as it looks, avoid it if you can use a light chain shirt - you can move further, and you can benefit from dexterity. (Melan)

46. In computer games, one-shot magic items are rarely needed because you can reload a saved game. In an RPG, that little edge can save your life. (Melan)

47. Oozes are dangerous. Either avoid them or torch them immediately. (Also note: sadistic DMs will use Napalmous Cubes after a while - beware!) (Melan)

76. You're friendly neighborhood DM is a volunteer. He's not paid for doing his job and their is no reason he should take crap from you just because you disagree with him. (gondolin)

77. The good of the many outweigh the good of the few, or the one (one being you). (gondolin)

78. Don't grow too attached to your characters or their magic items. It stands in the way of good gaming and roleplay. (gondolin)

79. Create fun, interesting characters (not necessarily "unique"... just fun). A DM may have mercy if your character is interesting. If he is not, don't complain when that maxed out half-orc-chain-specialist-munchkin bites the big one and is somehow impossible to resurrect. (Melan)

80. Don't forget it's not Players vs. DM. It's a group effort to have fun. So if you're the DM, try to look at it from the player's perspective, and if you're a player, try to look at it from the DM's. (Setne; Thasaidon 112)

81. When something doesn't work the way you expected it to, assume you are missing something, not that the DM is purposefully thwarting you. (Setne)

82. Players and DMs should communicate with each other outside of the game and give each other constructive feedback. This will help make the game more enjoyable for everyone. (Guido 1999)

83. If you somehow find a secret door that was almost impossible to discover, or enter into an antechamber covered with unholy writings that send chills down your paladin's back, don't whine to the DM when you press on and your party gets slaughtered. See the references for "knowing when to run" above. (Damien the Bloodfeaster)

84. Reference was made to the usefulness of low-level divinations and information gathering. These are extremely important. A well-timed true seeing or see invisibility can make the difference between a tough encounter and a TPK. A charm person on a minion early on can keep PCs from falling into ambushes and traps. And don't forget the importance of languages--it's always handy to have at least one PC versed in a bunch of them, especially since they're so cheap to buy in 3e. (Damien the Bloodfeaster)

85. DMs: be sure your new players know of any house rules before you begin playing. And be sure to get their approval before introducing any new ones. You may love critical hit/fumble tables, but your players may not... (Damien the Bloodfeaster)

86. If the DM makes a ruling you disagree with, it's okay to ask him about it, and state your case. But when he's heard you out and makes his ruling, DON'T ARGUE WITH HIM. And "stating your case" doesn't mean endlessly repeating that you were screwed, or the game should operate in a certain way. MOVE ON. Don't spend the rest of the session whining or pouting about how you were given the shaft. Nothing will kill the enjoyment of the game quicker. (Damien the Bloodfeaster)

87. Never underestimate the importance of good saving throws, especially Will saves. Nothing's worse than having your party's melee machine get charmed or confused and start hewing through the rest of the group. And fighter types with their low Will saves make juicy targets for NPC critters. Consider giving them a decent Wisdom score, and taking Iron Will. Conversely, enemy fighter types are good targets for your charm/confusion type spells, and so you should plan accordingly. (Damien the Bloodfeaster)

88. Necromancer Games modules are designed tough. Real tough. DMs: be very careful before making NG adventures more challenging. A TPK is often the result, and bragging rights to the contrary, these are no fun for anyone. (Damien the Bloodfeaster)

89. Don't hog the limelight. Yes, it's nice to be the guy who saves the party with a perfectly-timed lightning bolt. But chances are, the "Bull's Strength" you cast on the party's Barbarian is going to end up doing more damage over the long run. Teamwork means sometimes (or, depending upon you class, often) taking a "support role" - it's usually unsung, and noticed only if it's missing, but it is critical to the party's success in a challenging dungeon. (Ragathor)

90. Sometimes you CAN parley with the monsters. Particularly if you note something of "residential politics" going on in the dungeon, you may be able to work it to your advantage. See if you can negotiate. It may win the day, and it'll also give your bard a chance to shine. (Ragathor)

91. In 3rd Edition, XP is awarded for overcoming challenges, NOT JUST killing the monsters. Outwitting the goblin king to defeat him should be the same as killing him (DM's, TAKE NOTE!) XP-wise. If you can accomplish your objectives with more safety another way, do it! (Ragathor)

92. Be specific in your actions! It may depend upon the DM, but I will award circumstance bonuses for specific actions. If you are specifically searching "under the bed" for something, you may get a +2 or so to your search roll to find something there as opposed to someone who's just 'searching the room'. It also helps roleplaying, and visualizing the action for everyone. Just so long as you don't slow down the game with your detailed actions, it's a great thing to do, and helps keep the DM entertained. (Ragathor)

93. Remember that the DM is a player, too - he or she is there to have fun, as well. Make sure the game is fun for him / her as well (like the previous comment, "Keep the DM entertained.") While you may have adversarial roles while the screen is up, have fun with it. (Ragathor)

94. Pay attention to the little details. Sometimes they are just 'dressing', but sometimes they may provide a critical clue. Don't dwell on them, but don't ignore them either. (Ragathor)

95. Make sure the DM hears you when you say you are doing something. It sucks to have your PC killed because you didn't speak up loud enough to say you moved from where the DM thought you were.... (skeetyrbug)

96. More Clerics = more good, no clerics = dead party. (Tsathogga)

97. Spellcasters should support the non-spellcasters and let them kill most of the bad guys (see rule #89--its a golden rule). (Tsathogga)

98. Set goals, meet goals, set new goal; bail and rest. Clark alluded to this earlier. The real key is to hit as many things head on when you are all at full strength. Avoid meaningless strength-sucking encounters. No reason to kill the wandering giant slug when you might want to lure the gnolls into his lair later; he is not a threat (slow moving) and has no treasure. The same applies to wandering monsters...usually not worth the time or spells and hp to fight if they can be avoided. Fool and trick the bad guys. Scare them if possible. Anyone at GenCon who played with me in Clarks "Caverns" game realizes this. My wizard took an illusion spell instead of a fireball; sure the gnolls ran away from my 10 illusory dwarves, we got less xp etc. But...they ran away, and we were able to get to our real goal. (Tsathogga)

99. Use food, pets and slaves to avoid encounters. Animate dead things for use as 1-use wands of trap detection (pisses off DMs who love gelatinous cubes too!). Throw money and food at monsters to make them leave you alone (fake gems and fake gold work great). Use oil to block passages rather than to soak one monster. Arcane lock doors to prevent pursuit. Cast invisibility on your familiar to have it scout silently ahead outdoors…especially if it can fly. Hire henchmen fighters to guard the wizard and to carry light sources. Feed the griffon herd a horse to avoid combat; its been working for wildebeasts in Africa for years when crossing croc-infested streams. (Tsathogga)

100. Be mobile. If a monster is slower than you, run, shoot, run, shoot, run, shoot. Do not fight fair, do not fight hand to hand w/ the Grey Render. My monsters don't if they can avoid it. Anyone recall how nasty quicklings were? (Tsathogga)

skeetyrbug: Don't sit at Bill's table and fight 3 times your number of barbarians, some of whom are on horseback. I learned this one slightly too late. Have a bow with you at all times, even if you can't use it. Someone can...

126. For DMs, spend a few minutes checking your module/ notes/ script for how YOU would tackle the situation at hand. You'd be surprised how often the party follows suit, and it gives you means to balance things out (or polarize them if need be). Thinking your actions/intentions through beforehand saves so much grief afterwards, it's frightening. (sessestophelzine)

127. For DMs, PCs need not be killed to make a point. They can be banished, branded, publicly chastised, jailed, or, my favorite... geased. (sessestophelzine)

128. For DMs, a major job of DMing is crowd control. Above all else, be true to yourself and use intuition as often as possible. Don't let PCs and their players try to change you or your game - it is always your game. Yes, the PCs help create the story, but it always has your stamp. Be God-like, but also be a benevolent and caring despot as well. (sessestophelzine)

129. For DMs, your foremost job is Communication. It's up to you to describe adjectives, feelings, senses, create mood and atmosphere. It's also up to you to complete all the little administrative details and continually poll the players on how they think they're doing and if they're enjoying the process. (sessestophelzine)

130. For PCs, skeletons and zombies are the most cost-effective magical-item-carriers known to mages. The cursed items they might bear could go off upon them, but who cares? (sessestophelzine)

131. For PCs, items and spells which emulate extra skill levels will get you the farthest over the long haul. Make everything Masterwork if you can't get it magical. Augment every possible stat you can that applies to your profession's skills. A masterwork longsword wielded while under a +4 Strength from bull's strength equates to 3 fighter levels when swinging the sword. Anything, especially skills, that gives you more attacks is better over the long haul as well. (sessestophelzine)

132. For PCs, when fighting, Reach and AoO possibilities are the big differentiator between 1E and 3E -- use 'em to your advantage. (sessestophelzine)

133. For PCs, spellcasters should take metamagic feats that allow them to cast their fave spells at differing spell levels. The 7th-level Mage could become a gatling-gun of pain when need be while memorizing magic missile at levels 1 and 2, then fireball at levels 3 and 4 just with the usage of the Silent Spell metamagic feat alone. (sessestophelzine)

LibertonPC: Of course, this isn't required. I can always fill my 2nd level slot with a magic missile, even without a feat to raise it. Says so in the PHB. It's nice to have Silent Spell, if you are going to cast them at the higher level anyway, but not necessary. But after playing several mages, I've come to the realization that metamagic isn't all that and a bag of chips. Spell Penetration, maybe Spell Focus. Those are the way to go and help BIG.

134. For PCs, spellcasters should key upon spells which have no save or a reduced-penalty save. Power words and cones of cold are good fail-safe weapons. Use Spell Penetration at high levels whenever possible, and seek out scrolls written at higher levels than you are at every turn. A 16th-level-written fireball is more effective versus Spell-Resistant critters than a typical 11th-level-cast disintegrate. (sessestophelzine)

135. For PCs, not all your dungeon denizens need be fought. In fact, it's much much more fun to play them off of each other, as if you were playing a game of Illuminati or Diplomacy with them as opponents. Strong divinations before entering could alert the PCs as to who the main power brokers are in a dungeon, and often it doesn't take a genius to figure out how they can be manipulated for fun and profit. (sessestophelzine)

136. You have chosen Feats, Skills and Spells. Use them all. If they seem unusable, provoke situations that make them effective. (Othmaar)

137. If you are getting burned out, take a break. If your DM is getting burned out, give him a break (not a physical one, as in no arms, legs, ribs etc..) (Fire Mephit)

138. Have fun. If you're not having fun, find out why, and talk to your group. (Fire Mephit)

139. Bring some damn food and drinks to share with your fellow players. It's common courtesy. (Frost)

Dire Flumph: Do not steal the DM's rightful snacks. Woe to you if you pick up his pizza when he's not looking.

140. Always keep track of your character's hit points. It's easy to forget when you're down a few, and only remember when you get ambushed. And if you are down in health, let the party healers know! (Damien the Bloodfeaster)

141. Commune spell can be extremely useful when you can get a hold of it. The xp cost (100 xp) is often worth it. Before casting, be sure to make a list of yes/no questions to ask, and save it for when you have more than one or two questions if you can. Even if the DM decides to answer your questions with replies like "unknown", your deity is unlikely to ever lie or mislead you.

Some things you can find out with this spell:

a. If there are any secret areas you missed.

b. If stepping through a doorway/messing with an idol/jumping in the pit of inky blackness is inadvisable.

c. Whether any of your recently-found loot is cursed, and if so, which item(s).

d. Specific properties or effects of an unusual magic zone, or specific strengths and weaknesses of a particular creature (using the "20-questions" method)

e. Information about an unexplored area (are there monsters? are they living? do they possess magic items they can use against us? are there any traps? etc.) (Damien the Bloodfeaster)

142. Never trust beautiful women in dungeons, especially if they are imprisoned, fleeing from some menace, or in groups. They are almost certainly, vampiresses, evil werecreatures, hags or the like. But that does not mean you should fireball them outright. Be wary of an ambush when first meeting them, and if they do join your group (appealing to the paladin for protection, etc.), keep a sharp eye on them. Check them over with divination spells, but keep in mind that they may have a misdirection type spell up to counter this. When they travel with you, position them behind someone with good armor and saves, and in front of someone with good Spot/Listen scores and initiative. And get them out of your party as soon as you can without violating your alignment. See also entry #141 above for a good means of ferreting out whether or not they mean you harm. (Damien the Bloodfeaster)