Splitting an Adventurer's League table

The extra Prep for split:
1) Have TWO OR MORE sets of combat stats for mobs preprinted.
2) Ideally, have the same printed for NPC spells details for quick reference.

The split mechanics:
As a large group, roleplay up to the point of combat start.
Split into groups of 1) similar numbers of players, and 2) similar total level. You don't want one group with 6 players and another with 3 players. You also don't want all the 4th-level PCs in one group and the 1st-level PCs in the other.

Run the combat.

The resolution mechanics:
Award full experience and treasure to winning groups.
To groups that were not successful, award exp for monsters only they defeated, and award no treasure for that room. (Reserving DM option to override.)

The join mechanics:
Use the most successful group's result to continue the story. Those involved in achieving that result already gained the most benefit.

Prepping for a D&D Encounters session - combat

For reference, my normal prep:
1) Ideally, print area map. Consider printing 1"=5' scale if you don't have Game Times or similar. Recommendations: Dwarven Forge Dwarvenite Game Tiles from DwarvenForge.com. Fat Dragon Games paper models available at RPGNOW.com. PosterRazor available from... somewhere.

2) Create list of rooms and mobs present in each room, and quantity. This is dynamically adjusted at table.

3) Add combat specs to list of mobs. My preference is to have a list of mobs with stats at top of page, and just list the names of the mobs in each room. That provides plenty of white space to record hit point and effects as battle progresses.

The combat stats I transcribe are:
S, D, C, I, W, A, PP, Vision / Senses, AC, hps, MV, MAT, RAT, Powers / Reactions / Spells / Traits / Notes. DR / DI / CI

S=Strength, D=Dexterity, C=Consitution, I=Intelligence, W=Wisdom, A=Charisma. Only the modifier; not the score because that would be 6 columns of wasted space.
PP=passive perception.
Vision / senses: dv60 Darkvision range 60', bs60=blindsense 60', ts10=tremorsense 10', etc. Not Keen Smell which
AC, hps Armor class, hit points
MV movement rates. f30 = fly 30', s20 swim, b=burrow, c=climb, etc.
MAT Melee attack, 2x lngsd +5 1d8+3 = 2 strikes per attack action at +5 to hit doing 1d8+3 damage. Bite +8 2d8+5 & 2x claw +8 2d6+5 = claw/claw/bite.
RAT Ranged attack. Like MAT with range listed. 2x lngbw +4 150/600 1d8+3
Powers / Reactions / Spells / Traits / Notes / DR / DI / CI. DR = damage resistance DI = damage immunity CI = condition immunity. Features like Keen smell, Pack tactics, Evasion, Parry, Dragon breath, Stunning Strike. Include Rchg=recharge. Reminders or listed-out effects. For spells, listed by level on separate lines using ALT-ENTER. (0) sacred flame, acid splash, guidance. 1(4) sleep, cure wounds, burning hands. 2(3) spiritual hammer = cantrips, level 1 has 4 slots, level 2 has 3 slots. 

For spellcasters I supplement the basic spell list with a printed spell sheet from http://www.enworld.org/forum/rpgdownloads.php?do=download&downloadid=1180

4) Ideally, in each room note special treasure like magic items, special features like traps, secret doors, etc.

5) Ideally, list exp of each mob type. This speeds nightly calculation of exp reward.

6) Ideally, list treasure of room. Again, speeds nightly reward calc.

5ED Druid Wildshape hit points - a fix in RAW

Upon review of RAW, I believe every table at which I have played has misinterpreted how druid wildshape hit points work. The "ah ha" is in bold below.

While you gain the hp pool of the beast form chosen, RAW does not specify that the beast starts at max hp; merely that it has a different pool. It also doesn't specify that each beast form uses a different hit point pool; merely that it is distinct from your humanoid pool.

So if you use a dire wolf form with 45hp, you don't get double that per short rest. You get 45. If that form is wounded for 33, those 33 will need to be healed.

Further, a Moon Druid (using Combat Wild Shape) can expend spell slots as bonus action to heal the beast form. We mostly ignore that because it is unimportant if your beast mode (wrongly) starts at full hp every time. However, if beast form did indeed start at full, then to heal using the fewest resources you'd just use 2 bonus actions to flip to humanoid mode, back to beast mode to start over at full. Given the way players may choose the timing of spending bonus actions, you're only "stuck" as humanoid from end-of-this-round to the beginning-of-next.

Essentially we've been treating the beast mode as temp hit points. Instead, I believe this is the way it is intended to work:
1. Your beast form has a separate hit point pool. It is not specified, but my personal take on this is you have one pool for all beast modes.
2. Damage to that hit point pool does not heal on its own. (If you try to take a long rest as a beast, a druid cannot remain in beast mode for a long rest due to automatic reversion to humanoid when you become unconscious.
3. If you try to assume a beast form with fewer hit points than damage from your pool, you go unconscious and revert to human form. (Interestingly this can leave you unable to assume beast form until someone else heals your beast form before it reverts to humanoid. That time is the time to perform 1 action or possibly a bonus action for a moon druid, which means a healer can ready an action to perform the heal, provide a healing potion, apply a healer's kit, etc.) I would permit a moon druid to expend spell slots to self-heal upon changing form, though I am not sure how a land druid could do so. I suppose I'll consider that when someone plays a land druid at my table.

Comparing 5ED DnD Races with +1 vs +2 in primary ability

I was curious about balance issues between 5ED DnD  races with +1 versus +2 in the primary ability for their class. Obviously, this type of analysis targets minmax gamers, so obtaining the highest bonus in the primary ability as quickly as possible is the main objective. Analysis shows the two type are in mathematical balance, but there is still significant advantage for a +2 race.

The math of a +2 race:
A +2 race, say an Gnome Wizard with +2 INT, starts with a 15+2=17 (+3 bonus).

At level 4 you get an ASI and take, say, Observant feat that grants you a few powers and a +1 INT; 17+1=18 (+4 bonus) 

At level 8 you take the full ASI for +2 INT and max out; 18+2= 20 (+5 bonus).

The math of a +1 race:

On the other hand, a Human Wizard with +1 INT starts with a 14+2=16 (+3 bonus).

At level 4 take a full ASI for +2 INT; 16+2=18 (+4 bonus)

At level 8 take a full ASI for +2 INT; 18+2=20 (+5 bonus)

So the difference is a +2 race has a combo feat/ASI and gain the benefits of the "extra" feat for 8 levels. 

OR, they can use it as a full ASI and add a point to another ability, say a +1 ability which maybe they used a 14 base so 14+1=15 (bonus +2), which means that first ASI at 4th level would add bonus +1 to the prime by taking it to 18 (+4 bonus) and another bonus +1 to the secondary via 15+1=16 (bonus +3). Double whammy!

ASI: Ability Score Improvement. 2 points added to one or two abilities. OR, take a feat. Some feats award 1 point to one ability in addition to other benefits.

Wow. Just, wow.

Based on a list of geological features of Mars, I wanted to sort by proximity to Olympus Mons. The formula on this page was amazingly helpful:

 http://bluemm.blogspot.com/2007/01/excel-formula-to-calculate-distance.html

List of features sourced from Wikipedia.
Diameter of Mars sourced from Google Search.

The list:

Feature Name	Type	N Lat	W Long	Diam km	Peak km	Proximity to O M	Side by Proximity	Odds 9/33 being on Trytan	Final side
Anseris	Mons					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Euripus	Mons					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Gonnus	Mons					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Hellespontus	Mons	-45.5	317.5	681		11222.131	Telthys		Telthys
Horarum	Mons					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Labeatis	Mons					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Octantis	Mons					9587.3592	Unknown	Trytan	Telthys
Peneus	Mons					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Peraea	Mons					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Ausonia	Montes					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Australe	Montes					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Centauri	Montes					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Chalce	Montes					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Coronae	Montes					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Libya	Montes	2.7	271.2	1229		9827.1152	Telthys		Telthys
Tanaica	Montes					9587.3592	Unknown	Trytan	Telthys
Xanthe	Montes					9587.3592	Unknown	Trytan	Telthys
Australis	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Charitum	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
E.Mareotis	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Jovis	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Trytan	Telthys
Kison	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
N.Mareotis	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Uranius	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
W.Mareotis	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Zephyria	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Telthys
Arsia	Mons	-9.4	120.5	485	16	2238.7775	Trytan		Trytan
Ascraeus	Mons	11.3	104.5	462	18	2095.3028	Trytan		Trytan
Elysium	Mons	25	213	432	12.5	5402.3709	Trytan		Trytan
Galaxius	Mons					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Trytan
Oceanidum	Mons					9587.3592	Unknown	Trytan	Trytan
Olympus	Mons	18.4	133.1	624	27	0	Trytan		Trytan
Pavonis	Mons	0.3	112.8	375	8.7	1979.5233	Trytan		Trytan
Pindus	Mons					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Trytan
Tyrrhena	Mons					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Trytan
Charitum	Montes	-58.3	44.2	1412		7719.62	Trytan		Trytan
Echus	Montes	6.8	78.2	203		4014.5295	Trytan		Trytan
Erebus	Montes	39.9	170.5	594		2842.7235	Trytan		Trytan
Geryon	Montes	-8	80.7	274		4266.408	Trytan		Trytan
Hellas	Montes					9587.3592	Unknown	Trytan	Trytan
Hibes	Montes	3.9	188.9	177		4145.1886	Trytan		Trytan
Nereidum	Montes	-41	43.5	1677		7473.2785	Trytan		Trytan
Phlegra	Montes	40.9	197.4	1310		4324.2224	Trytan		Trytan
Sisyphi	Montes	-69.8	346.9	198		9163.1249	Trytan		Trytan
Tartarus	Montes	25.1	188.7	1011		3802.8912	Trytan		Trytan
Tharsis	Montes	2.8	113.3	2105		1829.5928	Trytan		Trytan
Scandia	Tholi	66	135.4	1232		3501.0046	Trytan		Trytan
Albor	Tholus	19.3	209.8	165	4.5	5287.061	Trytan		Trytan
Apollinaris	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Trytan
Ceraunius	Tholus	24.2	97.2	108		2488.6119	Trytan		Trytan
Hecates	Tholus	32.7	209.8	183		5091.12	Trytan		Trytan
Iaxartes	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Trytan	Trytan
Issedon	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Trytan
Ortygia	Tholus					9587.3592	Unknown	Telthys	Trytan
Tharsis	Tholus	13.4	90.8	153		3006.6325	Trytan		Trytan