I think dice and a lot of game peripherals have gone up a bit, I noticed a shift in cover prices of core stuff in games that weren't D&D and now there's some sort of catch up going on?
Speaking of peripherals
Question, DM screens, when did short become the default? I picked up the D&D Wilderness DMs screen the other day, and got some other rule sets that came with GM screens, and I'm sorta surprised that the default mode seems to be a sort of landscape style printing, where back in my last gaming heyday I remember the screen panels being taller and thinner. I would custom make my screens out of vinyl binders, so maybe I'm mixing them up, but I could have sworn having screens that at least 11" tall.
I honestly have no idea. I've only ever had 1 DM screen, the one from the Essentials Kit. Still use it today, though I plan to build myself a new one. If I had to guess, it's around 8-10 inches
SirTawmis, your description of how emotions worked in the feywild was interesting. I may use that later because I often try to incorporate fey in my games.
SirTawmis, your description of how emotions worked in the feywild was interesting. I may use that later because I often try to incorporate fey in my games.
So, it was the 2001 release that seems to have shifted to the landscape style for the screens. That is 3.5. Some day I will invest on one of those fancy "make your own" ones, lol, but it needs to have like seven panels, lol.
Today is my day to play with my 3d printer, finally. I had to restructure my work office entirely and ended up including it as in doing so I can write it off on taxes should I ever decide to write anything off on taxes.
Community holidays always make me busy, so at least that is past us, But next year it will be fun.
I am dropping down to two games a month starting in June, it looks like. One is my main group, and the party size will be 17 people. Combat is going to take forever, so I have to speed that up a bit, and there will be a second session every other month for the solo stuff. THe other game is going to be one for the kids in a local org here. Might fizzle, might get bigger, not going to worry about it, though. The same org just hired me to set up their DEI and data collection system. all of which was basically by request of the kids and team there.
I am loving the story -- and this thread is keeping me coming back here even when I am busy as hell, lol
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
No way I got charmed by the Inferior Bard! Jk lol. I love this story so much. I just picked a username that sounded decent and hear you are, Sirtawmis, making an awesome background and backstory based off it!
I think dice and a lot of game peripherals have gone up a bit, I noticed a shift in cover prices of core stuff in games that weren't D&D and now there's some sort of catch up going on?
Speaking of peripherals
Question, DM screens, when did short become the default? I picked up the D&D Wilderness DMs screen the other day, and got some other rule sets that came with GM screens, and I'm sorta surprised that the default mode seems to be a sort of landscape style printing, where back in my last gaming heyday I remember the screen panels being taller and thinner. I would custom make my screens out of vinyl binders, so maybe I'm mixing them up, but I could have sworn having screens that at least 11" tall.
Apparently, some people used to play in DM screens that made it impossible to see the Dungeon Master, back at the very start of the game. I think I heard this in a Matt Colville video at least.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
BoringBard's long and tedious posts somehow manage to enrapture audiences. How? Because he used Charm Person, the #1 bard spell!
He/him pronouns. Call me Bard. PROUD NERD!
Ever wanted to talk about your parties' worst mistakes? Do so HERE. What's your favorite class, why? Share & explainHERE.
SirTawmis, your description of how emotions worked in the feywild was interesting. I may use that later because I often try to incorporate fey in my games.
Anything I create in this story that leaks outside - I am greatly honored if it's used. :)
I am loving the story -- and this thread is keeping me coming back here even when I am busy as hell, lol
The story has been fun to write. Yes, I should be working on a million other things... but the story is something that relaxes my brain because there's no urgency, or plans or anything... it's just... whatever comes to my mind. So it's a flow of just silly creativity.
No way I got charmed by the Inferior Bard! Jk lol. I love this story so much. I just picked a username that sounded decent and hear you are, Sirtawmis, making an awesome background and backstory based off it!
Hah. I love lore. I love expanding on things and giving them meaning.
So it was fun when it landed on developing your character and seeing where my brain would go.
I was wondering how obvious it was that IAmSposta was using a spell, since I kept mentioning he was strumming his lute. :)
As the party scaled down the treacherous mountain side, ChoirOfFire called up to Quar1on, “Do you want to tell us about these hobgoblins that are hunting you down?”
Quar1on shouted back as he gripped the rope as tightly as possible, his foot losing its hold in the stone for a brief moment. “What’s to tell? My father tried to kill all the hobgoblins on Kyokutō, where I am from – almost succeeded, a small band of hobgoblins survived, murdered my father and proceeded to murder everyone else in his family, as well as other gnomes in Gnomerun – and their chief, Buraddobaundo, has sworn down to kill every descendant of my father. I happen to be the last one, so they’re very focused on finding me.”
“I guess,” ChoirOfFire reached a small ledge, “I should ask, why was your father trying to kill off all the hobgoblins?”
“Believe it or not,” Quar1on called down to her, “because of fishing.”
ChoirOfFire paused. “Fishing? What do you mean?”
“Kyokutō’s waters are surrounded by Sahuagin,” Quar1on replied. “Not just a few. Millions of them. So there is a lake that sits between Gnomerun and Kowareta. And when that supply began to run low – tensions escalated. We both tried fishing in the seas – but the blasted Sahaugin… there’s so many… So much so that most trade ships won’t even come near Kyokutō for fear of the Sahuagin, who have ruthlessly attacked ship after ship. Their ability to speak to sharks and bring sharks into the water makes it even more feared,” Quar1on explained.
Antonsirius asked, “What are Sahuagin?”
“Devils of the sea,” The_Summoning_Dark explained. “My people have also dealt with the Sahuagin. This was the original reason the Blood Hunters were created. It began with my people. A ritual, that others learned of, and also developed. Sahuagin are a predatory, piscine race that are from the deepest, darkest, corners of the ocean’s endless depths. They believe that the entire ocean is their realm – and any who venture into the ocean waters are to be hunted, killed, and devoured by any means possible – and to do any less would be an insult to their deity. Their deity is a ‘shark god’ by the name of Karkhaudon. The Sahuagin were gifted with the ‘blood frenzy’ by their deity as a gift, similar to the sharks whom they share a bond with. This is why the Blood Hunters began,” The_Summoning_Dark explained. “We were lures to the Sahaugin – we would use our powers, which required blood and drew the evil aquatic devils to us – and with our strength and might and magic, we would kill as many as we could.”
“How did you end up here then? The island you’re from is far to the northwest, is it not?” Antonsirius asked as the kobold came to stand on a ledge next to ChoirOfFire, panting. This climb down from the manticore’s cave was just as taxing as it’d been to climb up to it.
“I got here, because I was being chased by the hobgoblins… and I ran to the beach, and it was there, some wreckage from a ship had been lapping in the water, I assume just another victim of the Sahuagin – and I jumped on one and paddled my way out into the ocean. I am thinking the only reason I was never attacked by the Sahuagin is because I was on one piece of wood – I probably looked like nothing but wreckage to them from below. I drifted, I don’t know,” Quar1on shrugged as he came to stand on the same ledge, “days? Weeks? I lost track of time and was absolutely delirious. I was eventually rescued by a merchant ship full of humans who took me in. They happened to be heading for this continent, so I said that’s where I was going to. After we docked, I stayed at an inn in North Amptonshire. From there, I quickly began moving inland, because I knew the hobgoblins would come after me.”
“How do you suppose the hobgoblins got here if the oceans around the island are full of Sahaugin?” ChoirOfFire asked as she began to descend down the rest of the mountain side.
Quar1on wrapped his hand around the rope and followed, “The hobgoblins are warriors through and through. Their warships are incredible designs. If there’s anyone who can survive a Sahaugin attack, it would be them.”
As Antonsirius, the last one to reach the base of the mountain jumped from the final small ledge onto the ground with a slight grunt. He heaved a deep sigh, glad to have been down from the mountain. He’d never been much for enjoying heights.
“So,” Thorrison asked, with a shrug. “Can someone clarify exactly what our ‘quest’ is?”
“To restore the O’gee’elle,” Sirtawmis answered.
“The O’gee’elle?” Theology of Bagels asked. “I thought we were just going to go out and kill monsters for gold.”
“Yeah,” Wysperra nodded. “That’s what the flyer said that I read too.”
“Well,” IAmSposta said with a coy smile, “it’s sort of true. To restore order to the Tower of O’gee’elle, there’s going to be a lot of monsters to fight,” the Satyr smiled.
“From what I’ve read, the Tower was taken over and now home to hundreds of trolls,” AEDorsay added. “While, I am not opposed to a good fight, trolls are very dangerous.”
“If you’re in, you’re in, if you’re out, start walking back to Freehold,” Sirtawmis shrugged.
There was a pause.
No one spoke up, no one moved.
“All right, Tower of O’gee’elle it is,” Sirtawmis nodded, started to walk – paused, looked around.
“Thorrison, can you lead the way? I am not entirely sure which direction the O’gee’elle Tower is from here,” Sirtawmis laughed.
Fun Fact for this segment: • Karkhaudon is the Shark God of the Sahaugin. The name is a misspelling of Carcharodon which is the first half of the great white's scientific name (Carcharodon carcharias)
I am dropping down to two games a month starting in June, it looks like. One is my main group, and the party size will be 17 people. Combat is going to take forever, so I have to speed that up a bit, and there will be a second session every other month for the solo stuff. THe other game is going to be one for the kids in a local org here. Might fizzle, might get bigger, not going to worry about it, though. The same org just hired me to set up their DEI and data collection system. all of which was basically by request of the kids and team there.
How in blazes do you manage a party this large? I had 7 at my apex and nearly lost my mind. Teach me your ways, DM-sama.
Also, best of luck with the DEI stuff. Are you mainly working on establishing policies, or is it an expansion of a pre-existent initiative?
I am dropping down to two games a month starting in June, it looks like. One is my main group, and the party size will be 17 people. Combat is going to take forever, so I have to speed that up a bit, and there will be a second session every other month for the solo stuff. THe other game is going to be one for the kids in a local org here. Might fizzle, might get bigger, not going to worry about it, though. The same org just hired me to set up their DEI and data collection system. all of which was basically by request of the kids and team there.
How in blazes do you manage a party this large? I had 7 at my apex and nearly lost my mind. Teach me your ways, DM-sama.
Also, best of luck with the DEI stuff. Are you mainly working on establishing policies, or is it an expansion of a pre-existent initiative?
Practice, practice, Practice...
I've mentioned previously how I an an open game for years. It was at a public library, and the rule was anyone who wanted to play cold join.The room was a good size, so the largest I ever reached was a standing room only 35 -- and that broke after four hours because we violated occupancy, lol.
I couldn't send anyone away or make them roll a new character -- there was no time, we were already playing. So people brought in whatever weird thing they could think of, and so I learned to hate minmaxers while also just dealing with it, lol. Zen becomes a state of mind.
The biggest thing is to sorta break them up into groups of folks who think alike. The second biggest is pray as you have never prayed before that they don't split up. huge parties splitting up are a death knell unless you have a co-Dm. The Hell campaigns were all designed to have a co-DM in the 80's and 90's, because it was assumed the parties would be large (it was a crusade, lol) . I wouldn't try to run Avernus, for example, without a co-DM, as a point of reference for the Hell campaigns (which were, you guessed it, going to hell and cleaning it up. Really. Dante's inferno getting hit by crusaders).
The next thing is once you have teams, assign a leader. There are four teams of four in the upcoming group -- each team is basically like a mini party. They preset their actions as a group, and you resolve them as a group, and that makes it easier because now the players are doing some of the work for you, and collating everything together.
Obviously, that means they all have to know each other and get along and all that.
My personal practical limit is really 20 people total. after that, I have to break them up, even if it is teams. My sweet spot is 8 if the player's are experienced, 5 if there is a newbie or more than one.
This is also why I am so big on the DM rules, and why my style is very much based on an outline. I can't use VTT's because they require too much planning to be really flexible or useful. WHich is annoying because have wasted a few hundred bucks on them the last few years, lol.
DDB is actually really useful for this, as well -- it is often faster to search for a spell here than to look it up, or to check a rule in a book that you rarely need. And because I learn games by taking them apart mechanically and reassembling them, the ability to share my library of stuff with the players makes it super easy for them to double check or to look stuff up ahead of time.
On the flipside, my approach sucks for anything like a live play streaming thng, lol. I keep things moving, but each team can be vague about when they are ready to do something, and so often we ignore initiative beyond "which sides goes first". So if team A isn't ready, I go to team B, and round robin it that way.
EDIT:
In this case I will be doing general training, establishing policy, and developing out guidelines for future hiring, interviewing, and team relations. It is a predominantly minority population group, so oddly enough the biggest challenge is to make sure that they don't forget that cishet 6F masc folks can actually contribute too...
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
Welp, the mods have befouled me once again. I have tried three separate times to gain at least a sliver of information from Davyd as to why the original thread was locked, to no avail. I understand that it doesn't really matter; it was mostly out of my own curiosity, but as of yet I have absolutely no information. Every time I attempt to contact a moderator, they leave the conversation within a couple of hours.
Shame. Guess I'll just have to assume Davyd's still salty about me mentioning him.
Welp, the mods have befouled me once again. I have tried three separate times to gain at least a sliver of information from Davyd as to why the original thread was locked, to no avail. I understand that it doesn't really matter; it was mostly out of my own curiosity, but as of yet I have absolutely no information. Every time I attempt to contact a moderator, they leave the conversation within a couple of hours.
Shame. Guess I'll just have to assume Davyd's still salty about me mentioning him.
Shit I forgot I can't mention Those Whom Must Not Be [REDACTED]
I have tried three separate times to gain at least a sliver of information as to why -. I understand that it doesn't really matter
It doesn't matter. Their forum their rules. Let it go.
Otherwise I foresee writing another story about how the curse is still with your character as he disappears again.
Between the above post and your signature about the number of times and points... I am surprised you haven't felt the hammer again, if I am to be honest.
I have tried three separate times to gain at least a sliver of information as to why -. I understand that it doesn't really matter
It doesn't matter. Their forum their rules. Let it go.
Otherwise I foresee writing another story about how the curse is still with your character as he disappears again.
Between the above post and your signature about the number of times and points... I am surprised you haven't felt the hammer again, if I am to be honest.
A'ight. Stupid forum rules, but whatever. Definitely allows mods to be asses with no repercussions at all. Guess I'll just put up with it.
Guess I'll just put up with it. I'll drop it. For now.
My father was fond of a saying, "My house, my rules."
Which is absolutely true.
If one doesn't like it - there's a ton of free forums you can make, or buy a domain and put a forum on there, the options are endless - and then you can make your own rules.
The darkness of night created a depth of shadow within the woods that was unnerving. Where normally the insects would sing and the night bird would hoot, there was only silence broken only by the cautious steps of the adventurers. Feeling the intensity of the silence and unsure why the woods were so quiet tonight, Antonsirius looked to his companion to the right. The young, kobold druid saw the mysterious Theology of Bagels, the goblin cleric of the deity of food and gluttony, Biadh. In an effort to ease his own mind and break the silence, Antonsirius asked, “So how did you go on to become a follower of Biadh? Most who follow the deity are cooks, and usually cooks to kings and courts. And,” the kobold gave a slight shrug of his shoulders, “I am not ashamed to say, you do not strike me as someone who served a king or court – even in a goblin circle.”
“I did not serve a king,” Theology of Bagels nodded, “nor a queen and no court. However, until about eight years ago, I did fetch food for a blue dragon named Cerulean. Some Elves, traveling from the East across the Suntrail Wastelands, came through the mountain and battled against Cerulean and drove her away. My people, other goblins, like myself, were forced to flee. I found myself wandering out into the Suntrail Wasteland and the cavern had collapsed behind me – so I wandered through the desert, dying of starvation and dehydration. I prayed to any deity that would hear my prayers… and suddenly, an oasis was presented before me – and with it, hundreds of bagels, that despite the intense heat of the Suntrail Wastelands, they were fresh. I was convinced it wasn’t real – that this had all been an illusion. Whatever that word is.”
“Mirage?” Antonsirius shrugged.
“Yes, a mirage,” Theology of Bagels nodded. “Well, I kept consuming food – believing it was a mirage – and sure enough, I ate until I was sick. It was no mirage. As I leaned over to vomit near the oasis – a shimmering image appeared – and it was Biadh, who said they’d heard my prayers when all the others had ignored it – and he took mercy on me. That’s when I took on the new name – Theology of Bagels. You see, I began to see the bagel not simply as food. Why had Biadh put that before me? It had to be more than just because it was food. They could have put anything in front of me. But they put bagels. I began to understand why – bagels are round. They’re eternal. Some are seasoned, which may add flavor, but create a bumpy texture. Some are without seasoning, and taste fine. Some are rotten, and sometimes it shows on the outside, but often times, inside is where you can truly see it’s spoiled. But we’re all bagels. We’re all eternal, in a circle of life and death. The bagel, once broken, can never be fixed again; even the smallest of cuts will leave a scar. This became my mantra for being a cleric, for which I took the name.”
Midnightplat, the changeling rogue who was walking next to AEDorsay, cleared his throat in the silence of the woods and looked over at her. “I have been many people and many things, throughout my life. I’ve been the jester, I’ve been the king, I’ve been the lowly guard, I have been the beggar. I have harvested knowledge all of my life, but something I know so little about is you desert elves; mostly because so few dare the Suntrail Wastelands. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could I ask?”
AEDorsay shrugged, her elven shoulders were slender. She turned her gaze toward Midnightplat. “There isn’t much to tell, truly. My ancestors were the ones who made the dangerous trek originally, long before I was born. And you know us elves,” she smiled, “we tend to live a long time. One thing my ancestors did however, was create a magical path once they created Township of the Sun, that allowed any with the Parchment of the Sun, to hold it up in the sunlight – and the path would be revealed to us on how to get to and from the mountains to the west, in case we ever ‘wanted to go back home’ because the barren wastelands were too dangerous. Myself, and twenty seven others, all selected to travel the world in different directions, to see what was going on in the world, made the trek with the map. When we got inside the cave, we were surprised that a blue dragon had nested there and decided to call it home; feeding off some of the scarce wildlife that existed in the Suntrail Wastelands. The blue dragon was not pleased that Elves had entered its home and attacked us – and we were forced to fight back. We drove the dragon and its goblin followers away. Once we cleared the cave on the western side, we all separated and began to explore the continent. I went to Freehold because I’d heard that many adventurers are there; and what better way to explore than with those out seeking adventure. Seemed convenient.”
TO BE CONTINUED?
Focusing more on having some character moments, rather than trying to shove everyone in each segment, for now; and flesh out these wild characters that have come of this. I thought it’d be fun to tie in two character’s background, neither aware of the other…
The 27 that traveled with AEDorsay is a reference to her recent post of having had 27 people in one session!
Welp, the mods have befouled me once again. I have tried three separate times to gain at least a sliver of information from Davyd as to why the original thread was locked, to no avail. I understand that it doesn't really matter; it was mostly out of my own curiosity, but as of yet I have absolutely no information. Every time I attempt to contact a moderator, they leave the conversation within a couple of hours.
Shame. Guess I'll just have to assume Davyd's still salty about me mentioning him.
Shit I forgot I can't mention Those Whom Must Not Be [REDACTED]
OMG why would you go and do that?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
The darkness of night created a depth of shadow within the woods that was unnerving. Where normally the insects would sing and the night bird would hoot, there was only silence broken only by the cautious steps of the adventurers. Feeling the intensity of the silence and unsure why the woods were so quiet tonight, Antonsirius looked to his companion to the right. The young, kobold druid saw the mysterious Theology of Bagels, the goblin cleric of the deity of food and gluttony, Biadh. In an effort to ease his own mind and break the silence, Antonsirius asked, “So how did you go on to become a follower of Biadh? Most who follow the deity are cooks, and usually cooks to kings and courts. And,” the kobold gave a slight shrug of his shoulders, “I am not ashamed to say, you do not strike me as someone who served a king or court – even in a goblin circle.”
“I did not serve a king,” Theology of Bagels nodded, “nor a queen and no court. However, until about eight years ago, I did fetch food for a blue dragon named Cerulean. Some Elves, traveling from the East across the Suntrail Wastelands, came through the mountain and battled against Cerulean and drove her away. My people, other goblins, like myself, were forced to flee. I found myself wandering out into the Suntrail Wasteland and the cavern had collapsed behind me – so I wandered through the desert, dying of starvation and dehydration. I prayed to any deity that would hear my prayers… and suddenly, an oasis was presented before me – and with it, hundreds of bagels, that despite the intense heat of the Suntrail Wastelands, they were fresh. I was convinced it wasn’t real – that this had all been an illusion. Whatever that word is.”
“Mirage?” Antonsirius shrugged.
“Yes, a mirage,” Theology of Bagels nodded. “Well, I kept consuming food – believing it was a mirage – and sure enough, I ate until I was sick. It was no mirage. As I leaned over to vomit near the oasis – a shimmering image appeared – and it was Biadh, who said they’d heard my prayers when all the others had ignored it – and he took mercy on me. That’s when I took on the new name – Theology of Bagels. You see, I began to see the bagel not simply as food. Why had Biadh put that before me? It had to be more than just because it was food. They could have put anything in front of me. But they put bagels. I began to understand why – bagels are round. They’re eternal. Some are seasoned, which may add flavor, but create a bumpy texture. Some are without seasoning, and taste fine. Some are rotten, and sometimes it shows on the outside, but often times, inside is where you can truly see it’s spoiled. But we’re all bagels. We’re all eternal, in a circle of life and death. The bagel, once broken, can never be fixed again; even the smallest of cuts will leave a scar. This became my mantra for being a cleric, for which I took the name.”
Midnightplat, the changeling rogue who was walking next to AEDorsay, cleared his throat in the silence of the woods and looked over at her. “I have been many people and many things, throughout my life. I’ve been the jester, I’ve been the king, I’ve been the lowly guard, I have been the beggar. I have harvested knowledge all of my life, but something I know so little about is you desert elves; mostly because so few dare the Suntrail Wastelands. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could I ask?”
AEDorsay shrugged, her elven shoulders were slender. She turned her gaze toward Midnightplat. “There isn’t much to tell, truly. My ancestors were the ones who made the dangerous trek originally, long before I was born. And you know us elves,” she smiled, “we tend to live a long time. One thing my ancestors did however, was create a magical path once they created Township of the Sun, that allowed any with the Parchment of the Sun, to hold it up in the sunlight – and the path would be revealed to us on how to get to and from the mountains to the west, in case we ever ‘wanted to go back home’ because the barren wastelands were too dangerous. Myself, and twenty seven others, all selected to travel the world in different directions, to see what was going on in the world, made the trek with the map. When we got inside the cave, we were surprised that a blue dragon had nested there and decided to call it home; feeding off some of the scarce wildlife that existed in the Suntrail Wastelands. The blue dragon was not pleased that Elves had entered its home and attacked us – and we were forced to fight back. We drove the dragon and its goblin followers away. Once we cleared the cave on the western side, we all separated and began to explore the continent. I went to Freehold because I’d heard that many adventurers are there; and what better way to explore than with those out seeking adventure. Seemed convenient.”
TO BE CONTINUED?
Focusing more on having some character moments, rather than trying to shove everyone in each segment, for now; and flesh out these wild characters that have come of this. I thought it’d be fun to tie in two character’s background, neither aware of the other…
The 27 that traveled with AEDorsay is a reference to her recent post of having had 27 people in one session!
I love how you're taking silly parts of characters and fleshing them out into significant parts of backstory
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
[REDACTED]
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Objection! Your honor, the grin on the satyr's face must surely have been goatish, not sheepish.
I hate myself for not having thought of that. lol
I forgot to note BoringBard's born name of - Wunsyxforfyve - if it's not obvious - 1645 - it was their post count as of my writing this. :)
Check out my publication on DMs Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Tawmis%20Logue
Check out my comedy web series - Neverending Nights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wr4-u9-zw0&list=PLbRG7dzFI-u3EJd0usasgDrrFO3mZ1lOZ
Need a character story/background written up? I do it for free (but also take donations!) - https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?591882-Need-a-character-background-written-up
I honestly have no idea. I've only ever had 1 DM screen, the one from the Essentials Kit. Still use it today, though I plan to build myself a new one. If I had to guess, it's around 8-10 inches
[REDACTED]
SirTawmis, your description of how emotions worked in the feywild was interesting. I may use that later because I often try to incorporate fey in my games.
Yeah. Nice thinking.
Hi, I’m DrakenBrine, here’s my Sig and characters
I am The Grand Envisioner!
So, it was the 2001 release that seems to have shifted to the landscape style for the screens. That is 3.5. Some day I will invest on one of those fancy "make your own" ones, lol, but it needs to have like seven panels, lol.
Today is my day to play with my 3d printer, finally. I had to restructure my work office entirely and ended up including it as in doing so I can write it off on taxes should I ever decide to write anything off on taxes.
Community holidays always make me busy, so at least that is past us, But next year it will be fun.
I am dropping down to two games a month starting in June, it looks like. One is my main group, and the party size will be 17 people. Combat is going to take forever, so I have to speed that up a bit, and there will be a second session every other month for the solo stuff. THe other game is going to be one for the kids in a local org here. Might fizzle, might get bigger, not going to worry about it, though. The same org just hired me to set up their DEI and data collection system. all of which was basically by request of the kids and team there.
I am loving the story -- and this thread is keeping me coming back here even when I am busy as hell, lol
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
No way I got charmed by the Inferior Bard! Jk lol. I love this story so much. I just picked a username that sounded decent and hear you are, Sirtawmis, making an awesome background and backstory based off it!
Not anymore though! (My post count seems to be glitching anyways, so it may still last.)
Yes.
Apparently, some people used to play in DM screens that made it impossible to see the Dungeon Master, back at the very start of the game. I think I heard this in a Matt Colville video at least.
BoringBard's long and tedious posts somehow manage to enrapture audiences. How? Because he used Charm Person, the #1 bard spell!
He/him pronouns. Call me Bard. PROUD NERD!
Ever wanted to talk about your parties' worst mistakes? Do so HERE. What's your favorite class, why? Share & explain
HERE.Anything I create in this story that leaks outside - I am greatly honored if it's used. :)
The story has been fun to write. Yes, I should be working on a million other things... but the story is something that relaxes my brain because there's no urgency, or plans or anything... it's just... whatever comes to my mind. So it's a flow of just silly creativity.
Hah. I love lore. I love expanding on things and giving them meaning.
So it was fun when it landed on developing your character and seeing where my brain would go.
I was wondering how obvious it was that IAmSposta was using a spell, since I kept mentioning he was strumming his lute. :)
Check out my publication on DMs Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Tawmis%20Logue
Check out my comedy web series - Neverending Nights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wr4-u9-zw0&list=PLbRG7dzFI-u3EJd0usasgDrrFO3mZ1lOZ
Need a character story/background written up? I do it for free (but also take donations!) - https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?591882-Need-a-character-background-written-up
Blame: AllMightyLordOfDND (https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=466 and https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=467)
Part 1: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=501
Part 2: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=522
Part 3: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=552
Part 4: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=599
Part 5: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=631
Part 6: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=665
Part 7: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=696
Part 8: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=748
Part 9: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=811
IAMsposta: satyr bard
AEDorsay: elf wizard
Sirtawmis: half-orc fighter
Deadpan_c: leonin barbarian
Theology of Bagels: goblin cleric
Drakenbrine: dwarf sorcerer
Amnon_Balderk: orc monk
Midnightplat: changeling rogue
Wysperra: halfling artificer
Quar1on: gnome warlock
Antonsirius: kobold Druid
Thorrison: Giff Ranger
ChoirOfFire: tielfing paladin
The_Summoning_Dark: tortle bloodhunter
BoringBard: Dragonborn bard
AllMightyLordOfDND – Multi-Race/Multi-Class
==================================
As the party scaled down the treacherous mountain side, ChoirOfFire called up to Quar1on, “Do you want to tell us about these hobgoblins that are hunting you down?”
Quar1on shouted back as he gripped the rope as tightly as possible, his foot losing its hold in the stone for a brief moment. “What’s to tell? My father tried to kill all the hobgoblins on Kyokutō, where I am from – almost succeeded, a small band of hobgoblins survived, murdered my father and proceeded to murder everyone else in his family, as well as other gnomes in Gnomerun – and their chief, Buraddobaundo, has sworn down to kill every descendant of my father. I happen to be the last one, so they’re very focused on finding me.”
“I guess,” ChoirOfFire reached a small ledge, “I should ask, why was your father trying to kill off all the hobgoblins?”
“Believe it or not,” Quar1on called down to her, “because of fishing.”
ChoirOfFire paused. “Fishing? What do you mean?”
“Kyokutō’s waters are surrounded by Sahuagin,” Quar1on replied. “Not just a few. Millions of them. So there is a lake that sits between Gnomerun and Kowareta. And when that supply began to run low – tensions escalated. We both tried fishing in the seas – but the blasted Sahaugin… there’s so many… So much so that most trade ships won’t even come near Kyokutō for fear of the Sahuagin, who have ruthlessly attacked ship after ship. Their ability to speak to sharks and bring sharks into the water makes it even more feared,” Quar1on explained.
Antonsirius asked, “What are Sahuagin?”
“Devils of the sea,” The_Summoning_Dark explained. “My people have also dealt with the Sahuagin. This was the original reason the Blood Hunters were created. It began with my people. A ritual, that others learned of, and also developed. Sahuagin are a predatory, piscine race that are from the deepest, darkest, corners of the ocean’s endless depths. They believe that the entire ocean is their realm – and any who venture into the ocean waters are to be hunted, killed, and devoured by any means possible – and to do any less would be an insult to their deity. Their deity is a ‘shark god’ by the name of Karkhaudon. The Sahuagin were gifted with the ‘blood frenzy’ by their deity as a gift, similar to the sharks whom they share a bond with. This is why the Blood Hunters began,” The_Summoning_Dark explained. “We were lures to the Sahaugin – we would use our powers, which required blood and drew the evil aquatic devils to us – and with our strength and might and magic, we would kill as many as we could.”
“How did you end up here then? The island you’re from is far to the northwest, is it not?” Antonsirius asked as the kobold came to stand on a ledge next to ChoirOfFire, panting. This climb down from the manticore’s cave was just as taxing as it’d been to climb up to it.
“I got here, because I was being chased by the hobgoblins… and I ran to the beach, and it was there, some wreckage from a ship had been lapping in the water, I assume just another victim of the Sahuagin – and I jumped on one and paddled my way out into the ocean. I am thinking the only reason I was never attacked by the Sahuagin is because I was on one piece of wood – I probably looked like nothing but wreckage to them from below. I drifted, I don’t know,” Quar1on shrugged as he came to stand on the same ledge, “days? Weeks? I lost track of time and was absolutely delirious. I was eventually rescued by a merchant ship full of humans who took me in. They happened to be heading for this continent, so I said that’s where I was going to. After we docked, I stayed at an inn in North Amptonshire. From there, I quickly began moving inland, because I knew the hobgoblins would come after me.”
“How do you suppose the hobgoblins got here if the oceans around the island are full of Sahaugin?” ChoirOfFire asked as she began to descend down the rest of the mountain side.
Quar1on wrapped his hand around the rope and followed, “The hobgoblins are warriors through and through. Their warships are incredible designs. If there’s anyone who can survive a Sahaugin attack, it would be them.”
As Antonsirius, the last one to reach the base of the mountain jumped from the final small ledge onto the ground with a slight grunt. He heaved a deep sigh, glad to have been down from the mountain. He’d never been much for enjoying heights.
“So,” Thorrison asked, with a shrug. “Can someone clarify exactly what our ‘quest’ is?”
“To restore the O’gee’elle,” Sirtawmis answered.
“The O’gee’elle?” Theology of Bagels asked. “I thought we were just going to go out and kill monsters for gold.”
“Yeah,” Wysperra nodded. “That’s what the flyer said that I read too.”
“Well,” IAmSposta said with a coy smile, “it’s sort of true. To restore order to the Tower of O’gee’elle, there’s going to be a lot of monsters to fight,” the Satyr smiled.
“From what I’ve read, the Tower was taken over and now home to hundreds of trolls,” AEDorsay added. “While, I am not opposed to a good fight, trolls are very dangerous.”
“If you’re in, you’re in, if you’re out, start walking back to Freehold,” Sirtawmis shrugged.
There was a pause.
No one spoke up, no one moved.
“All right, Tower of O’gee’elle it is,” Sirtawmis nodded, started to walk – paused, looked around.
“Thorrison, can you lead the way? I am not entirely sure which direction the O’gee’elle Tower is from here,” Sirtawmis laughed.
Fun Fact for this segment: • Karkhaudon is the Shark God of the Sahaugin. The name is a misspelling of Carcharodon which is the first half of the great white's scientific name (Carcharodon carcharias)
Also high resolution of the map this far.
Check out my publication on DMs Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Tawmis%20Logue
Check out my comedy web series - Neverending Nights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wr4-u9-zw0&list=PLbRG7dzFI-u3EJd0usasgDrrFO3mZ1lOZ
Need a character story/background written up? I do it for free (but also take donations!) - https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?591882-Need-a-character-background-written-up
How in blazes do you manage a party this large? I had 7 at my apex and nearly lost my mind. Teach me your ways, DM-sama.
Also, best of luck with the DEI stuff. Are you mainly working on establishing policies, or is it an expansion of a pre-existent initiative?
Practice, practice, Practice...
I've mentioned previously how I an an open game for years. It was at a public library, and the rule was anyone who wanted to play cold join.The room was a good size, so the largest I ever reached was a standing room only 35 -- and that broke after four hours because we violated occupancy, lol.
I couldn't send anyone away or make them roll a new character -- there was no time, we were already playing. So people brought in whatever weird thing they could think of, and so I learned to hate minmaxers while also just dealing with it, lol. Zen becomes a state of mind.
The biggest thing is to sorta break them up into groups of folks who think alike. The second biggest is pray as you have never prayed before that they don't split up. huge parties splitting up are a death knell unless you have a co-Dm. The Hell campaigns were all designed to have a co-DM in the 80's and 90's, because it was assumed the parties would be large (it was a crusade, lol) . I wouldn't try to run Avernus, for example, without a co-DM, as a point of reference for the Hell campaigns (which were, you guessed it, going to hell and cleaning it up. Really. Dante's inferno getting hit by crusaders).
The next thing is once you have teams, assign a leader. There are four teams of four in the upcoming group -- each team is basically like a mini party. They preset their actions as a group, and you resolve them as a group, and that makes it easier because now the players are doing some of the work for you, and collating everything together.
Obviously, that means they all have to know each other and get along and all that.
My personal practical limit is really 20 people total. after that, I have to break them up, even if it is teams. My sweet spot is 8 if the player's are experienced, 5 if there is a newbie or more than one.
This is also why I am so big on the DM rules, and why my style is very much based on an outline. I can't use VTT's because they require too much planning to be really flexible or useful. WHich is annoying because have wasted a few hundred bucks on them the last few years, lol.
DDB is actually really useful for this, as well -- it is often faster to search for a spell here than to look it up, or to check a rule in a book that you rarely need. And because I learn games by taking them apart mechanically and reassembling them, the ability to share my library of stuff with the players makes it super easy for them to double check or to look stuff up ahead of time.
On the flipside, my approach sucks for anything like a live play streaming thng, lol. I keep things moving, but each team can be vague about when they are ready to do something, and so often we ignore initiative beyond "which sides goes first". So if team A isn't ready, I go to team B, and round robin it that way.
EDIT:
In this case I will be doing general training, establishing policy, and developing out guidelines for future hiring, interviewing, and team relations. It is a predominantly minority population group, so oddly enough the biggest challenge is to make sure that they don't forget that cishet 6F masc folks can actually contribute too...
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
Welp, the mods have befouled me once again. I have tried three separate times to gain at least a sliver of information from Davyd as to why the original thread was locked, to no avail. I understand that it doesn't really matter; it was mostly out of my own curiosity, but as of yet I have absolutely no information. Every time I attempt to contact a moderator, they leave the conversation within a couple of hours.
Shame. Guess I'll just have to assume Davyd's still salty about me mentioning him.
[REDACTED]
Shit I forgot I can't mention Those Whom Must Not Be [REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
It doesn't matter. Their forum their rules. Let it go.
Otherwise I foresee writing another story about how the curse is still with your character as he disappears again.
Between the above post and your signature about the number of times and points... I am surprised you haven't felt the hammer again, if I am to be honest.
Check out my publication on DMs Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Tawmis%20Logue
Check out my comedy web series - Neverending Nights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wr4-u9-zw0&list=PLbRG7dzFI-u3EJd0usasgDrrFO3mZ1lOZ
Need a character story/background written up? I do it for free (but also take donations!) - https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?591882-Need-a-character-background-written-up
A'ight. Stupid forum rules, but whatever. Definitely allows mods to be asses with no repercussions at all. Guess I'll just put up with it.
I'll drop it. For now.
[REDACTED]
My father was fond of a saying, "My house, my rules."
Which is absolutely true.
If one doesn't like it - there's a ton of free forums you can make, or buy a domain and put a forum on there, the options are endless - and then you can make your own rules.
Check out my publication on DMs Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Tawmis%20Logue
Check out my comedy web series - Neverending Nights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wr4-u9-zw0&list=PLbRG7dzFI-u3EJd0usasgDrrFO3mZ1lOZ
Need a character story/background written up? I do it for free (but also take donations!) - https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?591882-Need-a-character-background-written-up
Blame: AllMightyLordOfDND (https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=466 and https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=467)
Part 1: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=501
Part 2: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=522
Part 3: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=552
Part 4: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=599
Part 5: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=631
Part 6: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=665
Part 7: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=696
Part 8: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=748
Part 9: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=811
Part 10: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=821
IAMsposta: satyr bard
AEDorsay: elf wizard
Sirtawmis: half-orc fighter
Deadpan_c: leonin barbarian
Theology of Bagels: goblin cleric
Drakenbrine: dwarf sorcerer
Amnon_Balderk: orc monk
Midnightplat: changeling rogue
Wysperra: halfling artificer
Quar1on: gnome warlock
Antonsirius: kobold Druid
Thorrison: Giff Ranger
ChoirOfFire: tielfing paladin
The_Summoning_Dark: tortle bloodhunter
BoringBard: Dragonborn bard
AllMightyLordOfDND – Multi-Race/Multi-Class
==================================
The darkness of night created a depth of shadow within the woods that was unnerving. Where normally the insects would sing and the night bird would hoot, there was only silence broken only by the cautious steps of the adventurers. Feeling the intensity of the silence and unsure why the woods were so quiet tonight, Antonsirius looked to his companion to the right. The young, kobold druid saw the mysterious Theology of Bagels, the goblin cleric of the deity of food and gluttony, Biadh. In an effort to ease his own mind and break the silence, Antonsirius asked, “So how did you go on to become a follower of Biadh? Most who follow the deity are cooks, and usually cooks to kings and courts. And,” the kobold gave a slight shrug of his shoulders, “I am not ashamed to say, you do not strike me as someone who served a king or court – even in a goblin circle.”
“I did not serve a king,” Theology of Bagels nodded, “nor a queen and no court. However, until about eight years ago, I did fetch food for a blue dragon named Cerulean. Some Elves, traveling from the East across the Suntrail Wastelands, came through the mountain and battled against Cerulean and drove her away. My people, other goblins, like myself, were forced to flee. I found myself wandering out into the Suntrail Wasteland and the cavern had collapsed behind me – so I wandered through the desert, dying of starvation and dehydration. I prayed to any deity that would hear my prayers… and suddenly, an oasis was presented before me – and with it, hundreds of bagels, that despite the intense heat of the Suntrail Wastelands, they were fresh. I was convinced it wasn’t real – that this had all been an illusion. Whatever that word is.”
“Mirage?” Antonsirius shrugged.
“Yes, a mirage,” Theology of Bagels nodded. “Well, I kept consuming food – believing it was a mirage – and sure enough, I ate until I was sick. It was no mirage. As I leaned over to vomit near the oasis – a shimmering image appeared – and it was Biadh, who said they’d heard my prayers when all the others had ignored it – and he took mercy on me. That’s when I took on the new name – Theology of Bagels. You see, I began to see the bagel not simply as food. Why had Biadh put that before me? It had to be more than just because it was food. They could have put anything in front of me. But they put bagels. I began to understand why – bagels are round. They’re eternal. Some are seasoned, which may add flavor, but create a bumpy texture. Some are without seasoning, and taste fine. Some are rotten, and sometimes it shows on the outside, but often times, inside is where you can truly see it’s spoiled. But we’re all bagels. We’re all eternal, in a circle of life and death. The bagel, once broken, can never be fixed again; even the smallest of cuts will leave a scar. This became my mantra for being a cleric, for which I took the name.”
Midnightplat, the changeling rogue who was walking next to AEDorsay, cleared his throat in the silence of the woods and looked over at her. “I have been many people and many things, throughout my life. I’ve been the jester, I’ve been the king, I’ve been the lowly guard, I have been the beggar. I have harvested knowledge all of my life, but something I know so little about is you desert elves; mostly because so few dare the Suntrail Wastelands. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could I ask?”
AEDorsay shrugged, her elven shoulders were slender. She turned her gaze toward Midnightplat. “There isn’t much to tell, truly. My ancestors were the ones who made the dangerous trek originally, long before I was born. And you know us elves,” she smiled, “we tend to live a long time. One thing my ancestors did however, was create a magical path once they created Township of the Sun, that allowed any with the Parchment of the Sun, to hold it up in the sunlight – and the path would be revealed to us on how to get to and from the mountains to the west, in case we ever ‘wanted to go back home’ because the barren wastelands were too dangerous. Myself, and twenty seven others, all selected to travel the world in different directions, to see what was going on in the world, made the trek with the map. When we got inside the cave, we were surprised that a blue dragon had nested there and decided to call it home; feeding off some of the scarce wildlife that existed in the Suntrail Wastelands. The blue dragon was not pleased that Elves had entered its home and attacked us – and we were forced to fight back. We drove the dragon and its goblin followers away. Once we cleared the cave on the western side, we all separated and began to explore the continent. I went to Freehold because I’d heard that many adventurers are there; and what better way to explore than with those out seeking adventure. Seemed convenient.”
TO BE CONTINUED?
Focusing more on having some character moments, rather than trying to shove everyone in each segment, for now; and flesh out these wild characters that have come of this. I thought it’d be fun to tie in two character’s background, neither aware of the other…
The 27 that traveled with AEDorsay is a reference to her recent post of having had 27 people in one session!
Check out my publication on DMs Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Tawmis%20Logue
Check out my comedy web series - Neverending Nights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wr4-u9-zw0&list=PLbRG7dzFI-u3EJd0usasgDrrFO3mZ1lOZ
Need a character story/background written up? I do it for free (but also take donations!) - https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?591882-Need-a-character-background-written-up
OMG why would you go and do that?
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Question of the day, What do you give your good friends as a gift? Something you bought or something you made?
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
I love how you're taking silly parts of characters and fleshing them out into significant parts of backstory
[REDACTED]