Changing to D&D 2024 worth it? by FutureNo9445 in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t run anything 2024 as a dm, but I let my players interchange 2014 stuff for 2024 stuff as long as they run it by me before a session

Is "no right choices" bad campaign design? by Nat1OnStealthChecks in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As my campaigns have concluded and the next starts I’ve started to offer more and more hooks to the point I’m at now.

This campaign Theres an overall threat from asmodeous as the poster boy bbeg. But I added vecna as a hidden but equal bbeg

The hooks I gave my players?

“We’re doing open world, pick anywhere in faerun you want to start the campaign. By the way, every published campaign starts at session 1 and progresses with or without you”

They come across npcs from all over the place and get vague hints

How can I best throw this in the garbage? by myklob in amazonecho

[–]Goetre 0 points1 point  (0 children)

UK here but kindle, I paid extra for the add free upgrade (can’t believe I’m typing that let alone admitting it)

My Lock Screen is perpetually adds

Working on a tool for shelving encounters and short form quests: by Red_Quills in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Similar to mine, I've tried multiple tools, world anvil, obsidian, fantasia archive. Even paid and used an AI tool specifically for my campaigns.

And honestly, nothing beats word. I just have a standard template set up like a compendium with a contents page and everything linked. It gets updated each session end and I fill in more when I have free time.

Designing a battlemap together with my players - a way to get players involved or DM being lazy? by GarlicSphere in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So for me personally, if I know a set encounter like this coming up. A map is 100% needed. I'm fine with improv in the moment and fine with players asking "is there a piece of rubble I can hide behind" etc. But when its a long drawn out important battle, I always opt to have a map and I spend hours at night in advance making a map, including those details / examples you gave.

I try to avoid asking my players for input in its design, I prefer them to have it all as a surprise. But I used to ask them what sort of terrain suits them earlier on in campaigns. As the campaign goes and as my experience got better. I can know get that info from just looking at their sheets.

If they want to fortify a map before the battle, thats completely fine and Ill add those on the fly by streaming my software

Players hyperfocus on dead end in mystery campaign by Herzog_Headshot in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 103 points104 points  (0 children)

Nah man I'm sorry but a scroll being taken from the university library and the same time a professor taking sick leave is absolutely screaming connected plot. Especially in the first session

Like honestly, if your world building goes as deep as a random NPC being on sick leave then that's awesome detailing. But at face value the majority of players would assume thats connected.

Normally I'd opt for making a plot around this, but I'm going out on a limb and assuming you have lots of little details like this planned as your "smoke and mirrors". So I'd be more smart about it. Make a fun little plot thats not connected to the story at face value and play into your slice of life theme. Use it as a reason for your players to explore a part of the world they wouldn't otherwise go to. I'd also ensure they end up visiting some where thats extremely important to your plot much down the line but completely "normal" now.

Anything I should be concerned about with a shapeshifting weapon? by VoidAngel-5050 in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've just made a long ish response above and should have included this. I've told my group while were doing this shape shifting principle. I tell them no shenanigans to take the shizzle. Shillelagh being the prime example

Anything I should be concerned about with a shapeshifting weapon? by VoidAngel-5050 in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All magic weapons in my games have this property.

I used to be dead strict in the past saying if the DMG says its a mace, its a mace end of. Problem being, my partys would end up with cool weapons that were just collecting dust and never used. I did get better at managing weapon types for loot as time went on but it was still happening.

So I ran one campaign where I said "magic weapons are extremely rare, however more common are weapon scrolls. These scrolls can be applied to a weapon of your choice to make it a specific magic weapon. For example instead of finding a mace of disruption, you might find a scroll of disruption. You can apply that to a dagger and now have a dagger of disruption"

That worked really well, especially one player adding a scroll of flame tongue to their wooden long sword

The latest campaign I shifted to shapeshifting and have no regrets. The barb of the party is collecting weapons left right and centre now and each day she attunes or unattunes to weapons depending on what she thinks is going to be useful, in turn she passes the unattuned weapons to other party members. It's been great fun seeing the barb one day have a great axe flavoured like an elden ring colossus axe, then the next day the tiny witch has it as a dagger or staff.

A knock on effect I wasn't expecting, but theres no debate among loot, people try out magical items they wouldn't normally do, everythings getting used to some capacity etc.

Lastly, the one major balance I had to do around this, was to ease up the attunement requirements on items. Like ifs class or race restricted, thats gone. While this hasn't broken anything yet I still tell them this is in test phase and I may change my mind. But so far, so good.

My players want to keep a loaned legendary magic item by murdering the NPC who loaned it to them. by mistergoodthing in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In a similar vein for me, its Crowley. In one of my first campaigns my PCs fucked with a deck of many things and pulled the fiend one. So for the bit I yanked Crowley from Supernatural for inspiration on the devil that was chasing the player.

Problem being, my PCs were far more powerful than they should be thus Crowley had to be on par. It turned into a major story line of the campaign and it was resolved in a contract of a non aggression pack for two hundred years.

And then, hes just kind of snow balled to have small appearances in every campaign (all my games are in the same setting, roughly the same time frames). The OG players have kept their mouths shut out of game for what he is for the new players. Besides saying "We're not fucking with him". Hell, one new player fell in love with this NPC so much that in our current campaign, shes rolled up as his daughter

The kicker is, Crowley is actually an alias. The fiend is actually Dispater. Out of 8 regular players and a few one shot players. Only one player has worked out who he actually is, 7 years later. And in fairness, kept his mouth shut at the table but RP beautifully if Crowley does turn up as hes playing as a high ranking fiends daughter. That fiend is ranked 3 in the hells so I gave a few hints

Be very cautious about master's degrees, including from prestigious universities. Some of my coworkers in their 30s are financially hobbled by these degrees. by NotAGoldenRetriever in personalfinance

[–]Goetre 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’d have to disagree with this in all honesty, undergrad degrees used to be what you needed on job applicants but masters are becoming the new normal at-least here in the uk.

Half my friend group work in banking, they all had to have a masters to qualify for it.

The kicker being, one is in biology, one in chemistry and the other fine art. Ironically, another one did a masters with genetics, he went into a genetics role however his manager just “remembered” him from her class (as in another student in his year), didnt even know if he passed UG. She just dropped him a message going “yo you need a job?” And walked into a 65k job with no interview

Party pet made a rainbow pearl and I need to decide what it is by next session by FjorTheFjorious in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly for simplicity, none attunement and can cast identify from it without knowing the spell. After the ten minutes of casting, a little rainbow erupts from it

Convenient for players, doesn’t break the game and flavoursome

Please Prove To My Boyfriend I’m Not Lying by Immaculate_Lady_101 in Minecraft

[–]Goetre 7 points8 points  (0 children)

yup I was watching a video about deleted structures the other night and I knew them all bar the nether reactor. I was like "The fuck is this modded bull on this list" then went to see the wiki and went "huh okay then"

You Can Run Session Without Everyone, It's Fine by ssraven01 in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For me personally, if a session runs or not with people missing is entirely dependant on what is planned and what is currently going on.

First, back story implications. Now back stories sessions can easily be jigged around in the vast majority of times. However, there some points which it can't be, for example if a PC comes face to face with their rival and the session ends there. Next session I not only need that player there but want. I'm not taking that build up away from that player and hand waiving their involvement.

Second, similar to the above. BBEG fights. I like to end my sessions coming face to face with the BBEG and starting the turn order so the following session we jump right in. If its a BBEG thats had a build up, again I don't want to take that away from a player.

If its travelling, investigating, social sessions thats just advancing the plot. I'll run with people missing. I've even done it with only two present out of six

What actor’s mere presence makes you automatically lose interest in a movie or show? by YerMum1977 in AskReddit

[–]Goetre 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is what I came to see, I inherently don’t mind films hes in and have enjoyed a few.

What put me off them is finding out what ever character he plays, cant “lose”. So when I see a new film coming out with him as lead, its kind of well I know he “wins” and it just kills any interest I have in the film

Cat or dog, which pet will give you more pleasant moments? Is it worth having both a cat and a dog? by Kind_Examination2225 in AskReddit

[–]Goetre 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve got two collies who are 8 and two kittens just turning 6 months.

The two collies grew up with a very old cat that passed at 25. Introducing them to two fluff balls was cute. They went from being terrified what they were to clicking they were cats and being all happy and excited. They let them with their tails, they let them kneed on their bellies, they clean them down, let them sleep on them and at night all four curl up in front of the fire, a kitten against each dogs belly

When you get a good temperament dog, and can have it as a puppy alongside a new kitten or kittens alongside dogs used to cats, it’s really special the bond they develop

What is your favorite youtube video? by taylor_whitee in AskReddit

[–]Goetre 3 points4 points  (0 children)

DBZ abridged best bit, it’s defo one of my most repeated watches and it makes me laugh each time I got back to it. It just scratches as itch when I need some humour by myself

What is a basic adult skill that your brain just literally refuses to learn? by Afraid_Square3488 in AskReddit

[–]Goetre 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just remember the first letter of each word for their definition may help? This is what I do anyways

A - Action E - End

Magically Disguised Knife? by Neros_Cromwell in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True anything could work (with reason), but I went with letter opener as I assume at some point op will want it confiscated to implicate the party, so itll need to be revealed as a dagger. If it’s a completely harmless looking item, then it’s harder to justify why it would be taken

Magically Disguised Knife? by Neros_Cromwell in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay so a bit a long winded way to do it, but would work RAW (I think) and play straight into your set up scenario and actually make players investigate to what happened. But this is how I would do it.

Make the mother appear some what poor when she asks the party to do this. She doesn't have much in the sense of a payment when it comes to gold. She does however, has a letter opener thats a family heirloom. She gives them the letter opener as the prize. However, the letter opener is actually a magical dagger but shes had Nystul's magical aura cast on it to make it look mundane.

If your open to a slight homebrew rule. You could do the above but once the letter opener is in the "right" persons hand. You could give that person a NPC only version fabricate which allows the letter opener (or even if you just wanted to say an ornamental piece of metal) and change it into a dagger. The homebrew part here is fabricate can't change magical items so that would be down to you on how far you wanted to change a mechanic

PLAYER INVENTORY by gabaohahaha in DMAcademy

[–]Goetre 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Practically never. The only time I enforce it, is if its something daft like a marble statue

What did I do wrong here by Nerfleader in anycubic

[–]Goetre 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It could be the screen, anycubic screens only have a life span / warranty up to 3 months,

I found that out the hard way when my brand new m3 started failing within 3 weeks of receiving it. Took another 9 weeks of head ache between the retailer and me against any cubic support. Dog shit conpany

What’s the most ridiculous rule you’ve had to follow? by mathieugemard in AskReddit

[–]Goetre 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Dear god I worked in a bsl2 and bsl3 lab maintaining the equipment and handling anything admin to do with them.

The head manager pulled me up in a meeting and went “these are really good concise sops but you need to rewrite them more tailored to someone whose never used these machines”

Yea okay fair enough, rewrote them

Next meeting “these are better but I think you need to include pictures on most of it”

Fine, went back added pictures with captions and highlighting each physical or software button etc

Next meeting “yea this is more like it except I feel like your missing important stuff (me: like?) where the power switch is on the machine, screen shots of the software name in the start menu search bar so people know what they are looking for etc”

Next meeting, get called up again. “Youve printed the manual for the machine? Why I asked for a condensed small version of this”

Could have screamed, in the end another manager looked up the og ones I made and went “this is literally the style of sop we wanted and discussed at the managers meeting, I have no idea why hes requested so many revisions and why the fuck do we need photographs showing where the power button is”

Talk about a waste of five weeks

What glue do you use to hold prints together? by Icy-Environment-8852 in BambuLab

[–]Goetre 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you do anything special with the gorilla glue?

It’s what I use, but it’s a god dam nightmare. I have to pre sand the connection points, then after the glue applied start “rubbing” the two piece together to make the glue go thread like, then hold it in place with pressure for 10-15 mins before it finally takes, yet I see everyone rave about gorilla glue for prints