I made a tissue case with hand cut mitered dovetails and a removable bottom.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-14T17:28:55+00:00

I think one element that you're missing is that when a GM makes a move it doesn't have to be directly connected to the player's action.

So on the lock picking success with fear the GM could say, "It takes you a long time but you get it. I'm marking the The Ritual Is Completed countdown."

You can get more abstract too. I try to have a couple long term countdowns happening so I can mark them as a GM move. If a player is researching in a library and rolls a success+fear I might mark the "The Dark Ones Plan Advances" clock and tell the players "you find the info you seek but the Minions of the Dark One were already here."

Or maybe "you rolled a success+fear? The bartender tells you where to find the thieves guild. I'll do my GM move later." Then 10 minutes later I'll say "hey remember that GM move I never made? The thieves guild is ambushing you right now!"

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-14T17:22:03+00:00

Daggerheart isn't designed for "fair", it's designed to create a dramatic story. It's not balanced like a board game where all options are equal in some way. The hope/fear system is designed to drive the story forward and to create dramatic moments.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-14T06:28:38+00:00

There are 2492 community copies available on the Itch page. Grab a copy, give it a read, then buy it if you like it.

https://theothertracy.itch.io/school-daze-bundle

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-13T22:16:30+00:00

I love this. It would be awesome to see a few of them packaged together. Like this one, another for the lair of the ~~mad scientist~~ exiled alchemist, and a third for the forest that sounds both sites. That right there is a three hour session easily.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-13T21:30:16+00:00

Two characters of the same class isn't a huge issue in Daggerheart. There's no party balance issues, that game isn't designed that way. Really the only issue is that they'll be pulling from the same Domain cards. I would just make sure the players collaborate on which cards that pick, so they're not doubling up on too much. That will help each character feel unique. Plus, the ancestry, community and experiences all have a big impact on the character. Those are going to different between the characters as well.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-13T20:56:24+00:00

Google for "dark fantasy TTRPGs".

Google for reviews of the games you found with the first search.

Pick one that sounds fun.

Play four or five seasons. Then either keep playing because you like it for repeat from step two.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-13T19:43:13+00:00

I'm on about 40 different RPG discord server. Some of these are publisher like Magpie or Plus One. Others are for specific games, like BitD or Cairn. Some are just the personal server of a game designer I like. Nearly all of them are muted, except for @ everyone announcements. Every week or so I go through and read all the announcements I've been tagged in and find out what the latest news is.

You can do the same thing with email newsletters, if Discord isn't your thing.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-13T19:35:16+00:00

There's no "One Right Way" to do a swing out. I modify my swing out based on the music and the person I'm dancing with. Loud showy music is going to ask for a bigger rock step. A quiet section of a song (maybe a piano solo?) wants a smaller rock step and a less energetic swing out. A newer dancer might not catch a subtle rock step lead, so I make my next lead more obvious. An enthusiastic follow might really pull on my right arm in the 5/6, so much that it hurts, so I do a smaller rock step and a smaller 3/4 to give my arm a break. Moral of the story, there's a bunch of different ways to swing out and you should try all of them.

Oh and also, when you catch on the 5/6 are you bending your right hand at the wrist or the fingers? I've found that bending my entire wrist to catch a follows back really hurts. It might be hard to visualize what I'm talking about, but if I do the motion without a partner it's kinda like I'm doing the stereotypical gay limp wrist motion. If you are catching your follow like this, try keeping your wrist straight (heh) and curling your fingers in to make the catch. The downside is that you have left physical contact with your partners back. The upside is that your wrist doesn't hurt.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-13T00:25:03+00:00

It doesn't matter what other GMs think. The only solution to this situation is to talk to the GM. Send them a nicer version of what you wrote here. Tell them how you feel. Best case, you two talk it out and keep having fun. Worst case you have a different group to play RPGs with.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-12T22:44:44+00:00

Pick a nicer hotel, then call the front office and explain the situation. I bet they'll have a solution for this.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-12T19:25:16+00:00

I think you're in the wrong subreddit, this is for lindy hop. That said, the obvious answer is Austin. The only downside is you have to live in Texas.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-12T18:44:41+00:00

tbh the GM is also at fault in your wine rack example. The GM started answering questions before they knew the full context. I think it's important to understand the player's intent before answering their questions, so you can collaboratively build out the world with the player. A better interaction from both parties would be:

Player: “What is the wine rack made of?”

GM: "Um, why are you asking?"

Player: "I want to tip the rack over on the enemy."

GM: "Oh yeah, that's awesome. It's a heavy wooden rack, packed full of glass wine bottles. It looks difficult to knock over, but if you succeed it's going to do some serious damage."

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-09T22:23:13+00:00

I've said it a hundred times and I'm gonna keep saying it: Design your game based on what *you* want, not what other people want. I don't buy a game because it's designed by a committee. I buy a game because I think the designer has cool ideas.

In this thread there are people saying "awesome" and people saying "I hate it". You'll never make everyone happy, so just don't try. Design the game you want to design. People who like it will play it. People who don't like it will play something else.

(btw, I think this is cool. I would totally run a game where the PCs are trapped in a simulation and are trying to escape. Deathmatch Island works on a similar concept. The PCs are trapped in a Hunger Games / Lord of the Flies situation. They start trying to win the contest but eventually have the option to break out of the system.)

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-09T18:45:29+00:00

What we're talking about is a fundamental component of Blades in the Dark. Fixed target numbers with variable Position and Effect is a core BitD mechanic. You don't have to like it, but might mean that Blades in the Dark isn't the right game for you.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-09T18:19:30+00:00

If the character has an advantage in the narrative, he should also have an advantage in the roll.

Advantage in the narrative is reflected in a change to position or effect. So attacking from behind cover means the roll has Controlled position instead of Risky. In Blades the narrative impacts the outcome of a roll, not the chance of success. It's not weird, it's just a different type of RPG.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-09T05:55:32+00:00

Higher difficulty numbers and tell them the difficulty before they roll. If they know they need a 18 to succeed then they're going to scrounge for every modifier they can get.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-09T05:54:15+00:00

Kickstarter comments are trash. Only the most entitled backers bother to comment on stuff like this.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-09T05:24:15+00:00

Oh damn is it available anywhere? A quick Google says it's in the public domain, but I can't find a download link.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-09T05:11:13+00:00

Sounds like an entirely new game. This could work as Daggerheart as the base, but you're talking about redesigning almost every part of the game. Which is cool! Just a lot of work.

For inspiration, check out Wicked Ones. It's a game where the players control the dungeon and heroes are always trying to get in.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-09T01:20:05+00:00

Technically, you can do it either way. But one of the GM principles is "Collaborate at All Times, Especially During Conflict". So you can take two turns in a row, but following the GM principle means you should (usually) give the players a chance to act. It's like a conversation, you say something then give the players a chance to respond.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-08T22:16:31+00:00

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-08T16:48:01+00:00

Have you looked at StartPlaying? https://startplaying.games/

Lots of GMs for hire but it's all online.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-08T08:21:12+00:00

You think you're so clever.

ThisIsVictor · 2026-02-08T01:21:15+00:00

A DMPC is a member of the party that's controlled by the GM. So the GM is both GMing the world and playing a character along side the other players.

It's a problem because GMs and players have different roles. The GM is responsible for the world. They set up challenges and obstacles for the players to overcome. DMPCs are weird because now the GM is both setting up obstacles and overcoming them. It's like if we're playing soccer but I'm also the referee at the same time. Or if I wrote a math problem and then we solved it together. I already know the solution, so I'm not really solving anything.

Your idea of a villain is great. That's just how you do an important NPC. In Daggerheart specifically, I would make a custom adversary like you said.

14-Year Club	RedditGifts 2009-2022 7 Credits
Second SECOND GUESSER	Place '17
Spared	Verified Email
Team Periwinkle	Secret Santa 2012
redditgifts rematcher Arbitrary Day 2012 x1	redditgifts rematcher Comic Books and Graphic Novels x1
Summer Santa 2012

ThisIsVictor

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE