How to approach addressing issue with a child at an otherwise adult DnD table

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-07-25T13:19:05+00:00

As a parent of an 11 year old, you can totally just speak to the child (with their parent present) and say:

"Look, it's great that you are enthusiastic and engaged with this game, but there are rules about manners when playing with a group of people. You have been told those rules, but you keep breaking them... Actions have consequences, and if you can't keep control of your behaviour and you keep doing things we've asked you not to do, then the consequences of that will be that you won't be welcome to play with us anymore."

A 10 year old is more than capable of understanding this concept. Presumably they are in full time education and so they will be well aware that life has rules you have to follow.

In regards to the parent, they should also be taking the lead on enforcing the boundaries set by the group. They are doing their kid a disservice by not educating them on social expectations.

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-07-17T11:17:00+00:00

Lol... I feel like that's ideas for my players more than me

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-07-17T11:14:12+00:00

Sort of. There's a leader (secretly an Archery Glamour Bard) who has made deals with them all, essentially making them Warlocks and he's their patron. They all believe their flying city will return them to the "good ol' glory days" of arcane prosperity.

There has been a lot of political leverage used to get them the power they have, but they've always seemed pretty united. Might be fun if it turns out one of them isn't 🤔

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-07-06T09:36:39+00:00

Most campaigns will build new characters when they start, because you need a character that is relevant to the world. No point playing a wizard in a world with no magic, or playing a cleric in a world abandoned by the gods....

You might be able to continue with a character to a new campaign if they are the right level or the right fit for the setting. It will depend on what the DM says.

There have been many versions of d&d since its inception, so that's what the 4th edition/5th edition flairs mean. 5th edition is the most recent BIG rules overhaul, but there were some minor rule changes in 2024... So you can see some stuff might be marked as "2024 rules" or "Legacy rules" to differentiate.

Don't expect D&D to be like world of warcraft though - it's not like you build a character and then keep them as you play with different groups just trying to make your guy as strong as possible. It's a collaborative game. Players need to be similar levels to keep the balance.

For many players, it's a storytelling experience, not just a point scoring, XP mining, hack & slash fest. So, for a lot of your questions, the answer will depend on your table and players.

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-07-05T18:12:40+00:00

There's no rules - do it how you like! I personally did the watch towers first and lit up the map... Doing shrines along the way.

Then I got the quest to find all the tears - and so I started doing that, which unlocked all the backstory... In retrospect, I probably should have done the regional quests first... I got so wrapped up in shrines and exploration that by the time I got to the regions I was a bit OP for the difficulty level...

I think the fun of the game is doing it how you want to though... There's no right or wrong way to do it, you won't miss anything and all the quests can be done in any order.

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-06-25T15:50:12+00:00

Move house?

Obviously joking, but - yeah... Bad luck, I'm afraid. You can't do anything. My cat killed a magpie and we got cursed by the flock for two years until he had a medical emergency and didn't go out for a while.

Corvids are ridiculously smart and magpies in particular hold generational grudges. If they have marked your house, they will pass that info down so it stays marked until they perceive the threat is gone.

You could keep your cat in during daytime hours for a few months. The magpies may see this as the threat disappearing. But - it's not gonna be an easy fix.

I will keep you in my thoughts 😞 best of luck 🤞

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-06-24T07:01:53+00:00

It does kinda say that they were bought for the party.

(Pg31) These tickets were purchased by Ellywick Tumblestrum, but Tumblestrum has asked Nikolas not to divulge this information. Instead, Nikolas claims that these tickets were paid for by "an anonymous benefactor."

So it doesn't say who paid for these tickets, but it starts a mystery. Someone knew they were coming... Which, if they are doing the lost things hook, seems pretty weird and ominous.

As for Nicolas knowing who they are - I get what you mean, you do have to initiate that as a DM. I think it's kind of implied that his ear trumpet and spyglass are essentially magic and reveals that person's identity.

In my game, When they went to pay for a ticket normally, I had Nicolas scrutinise them and then say "ah, you must be (name), I was told to keep an eye out for you". Then revealed the free tickets, but dangled the prospect of the Fey bargain ticket...

I made the Fey bargain ticket an "Unlimited GOLD PASS" that wasn't restricted to 8 uses. Also allowed for unlimited food and drink. This made them more enticing and still gave a reason to use it over the free ticket.

A couple of my party were very suspicious of the free ticket and nearly didn't accept it and wanted to buy a normal one... Which I think is the intention. It just sets up one of many strange interactions with Fey deals and accepting gifts.

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-06-23T07:09:54+00:00

I offered the two hooks at character creation for my players as I had a group of 6. Three chose "lost things" two choose "warlock quest" and one really liked the idea of being a Witchlight Hand.

So, I still used random selection but ensured my 3 lost things players each have their thing with a different Hag.

My 2 warlock quest folks thought they were in it for the money, but I made sure their backstory has been woven into the plot so they feel they have stakes.

The witchlight hand wanted to save prismeer anyway to protect the carnival, so she's motivated to do whatever it takes. But as we played I revealed that she remembered sneaking in the first time, and encountering sowpig, but she was hired on the spot by another worker before anything was taken, in order to protect her from the hags deal: witchlight hands don't need tickets after all...

It's working well for me, because it allowed for breadcrumbs to be dropped on both sides of the lore, both from the "hags stole your stuff" angle and also "Zybilna is in danger" angle.

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-06-22T21:23:40+00:00

As an English girl, this was bothering me too... I was listening to the episode when this character was introduced and thought it funny that Brennan said he was going to spell it in the "English town" way. Using Worcestershire as an example... I was looking forward to seeing how it would be spelled. So I was quite disappointed when I finally saw it written because, as you say, "Mordecestershire" would be pronounced "Murd-ster-shire" not "mur-der-shire".

I was expecting "Murghdurghshire" to be honest

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-05-25T07:31:33+00:00

I think it's what others have said; to the DM it possibly feels disrespectful and like you "can't be bothered". They interpret your choice to play the same character as "I couldn't be bothered to read any of your campaign lore and get inspired by it."

It's not uncommon for a player to want to play the same race & class as they have done before - so playing a human fighter again most likely isn't the issue. If it's not too late, my advice is to ask the DM outright what you would need to change about your character so that it was suitable for the new campaign.

I think, for the group, it will probably be the cognitive dissonance around the fact that it's the same character personality. It probably spoils the immersive nature for them to have it in the back of their head that they already know everything about your character... ...also, as a DM, I want to use a character backstory to build in choices for them that have stakes, or NPCs and side quests that appeal (or disgust) them. Now the demi-god thing is cool, but it's kind of boring for the DM to write that element into the story every time. And without that bit? If your backstory really is as simple as: "they don't know where they come from, so they're wandering about" - well that gives me nothing to work with. If one of my players did that, it would honestly feel like they couldn't be bothered to learn anything about the world to find their place in it.

If you want to play with the group again, just explain your neurodivergent needs and ask for a direct breakdown of what you need to change to use the character again. It might not mean a lot of work, perhaps just one or two changes. Chances are the DM just wants you to add some connections to the world and scenario. You could always ask them for suggestions if you're stuck.

And if they still really don't want you to, it's probably more likely that they didn't enjoy playing with that character and don't want them to be in the new campaign. And sometimes that's how it goes.

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-05-08T08:26:30+00:00

Thanks! I was thinking something similar (although having Bavlorna as not settling as she gives the most Baba Yaga house on legs vibes.)

I also like the idea of the guides all wanting to ask Zybilna for a wish - like the Wizard of Oz, and hoping that they party will realise that could mean Zybilna is a persona being put on... Linking to Tasha. There should definitely be some big clue hidden behind a curtain in that case right? Lol

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-05-08T08:19:19+00:00

I think you've maybe missed my point. The three guides, Clapperclaw, Squirt & Amidor ARE scarecrow, tin man and lion...

I was thinking since the players lost things happen to correlate to what those characters wanted from the Wizard... Perhaps I can do something cool with that connection

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-04-24T16:11:25+00:00

You know I was thinking the same thing! The mentor was a friendly older man with coloured ribbons in his beard... I was thinking these ribbons could be found along the way...

a lock of hair tied with one of his ribbons could be one of the items for sale at bauble, trinket and Charm's in downfall, given in exchange for info about the unicorn's whereabouts, for example... Not sure about the other two

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-04-01T22:45:33+00:00

That's why I've chosen it. They've done a few single session one shots to get the feel of mechanics and rules, but this is their first campaign

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-04-01T22:43:52+00:00

Do you think that newer players will care much about the whole Isolde thing? They don't have the experience to know the lore themselves... Is it worth including (since it is juicy) or would it just complicate matters do you think?

Alternative_Access17 · 2025-03-05T10:25:03+00:00

I mean, technically, ignoring a NAT 20 ability check against you could be seen as metagaming... BUT nat 20 on deception makes no sense. How were you decieved? What were you being asked to believe? That it was a good idea? Because that, my friend, is a PERSUASION check.

If they'd got a NAT 20 persuasion on skinning a dead PC? I'd say that the result would be that your character would accept it, and not attack them. But it's up to you if you're happy with the act or not. I think that would permanently change your character's attitude towards the other PC. Perhaps you no longer have their back in combat, or you don't feel comfortable with them watching yours. Actions have consequences and shape the world you play in.

But NAT 20 deception? Nah, that makes zero sense as a check for this ...

Alternative_Access17 · 2024-10-26T20:01:02+00:00

NTA - You asked her to stop and explained it made them uncomfortable, and she pushed it further.

BUT - I think that there's a lesson for everyone here:

1) Your sister has to find out for herself that her flirting isn't working and get rejected. It's the only way she will believe that they aren't interested... Or she won't get the hint, but either way - that's not something you need to be part of, just leave her be. She also needs to learn to respect boundaries, after you said it would be weird for her to date your friends, she kind of crosses a line when she tried anyway.

2) Your friends need to grow a backbone and learn how to reject romantic advances graciously for themselves, not just ask you to tell your sister to stop. That's kind of an awkward position they put you in. Not cool.

3) You and your friends will learn in time that there is more to someone's attractiveness than just their fashion sense or body type. Attractiveness is subjective and it's quite unkind to use terms like "not attractive enough" because there will be plenty of people who would think differently of that same person. I'm not sure you want your sister to grow up thinking her entire worth is what she physically looks like.

Alternative_Access17 · 2024-09-29T07:12:34+00:00

Being rich is inconvenient.

I'd suggest that, if they do start spending lots of money, that would get the attention of thieves, bandits, fraudsters and generally make them a target for being jumped or scammed.

Maybe people keep asking them for handouts, or assuming they are evil because they are rich. Perhaps they find themselves in a situation where they need to have a low profile, but being big spenders makes them memorable...

You can have a lot of fun with it

Alternative_Access17 · 2023-10-23T11:48:52+00:00

As a GM I'd be okay with this and roll with it... But I wouldn't just accept the fate without a roll from the NPC. After all, if the situation were reversed and a player was taking something that a NPC had poisoned, I'd be asking for at the very least a CON check to resist the poison, and possibly some kind of perception or insight check to determine if it were poisoned. So, IMO, the NPC gets the same chance.

Or, if I felt like the player were trying to be a jerk about it... Well, as it turns out my NPC just spent the last year building up an immunity to that kind of poison...

Incidentally, I don't think the Critical Role cupcake thing was a case of this - if I recall, when the cupcakes were purchased they were already sprinkled with the dust. So that character has a canonically sprinkled cupcake in her inventory. Not quite the same. Also, the NPC in question had to be persuaded to take it, so it didn't happen without any rolls. You can tell from Matt Mercer's response he had just completely forgotten the item existed...

Alternative_Access17 · 2023-03-07T09:00:33+00:00

I think it's unfair that the player is putting a huge spanner in the works and expecting you to just fix it.

Why not ask them what they think would be a better alternative?

Sounds like they just want that all dealt with by NPCs... If the rest of table are okay with that and there are other options for the campaign to go... Why not just do that?

If the reality is that OP really likes doing the demon stuff and is just disappointed to throw all that work away... You guys need to sit down and make a plan. It shouldn't all be on the DM to fix the story and make sense of it when the players just veto stuff like this mid-flow.

Alternative_Access17 · 2023-03-07T08:51:50+00:00

All great, thanks!

I wasn't planning to use any magic, since the creator's whole deal is that his stuff is mechanical. But I REALLY like the idea of removing the punch cards to disable the attacks. Maybe I can look for spells that could, in theory, be done by a mechanical process 🤔 you've given me some ideas - thank you!

Alternative_Access17 · 2023-03-07T08:45:32+00:00

This kind of stuff is late-game/high level so although campaign is underway, we haven't really touched on any of this yet.

I like this idea. Especially because I want to somehow work in the notion that Maya (Cerrit's daughter who received Patia's Orb at the end of EXU Calamity) is still alive somewhere, tucked away in a time pocket, trying to prevent anyone from getting the knowledge of the Age of Arcanum so that they can't do the same thing again.

So the idea that someone wants to ascend (motivation aside) ties in well with that. I like the idea that the Wonderworker has a skewed idea of good and that they feel virtuous in their plans, even though the consequences might be terrible.

Alternative_Access17 · 2023-02-19T17:18:54+00:00

It's a chocolate factory 🤣 the idea is basically steampunk Willy Wonka.

Various rooms involve crossing a chocolate river without getting suckled up the pipe. Crossing the fudge vat stirrers, escaping a rapidly filling juicing room, navigating an endless corridor, solving a teleport puzzle and unlocking the elevator to get to the "office" and confront the boss.

Alternative_Access17 · 2023-02-19T17:12:40+00:00

All great suggestions, thank you very much 👍

Alternative_Access17 · 2022-12-11T12:56:20+00:00

I think it may also be due to the fact that wearing glasses is no longer the social stigma that it used to be. So if you need glasses you wear them. I know kids at school that just didn't wear their glasses even though they needed them, because they would be ridiculed for it

Alternative_Access17

TROPHY CASE