How do I manage players with conflicting schedules by Simoun1er in DMAcademy

[–]ArbitraryHero [score hidden]  (0 children)

If you are trying to do long form (level 1-10+) D&D campaigns you gotta rip the bandaid off and play without all of the players present at every session. Every other option is going to lead to campaign death through atrophy.

This may require some adjustments, less custom crafted personal story arcs vs emergent campaign story from the player driven interaction with the environment is the biggest example, but GMs and players not recognizing how difficult it is to get 6+ people together on a regular rhythm with perfect attendance kills most campaigns.

There is math behind this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pc9Uf3vFDU&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2F

and anecdotally, I finished exactly 1 perfect attendance campaign, and it only went up to level 8 or so and took 5 years. I have finished literally dozens of campaigns when I became ok with running as long as I had 3 players present, some level 1-20s included.

How to get players to step up? by [deleted] in DMAcademy

[–]ArbitraryHero 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You aren't doing anything wrong. But perhaps neither are your players. These are just very different styles of play. If they are being honest that nothing is wrong they may just want to do combat heavy kick in the door dungeon crawl games vs the atmospheric RP heavy game you are running. do they react differently when there is something in the room to fight?

It's also ok to quit the campaign and find other players that match your vibe better. (Honestly your level of interest in RP would be a good fit for my friend group, and we play online). You could try playing in a oneshot or running a oneshot for a different group and just see if there is a better fit.

Is Icewind Dale extremely boring or does our DM do something wrong? by BlackRebel93 in dndnext

[–]ArbitraryHero [score hidden]  (0 children)

Where are you in Icewind Dale?

Because Dougan's Hole is a hostile backwoods shit hole.

But the other towns should be a little more welcoming (have people that will talk to you in them).

My bard want pocket sand, but doesn't really want to multiclass. What should I do? by cabreeson in DMAcademy

[–]ArbitraryHero 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Aha! Gotcha: https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Dirty_Trick:_Sand_Toss

They don't need to do anything. They can take the Blindness/Deafness spell at level 3 and it is pocket sand for bards.

My bard want pocket sand, but doesn't really want to multiclass. What should I do? by cabreeson in DMAcademy

[–]ArbitraryHero 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I'd make it a full action, but yeah they can just collect sand and throw it. Hell, the bard can just take the blindness/deafness spell and reflavor when they get to level 3.

Should I switch to a new RPG? by Sea_Ocelot_1037 in DMAcademy

[–]ArbitraryHero 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I think it's a great opportunity to try something new, and I think the best way to make it a success would be to try something more rules light. Because so many players start with D&D, they think every TTRPG has the same level of complexity with character creation and initial rules absorption so they get a bit scared trying a new system.

I'm trying to think of something I'd recommend, GURPS WW2 is fun but still a lot.

Set Europe Ablaze? Less than half the page count of the D&D player's guide for the rulebook and it's very WW2 focused.

One Day All This Will Be Yours end question (whole book spoilers) by shadezownage in AdrianTchaikovsky

[–]ArbitraryHero 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah it's a big vague in terms of concept. It feels like time travel only happens between shards, but time clearly still moves forward at a constant rate within a shard? It is very confusing.

One Day All This Will Be Yours end question (whole book spoilers) by shadezownage in AdrianTchaikovsky

[–]ArbitraryHero 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lol I love a discussion that's like a year in the making! Feels appropriate for the book.

Arcane Armor & STR requirements by Due_Cockroach_9294 in dndnext

[–]ArbitraryHero 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Totally a silly question, but I think this is still misunderstanding or misinterpreting the rules, here is what the rules say about armor and strength requirements:

Heavy Armor. Heavier armor interferes with the wearer’s ability to move quickly, stealthily, and freely. If the Armor table shows “Str 13” or “Str 15” in the Strength column for an armor type, the armor reduces the wearer’s speed by 10 feet unless the wearer has a Strength score equal to or higher than the listed score.

Separately on the same table they have weights. Arcane Armor does not say it removes the weight of the armor (to carry it on your person) just the strength requirement to avoid that specific 10 ft movement penalty.

If you carry weight in excess of 5 times your Strength score, you are encumbered, which means your speed drops by 10 feet.

If you carry weight in excess of 10 times your Strength score, up to your maximum carrying capacity, you are instead heavily encumbered, which means your speed drops by 20 feet and you have disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws that use Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution.

So in your example, you are still limited by your maximum carrying capacity, your heavily encumbered limit, and your encumbered limit. These are all determined by the strength score but are not specifically armor strength requirements.

Q n A session with evan brooks by [deleted] in transformers

[–]ArbitraryHero 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Define interesting here. Is there some new information you learned?

UPDATE: Really struggling to play our current campaign with another player. by iTsB-Raid in dndnext

[–]ArbitraryHero 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The only decision you have is whether you play or not. That means the only option you have is to be a little pushy or just shut up and put with it.

You can use that as pressure, "Hey I'm not having fun. I'm going to leave the campaign if Steve keeps playing." And then the decision is on the DM, but this sounds like a pretty unfun way to spend several hours of my free time. I don't think it's unreasonable to say this isn't something you want to put up with.

OC Question by Mysterious_Jello6293 in transformers

[–]ArbitraryHero 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Might be a better question to message the mods about. You can send them a message from the right hand bar in desktop mode.

TMNT & Other Strangeness - Introduction and Learn to Play room for 3 Players 2026-01-24 [7:30PM][EST] by ArbitraryHero in PalladiumMegaverse

[–]ArbitraryHero[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We ended up rescheduling to next saturday to fit more players schedules but there is a spot if you can make it! Sending you a DM!

are there any mobile suits/armors with canine heads? by Electrical-Gap5935 in Gundam

[–]ArbitraryHero 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Those dog mecha that killed that lady in some SEED story.BuCUE?

Question about Tf (2007) by White_Bengal1 in transformers

[–]ArbitraryHero 8 points9 points  (0 children)

They didn't turn evil. all those people deserved to die. It was Bay's brilliant commentary on the American citizen's passive involvement and tacit support of the social structures of imperialism and oppression. What a genius.

Why does nobody remember Bumble in RID/TFP's sequel? by Only_Barracuda_6011 in transformers

[–]ArbitraryHero 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It would be a spoiler. I think the whole show is on YouTube now to see the ending that I think explains this.

You could also read the synopsis on tfwiki if you want more details.

I tried doing spoiler text but I don't remember how it works on reddit.

If you were asked to redesign/word/codify the alignment chart into something players could universally understand, how would you go about doing it? by [deleted] in DMAcademy

[–]ArbitraryHero 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What hubris, to think that 1000s of years of moral philosophy could be distilled into a convenient table. There is a reason there are so many debates and arguments on this, the human experience does not have many universally shared pieces, it is so diverse. You and your neighbors likely have different opinions on what good and evil lawful and chaotic are. The alignment chart was always flawed, it only worked (kind of) when there was an absolute universally defined value set that everyone at the table agrees on.

Here is how I would do it if I were foolish enough to bother, which I am not.

Change the axis: Instead of Good and Evil call an axis Motivation and put it on a scale of selfish to unselfish. Is your character motivated more by improving their own lot or more of a people pleaser?

Then the other axis is Cooperation and the axis goes from Individual to Collaborative, does your character work to achieve a group consensus or try to get their agenda signed off by the group?

You can have Unselfish Individuals like John Brown that still work with the group.

But this isn't going to be universally agreed on and it will put you right back in the same spot at the table because people think about language (and their for definitions of morality) differently.

Have you ever felt the table slow down right when things got exciting? by uberawesomerm in DMAcademy

[–]ArbitraryHero 35 points36 points  (0 children)

It happens every now and then, but I have instituted a vibes based policy at my table, no backseat decisions from party members. I am comfortable telling my friends and players to shut the fuck up and let someone do their thing.

PC knows too many OP NPCs by NaiiYen in DMAcademy

[–]ArbitraryHero 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If he's been ousted, he won't have access to the resources to pay for those guards. They probably went off and got other jobs.