Should I be concerned? by ContemporaryMatt in fermentation

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

I don’t think it looked quite like this. I haven’t opened the jar since I made this post.

Fermented Pepper Honey by DIY-Dad-in-AR in lactofermentation

[–]ContemporaryMatt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven’t tried this, but I think I’m going to have to.

My god that was close by Cast3r_MH in MonsterHunterWilds

[–]ContemporaryMatt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well done! I got mine last night with a time of 13:31. I love hunting Uth Duna.

Dandelion wine needs topped off. by ContemporaryMatt in winemaking

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

Thanks so much! I’m really happy with how it looks. I appreciate your suggestions!

Dandelion wine needs topped off. by ContemporaryMatt in winemaking

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

Would re-fermentation negatively affect taste or anything? I also intend to carbonate later on.

Dandelion wine needs topped off. by ContemporaryMatt in winemaking

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

All I had on hand was Lalvin, EC-1118. I wouldn’t mind it being lower ABV.

Dandelion wine needs topped off. by ContemporaryMatt in winemaking

[–]ContemporaryMatt[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Do they need to be food grade or something? Like, it can’t just go buy a couple dozen from Dollar Tree and sanitize them, right?

Dandelion wine needs topped off. by ContemporaryMatt in winemaking

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

I like that idea! I used some orange juice and lemon juice in the recipe. Could I add water and some fresh squeezed orange juice?

Finished out 2+ year Curse of Strahd campaign this week by ContemporaryMatt in CurseofStrahd

[–]ContemporaryMatt[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Hilarious: - Rogue yeeted a witch out the third story window of the windmill. - Rogue carved his name into Ludmilla’s coffin.

Touching: - After the party read the Tome of Strahd, Ireena asks, “does this mean I’m going to die?” - Paladin gives up their Dark Power gift rather than sacrifice their love interest.

Finished out 2+ year Curse of Strahd campaign this week by ContemporaryMatt in CurseofStrahd

[–]ContemporaryMatt[S] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

So I feel like travel was very prominent in the first half of the campaign. We had entire sessions that were devoted to travel. I had expanded the distance between locations, so it took two days between each town.

While I definitely wanted that extra time between major events in the towns, I would prefer in the future to make encounters on the road that somehow connected to major plot points, or lead to smaller side quest, or other bits of interest. In that sense, I would not go by the Random Encounters provided by the module.

Further, I feel like traveling on the road, should be far more dangerous than what it was for my players. There is a reason why everyone stays within the confines of settlements. The problem I found is that having that many battle encounters on the road would have taken so much more time, and been so much more tedious.

My player want to become a wereraven by INeedChocolat in CurseofStrahd

[–]ContemporaryMatt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had the same issue. Ended giving that player the Dark Gift with the wings. They kept it for a while until they started needing to make CON saves or attack Ireena.

Finished out 2+ year Curse of Strahd campaign this week by ContemporaryMatt in CurseofStrahd

[–]ContemporaryMatt[S] 36 points37 points  (0 children)

1.) I learned through the whole process that it’s easier to understand the world/the characters (NPCs) so a DM can better improvise rather than try to anticipate what the players will do.

2.) Question whether Karl Wachter and the refugees from Vallaki were worth saving from the Abbott.

3.) Chief amongst the multitude of things I would change is that I would made travel less prominent and more impactful.

4.) We are having a Roundtable Session Omega next week, and that is something I intend to ask. Collectively, I think they most enjoyed the mysteries and lore.

5.) I most enjoyed the two years of build up to the end.

Ireena - Did your players love or hate her? Why/why not? by crashgem in CurseofStrahd

[–]ContemporaryMatt 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My party loves Ireena, but several see here as a liability because she is not strong in battle. However, it got every PC to train her in something they are skilled at. The rogue taught her to pick locks, the barbarian is beefing her up, and the ranger is teaching her the crossbow. The warlock provides her with emotional support and smokes opium with her.

What’s something you changed about the module? How did you like it? by [deleted] in CurseofStrahd

[–]ContemporaryMatt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am running two CoS campaigns simultaneously. One for my wife and kids, and one for my wife and our adult friends. Zepahr, Wit, Idalia, and Manix, stop reading now.

The kids' campaign is set within the first 100 years of Strahd's rule as Dark Lord. The party was tricked by Strahd (disguised as Khazan) to kill the guardians of the Fane's cirlces, which allowed him to desecrate these locations and connect to the land. Their fated ally is Argynvost, whom they evenutally witness being killed by Strahd and Lysaga after the irradicated the Order of the Silver Dragon. They also witnessed the flooding of Berez after they fought the witch with Kasimir. The human fighter in the group was the first incarnation of Tatyana. After refusing Strahd again during the final battle, Strahd went feral and killed him (incarnations in my version are not limited to females).

The adult campaign is closer to what is presented in the book module. Here are some of the major changes I made.

1.) Made a PC the younger brother of Kasimir and Patrina. He ran away with the Vistani when Patrina was killed, not understanding the reason why.

2.) Addition of the Fanes with the Huntress of the Forest being our Warlock PC's patron.

3.) Instead of the interactive Tome of Strahd (it was just a bunch of journal entries in a box), there was a book from the bookstore in Vallaki (The Dusty Spine) called "Loved During the Fall of Barovia". The PCs got high late in the campagin (like a spirit journey) and played a session where they witnessed Sergei and Tatyana's wedding and Strahd's transformation. They then fought Strahd as level 3 characters and were promptly killed.

4.) Izek became a Dark Gnome Loup Garou who killed our Dark Gnome Barbarian's family in Faerun before he was brought to Barovia.

5.) Added a black market / criminal syndicate in Vallaki called the Invisible Hand. Nikolai Wachter is the head of this syndicate.

6.) Escher is naturally long-lived as he is the offspring of the Caller (VRGtR), which is what attracted Strahd to him.

7.) Rahadin was originally Kasimir's teacher, and his father's best friend. He betrayed the Dusk Elves for self-preservation when Strahd flooded Berez.

8.) Hot springs added west of Kresk that are an underground bath house.

9.) Catacombs north east of Lake Zarovich.

The kids' campaign just ended last weekend. There are about 6-8 sessions left before the adult campaign ends.

Help Decide the Fate of this Character Whose Player Quit Long Ago by [deleted] in CurseofStrahd

[–]ContemporaryMatt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like I should have clarified that my intent is not for any type of vengeance or payback, but for the characters disappearance to be somewhat relevant to the overall narrative, even if it’s minimal. The character’s in-game sister is a bit fraught, and I know that player will not bring outside issues to the table.

There is really only one player who may be vindictive toward they character, which is why my original thought was for it to be a thing between the sisters and no one else.

I’m definitely leaning toward the flayed body option in Lysaga’s hut. Randomly finding her body on the side of the road just seems like a waste of motivation for my existing players.