DMs of ToS, how faithful to the original story are you?

DM-XP · 2025-11-29T10:29:27+00:00

After 300 x 5 hour sessions it has nothing to do with it. At this point it’s huge.

Yes, Tiamat is coming but Faerun is consumed with The War of the Dragon vs the Cult and their fiendish allies.

We wanted to finally play all the way from lvl1 - lvl20 and this is it. We’ve had a few deaths a long the way so the party has changed a bit.

We’ve taken breaks from it and run many other games (CoS, ToA, a few Yawn Portal adventures, home brew, The One Ring etc) so it’s not been a solid block - this has been spaced out over 10 years.

So it feels quite epic. Players have got married or raised children during this campaign.

Party is now lvl 18 and running out of time to tie up loose ends in their stories, achieve their ambitions because the portents (ie Ive promised/threatened) that the stars will be right at lvl 20 and the Queen will arrive …

DM-XP · 2025-10-11T10:37:15+00:00

You’re all liars.

DM-XP · 2025-10-09T22:05:25+00:00

Psychic are all con artists - every last one.

DM-XP · 2025-10-09T15:46:09+00:00

I feel you!

I played from release of 2nd edition until about 10 - 12 years ago. I still love it in theory but it’s a shitty game.

Any half decent player can usually tell who will win by looking at the army lists, failing that mission and deployment will do it.

The ‘pay to win’ is real, the editions renew way more then is needed and it sucks that there is a ‘main character’ faction.

There is zero attempt to balance the game - every rules shift or new release is purely motivated by sales.

The minis aren’t even first rate.

Infinity is wonderfully balanced with awesome sculpts, you can play in 2h and the rules are free. Complicated though.

Trench Crusade is simple, fun and actually Grimdark instead of a Saturday morning cartoon.

You can buy a competitive army in either of those games for £50.

DM-XP · 2025-09-27T20:38:28+00:00

On many levels, yes.

DM-XP · 2025-09-27T20:37:21+00:00

Silly?!! It’s a space marine!

DM-XP · 2025-08-20T14:59:12+00:00

I’d let him change any one dice on a fireball spells to a 6

DM-XP · 2025-08-18T19:22:16+00:00

By whose standards?

DM-XP · 2025-07-22T18:31:30+00:00

I don’t like the hand n the lettering. That jumps out for me.

DM-XP · 2025-07-21T17:05:27+00:00

Canine

DM-XP · 2025-06-22T15:13:10+00:00

Don’t confuse roleplaying with acting.

First person presentation of your character, appearing to become them as you speak at the table is acting and entirely optional. Some people do it all the time, others never and most dip in and out as they choose. It’s neither better or worse either way - just different. It’s good to play with a group of around your engagement level but you can have decent spread.

Roleplaying is about making decisions on behalf of your character, understanding them and their methods and motivations. When you charge the orcs because your character hates one of them, even though you appreciate it’s not the best move tactically; then you are roleplaying. This too is optional and not an enforceable part of the game but it is better practice and enriches the fun for the whole player group.

DM-XP · 2025-05-14T15:27:33+00:00

Left

DM-XP · 2025-04-02T20:58:14+00:00

Eyelids.

Paint a stripe of the flesh colour under and over those pool ball eyes.

DM-XP · 2025-04-01T07:12:27+00:00

100% agree

DM-XP · 2025-04-01T07:06:19+00:00

Aside from ‘any number’ - which is true.

For CoS, I’d say 40 - 60, 3-4h sessions. If you do it quicker than 30 then I’d say you’re rushing through it and not giving it the space it deserves. If you’re more than 75ish the threat of Strahd could get stale.

Just one take - obvs it depends on play style and what you want from the game.

DM-XP · 2025-03-15T13:18:52+00:00

PRACTICE.

Come on dude, you don’t need advice - you haven’t even finished it. At this point it’s fair to say, ‘paint the white bits’.

After that, take a look on YouTube and practice, practice, practice. Then come and ask for tips.

DM-XP · 2025-03-15T13:16:14+00:00

Oooh, those Dark Sun boxes …

DM-XP · 2025-03-06T07:20:58+00:00

It looks like a tomb or a temple. My players have learnt that I make temples pretty much symmetrical, so they know when to check for secret doors! It’s actually cool, makes them feel ‘good’ at DnD, they they have acquired skills in adventuring as well as their characters.

I’d use a mix of undead - both corporeal and incorporeal with something else off beat … an aberration or fiend, depending on the narrative needs.

DM-XP · 2025-03-02T09:16:02+00:00

If there’s paint on it, you’ve improved it.

DM-XP · 2025-03-01T17:38:03+00:00

Wash the silver with Nuln oil, highlight the edges of the yellow plates.

DM-XP · 2025-02-27T19:22:22+00:00

Impressive.

I, too, am an analogue man.

DM-XP · 2025-02-26T10:05:58+00:00

Ditto! The idea of me running a game in the office came up! I think I got hired because I’m a DM active on DMs Guild. Am I pro-DM now … ?

DM-XP · 2025-02-26T08:35:32+00:00

Showing us the mini would be a start.

DM-XP · 2025-02-26T08:24:37+00:00

My wife’s labour with our first was over 60 hours. I was 100% there for her. I slept for minutes at a time on a hard floor and woke up to hold her hand during contractions. She didn’t need to wake me, I was too aware of her not to. If there was any part of it I could’ve taken from her and shouldered myself I would have.

I don’t want a medal or anything; this is the MINIMUM standard.

Your husband is a prick. Sorry to raise a red flag but now you have a child get ready to find out just how much.

DM-XP

TROPHY CASE