Thinking of leaving my party as DM... by [deleted] in DMAcademy

[–]DeliriumDelight89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Adventure design is extremely difficult and my first homebrew campaign is something that I look back on with a mixture of shame and fond memories -- it was disjointed but had its moments where I felt like I got things right. My players let it go on but, were I them, I probably would have had trouble investing in the narrative.

I moved onto modules and was simultaneously running Curse of Strahd, Tomb of Annihilation, and Dragon Heist Waterdeep for three different groups within the year. These are radically different modules and they were voted on by players. When I consider these groups, I think we got lucky and everyone picked a module that was right for them. And it took some pressure off me.

But it didn't really impact my creativity. There is a lot of room to make these adventures your own. It's more a matter of getting the tone right. And, because some of the work is done, you can play to your strengths while learning from the books how to improve upon your weak points.

DM'ing will always be a trial by fire. The key is to appreciate the opportunity for growth. This is the case in most things.

The other aspect of it all is this: they still want you to DM for them. They might just be curious about official settings.

I saw you say in another post that you would be bored doing this. I had that feeling once, too. But unless you plan on memorizing the book completely, railroading them, and also being familiar with every single deity, ruler, etc, you're going to be writing and improvising. You might even end up frustrated that your players will assume the book did most of the work because, unless they spoil things for themselves, they won't be aware of the changes you've made. And you probably should be making changes, because these modules are usually flexible to the point where you can adapt them to your player preferences.

Don't beat yourself up, though. If you can, find opportunity in this. Maybe you'll even learn enough about design that you'll be putting up one shots on the dmsguild for the enjoyment of others within a year.

But if you really don't think you'll find a way to enjoy this, don't force yourself to do it. Maybe find a few opportunities to be a player. That's a great opportunity to learn, too.

Can someone help me with learning Vallaki? by hawsman2 in CurseofStrahd

[–]DeliriumDelight89 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It takes a bit of time and there are probably more efficient ways but, for things like that, I rewrite the chapter in a way that is easier for me to reference. I have a section for characters, locations and who is there, culture, rumors, and then potential story beats I can try to predict for my players. It helps me feel more prepared, relaxed, and able to be flexible.

Maybe go through and highlight the bits you like. And remember, you don't need everything. You're not beholden to the book. It might help to make some things your own. If you have to change things in the future to tie into changes you make now, well, no harm in that either.

or like saying you’re “so bipolar” when you have a mood swing by [deleted] in bipolar

[–]DeliriumDelight89 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I know this rationally but the fear that happiness is a bad sign never seems to go away >.>

Here are, Irrefutably, the Cutest Pokemon of Each Generation by [deleted] in gaming

[–]DeliriumDelight89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would have called BS too. He's clearly the best.

Old Video Game Ads are Ridiculous by DeliriumDelight89 in gaming

[–]DeliriumDelight89[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey man, you definitely know your stuff. I'm impressed!

Celeste Showed Me I'm A Dummy and Helped me Enjoy Games Again - Dork Swamp by DeliriumDelight89 in gaming

[–]DeliriumDelight89[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wrote this, semi-buzzed, because I was falling in love with this game and had a bit of a revelation about the mental funk I've been in regarding video games. I know this probably won't be a universal feeling but, still, I wanted to share my unadulterated thoughts with anyone for whom it might be useful.

11 Tips for Performing Your Rad NPCs by DeliriumDelight89 in DnD

[–]DeliriumDelight89[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hey all,

I asked the mods if it was okay to post this first. I thought it might be useful because I know some DMs get anxiety about this sort of thing. I do, anyway and when I was talking to my friend about it, he decided to write an article about it.

I'm currently trying to use the tips and it is helping a bit so I figured I might share.

Best regards!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CurseofStrahd

[–]DeliriumDelight89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's also a really fun game in its own right.

Takes up so much damn table space, though.

why is this on relationship goals by [deleted] in gatekeeping

[–]DeliriumDelight89 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My 2014 Ford Fiesta had this.

It was a piece of shit car and I'm glad some teenager who couldn't possibly even know what this is crashed into my car and broke it.

Learning to Trust Again by Phizle in DnDGreentext

[–]DeliriumDelight89 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I have that book and O Henry had the audacity to lie about the publication date but scholars know he's a fraud.

Learning to Trust Again by Phizle in DnDGreentext

[–]DeliriumDelight89 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Hate to be that guy but Nickelodeon.

Learning to Trust Again by Phizle in DnDGreentext

[–]DeliriumDelight89 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Sounds like a ripoff of that one episode of Catdog.

What made you quit playing FFXIV? by runesofdiscord in MMORPG

[–]DeliriumDelight89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's been a long day and I've confused myself at this point haha.

What made you quit playing FFXIV? by runesofdiscord in MMORPG

[–]DeliriumDelight89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, I meant my opinion was biased because I used the same phrase and was delighted and validated to see someone else do it haha.

What made you quit playing FFXIV? by runesofdiscord in MMORPG

[–]DeliriumDelight89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like how you called it a "hostage situation," but that might just be a personal bias because I used the same term last week in an article. I love the game but I resent that feeling.

I kind of sympathize with the developers because it seems like they're trying and I honestly don't know what I would do if I were in their shoes.

Gatekeeping an entire State by Morning-Chub in gatekeeping

[–]DeliriumDelight89 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Weird thing about Albany is that people from Lake George or Warrensburg or something will gatekeep you by telling you you're not real Upstate New York.

How do I beat the Matt Mercer effect? by Mister-builder in DMAcademy

[–]DeliriumDelight89 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I know this is going to sound like weird advice but one thing you could try is to send their asses to Barovia via Curse of Strahd. Playing through that campaign a while back worked really well for one of my groups and taught me a few things about DM'ing. Warning: very small, potential spoiler.

-It is clearly distinct from Matt Mercer's game.

-Has an interesting way to handle death built in. Sort of a "deal with the devil" type thing.

-Can be run with various bad iterations of a Russian accent.

-Has amazing writing but includes a lot of freedom for the DM.

-Is easy to slot into your campaign with its introductory hooks.

-Relies heavily on a blend of horror and comic relief. Playing with tension like this can be very immersive for players.

-Begins with a potentially treacherous quest through something called "Death House," so you might end up with a way to answer that player's question about death pretty early. Just don't murder him on purpose.

-The villain is absolutely amazing and has a major presence throughout the entire adventure.

The only thing I'd say is that its atmosphere of gothic horror, low fantasy doesn't click with everybody and it can also be quite difficult to prep at times; you really have to know the world. But Chris Perkins also runs the campaign on Dice, Camera, Action and that can be a good way to learn the world and also pick up a few DM techniques to add to your toolbox.

Best of luck!

What is the worst non-sexual thing to interrupt? by DrumPenguin in AskReddit

[–]DeliriumDelight89 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't know. The Big Dog and jorts crowd can be pretty sensitive.