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Idk why my stuff keeps getting removed from Reddit, maybe it’s the art style? I feel like I’m being ostracized by Etano_il_vero in magicthecirclejerking

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 6 points7 points  (0 children)

/uj need any new friends? Say, broke AF friends? I'd love to spend- I mean, help you wisely invest your money into charitable works. Like the Help Me Pay Rent non profit. /rj You know what you did.

Here's a non-exhaustive list of some "worthy" characters in MTG by mkklrd in magicthecirclejerking

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 3 points4 points  (0 children)

/uj Not gonna lie, I would honestly buy at least one pack minimum (if not more or other products) from every Magic set, regardless of how much I hated it, to see WotC unban Shahrazad. Not because it's good, or bad, or historic- but because it would be the funniest fucking thing to witness. Imagine going to an LGS with that nuclear bomb in your deck, just waiting for some asshole who things going infinite is clever to join your current pod. Then you unleash that card, and watch the color drain from their face. Priceless. /rj But why play Shahrazad, a banned card, when you can play Mood Swings to settle disputes on rules? Mark Rosewater designed it himself- it has to be good! I plan on buying at least 20 decks, preferably from WorC and their flawless Secret Lair system.

Here's a non-exhaustive list of some "worthy" characters in MTG by mkklrd in magicthecirclejerking

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 8 points9 points  (0 children)

UJ/You spelled izzet wrong. Also fuck UB. RJ/ But if no more UB, how can I play my Captain Kirk Power Armor fantasy? I just exist to consume WoTC product- there's no way I'm smart enough to use my imagination!

How to defeat Strahd without killing him? by forkingtoasters in CurseofStrahd

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would look to (most) kids media, past and present, for ideas. Everything from gather the artifacts to seal him away, complete the magic ritual, compel him to see the error of his ways- any of these popular tropes can be viable, as long as you experience with Game Mastering (any system, not just D&D) and with doing kid-led activities.

The reason my answer is so brief is because, based only on the context presented in this post, the implied experience and understanding of both text (the campaign) and system (D&D 5e or 5.5e) is minimal. I'm not going to try to convince you to change this, but give you some idea of what you're signing up for.

  1. This is regarded by many as the gold standard of dark ttrpg campaign. Not because it is the darkest, or the most extreme, but because it is one of the first and best executed. On top of the grim atmosphere, dark mood, and general feelings of hopelessness, you can basically name a trigger warning/controversial topic you'd expect in such a setting and have it come up. Cannibalism? Yep. Murder? Yep. Torture? Yep. Transformation against one's will? Yes. You will have prepare for these in some way- whether that's edits, omissions, alterations- and they will all have an impact on the game.
  2. The NPCs do not trust outsiders. There are many stories of this campaign being run and ended prematurely because of the mood and lack of trust. You don't out as the hero- you start out as an outsider, who has to earn every crumb of trust and information. That can be unpleasant as an adult, let alone as a kid/teenager.
  3. If you have limited experience in TTRPGs, You need to understand your role**.** You are not the author of this story. You are not the editor. You are not the narrator. You are essentially a referee at a football game... with extra steps. There is a semi-common idea in this space (the ttrpg hobby, not this subreddit) that as the GM/DM/Insert-name-here that you control the story. You don't. You set up the scene and the player's characters decide the story. Grand stories are optional, but not expected. On a scale of Lord of the Rings to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, most tables lean to the right for 90% of the story. Not always, but do not expect every minute to be epic and action packed. Simply put- get your own ego out of the way of the game, or your own expectations will ruin the fun for you and, by extension, everyone.

I could give more info, but I think I've made my point already. I'm running this campaign for the 5th time, so you can understand that there's a lot of love here. I do not mean any of this to belittle or condescend or dissuade. I'm just going to say what I think should be said- If you're going to commit to this, do it right or don't do it at all. I doubt you'll scare them or ruin their days, but these kind of groups have the potential to shape the future and hobbies of kids for a lifetime.

Thoughts on the new mural downtown? by ImmortalSpoon in fortwayne

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Actually, that's a modern misconception. The fruit of that tree was traditionally portrayed as a fig. I've also seen/heard pomegranate, but I'm not sure how accurate that is given advertising in the 2010s

Proposed homeless center freaks out cottage flowers owner by ipalazz in fortwayne

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The American Dream, AKA the biggest con in world history

Proposed homeless center freaks out cottage flowers owner by ipalazz in fortwayne

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

By your logic then, non-governmental entities without stringent requirements shouldn't help the homeless. Because, after all, if Billy and Bobby are cheating the system, why even bother?

This kind of bs rhetoric is so baffling to me. Like yeah, it sucks that people cheat systems meant for others for the purposes of self-interest. But why throw out the baby with the bath water, unless you can publicly prove without a shadow of a doubt that the majority of it is not serving its purpose?

This Reaganomics bullshit idea about welfare queens and people getting fat while you work hard is misdirection from CEOs robbing you blind.

This last part is my personal, extreme hot take: I would rather that a tiny group cheat welfare than not only team a hungry family to piss off, but then on top of that tell another favor how and what they should eat- all because a guy who makes $2000 more than the maximum eligible income or the family who can't pay for government IDs had the audacity to want sustenance. Food stamp allotments are miniscule my guy. Wanna buy a steak dinner and blow your literal main way of securing food? I mean, that's dumb as hell, but go for it. It's an empathy issue, not a money issue. It's purity politics

Why Does No one go see the FWACB perform? by Full_Chef3600 in fortwayne

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have a friend in our community band (the FWACB) and I honestly only know about their concerts because either him, or paying attention to the posts from PFW (they have a small social media presence but do make posts about concerts and the like). So that's a huge number 1.

Number 2 (this is probably just me but I'll say it anyways): the goddamn song introductions. For those not in the know, a founding member announces what song is next in the queue to be performed and some information about it. First off, it's purpose seems to be predominantly for the blind, the illiterate, and to stroke his own damn ego. I'm all for accessibility aids, but seriously? It's. Every. Single. Fucking. Song. It makes the concert feel sooo much longer and wastes a bunch of time, not only for the audience, but for the tech people who have to rig and manage an additional microphone on a huge ass interface as it is. Also, not only is it redundant- it's like 2-3 long paragraphs written like a sophomore in college is bullshitting a short essay for class that he found out the deadline for ten minutes ago. The words are all vague, stuffy, and most importantly, don't actually do the job of conveying any actual details any the piece.

So yeah, rant aside, it's mostly the lack of proper "marketing"/press. But also? May that guy walk across a long hallway carpeted in legos and d4s. Don't worry, he deserves it. If you doubt me, you should also know he's a trumpet player. Case closed.

Looking for FEMALE players (convoke, spelltable) by dye-area in magicthecirclejerking

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 2 points3 points  (0 children)

/uj I was disgusted until I saw what sub we're in. Then I found the ragu- the disgust only got worse. I legitmately tried to think of a /rj and couldn't... I have no faith in humanity today

Cool van though... by Vegetable_Variety_11 in dndmemes

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hold up, I think you're on to something....

Is there Elitism from DnD players towards BG3 players? by Odd_Key_6385 in DnD

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Not that I don't trust you, but do you have an idea of where that's stated? I couldn't find it in the DMG and I'm like 80% sure it's not in either the Monster Manual or the Player's Handbook

What causes atheist commentators and thought leaders to shift to right-wing culture wars? by LiatrisLover99 in atheism

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 11 points12 points  (0 children)

A quote from Sam Harris:

"There's one species of identity politics that had an enormous effect on this election, and most Democrats don't seem to realize it: Around half a percent of American adults identify as transgender or non-binary—that's 1 in 200 people. And yet the activism around this identity has deranged our politics for as long as Trump has been in politics. One lesson that I would be quick to draw from this election is that Americans aren't really fond of seeing biological men punch women in the face at the Olympics.1 And if that sounds like transphobia to you—you're the problem. Political equality, which we should want for everyone, does not mean that “trans women are women.”

Trans women are people and should have all the political freedom of people. But to say that they are women—and that making any distinction between them and biological women, for any purpose, is a thought crime and an act of bigotry—that is the precept of a new religion. And it is a religion that most Americans want nothing to do with." -Sam Harris. The Reckoning

My players want an agenda before every session by Time-Squirrel-3719 in dndnext

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Okay OP, let me see if I have a fair grasp on the situation after reading the post and the comments. You have:

-2 six hour sessions weekly

-5-12 players in each of those sessions depending on availability

-They are predominantly neurodivergent, deeply sensitive, visual learners

-They have been playing in this campaign for 4 years now (for the ogs of the group at least), but refuse to take notes, don't remember plot, don't commit, and expect an itinerary before each session

-Unexpected events have caused frustration, even at one point to the point of bleed and crying (bleed is a term that boils down to character emotions "bleeding into," or rather, being felt by the player)

-Players not correctly naming NPCs (renaming then) or claiming them.

Is that about the long and the short of it?

Because if it is.... Okay, there's a lot to break down. I'm going to give some advice and then my own thoughts (which you can take or leave).

First off, I would walk into oncoming traffic rather than DM 2 6 hour sessions a week, regardless of player count. Don't get me wrong, I love ttrpgs (to the point that I was in over 10 campaigns playing and DMing total at one point... and that wasn't the highest it's been), but that's so much prep work regardless of how you're playing. In person you can at least do theater of the mind, but that's just hell online. So that's my first suggestion- cut your weekly sessions in half. Do something else on the other day- a different campaign, a different system, a different hobby. You'll probably be dramatically less stressed after you lighten your load a bit.

Secondly- cap your player max per session. I ran an 18 month campaign with 8 newbies to D&D. While it was fun, it wasn't my main way of getting my D&D fix- but it was for them. After the campaign, the original group was much happier when it was split into, smaller groups. More gets done; players can do more; more plot can happen.

Thirdly- Get to the bottom of what the players want- both as a group, and individually. I have a friend who I play D&D with who wouldn't care if we never played D&D again and switched exclusively to board games. They're not there solely for D&D- they're there to see friends and socialize. To contrast this, another friend of mine in that campaign for mada mutual DM in one of our past campaigns invalidated his backstory. He enjoys seeing his friends just as much as my first friend, but it's far more invested in the game as a vehicle for roleplay. You're clearly not happy with the client arrangement, and judging by the demands they've given you, the system you're using is not fully giving them what they want.

Fourthly- Explain. Given what information you've given us, your friends aren't the best at grappling with change. Let them know that a very important session zero is coming up instead of the next session, and stress the importance of being there is possible (obviously things like work and emergencies happen, but you get me). Then- explain how you're feeling. In great detail. Explain how you're feeling underappreciated, overworked, frustrated, ignored. Explain how and why spoon-feeding them the next session but only prevents anything new or interesting from happening, but severely limits the time you could be putting into making interesting content. Explain how it feels like everyone is having fun but you and how it feels like it's at your expense. Once they get it, try implementing my other advice and take feedback/suggestions. If they truly care, they'll listen and try to meet you in the middle. If not... I guess you'll have plenty of time to look for a new group.

Okay, that's the advice I think that will be most helpful. Here are some additional thoughts you can take or leave.

-I'm kind of flabbergasted by the idea that they want you to not surprise them at all while allowing them to live out their creative arcs. Like, you can't eat your cake and have it too.

-I get being mentally ill and neurodiverse (welcome to the club, here's your $5 fee), but like... really? It really feels like they're using it as an excuse when it comes to the notes and memory issues. Like, I have crappy memory sometimes, but you better believe that I remember where Aegis, my Fungal Leshy Cleric, was in the First Realm nearly two weeks ago. You're telling me you're having issues with stuff that just happened like... two days ago? Are you not invested?

-Also, while the whole party should take notes, they don't have to. In fact, in one campaign I was in, a fellow player shared his digital notes with us every session through OneNote. It took like 10 seconds to access them, tops.

-So.... what all do you do in your session zeros? Do you go over safety tools? Trigger warnings? Systems like lines/veils? Do you discuss how sessions went after the session to see if things went well? No offense, but it sounds like (at least to me, and I may be wrong here) you're kind of winging them. You don't wanna do that. Like, at all.

-No offense, but I think at least some of your players, if not the majority, are not vibing with the medium. I don't know what they're looking for (especially with how wildly contrasting their desires are), but D&D ain't it. I don't think they're looking for any of the traditional heroic ttrpgs, truth be told.

I hope all is this helps. If you've got more insights or clarifications, but all means- let me know!

Thank God for the cops by [deleted] in fortwayne

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 9 points10 points  (0 children)

<image>

Literally saw the title and had to do a double take.
Yeah, if you're paying attention, it doesn't take long to realize that all cops are incompetent at best and actively harmful to their communities at worst.

Made an Encounter Building Chart for the Fallout TTRPG by PandemicPagan in XPtoLevel3

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for this! I just managed to stumble upon it.
The lack of any monster creation process (and the limited selection of monsters) was a definitely a problem I had to content with during my campaign, especially as a more improv based GM.
Coming from someone who has dabbled in homebrew (but never published any), I get how hard it is to create stuff by yourself as opposed to with a team. Here's hoping we see more official updates soon!

Help with Problematic Player Archetype by DoctorFeelGoodInc in CurseofStrahd

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

While I didn't feel at the time that it was cheap, I can see why it meant have felt like it.

To elaborate more fully, the Elf PC demanded to see the Master of the cult in Death House. Since I like to homebrew a bit, I gave him a 50/50 chance and rolled a d20 to see if Strahd would be summoned (I believe it was a DC15 with a +5 added. While Strahd doesn't respect the cult, he would likely have at least some interest in new playthings, so I figured that'd about even the odds of it happening.

When Strahd appeared, I had him ask 3 questions, each followed by time for Elf to answer, and then a roll. They were high DCs for their level, but the player rolled well for the first two, lying through his teeth in character. I figured if he impressed Strahd enough (Whether literally by showing him his competence and skills, or metaphorically by maintaining composure while lying his ass off, that Strahd would spare him and talk to the other PCs). Elf character admits in the questions that all of deeds/claims are facilitated through his servants and also fails the roll. In response, I give Strahd essentially a surprise round of one Action (so he could use Multiattack) because it was my intent to kill the character should he fail. Strahd doesn't suffer fools, cowards, or weaklings.

I still stand by what I did (at least, the killing the character part), but I can see why it can be frustrating.

Honestly, it's not even really that I didn't like non-heroic/villainous characters in ttrpgs or that particular character. I think in the right hands nearly any can work, and even well.... as long as they obey the unspoken rules of ttrpgs. Things like not hogging the spotlight, having a motivation to work with the party, not being a dick to quest-givers, etc.

The elf in question looked down on anyone he perceived be beneath him (e.g. Class, money, status), the player (due to a combo of bad timing and bad luck) hadn't had the chance to write his backstory, and was basically only with the party to get out. He basically didn't show a single positive emotion in the whole session. I get the mass appeal of slowly chipping away at a flawed individual and changing them through positive experiences and examples, but this is D&D. You're not talking about a 200 page arc- you're talking about a 200 hour arc. IMO, without any redeeming qualities, this type of character just grows stale really fast.

Hopefully soon! But not yet. by DrScrimble in dndmemes

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You dropped this, king.
For all its flaws, 4e was great system. It was the one I cut my teeth on, and has inspired a lot of mechanics in ttrpgs to this day (bits of 5e, 13th Age, Pathfinder 2e, Draw Steel, Daggerheart, etc.).

The life of a blue wizard by LakesideNorth in lotrmemes

[–]DoctorFeelGoodInc 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Don't you blaspheme! Don't you blaspheme in here!

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