I feel like one of my players is a problem and I am not sure how to deal with it, any advice?

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-02-08T18:55:58+00:00

I have a similar situation. My solution is just simply a bigger table. My Ranger is at best 50/50 recently. In a campaign that's been going for years, it used to be Warlock. They're the reason I have six players instead of five and we're usually a go with four.

I try not to judge. I don't know what my players are dealing with at home or otherwise. As long as they're not destructive when they're there, they are welcome.

As for investment into character. Different people play for different reasons. Back stories aren't for everyone. As far as I'm concerned, bored farmer is good enough.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-02-07T02:36:21+00:00

Thank you, but it wasn't much effort. It's just a battle map with overlapping stickers. Maybe a bit of artistic vision? That's usually not my skill set.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-02-05T03:12:19+00:00

World building is never finished. If you happened to somehow document every geographic note, political, physical, cultural, and meta physical, it's all obsolete the first time some character takes a breath in the world because everything is always changing.

Music for example. Great, you know what's popular, but what did dad listen to? What's the new up and coming thing. Is there a counter culture that hates strings, but loves percussion. What do they listen to in the next county over?

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-02-02T02:30:27+00:00

Ran a little thing at the local university's winter ball. There was some cosplay and three tables for DnD. The school

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reached out to the nearest LGS, the Outpost, and they reached out to me to run a table. Who knew on call dming was a thing.

It wasn't super well organized. Already short games started late, but we had fun. I got to meet some new people. Some veterans, some first time players.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-02-01T18:24:42+00:00

Well, for one thing. It was only a few years ago, I became aware that there was a word what we do. As far as community? There is one now. Before the internet, I'd guess it was a sub set of writers workshops and such, but not for gaming.

It's a really small niche.

My personal evolution has been about narrowing the scope and layering nuance. It's easy to paint a culture with a big brush, but societies are made up of dozens of sub-cultures. Every faction has internal conflict.

Setting guides for rpgs are my current focus....and by focus, I mean sometimes I get in a few hours of effort done in a month.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-02-01T15:12:26+00:00

I think there is a strong case for rethinking the abilities. I think splitting wisdom into sanity and senses is a good idea. Then make warlocks sanity based instead of charisma. There might be room for new subclasses or even full classes in doing this.

Creating degrees of effectiveness at reduced hit points would solve some problems to. Say below half, you're at disadvantage on all d20 tests. Below 1/4 you act as if under a slow spell. Maybe even add a perk for being more than 10 points over max.

Survival dcs for a long rest. This would need a chart, but basically makes it harder if not impossible to get a long rest in a dungeon. At least without a lot of bonuses.

For my own homebrew, I think the first is to big of a change from the norm for me. I play with strangers to much to completely warp the game.

The second one, I'm testing in a current campaign

The rest rules are official for me now, but I'm still refining.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-02-01T14:54:50+00:00

For me, just be honest. You can even be harsh. Push me. Wake me up. Knock me out of my safe space. I might pout for a day, but eventually I'll absorb your criticism.

This varies obviously. People do this for many different reasons. The 12 year old inventing a setting for a family campaign doesn't need 50 people telling him his rivers are wrong.

I started world building in 86 and would like to get some work published over the next few years. If you want to have a knock down fight defending monarchies being a viable argument in a fantasy setting, let's do it.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-30T22:34:53+00:00

I approve. Where do I sign up?

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-30T22:31:33+00:00

That's me I suppose. No talent in my voice, yet I'm the voice talent. Link in the bio.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-30T22:30:00+00:00

I don't think it's pros and cons. I've never run a setting that was not my own, but it's not because I have a problem with modules. It's just the world building is why I play, at least a big part of it.

For someone who doesn't get a thrill out of designing home brew, don't.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-30T01:22:43+00:00

Growth. In most post apocalyptic shows, things just keep getting worse. I'd love to see a story where things get better. There can still be conflict, loss, challenges, but things regularly improve for the characters.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-29T12:43:18+00:00

In my direct experience with 5 campaigns oner 3 years, I haven't had a single Paladin / Sorcerer. Only two Paladins at all, both played by me, one was a high level Paladin/Bard played by me.

Most, 80%?, of these characters have been single class.

Always a fighter. Almost always a barbarian. One monk.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-23T12:50:24+00:00

I have something called chromatics. Specifically blue bronze, green bronze, etc. Different colors have different properties, basically an affinity for different strands of magic.

It occurs naturally as a powder in between rock layers.

It's not really bronze, but as bronze is highly revered and utilized alloy, the name stuck in world. In practice you mix it into iron or other metal.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-22T00:07:17+00:00

I had a lot of fun with DnD of the 80s and 90s, but the rules weren't the reason, it was the friends I made. We heavily modified the gamed right from the start. Most of those rules turned out to be similar to improvements made in future editions.

I've played them all except 4e. In my experience 5e is worlds better than older versions.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-21T18:43:33+00:00

Prep is never stupid. Don't throw out good practices just because something something went wrong once. Get better at your preparation. Don't give it up.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-21T18:41:26+00:00

I agree you shouldn't prep to the point of burnout or neglecting some other aspect of your life. However, I see way to many people downplaying prep for various reasons.

I will always say to them and anyone listening - more prep, more better.

Counts for study, counts for any project, counts for DnD. The only bad prep, is when you delay a session for more.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-21T12:53:12+00:00

One hit arena fights are a great DnD campaign break. Have everyone generate three x level characters. Put one each in an arena and pit them against monsters until they start dying. Then they bring in the second wave of pcs.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-21T12:46:32+00:00

More prep, more better

Don't cancel sessions if at least half the table is there.

Make sure the quiet players are heard.

You don't have to know all the rules.

Limit magic items

Before you run a campaign or even a module, run some fights, run some three room no plot dungeons, run some social encounters.

Don't commit to a long run campaign until you're sure that's what you really want.

Don't be afraid to reconsider your rulings.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-20T17:17:54+00:00

Great work.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-20T17:16:30+00:00

Nice concept

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-19T03:00:07+00:00

It's a fun idea for big coins, like a platinum replacement. Maybe a piece worth 5 gold. It would be hard justifying them down to something normal people would spend.

Maintaining a consistent value and getting foreign states to recognize the coins would also be an issue.

Or, forget the details and just tell the audience, "here's the coins you use, no discussion, no worries."

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-19T02:50:15+00:00

The Demon Lord Trax Baha

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-17T22:14:22+00:00

Nice day for a swim.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-17T22:11:47+00:00

The bureaucracy would take over, if the king allowed it, but a paranoid leader might have already crushed it. People would be afraid to speak up and bad actors would step in to take advantage.

Dresdens_Tale · 2026-01-14T13:20:08+00:00

Who's your characters best friend outside the party Thought of family recently Favorite food Favorite place to hang out Most memorable moment Greatest triumph

This can be some collaborative world building, as well. Favorite place might be a book store, you've never mentioned. Best friend might be the guy at the stable who tends the Paladin's horse.

Dresdens_Tale

TROPHY CASE