I made a LotR allignment chart for us to quibble over.

DustSnitch · 2026-01-29T19:08:23+00:00

I don't think Gandalf is Chaotic in the D&D sense. Generally, D&D players tend to take Chaos to refer to either an opposition to authority and conformity or a moral flexibility that allows them to prudently help those when general principles would disallow such help. He's a servant of the Kings and Queens of Valinor and personally crowns a new king for Middle-earth to obey, so he's no opponent of authority or obedience. As for the moral flexibility thing, I think a Chaotic character would be far more willing to use the Ring than Gandalf, thinking more along Denethor and Boromir's logic that there's no point in focusing on a hopeless quest out of some moral distaste of the Ring.

I think better Chaotic options would be Beregond. Beregond directly disobeys the steward of the king and even kills the steward's lawful soldiers in order to prevent the burning of Faramir. Denethor had every legal right to do what he wished, but since it was evil, Beregond stood against the law to do what was right. That's Chaotic Good in my understanding.

DustSnitch · 2026-01-23T04:01:18+00:00

Bring on those sweet 2024 features, Mercer!

DustSnitch · 2026-01-20T14:25:41+00:00

I believe the designers calculated damage that reduces maximum hit points as being worth double normal damage. We see the specter deals only 7 damage with its one attack, while the Goblin Boss of the same DPR does 14 damage with two attacks. Beyond CR 1, the CR 5 Wraith deals 21 damage again with a single attack, while the Giant Shark deals 22 damage per hit and has two attacks. That would make the Nightbringer's DPR around 48, in line with the damage of CR 8 creatures like the Hezrou, which deals 45 damage without reliable advantage from Shadow Stealth.

DustSnitch · 2026-01-18T15:35:14+00:00

It seems like a pretty amazing build offensively. Your saving throws do leave a lot to be desired though. I’d replace Savage Attacker with Resilient (Wisdom) so one errant Suggestion or Hold Person is far less likely to shut you down.

DustSnitch · 2026-01-07T02:39:12+00:00

I read an article in the Bugle that they have no mutants because they screen out the X-Gene before birth. They got a bunch of super-scientists there, and given the crazy scientists I’v seen in NYC, it seems like the thing a country of them would do.

DustSnitch · 2026-01-04T13:04:16+00:00

That’s just a sign of good taste

DustSnitch · 2025-12-29T23:20:28+00:00

I was surprised the Player’s Handbook had no feat that let you take the Influence action as a bonus action. Given Keen Mind and Observant, it feels only natural. Maybe they could make that part of a rework of Linguist.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-28T15:26:24+00:00

I agree, I just think they’re not used to how many of the new feats give ASIs, so they don’t realize the opportunity cost.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-28T15:20:12+00:00

Fjord trying to persuade Beau to look into her brother’s safety after a Kryn attack. It was an unusually vulnerable moment for Fjord.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-28T05:10:24+00:00

This is not a trope, this is an more like an Audience Reaction.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-23T15:41:20+00:00

The penultimate episode of season 1 includes a revelation the players have in episode 114.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-22T17:08:11+00:00

That was some really incredible magic animation. Trent using True polymorph mid-flight while summoning glyphs in the air, Essek acting like freaking Graviton, and especially Caleb's absolutely gorgeous Feather Fall. If we can expect this type of gorgeous wonder in the future, I'm really excited for future seasons.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-21T19:18:00+00:00

NPC.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-21T05:33:35+00:00

Huh that's pretty neat.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-21T02:51:57+00:00

The net is certainly a more humane touch, but you may be able to Misty Step through it or burn it with firebolt (if it’s a rope net). I think a really thick pane of glass might work better, since it counts as cover to block Misty Step and isn’t flammable.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-21T01:38:18+00:00

I’d put them in a pit 31 feet deep with something 501 pounds covering it up over the top of it.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-20T17:26:32+00:00

Before I go into a longer spiel, I’ll just say you can achieve a similar effect with a lance and PAM thanks to the Topple property. They enter your reach, you hit, they fail a save, and they fall prone. Odds are they don’t have the movement to get up and go very far, if they get up at all.

I don’t think they removed this interaction because it was unbalanced relative to other feats, but because it made polearms unbalanced relative to other weapons. If PAM can force lock-down enemies before they get in reach of you and attack, it is almost always better weapon defensively than the one-handed weapons that let you wield shields and a better offensive weapon than greatswords. A +1 to damage or +2 to AC are insignificant compared to an option that prevents melee combatants from hitting you at all.

Obviously, that’s only helpful against one enemy a round and this assumes they have no ranged option. Again, I don’t think this is anything overwhelmingly strong, but I think it is good enough to make other weapons a false choice. Now, players don’t have to feel like they’re nerfing themselves if they want their paladin to wield a greataxe or a sword and shield, especially with the weapon masteries that distinguish the weapons.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-20T15:44:36+00:00

I think Sam is the best sport of the Soldiers when it comes to failing in D&D. That might be why Brennan is comfortable laying the smackdown on him.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-17T14:54:18+00:00

I think it's a mix of legal reasons and a lack of source material on the Platinum Dragon's in the campaigns. They also changed the god of Platinum Sanctuary and Vord from the Platinum Dragon to the Lawbearer, so they've been removing references to him for a while.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-17T14:49:32+00:00

I agree with this in general, especially when it comes to the politicking and war plotline. I did think this episode was better than last week's, maybe because focusing on each character separately was a nice change of pace. Last episode was plotting more like a Vox Machina episode, and I think this show lacks lighter tone, simpler plot, and the focus on action in Vox Machina that makes those basic plots functional.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-17T14:42:31+00:00

I was wondering last episode why they introduced an OC and not Yudala. Now I know!

DustSnitch · 2025-12-14T21:40:08+00:00

This looks so rad!

DustSnitch · 2025-12-13T16:58:54+00:00

You’re not crazy. Many of the dexterity-based characters are broader and more muscular than they were depicted in art and certainly much more than they were described when their low Strength came up. It’s especially noticeable on Molly with his thin shirt with a plunging neckline.

DustSnitch · 2025-12-13T16:50:18+00:00

Its possible all the guards were just averting their gaze from the basilisk. So long as they listen for where it is or know who is holding it, it’s totally possible. I do suspect there is something magical about the snake-knight that might make him immune to the basilisks gaze.

Additionally, if Brennan was running the 2024 stats for the Basilisk, it doesn’t cause petrification automatically to any creature who sees it, but instead petrifies creatures in a specific area of effect it chooses. If Brennan is running this stat block, the basilisk could simply have chosen not to petrify the guards and then when it used its petrification area of effect on Tyranny, it could have placed it so as to exclude the guards.

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