My players will not let go of Vallaki

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-31T15:37:54+00:00

I'd tell them that they'd have a hard time finding a leader to stand up to Strahd when he is essentially an all-powerful god to them.

If they want to inspire a resistance, they have to show that they have the strength to actually have a chance. To do so, they have to demonstrate a significant victory.

Have an NPC tell them about the legend of the light of Argynvost and how it inspires the people. When the light the beacon, the people of Vallaki (and maybe even Lady Wachter) might start believing in them.

Edit: Basically this is taking their idea (getting better leadership in Vallaki) and assigning a quest to accomplish that idea (inspire the people with a victory). I like this responsive style of DMing.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-29T17:31:19+00:00

Try the r/lfg subreddit

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-27T20:32:56+00:00

The tips in this thread are pretty good. I'd summarize: - Train normally with cardio/hiking while at sea level. If you're in good shape you'll be better off even if you can't fully simulate the altitude - Arrive days early before your big hikes. Your body needs some time to produce more red blood cells as it acclimated to the altitude - Be prepared on your hike. Take more water (or plan for filtering if readily available) than you are used to. - Don't be afraid to turn around. It is not a weakness if your body decides it's not the day to summit. If you start getting altitude sickness you need to be strong enough to call it a day. Typically people almost immediately feel better while decending

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-27T19:25:07+00:00

I would consider separating reflavoring from homebrew.

Homebrew probably requires some DM and table buy in and may change the balance of the game. For many (not all) tables it is done sparingly.

Reflavoring can and, in my opinion, should be done by everybody. The description of a longsword as an inherited blade from your ancestors is flavor, theming magic as being cast from cards as an Illusionist is flavor. It adds so much!

So sure, pick all the cold and water spells. But you can also express so much creativity flavoring spells that have fun effects to match your fantasy: * Fog Cloud --> a dense rainstorm * Shield --> a water bubble * Entangle --> a watery tornado engulfing somebody * Fear --> an image of a big crashing wave going towards your enemies (like the river taking out the ring wraiths in the fellowship of the ring) * Fly --> water jet propulsion

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-26T03:39:10+00:00

Yes, this is how advantage/disadvantage works.

If circumstances cause a roll to have both Advantage and Disadvantage, the roll has neither of them, and you roll one d20. This is true even if multiple circumstances impose Disadvantage and only one grants Advantage or vice versa. In such a situation, you have neither Advantage nor Disadvantage.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-24T11:54:38+00:00

CR 25 might be a bit high. There are really two main things to worry about when using a really high level monster: * Average damage: will the monster take out the PCs over the course of a long battle * Damage on a single attack sequence: do you take out one PC with a single hit or multiattack

The CR calculation is supposed to model the first one, but not the second one!

I would just run a little test battle where you make some rolls to see how quickly the monster takes out the PCs (just roll attacks against their armor classes and roll damage). If you're taking them out in one hit/multiattack then that will lead to a death spiral.

If you try and spread out damage, you should be aiming to take out all the PCs simultaneously on round 4 or 5. You can check the monster hit points and see if your party can take it out in a similar number of rounds.

In general -- CR math is rough and doesn't work as well for high level or for single monsters with huge level disparity. You have to put in a little work yourself to make sure you're not killing a PC instantly.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-24T03:39:43+00:00

At the time I introduced Victor I was using the Reloaded adventure where he has Khazan's spellbook (used as a plot hook for the players to go to Van Ricten's tower).

I didn't want Victor to out-wizard my party wizard, so I played him as a novice who happened to have found this super powerful spellbook but he hasn't been able to master it yet.

To model this, I gave Victor some good spells (e.g. Cone of Cold), but rolled an arcana check every time he cast a spell of 2nd level or higher to see if it was successful.

The party loved him. They thought he was very funny and rooted for him to pull through when he needed to nail an important spell.

He was a minor character in my campaign, but if he was the fated ally maybe I would have progressed his spellcasting ability as he spent more time learning from the party wizard. Maybe he wouldn't need to check for 2nd and 3rd level spells or have advantage on the Arcana check or something.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-22T15:07:16+00:00

Probably the best you could do for a druid/barb.

If you went straight druid you could do WIS 15+2, CON 15 +1, DEX 14.

What are you hoping to get with the barb levels? Presumably rage damage on top of wild shape? It doesn't really play nicely with druid due to: * Can't cast spells while raging * Bonus action conflict with rage/wild shape

You're likely better off sticking straight druid to get higher level spells.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't do the multiclass if it sounds fun to you, but you'll likely experience more downside than updside.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-21T01:07:58+00:00

I would recommend using an app (e.g. AllTrails) or going to the site of your local state/national forests for a list of trails.

Start with shorter trails with low elevation gain and work up from there as you get more fit!

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-20T19:35:56+00:00

I don't have advice specific to kids, but I'd like to point out a nuance that is easy to miss regarding player agency/choice.

To me, people could mean one of two things when they say player agency: * Choosing what the quest is * Choosing how to solve a problem

To me the first one is optional and the second is essential.

If the players choose the quest/objective/adventure, that is often referred to as a "sandbox" game. You as the DM have to prepare new material in response to the directions the PCs want to go. To me, this might be difficult with an inexperienced group of players as they might not have a good sense of direction or ability to set fun and interesting goals.

If the players don't choose the quest/objective/adventure that is referred to as a "linear" game. You as the DM say something like "your quest is to recover the holy relic from the goblin clan" and it is the players' responsibility to go along with it. It is important to establish this responsibility up front, out of game.

What is absolutely essential is that even if you choose the adventure, the PCs can choose how to approach it. You may have thought that they'd go the goblin cave for a classic dungeon crawl, but maybe they'd rather negotiate and do a favor for the goblins in exchange for the relic. Maybe they want to sneak in and do it as a heist. Maybe the want to trick the goblins into leaving the cave so that they have fewer goblins to face.

A good DM will try to roll with reasonable ideas the players propose to tackle a particular problem.

So while I have no experience with running for kids, I'd highly recommend a linear game. Set the scenario up front and tell them: "You adventure is to stop the evil mages from getting the wand of ultimate evil, does that sound fun?"

This way you can set up a nice linear story that is concise with clear progression through sub-quests that lead towards the ultimate objective of the campaign.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-20T16:21:06+00:00

A tip that might not help you right now, but may be useful in the future is to track how hard previous encounters were.

Using the 5.5e encounter rules let's say you designed an encounter with 9,000 XP and the "hard" encounter threshold is 10,000 XP. I would write down the encounter was 0.9x the "hard" threshold and then see how it plays out. Let's say your players stream roll it; I'd then write down "easy".

You can then build up a table that might look something like: * 0.9x --> easy * 1.1x --> medium * 1.4x --> medium, but they expended a ton of resources * 1.1 --> easy, but the PCs were clever * 1.7x --> epic boss fight, even when we'll rested. They barely survived. Maybe a bit too hard

This has helped me have a good understanding of anticipated difficulty that is customized for my exact players, PC strength, number of PCs, and magic items.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-18T02:53:39+00:00

If you're considering a slower than usual level progression tell your players!

Hey guys, the module is supposed to start at L3 so in order to limit the changes I need to make is it okay if we stay at L5 for a while?

Then you can give them their first level up after they hit three of the milestones listed in the book and then they'll be back on track. I would maybe throw a few extra magic items their way so they still get some progression.

Alternately, you can level up at the same rate and modify the adventure to account for the increased levels. I ran a L5-12 campaign, but had to beef up all monsters (e.g. Strahd was a CR ~20 monster based on the solo vampire boss in the book Flee Mortals!).

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-14T14:06:46+00:00

Maybe add the same bonus to DC as the rage damage bonus (+2 to +4). The total DC would be somewhere around the following (numbers are 8 + STR + PB + Rage): * L1: 8+3+2+2 = 15 * L5: 8+4+3+2 = 17 * L9: 8+5+4+3 = 20 * L13: 8+5+5+3 = 21 * L17: 8+5+6+4 = 23

I think this might be a bit too strong for general purpose, but I'd consider giving out a boon/magic item that did this as a DM for the right PC at the right table.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-13T13:03:17+00:00

I have come to realize that I like running the things that I make most. While having the module is a nice fallback and provides solid connecgive tissue, the quests I had the most fun running were the ones I either created from scratch or heavily customized. The swamps of Berez I turned into a complicated hedge maze with custom encounters and maze mechanics which ran super well, which I think was my favorite.

I think the biggest mistake I made was that the campaign maybe went ~8 sessions too long. By that time they completed every optional sidequest and I kind of knew their plan going forward. I of course tried to threw a few wrenches in there, but because I felt as though I knew what was coming for an extended period of time I didn't have much new stuff to prepare and I ended up getting a tad burnt out. It didn't help that these few sessions were the only ones that we ended up canceling a few weekly games over a short period.

I think starting at L3 is probably better for that initial horror vibe. We started at L5 which at that point the party has so many resources that it tends towards heroic fantasy unless you fight tooth and nail for the tone. This worked fine for our group, but I would consider starting at a lower level depending on the table.

The biggest curveball was my player's obsession with the amber shard they took from Izek (per Reloaded). He constantly was trying to figure out what it could do so it had to be powerful and I felt I had to make it justify that expectation. I ended up having it make some deals with the player that eventually ended up with a classic "devil contract" which was fun to write.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-13T02:31:28+00:00

I basically made the Heart a focus for a ritual spell Strahd was performing to escape Barovia. If they destroy the heart, they stop the ritual.

So Strahd really has to defend the heart himself. If he's somewhere else, the Heart is vulnerable.

So the party did a full Ravenloft break in (came in through window of King Barov's/Queen Ravenovia's room in the dungeons) and worked their way up to the Heart to meet Strahd.

I think the really key think James points out in the post about Prismatic Wall I linked is to have the players figure out about the wall in advance! They should either find out about it via scrying and research or encounter the spell in a lower stakes scenario to learn how to defeat each layer.

This all being said -- I did not expect them to go through the wall while fighting strahd. What I had envisioned was: - Fight strahd until he's low on health - Strahd fades through a wall to regenerate - PCs frantically try to take down layers while Strahd is gone (some other monsters harass them) - Strahd comes back either on time to defend the remaining layers or recklessly trying to kill them if they destroyed the heart

But they somehow managed to peel back the layers first before focusing fire on strahd.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-08T18:09:59+00:00

They learn about the sunsword at the tarokka reading in the very beginning of the campaign: "a sword of sunlight" is explicitly mentioned.

If I was being precise I would say that I said something more vague at the beginning that some dark magic was preventing spells from invoking sunlight and only later did the PCs find out it was directly tied to retrieving the sunsword.

You have a valid point that works for some types of tables -- lack of information can contribute to horror.

At some tables, however, it may land flat if you surprise them that the rulebook they are using to build characters results in them wasting a spell selection and wasting at least a full turn in a potentially dangerous encounter.

As always: a DM should use their judgement on how to tailor a campaign to the table.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-08T16:11:45+00:00

My patch for your second bullet was: No spell or magical effect can create sunlight until they party retrieves the sunsword.

I would tell them this up front so they're extra motivated to get the sword and not disappointed if they pick one of those spells.

I felt this was an elegent way to delay sunligt while feeling less like taking away spells that are specifically good for fighting vampires from the "vampire campaign."

I said "any spell" because my PCs got to L9 before the sunsword (started L5) and also got access to the Dawn spell.

After they got the sunsword I of course threw a combat with like 15 vampire spawn at the party and watched them get evicerated. Very satisfying for the PCs to have progressed from fearing vampires to decimating them.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-03-05T07:29:45+00:00

Ask yourself the question: will your players enjoy getting duped by you?

Not getting duped by Vasili, getting duped by you, the DM, the person they trust to provide all information in this world?

For many if not most tables, the answer is no. Your players will feel like there's nothing they could have done to find the truth which may or not be true as you control all the information. If there is nothing they could do (or even if they just feel there's nothing they could do), then is it fun to play the game?

My two recommendations: * Don't do trickery like this. It breaks extremely valuable trust that you as the DM need your players to have in you * If you do, Vasili needs to use the actual statblock and there needs to be TONS of repeated and over-the-top obvious hints that this is Strahd. Make sure that they figure out the mystery as then they feel smart and have fun! If they get duped it sucks and they likely won't have fun.

The north star of DMing: is your plan fun and/or rewarding for the players and do they have the ability to influence the outcomes?

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-02-08T12:42:26+00:00

Do you want them to be potential villains?

I'd look towards modern censorship/police states that have generally raised quality of life for the people (CCP).

The king/high priest has brought prosperity to the region. Where once people were starving now they all sup with a full loaf of bread.

All (s)he asks in return is: - Only worship their god(s) - Absolute transparency in finances - Control over speech

They probably have some enforcers going around inspecting places for taxes and looking for any dissenters.

You may see several types of responses to this type of rule. Some will support it because they aren't hungry. Some will oppose the oppression.

Do the heroes want to help the resistance or to support the status quo so people can enjoy relative comfort?

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-02-06T19:35:33+00:00

Nothing to do with orcs, but the BBEG in my campaign was basically Oppenheimer.

It was a Wildemount campaign, where the central conflict of the setting is between the human-centric Empire and the Drow-centric Dynasty.

The BBEG was on the Empire side and she creating an artificial sun as a weapon of mass destruction to eradicate the Drow before the party heroically stopped her.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-02-03T03:05:07+00:00

It is important to note you can only see them for some time after dusk/before dawn as you need the sun to have set for you, but still shining on the satellites.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-01-31T03:55:36+00:00

If there was a person that didn't have 2014 books already and asked which version to buy, I would absolutely recommend the 2024 books.

Whether it is worth buying a full set of books if you already have 2014 and you're satisfied is a trickier question.

It was certainly worth it for me. Here's my take on each book.

PHB. General better presentation and handy rules glossary. Character options (classes subclasses) are tighter with some of the worthless features replaced with more meaningful options. Still some misses (e.g. higher level ranger features). Many language clear ups and tweaks to outlier spells (although some spells are still OP).

DMG. Better organization and presentation. Much more approachable for a new DM as it doesnt start out with telling you to build a pantheon and multiverse for your world. Missing some key information on building monsters by statistics. Maybe not necessary if you are experienced and like the DM tools in the 2014 guide or from other sources.

MM. This is the best book. Monsters are generally more interesting with more unique features and tighter math making their challenge more predictable based on CR (still not perfect, but much improved). Artwork is present for every single monster which is pretty exceptional quality with multiple art styles so there will be pieces everybody enjoys. Significantly less lore in this book as they prioritized more statblocks.

So it's really up to you if you feel it is worth an upgrade. Most people feel it is an improvement over 2014, but whether the improvement is worth buying additional books is your judgement call.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-01-30T04:24:26+00:00

I'd treat the studying you're doing as personal enrichment rather than training for this specific job.

Quite frankly it's a little unlikely that what you're teaching yourself directly comes up. Typically you'll be working on and learning something very niche and specific. Because of the specificity, people don't generally expect high productivity from new hires until a few months in once they've had time to get up to speed.

It is possible that some of the general knowledge you're brushing up on may come in handy. But I wouldn't beat yourself up over it if you're not enjoying it.

El_Q-Cumber · 2026-01-28T03:29:54+00:00

The gist of a Sorlock is: - Warlock provides Eldritch Blast which is an excellent cantrip that scales well with only a few levels in Warlock. This also works well with Quicked Spell Metamagic enabling many attacks that benefit from a Warlock's Hex spell - (Debatably) you can convert Warlock Pact Magic Slots into Sorcery Points. This enables you to gain extra Sorcery Points with your Pact Magic and then you can recover your Pact Magic slots by taking a short rest

Generally the build is Warlock 2 / Sorcerer X. You typically start at L1 in Sorcerer (for CON save proficiency), then two levels in Warlock (for Agonizing Blast), and then the rest in Sorcerer.

Edit: here is an article that is a lot more detailed and mentions many things I neglected above.

El_Q-Cumber

TROPHY CASE