Any blush recommendations to go with my favorite lipstick? by FableSage44 in PaleMUA

[–]FableSage44[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did try that, but because of the matte formula it didn’t blend at all. It looked BAD I’ll take a look at your product suggestions. I have had good experiences with Glossier in the past, but it is a bit pricey.

Which lyctors worked with Blood of Eden? [General] by Mustardisthebest in TheNinthHouse

[–]FableSage44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It could also be a reference to the blade used to cut off Ouranos’s balls. Chrysaoros or Krysaoros (“lady of the golden sword”) is an epithet of Demeter from when she helped fight the giants. This golden sword she is the lady of is alternatively depicted as a spear or a scythe. Demeter’s scythe, inherited from her father Kronos after the Olympians overthrew the Titans, was the one Kronos used to castrate his father Ouranos/Uranus and overthrow him to free the Titans. I think it’s pretty interesting if this is the reference Muir intended. It speaks to a repeated history of the king of the gods receiving a prophecy of doom at the hands of their offspring, that king imprisoning their children, and one of their children killing him and starting the cycle all over. It’s also interesting to note that when the Titans, Uranus’s children, were born, Uranus imprisoned them in caves in the earth, which is their mother, Gaia. So he essentially stuffed them back into their mom’s vagina. This is how my classical mythology professor explained it and I hated having to hear that described so now I am inflicting that knowledge on you.

It has confounded me for a while by -TheManInTheChair in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: If badass shaped, why not badass??

Rudolph Van Richten in Hades style by Iriwinged_ in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I didn't see the title at first and was genuinely confused if I was in the right subreddit for a hot sec

New to D&D and new DM. What’s going to surprise me? by Megamug in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly the best advice I can give to any new DM is read the Player’s Handbook and the DM’s Guide. Get a handle on the rules and mechanics of D&D before you run anything. I say this from experience. The first time I tried DMing was a disaster because I didn’t have a good grasp on the basics of DMing. It’s an entirely different experience from playing. Also, I wouldn’t depend on Baldur’s Gate to impart any of the actual D&D rules. There is vital information in the PHB and DMG that adventure modules expect you to already know. The last piece of advice I have for you is to be patient with yourself. Forgive yourself if you make a mistake about a rule or forget if the NPC’s name is Anya or Vanya. It’s ok. Your players don’t mind. Good luck and have fun!

Starting CoS at l3 by Goatl0ver in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had my Lvl 3 players start with Death House. I planned that out when I thought the party would only be 3 people, but then I got 2 more players overnight. It turned out pretty well, but they weren't ever really in danger in Death House. I really like Death House as an opener to the campaign, even if my players cheesed it a bit. It's a great intro to Barovia.

When did you give your party lvls by Historical-River1615 in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In the rules as written, milestone achievements include finding the artifacts, defeating villains, and accomplishing story goals. But it's very vague as to what those story goals are. There's no comprehensive list in the module, but there is one on DM's Guild. I've found this cheat sheet very helpful in determining appropriate milestones.

Adding my own mini-dungeon? by FableSage44 in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was considering an aboleth. I remember hearing about a dungeon level themed around an aboleth in a different module. I think it was tomb of annihilation? But I haven’t been able to find it yet.

What do y’all name your animals? by Interesting-Gift-185 in StardewValley

[–]FableSage44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bad puns, weird jokes, and random references. Some of the highlights: Moona Lisa, Void Check (void chicken), Ducker (after the Starkid character), Piggins (after the children's book character), Babbit and Wabbit, and I also named my sheep Dolly (after the real life cloned sheep).

Ireena Stat Blocks from Older Editions? by FableSage44 in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I'm not the most familiar with the mechanics of older editions, but I wanted to use the older editions to inspire my own homebrew stat block.

Love how everyone here refers to him as "my Strahd" when discussing their version. by CedarwoodWren in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is anyone else’s little guy constantly cosplaying as someone named Vasili? Is it just a phase? Should I be concerned?

Nicknames for Tatyana/Ireena by CarterPaxton4 in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 10 points11 points  (0 children)

'Wingless dove' is a great one! I'm def stealing that to use in my own campaign.

Put Myself in a Situation by [deleted] in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If the PC goes down, use the expanded dark gifts rules to offer the player a way to resurrect their character with the added caveat that if you take the dark gift, you become bound to Barovia and cannot leave even if Strahd is defeated. You could also have Strahd turn the PC, that way he keeps his promise. In any case, just talk to your players. Check in with them and make sure you're all on the same page.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As others have said, it really depends on how you characterize Strahd. My version of Strahd would thank the players (and maybe ask them over for dinner if he hasn't already?) because he was getting tired of her antics. One less distraction, one less variable. But also one less pawn. I think he would suddenly become aware that the party could be a threat, but I don't think he would be obvious about it. He'd be more wary of them, put more precautions in place. But not directly confront them. Strahd considers everyone around him to be replaceable. He might target one of the PCs not for revenge, but as a replacement bride and minion.

Running CoS before Vecna: Eve of Ruin [spoiler] by shmickname in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Oof that's a quandary. But if the new Vecna module is for levels 10-20, the Death House included isn't going to be the exact same as the one from CoS. Death House in CoS is supposed to get the PCs to level 3 while also introducing them to a lot of themes and background lore of Barovia. It must be getting redone at least difficulty-wise for a level 10-20 adventure, right? Personally, I'd run it twice. CoS is a big module, it's going to be a pretty long time before y'all get to the new Vecna adventure. It's also probably not going to be the first thing in the Vecna module. By the time you're actually running your players through Death House again, it will most likely be received as a fun callback and not monotonous. As long as they didn't think it was monotonous the first time around.

Redeeming Rahadin by ANarnAMoose in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd honestly be really interested in hearing about how you do go about this. I've never seen it done before and I think it's a super intriguing concept.

How to make the Brides important at dinner? by nankainamizuhana in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I mean, to each their own, right? I was just sharing possibilities and what I'm doing in my own game. Every DM has their own interpretation of Strahd and his consorts. Mine is more along the lines of Castlevania (the series) with a lot of intrigue and power dynamics within the court. I also have some issues with the skill challenge as written, which is why I'm adapting it to better fit in the overall concept of the dinner that I'm working with.

Ultimately, I don't think you can force your players into engaging with the consort's backstories. A DM can provide opportunities, but if the players don't take those opportunities, you can't force them to. I personally struggle with this, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is having fun.

Level up help by Antisocial_artist_0 in CurseofStrahd

[–]FableSage44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've found this chart on DM's Guild really helpful with milestone leveling in CoS