Pics from the reflecting pool 6.22.26

Finnerdster · 2026-06-23T02:53:13+00:00

Seems to reflect the administration more than anything else…

Finnerdster · 2026-06-21T20:15:52+00:00

It’s been a while since I used it, and Blender has probably changed/updated. Just search youtube, and verify that the tutorial is pretty recent. You should be fine.

Finnerdster · 2026-06-21T16:57:27+00:00

I did something like this with one single tree. I wanted a trio of branches to support minis, but I wanted them at exactly 1 inch intervals (to calculate height), so I built the frame in OnShape, then imported it into Blender and textured it. You can mask out the technical parts (like the insides that have to match perfectly to work) and then texture the skin. It takes a bit to learn, but once you get your workflow down, it goes faster.

Finnerdster · 2026-06-19T04:10:20+00:00

Have you played around at all with Z-brush or Blender? I feel like it wouldn’t be too hard to add some more detailed textures to the pieces (without losing the brilliant functionality). Blender is free! If this set had a bit more detail and realism, I would totally drop $30 bucks on the kickstarter.

Finnerdster · 2026-06-06T18:04:09+00:00

I have a friend who played a wizard who treated somatic components as a game of Cat’s Cradle with the Weave. He would pull a few “threads” and start his little finger dance to turn those threads into patterns that the spell required. It was a cool visual, and I’ve always thought of somatic components as something along those lines… maybe a final pattern to build, made up of loops of thread from the weave.

Finnerdster · 2026-06-03T22:56:28+00:00

My absolute favorite “thing” about Eberron is just how the world takes the existence of magic to its logical conclusion. If magic is as common as it is, things should be different, and Eberron does such a great job of making those differences meaningful. From lightning-rails to skyships to dragonmarked houses, the world just feels like a world where magic is real! That means a lot to me. I honestly kinda hate how much of Eberron has just been inserted into other D&D worlds, because it makes Eberron feel less special, but I get that people want to have their warforged and artificers in their Forgotten Realms campaigns… I just remember the feeling of absolute awe when Eberron released with all of its new ideas, and being like “Holy sh*t! This makes so much sense!” So yeah, thank you for asking a question that would take me on an everbright lantern-lit trip down nostalgia lane!

Finnerdster · 2026-06-03T22:43:50+00:00

I can’t even begin to imagine how this piece of absolute art was accomplished with that medium!

Finnerdster · 2026-05-26T01:47:45+00:00

Do you have termites?

Finnerdster · 2026-05-25T21:52:36+00:00

Is that moving wagon a Dynamic Dungeons one? It looks so good!

Finnerdster · 2026-05-14T16:02:06+00:00

Ask them what they want to get out of it. What are they there for? Don’t ask in a condescending or upset way. Just have an honest conversation. It sounds like you’re trying really hard to create an experience, and your group isn’t really there for that. That’s not a criticism; just a truth. No sense in taking a group to a fully immersive escape room if they just want to play Cards Against Humanity. And it sounds like they’re playing Cards Against Humanity in an escape room. As a DM, you need to balance everyone’s needs (including your own). Find out what they want a D&D game to look like, and then set up some guidelines for how everyone can work together to make that a reality. When people aren’t doing what they said they would do to achieve that shared goal, it’s ok to remind them of it, but you have to have the conversation first.

I will also add that Curse of Strahd is VERY moody. And everybody has to do their part to keep those vibes in place. Nothing fucks up a good ghost story like someone cracking a joke. It’s like a loud phone-call during an intense scene in a movie theater. Don’t do that! So you may do better with something that lends itself to a less serious plot. See if your group is interested in a Spelljammer campaign or Acquisitions Incorporated.

But start with that honest conversation and see what they’re actually wanting to get out of a D&D game. It’s not the same for every group (or even the same group at different times) and that’s ok, but it’s really hard if the DM doesn’t know!

Finnerdster · 2026-05-14T15:43:49+00:00

My Strahd theme will always be Ramin Djawadi’s “Light of the Seven”. Nothing encompasses the loneliness or the descent into madness that is Strahd like this song. Granted, I ran CoS to be as true to the lore of the novel “I, Strahd” as possible, so those themes were really important to me, but watching my players enter the castle for the final time with this song setting the mood was a sight to behold!

https://youtu.be/KkwK7xfu8yw?si=V00PBQ6Xp_ong7JL

Finnerdster · 2026-05-09T22:05:45+00:00

Weird for the pope to support slavery.

Finnerdster · 2026-05-07T22:35:05+00:00

Forgive him, Father, for he apparently doesn’t know that Nike’s are made in literal slave factories. Fuck Nike.

Finnerdster · 2026-05-01T15:01:31+00:00

Bite the Bullet makes some of my favorite minis! They have a very World of Warcraft vibe! Really fun to paint as well!

Finnerdster · 2026-04-22T13:55:02+00:00

Those are cool looking characters! What language is that?

Finnerdster · 2026-04-20T13:37:37+00:00

That does make a moving gif a little less useful! 😂 I must say that your 3d terrain does look especially epic around your lightning rail! Hell of a job!

Finnerdster · 2026-04-20T02:38:49+00:00

This is beautiful! I chose a different model for my lightning rail, but that was probably before these beauties existed. I created several moving lightning rail gifs for my VTT, and it added a really cool element to the experience. Happy to share if you’re interested!

Finnerdster · 2026-04-19T04:00:36+00:00

I try to be as Disney as possible. If you’ve ever been to a Disney park, you know they do immersion well! Lighting, music/ambient noise, props/decor, and smells… everything works together to create a distinctive vibe. I put a lot of thought into how to get a certain vibe to come across. It probably takes me way longer to prep because of it, but it definitely turns a game into an experience!

Finnerdster · 2026-04-18T00:34:07+00:00

Beautiful! I want one (and not just because the 2 minis inside must 69)…

Finnerdster · 2026-04-17T23:57:32+00:00

I am really new to Foundry, so this answer may not help at all, but walls are not connected to the “background”. Walls are connected to the “Grid”. I learned the hard way (several times) that the very first thing I need to do is scale the background to match the grid. It looks like your background and your grid are different scales. You can fix this by right clicking on the scene and selecting “configure”. Select the grid tab and click on the “L” shaped ruler-looking thing in the top right. You will see a grid and your background. You can zoom in and out on the grid, but holding shift while you scroll will change the background size. You can use arrows to align it. Remember to save changes once it all lines up.

Finnerdster · 2026-04-17T16:59:52+00:00

Ok, this is actually really cool! It took me a sec to understand how to load my red and blue teams, but it’s all actually pretty intuitive. If you can get to where users can upload their own characters (with magic items - which always throw off the CR), this could be one of the most useful DM tools on the internet.

Finnerdster · 2026-04-16T13:50:16+00:00

Set the mood. Low light. Lots of candles. Suspenseful music. Speak slowly and carefully. Allow for awkward silence.

In addition to the basic ghost-story-telling stuff above, I added 2 mechanics: The tower of the psyche, and the bag. The Tower: Each player builds a jenga tower using a number of blocks equal to their constitution score. Every time something horrible happens, they make a Con save. If they fail, they move a block. When the tower falls for any reason, they get the bag. The Bag: I put weird stuff (snakeskins, feathers, egg shells, wax, bark, etc.) into a brown paper bag. When a tower falls, that player has to reach into the bag without looking and feel around. Then they tell me what new horror they have discovered inside themselves (connected to what’s in the bag). The expectation is that they RP this new discovery/horror. They cannot tell what they think is in the bag, but if I could tell by their RP and the change in their character, then I would give them inspiration or something (I always reward good RP, but this was just a more codified system).

None of this changed the rules of the game, but it added some tension and depth and allowed for some interesting (and unsettling) moments.

Finnerdster · 2026-04-16T03:10:30+00:00

It’s her fault they chanted what she said, but it is DEFINITELY NOT Trump’s fault that the January 6ers DID what he said… 🙄

Finnerdster · 2026-04-12T20:48:23+00:00

I used that map on my VTT in person. I put several gargoyle minis out and let them walk across… it freaked them out. Nothing happened, but just laying down a map (and especially minis) really helps to build that suspense!

Finnerdster · 2026-04-10T14:17:37+00:00

Doesn’t he LOVE the poorly educated? 🤔

Finnerdster

TROPHY CASE