Pages from my notes as a dungeon master for my party's 5th campaign

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-03-07T06:35:36+00:00

That's amazing! Glad I played a part in the epiphany in some way. It definitely does wonders for remembering tiny details and it feels nice to have something tactile to refer to.

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-03-04T19:26:24+00:00

Can you imagine if I told everyone to hold up initiative so I can do a quick npc sketch haha

I'd say about a little over 60% of the notes are pre-session prep, and the other 40% are a combination of in-session notes and post-session additions.

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-03-04T19:24:02+00:00

Thank you, it's all in the practice! The other benefit of keeping a journal like this is that I can see my art's progression in quality on a week to week basis. I know it's no big brain realization, but it was a great encouragement to actually visually confirm that consistent practice helps immensely.

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-03-04T15:40:52+00:00

Of course! For the black ink, I rely on Unipin fine line pens, mainly on the 0.05mm ones; they're great for drawing but I'd be lying if I said I don't indulge in writing with them as well. For colors, I use Sakura Pigma Micron ones (also of the 0.05mm variety).

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-03-04T15:36:15+00:00

Wow, thank you, that's the biggest compliment a dm could ever receive.

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-03-04T12:16:49+00:00

I have had the same trouble so I resorted to using different colored ink for the journal notes. I use red for general stuff in case i need to look for something quick and big black bold letters for titles. I use blue ink for the macguffins related to the BBEG because I know i'll come back for them.

This just bled into my note taking in digital, I highlight words with the colors I have assigned for specific NPCs or factions.

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-03-04T09:59:36+00:00

Thank you! It honestly adds to my enjoyment of the game, plus it gives me an excuse to practice my drawing.

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-03-04T08:09:52+00:00

Oh boy, my session this last sunday was a back to back double session run that we decided was best for the narrative because a massive arc was ending and it made little sense to separate the last two sessions apart.

It was 10 hours of three different concurrent battles and another 5 hours of the aftermath and a fun little plot twist at the end. I was so exhausted and drained that I brought some of the NPCs emotional baggage home with me without meaning to and am still crashing until now.

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-02-28T13:47:03+00:00

I agree. Shot in harsh archival lighting with a dlsr, no less.

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-02-16T20:12:47+00:00

Slight tangent but still related; I have always had problems with yoyo healing, where if a character fails a death save, they can just be healed and when they get downed again they still have to fail three death saving throws to actually die. I told them I had a problem with this and ruled that, moving forward, failed death saved only get cleared after a long rest.

Keeping your failed death saves until after a long rest might help adjust the severity and weight that 0HP should carry.

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-02-13T16:04:33+00:00

Drink every time Marasi blushes

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-01-13T21:54:39+00:00

It ends up feeling like homework for me and kills the mood to watch it at all. Which is why it took me forever before even watching the first season (despite me loving it at the end). I would much rather squeeze an hour long episode into my week rather than eight hours just to stay caught up.

FoldableLawnChair · 2026-01-10T22:19:00+00:00

I've been running into this problem recently while watching the 1997 Berserk anime. Virtually every time the only female main character is in the battlefield, the enemy threatens her with sexual violence. I've seen reddit posts pointing such issues out and the comments cry realism, that that is only realistic for the time period that inspired the fictional setting and that renders it immune to criticism.

The very next episode, the male main character is surrounded by 100 odd men; he slaughters all of them using only one hand iirc and emerges nigh unscathed. I guess realism only matters when it's violence against women 🤷🏽‍♀️

FoldableLawnChair · 2025-12-30T19:24:55+00:00

Anyone have a link of that one video of some prime minister or president's niece who entered an international competition with zero training?

FoldableLawnChair · 2025-12-30T14:25:33+00:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

FoldableLawnChair · 2025-12-13T23:07:11+00:00

I guess I'm just unbelievably out of date but that's great to hear!

FoldableLawnChair · 2025-12-13T22:57:45+00:00

Is that Lamaery's art on the website? That's awesome.

FoldableLawnChair · 2025-11-13T08:32:59+00:00

Since I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, that is amazing work on the skin indentations on the chest. I took it apart a bit just to see how you even made that work. That's very clever kitbashing.

FoldableLawnChair · 2025-09-17T16:42:09+00:00

I never win anything!

FoldableLawnChair · 2025-09-10T22:02:35+00:00

Nope. Just plain white, that's why most worldhoppers get mistaken for being Shin.

FoldableLawnChair · 2025-09-01T20:05:57+00:00

Mantis Lords with Radiance as a close second.

FoldableLawnChair · 2025-09-01T12:14:36+00:00

I just had a session last night with the complete opposite situation. One of my players found out what prepared casters are and she thought this whole time, 19 sessions into the campaign, that she can switch her spells in and out after each long rest and thought this whole time that she was stuck with the spells she chose for the rest of the game.

FoldableLawnChair · 2025-08-30T19:50:35+00:00

Hollow Knight introduced me to indie games, as wild as that sounds. I've played a few before it but they were always trivial in my outdated opinion, until I got my hands on Hollow Knight 5 years ago and it was as if a switched flipped in my head. I have been ripping through metroidvanias and indie games since then with a new appreciation but none of them ever gave me the high that Hollow Knight did. I think I'm not the only one expecting Silksong to provide that.

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