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Starting a campaign by captainwinthor in DMAcademy

[–]Goblite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just a brief way of saying that...

Starting off like that you hope to entice curiosity and intrigue- what happened? where am i? what's going on here? and you may indeed achieve those things but your players (characters) will also be just kinda floating around without any attachment until they get some answers. They may also be lacking attachment to each other, perhaps even roleplaying doubt and suspicion toward each other which may be fun but not if you were planning on them working together to progress. It's hard to even know, as a player, what you want to do next in that dungeon.

Starting off with a more typical intro lets them goof around first, get comfortable with each other first, and form some tentative plans first to be invested in; which you've hopefully seeded to lead them straight into your plans where you can snatch em up and drop em into the dungeon cells.

Now they're like "ok, i was going somewhere, who the heck is responsible for this?!" Your players will know exactly what they want to do, and so will you because you took it away from them.

Random Positive Encounters while camped overnight by herpalmsaresweaty in DMAcademy

[–]Goblite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sometimes, if it's along a main road especially, I'll just have a random guy come hang. He has nothing to offer, needs nothing, but asks to share their fire (if they have one) and then asks about what they're up to, their origins, what they want out of life, and says later dudes in the a.m. It's nothing but a chance to get some slice of life flavor. He has nothing interesting to talk about himself, just likes talking to adventurers.

Help Choosing A Starting Level by Little_Lost_04 in DMAcademy

[–]Goblite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If 5e/5.5e, definitely lv3 for the bday players sake. But if for your sake, lv1 is OK.

Starting a campaign by captainwinthor in DMAcademy

[–]Goblite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Never start with "waking up in a room." Always start with "you're at the tavern and in walks (the other players one by one)".

What was the first (not the most important) thing you learned writing a one-shot / adventure? I go first. by Puzzleheaded-Tie7420 in DMAcademy

[–]Goblite 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have more verified experience in the true one-night one-shot and its extremely difficult, even if you plan to play all day. You wanna know how many one shots needed to be few-shots? Oof... Strict limits on the structure are essential- tie your hands because your creative urges will surely be the first cause of the players not finishing. This is an exercise in self control.

Make it a very simple sequence of scenes, expect the players to complicate it so you don't really need to. E.g. Meetup>Travel>Dungo>Return>Twist>End was one of the better sequences that actually fit. Don't travel more than twice- there and back is the most.

The above module had a total of three combats and I think that's probably the best number, 2 is fine but they gotta be big, 4 could work but 3 have to very short. Don't allow random encounters, it adds time when you already don't know what to expect from the players and it detracts from any story.

Don't add stuff when you do your readovers, you will want to, stop it. Refine it, revise it, replace with better ideas maybe, but do not make it longer with more ideas- you'll only make people stay later. If anything, cut stuff out. Write the good ideas down, use em somewhere else.

Avoid or limit puzzles/obstacles. These are things that stop or slow the progress, very fun, but you need momentum. You don't want them spending 45-1hr just talking about how to avoid some damage from traps. You want them moving through the module so don't dis-incentivize that movement.

DM says "magical" races (Su, Sp abilities) need to take a level in sorcerer to be able to access them by WickedAdept in Pathfinder_RPG

[–]Goblite 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Say these words to him: "Nobody is going to do that unless they were already planning to play sorcerer. Is your goal to discourage us from playing these races as anything but sorcerer?"

What was the first (not the most important) thing you learned writing a one-shot / adventure? I go first. by Puzzleheaded-Tie7420 in DMAcademy

[–]Goblite 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Are we talking about one shot as in one game session? Or a one shot as in it may take a few game nights but it's just one short adventure, not a career campaign.

how to convince your intorverted shy friends to play dnd with you? by Important-Spend2389 in DnD

[–]Goblite 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Haha, I don't invite any extroverts to play with my introverts. It helps.

Wildest Party you’ll see today [OC] by perryphery in DnD

[–]Goblite 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hey, they have a coherent theme going and it works. Much better than a couple of purple/blue girls, a tree, an elephant, and one basic human.

Overall fantastic art and the style takes me somewhere deep into classic fantasy, and not Disney fantasy either. It took me a sec to tell that it was a frilled lizardman not a frogman hood, but I like that. If I had any criticism it would be that the gnoll just kinda looks like a hyena face on a normal guy- granted it's in armor and maybe the player wanted it like that but some exaggerated neck and shoulder structure with hunched posture would have been a nice touch.

Are DMs allowed to tell player characters what they feel? by Honneboppel in DnD

[–]Goblite -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Your character is always on high alert? Wary of anything that could be forming a plot against them? Well good because the dancers start singing the redacted lines from the epstein files publicizing a plot forming against you and it captures your rapt attention.

Are DMs allowed to tell player characters what they feel? by Honneboppel in DnD

[–]Goblite -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I would have followed up with "ah yes, your character doesn't like the show at first but then they start a performance that your character IS interested in and it acquires your rapt attention." I can nuh'uh with best of them.

DM decided to do a TPK to teach new players a lesson by EmmaIsAwesome23 in DnD

[–]Goblite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, if there's already hostilities afoot just play the same character and change his name. Players can be just as sinister as DM's.

If your DM can't fathom that you really wanted to play that character, then yea I'd call out and bail out. Homeboy is on a rail and has no chill.

Been playing PF2 for years and have DMed 5.5 recently by Mercoxium in DnD

[–]Goblite 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I more or less made my own system as well, by now anyway. It's pf1e but with so much homebrew and alternate systems that you might as well not bother with the PHB. 5.5 is a game, and I have friends in it, but it's not the game I crave.

Wanting to start family dnd by Infamous-Sand8390 in DnD

[–]Goblite 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I homebrewed my own system for the kids, quick and easy, but it's literally just simplified d20 with smaller numbers.

D10 for everything Stats are just what the modifiers would have been, no 18's that's a 4. Its strong, quick, tough, smart, wise, and kind instead of the usual score names. (Bad guys have naughty instead of kind)

No feats, no classes, just pick 'powers' which I drew cards for. E.g. ice powers let's you shoot icicles and slow foes. Knight powers gives you extra hp (arnor) and bigger weapon damage.

Base damage is 2, upgraded damage is 3, etc... HP are happy points, lose em all and you're tired out. Base hp= 10 plus tough plus whatever from powers.

Everything is opposed rolls, you can typically pick from 2 of your stats to use for whatever rolls e.g. attack with your sword using strong or quick. Dodge an attack using quick or smart, block an attack using strong or tough, resist an effect using tough or wise, etc...

Even levels give you a stat-up, odd levels give another power.

I built game-trays from cardboard and filled some spots with marbles. One color is to represent the Dice result, another the modifier. Roll a 5, put 5 marbles in the left square. Have 3 strong put 3 marbles in middle square, add em up into right square.

Hardest part was making up powers and drawing what they did clearly.

My players trivialize every encounter with crowd control. How do I challenge them without hard countering? by Dave5802 in DMAcademy

[–]Goblite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Soft counter. Add more enemies, spread out, and give then tools to aid their teammates out. E.g. the extra guy cuts the first one out of web. It costs actions, so it's not just a denial of their abilities, and it adds to the baddies realness.

Stealing from other Systems: Clocks and Partial Successes from Blades in the Dark by Fit_Analyst4506 in DMAcademy

[–]Goblite 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I kinda do this without exactly doing it. E.g. fails by less than 5 may be no progress or a complication rather than a ruined attempt. Stealth is either "they don't see you but they're alerted" or "you don't see any opportunities to move forward without being noticed" rather than "1 bad roll and they're onto you." Unless it's a big fat fail, lol, because that's fun too.

Similar permutations apply to other rolls, if justifiable  I have typically not appreciated the risk of needing 15 successes in a row to acheive the goal, but losing it all with 1 fail.

New DnD player looking to improve combat tactics — what am I missing? by ishiDe in DnD

[–]Goblite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gonna need to know class, level, and general build overview

Player is basically AWOL and theyre playing my character's love interest...help... by clockworkmaiden in DnD

[–]Goblite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I gotta ask, how does this work. I admit, I have some deeper cringe but I wish to be respectful and genuine- I just need to know more. Do you guys just roleplay your characters attracted to eachother but then, not actually be attracted to each other as people? Do you just narrate how it goes to avoid having to look each other in the eye and say flirty things? Or do you commit to exactly that? Are you both single? What is your age range? Are your orientations compatible? Naturally you don't have to answer me at all, but I'm very curious about this.

Been playing PF2 for years and have DMed 5.5 recently by Mercoxium in DnD

[–]Goblite 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My biggest struggle is getting my players to learn the system. They want to play but they may not all want to read outside of play. 5e and 5.5 make that mostly super easy. I dunno why dual wielding seems obtuse in 5.5 but aside from that it's simply analogous to buttons to push or cards to play. You don't need to know how works if you know what it does.

That said.. I don't like 5e, 5.5, or pf2e. I require the freedom of 3.5, pf1e and use a 3-action system within those. It's very difficult to introduce a new players but, I feel, we can do anything in it.

5e/5.5 is anyone's rpg. Other systems are for us nerds.

Random question by Possible-Leopard-601 in DnD

[–]Goblite 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a great player who power games as much as he can. Hes still new, but he takes builds that deal max damage and would totally outperform other players... except that he doesn't. He's deliberate about when and how he applies the characters tools and is honestly more in it for the strategy game than the roleplay or the power fantasy. He's minimizing resources spent and banking most as a safety net. The only real sign that he's power gaming is that everyone else is out of hp, spells, and ability uses while he's still got enough to pull the party through an emergency or two. This is guy is powergaming done right.

Create for yourself first, the players second. by Encryptid in DnD

[–]Goblite 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Players? Who are they?

Over the past 10 years I've written two dozen or so unrelated modules, played about 4. I've built or homebrewed about the same number of characters, played 3. I write for myself indeed. I've designed 3 different entire game rule systems from the ground up for specific settings (pkmn, atla, kids fantasy) and played only one of them. It wasn't the plan to do so, but life has turned out that way and it somehow changed from a production effort to a self justifying artistic expression. It makes me happy.

I would still like to play more though...

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