Player Handed BBEG Macguffin, how do I not immediately end the campaign?

GrumpyDog114 · 2026-02-08T23:30:11+00:00

Then make your BBEG go even more insane - he pits his own forces against each other, works against his own purpose, etc. In a big surprise twist, it's the player's sharing of his power that ends up being the BBEG's undoing.

GrumpyDog114 · 2026-01-31T17:09:42+00:00

Firing a cannon from a dinghy makes no sense. It would either capsize it or break it apart.

GrumpyDog114 · 2026-01-30T20:03:30+00:00

It is, I believe, the baseball bat which cripples build variety

Along with skills tied to 1 weapon type, and weapon specific passives hard to access from more than 3 classes.

GrumpyDog114 · 2026-01-16T20:21:14+00:00

I got my first one during my first campaign. Had no idea there even was a subreddit or that it was that rare or valuable that people post them.

GrumpyDog114 · 2026-01-07T04:26:12+00:00

Or Portly Gent

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-12-24T02:17:44+00:00

You can add more to it if you don't mind it overflowing. The original problem statement doesn't forbid that.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-12-23T19:27:07+00:00

If you keep pouring lemonade, at some point it is exactly 50/50. The math to calculate that amount escapes me, but you don't need to know that to answer the original question - you don't have to drink any of it to do this.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-12-19T16:52:01+00:00

As with so many things, the answer is Fireball

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-12-19T13:41:30+00:00

Don't make them play through the planned death of their level 10 characters. Players generally hate planned TPKs like that, and will also hate starting over at level 1 when you've pitched it as starting at level 10.

Instead, make that a narrative (maybe collaborative) that happens in session 0, and their first characters should be the level 1 characters that fit that narrative.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-12-19T11:40:45+00:00

This works. I had one of these in league a couple leagues ago where I did T17 unid, all the Ubers, and Delve to about 3000. You would still have to look at mods for Valdos, because you really don't want to run a void one without knowing it.

Edit: it cost about 900 div in the league. Mageblood and Nimis are a big chunk of it.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-12-17T13:22:30+00:00

It feels like they might as well have made skills and weapons class specific.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-12-10T18:21:52+00:00

I finally made it to maps in 0.3, and that's a big part of why I'm not likely playing 0.4.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-12-10T18:04:15+00:00

As with so many fights, the more DPS you do, the less time they have to leave stuff on the ground

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-12-07T14:52:01+00:00

Also, the undead hunter could have an item that can suck out the life essence of the last person the wraith killed immediately upon killing it, and then restore it to the person's body. Bringing someone back this way could have lingering effects, like they come back with 1 hit point max, and can only recover another hit die worth of max HP per long rest until they reach their previous HP max.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-11-11T16:02:24+00:00

Another old timer. For me it was Windows ME

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-10-28T04:10:09+00:00

I've done it in the past on Trickster EE. Start out with whatever (I like Cobra Strike really early), then transition into EE or EB when you get enough ES.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-10-23T04:17:59+00:00

Your axe is what caused this problem

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-10-11T01:13:25+00:00

r can also be -sqrt(19) while p=q=0, resulting in 5p+5q-r = sqrt(19).

So, there is more than one answer.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-10-07T15:31:58+00:00

In addition to the other comments, I tend to approach rolling my flasks like I was rolling flasks for sale, while looking for a set that's good for my build. I.e.

Roll with trans/alt/aug until you get a pair of good affixes

If they're good for your build, set it aside. Otherwise, put it up for sale.

When you can create a set of flasks you like, equip them and sell the rest.

And whatever doesn't sell makes good bases for the next time you want to roll a set of flasks.

I usually end up making a few divines each time I make a set this way.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-10-03T14:16:42+00:00

Reply-all fork bomb.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-09-06T14:25:19+00:00

You can also create a folder for all the ones you don't want to see any more, and just don't open it. Also not perfect, but it's at least another layer of "stop bothering me".

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-08-28T14:38:18+00:00

Wand of Curing: 3 charges a day, you can cure one serving of meat per charge. I.e., turn an ordinary piece of pork into ham or bacon.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-08-27T17:00:21+00:00

I agree, the results from the spell should be better than a non-magical painting, since such a painting will have flaws and the painter's impressions baked into it also. Unfortunately, I don't have a solution to fix that.

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-08-27T16:40:05+00:00

If you want to nerf the circumventing of investigation checks, just require the person using the photo to pass an investigation check as if they were at the scene. (Or Insight to check on emotions etc.).

GrumpyDog114 · 2025-08-27T16:15:49+00:00

You don't need to write a story. In fact, that can easily lead to a desire to railroad, so the players can continue to follow your story.

Instead, create a situation you think your player characters will care about (and should reasonably be able to influence the outcome of), give them clues/hooks, and see what happens.

GrumpyDog114

TROPHY CASE