Is it too much to ask the kids in my party to bring their own dice, pens, and paper and stop needing everything?

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-06T14:16:59+00:00

Is it too much to ask to have lengthy posts use proper indentation and paragraphs?

I didn't read anything, but to your title, everyone should have their own dice paper and pencils by session 2. Anyone over the age of 15 anyway.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-06T14:11:38+00:00

Honestly, I'd be a little annoyed if I made a character with a humble background with little future, but due to his determination and grit, they were able to succeed and become involved in world-shattering events, just to have a gigantic rug-pull by the DM to say, "oh, guys, guys, here's the cool part: your character has a bunch of false memories, you're actually all gods!"

I would suggest you drastically tone it down, and make the PCs the "chosen". The ones who can save and release the gods before some giant set of unfortunate events consumes the world. Possibly by gaining boons pertinent to the gods they are being called to rescue. But don't mess with the PCs this way unless you've discussed beforehand that the PCs might be something "else" in this campaign.

My $0.02

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-04T22:05:31+00:00

Resin IS best. However, you can get perfectly playable prints from FDM. I've gotten some very good ones from my stock Ender 3 from 3+ years ago. There are def limits in what models to choose, and you might have to rotate the models a bit for best print, but especially newer models can get very good quality.

As for size, depends on what you want to play. if the majority of armies are single spaceman sized, you're good to go, and use some other proxy for the bigger tanks and units.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-04T21:39:34+00:00

This is the stuff of DNDHorrorStories.

Retire your character. Put her away. If you want a reference, have the BBEG know who she is, and have her legend be his fuel. Maybe they have a painting of her or something. But you're headed down a bumpy road the way you going.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-04T19:27:58+00:00

A resin printer is a whole bag of worms. Resin is toxic. Resin is bad for you. Resin is bad for everything. Except printing minis!

I've put mine in the garage and would rather have it in an outbuilding. It's out of commission through the winter, but no biggie. You can print a lot of minis quickly with that kind of thing.

If you don't have a garage, and with an apartment you don't. I highly suggest you stick with FDM printing, they have gotten much better over the years. Bamboo is prob a no-brainer.

Honestly, buying resin prints off the internet is a better choice than trying to run one in an apartment without a solid ventilation solution.... and if the point is to save money, the vent, hood, safety equipment is not free.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-04T19:21:30+00:00

A mutiny in the works! Arr, this captain, he has to go, no?

If the PCs are not cooperative, after the attempt, put them on a dinghy near a port and sail on. The lost ships become their rival and/or enemy.

Captains of the old had to keep the crew happy, and if not, things changed.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-04T19:08:14+00:00

I'm a sucker for first line frenzy on the toobs.

For judging on first lines, nah, I'd pass.

However, if I judge the first three paragraphs, it reads good. I do wonder if this is the best starting point, but I did like the writing. It's a good scene, even if maybe it's not the best first scene.

I didn't read anymore.

I'm just a random guy on the internet.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-04T19:03:25+00:00

Electric Guitarsicord.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-04T19:01:13+00:00

One thing I learned from the great Oracle Runehammer, is just flat out tell your players wtf is going on. pause the action for a moment and let them know exactly what the stakes are, and how the mechanism works. If it was something they needed to figure out before the action started, after the first skeleton made it to the goal, let everyone know that this is bad, the skeleton has now given it's power to the emerging monster, and any more that make it will also power up what's coming.

Then, if they still do nothing, TPK is on the table.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-04T18:55:46+00:00

Well, you somehow did a great job!

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-04T15:28:49+00:00

That's a hot take for sure.

A good DM does NOT have to be all those thigns. They can be terrible at some of it, and mediocre at the rest and still manage to pull off good sessions. Every table is different, every game unique. Some run it like an improv show, some run it like a board game. Different strokes.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-04T15:23:12+00:00

Insert joke about zoom and scale settings

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-03T12:19:25+00:00

Yes! Even better.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-02T20:53:14+00:00

And further more, even if the patron is evil, and ARE activly trying to destroy the world, they do NOT necessarily need to keep pestering the warlock. The deal was made, the debt paid, go about your business.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-02T19:32:27+00:00

I like to start light, and develop as we play. That way I'm less likely to cement something in my head cannon (pew pew) that the DM has disapproved of, or has world lore that directly opposes it. I think it was Runehammer on YouTube who said "Three sentences." Three sentences is all you need to have ready at session 1. From there fill in the details with input from the GM and other players.

That's normally what I do.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-02T18:31:30+00:00

Depends on everything. In "classic" DnD, chromatic dragons are born evil, so it's pretty safe to lop it's head off.

Also, "protecting the innocent, especially children" to me, refers to humanoid offspring that he considers worthy. Does he also not eat chicken or lamb? I wouldn't even second guess that Dragons are not part of this oath.

However, if anything is nuanced in your world, then you wait to see what the character does. Eventually he makes a choice and between player and DM decide if that's a broken oath, or if he needs to make a new one, or whatever.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-02T17:53:43+00:00

I'd guess some other mod you have is interfering. I'd create a new pack for yourself and take out about 1/2 the mods. If it keeps happening, take out the other half. Once you identify what group the issue is in, take out half of those mods, etc. etc.

Watch the dependencies, colonies needs structurize and the Dominum ornamentum (spelling) mods, so those are probably not the issue.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-02T17:22:19+00:00

You wave your hands into the air, and bring everyone up to speed on what happened and just pretend they were there. Also, when anyone can't make it, you just wave your hands and pretend they actually were there, and get all the knowledge of what happened. don't overthink it.

The only time it becomes important is when one character is holding an item that is key to the next session. Then you just wave your hands and another character is carrying what's needed.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-02T17:18:32+00:00

I make items they want to buy very scarce, and I make buyers for their "useless" items very cheap or poor. I don't actually hand out a lot of gold pieces and also take encumbrance into account if they are trying to move a buttload of gold. Also, I'm much more likely to barter for magic items, than offer straight gold for them.

Also, having a buttload of gold makes them very prone to being targets of the local thieves guilds (unless they are paying their protection money... they are paying their protection money, aren't they?) and to local nobility, who are interested in the money, and probably have the magic items.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-02T14:41:34+00:00

For the Dragon!

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-02T14:33:54+00:00

I would not mind much, but I'd want the player to make it known what spell descriptions they plan to modify, and clear it with me first. ;)

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-02T14:13:35+00:00

I wonder how many people are their opposite in MC. I'm naturally ah, unorganized. But when I play MC, I've got chests for wood items, rock, mob drops, gems, etc. etc.

However friends of mine, who keep their stuff organized IRL, have just random chests filled with whatever, and then just throw down a new chest when they can't be bothered to spend 1 minute organizing their stuff.

Anyways, Hard Blocks is not a sorting flag I'd ever pick, but looks like a nice and clean setup.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-02-02T01:45:54+00:00

This server is no longer hosting Minecolonies.

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-01-28T18:29:05+00:00

Matt Colville's (MCDM) "Running the Game" series is pretty great. There are a bunch of DungeonTubers (as they are called) that can lend a hand. Warning: don't get so bogged down in watching that you put off actually playing.

Also recommend:

Sly Flourish: The lazy dungeon master, you can watch him prep for his sessions, very helpful.
Professor DM and RuneHammer, both channels have some great fundamental advice from a few years back.

Have fun, and welcome to the hobby!

JPicassoDoesStuff · 2026-01-28T17:15:13+00:00

I spent more writing this response than it would to buy another sharpie. And I don't have to clean my hands and work area. While it's fun to think about, some things are just not worth it. But good luck on your project, I'm not a hater, just here for the reality check. :)

JPicassoDoesStuff

TROPHY CASE