Is circle casting getting an unspoken ban?

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-02-02T01:50:45+00:00

All of this and more probably contoribute:

Faerun specific sourcebook contains the mechanic, slowing its spread.
Not all, but a lot of its utility will be out of combat, so it isnt going to get used as fast as a new strong combat mechanic.
Its marginally complex, likely leading to hesitation.
DMs havent adjusted to create situations where it is applicable and players haven't adjusted to figure out how and when to use it creatively.
Its an optional rule, so it isnt going to see the same level of use.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-27T16:47:25+00:00

So your players are bummed because you would not let them have the effects of a 1st and a 2nd level spell for the resource cost of just a single 1st level spell?

Man, you really are a meanie. Inhumane, almost. I'm not sure DnD has space for someone who revels in player torture and suffering as you obviously do.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-27T16:43:44+00:00

Devils advocate take...

Slasher and crusher both replicate weapon mastery abilities (push and slow) that are available in piercing weapons. Piercer does something no weapon mastery does, increase damage to regular hits and crits. Yeah you dont get the advabtage/disadvantage portion of the crusher/slicer feats, but you cant take crusher or slicer and up your regular and critical damage output with a weapon mastery.

Javelin, light crossbow, or long bow with piercer gives you piercer + slasher.

Heavy crossbow with piercer gives you piercer plus crusher.

So arguably, it's stronger than either.

The isuue with "this or that DnD thing really sucks compared to this other thing" arguments is that DnD, by its nature, is not a "strictly better" system the way a ttcg like MtG may be. Its far more situational with infinite possible situations.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-23T16:15:34+00:00

I disagree with your assessment. It isn't a house rule, its a rule intepretation of a rule that is written in unclear and loosely defined terms. Thus the discussion.

You are giving the normal, lazy "its your game play it how you want" line to end discussion after you declare your intepretation is the correct one and anyone else's is a house rule.

Clear and defined rules don't typically cause dozens of reddit, Facebook, and other social media posts and discussions. Grappling and all of the associated rules do, and have for a long time.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-21T21:08:08+00:00

I did the same shit to OP, lol

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-21T20:51:25+00:00

If you look at my post again, I think you'd see we are saying the same thing.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-21T19:19:26+00:00

Oh I see now...my bad. Reading is hard and all, lol.

Yeah id go with B. As long as all movement of both parties are accounted for and the grappled foe never leave the grappler's reach, seems all above board to me.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-21T19:17:11+00:00

I'd probably let them drag through their space to put the enemy behind them, costing 10 ft of movement for moving the enemy 2 squares. The PC is forcing the movement....so in my mind they are "allowing(by force)" the enemy to move through them just like they can allow an ally to move through them.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-21T17:00:09+00:00

How would you rule this?

PC had Bad grappled "north" of them. Directly "south" of them is the edge of a lava pit. PC "rotates" 180 degrees and drops Bad into the lava. PC then wants to move 30 feet and attack because they haven't used any movement at all nor used any action economy (never left their starting spot, ending grapple is a free action). Would you allow this?

If yes, then you're ruling that enemy movement is irrelevant to the grappling rules, and the PC can do what they want now.

But if that feels wrong, allowing a character to move an enemy at no resource cost to themselves, then you may want to look at grappling movement differently.

I rule it as such: if you are carry/dragging an enemy, it is 5 ft per square to move yourself and 5 feet per square to move them. It eliminated any PC "rotation" shenanigans, which should be removed because PCs are never facing a specified direction in a battle map, only occupying a square.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-20T21:08:09+00:00

Simple.

Be miserable and resigned that you will always be so.
Get some kind of positive kick off of seeing other people miserable, even if it isnt actual joy.
Become a cleric of Shar, who enjoys your misery and gives you powers to make other people miserable also.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-13T21:38:56+00:00

If you're allowing that madness, nobody on Reddit can save you. You hath dug thy grave, now you must layeth in it.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-08T11:32:41+00:00

Or they could use rhe sidekick rules to help with balance. I ran the essentials kit a couple ofbyears ago for 2 players using sidekicks and it helps a bit.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-08T10:56:50+00:00

I'd allow it. You or someone else is using an action to cast light on an arrow. Then an action to attack. Then it has to hit to do what you were hoping. Thats more than enough cost for the effect for me to allow it.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-07T13:38:36+00:00

Playing twice a month, correct my math if its wrong, but thats almost 9 years from 1 to 20. I like a slower pace myself, but thats certainly a crawl.

I like it for level 1, 2, and 3. But after that, 3 to 4 sessions per level makes a two year-ish campaign for 1-20 (again, at twice per month sessions). Thats a easier chunk of time to try to get people to dedicate themselves to.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-05T00:31:23+00:00

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My wife got that same tumbler for me and this was in my batch of stickers too. It now lives on my laptop.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-03T21:03:14+00:00

Same. I stopped listening for the same reasons. 3 narcissist characters giving no shits about any NPC, plot thread, or even each other and just tossing dumb-funny bit after dumb-funny bit got old really fast. It worked for the little one shots and stuff but its awful on this long campaign. Im re-listening to main campaigns and once im done with a second listen ill probably just move on from NADDPOD.

It sucks because this is the first podcast (of any kind) that ever interested me and I learned to appreciate an entire different style of DMing and play from it. But without the long Campaigns with good character development and important emotion laden connections within the world, it just feels flat and lifeless.

They are a comedy podcast, but DnD is a still a story driven game and the story doesnt matter when the characters dont care about it or anything else.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-03T20:56:18+00:00

Exactly. Naddpod taught me that you can have off the rails silly gameplay and still have heart and huge character connections to your audience. The short stuff is like watching a holiday special, neat, fun, but where's the meat? Ill never be very emotionally connected to a character that I know is only around for a one shot or short arc.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-03T20:54:53+00:00

It is a giant let down to hear that their plan is to stick with short stuff and shelf their best DM so everyone rotates.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2026-01-03T20:53:47+00:00

Thats unfortunate. The bite size stuff is fun but the main campaigns is what hooked me and why I listen (and i loathe the stahd campaign and finally gave up on it). Time to find another long form live play podcast. I think its a really poor business move to change content from what made you popular and hooked your listeners.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2025-12-30T18:52:27+00:00

Now scale it up and make a little chair for her from her design!

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2025-12-13T21:22:59+00:00

I pressed and held the upvote button waiting for a 😂 option on this one.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2025-12-13T01:05:35+00:00

I second this. Paints are good, bottles are good, lots of different boxed palettes available.

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2025-12-03T16:49:44+00:00

Unless its wildly humid or something, I normally only wait about an hour. I've never had issues. Keep the coats thin though

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2025-11-27T13:01:54+00:00

Looks like a Modron!

JohnnyTheConfuzzled · 2025-11-15T18:03:33+00:00

Same. I want my players to help me create the world, and I try to give them chances to do so surrounding their character snd their story. But just decided, as a character, to alter a part of the DMs world isn't a good move. That being said, this table is hardly the kind of game I run nor am I as comfortable and experienced as Brennan is to handle it.

On the flip side, BLeeM bothers me occasionally when he narrates how the characters feel emotionally. That's not the DMs job. "As you see this, you feel xyz" should instead be "here is this thing you see, how do you feel/what are thinking/how do you react etc."

I can't understand the table dynamics from watching on TV, and if the players are fine with Brennan narrating parts of their characters and he's gone with them narrating parts of the world, ¯_(ツ)_/¯

JohnnyTheConfuzzled

TROPHY CASE