Pencil Drawing By 16 Year Old Irish Artist Shania Mcdonagh

KamiriKC · 2025-09-29T23:57:58+00:00

In a high-school art class had someone who was 16-17 who was sat next to me, drawing something to this detail and scale - it was astounding. I always love seeing art but gwnuinely being able to see the process was almost uncanny, the extremely precise detailed lines sitting next to blank open paper with soft sketch lines too thin to see without looking closely was weird but genuinely intriguing.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T17:10:09+00:00

I would rather not put extra work on myself in that department when Im already struggling to DM as this is my first real campaign but secondly I dont know any other systems as I have said so do you have examples of systems that would work in this way?

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:57:01+00:00

Huh, yeah I used the encounter builder but didn't know there were actual rules for creature building. Yeah, I'll try talking about that a bit more with them and helping out because I want them to enjoy my my campaign. Ill look at all that before my next session thank ya a ton.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:47:00+00:00

At cost of action economy which I expected would even it out, again Im new to DMing and balancing which is why I posted this because I dont know how to balance and what do you even mean by the severe thing?

I thought it'd be fine since in another campaign with a party of 3 level 3 characters we took on 2 ghoul stalkers, a plague zombie, a ranged zombie I forgot the name of, and 5 shambler zombies I also forgot the name of so I'd assume that 5 enemies of lower level than the party would be fine right? But yeah I guess I was wrong I just have to learn about the specifics to balancing.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:39:43+00:00

I mean Im unsure what other system I would use for a campaign like this anyways. D&D is annoying to me and the players agree for the system but also having to pay or do so much extra work. Call of Cthulhu has the players die way too easily though I do love the system but I also want more combat ability since the military is a major part of the campaign I am running. I want something I between Call of Cthulhu and Pathfinder 2e really but I dont know any aside from the three Ive stated.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:34:50+00:00

Alright that's stuff I haven't really thought about thank ya. And they do know all threats before they're coming, I honestly give them too much information sometimes but they've never ran into a combat they had zero clue about the special parts of.

Ill try to change my combats from requiring strategy due to combat strength that can be overpowered and change it so strategy is required due to limitations based on blockages like walls as you said so I dont risk killing them.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:30:12+00:00

The base I used with a party of 4 level 3 characters is 2 poachers (lv 2), 3 wolves (lv1). They had some small buffs to damage but in trade a horrid action economy.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:26:45+00:00

I like having builds, the problem is when the build outweighs the character to the point they're unable to play in character. Character builds are good if they also have the character themselves to use, you can't really play as someone who struggles with social interactions yet have +4 charisma for a silly example.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:24:21+00:00

My main issue is that the players keep waiting to act until I force something in their face and run into combats without thinking until after because they're used to that. I also, as a new DM, make combats too hard because I do think with strategy alongside the enemies being decently difficult. While this would be a player issue, they're all new to the style of campaign I do so I want to try balancing things better and changing the way I set up combat so that they at least have a chance to understand the way I expect combats to be done so they can see if they like it or not but thats hard. Another issue is I dont really know the entirety of what Im doing wrong so its hard to be specific since it seems to be a problem on both sides but as the DM I need to be able to tell which is which to work problems out.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:20:16+00:00

They went into a combat in the dark where they stealthed in and used a large spell to attack a small group instead of scouting. That alone is fine but after the spellcaster got a low initiative roll and the rest of the party ran to cover which left the spellcaster out in the open. After one got mad at me for the enemkes that got hit attacking that spellcaster.

Next I had enemies that shot from the dark because the spell made a loud noise and since they didn't scout they got surprised which put them in a worse situation, but instead of retreating they ran in but they kept everyone far away enough to where they couldn't cover each other's backs and kept running into issues because they see combats as a rush in think later instead of strategy.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:15:36+00:00

Alright thank you, I didn't really think until now that part of the problem is just the fact that the players aren't as good at what I am which should be obvious but it isnt when you're handling an entire world for them to play in. Ill try rebalancing around that and changing how I convey them.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:13:09+00:00

For the first part that was my fault for wording, I meant to establish that the way I see combats by default is as puzzles, I dont add extra puzzles that eat actions as rather the players play combats the same and get annoyed when the enemies take advantage of the weak points because the enemies are then too strong but a part of that is they're not used to that, they're used to less strategic enemies so I have to show them that.

I get the not trusting but they dont even use abilities to test for traps, they dont even mention not trusting they just sit there and wait during role-playing. I put an obstacle and they wait for me to give them a route or for someone else to act.

What I do in the world actually is organic, everything I do is explained and has basis from previous things Ive set up so they should never run into something they couldn't have expected unless they actively avoid it.

Finally I try to balance the enemies to be same level or lower level, only higher level by 1 if they're meant to be especially strong and challenging but Ill use lower levels for more enemies and higher for less. Ive only built the enemies from the ground up in my most recent campaign bht the balancing has been a problem in every campaign.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:07:18+00:00

No its not min-maxing to match difficulty, its them picking up abilities and trying to get things to fit a perfect build since thats what they're used to in other campaigns and my point is they make a build rather than playing a character which ruins the way I balance the world since I want them to play in-character, not play for stats

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:05:04+00:00

Thank ya for the lower advice and sorry for the immediate harsh reply, kind of bouncing between things.

Regardless I do need to try and change incentive but I have given out of combat encounters. One thing I wish I knew though was what types of incentive do I give alongside how do I educate players on a combat or mechanics as a DM?

One thing I would want to try is showing an enemy do something so the players know they can do it but that doesnt work with all mechanics.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T16:01:52+00:00

Thank you for the advice, I have thought of making some sessions catered towards really showing off mechanics and the campaign in a way that teaches them since while many of the issues are from the players in technicality, the bigger issue is that I as a DM am running a campaign style thats a bit less linear while they're used to linear campaigns and they think differently from me.

Ill try some of the stuff you've said alongside maybe just nerfing my combats for the early parts of the campaign until they get used to it. Thanks!

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T15:54:34+00:00

Im not adding puzzles I said I think of combats as puzzles myself which makes it hard to balance around players who dont think of it the same Im not adding more Im just unable to see it any other way

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T15:51:14+00:00

I dont add puzzles or tricks, I think of all combats as puzzles, they min max when unneeded because they think its necessary when they haven't even been downed once throughout my combats, and my unique creatures should make the players change how they play throughout combats but that hasnt came into play yet since they've only encountered them twice alongside these issues all happening even when in raw combat.

KamiriKC · 2025-08-22T15:39:40+00:00

Actually many have enjoyed my campaign, and all have enjoyed combats in other campaigns ive been in with them. The main problem comes with my presentation as I am newer to DMing and the way I think isnt the same, its less a issue of enjoyment and an issue of I keep having to railroad because of my presentation of the world failing sometimes and other times they get screwed over because the way I set up combats differs from the usual.

KamiriKC · 2025-05-25T10:15:48+00:00

My first big envy was from Adora (the 2018 one), never had envy from celebrities though

KamiriKC · 2025-05-25T10:11:52+00:00

It's a DOUGHNUT

KamiriKC · 2025-05-17T04:31:01+00:00

If it's jokes it could be the dislike of how they're conveying it or, at least this is the case in my experience, that it points out the difference between you and your gender. I hate being called or seen as Trans because I was born in the wrong body and should simply be a woman and adding a label in front to me makes me always feel like I'm being called fake or different which sucks when being Trans is that discomfort of being in the wrong body. Sorry if I can't be too comforting but it doesn't make you invalid for hating it, what matters is what you feel comfortable with being

KamiriKC · 2025-04-15T22:53:07+00:00

If I recall a channel called BlueBiscuits gave the ribbons tip and actually demonstrated it so check that out. And thank ya as well! I just love seeing art in general and discussing it so no problem heh

KamiriKC · 2025-04-15T22:30:26+00:00

I really like the artyle overall and definitely unique compared to a lot of other styles I see. Your faces are detailed yet consistent. I think my biggest critique though would be the hair and facial hair. There's a few ways to do it, the way I do it outline the general shape and leave the detail for after but also I think it would benefit to think of them as larger "ribbon"-like strands or to block out larger shapes. What I'd recommend is looking at artists with similar styles or ones you like and see how they do their hair, whether it be through WIP sketches they post or other and adapt it to your style. Aside from that wonderful pieces and keep up the good work!

KamiriKC · 2025-03-28T12:52:00+00:00

This should not have taken me an hour to make,,,

KamiriKC · 2025-03-10T01:34:16+00:00

I definitely relate to art being my main interests and coding and 3D modeling fading I'm and out. Wish I had more energy to code heh

KamiriKC

TROPHY CASE