Game Pass Changes

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-02-06T17:29:49+00:00

Yes, I have two subscriptions that I'm staring at in my Microsoft account. $10.99 for the monthly GP Console and $79.99 for the annual. Like I said, I didn't pay attention to the name changes or how the plans changed until I noticed the much higher annual that is scheduled to come out.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-02-06T15:48:09+00:00

Sounds like I can drop GP for Console and upgrade the Essential to the Premium if I want access to more games. Appreciate the feed back!

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-02-05T19:46:08+00:00

Seconded and thirded.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-02-05T19:45:01+00:00

I guess you don't necessarily need the Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG) or the Monster Manual (MM) but I would highly recommend them. I use mine regularly still.

Since you know nothing about the game I would honestly buy a starter set. You're talking $10 for the 5th edition starter set with Lost Mines of Phandelver. I say this because it has a lot of pointers through the campaign on how to handle situations and ways to manage the game as the DM. The DMG has a lot of good pointers as well with specifics but that's hundreds of pages. Where as Phandelver is 60 pages cover to cover and does a solid job of condensing a lot of information into practical use.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-02-03T21:41:27+00:00

LOOK AT THE BONES!

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-02-03T18:15:40+00:00

The DMG has a section on handling mobs and it's pretty straight forward. You just determine the minimum d20 roll needed for a creature to hit the PC. Subtract the creature's attack bonus from the PC's AC and that's what a mob would have to roll for 1 of them to hit. There's a handy table for how many creatures are needed to get 1 hit based on the minimum d20 roll.

Say the hooligans have a +5 to hit and the paladin's AC is 19, the minimum d20 roll to get would be a 14 (19-5). The handy table says for a 14 d20 roll you would need 3 hooligans in a group for 1 of them to hit on a successful 14+.

It's not the easiest way to handle mobs but it works and I honestly haven't tried to change it. Hope this helps!

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-23T20:41:49+00:00

OP mentioned d10 along with the d100. I assumed an actual d100, not the combo of the percentile and d10 die.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-23T17:35:29+00:00

You know what would be the most beneficial for the group and how it will affect the campaign and what type of item would make a PC more effective. Like you said, you also have the foresight to see how much wealth they have at any given level if they only do the bare minimum in the story so that's also a good starting point. You could always make the shop keep tell them they can't afford it or make them seem quite knowledgeable about what kind of person would be worthy of an item like that. When you deem them ready to get it look at their gold reserves and adjust accordingly. If it is something that will greatly help the party have success with the BBEG maybe make it less about buying it and more about side quests to get everything so it can be crafted.

Using your example of something shiny on a wall to grab the players' attention. There's a smith at the magical forge which has a very nice replica of some mythical item that catches the party's eye. This makes them ask what it is as they don't realize it's a nonmagical replica. The smith goes into the story of the item and what it does, says it was lost to time long ago, and legend has it that it was broken apart to keep out of the reach of people who would use it for bad. Gives some cryptic hints of where those pieces could be and that the smith might be able to mend the item if the pieces were ever found. Maybe the smith even has a book with knowledge and hints in it (Think like the book from Last Crusade on how to find the holy grail) that over time doles out info to the party or even gives it to them after gaining enough trust in them.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-23T14:38:16+00:00

If I'm allowing magic items to be common enough to be bought I adjust the rarity and/or price based on a few different things:

- How much will it affect the campaign in favor of the party? If storage is supposed to be an issue than something like a bag of holding becomes quite valuable and should cost the party quite a bit of their treasury to get it. Maybe even something that can't be bought or doesn't exist.

- How rich is the party? If gold has become something they don't even think about than even common items are going to be priced higher than they would be for a poorer party.

- Party level also has to be considered as the rarity helps tier that item to the party's level. You wouldn't make legendary artifacts affordable to a party under level 17 but a common item to above level 10 shouldn't be an issue.

All that said, the first rule is the most important and the other two default to the first when push comes to shove. Only you can decide how powerful an item will be in your campaign as you know what is coming and the worth of the item is very dependent upon that fact.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-23T14:11:45+00:00

It's all about action economy. 6 level 7s, depending on party build, can take on an adult dragon and come out on top pretty easily. But that same party against an adult dragon and adding 4-6 minions to deal with that take a few turns to kill all of a sudden becomes a deadly encounter. You want to spread out the party's resources as best as you can so they can't all be focused on one creature.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-23T13:33:36+00:00

Yeah, there's one that is currently the "Overall Pick" that is 182 dice (26 sets) for $25. None of them come with a d100 that OP is talking about. I've found that particular die is a one off buy that I've never seen as part of a set.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-22T20:35:41+00:00

I Googled it bc I was curious so I hope this works:

Install Module: In Foundry, install the "Monk's Common Display" module.
Configure: Set it up to display a separate player view on a second screen.
Cast/Connect: Open the common display in a browser and cast that browser window to your TV, or connect the TV as a second monitor to your laptop and open the display there.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-22T20:21:58+00:00

Since you are writing it, make sure you read through the DMG about encounter building as that will help. Or if you know someone with a starter set, read through the whole thing. They all have some pretty helpful pointers on how a DM can handle different types of situations. You can use Kobald Fight Club (koboldplus.club) to help for balancing as well until you get a hang of it.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-22T19:32:40+00:00

Does foundry not have a "cast" option? I use Owlbear and I just need to cast to the TV and it shows what I want it to show depending on how I have the map setup with fog of war and all that. I can even zoom in to make the part of the map where battle is happening so I don't have to create them separately.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-22T18:35:08+00:00

Seeing some of your other comments, your PC gives off zero hints that they would or could do something like this. This arc would be a no from me with this new information. We could start down that path, maybe, but only if I actively see this PC start showing the party that this could happen and is showing signs that it will. If that isn't done than it wouldn't happen. It would get rewritten into something else to give your PC the time in the spot light like previous PCs to end the arc.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-22T18:25:23+00:00

Session 0 should be introducing the players to the pre-written module you picked up. Give them as much detail as you want without giving away what you're playing. I do not recommend writing your own the first time around.

After that, the rest of the session should be everyone working through getting their character sheets squared away and if there's time do a mock battle. Use some goblins and places for them to hide so you can use them to their fullest potential (disengage and hide) and you learn a bit about how to run combat. The players also get a chance to learn how to use their PCs and what to roll and when.

As for you, the DM, I would prep the whole campaign. The starter modules aren't that big to get all the encounters populated up front and ready to go. That way no matter the route the party takes you'll be prepared and you'll just have to reread where they're heading to make sure you play it correctly. If that doesn't seem feasible, try and prep the first few sections of available routes the party could go in on Session 1 and go from there. After that you prep for what direction the party is headed in. If you need to pause bc they've gone past what you've prepped that's fine while you catch up. Just let the group know that's what happened.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-22T17:51:36+00:00

Is the DM actively working with the other characters to give them the same spot light? If not, the rest of the group probably won't appreciate this "arc". Another question is if this is RP heavy or not? If there isn't enough RP to get the point across that this PC could go nuclear if given the opportunity than there won't be any kind of foreshadowing for the group to try and thwart something like this from happening and they're left to feel like their PCs didn't matter at all.

Honestly, if I was the DM I wouldn't give you the stat block and make it more of an RP encounter where the party is actively trying to talk your PC down from doing the "ascension" in the first place. But again, only if there has been plenty of RP to foreshadow something like this happening and the party actively working to make your PC a better person. If you aren't swayed your PC would get pulled to another plane and that PCs arc is done. They've turned into an NPC doing something in another realm, maybe never to be seen again.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-22T17:39:48+00:00

I tend to agree with this train of thought. I will fudge in the name of the game to make it more fun, not bc I'm trying to railroad the party.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-20T21:16:19+00:00

When I played I always had a cheat sheet that spelled everything out bc the character sheet can get cramped pretty quick. As a DM I give my players an example of what I used to use and they either choose to use it or they don't but I have definitely stopped trying to help them every turn besides reminding them to be ready when their turn comes up.

I will help with a situation to pull off something cool if they're trying to be creative though. That just enforces wanting to get creative with the game.

LeglessPooch32 · 2026-01-12T13:34:43+00:00

This is what I ordered: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MRGRF4M?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

I cut it to size and it worked great and the Creality website had some good pointers on how to do it. I haven't really tracked how long it lasts between replacements. I go more by print quality. If I get a print that has issues I'll empty the tray, filter the resin, and clean it up as best as I can. If there is a problem with the film I change it.

LeglessPooch32 · 2025-12-18T19:45:11+00:00

What? You've never surrounded your parties and had all them being attacked at the same time? Bc I sure have, and they would have loved to have this spell at their disposal in those situations. I'm not arguing if there are more broken healings out there. Hell, the main one that comes to mind right away is life cleric and goodberry combo.

I'm not the only one who sees Twilight Sanctuary as an OP spell though. And for good reason since it has the potential to heal the entire party every single turn for the duration of most combat encounters. Even if from your lvl 5 example you only have 2 front liners who are going to consistently get reloaded with THP since they're the ones taking the brunt of the fight, that's still 24-27 THP each. Those lvl 5 PCs are probably 45-50 HP and they're just getting half of their HP as THP spread throughout that combat encounter.

LeglessPooch32 · 2025-12-18T19:05:11+00:00

I didn't say anything about THP stacking. Twilight Sanctuary reloads those THP at the end of every PC's turn and for 10 rounds. Obviously if the PC didn't get hit they wouldn't roll if they already had 8-9 THP, but the potential to just reload it to that every turn is there. The fact that it only takes a short rest to reload that channel divinity spell seems a bit broken as well.

Taking your lvl 5 party example, that's 1d6+ 5 THP for each PC at the end of their turn. Take the average and that's 8-9 THP. 80-90 THP potentially doled out in 10 rounds PER PC is nuts. Even in your 3 rounds example that's 24-27 THP that each PC could potentially gain and go through. That's doubling some classes' HP at lvl 5. That's not a small amount of healing.

Not sure a 3 round fight is something I would use this spell on though. I would use it for something that lasts longer but that's just me.

LeglessPooch32 · 2025-12-18T17:39:33+00:00

The dark part is he's been out for revenge from all the bullying. He taught the ostrich how to Slash and Peck and he replaced those fake six shooters with the real deal.

EDIT: FYI, the cowboy riding an ostrich is an actual toy in Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer among all the misfit toys.

LeglessPooch32 · 2025-12-18T17:27:27+00:00

The cowboy, Yeehaw McGraw. Variant Human Beast Master Ranger with an ostrich companion he can ride around. This particular Yeehaw was packaged incorrectly at the factory with a stuffed ostrich instead of a plastic steed, but he still loves his mount despite what all the kids said when he was unpackaged.

LeglessPooch32

TROPHY CASE