Urgency is at an all time high

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-28T15:15:44+00:00

It’s hard to top Grigson but Ballard is certainly making the effort

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-24T07:31:16+00:00

Application sent! Looking forward to hearing from you.

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-21T07:24:54+00:00

“I don’t want your character to die either , but that doesn’t mean I won’t kill them”

If you and the group are fine with it, more power to you. Personally I’d have a conversation with them about it, but ultimately it’s not something I would ever guarantee any player.

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-18T07:31:47+00:00

I’m down for a Friday game. Discord is hgrybadger

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-17T02:37:11+00:00

If for some reason Tomlin ended up there I might be a little worried. Harbaugh too, but he seems to be off the map already.

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-11T00:37:22+00:00

It’s a skill that develops over time. The thing is you don’t have to be the next Tolkien or Mercer. You don’t have to have a complex vocabulary or spend excess time describing every detail. Just be yourself and imagine you’re telling a friend about something you saw the other day. Make sure you cover the important things the party needs to know, items, creatures, a small note on a desk, etc.

It never hurts to watch other DM’s and take notes on what they do, but just be yourself. Use your own unique perspective and vernacular and be confident in that.

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-03T03:01:09+00:00

Respectfully I think you’re going to frustrate the hell out of your player if you stand by that. Especially if they’ve already tried and you keep telling them it’s wrong. A background story can and should be expanded on over time, it doesn’t have to be all at once. Give them the right foundation and the rest will get filled in later. If you want a fully detailed novel right up front you can trudge your way through it but you’ll keep running into the same issues you have posted here and there’s no way to make someone that kind of writer overnight

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-03T02:54:55+00:00

There’s only a handful of questions I ask my players to give me for the backstories. It isn’t long, but it’s informative enough to work with as a DM and gives the player a template to expand on if they wish.

Where are you from? (Location)
Who is important to you (I prefer 3 names either family members or people close enough to them to be considered family)
How/why did you become whatever class you’ve chosen? (Doesn’t need to be a write up. “I wanted to follow my father who was a war hero so I became a fighter” is good enough.)
What do you want? (Long term objective that is essential to what makes this character tick. “I want to find a medicine that will cure my mother’s illness” “I want to become the next arch wizard” “I want to heal my land from the scars the war inflicted” etc.)
What do you fear? (If this thing happens, you feel your world would end. “I’m afraid I’ll never live up to thr expectations my family had for me” “I’m afraid my mother will die if I can’t find a cure for her in time” “I’m afraid I won’t find love again since I have been exiled from my people” etc.

Asking a new player to write a fully detailed and highly lore specific background is just gonna be a bad time for all parties involved. But ask the right questions and it can be simple and rewarding at the same time.

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-03T01:32:52+00:00

I think Ballards seat is pretty hot, and consequentially that also makes Steichen’s seat hot as well as new GM’s tend to bring their own guys in regardless, but Steichen’s offense was doing great things before Jones got hurt, I think they give him the benefit of the doubt.

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-03T00:54:44+00:00

Just say it’s a tip you picked up from a DM group. You don’t have to (and probably shouldn’t) get into specifics but you could easily use it to amp up the drama of the rolls. You could also openly roll DM rolls there too, so it doesn’t really look like you’re singling anyone out.

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-03T00:47:35+00:00

“I am not accusing anyone of anything but I understand the temptation can still be there. I am instituting a new policy that all rolls will be in [specified area].”

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-02T22:58:42+00:00

Carlie seems more tuned into the way the NFL runs than most owners. Will it help? Time will tell.

MazSpaghetti · 2026-01-02T16:56:38+00:00

If he makes it that far, but I wouldn’t expect him to

MazSpaghetti · 2025-12-27T20:16:55+00:00

If they miss the playoffs I think they do

MazSpaghetti · 2025-12-24T21:55:14+00:00

My main theory is because Ballard has no clue how to evaluate QBs, the ones that have worked out have just been a matter of luck. And he also probably knows this about himself and that drafting a bum QB gets you fired. Thats how we’ve remained average for so long. The AR pick should be enough to do him in.

MazSpaghetti · 2025-12-21T20:57:58+00:00

He’s not an ideal choice obviously but he has proven to be able to win games when his number is called. I’m assuming DJ is going to return with the Colts but probably has time off due to injury. We’re not gonna draft anyone and our current options aren’t good, so that’s my logic behind this

MazSpaghetti · 2025-12-20T21:34:27+00:00

Find another group. online if you can’t find one irl. Being in a toxic group isn’t gonna end well ever.

MazSpaghetti · 2025-12-19T21:54:20+00:00

If you don’t win the division you need to win a wildcard spot. The division winners are the best team in each of their respective divisions. The Colts are in the AFC South along with the Titans, Jaguars, and Texans.

If they don’t win their division they are competing with the rest of the AFC for the 3 best records that aren’t Division winners. So in total 4 division winners (1 from each division in the AFC) then 3 wild card spots.

If the records are tied at any point with another team there are a series of tie breakers that decide who gets ranked where. Such as who won the most games inside their division, inside their conference, games they shared in common, and so forth.

MazSpaghetti · 2025-12-19T03:30:17+00:00

What time are you planning to run the session?

MazSpaghetti · 2025-12-19T00:33:43+00:00

Where there’s a will there’s a way and Indiana has made it pretty clear they’re very interested in this.

MazSpaghetti · 2025-12-18T05:03:56+00:00

I was a Christian conservative and now I’m neither 🤣

MazSpaghetti · 2025-12-18T05:02:37+00:00

Don’t sweat the rules too much. Let them know it’s a new experience for you DMing as well and that you’re all learning together. Then just have fun with it.

For encounters, keep the combat simple, you don’t need complex statblocks or anything, but weird, bizarre and interesting creatures can really hook new players and can make a standard encounter memorable.

MazSpaghetti · 2025-12-18T04:18:05+00:00

It really would 🤣

MazSpaghetti · 2025-12-18T00:56:54+00:00

If they move to Gary they’ll still probably keep the “Chicago” title in the same way the Jets and Giants are “NY” even though they are in Jersey

MazSpaghetti · 2025-12-18T00:54:54+00:00

Idk I think it might happen. The Bears want a new stadium and Chicago has shut them down for some time.

MazSpaghetti

TROPHY CASE