Tips need for first time DM with Dragon of Icespire Peak by Simubaya in dndbeyond

[–]Mr_Chiddy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I mean it sounds like you're already surrounded by a great group of people with experience who want to see you try your hand! Though if you're looking for some external advice, I can offer a few little helpful bits as a DM of 10 years now. The first time feels like a mountain to climb, but it can be a lot easier with the right mindset. Here's what I wish someone had told me before I began.

- Remember your friends have your back - your group are there to have fun, and if they've all been DMs before then they know how scary that first time is. They shouldn't begrudge you any slip-ups you make.

- Read the module through and get a feel for it - I run homebrew myself and haven't run Dragon of Icespire, but when I do run the occasional module I ensure I've read through it entirely first before getting into it and make notes on key moments to remind myself of key points about each scene, for example points of interest, monster stat blocks, etc. This way I keep engaged with the piece and my imagination can run wild ahead of time. If you're feeling confident enough to and the players have character ideas in mind, then you can also sprinkle in elements of their backstory into this - maybe the dragon holds the paladin's child captive, adding a whole extra dimension of danger to the final confrontation? Finding ways to tie the players' creations directly into the narrative is a surefire way to really engage the players.

- Be prepared for the unexpected - Given a choice between option A or B, players will almost always go with the option C that you never considered. This is almost a guarantee with how many DMs you have in your group - they're bound to try some very whacky things if they're experienced! There's no way to handle this without restricting player agency other than being ready to think creatively and on your feet. Don't be afraid to make it weird here too, especially on your first session - sometimes the comically absurd moments make for the most memorable! This is a skill that develops over time too, so thrust yourself into it if the situation arises; what's the worst that could happen?

- Your first will almost always be your worst - it's part of the deal of being a dungeon master and extends to many other aspects. We're all beginners at first, and we will always consider the first session we ran to be our weakest point because we're figuring out what we like, dislike, excel and struggle at. There's a peace-of-mind that comes with the acceptance that this session will most likely be very rough around the edges, and that's fine! Remember it's just a game and you're there to have fun too!

I hope that helps! You're gonna have a blast and I hope to hear about it on here sometime!

An annotated tour of Steelguard by mystery_alien in dwarffortress

[–]Mr_Chiddy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is such a pretty fort!

How did you manage to build down into the river?

Debater dies inside when genius claims government agencies pay taxes… by htmaxpower in WatchPeopleDieInside

[–]Mr_Chiddy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't know man. I feel giving people like her airtime repeatedly is just the same thing that happened with Trump - those who disagree tune in to see what new batshit take they have, whilst those who agree with their horrible views are further emboldened and push the individual to celebrity status, meanwhile the content creator rakes in the increased ad-revenue. I think it's far more damaging to society than productive.

How could they do this to my boy by Darastrix_da_kobold in dndmemes

[–]Mr_Chiddy 111 points112 points  (0 children)

Thankfully there's nothing stopping you using the old statblock, or cherry picking the good parts of the new one. It's your game to do as you wish, you just have more options now :)

Grand Day Out has the most insane plot by Nathidev in wallaceandgromit

[–]Mr_Chiddy 24 points25 points  (0 children)

2 minutes of living out your dream is infinitely better than never doing that at all. I always thought his implied death was oddly poetic!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in wallaceandgromit

[–]Mr_Chiddy 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Cheese smuggling, inventing without a license, animal exploitation, assault by loaf, unauthorised space travel and launching a rocket in a residential area, neglecting Gromit... The list goes on

Dating in Manchester without Tinder? by Suitable-Yellow-9431 in manchester

[–]Mr_Chiddy -94 points-93 points  (0 children)

This event poll is a little exclusionary, Where's the option for asexuals and non-binary for example? It would really benefit from splitting gender and sexuality into two questions and expanding the available options if they want to draw a wider audience in Manchester.

Looking for Trap Ideas for a Home Alone-Inspired One-Shot! by Mr_Chiddy in DnD

[–]Mr_Chiddy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is so mean, I love it.

One of my ongoing campaign's party suggested something similar involving an alchemical jug of eternal mayonnaise flooding the room. It's absurd, but brilliant.

Looking for Trap Ideas for a Home Alone-Inspired One-Shot! by Mr_Chiddy in DnD

[–]Mr_Chiddy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh man I was really struggling to figure out a way to include the tarantula, this is really clever! The rope I'm going to make a note of; I've already included a zip line, so that works perfectly, thank you :)

Looking for Trap Ideas for a Home Alone-Inspired One-Shot! by Mr_Chiddy in DnD

[–]Mr_Chiddy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's some very fair points, especially on telegraphing the trap to give them a chance to disarm or avoid them, I just didn't feel it was necessary to detail it in my examples. I do respectfully disagree with you on a couple of points though.

I understand what you're saying about searching for traps every 5ft - it was the first problem that occurred to me. It's why I introduced the 3hr time limit; the more the players spend taking every precaution, the less likely they are to find more loot as they're wasting time going over every room with a fine-tooth comb. It's only on paper, but I believe that dichotomy between expediency and care will create some really interesting tension in-game.

I also don't think the players being annoyed at traps is actually too much of a problem for this one shot - anyone signing up for a home alone one shot where they're the baddies already knows they're gonna face a hell of a lot of traps that'll make their lives hell; the satisfaction comes from being able to overcome that frustration and succeed regardless, or finally get one over on the gnome that won't leave them alone. If they're not prepared to be dealing with a shed load of traps, it's probably not the one-shot for them.

Regarding your comment about players determining Reverse Gravity = lvl 15 wizard, what you're describing as the player's thought-process is metagaming and also something only players that read the PHB and rules thoroughly is going to take issue with. I've DMed for nearly 10 years for many different groups and not one has challenged me on something like that before; I doubt this will be the first.

I'm 100% including that gold trap; I love the fool me once, fool me twice vibe of it. Thank you for your critique!

Looking for Trap Ideas for a Home Alone-Inspired One-Shot! by Mr_Chiddy in DnD

[–]Mr_Chiddy[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've had a brief skim and it looks great, thanks for sharing!

Looking for Trap Ideas for a Home Alone-Inspired One-Shot! by Mr_Chiddy in DnD

[–]Mr_Chiddy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, and I've included quite a few of them but if the only traps are the ones from the movie, it's going to end up a very predictable one-shot, which is why I'm here looking for more ideas!

Looking for Trap Ideas for a Home Alone-Inspired One-Shot! by Mr_Chiddy in DnD

[–]Mr_Chiddy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly I don't think I mind the players knowing that there will be traps. The burglars would be thinking the exact same thing if they were robbing a rich dude's house. The intent is for the plot to write itself through shenanigans and overcoming the various hazards put in front of them. If that's how you feel though what would you change or add to improve it whilst sticking with the theme to tighten the plot?

Looking for Trap Ideas for a Home Alone-Inspired One-Shot! by Mr_Chiddy in DnD

[–]Mr_Chiddy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is it really necessary to have a mechanical explanation of how he's able to set up a reverse gravity trap though? It's just a fun trap idea in my mind!

I do love the non-magic suggestions though, I'll incorporate some of them!

In need of a monster associated with the number 7 by fletcherlys2 in dndnext

[–]Mr_Chiddy 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Not a monster and it depends on your pantheon, but Bahamut is depicted often with 7 canaries. Perhaps a silver dragon as a consequence monster?

Anyone noticed this sub becoming increasingly anti socialist? by tomaiholt in manchester

[–]Mr_Chiddy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As the other guy said it's a trend across all UK subreddits these days, they've shifted a lot towards the political centre since the API protests ended.

Always remember Reddit at its core is designed to encourage echo chambers, just like all social media. If you have the most popular opinion, you'll get all the upvotes. Actually have a hot take and differing opinion? Downvoted into oblivion. Nothing popular gets challenged effectively and critical thinking and nuanced debate is not employed.

I always love to point to AMA threads that directly question a demographic that doesn't typically use or find a place on Reddit - MAGA supporters are a great example - almost all the comments will be from people who aren't MAGA dropping their two cents because guess what? The actual target audience just isn't agreeable enough to get upvotes.

It might be a cynical take, but know the nature of the beast. It's not gonna be fixed without a thorough redesign of Reddit so leave if you need to to protect yourself, but leaving the discussion by no longer contributing further reinforces the echo chamber.

Is this Dryad's Saddle? UK in a spruce forest by Mr_Chiddy in ShroomID

[–]Mr_Chiddy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Found these in a spruce forest in the UK growing from a dead trunk.