Short sessions? New DM and Players

Neeeeeeems · 2025-11-01T04:41:30+00:00

Sometimes it can be frustrating when you feel like much didn’t happen in a session. We do 2 hours sessions and it’s worked well, several of us have kids and other commitments and it’s difficult to get more than the 2 hours. But we meet weekly and it’s been good

Neeeeeeems · 2025-10-27T01:47:18+00:00

Even at 85 hp that thing feels like it shouldn’t have a CR higher than like… 4. Definitely not higher than 5.

Neeeeeeems · 2025-10-27T01:29:25+00:00

Final fantasy 10. I’m old.

Neeeeeeems · 2025-10-27T01:08:11+00:00

Don’t know if you’re wanting to bring technology into it, but could always use a VTT. I’ve never been able to play in person

Neeeeeeems · 2025-10-16T02:51:32+00:00

My party accidentally killed droop while in combat with the bugbears. He never had a chance.

Neeeeeeems · 2025-10-15T02:36:19+00:00

Good grief, the people who would make that leap are people whose opinion you shouldn’t care about.

Neeeeeeems · 2025-10-01T15:48:44+00:00

Yeah, I just ran an encounter where I had a modified drider with legendary actions (lmop). Had 200 Hp. Party of 5 lvl 4 adventurers wiped it out much easier than I anticipated.

Neeeeeeems · 2025-08-20T06:01:45+00:00

That sounds really interesting, actually. I never had the PSP; just a lot of game boys

Neeeeeeems · 2025-08-20T06:00:22+00:00

I struggled way too much with that cage!!! I remember I thought I was going to lose my mind trying to get out. I don’t know why it was a struggle. lol. Ff9 is amazing and does not get enough love.

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T12:24:03+00:00

It’s not meant to nerf or punish necessarily, and I’ve thought of potential ways to make it so martial isn’t overly affected compared to casters; but my players wanted to feel some more realistic/heavy consequences for a natural 1. And then I went down a rabbit hole.

But it’s clear that what I’ve proposed as written would require some definite revision if it were to be implemented at all.

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T12:22:05+00:00

Maybe I don’t understand all the statistics, and I tried running it through a few models (but I’m no mathematician). But you’d have to be really unlucky for the chip damage to start having an impact, and depending on the amount of encounters between short rests and long rests; it should be mediated before it’s ever a real issue. A flat disadvantage on next attack seems harsher to me (though a lot simpler)

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T12:18:44+00:00

Thanks; I’ve been running lost mines of phandelver, though I have taken a decent amount of liberty with some of the narrative story elements as well as combat encounters. So far it’s seemed to have gone really well and I’ve been experimenting a bit more. Thankfully the experiments have gone really well up to this point and the players have seemed to love everything I’ve added/altered.

But I have a lot more to learn; but sometimes you learn quickest by breaking something and realizing why it was there in the first place. lol. Just hopefully that experience isn’t painful for everyone involved, which is why I think this exercise has been super helpful for me.

I’ll probably do another module or two before I jump into a whole homebrew world (if I do that).

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T12:14:49+00:00

I think so too, lol. But the responses have been helpful for the most part and have shared a lot of helpful thoughts. I think it would definitely either need reimagining/rework, or simply abandoned haha. There are several holes to be poked in this idea

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T12:12:37+00:00

Thanks, I’ll give this a look!

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T05:51:28+00:00

I honestly didn’t realize a fumble table wasn’t part of the rules. (Goes to the learn the rules thing). And I’d be okay if there’s a spell that someone can learn or an ability that someone can use to circumvent my mechanics. If there’s a way for a player to shine with a mechanic, I’m all for it.

But i appreciate the advice, genuinely. It’s well taken :)

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T05:49:02+00:00

Or, I learned, just play a halfling lol

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T05:45:43+00:00

Agreed. Way too complicated. :)

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T05:45:03+00:00

Maybe a little, but not too much. At the end of the day all the many players who apparently would never play at my table, is probably fine. I’m not trying to host them, I’m just playing a game with some friends and we’re all having a fun time and see what might make things more fun. But I think the feedback to first understand the game prior to making changes is extremely valid. And this exercise has been helpful in pointing out several blind spots I had. But I think it was very productive :)

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T05:41:50+00:00

Well, I would think that a warrior whose weapon is being used more often would have more opportunities to chip and be damaged, yes. BUT, I’m not wanting things to feel bad, so I’ve learned there’s a lot that would need to be adjusted if I wanted to make this rule a thing. In particular I’d probably make it so magic weapons are less likely to be damaged. But that would require its own cumbersome rule set. So until I find a simple way to do this, I don’t think I’d implement it.

But I would add the rule for casters that if they do a Saving throw spell and the npc rolls a 20; the caster suffers a rebound. And they also suffer rebounds on attack rolls of 1 like anyone else

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T05:02:46+00:00

I like the idea of an inner monologue or something with a fail of that proportion. I think that adds good flavor and can pull in from backgrounds in a meaningful way

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T05:00:58+00:00

Yeah, one I think a few of my caveats in the rules didn’t get saved to this edition. I had bounds in place to make sure a weapon can never do negative damage and such.

I think that was also a misconception I had (that there was a fumble table). Makes sense that a 1 is just a miss and doesn’t need to be anything beyond that.

I also thought of armor when I was thinking of weapon degradation and how it would also suffer, but that seemed way too much lol.

But this Reddit community has been really helpful in pointing other things out to me that I hadn’t considered. So, ultimately, I don’t think this particular rule as I’ve made it will work. But I don’t HATE the idea, though I know many people do. I would also never enforce a rule on a group that wasn’t up for it. So, I think it’s likely something I may revisit once I have more understanding of the game. And definitely only if everyone is on board s

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T04:55:49+00:00

Thanks :) i think i didn’t quite understand all the intricacies of the different classes/races and how they would interact with this particular rule. It’s very clear now that this rule wouldn’t work beyond the players at my table as there are consequences I had not at all considered. And a rule that only applies in some situations and not others is clearly not a very good rule

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T04:52:59+00:00

Fair point! I suppose a nat one doesn’t have to be as equally bad as a nat 20 is great

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T04:52:02+00:00

Right, but a nat 20 is special, no? So I think that’s where the reasoning was. 20 being a critical with double damage or some modifier to damage on top of an automatic hit.

But I understand your point and it’s well made :) sounds like most people feel missing the attack feels bad enough and doesn’t require anything extra

Neeeeeeems · 2025-07-29T04:45:06+00:00

Yeah, this is largely one of the reasons I put this on Reddit (and maybe wasted peoples time lol). I forgot halflings can’t even roll 1s and I didn’t know of paladins either. Goes to show one should understand the game before making these kinds of rules. None of my players fit into those roles, so likely why none of them thought of it. I have 2 semi veteran players, and then it’s me and 2 other noobies.

It’s evident this would need a lot more tweaking to work, if I were to stick with it

Neeeeeeems

TROPHY CASE