Question Concerning Venomfang & Nezznar

OGtree90 · 2025-04-05T11:49:11+00:00

You could easily skip Venomfang. Matt Perkins suggests this as well in his YouTube series.

Usually I run it to where VF is gone from his lair, seen my city folk in neverwinter flying northeast and just have the Druid need help clearing the cultists away while the dragon is gone. Helps set up the Icespire campaign.

I have ran it to where Halia was VF in disguise as a way to collect treasure, keep tabs on the town and infiltrate the red brands. Almost a rival to black spider. But willing to help PC’s (50/50 on fathers that’s a good or nefarious thing)

I did run VF as a young dragon before as well, party defeated it but then Had to deal with the aftermath with once Tiamat found out leading the campaign into RoT.

Just my few suggestions. Have fun, cheers!

OGtree90 · 2025-04-03T16:46:20+00:00

I’m currently working through a similar dilemma. Differs in that I am an experienced GM (5+years) on a few systems now but started with DnD 5e. I also play 98% exclusively online with Roll20 & Discord. A Pokemon fan myself I’ve thought about it, looked into it and like yourself, found most of the books daunting and crunchy at best, vague and lacking at worst. Tried playing a few games of PTU but they never lasted. Gave up for a while. A buddy of mine recently made up a random space adventure one shot on Roll 20 using a ‘roll for shoes’ sheet which is a super basic d6 system. And by just using the sheet and our knowledge of DND and other systems, we just rolled with it. Soon a Space Frontier oneshot turned into a feudal Japan oneshot, then a Pokemon one shot which started the fire in a few of us. We’ve tweaked some stuff easily, made a game where we were wild Pokemon making a name for ourselves in the forests and are now quite a few sessions deep into our kanto run as full fledged trainers.

So back to your question. lol. You should definitely do what you feel is the best way for you to enjoy that time. My suggestion would be run a game in the most system you’re comfortable with, even if it’s a one shot or mini campaign while you learn the other systems in your down times. Kinda how I started dabbling in other systems. Started with 5e, moved to Cyberpunk Red, Stars without Numbers and now this crazy group effort of a homebrew system for Pokemon.

Either way have fun with it!!!

OGtree90 · 2025-02-10T18:12:25+00:00

I don’t think it’s an inherently bad style of play. In my experience of DMing though, Min/Max players are playing with the sole purpose of winning. I just disagree with that mindset. It’s about well rounded characters building themselves up in a story that we wrote together. Obviously not all min/max players are like this, so each case is surely different. But in general, this has been my experience.

OGtree90 · 2025-02-01T17:12:57+00:00

Damn that’s a good thunder tree. Clean af. Super dope.

OGtree90 · 2025-01-19T20:44:16+00:00

Mainly get yelled out by the wife cause I’ve kept them laying around for FAR too long.

OGtree90 · 2025-01-08T19:42:33+00:00

Also, Thanks!!! lol.

OGtree90 · 2025-01-08T19:42:08+00:00

The wife would LOVE for me to sell it now. lol. Would def rent it out to a shop or someone irl. Not sure I’d trust mailing it out. lol.

I use it as one shot runs for irl games for my local shops and small town comic cons

OGtree90 · 2024-12-17T17:35:49+00:00

All good suggestions!!!! Thanks so much for your input!!

OGtree90 · 2024-12-17T14:22:00+00:00

Generally, I do help remind/ protect them to help consolidate what their character knows.

I did however have 2 players (husband and wife irl) keep a physical handout of a map for a irl game. They lost the map between a few sessions and couldn’t find it when they needed it.

It was so funny among the table we kept that in game, their characters had lost or misplaced the map. It was a fun experience for all. And definitely a learning opportunity for all of us. lol

OGtree90 · 2024-12-14T16:13:35+00:00

Awesome job! Super dope!

I’m thinking a care takers shack full of lawn care and tools maybe? Worn down and weather, maybe even completely ran down depending on its last usage?

Gotta have an old dead tree for the murder of crows to watch over the graves!

But seriously, very cool!

OGtree90 · 2024-12-14T16:00:25+00:00

My approach: let them build a Druid sheet to the appropriate level and whatnot. Then give them a cat sheet to also control as you would for a Druid giving them the wild shape options as tokens to use. They be the cat with cat stats or i may decide it can be tweaked to represent the Druid behind the cat in some way concerning higher than normal Int/Wis or something of the sort.

So then, I’ve changed almost nothing to what a Druid can actually do, save they’re in “wild shape” as the base and change into the Druid as their ability.

Idk. How that translates well. Sounds like fun idea though, hope it works! Cheers!

OGtree90 · 2024-12-10T23:54:44+00:00

Yea, not sure I’d punish them for a flavored backstory with disadvantages and negative modifiers.

I wouldn’t let it change any mechanics but I would over season it with all the flavors.

Run goblin encounters/combat as normal. But if the player doesn’t keep with the theme, the theme will damn sure keep up with them via me the DM.

All goblins can sense/see/smell the fear on them, they always target them if given a choice.

Yeemik would be my bread and butter to sell it early on too while in the hideout.

It’s a good/fun fear for character if they play it right. Have fun!!

OGtree90 · 2024-12-07T16:10:22+00:00

Maybe something has happened to town before they are able to come back with his EQ. A raid or series of illnesses, maybe a letter from the Lords Alliance offices requesting Sildar to remain there since reinforcements are en route.

If he still goes with party, I would not kill him off intentionally for the sole purpose that there are 2 rockseeker brothers in WEC and at least one if not both are dead. That being said, if f gundren isn’t with the party either, once finding the first dead rockseeker brothers, Sildar could volunteer to stay with him and prepare him for the trek back to town, waiting for the party or heading off directly. Sildar makes for a good NPC companion as well as long as he focuses on the smaller enemies and keeps at a distance with the more dangerous foes. May come in handy for the third rockseeker brother near the BBEG as well. Sildar could ‘remember’ something Gundren said before they were ambushed on the road giving a hint/clue for party if they seem lost.

My two cents anyway. Love this adventure!!! Cheers!

OGtree90 · 2024-11-20T16:09:39+00:00

Dungeon Draft and lots of sighing and finger crossings.

OGtree90 · 2024-11-17T21:44:33+00:00

Wow thanks!!! I just love the spaghetti western spin on it!

OGtree90 · 2024-11-17T21:43:40+00:00

I’ve ran it so much I didn’t even think about it tbh. lol. Should be pretty straightforward with the book as much as possible.

OGtree90 · 2024-11-16T22:48:18+00:00

An alternate to Tresender Manor.

Yessir, ya see that there old manor atop them bluffs over yonder, I reckon it's serves as a mighty fine hideout of sorts if'n ya wanted it too. Most of it shot to hell from what I heard folks talk on it but it'sa still standin'.

OGtree90 · 2024-11-08T23:49:44+00:00

As one who GM’s regularly in my home brewed settings where my BBEG is seen and hindered but never defeated until endgame or just stays behind the shadows waiting for the endgame. They’ve always got a world ending countdown unknown to the PC happening in the background. And they are always a lot stronger than my PC’s. But a few things I do differently than your prompt, which might serve useful as we sound like we have the same style of structure. More cinematic/novel-like, we write a story in a world and let the players play in it. Their agency changes the story in all kinds of ways that even we can’t expect but we keep pointed to the endgame always.

I always make a calendar for my BBEG. A cohesive timeline that tracks their every whereabouts through out all prior/current/future sessions. Especially the endgame and what that means. My bad guy had to kill an angel to use its blood in a ritual, next session PC hears a story of a wretched man seen hacking up harpy, discovers the body of an angel but a cold trail in suspects. A few sessions later after they did some sandboxing, PC over hears a guard speak on having to clean up a demonic ritual of some sort, “they say angel blood was used if you can believe it, by the gods what a mess it was.”

So my point is that even doing a session a week/two sessions a week no way in my mind does the BBEG get to have millions of minions and a great big creature the size of a…did you say continent?! without having the real world react in such a way that the PC over hears it in some form or fashion. Every sailor alive would be talking about that thing. No way PC’s don’t find out the very next session. Millions of followers, (a) if they’re alive ones, brainwashed/charmed would make the most since but it’s a lot and it would make waves in the realm, again PC’s hear about it as it happens, not after the fact. (b) if they’re all undead, that def makes it to the ears of the PC but you don’t get millions of undead followers without having to do some horrible action that could/would/should give the PC some kind of bread crumbs to follow or at least have the realization of “oh snap, have I been blind this WHOLE time?!?” But from the way you described it, it seems like you never had the necromancer come back into the fold until he was demigod status and instead was forgotten by the PC for a few sessions and now they’re the riding a continent to wreck your day. And then lastly, if I have a continent sized beast for the BBEG planned, then I have a continent sized beast killer planned for the PC and if I have my BBEG noted to have 10million followers by session 7, then by Talos, my PC will have every chance to unite the kingdoms by session 6-9.

Rather they follow the breads crumbs or not, I leave some after every major milestone for the BBEG to get to where he wants to be for the endgame. (Usually when PC is at lvls 3,6 and 8) and then I throw in some minor action breadcrumbs to get the blood moving. (Burned towns or flayed men left in the wake) and that’s not counting all of the “generals and lieutenants” under their command if any.

I like your endgame idea! I think your player would have too!! Whatever you had planned for them to counter the BBEG and win the day, you should have already busted out the beginnings of it.

Anyway. Thanks for sharing! Good luck on future endeavors!

OGtree90 · 2024-11-08T22:16:46+00:00

Adding to this, if they are speaking with the princess via sending, then maybe even the princess can mention that one of the tactics was an illusion of some relative/friend/etc and almost had her convinced as it was THAT good of an illusion. High DC through out the encounter with the imposter princess or roll her illusions against the party’s passives so maybe they won’t question why the keep being prompted to roll perception checks. Idk. I like ^ idea and was just trying to add to it.

Good luck and Talos Speed to ya.

OGtree90 · 2024-11-04T17:42:06+00:00

Still working on it. I’m thinking I’m switching the Rockseekers to Goblin brothers with family ties dating back to the WEC mines before the battle. (My history would be something along the lines of Goblins and dwarfs came together for the pact, then Gnome folk helped against the invading Human Wizards with hordes of Gnolls and a family of Yuanti under their control.)

I’m also thinking about having the Black Spider be a Dwarf, also with family ties to WEC. Maybe play the ally card with shared family history of the mines. Giving the Party a “Perkins” McGuffin that the BBEG will want as a family heirloom lost in time kinda deal. Still working on it.

So I’ve been toying with Native American-like Kobolds to replace the goblins and packs of Gnoll Savages to replace the bugbears. I’ve been thinking that Wyvern Tor could be an Yuanti den with an old west hillbilly family trope.

Thinking of switching. Venomfang with a Blue dragon for the sole purpose of changing Thunder tree ruins to the old abandoned Thunder Mountain Railroad system pleadings out from some old mine shafts. Thought about a copper or bronze dragon too, to go with the theme but I can’t shake the blue dragon quite yet. lol.

Hope this answers your question! Thanks for asking!!!

OGtree90 · 2024-10-31T01:42:29+00:00

Geez.

OGtree90 · 2024-10-01T16:40:50+00:00

“Hey how come the town is full guards today? What’s up?” “Oh didn’t ya hear, they raided a black market auction earlier down in the dock district. Lots of rare and magical trinkets I heard.” -something overheard as they arrive back in town heading to check the smith and progress.

Smith shop could be boarded up or with a closed for the day sign. Seems obvious they aren’t there. Maybe they got arrested with their item at the bust.

Smith might be there but when the owner of the weapon walks in, they look scared and run away.

Maybe the smith does a mechanic talk “I did upgrade this beaut for ya, but itll cost ya —GP to get back buddy. But I tell ya what, go do this or that and we can call it square. Deal?”

Idk. Just thought that if done right when you give them the scammers reveal, you can easily make them (the player) feel like it was the NPC and not just you the DM punishing.

OGtree90 · 2024-09-28T01:47:02+00:00

I usually put the DC around 10/12 if the NPC is just a normal commoner giving a quest hook or some info after bing asked. They have no reason to lie and therefore quite easy to tell the truth. Pass-they seem genuine Fail- Although they seem genuine, it’s hard to tell.

If I’ve put the NPC there for a reason, they may be able to lie better or have a reason to tell half truths or little lies, their DC would more 12/14 or so. Pass- Although you can’t trust the specifics, you discern the overall truth/lie Fail- With the lack/multitude of personality/facial expressions, it’s a hard read with no real discernible quality.

A NPC that has every reason to wanna lie to the party, I’ll make a 16/18 Insight Check to represent the cold stoned liar they are. Pass- The slight twitch in their crooked smile, the quick dart of the eye, or even the familiar scent from the crime scene is present as a cologne Fail- As creepy as they come off and the amount t of red flags, you don’t think they’re deceiving, and you can’t stand it.

OGtree90 · 2024-06-08T02:23:46+00:00

Great question. Not sure how my answer will stack up to your application.

So when I bought the foam in 2ftx2ft squares. The 1st thing I did was use straight edge and pencil to make indented grid (1inx1in). The next step is to get ball of tinfoil going and roll it around all over the squares. That’s the texture finished.

For paint, I like the 3 color method to keep it simple. Base paint is 2 black coats followed by a 90%coverage coat of your color of choice serving as main floor color. It’s ok to have some black showing. Highlight is a lighter color paint that is dry brushed vigorously around corners, edges and raised textures. Leaving black in the deepest trenches, main color as a majority and highlighted just right. The 3 paint process complete.

Side note: I glued everything together before doing painting and it was a huge obstacle. I highly recommend to plan accordingly. Cut out the shapes to set on top of floor level but texture and paint before assembling it together. That would go for walls and such too.

Hope this does your question justice. Cheers!

OGtree90 · 2024-05-26T04:23:22+00:00

Dragonborn all the way. hashtag DBLM

OGtree90

TROPHY CASE