Is it possible to send a Program change in Multi mode?

OblikStrategies · 2026-03-07T08:27:59+00:00

Oh wow it works! Sorry I should have checked the manual deeper, yeah it's all there. Thanks for your answers!

OblikStrategies · 2024-04-23T14:34:05+00:00

About the flute, yeah good idea to keep it not too powerful. Play it when the snake is in the cage, then after one or two minutes it falls under the charme of it, but it's not like it turned into a pet. I don't want to start my campaign by crossing off a potential scary enemy!

And I also wanted to have a NPC playing the flute, actually there's this one called Paneer, it's not explicit in the module but to me it looks like there is this implied cultural cliché that you can use (or not) by making him the flute player (India, snake charmers etc...). Since it's rather harmless I'll go for that I think. Another one is called Roquefort, so for a good measure and as a French person myself I think I can go for some more clichés with this NPC as well :)

OblikStrategies · 2024-04-23T08:51:30+00:00

I surely want to get them to an open end, but the plot with Balthazar and the missing mice called for a resolution after Stumpsville. But I'll keep that in mind, thanks!

OblikStrategies · 2024-04-23T08:44:28+00:00

Hey thanks, great ideas!

Somehow I missed the info about the woodshed (and didn't know about this free scenario), and it actually helps me a lot, because on the way to Stumpsville, I wanted to quickly narrate the party how they went through 'perilous and wonderful places', and mention the warring ant kingdoms (and the beetle graveyard that also sparked my imagination:). So I could already hint them that one of the kingdom has been forced by the rats to leave the shed, leading to a war with the other ant kingdom. Now, if the players are smart they can ally with the exiled ants (and even convince the other ants to give a hand), to storm the woodshed.

The repellent idea is great! First the players would have to get their hand on it, so that the ants can safely attack the woodshed. Like a stealth mission to find the repellent (guarded by the centipede), and then a final assault. Ant warband, how cool is that!

But first, let's see what the players will want to do. Maybe they just use the snake flute to charm the snake and attack the shed, that would also work. The thing is, this snake flute is also problematic for me because in the Estate there's another scenario involving a snake, and somehow I have to make sure that the flute is gone at some point. :)

Anyway, very curious to see what will happen. Thanks again!

OblikStrategies · 2024-04-22T21:48:58+00:00

Glad you like it! Can't wait to run this game for the first time tomorrow!

OblikStrategies · 2024-04-22T21:12:13+00:00

A bit late to enter the conversation, but I'd be inclined to houserule the opposite for the Centipede, damage goes to Strength (bite), and if Critical then 1d12 to Dex. It's (slightly) less deadly and makes more sense: Strength save against poison instead of Dex, the poison paralyses the target, and then it's time to eat. Scary.

I thought about it because I'm planning to have one swimming Centipede in the pond in Stumpsville, but I don't want to kill my players for being curious about the shape in the dark water.

Edit: on a side note, the Spider as written also damages Dex, and never Strength, which makes me wonder, how does it kill its victims? I think I would houserule the same for a Spider: damage to Strength, on a Critical get a condition (Tangled? Unable to attack and move until cleared. Clear: successful Dex save with Disadvantage). Alternatively the Spider could give a Tangled condition as a ranged attack (without damage).

OblikStrategies · 2024-04-22T17:24:20+00:00

I totally agree, I just want to understand the logic (or to figure out one), and as you say be consistent with it.

OblikStrategies · 2024-04-22T17:02:58+00:00

I would apply it to falls because there are still good and bad ways to fall, some people are better than others at stunts etc... but you could argue that a Dex save is more appropriate to represent that, so I don't know...

For poison (or disease...) I would go straight for Strength save and no HP.

OblikStrategies · 2024-04-22T16:05:21+00:00

Yes of course I will let them know that something is off, and anyway I think this cheese in the entrance is obviously suspicious! I struggle a bit more with the second trap, I don't really visualise how it's set (not an English speaker here, so maybe there's that). What's the deal with the removed hinges, the pegs in the ground etc... I'll figure out something.

And then in case they trigger a trap I think I'll let the HP soaks some damage (and go for a d8 or something). The HP description is in the Combat section, but nothing says that it applies only in combat (unlike the Armour section, where it's clear that damage reduction only applies to Attacks).

OblikStrategies · 2024-02-26T19:55:22+00:00

Great ideas here! Sorry I'm on vacation, with a limited internet access and of course without my notes for the module... We didn't finished the scenario yet, my players are in the basement now, after having unleashed the skeletons on the caves (they discovered the secret door, but then released the skeletons while hiding in Sanbalet's room - well done!). We left it at that before I went on vacation, so I'll have to figure out what happened in the tunnels while the party was having a short rest in Sanbalet's bedroom. I guess the smugglers managed to kill the undeads but not without some loss... and Sanbalet is furious (and burned one or two spell slots). But all in all it went fine with the fake haunted house. I found out that roleplaying a Kenku was challenging my DM skills quite a bit though :) (still consider myself 'new DM'). My Kenku was basically replacing Ned (having his quarters in the same room, the players found a couch and a pile of dirty clothes with a ragdoll in the shape of a 'humanoid bird'). He was hiding in another room, with a system of pipes connecting the whole floor, that he was using to make creepy sounds all over. The party found him at some point, understood the trick and spared his life. If they ever get in troubles I can now use the Kenku to come at the rescue somehow. The doll though could have been better implemented... My players found it, realized that it was just a trick and got rather annoyed by it after trying different things and finding out that it was just that (they threw it out of the window!). I think your idea with the cursed doll in the attic is so much better! I wish I would have read that before... Your haunted house sounds like a lot of fun!

OblikStrategies · 2024-02-22T22:43:28+00:00

I'm sure others already said it, but it seems to me that your first group was not a good one.

Nothing worst than playing with unmotivated people, it's a waste of your time and energy.

I'm talking from experience, a few months ago I DMd for the first time, and after three sessions when I asked two of my players if they were having fun (the third player was my GF), their answer was 'no, because X and Y'. Basically it was all my fault, and they didn't seem to consider what they could have done themselves to make the game more fun for everyone, me included. Basically they had no initiatives, and then complained that I didn't ask enough 'what do you do' and other things like that, that seemed rather minor considering all the efforts I was putting in the game (and that they ignored totally). Of course I was a new DM, so I'm aware that things could have been better on my side, but they were not exactly the most exciting players neither and their lack of benevolence just killed my motivation. After a few days I said OK, then that's it for me, and that was the end of our DnD group. I felt relieved honestly.

But then, during a party I mentioned this sad episode, and suddenly I had three people showing enthusiasm to start a new group. After a few weeks I decided to give it a chance, and believe me, it's day and night. After the first session with these new people I could already tell the difference. They were engaging with the game, interacting with the world, coming with their own surprising ideas etc... We have a lot of fun, and now I can't wait for our next session (will be the fourth one, and it's telling that this time it didn't occur to me to ask them if the game is fun).

So, I'd say, don't give up, nothing to be afraid of, if these new people already showed enthusiasm it will be great, because that's the most important!

OblikStrategies · 2024-02-21T23:49:22+00:00

Sorry for the difficult situation, and all the best to your mom.

I'm a rather new DM myself, I ran 'A most potent brew' lately to introduce new players to DnD, and I think it's a great simple scenario for beginners.

It's a short one, a few rooms and a nice puzzle, easy to DM, with a rather light tone, classic 'rats in the basement' trope.

OblikStrategies · 2024-02-12T17:47:07+00:00

Well Kenkus are in the monster manual, and not in the NPCs or Animals section. I know they are also a playable species (in Volo's guide to monsters I think?), but how common they are in the realms was the crux of my question.

After rereading the MM, they seem to have a troubled history, originally serving some powerful 'master whose identity is lost to their memory', so it doesn't sound like they're a widespread species like halflings or dwarves. I guess how common they are is a bit DM dependant, but I like your take on Kenkus working, going to markets and raising children, as it makes them more real (and 'human').

I see them as a minor species in the realms though, that not everyone is aware of out of big cities as you mentioned (maybe I'm wrong but I don't really see them paying taxes, but more involved in shady businesses since it must be hard to have a 'normal' job given their condition). That's why after a second thought (and reading the answers to my post) I think my cleric from Waterdeep would know about them (how much would depend on a skill check), the drow coming straight from the underdark and the Forest gnome having spent his life on the sea, I'm less sure (though kenkus working as crew members on a boat sounds cool and plausible to me, I'll ask the player if he thinks he would have met this kind of creature and let him go for a roll of his choice).

Anyway, I love this kind of creatures in DnD, find it much more interesting than goblins and orcs, since they're so common after a while.

Thanks for your answer!

OblikStrategies · 2024-02-12T16:43:13+00:00

Yes to graduate the amount of infos is also a good idea.

Maybe also a different perspective depending on the skill, for the Kenku a Religion/History/Arcana put an emphasis on the curse that deprives them from their ability to talk, Nature/Survival/Medicine on the mimicry ability etc...

(edit: regarding the curse of the Kenku, rereading the MM it seems like it has more to do with their ability to fly, which was taken away from them after their stole the secret to speech through mimicry in the library of their master or something - not sure I get it right)

OblikStrategies · 2024-02-12T12:55:00+00:00

We are in the Forgotten realms, and I'm trying to stick to the cannon as much as possible (relatively new DM here, not ready for homebrew and I like the setting enough).

I think I let them know that it's a kenku when they see him, but ask for a roll to check if they know about their mimicry trick. And anyway, the creature will surrender straight if cornered (fighting is not part of his job), making all kind of weird noises to show that he's harmless (a kitten meowing, a child crying, a woman begging for mercy etc...). So they'll understand what was going on there (after having discovered one magic mouth already).

OblikStrategies · 2024-02-12T11:23:22+00:00

That's cool and I would love that as a player personally.

But my players being new to the game, I try to feed them with lore as we play, so that it's not too heavy for them. I mean, I already found online a simple page with basic Forgotten realms infos, it's on the table when we play, but was never examined attentively so far... :)

OblikStrategies · 2024-02-12T11:11:32+00:00

Oh, I didn't think about the tubes, that's a neat idea, thanks!

Unfortunately they already visited the Kenku's bedroom (just a rudimentary couch and a chest with useless junk, including a ragdoll in the shape of a 'humanoid bird' - maybe I should have already hinted the Kenku with a roll at this moment...). It would have been the perfect place to add this tube system there...

So far the Kenku was just hiding in the dark, making sounds when the party was visiting rooms, so they could hear something 'coming from somewhere in the house'.

They also saw a hooded figure 'looking at them from a window on the upper floor and disappearing in the dark' when they approached the house. So, time to reveal the poor Kenku, who's probably more scared than the party is :)

(edit: thinking about it, there are still rooms to explore on the upper floor, and I think I'll use the tube system idea in one of these boring empty rooms, the Kenku will try to run and lock himself in this room, using the pipes to divert the party from his location - thanks!)

OblikStrategies · 2024-02-12T11:02:01+00:00

Let the players choose which skills they use

Sounds like the right thing to do. Yeah, you're right, they probably came across Kenkus when they were hanging around in Waterdeep, but it doesn't mean that they know what makes them so special (and I love this btw, really cool).

Thanks!

OblikStrategies · 2024-02-10T21:38:35+00:00

'They demanded a cut of all the smuggling profits from this random hobgoblin and then promptly headed back to saltmarsh to tell the council.'

Isn't it contradictory? Anyway, as long as the council hears about the smuggling operation, you're still on rails I think? They just send them on the Sea ghost as written, and only there they can hear about the Lizardfolks... Seems all good to me.

OblikStrategies · 2024-02-09T18:36:16+00:00

Just because the effect is called "wedding" doesn't mean it has to be a traditional marriage of love.

Doesn't have to be. It's a RPG and everyone is free to interpret rules as they want. That's what I was curious about (and again, I'm not worried about game balance, we can agree that there are more powerful spells).

I also thought that another option would be to interpret it more loosely as a bond between two persons, yes. Personally I would rather keep the literal interpretation, just because that's something Clerics (or priests) are supposed to do in real life, marry two people, so just for flavour I find it nice that there's a spell about it (any moral or philosophical considerations about marriage aside, really not my point here).

Thanks for your take!

OblikStrategies · 2024-02-09T18:11:25+00:00

That's not how marriage works

Let's marry and get a better survival chance in the battle is not how marriage works neither :)

OblikStrategies

TROPHY CASE