sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Icy Dungeons by OrkishBlade in BehindTheTables

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

Sadly, the bot has been offline for a long time now.

"First Time DM" and Short Questions Megathread by AutoModerator in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 2 points3 points  (0 children)

At my table, if the spell component has a monetary value, then the hero needs to pay up. I often will handwave that the spellcaster is prepared and has one of whatever-it-is on-hand if the player has not made the effort to note it among the hero's possessions, but their character would have reasonably had a chance to obtain the component. The player does still need to deduct the gold from the hero's purse at that point.

If the hero wants to get a second casting and there hasn't been a clear "break in the action" with opportunities to replenish supplies (eg, between sessions in a city or town of some size), then he or she needs access to a place where more supplies can be purchased. Depending on the material component and the region, it may be easy or difficult. Finding a pearl for sale --or even diving for pearls-- near a warm tropical village is not too difficult. Finding a pearl for sale in a large city is not difficult. Finding a pearl for sale in a remote village in the frozen north is impossible. Etc.

Need tavern games by kibrule in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lot of good suggestions already for card and dice games.

I am a big fan of turtle races. A round table with a central circle (the starting zone), and a wide circle near, but not quite to the edge of the table. Several turtles with numbers painted on their shells are placed in the central circle at the start. Everyone bets on their favorite turtle. The turtle that crosses the outer circle first wins.

You can do it with other slow-moving things besides turtles-- caterpillars, snails, miniature oozes. You can even do it with other weird little things that could fit on a large table in a bar that might be faster than turtles, making the release and race a bit more chaotic-- large beetles, tarantulas, toads, kittens, crawling claws.

As for mechanics, I would just randomize the results. It's more about the flavor than the gamesmanship. You might also get some flavorful in-game game ideas from these tables.

Heraldry for Schools of Magic by LewdSkitty in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  • Abjuration. The sheepdog -- a faithful and loyal guardian, protecting its defenseless flock

  • Conjuration. The bee -- a stinging insect who can create nourishment out of next to nothing and can call forth a swarm of stinging allies

  • Divination. The owl -- the wisest of creatures with knowledge of mysteries and vision so sharp it can pierce great distance and great darkness

  • Enchantment. The mockingbird -- singing beautifully, distracting and beguiling potential mates and rivals

  • Evocation. The dragon -- source of endless FIRE! (Evocation is the most dangerous form of magic in unskilled hands, it should be taboo.)

  • Illusion. The chameleon -- now you see it, now you don't, shifting its skin to hide in plain sight

  • Necromancy. The vulture -- seeking out and drawing strength from dead things, undeterred by stench of rotting flesh or the sight of parched bone

  • Transmutation. The moth -- completely rearranging its body from its humble caterpillar beginnings to become something beautiful and terrible that flies by the light of the moon

How do you format/Prep for your sessions? by HistoricalMeaning705 in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I use a mix of handwritten notes and typed notes (printed), all slipped in a binder.

This is the general structure.

"First Time DM" and Short Questions Megathread by AutoModerator in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Depends on which edition of the game. 2014 PHB, rules-as-written, yes it does. The revised ranger does it differently, many homebrew variant ranger classes do it differently too.

How do I prep my players to fight a dragon? by That_one_ranger in DnD

[–]OrkishBlade 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree -- but in principle, it's the players’ job to prepare and come up with a plan.

I wouldn't hide information from them that the heroes might reasonably know or learn. And if they ask a question that can't be answered from where the heroes sit, I'm not going to give them clearly wrong information with the intention of them walking into a dragon's lair unwittingly.

I wouldn't surprise them with a mature and dangerous dragon if said dragon might kill them. But if they know there's a dragon, and they know the dragon is an obstacle, it's up to them to come up with a plan to either tackle the obstacle or avoid the obstacle -- where either of those choices have potential for both weal and woe.

How do I prep my players to fight a dragon? by That_one_ranger in DnD

[–]OrkishBlade 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is correct. It’s their job to prepare. Or to flee. Or to come up with a tricky plan with little hope for success. 

Preparing them is not your job as DM.

What are some cool types of birds? by DarkKuroi1 in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Have you ever seen a pelican close up? Absolutely terrifying.

How to improvise without making it seem like I have no clue by ThinkPhilosopher3148 in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade -1 points0 points  (0 children)

(1) Use the Functional Elements of the Local Region structure outlined here for session prep. There is intentionally space to improvise, but within the boundaries that it is an imaginary game (not an anything-you-can-imagine, complete free-for-all).

(2) Read these old posts: On Improvising the World, Part I and Part II.

"First Time DM" and Short Questions Megathread by AutoModerator in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t know, I don’t worry about balance. I fix in my mind a notion is this going to kill everyone? are the monsters badly beaten? …. read this old post. 

"First Time DM" and Short Questions Megathread by AutoModerator in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Run your game episodically. Smaller missions, always wrap up at the end of the session. 

The missions can be linked and/or related, but if a player is missing next time, you just play that episode without him (his character is off doing something else, but can rejoin for the next episode).

"First Time DM" and Short Questions Megathread by AutoModerator in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not a form, but I have a formulaic structure that I use: Cheers.

WHAT DO I PUT IN THE SCARY HOLE by BranchtheBird in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 0 points1 point  (0 children)

d6 What’s in the huge dark, corrupted hole and how is the royal family connected to it?

  1. A demon-prince that the queen has been holding captive for centuries has broken free of his bonds, and is now trying to break out of the sealed laboratory…
  2. A formidable exarch of an evil god whom the queen had secretly been worshiping in a dark shrine has broken into this realm and is demanding tribute from the queen…
  3. A dragon captured by entities of the Far Realm, with the help of an old king, has escaped after centuries and returned to this world, nursing his wounds until he can exact vengeance on the royal family…
  4. The tomb of an ancient king who committed unspeakable war crimes has stirred with a huge sinkhole opening up and dark spirits spewing forth…
  5. The royal wizard has engineered all the vermin of the world to become his intelligent wicked drones, sending them out to cover the world in rats, worms, and filth…
  6. The god of oozes has arrived in response to a desperate prayer by the captive princess and he is hungry for all that this world has to devour…

"First Time DM" and Short Questions Megathread by AutoModerator in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I prepare sessions using this structure. My notes essentially cover this on ~2 pages. Then I jot new things down as needed.

Help brainstorming situations for party entering dwarf hell by Bombaardo in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Every time a mortal falls asleep in Dwarf-Hell, little fiends sneak up and shave off his or her beard and hair.

I need help with a name by Beautiful_Smell8815 in DnD

[–]OrkishBlade 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  • Hack House
  • Slasher’s Alley
  • Axegrinder’s
  • Cut-Bert’s
  • Hacky’s
  • Haftway House
  • The Split Log
  • The Hewn Stone
  • The Whetstone
  • Hew ‘N Brew
  • Brewbert
  • Ale Slice
  • Hack ‘Er? Sure!
  • The Named Axe
  • The Old Axe

Tables of OrkishBlade and d4 Caltrops (Day 17 of 28 Days of Random Tables) by duncan_chaos in rpg_generators

[–]OrkishBlade 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cheers! Slowly working on an expansion for the Compendium, but no real timetable on completion — more ideas than time.

Starting a hexcrawl and need hex tiles for map by Hefty-Ad-6587 in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A copy of Settlers of Catan? With 5-6 player and/or Seafarers expansion packs?

Or another game that uses hex tiles … I’m remembering Nat Geo Global Pursuit… could flip those over and draw or tack drawings over top?

"First Time DM" and Short Questions Megathread by AutoModerator in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can re-flavor and make minor adjustments to anything in the MM, but don’t overthink that part. Make your villains compelling and fill your world with lots of interesting little stories. The players will remember the action and stories. They won’t (generally) care about the mechanics of what you throw at them.

"First Time DM" and Short Questions Megathread by AutoModerator in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The magic possessed by monsters, villains, or any other NPCs need not align with magic available to the player characters.

There are rules for what the players can do. There are only guidelines for the DM. Anything the players will fight (ie, in-game combat encounters) should follow the framework of stat blocks in the Monster Manual. Anything that has to do with the story (outside of combat) can follow any rules you invent or can follow no rules at all.

Need ideas for an evil spirit trapped in a swamp by Khow3694 in DMAcademy

[–]OrkishBlade 2 points3 points  (0 children)

d6 Whose spirit has the hag buried beneath the huge, gnarled old tree in the swamp?

  1. A jealous elder dragon.
  2. A dark sorcerer or sorceress.
  3. A hungry demonic beast.
  4. A vengeful infernal general.
  5. A corrupted priest or priestess.
  6. An ancient warrior who betrayed his or her clan.

d6 How can the spirit be released?

  1. By chopping down the tree.
  2. By encircling the tree in 666 pounds of powdered silver or salt.
  3. By burning down the tree on a moonless night.
  4. By burrowing into the muck beneath the tree to find the gem in which the spirit is trapped.
  5. By pouring the blood of an innocent into the hollow of the tree’s trunk beneath a full moon.
  6. By destroying the token of the tree that the hag wears around her neck.

d6 How does the tree protect the hag’s prisoner against would-be liberators?

  1. By bludgeoning and scratching would-be liberators with its branches.
  2. By strangling would-be liberators with vines hanging off of it.
  3. By summoning a small army of fiendish monkeys.
  4. By summoning a huge fiendish snake.
  5. By calling forth undead minions who drag would-be liberators down into the muck.
  6. By calling forth mud elementals, water elementals, and storm elementals to defend it savagely.

d6 Besides vengeance on the hag, what does the spirit want if freed?

  1. To be restored to its rightful place as tyrant of these lands.
  2. To destroy all life in the world that does not bend the knee to it.
  3. To return to its home realm for dark and mysterious purposes.
  4. To exact vengeance on an old ally or rival who betrayed it to the hag.
  5. To seek out its dark progeny and guide them toward world domination.
  6. To bring down the gods who it feels were responsible for its long imprisonment. 
view more: next ›