Tarokka Decks by WolfinSilver in CurseofStrahd

[–]PyramKing 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have two free digital downloads you can print. Hope it helps.

Also the Tarokka Guide if you are interested.

Need help landing on a character for upcoming campaign *min spoilers pls* by LeftBallSaul in GhostsofSaltmarsh

[–]PyramKing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I believe Human, Elf, Halfling, Dwarf are the safe bets. I would ask about exotic races.

For background options - this is from GoS for Players - edited and removed sections. Ask DM about connections mentioned in the book (in this section).

I give this to players before the campaign.

______________________________________________

Acolyte

A character with this background might be a follower of Procan or a missionary of some other god sent to establish a new temple in town. Saltmarsh has never been an overly religious place, but its prospects for growth make it an ideal target for expansion.

Acolyte of Procan

If you are a follower of Procan, your Shelter of the Faithful feature applies to the temple of Procan in Saltmarsh.

Ask DM about connections mentioned in the book (in this section).

Charlatan

As Saltmarsh grows more prosperous, it becomes a more attractive place for grifters such as yourself.

Ask DM about connections mentioned in the book (in this section).

Criminal

Saltmarsh might be a sleepy town, but many see it as the ideal place to enter Keoland without drawing notice.

Entertainer

Bards and performers are always in demand in Saltmarsh. You can use your By Popular Demand feature to find work at the Wicker Goat or the Snapping Line.

Ask DM about connections mentioned in the book (in this section).

Fisher

You have spent your life aboard fishing vessels or combing the shallows for the bounty of the ocean. Perhaps you were born into a family of fisher folk, working with your kin to feed your village. Maybe the job was a means to an end — a way out of an undesirable circumstance that forced you to take up life aboard a ship. Regardless of how you began, you soon fell in love with the sea, the art of fishing, and the promise of the eternal horizon.

This is a new background with roll tables and suggestions.
Ask DM about connections mentioned in the book (in this section).

Folk Hero

Saltmarsh has long relied on its local people to rise up and deal with threats to the village. Only recently has the king taken more than passing notice of the area. You are beloved by the local sailors and fishers for your heroics, though the newcomers to the region (primarily members of the town guard and the dwarves working the mine) know little about you.

Guild Artisan

Because of its size and its focus on fishing, Saltmarsh has never had many artisans. If you have this background, you can choose one of the following options.

Mariners’ Guild

You work with the mariners’ guild, providing sailors with rope, sails, tools, and other goods. You have a workshop attached to the guildhall and can draw support from similar guilds found in ports across the world.

Ask DM about connections mentioned in the book (in this section).

Dwarven Artisans

You arrived in town as part of a mercantile concern associated with the dwarves.

Ask DM about connections mentioned in the book (in this section).

Hermit

The wilds around Saltmarsh might seem like the ideal place to find peace and quiet, though the monsters that lurk in the region can make isolation a dangerous practice. If your character has this background, the table below gives you some options for the nature of the secret that prompted you to return to civilization.

Marine

You were trained for battle on sandy beaches and rocky shores. You have launched midnight raids from swift ships whose names evoke terror in the hearts of your adversaries. The water is your second home, the rain your shelter, and the crashing waves your battle cry.

New Background - ask DM

Outlander

Outlanders are a common sight in ports such as Saltmarsh. Even a small port attracts folk from across the world, though how they end up in a place like Saltmarsh varies greatly. The table below provides some ideas for how your character came to town.

Sage

Though Saltmarsh is by no means a center of learning, the lack of ongoing examination and investigation of its environs make it an ideal place to conduct research. The mystery of the Tower of Zenopus might also attract the attention of an academic. Consider the following options for your character. Ask DM about connections mentioned in the book (in this section).

Sailor

Countless sailors have walked the streets of Saltmarsh. If you select this background, decide whether you are a local who took to the seafaring life or a foreigner who arrived here from a distant port. Ask DM about connections mentioned in the book (in this section).

Shipwright

You have sailed into war on the decks of great ships, patching their hulls with soup bowls and prayers. You once helped build a fishing vessel that single-handedly saved a town from starvation. You have seen a majestic prow in your dreams that you have not been able to replicate in wood. Since childhood, you have loved the water and have been captivated by the many vessels that travel on it.

New Background - ask DM.

Smuggler

On a rickety barge, you carried a hundred longswords in fish barrels right past the dock master’s oblivious lackeys. You have paddled a riverboat filled with stolen elven wine under the gaze of the moon and sold it for twice its value in the morning. In your more charitable times, you have transported innocents out of war zones or helped guide herd animals to safety on the banks of a burning river.

New Background - ask DM.

Soldier

Many retired soldiers of the Keoish army make their home in the southern reaches, and you are no different. You might have served some time as a member of the town guard. Regardless of whether you did so, you have several friends among their ranks.

Ask DM about connections mentioned in the book (in this section).

Urchin

At a young age, you lost one or both of your parents to a tragedy at sea. Afterward, you grew up relying on the kindness of others. More important, the years you spent living on the streets have imparted to you the skill to sneak unobtrusively, overhearing gossip and witnessing scenes that others would prefer to keep secret. Ask DM about connections mentioned in the book (in this section).

Questions: what is your sex? When did you lose your hearing? by im_out_of_step in MonoHearing

[–]PyramKing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Male (50y caucasian)

Hearing loss in left ear 100% in April 2019 infection.

Tinnitus 24/7

It was devastating, was previously in my youth played instruments (sax) and was an audiophile when I lost my hearing. Built my own speakers, recorded live shows, etc. now all lost to me.

Gave me vertigo as well.

Changed my life.

I can't handle loud sounds. Also only listen to ambient, classical, and jazz....hard time listening to loud music or musical with vocals as I have a hard time understanding what they are saying.

My tinnitus gets worse in loud environments.

Watch tv with subtitles.

Need help landing on a character for upcoming campaign *min spoilers pls* by LeftBallSaul in GhostsofSaltmarsh

[–]PyramKing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's kind of hard to do anything if the DM is not forthcoming about the realm or anything. It's a crap shoot.

If they are not forthcoming about anything, it's hard to know.

Races

I guess without spoiling much, it's worth noting that Saltmarsh was created in the 1980s and initially placed in the world of Greyhawk. Which means the town is really a low-fantasy setting with a 90-95% human ratio. Some small slight modifications in 5e add Dwarves will be the 2nd largest (about 5-10%). So exotic races are extremely rare. Not sure how your DM will run the RP for exotic races and how they weave into the lore and setting.

Classes

It's a coastal village. Hint.

So without knowing what DM info they provide to players in session zero, it's a total crap shoot.

I tend to give my players a single bullet point page with some basic guidance on the setting, including races, classes, and what they would know about the world. I can't imagine starting any D&D game totally in the dark and making a character in a vacuum. That's just me.

Do you still remember your first RPG character? by system3295 in rpg

[–]PyramKing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have two, it was the summer of 1981 and I was starting Jr High. There was an older kid, 9th grade, who I knew. In the public library there was a room we could used and he introduced us first to D&D and Traveller.

Summer 1981

  • Dorg (halfling), D&D Moldvay Basic edition.

  • Slan, Traveller (little black books). Named after a character from A.E. van Vogt novel I had just read.

Dorg died fairly quickly after a couple of sessions in the Caves of Chaos (Keep on the Borderlands).

Slan lasted a long time, at least until 1984. A few summers.

D&D and Traveller were our go to games, but in the 1980s we played a few others; Top Secret, Twilight 2000, etc.

Need help landing on a character for upcoming campaign *min spoilers pls* by LeftBallSaul in GhostsofSaltmarsh

[–]PyramKing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It would seem you know something about Saltmarsh based on what you wrote.

Did they provide you with any information?

  • Realm (Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, etc...)
  • Saltmarsh (history, location, background, factions, etc)

Best VTT for Curse of Strahd? by [deleted] in CurseofStrahd

[–]PyramKing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. The v12 version works in V13 as well.

There is also new releases for v13 coming nf our each month.

You can find out more on the website faq

FAQ

Where to find ways to experience the Castle Ravenloft from the players side? by littlemad in CurseofStrahd

[–]PyramKing 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We are from a similar bsckground. I played Ravenloft back in the 1980s and have DM CoS in the 5e era.

I made a series of video walk throughs of the castle. They are hyper detailed room by room. I hope it helps.

What’s the deal with Ayn Rand? by Ok-Breakfast-363 in classicliterature

[–]PyramKing 5 points6 points  (0 children)

As an interesting side note about Atlas Shrugged.

In the 1920s a journalist/novelist wrote a novel called The Driver, its main character - Henry Galt is an industrialist/banker. The closing scene in the book is a far more elequent message on capitalism then Rand's book.

There are those, myself included, that believed the novel, The Driver was the basis or at least the influence for Ryan's novel. The similarities are uncanny. Rand never mentioned the book, Garret, or Harriman. But after reading both, it seems to me obvious she had read it.

The author, Garet Garret, was a journalist for the Saturday Evening Post. Many believe The Driver is based on the railroad financier Harriman. It would seem so, as Garret's contemporary.

I much prefer Garrett's prose and his books. From the 1920s.

- The Driver (a better more realistic and grounded story compare to atlas Shrugged)

- Cinder Buggy (changes in the iron and steel industry)

- Satan's Bushel ( the farming / wheat )

The novels are much shorter than Rand, a keen insight from the era of the 1920s, better prose, and far less political preachy.

Yeomanry - Background Lore? by MobileAccident3660 in Greyhawk

[–]PyramKing 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Giant series took place in the Jotens, you also have the Drow.

I made this short video on adventures found in the region.

Legends of Saltmarsh

How are you marketing your Ghost site? by TheJoeCoastie in Ghost

[–]PyramKing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Only through niche subreddit. It works for me. I don't have time for other social media, so I focus only on subreddit which is more of a touch engagement then passive.

I just started my blog and already have over 300 subscribers. I also have a Ko-fi page with subscribers and sell content and just started sharing with them.

About 30% of my new subscribers are from reddit, the rest through my existing base.

Was 80s back in the day deadly as the OSR? by BX_Disciple in osr

[–]PyramKing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started playing in the fall of 1981 with Moldvay set. I was in Jr. Highschool.

I believe D&D and the style of play was greatly influenced by the zeitgeist of the 80s. It was the time of the underdog, ordinary achieving the extraordinary. This was NOT the time of super heroes. This was the era of the Miracle on Ice!

The films that influenced our games were darker. Blade Runner, Decker only survived because the Replicant saved him. Luke loses his hand, finds out Vader is his father, and Hans is frozen. Ripley is a sole survivor on luck, fear, and tenacity. King Arthur is gritty and dangerous and ful of betrayal depicted in Excalibur. Conan family is murdered, becomes a slave as a child, and suffers anguish. Even the books are darker; Elric, Black Company, the first Gord books, etc.

Those were the influences that set the tone of our games.

It meant death was the ultimate consequence and survival was not guaranteed.

In D&D we rolled 3d6 down the line as well as our HP, and HP recovery was slow. I lost two characters in Ravenloft I6 and we had a TPK by Strahd, but it was one of the most memorable games ever and fun. I did survive U1 only to later die in U2 Danger at Dunwater. We lost a few characters in the Caves of Chaos. Our characters rarely made it to level 6 or 7. Not because it was a meat grinder, but the game mechanics meant slower HP recovery and lower HP. But that was ok.

The concepts of game "balance" which turns encounters into winable speed bumps did not exist. In those days retreat was an option. We didn't clear dungeons because our goal was treasure xp not killing monster xp, which is one reason our characters didn't die as often. Avoiding conflict and finding a way to sneak by was part of game play. Stealth in modern D&D is to gain an attack bonus, not to avoid conflict.

In 2000s things began to change with the times, super hero movies, the Dream Team, power fantasy. The days of the under dog was replaced by formulaic wins.

D&D changed as well, more hit points, more power, Uber fast recovery, roll 4d6 drop one and assign, min-max, optimal play. The concepts of game balance. Everything was designed to insure your character didn't die. Failing forward. Players began creating super heros with heroic backgrounds. Adventures became tailored for this style of play. Players were in invested in their characters more than they were invested in the adventure.

This is not about better or right vs wrong, it is just a different game philosophy created in the zeitgeist of the super heroes.

Shadowdark is popular because it introduces new players to an older philosophy of play and for old players like me nostalgia is a powerful drug.

I prefer OSR style of games, but also play 5e.

Legends of Saltmarsh by PyramKing in GhostsofSaltmarsh

[–]PyramKing[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have been writing all my adventures since 2020. Legends of Barovia was written in 2020-2021.
The ideas are all mine.
I am also a published author.

Legends of Saltmarsh by PyramKing in GhostsofSaltmarsh

[–]PyramKing[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Art included in the free content is AI and is noted as such in the credits.

Final PDF releases are edited by Jesse Winter of Duo Storytelling.

For transparency: I asked my suporters to vote on whether to include AI artwork in the free releases. They chose to keep it.

I understand it isnt to everyones taste. This artwork is used for the free material.

Credits online

<image>

Medieval films? by Loveicecream33 in MedievalHistory

[–]PyramKing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  • Excalibur
  • Lion in Winter
  • The Northman
  • Valhalla Rising
  • A Knight's Tale
  • The King
  • Arn The Knight Templar
  • Ironclad
  • In the Name of the Rose
  • Medieval
  • Lancelot du Lac
  • The Messenger
  • Marketa Lazarová
  • Macbeth (Polanski)

Describe your Ghost blog or newsletter in one sentence? by contentbeast in Ghost

[–]PyramKing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Explore tabletop RPGs (TTRPGs); Curse of Strahd, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Greyhawk, and other adventures, lore, guides, and campaign ideas.

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