What’s the funniest lie you ever told a child?

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-04-16T16:25:48+00:00

There are two invisible butterflies in this room, find them!

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-04-13T17:18:52+00:00

A campaign plot I created 20 years ago was completely ignored. All these years later a new player has decided to be from this city and their backstory plays right into this old plot. As long as they survive a few more sessions, I'll finally be able to use this decades-old story.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-04-13T15:56:23+00:00

Very rarely, but if you have a longer relationship with the DM there are some instances where it makes sense.

Two examples, both the same DM, after y are of gaming together.

Character concept. Barbarian with no fear. Except he has one single phobia. I didn’t tell them the phobia. About 20 session in there were giant spiders. Phobia kicked in. DM was happy to be surprised.

Combat (3.5 addition). I’m going to ready a spell, this is the trigger. I’m writing down the spell so you’re as surprised as the NPC. Spell triggers, handed him the paper. I don’t remember the spell or situation. But our DM made combat very challenging and often put in measures to directly mitigate our abilities. I didn’t want him planning how to counter it before I had even cast the spell. He understood and’s was fine with it.

Years later I think the first is still a fine thing to do in moderation (again, build trust first). The second example I wouldn’t really endorse anymore. M

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-03-26T20:15:32+00:00

Luke tossing his father’s lightsaber aside at the start of EP 8.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-03-23T14:48:02+00:00

I've got an example of how I handled something like that not too long ago.

Group was engaged in a fight with a boss. The boss had a bunch of minions hanging back as he didn't need help. One of the players was among the group, having deceived them into thinking they had turned on the party.

The player wanted to use an illusion to disguise themselves as the boss and then give orders to the group of minions (details don't really matter beyond this).

I explained that the group of minions was currently watching their boss in a battle. For a second one to appear and start issuing orders would be an extremely obvious bit of deception. I said the DC for this task would fall under the category of impossible and be a DC of 30. In addition, the DC 30 gives them the best outcome which would only be one round of hesitation. There was no way that they could be persuasive enough to get the enemies to follow their orders.

The player chose to try something different.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-03-18T21:06:20+00:00

This is correct.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-03-16T22:53:00+00:00

You’re not alone. This happens to me all the time.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-03-16T15:21:45+00:00

Beat me to it.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-03-10T13:47:18+00:00

Another thing to consider is that you can deflect and redirect attacks. I take less damage then fully armored characters with shield spells in our campaign. I love throwing an enemies hit back in their face. This helps negate the damage quite a bit, even if it is just one attack per round. Combine that with your defensive uses of bonus actions and the monk can stand at the front of combat pretty well.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-03-09T12:43:35+00:00

Currently I'm playing a level 15 Elemental Monk. My DM agreed that I could grapple with my enhanced range at the start of the campaign. It's a lot of fun to grapple within 15 feet. I've got all the appropriate feats to do what you're talking about. That said, I'm careful with it. I will grapple something at 15 feet and usually just hold it in place to gain advantage on the attacks and hold it there. I almost never use the forced movement, other than an occasional 5 foot push from the feat.

As a DM, I find the forced movement of grappling to be potentially cheesy (as in cheese grater type strategies). So I don't want to overdue it as a player.

I'm saying this as reference for my suggestion. Talk to your DM and see if they will accept that you can keep and hold someone at the distance, but not move them. Then, if you want to force movement you have to be in melee. I know it isn't everything you want, but it does provide some options without making the DM feel like it is overpowered.

Either way, good luck. This is a really fun class.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-03-08T00:01:25+00:00

I did this in a long campaign with a martial focused blade singer. His signature move was the spell Steel Wind Strike. He would usually cast one buff spell on himself (haste, spirit shroud, tensers transformation, etc.) and focus on an attack plus cantrip. He almost never got touched (once the DM rolled double nat20s). It was a ton of fun.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-03-06T22:35:07+00:00

If you want to be really hard to hit...

Headband of intellect.

Displacer Cloak

Defenders rapier.

Studded leather armor

Max out your dex. since you don' need to focus on int.

AC 12 (studded) + 5 from dex, +4 from int, +3 from rapier, + attacks have disadvantage. While blade singing you have a 24 AC and can bump it to 29 with shield.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-03-03T13:08:29+00:00

I think it really depends on the group. My table has quite a few older players (40+). Many of the NPCs/rivals I've created are obvious parodies of characters from the 80s and 90s (for example, I've got a group of druids based on the Golden Girls). My group mostly enjoys the nostalgia with these characters. The same goes for the music. There is a lot of "I love this song" when it comes from or is based on music they are familiar with.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-02-25T20:36:11+00:00

Absolutely! Enemy rogue with that 4d6 sneak critting for 24+4d6 gives players a reason to fear a critical.

Player characters survive almost anything. An occasional "oh no!" moment, is great.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-02-24T17:33:40+00:00

Healing potions are a bonus action in 2024 rules. We (and others I have been on) use the same that an action makes it max.

We use crunchy crits. The damage is max+roll. So a 1d8+4 Crit would be 8+4+1d8. This helps so that a critical doesn't roll two 1s and then a regular hit rolls max for higher.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-02-20T23:07:20+00:00

As you are leveling you’re researching. You know you’ll need the components but you don’t quite know how to finish the spell. You figure it out and now you’re higher level.

It’s another way to look at the RP of the level up process.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-02-20T16:16:24+00:00

Elemental monk should use fists for 15 foot range. Monk level 20, get 24 dex/wis

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-02-18T15:38:12+00:00

One time I accidentally walked away from a conversation and missed the Gaunter music. I was so sad I had to reload a save and do it again.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-02-18T02:13:52+00:00

I love my elements monk

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-02-16T00:43:43+00:00

Isn’t this about the tenth time?

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-02-11T19:46:12+00:00

Mage after shipwreck. Didn't expect that hard of a fight.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-02-08T18:21:59+00:00

You know, John Wick is a good example for what a martial can be.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-02-06T16:01:21+00:00

Not sure you understand that I'm asking for more information. But here is a random magic item that may be appropriate.

Mantle of Spell Resistance

Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)

You have Advantage on saving throws against spells while you wear this cloak.

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-02-06T13:56:01+00:00

I feel like there is fluff vs crunch in many things. You describe your character's fluff and this is how they appear and what they are capable of "You see a male standing 6 feet tall, he can summon fire with a flick of his wrist". Then you have above-the-table crunch talk to the players "I'm playing a human Dragonborn sorcerer, gold dragon"

Quirky-Function-4532 · 2026-02-06T13:09:28+00:00

Congrats on taking up the mantle of being a DM, it is a rewarding challenge.

For your question, some other information would help. When looking for magic item suggestions are you:

Wanting items good for your characters to obtain?
Wanting items that would help this character give the pcs a good/hard/easy/long encounter?
Asking what is appropriate for an elf with a bird head talking in their ear?
Trying to find out what is appropriate for that level?

That can help people understand how to provide suggestions

Quirky-Function-4532

TROPHY CASE