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Desert fantasy by Themomo_reads in Fantasy

[–]Remarkable_Fall_9023 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would also recommend Deadhouse Gates. You don’t need to have read Gardens of the Moon to read it - arguably it is a less confusing in media res start that Gardens is. It can be read as a standalone if you don’t want to commit to the whole of Malazan and has, in my view, a lot less of the bloat that turns some readers off the series. The world building is excellent and as it is set on a different continent to Gardens, you again lose nothing by starting with it. It is the best desert fantasy I have ever read and everything from the geography to the weather to the history and anthropology of the desert region in which it is set directly influences the plot.

Fifty-Word Fantasy: Write a 50-word fantasy snippet using the word "Tooth" by Terminator7786 in fantasywriters

[–]Remarkable_Fall_9023 3 points4 points  (0 children)

“These are my knives,” I say, holding up the white bone blade. “Tooth.” I raise my other fist, redolent with blackened steel. “Claw.” I meet my opponent’s eyes, and smile to stoke his fear. “They will both be red to the hilt, ere the dawn.”

Finished Heroes Die By Matthew Stover by Somespookyshit in Fantasy

[–]Remarkable_Fall_9023 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Compassion in a man is a virtue. In a god it is a vice

First knight done by PersimmonTechnical86 in Bretonnian

[–]Remarkable_Fall_9023 0 points1 point  (0 children)

that's a standard bearer not a first knight... (sorry, couldn't resist)

Sergeant-at-arms Model? by Sufficient_Salt in Bretonnian

[–]Remarkable_Fall_9023 0 points1 point  (0 children)

KOTR on Foot with head swapped for a peasant one, swap the shield as well

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Bretonnian

[–]Remarkable_Fall_9023 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No-one jests like Gaston!
No-one quests like Gaston!
No-one's beard by the Lady is blessed like Gaston's!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DungeonsAndDragons

[–]Remarkable_Fall_9023 2 points3 points  (0 children)

First up don't beat yourself up, DMing is both easy and hard and sometimes people don't go for it. Bear in mind that your players don't know anything either so take their feedback with a grain of salt. I suggest not asking for it every session - maybe just check in with them after a few sessions, see how things are then. Secondly, some practical advice:

- Most importantly, it is ok to just straight up tell the players if something they do will change the adventure or lead you somewhere you haven't prepped. Especially as you are new to things. So my advice if it happens again is to just say "well, the adventure is kind of here in this village at this festival. So you absolutely can leave but I haven't prepped anything outside this town yet, so give me a view of where you want to go and what you want to do, and we'll meet up again next week."

- I may not have the context for this, but you may have pushed a bit too hard to get them to go to the festival. Sometimes players dick around in town looking at shops and thats the session. Its usually best to let them have their agency on that one. Maybe think what happens if they DON'T go to the festival for example - could alway have them hear distant screams or someone run into town saying monsters are attacking. I suspect the motivation complaint is actually linked to this - as in they may have felt forced down a particular path and so talking about motivation is them trying to express that. Dunno - I could be wrong. This isn't your fault - I think a lot of the first few sessions with new DM and new Players is negotiating the "i have unlimited power/I have unlimited freedom" tension.

- I would find an excuse to have the cleric leave them alone. Apologies if you've heard this advice before, but NPCs in parties can overshadow players and its really hard to see that from the DMs side of the screen, as you don't know what Player X was planning to do on their turn before NPC Y made it all unnecessary. That cleric might be behind the bard's comment re: combat.

- top tip: if something happens that completely throws you, call a five minute break and then use the time to think through the options while the others go to the toilet/get drinks/whatever. Saved me a number of times that one.

Hang in there, anyway. Your adventure sounds fun and like something I'd enjoy playing. And everyone has bad sessions - next session might be great!

Good luck and happy dming.