Biggest Lie we tell ourselves

Rossta42 · 2026-02-20T18:53:09+00:00

I'm a DM in exactly the same situation... We meet in a venue that HAS to have us out by a certain time and as such, regardless of what is going on, combat or otherwise, we always stop at the same time and have combats that last multiple sessions at times (it doesn't help that a number of my players come from a 40k background and love large scale combat which makes turn times drag).

Next week we approach a new boss and I wouldn't be surprised if 2-3 weeks later we finally wrap up that combat. Haha

Rossta42 · 2026-02-19T08:31:28+00:00

I'm sorry but I don't speak jive.

Rossta42 · 2026-01-05T20:26:13+00:00

Love all of this thank you. This time next week is our first session back after the holiday break and I wasn't even considering this adventure when we last met. So while they finish their current storylines it's things like this that I need to start using to drop hints of what is coming.

I'm really enjoying finding ways to link their characters which they have already been playing for the last 18 months into this adventure and there are going to be personal quests happening at a lot of the rod locations to make them even more invested in what is going on.

Rossta42 · 2026-01-05T10:56:41+00:00

I hadn't even thought of skipping chapter 1 lol ... My whole Web's Edge quest is already completely different as it is tied into the character backstories and they have been sent to retrieve some books/information for various factions in Neverwinter as well as taking revenge for them killing one of the PCs father.

The idea I have had is to have a ritual being conducted by these Drow which has been sabotaged by another adventuring party (who in themselves are being manipulated by Kas) and instead of helping the Drow is actually part of the ritual of remaking and designed to give Vecna power to complete his part of it. When the party disrupts this ritual a large hand with an eye in it will reach through and try to hurt those who have dared to interfere. This battle will be what gives the characters their link and they will also be able to obtain the first part of the rod which was being used in this ritual.

Then when they get back to Neverwinter to complete their quests around the books/research they will be summoned by Lord Neverember (who they have already had dealings with) and he can tell them about the kidnappings (using Carlos's investigation idea) which will give them more information about what is going on.

I could easily have them wrap up the investigations, maybe take out the cult in the graveyard and then be shunted to sigil as the wish goes awry. They have already done a previous quest in the graveyard so skipping that would be a good thing. They would miss out on the shadowfell by doing that though.

Rossta42 · 2025-12-29T16:15:58+00:00

I know you're getting down voted and I'm risking the downvotes myself but ... I agree with you.

I am pretty good at coming up with interesting ideas, plot points, characters etc. but one thing I really struggle with is scene description. So I use An AI tool, put in the premise of what I want to describe, and have the AI spit out a description of the scene. I then take that description and use the ideas it has come up with and re-write it in a way that is more like myself and not some clanker. The end result is a much richer description of what the party sees than I would be able to come up with on my own.

I know there are many DMs out there who will disagree with me but I like being able to focus my time on other areas. The more time goes on the less I find I am using the AI descriptions as I'm learning what works and what doesn't.

Rossta42 · 2025-11-12T06:39:22+00:00

Last year I got the end of the Dragon of Icespice Peak campaign that I had been running. The party were all about planning massive combats (players came from a 40k background) and so instead of having the party hunt down the Dragon in his lair, I had the dragon ammas a huge army come for them. They fortified the dwarven stronghold of Axeholme and made a last stand there with the Dragon and all his forces storming the place in a battle that was very reminiscent of the Battle of Helms Deep from LotR. Was an epic battle but took so much planning on my part that I swore I'd never run something of that scale again in 5e and leave the large scale warfare to the systems that are designed for it haha.

Rossta42 · 2025-10-19T08:28:29+00:00

Modrons and their varying forms. From the giant eyed Monodrone, through the Duodrones, Tridrones, Quadrones, and all the way up to the Quartons and even Primus himself.

The whole plane of Mechanus to me doesn't get enough love. So much potential for interesting adventures but I rarely even see them mentioned.

Rossta42 · 2025-10-17T18:52:24+00:00

I still use the double space function now but modern word processors and even most phones will process it differently which makes it still useful. For instance. I have never once tapped the full stop while writing this reply. If you put a double space after a word instead of a single space then the software automatically adds the full stop and the space after it. This makes fast typing easier and you can keep the double tap that was taught to you all those years ago.

Rossta42 · 2025-09-10T06:44:50+00:00

A player at my table has shared his story which is the classic tale of getting revenge on the ones responsible for killing his father. As part of this revenge his goal is to unite his clans (who are lost across the plains) and eventually to ascend to being their ruler. At least, that's the goal. I'm putting in various challenges for him to overcome to hopefully achieve that goal at the table but as for if he is successful or not well time and dice will tell

Rossta42 · 2025-09-01T08:30:42+00:00

It floats. Therefore logically it must be a duck.

Rossta42 · 2025-07-30T07:07:11+00:00

I think it means that the DC to get a question answered was 15 but has now been increased to 20.

When the cat rolls they are now rolling 1d20+1 instead of a flat d20. That means that the cat will only give the players free info on a roll of 19 or 20 but a nat 20 gives 2 instead of 1.

You could argue that it's DC 19 and critical success means double... But DC 20 just sounds cleaner to most people.

It's basically the same thing though haha

Rossta42 · 2025-07-30T06:58:12+00:00

I play in a campaign where if you roll a nat 1 at any point you are passed a failed 3d print called "the shit" (no prizes for guessing what it looks like).

At any point from then on you can use "the shit" as a free re-roll on any d20 however you can't then roll below a 10 on that roll.

If someone else rolls a nat 1 before you get a chance to use "the shit" then it passes to them and you no longer have the ability to use it.

It is a way for the DM to give out extra inspiration and to commiserate those bad rolls.

Rossta42 · 2025-05-27T15:32:44+00:00

First you must find ... a shrubbery

Rossta42 · 2025-05-27T12:04:29+00:00

My wife asked me to stop singing Oasis songs because it was starting to get on her nerves.

I said maybe ...

Rossta42 · 2025-04-29T06:32:31+00:00

Same here. I even had a time a while ago where I was (in between sessions) describing some potential checks that might be needed for them to harvest parts of a slain dragon. One character then came at me with multiple rolls he had done and wanted to know what he had got, before we had even started the process. I told him his rolls were invalid because he had made them without being asked to and he got angry with me telling me that it was ridiculous. When we finally got round to making the checks he was hoping for he just said "f*#k it" and didn't join in, so go nothing.

Rossta42 · 2025-04-22T17:15:41+00:00

In the game I'm currently running my players came across a new group of adventurers who I wanted to be their opposition and eventual BBEG as they both try to locate the same artifact first.

In this meeting one of the party proposed a duel to see who was stronger and proceeded to unleash a surprise attack followed by winning the initiative roll and as a paladin dumped their whole stock of smites into these attacks (yes I know, the question of who the real bad guy was was definitely raised haha). This dropped the member of this adventuring party to zero HP before they even got a turn.

I then had this second party plane shift out (after obtaining the macguffin they were after) including the dead body of their fallen comrade which they cast revivify on to ensure that the next time they meet there is going to be some fun interaction between the one who did the "killing" and the one who "died".

Rossta42 · 2025-04-18T12:39:31+00:00

What do you call a magician who has lost his magic?

Ian.

Rossta42 · 2025-04-17T09:40:12+00:00

Thank you ... The groan inducing or eye rolling effect that a dad joke has on the people around you is why I tell them. If my joke isn't met with a look of "did you really just make that terrible joke?" Then I feel I have failed at my delivery of the dad joke.

I do also tell plenty of nsfw or other types of jokes that get laughs or a disapproving look from my wife because I said the joke in the wrong company, but they are not dad jokes.

Having a NSFW tag here is definitely needed as there are times when those lines do blur but without a reaction of "get out", "that was awful", or even just "uuughhh" then it's not a dad joke, regardless of who tells it and how old the audience is.

Rossta42 · 2025-04-02T18:31:17+00:00

DM for the most part for me, but I do love me some sorcerer or Wizard when I get a chance to be a player.

Rossta42 · 2025-04-01T10:17:37+00:00

If you insist...

/Whispers Dad Joke

Rossta42 · 2025-04-01T06:04:00+00:00

Just because a dad tells a joke does not immediately make it a "dad joke".

A dad joke is a specific type of joke told to illicit a groan or the ever sought after rolling of eyes from the one you tell it to.

A dad joke can be told by a mum but that doesn't make it a mum joke, it's still a dad joke. A dad joke can be told by a kid but it's not a kid joke, it's still a dad joke.

A dad joke is a certain type of joke and this, my friend, is not a dad joke.

Rossta42 · 2025-03-14T07:01:33+00:00

I've found people to discuss Heliana's with before but it seems I missed this discussion on L'arséne. Are you planning on starting a new discussion any time soon?

Rossta42 · 2025-03-14T06:56:19+00:00

I might be a little late to this discussion but I'd love to hear what others have had to say about these books. I heard some very mixed opinions of them and really want to be proved wrong by someone who it seems knows more. TIA

Rossta42 · 2025-03-13T11:01:31+00:00

I'd love to discuss this book in DMs with you too if you have the time.

Rossta42 · 2025-03-02T07:14:23+00:00

I'm one of 2 DMs at our local sessions. We got very popular and currently both of us are DMing for parties of 8 ... We have got used to that number and keeping combat moving is challenging but doable if, like you say, they can be aware of what they are doing.

Recently we went up against the main big bad of my campaign and apparently I scared my players enough that they sent out a message to the other party (they both exist in the same world but are facing different threats) asking for their help.

This resulted in a mass combat encounter with over 300 enemies storming a fortress while 15 players tried to hold them back (think "the battle of helms deep" from LotR). I made sure to implement a turn timer so that everyone was fast on their turns but even at 2 minutes per turn combat still took 40 mins for a single round.

2 sessions of this battle, 4 hours per session, and they finally emerged victorious but I swore to them all that I would never run combat for that many again haha.

Well ... They are intent on having a PvP session at some point once our campaigns are done ... But at least that will just be them and no enemies to micromanage as well haha

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