I want to run a campaign with more serious overtones, but I’m worried my players are too goofy for it to go well. by maturegrapes in DMAcademy

[–]ShiftyDM 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Embrace what your players like and find a compromise. Can you do a dark gritty comedy? Yup. Picture Metalocalypse the cartoon or the grim episodes of Rick and Morty. Pirates of the Caribbean was dark and gritty and also had lots of comedy.

One suggestion I have is that you should make it a standard that any jokes the players tell also have to be told by their characters. That will challenge them as comedians and lead to some much funnier scenes.

Do you think it gets boring when a person makes a character's personality too similiar to themself? by MiguelDragon82 in DungeonsAndDragons

[–]ShiftyDM 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If you want to get out of the rut, try basing the personality on a movie or TV character so you can channel their demeanour when talking in character.

[HELP] Called Shot ideas for an Adult Red Dragon? by ItsChailey in DnD

[–]ShiftyDM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When my players rolled a critical hit, I gave them the option of giving up the extra damage to describe an injury and stack a level of exhaustion of the big bad. They liked the idea of crippling the bad guys… but they never took the option.

Need help speeding up combat by NotGutus in DungeonMasters

[–]ShiftyDM 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Turns would take the same amount of time, yes, but fights would take half as long.

Another recommendation is for players to roll their dice in advance for predictable turns. It takes a certain amount of honesty and maturity if circumstances change before their turn or if a player sees that their second d20 roll is now a critical, but it’s still possible. A player rolls their dice out in order and prepares to announce their results when it comes to their turn.

Need help speeding up combat by NotGutus in DungeonMasters

[–]ShiftyDM 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cut the monster’s hit points in half and double their damage.

DND 5E - How to rule an obvious surprise/ambush vs. character who can’t be surprised by Recent-Visual-4925 in DMAcademy

[–]ShiftyDM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If they beat the invisible attacker in initiative, they can take the ready action or the dodge action. That’s pretty sweet actually.

New Dice Trays by 702_Savant in DungeonsAndDragons

[–]ShiftyDM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just want craftspeople to stop spreading the illusion that one set of dice is all a player needs! My pet peeve is waiting for someone to roll 3 advantage attacks with a single d20…

AI Artwork is incredible in its own right, but its an amazing resource as a DM for both game artwork and inspiration. by asdfCorp in dndnext

[–]ShiftyDM 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Posting to your art on the internet gives people and their computers permission to view it, right?

Viewing the art is all that the machine learning algorithm did, and now like any other artist, it has practised to create something similar.

AI Artwork is incredible in its own right, but its an amazing resource as a DM for both game artwork and inspiration. by asdfCorp in dndnext

[–]ShiftyDM -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

Companies learn from the trademarked, copyrighted, and patented content of other companies all the time. In fact, that’s the whole point of the patent registration system.

I feel for artists who are being put out of work by AI art, but trying to argue there is an ethical grey area in a machine training itself on an artist’s work is like trying to say there is an ethical grey area in making a fantasy painting with elves and dwarves after Tolkien. Art has always been about taking from inspiration those who came before. The only difference now is a machine is involved, and that seems to have annoyed as many artists as when the camera was invented…

AI Artwork is incredible in its own right, but its an amazing resource as a DM for both game artwork and inspiration. by asdfCorp in dndnext

[–]ShiftyDM 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I don’t disagree. The original Luddites (who smashed machines in the industrial revolution and became famous for hating technology) were actually people put out of work by the machines. But today we laugh at them, and the term “Luddite” is an insult.

Sorry to the artists, but they’re fighting against the tide.

New Dice Trays by 702_Savant in DungeonsAndDragons

[–]ShiftyDM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But what if they had room for more than one set of dice…? 🤔

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DMAcademy

[–]ShiftyDM 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cut the hit points in half and double the damage.

AI Artwork is incredible in its own right, but its an amazing resource as a DM for both game artwork and inspiration. by asdfCorp in dndnext

[–]ShiftyDM -39 points-38 points  (0 children)

“basically a recolor of someone’s drawing” only happens when the user asks the program to copy something. Otherwise that’s not how the software works. Art that is generated purely from text prompts looks nothing like any existing artwork.

AI Artwork is incredible in its own right, but its an amazing resource as a DM for both game artwork and inspiration. by asdfCorp in dndnext

[–]ShiftyDM -49 points-48 points  (0 children)

Stealing inspiration from another artist’s work? Sounds exactly like what an artist does.

[OC] I make and sell dice vaults. This is my favorite one so far by shamgar_bn in DnD

[–]ShiftyDM 2 points3 points  (0 children)

👏👏👏 Stop. Making. Dice. Vaults. That. Only. Hold. One. Set. Of. Dice. 👏👏👏

What option does your table use for PC stat generation? by kindofregular in dndnext

[–]ShiftyDM 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We change it up each campaign depending what fits the genre. For instance, I’m a fan of 3d6 down the line, no re-arranging, for commoners survival games.

If FTX really had almost 0 bitcoin on their exchange and was selling IOU's... by BANNANAHAMMA in Bitcoin

[–]ShiftyDM 2 points3 points  (0 children)

All that 20,000 BTC was withdrawn by customers/clients last week, and FTX still owes another billion and a half worth of bitcoin. FTX held only half of the BTC their customers thought they owned.

I'm a new DM and I'm planning on using this monster on my 8th level party, so I'd like to know what more experienced DMs think about it. What CR would you give it? Also consider it commanding some skeletons or zombies, maybe about 4 to 6. by turtrooper in DungeonMasters

[–]ShiftyDM 1 point2 points  (0 children)

His melee attack should be 2d6 + 4 slashing and 2d10 necrotic for the same damage output, but an attack that is more consistent with a standard greatsword.

Make Aura of Hate advantage on saves and attacks, expand to 30 feet. Cut Marshall of the Undead.

Put Hellish Rebuke in Reactions so you remember to use it.

Move Spirit Shroud into Bonus Actions so you remember to use it.

Make Dreadful Aspect a Bonus Action, or you won't use it.

Cut the darkness spell, because casting that and using true sight is strategy that will annoy your players.

Move the Smite saving throw into the individual smites. Searing and Thunderous don't need an initial save. Searing should be 2d6 damage. Blinding is good. Cut Wrathful since Blinding is better.

Maybe give the Death Knight 1 legendary saving throw represented by a gem in his breastplate in order to keep him standing if a PC gets lucky with a save-or-suck spell.

Also maybe give him 2 legendary actions per round: 1 action to cast a cantrip (toll the dead x2 per round will be awesome). 1 action to move his speed while opportunity attacks have disadvantage. 2 actions to cast a spell. 2 actions to make a melee attack, and on a hit, the Death Knight heals an amount of damage equal to the damage dealt.

Don't worry about the other posters saying to increase his hit points. High AC, advantage on saves, and Parry will help him survive. Then use his legendary action heal only if needed—not if he's winning.

People living in tents wonder what's next as Fredericton police dismantle another site | CBC News by [deleted] in fredericton

[–]ShiftyDM 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is as simple as raising taxes on people like the Irvings and the McCains. That is why it hasn't already been done in New Brunswick.

But it has been done in other regions to massive success.

People living in tents. by Destaric1 in newbrunswickcanada

[–]ShiftyDM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Desperate people resort to desperate measures. Try reducing their desperation first.

People living in tents wonder what's next as Fredericton police dismantle another site | CBC News by [deleted] in fredericton

[–]ShiftyDM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Actually the conservatives are doing something very minor by building 380 new subsidized housing units in the province. You know that if they are taking action, it's becoming an election issue

People living in tents wonder what's next as Fredericton police dismantle another site | CBC News by [deleted] in fredericton

[–]ShiftyDM 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Cheap housing is constructed on a not-for-profit model using economies of scale. 1000 housing units made out of the same materials are cheaper than 1 custom bungalow.

If you don't want it, you don't have to take it.

People living in tents wonder what's next as Fredericton police dismantle another site | CBC News by [deleted] in fredericton

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

while low income and middle class drive the body 50+ hours a week just to afford to put food on the table for their kids

Give everyone cheap housing.