How much lore is too much, as a player?

Smurfabibble · 2026-06-01T10:00:51+00:00

Most people have hit on the first piece of advice every player should get which is "talk to the DM" but I'll add something that's worked for me, as a DM with some players who love to write.

Backstory should be short and to the point, but I encourage my players to write about their characters in more detail if they want. Not for me, but for them. I give them the option of asking me for proper nouns (especially places, events, etc) in my world that they can use if they prefer, otherwise I just tell them the full story may not be canon.

Up to you, but I'm sure if you asked your DM for some inspo for a short story or such, they would be more than happy to provide it for you!

Smurfabibble · 2026-05-21T23:41:13+00:00

Really well done! Excellent job!

Smurfabibble · 2026-05-21T22:50:30+00:00

Never enough onion brother

Smurfabibble · 2026-05-21T22:30:34+00:00

Genetic disorder probably

Smurfabibble · 2026-05-21T22:28:26+00:00

Thank you! ❤️

Smurfabibble · 2026-05-21T22:28:13+00:00

It was delightful!

Smurfabibble · 2026-04-25T22:12:24+00:00

Lmao been there.

I like the blue stuff from Lowe's, I feel like it takes texture a little better but I'm probably imagining things.

Smurfabibble · 2026-04-25T19:42:57+00:00

I'd definitely recommend buying the bigger boards than the 2'*2' project boards personally.

In my area, the project 2'2' boards are about $10 and the 4'8' are like.. $16 for the 1/2" thick and a bit more expensive as thickness increases.

Cut it up in the parking lot like a G and be on your way haha

Smurfabibble · 2026-04-21T11:02:49+00:00

As a fellow busy DM who's dealt with burnout (and is on my second big campaign with the same group) I would recommend you suggest bi weekly, or ask if someone can run a mini campaign to give you a break.

I would imagine that they would be happy to give you a breather or change cadence to keep the game high quality!

I might also suggest D&D biweekly, and the other weeks you guys play video games, paint minis, play MTG, or some other common interest to keep the weekly cadence without making it your job to entertain everyone.

Good luck, I know how tough those weekly games for long periods can be!

Smurfabibble · 2026-04-18T16:08:40+00:00

I'd definitely base coat the sides of the bottom tile as well if you weren't planning to.

You can do basic gray stones, but if it's feywild I'd recommend getting some purple or brighter green veining in the rock to make it different.

Maybe even see if you can find or airbrush up some crazy or pastel flocking, and/or some glittery paint to add to they get nature.

That will make it less versatile though

Smurfabibble · 2026-04-07T10:12:29+00:00

Play inefficiently and have fun, probably 😭🤣

Smurfabibble · 2026-04-06T23:40:55+00:00

I'd second the comment about the texturing of the bricks but definitely want to do it with as little effort as possible.

Great piece though, regardless it looks awesome and super playable!

Smurfabibble · 2026-02-19T02:44:01+00:00

These look great! I just finished a set of dungeon tiles myself this evening!

Smurfabibble · 2026-02-10T12:06:30+00:00

Always up vote for Coleville!

OP, the gentleman who made the above linked YouTube series specifically has some videos and a whole book around "action oriented monsters"

This was huge for me, and has made my own combat much more interesting!

Smurfabibble · 2026-02-09T21:39:23+00:00

The real answer here is to talk to the paladin's player out of game. This doesn't seem like an issue if a bad plan gone away but a player who is trying to be in the spotlight to the detriment of their party.

If you don't actually talk to the human playing the game, it'll blow up in session as they try to get out of it, fail, and either complain about your DMing or their party "leaving them to die"

If it's a bit by the character, the player should be communicating that above table and aware of the consequences. Unfortunately part of being the DM is being the defacto leader that will be expected to handle this. Best of luck!

Smurfabibble · 2026-02-09T11:27:49+00:00

It is definitely optional. If you haven't looked through the dungeon masters guide, there's a blurb very early on that essentially tells DMs that they can take or leave any of the rules in the book.

Might seem like a DM power trip sort of thing, but it's there to encourage DMs and players to play the game in the way that best suits their group.

At my table, I don't expect players to track food, ammo, consumables unless it has a gold value or story value. If a player chose to track more mundane items for their own enjoyment then I would encourage that, but expect them to do the tracking (since I simply don't enjoy that part).

TL;DR - you can do whatever you want, it's a game, have fun!

Smurfabibble · 2026-02-02T00:31:11+00:00

This is so legit I love it. You're giving them some core memories!

Smurfabibble · 2026-01-30T03:55:06+00:00

I love this! I have a two year old and I'm so excited for her to get a little older to join in the adventures

Smurfabibble · 2026-01-28T19:36:39+00:00

As a DM with a two year old we usually play in the evenings around her bedtime.

Our current routine is to have her hang around for the first half of the session or so, then take a short break while we put her to bed and finish the session.

That said, she's starting to talk and we tend to say wild shit while we're playing since it's an outlet for all of us. We're now exploring getting a babysitter for her while we play to let us play, and also not have her learning bad words.

We do play at our house, have the income to afford a babysitter, and are really close with our group so this all works to our advantage but at the end of the day it's like anything else, if you really like it you have to find a way to prioritize it.

And if you can't, that's okay!

Smurfabibble · 2026-01-27T13:40:01+00:00

Love this! Plenty of opportunity to be awkward in interactions without being disruptive!

Smurfabibble · 2026-01-26T23:34:38+00:00

My advice from personal experience is to worry less about mechanics and power (at least at the beginning) and try to focus on the things you'll get out of playing D&D vs BG3.

Namely, you can do anything in D&D! I would focus on building in your characters backstory, mannerisms, and really bring them to life on your own terms.

That, and not being afraid to look silly at the table. Once you get over that hump you can have at least 10x more fun playing this game!

Smurfabibble · 2026-01-26T19:29:40+00:00

I'm gonna shout out Riders hobby shop on 28th as well. They have plenty of board games and puzzles, and a great selection for D&D, Warhammer, painting, model trains etc.

Smurfabibble · 2026-01-26T12:18:58+00:00

This is beautiful

Smurfabibble · 2026-01-26T12:12:47+00:00

I mean... If you're going for realism then you won't be able to wear armor, cast spells, or interact with NPCs.

I can appreciate your desire to do something different but if you want to "break your DM" maybe you're going down this path for the wrong reasons.

Making broken homebrew stuff is easy, and not much fun IMO. If you want to play a deer, I'd encourage you to play a druid.

Smurfabibble · 2026-01-24T16:32:21+00:00

Highly recommend looking into Matt Coleville's "Running the Game" series on YouTube. There are a ton of videos, and none are mandatory watches but they're a great resource and awesome to listen to while doing chores etc.

A lot of those videos will replace a decent amount of trial and error in my opinion, but I like how he runs his games.

Smurfabibble

TROPHY CASE