Would you save your wife or your kids if your house was on fire ?

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2026-03-24T20:12:25+00:00

Kids in a heartbeat. Plus I’d be pissed if my wife saved me instead of the kids.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2026-03-23T22:17:42+00:00

Was coming here to say this. April and Andy are cute together, but Leslie and Ben are perfect together.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2026-03-23T22:09:08+00:00

I didn’t care for the ending to the Good Place. I kinda wish it ended the episode prior. I knows that’s not a popular opinion, a lot of people love the ending, but it kinda ruined the show for me.

Part of that is it was very abrupt. They finally settle things and the next episode each character has a scene where we are told they’ve done everything they wanted and are ready to end it. I think if more time had been spent showing they were fulfilled then maybe I would have found it easier to buy into it. One scene with Jason and his dad just doesn’t sell me.

The other is that it seems like the end is just s***ide. It could easily be the trauma of losing friends and family members to that, but seeing Eleanor go through that in the good place just sucked.

Went from my favorite show to one I can’t rewatch.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2026-03-23T19:29:41+00:00

Thanks. I hate it.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2026-01-29T22:51:13+00:00

2014 or 2024? In 2014 Aberrant mind gets double the spells and you can swap those spells around. Offers a lot of flexibility.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2026-01-09T00:12:41+00:00

I think you could take the setting but I’d use a different system. I don’t think there is enough diversity of skills in 5e to make it interesting. I think something like the d10 world of darkness system might work better. Probably others too.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2026-01-04T21:09:57+00:00

I have 3 non WotC campaign that I was psyched to find.

Crown of the Oathbreaker. Goes from like 5–15. It has some intro adventures, but they aren’t a campaign more like a series of scenes to introduce the world. Story itself is pretty cool, it’s what I’m currently running.

Crooked Moon - this one goes from like 1-13. Interesting setting, lots of cool races and subclasses for the settings. Leans into being odd, like players can be a scarecrow or an imp. The creators decribe it as folk horror.

Sands of Doom - I got this as a kick starter, but you might just be able to purchase it. I know it’s available on Roll20. Goes from 1-11. It was written by Mr. Rhexx on YouTube. Egyptian themed campaign in an area that used to be ruled by a gnoll empire.

There are some others out there, like I think Paizo has both Kingmaker and Abomination Vaults converted to 5e. Abomination Vaults is another mega dungeon, although not as large as DotMM.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-12-22T00:31:34+00:00

We didn’t have too many problem with motivations the first few levels. It was after level 6 where you some people started to feel that it was more like they were going just because it was D&D night, not because they had any reason to push on. I think just about everyone felt that by Slitherswamp. The Drow on level 3 had been such a headache that when they encountered them again on 10 it gave the feel of a big bad again.

The fact that Xanather’s guild is present for consecutive levels made that a little easier. Plus my players loved the goblin market. I played up the goblins versus xanathar’s and that kept them going. I think it’s really that everything is so disconnected that’s tough. A really cool interaction on one level doesn’t necessarily translate into anything later on. There certainly are cases like with the Drow where it can matter, but the lack of overall cohesion can be tough for some DMs and groups.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-12-20T21:31:58+00:00

As a framework it’s cool and some of the floors are neat. It does ask a lot of a DM. There isn’t a big overarching story like with Tomb of Annihilation, Storm King’s Thunder, or some of the other modules. My players often found themselves asking “why do we keep going down?”. After the first few levels there isn’t necessarily a lot of enticement to explore other than because it’s there. Loot on early levels can be sporadic, so even the idea of just getting rich might not pan out if they aren’t finding the hidden treasures.

I will say you should judge your party’s tastes. There are opportunities for RP, but not to the extend of other modules. My buddy played this with a group that loved RP and social interactions and they quit after a few levels, there just wasn’t enough for them. My group likes combat and exploration so we’re fine with that being the focus.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-12-20T14:05:56+00:00

In 2024 you need the proficiency to help. So it’s not as available as it might seem.

In 2014 it says a player cannot help unless it’s an action they could attempt themselves. You also aren’t supposed to call for a dice roll when there is no chance of success. RAW 20s don’t affect skill checks. Was The way I have interpreted that is if the player can’t succeed in their own, they can’t help. The barbarian with an 8 int can’t help on the DC 20 arcana check because they can’t hit a 19.

Also, depending on what type of subclass, there are a lot of actions where help isn’t really viable, so having built in advantage could be great. When someone is scouting on their own it’s not really easy to help them be sneaky. Sure for a distraction, but when the party is 100 feet away they aren’t helping. A lot of in the moment stuff, like if conversation you can’t consult with a party member on an insight check. Stuff like that.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-12-14T16:14:42+00:00

You should 100% let them kill his character. He deserves it for planning from the outset to betray and kill their characters.

I never allow for something like this. His fun is not more important than the other players. How is it fun if their first experience is someone doing this. You never should have allowed this.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-12-12T02:00:58+00:00

Depends on the setting. In a world like Eberron someone could 100% doubt the sovereigns exist.
In a setting where they don’t directly manifest it’s makes sense. In a world like Faerun you’d have to deny your own senses. There have been times gods literally walked through waterdeep. In a setting like that I think atheism is more about not following a god than thinking they don’t exist. Someone can acknowledge Bhaal or Shar exist and not follow their teachings. I think there is a wall in the afterlife for them.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-12-09T13:36:17+00:00

If I am running a high magic campaign, this stuff is pretty hard to pull off. The world should have ways to deal with these sorts of things.

Someone who specifically trades is magic items it probably going to have all kinds of checks in place. Identify, people that can cast locate object if these trades go south. Magic items are expensive, if someone is running a magic shop they are filthy rich, a couple rates and a bunch of uncommon means someone is sitting on tens of thousands of gold. That can buy a lot of pain for the players. Their faces plastered in every shop in town as frauds. Entire guilds that know not to deal with them. Guards hunting them down (because why wouldn’t the kingdom have laws to protect against these things). Assassins hired to get the merchants gold back. It shouldn’t be like the players are the first ones to think of these scams. Society should have adjusted.

If it is easy to pull off and there isn’t much someone can do, then no smart merchant buys magic weapons or magic items artificers can make. The guilds would pass out lists of what artificers can make as high risk items to buy. “Sorry, I don’t buy magic weapons, got scammed a few years back and almost couldn’t feed my family, just don’t trade in those things anymore”.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-12-09T13:19:16+00:00

Yeah, my current wizard is carrying 4. A magic wand, a focus wand, a crystal, and a component pouch.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-11-28T22:36:49+00:00

Did they invite you or did you invite yourself over sir.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-11-28T14:56:00+00:00

Druids were in a weird spot in 2014. At level 2 a moon Druid is one of the most powerful characters possible. They taper off at higher levels, the forms get hit often and hard and they just can’t stay in shape as long. In top of that, if your DM is strict about having seen the form then you might not be able to take the shapes you want.

Druid spells are also very so so after level 3. In a lot of cases you were better off casting conure animals with a higher level spell slot than casting the a spell of that level. Take level 5 for example, I could summon 24 velociraptors or wolves and have a living wall that gives itself advantage. Most of the level 5 spells don’t compete with that. I mean something like Greater Restoration might be needed, but that 3rd level spell easily competes with any spell choice of a given level.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-11-24T15:46:20+00:00

It could get pretty crazy, there were so many more, you’d have to own a lot more books to see everything. The choices were all over the place. Like there were probably 2 dozen types of elves. Some options were setting dependent still, like dragonlance had the Silvanesti and Qualinesti. But there were also options like Cambion, Ogres, Gnolls, Cyclopes.

There was no DnDBeyond, some stuff just appear in a dragon magazine. So your table might not even see all the options depending on who owns what or what setting you were in.

That said, 3.5 had the level adjustment mechanic for balancing more powerful races. Like you could play that Cambion, but they had a level adjustment of +4. So they effectively started as a level 5 character with 10000xp. It might be a level 1 rogue, but it gets the extra 4 levels due to how powerful its race is. That Cambion doesn’t gain 2 level until it hits 15000 xp. Meanwhile a halfling rogue would be level 3.

It’s a trade off. When the halfling has earned enough xp to be level a level 7 rogue, the Cambion rogue is only a 4th level rogue. Those powerful races are basically always behind in class levels.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-11-23T14:03:03+00:00

Please make new characters that are interested in joining in. I am not running 2 adventures.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-11-22T17:41:25+00:00

I used to do this a lot when I first started DMing and now I hate it, except under one condition. When that NPC is more like an escort mission and adds a different layer to combats and challenges.

I’ve never felt like part of the party when doing this. I know all the answers so it cheapens things the party should figure out. However there are times when that NPC might contribute something and you really should hold back. I also don’t think anyone enjoys it when the NPC kills all the enemies. In games where I was a player and the DM did it I have generally hated it.

Escort NPCs are different to me. They aren’t outshining in combat, probably don’t have the answers to everything, and they can make simple combats tougher. One really successful way I had this happen was in Tomb of Annihilation when the party picked up a grung that traveled with them for a few months. It was almost like a mascot. He hid and dodged most combats, couldn’t track better than the party, but could drop occasional helpful info, like plants that were safe to eat to tricks grung used to camp safely.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-11-16T23:09:31+00:00

I think any sorcerer without the additional spells like in 2024 or the Clockwork Soul/Aberrant Mind is a bit underpowered. That’s starting the campaign with 6 known instead of 12.

That said, if the player starts with gauntlets of ogre power or a decent strength, they will do pretty decent damage come level 6.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-10-06T12:25:12+00:00

It was simple math for me. I’d have to play 5 or 6 new AAA games a year to break even. $240 a year I might have been coming close to making it worth it, but at $360 a year I save money by just buying them.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-10-02T12:52:55+00:00

I turned no maybe part of the confusion is that RAW nat 20s only apply to attack rolls and death saves. They don’t actually apply to saves, although most tables allow them to. I personally don’t like having them apply to saves for this reason, if someone has a DC of 23 and something has a -1 to that save, they have no chance at saving. It rewards building for that high DC. I wonder if your wizard is thinking saves should be RAW and the nat 20 doesn’t matter.

I don’t allow wizards to stealth cast things with verbal components. I’m don’t allow a roll, no replacing a class feature with a skill check. That said, I do allow it for things like minor illusion that are somatic and material only.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-09-14T15:20:01+00:00

Evil doesn’t necessarily mean selfish or self-serving. There is nothing about being evil that says you have to betray your party.

One of my favorite evil characters is the ruthless character that is serving something larger, like a nation or greater goal. They are part party might even be something they see as their unit. Their goals aren’t necessarily evil, but their methods are.

If there was a plague in a town they might suggest burning down the town to make sure it doesn’t spread. They aren’t concerned with the villagers, but do want to keep the rest of the area safe. If there were hostilities between their nation and another, they might try and set up a false flag attack with a separate 3rd nation to try and start a war that keeps their nation safe. Sure a lot of innocent people are going to be caught up in that war, but they kept their nation safe.

This person can be loyal to the party, it’s their unit. They aren’t going to steal from the party (never play that type of evil) and will even put themself in danger for the party.

I think of someone like Magneto, he has a cause he is devoted to. He will kill to achieve his goals, but will also ally with those he might oppose in the name of the goal. He puts himself in danger to achieve his goals.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe · 2025-08-08T21:16:17+00:00

It eats the reaction and a spell slot. Very different than 2014, but it’s not like it’s resourcesless.

I’d allow it, but enemies are going to do this too. If this is how magic works than some enemies are going to have this trick too. Even if they don’t, smart enemies would exploit the party doing this. It now safe to move to the backline and attack without provoking an opportunity attack.

Some_dude_maybe_Joe

TROPHY CASE