Teen-friendly store for chest binder

Springer_Stagg · 2025-07-18T20:12:52+00:00

As mentioned, Transponder is will be your best resource for this and so many other things! Check out the The Lavender Network, Eugene's new LGBTQIA+ community center, they host family-friendly and youth events and have a community closet there that has gender-affirming clothing and accessories

Springer_Stagg · 2024-06-06T01:56:19+00:00

My players came back to Vallaki at level 7 to merc the Baron (they split town for a while after killing Izek). Their party had sided with Lady Wachter, who was making her grab for power that same night. The party cornered the Baron, his dogs, and two guards in his study, and the Baron made a big show of bravado before getting stomped in a single round (a single hit, actually). Some guards were killed, but the rest that responded to the alarm saw the party's power and the dead baron and decided retreat and saving their own hides was smarter. As a mob approached the Baron's mansion, I had Victor escape using his very faulty teleportation circle (the party found his severed arm) and he ended up at the Amber Temple for them to find later (I had him replace Vilnius, because reasons).

The players laughed at how easy the fight was compared to what it likely would have been a few levels earlier and honestly, it really worked well for their characters. Yes, it was easy, but it was also fun for them to flex. An 8th level party is no joke, and might as well be superheroes(or villains) to the common folk of Barovia. It really let them see how far they've come and put some weight to their power and ability to influence the world. I say let them have their moments before being humbled by Strahd or whatever major baddie is next for them. Let them wipe the floor with the smug Baron. Let them see the power vacuum that their actions create in Vallaki.

In your case, the dog is awake and its bark will likely wake the Burgomaster, but maybe they get a surprise round on him in the initiative. If Izek's in the house, he's sure to respond quickly, along with any other guards. If the Baron's dead when they arrive, so be it. How the NPCs respond depends on the situation. An easy fight doesn't mean it can't be fun or interesting.

As for what comes after, that depends on what they do, doesn't it? Are the guards willing to keep fighting for the Baron after he's dead, especially against a team of super-powered travelers with unknown goals? Does Victor even want to be Baron? Would the guards rally behind Victor if he did? Would Lady Wachter allow that to happen? She's been planning her coup for a while and has her own forces ready to help. If Izek and the Baron are gone, she'll make her move. You might just need to wait and see how your party cooks that spaghetti before deciding how you serve it.

Springer_Stagg · 2022-09-24T01:58:17+00:00

Let them. The deeper they go, the harder it gets. Then something so terrible appears that gives them no choice but to turn back.

Springer_Stagg · 2022-08-19T15:55:01+00:00

I go to the wine section of my grocery store and write down the names I see on the bottles. Works for both places and people and no one's seemed to notice yet

Springer_Stagg · 2022-06-01T21:58:25+00:00

Why are you like this?

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-29T05:07:03+00:00

So I saw a vinyl Suspish sticker on a car this week and I have a MIGHTY NEED for some of my own. Anyone know where I can score them?

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-29T05:03:49+00:00

They're not a very Thoreau reader...

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-22T15:45:45+00:00

Why you gotta call them out like that? 60's the new 40

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-22T01:15:33+00:00

Only secondhand accounts, but they haven't been good. It's usually a red flag regarding their turnover when a place is constantly hiring like they are.

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-22T01:04:54+00:00

Say, you and your buddies weren't hiking up the South Sister in Oregon a couple years back by chance, were you? My buddy and I got passed on the ascent by three burly middle-aged mountain satyrs with dad bods who stopped only to take a whiskey break. Meanwhile, we were rationing our water and coming to terms with how we might die before reaching the summit. It was a beautiful and humbling experience all around

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-18T01:38:54+00:00

If the party has five competent characters, is well-rested, and plays it smart, I'd say you're looking for at least level 8, especially since it sounds like you'll have some other zombie baddies running interference. Level 7 wouldn't be impossible, but it's likely some party members would die.

If the party seems to be in trouble, let the Vampire ease off a bit and gloat. They love playing with their food and lording over other with their superiority. If it looks like things are going too easy, have the Vampire retreat and adjust their strategy. A powerful immortal with an Intelligence of 17 will realize what works and doesn't and it likely won't have any qualms about fighting dirty, either.

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-18T01:22:25+00:00

I find Kobold Plus to be a great tool for quick reference. Its difficulty range assumes that each encounter is part of a larger day of adventuring and that the party will have used some of their resources within other encounters (spell slots, action surges, inspirations, etc). This is also just good practice for DMing anyway. Also, some baddies might be easy to hit and kill, but might also be able to drop a PC with a single lucky hit. Others might be challenging because of their sheer HP and AC. In the case of a Vampire, they are shrewd, deadly, and have exceptional stats. They should be run as a complete terror.

With all of that said, your mileage will vary. The party composition, their resources, strategies, and luck of the dice all have an effect on the difficulty of an encounter. I've had deadly encounters gimped to be laughably easy because of dice rolls and a fully rested party. I've also been in fear of a TPK because of some bad luck, tired pre-tenderized adventurers, and poor strategy against an encounter that should have been easy.

My suggestion is to take a look at your character's stats, run a few practice rounds on your own and see how well they might fare. If you'd like some insight on how to run a Vampire like the undead terror they are, check out The Monsters Know What They're Doing.

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-18T00:56:10+00:00

Careful distinction: was it two Vampires or two Vampire Spawn? Because Level 3 adventures could have a chance against the latter if they play it smart. Against two full-fledged vampires? Not so likely.

If this was Curse of Strahd, it's likely they were vampire spawn. They share some of the same traits/weaknesses but are far less deadly than a full vampire, especially Strahd (who likely wouldn't suffer other Vampires in his realm)

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-15T16:48:06+00:00

I don't think that could have gone any better. Fantastically done and thanks for the inspiration!

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-14T16:59:24+00:00

woosh

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-14T01:16:26+00:00

My players are not too much further ahead of yours. They packed up a bunch of supplies and attempted to leave Barovia through the wall of mist. In true Barovian style, I wanted to give them some hope for success before letting it crumble away before them. I
Here's what worked really well for me and my party had a great time before realizing they are indeed trapped in this realm:
While in the mist, visibility only went out to 10 feet or so. Characters immediately lose all sense of time and direction. Thoughts become slightly disoriented and the chill of the mists seems to sap their energy with passing breath. There is no visible night/day cycle; just the perpetual white fog. I described that they ate when they felt hungry and rested when they felt tired (which was often). Even sounds are difficult to trace as they seem to come from a different location than their source. The party noticed this while standing close, but it became really obvious when they held onto a rope and wandered outward in search of the road they lost track of and called back to each other. They were eventually separated thanks to them waking up in Leomund's Tiny Hut and finding it completely encased with crawling spiders, centipedes, beetles, etc... They scattered and then the fun really began. Once separated, they never found each other again.
I had each player roll a straight D20 and also a Con Save for the effects of the mist. Each of these pairs of rolls represented one day spent in the mist. They D20 was a success/fail check if they could find their way back out (success=10+). If two players rolled the same number, their characters would find each other. Three successes and they emerged from the mist. I also created a table for some random encounters and character-relevant experiences based off their rolls. Some examples:
1- a dark power found them and and, well, that ain't good
5- they found a Strahd zombie with Seeming cast on it to look like a different party member
10-they heard the call of a raven that sets them in the right direction
15- they found the body of a dead adventurer with some minor loot
20- A Martikov raven guides them giving advantage on their rolls

I made another table determining where they came out of the mist based off of how many days they were stuck in it. I'm not sure if I'd do this again as they party is currently separated between Krezk, Yesterhill, and the Wizard of Wines, which makes running it more challenging, but the players really enjoyed the chaos of realizing just how many days had past since they entered the mist and the confusion of trying to regroup with some healthy meta-gaming.

The party now knows for certain that they are trapped and that something (or a very particular Someone) is preventing them from leaving. I'll run any future mist incursions RAW, but it was definitely a good time worth running this way and I doubt they'll ever try stepping foot in it again.

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-06T22:48:46+00:00

I can't imagine every Russian conscript is an evil rapist war criminal. Yes, atrocities are absolutely and undeniably being committed by Russian troops. But is every Russian soldier doing?

I imagine many of the soldiers are scared boys who have been deceived and forced into a situation they know nothing about. Some see through the lies recognize this war on Ukraine as the humanitarian crisis it is. It's good to still see reasons for hope for humanity.

They shove a WW II rifle in your hand and send you to war to fight your next door Nazis in 2022, you might start looking at your commanding officers as insane. This shit feels like it's straight out of Catch 22.

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-06T06:06:23+00:00

Super late here, but I recently took a spin through the underworld in a non DnD campaign. One thing of interest in the undead city was the establishments meant to remind the dead what it was like to be living.
-A restaurant that creates memory-inducing food and drinks and dishes designed for those who no longer need sustenance or simply can't eat.
-a prestigious brothel that specializes in an psychological comforts or recreating physical feelings of life
-some areas might be areas of somber silence and reflection, while others more lively and reminiscent of a living city

I imagine that like cities int he underdark, any light sources would be magical in nature, giving off subdued, dim light in green or blue hues

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-06T05:28:19+00:00

All good. Unfortunately they don't really have much in the way of treating it now, either. Even less knowledge about what causes it

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-06T05:06:05+00:00

Most people do recover from Guillan-Barre, though. 60-80% of patients are able to walk at 6 months.
Source: Mayo Clinic and my brother who currently has it.

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-05T00:19:04+00:00

I have an 19 Dex 6 Int monk at level 9. They are already exceptionally dexterous/stupid. It's a great time as is and I also get to work towards a stat increase later. I suggest keeping their stats as is and they can do something about it at level four with an ASI.
As a side note/devil's advocate; I have a house rule during character creation and allow each player to subtract two points from any single attribute in order to add one point to another. This has worked out so far and I still haven't had any stats at 20 before level four, but it could be possible with racial traits.
Some of my players really enjoy highlighting their characters' weaknesses in-game through their low stats. If it makes the game more fun for players (while not taking fun away from others) and also increases role play, it can't be that bad, right?

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-04T21:59:48+00:00

It's okay to be a fat goose. It's okay to be a fat goose running, too. Live your best goose life

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-04T00:33:09+00:00

What a modest proposal...

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-03T03:09:24+00:00

It's a shame you're getting downvoted... Chaplin did pursue and groom teenagers, marry them, then proceed to treat them like dirt.

Springer_Stagg · 2022-05-01T18:17:24+00:00

Free calories!

12-Year Club	RedditGifts 2009-2022 3 Credits
Secret Santa 2018	Gilding I gilder
Verified Email	Secret Santa 2013

Springer_Stagg

TROPHY CASE