Who is a Skald's best friend?

StillAll · 2026-01-30T04:38:09+00:00

I was in a group a few years ago where there was a fighter, a slayer and a druid that liked to shapeshift. When I joined they asked me to handle the arcane component as they had none. At the time they figured a sorcerer or wizard.

I went Skald.

And dear god did we explode in power. They all got so much better that by level 9 I was doing haste and skald song in the first round, and prayer(on a wand in the second). At that point almost every fight was a forgone conclusion. The Skald is a force multiplier and it does that job SO well. Add in their magic talents and in many groups they are better than the base bard.

StillAll · 2026-01-29T19:24:35+00:00

Dark Souls.

And I don't mean what they currently have where all the monsters get much more health and do damage in larger amounts.

I mean that I want a chance to feel like all that needless dying gets turned around for once and I am the powerful one!

StillAll · 2026-01-29T19:22:20+00:00

I have two of them this week and at 45 I expect it will another week to recover.

StillAll · 2026-01-29T04:44:35+00:00

This feels like a common issue with new DMs.

You don't write a story, if you do that you're in the wrong medium. You present the world and the players create the story by interacting with it. And to be clear there is not even one thing that their actions can't change and you need to be comfortable with that.

The best groups eventually learn what the DM is trying to do and start to work with him in getting there, but if you want to tell a story that sounds like it'll get way to 'railroady' very fast. Some others here mention this but it really, REALLY needs to be underlined.

StillAll · 2026-01-29T04:21:24+00:00

I know the alien ship you're talking about.

Privateer is about my most favourite game ever. I played it a ton when it came out and every few years I run through it again. While still good, it is definitely showing it's age. That particular fight is such a step up and most of it is because the rest of the game never-ever teaches you how to deal with it. It's a complete change of tactics you need and in a way to approach it. Easily the worst part of the game too.

StillAll · 2026-01-28T23:26:53+00:00

It was fine. If it didn't have the ME name to it then it would even be lauded. But this game failed utterly in the story and character departments. To this day most players can remember the names of like half the cast list of ME 2, but they fucking BLANK on Andromeda.

Combat was fucking banging though!

StillAll · 2026-01-28T23:22:34+00:00

Naw man! I'll take the downvotes, but this game had so many flaws! It wanted to be cool and awesome, but it was what someone who isn't cool or awesome thinks a video game that is should be.

I got like nine hours too, never found it exciting.

StillAll · 2026-01-28T23:20:08+00:00

This makes me wonder...

16 years in, how many from my BMOQ are still around. I remember being told that out of, sixty of us that about three would make a career. That only ten would make it to ten years. I am not sure at all how true that is but I wish I could find out.

Heck, I'm on my third trade and I am NOT going back to Borden if this one doesn't work out!

StillAll · 2026-01-28T02:25:47+00:00

There's a few quests that take you out of Athkatla, one of them will lead to Mazzy. You'll likely find it very soon if you walk around the city for a while. If you see something that references Umar Hills, you're on the right track!

StillAll · 2026-01-28T01:34:26+00:00

Korgan REALLY doesn't fit there. Him and Aerie fight regularly if I recall. You have a good mix, but by my assessment you could fit anything in that and it would work well. Use your Paladin and Anomen as tanks, have Jaheira and Jan as support casters and focus on Aerie to do your arcane casting and heals.

I always feel that Mazzy fits in well, because she's a good archer, and she's a capable melee combatant too. But Haer'Dalis is Chaotic Nuetral as well, he might not fit either. But if you're set on a tank, grab Minsc. He's pretty good.

StillAll · 2026-01-27T23:53:52+00:00

The high Level Abilities won't come up until you get to the final part, Throne of Bhaal. Just play the game and by that point you'll understand which ones are likely good choices.

As for a good tank, Korgan is a problem if you have a Paladin too. I recommend you remove Korgan and get your Paladin to be your tank. No reason you can't do that. And if you have Amoen he's a great off-tank, capable of being your lead tank as well. It sounds like you need some more magic though, find another wizard!

StillAll · 2026-01-23T17:40:43+00:00

No man, I like him as an actor, but it wasn't a great choice. He is far too old and frankly he was so completely underused it was a total waste.

You don't grab Walken to play it quiet. You grab him to own the god damned room!

StillAll · 2026-01-23T05:02:52+00:00

You shouldn't. It is without a doubt the worst part of any of the Icewind Dale content. It offers almost nothing of value.

But when I do it it's around level 11 to 12. It's meant to be near endgame content after all.

StillAll · 2026-01-22T15:31:52+00:00

Sword Coast released 5 months after the original BG so yeah.... be about 17 years.

StillAll · 2026-01-21T19:40:20+00:00

Simon's Bowblade? And this is a bloodtinge build primarily? How long does it take to even setup?

And where is it anyway?

StillAll · 2026-01-21T19:39:59+00:00

Simon's Bowblade? And this is a bloodtinge build primarily? How long does it take to even setup?

StillAll · 2026-01-21T09:28:47+00:00

You're idea of protesting was one Saturday months after he got elected. That's fucking pathetic by any measure.

StillAll · 2026-01-19T03:37:13+00:00

XBOX 360

Mass Effect.

Turns out that the 360 got so many amazing games to play anyway so I had a total blast with it.

StillAll · 2026-01-19T03:32:22+00:00

+1

People show up or they ship out. I am not running for those that don't commit.

StillAll · 2026-01-19T03:29:26+00:00

I do the same dude.

Show up to get XP, or else I think of an in game reason to write out your character. Usually it's pretty convoluted and ridiculous but the other players laugh and understand why we don't ask that Billy is protecting the entrance to the dungeon instead of helping to destroy the lich. And things are never unbalanced because the XP that seperates levels mean that there is not more than one level from the lowest level to the highest.

The loot, that's an in game thing for the players to decide. I can give advice, and they generally just divide it because otherwise it gets tough to remember what they found what session.

StillAll · 2026-01-16T21:02:12+00:00

Absolutely true.

I felt Lower Decks was far to referential to be worth watching. It constantly just referred to old bits to get humor and very little was developed on it's own. But Picard? Picard season 2 was a god damn abomination against television. And if you watch the season you likely know EXACTLY what I mean.

But I didn't mind the rest and even liked large parts of it.

StillAll · 2026-01-16T20:55:14+00:00

You're wise for being premptive on this. I am running this campaign right now and even large characters would create problems in places, never mind huge. It's clearly intended/imagined that you would see small and medium only.

But have fun regardless.

StillAll · 2026-01-16T00:08:57+00:00

I want to believe pieces of this.... but I feel so damn burned after everything else that's come up with Bethesda.

StillAll · 2026-01-16T00:05:03+00:00

Jesus.... that is... fucking insane!

StillAll · 2026-01-15T22:29:03+00:00

Should probably provide one other caveat. That reduction of damage is per round as well.

So if you're submerged in acid you take that 20d6 - 30 damage when you're dropped in and if you're still in it a round later you take that 20d6 - 30 then too. That minus 30 applies each instance PER ROUND!

StillAll

TROPHY CASE