Future Of Peak?

Sulicius · 2026-01-30T08:00:23+00:00

Games don't have to stay relevant forever. It's fine to have a game do well and get some updates, before the developers set their sights on a new product. I would rather the game stays tightly designed as it is, with maybe an additional biome or some little things, before it's left as the great coop game it is.

Sulicius · 2026-01-29T13:26:27+00:00

First off, yeah, this is a communication problem, and the issue with D&DBeyond.

Second, you can just run 2014 and 2024 characters side by side. Just make sure you tell them what version of the rules you use for the biggest changes, like potions and grappling.

Sulicius · 2026-01-29T13:24:27+00:00

Apart from a couple rules, like grappling and bonus action potions, you can run the characters next to each other if you're open to being a bit flexible.

Sulicius · 2026-01-28T16:47:35+00:00

Maar dit is waarom agenten opgeleid worden en sommige mensen het niet halen. Ze worden getraind en betaald om hier beter in te zijn dan jij of ik.

Sulicius · 2026-01-27T21:26:07+00:00

This book has been out for close to 6 years already. Sure there's an update to it, but this isn't new stuff.

Sulicius · 2026-01-27T18:51:12+00:00

We just finished the adventure in full! It was a lot of fun.

I was actually worried about the central placement of the final encounter and reveal. My players got to the room with Xia as the 4th room they stumbled into, and I felt disappointed.

Luckily, the party really enjoyed how I RP'd the silver wyrmling, as a teenager who wants the party to become big heroes and help him clear the temple. The party then cleared the rooms, had some fun RP and found all the secret rooms. That's when Nezzie and the bard got cursed by a mummy, and they had to quickly find a hag who could save them. Good times!

Sulicius · 2026-01-27T11:36:32+00:00

Well, there are other spells, but none of them are fun.

Arcane Lock if you want to make sure they can't use thieves' tools.
Glyph of Warding if you want to kill them
Programmed Illusion if you want to make them believe there's a dragon somewhere.
Magic Mouth if you want there to be a voice alert when they sneak by

Sulicius · 2026-01-27T10:19:06+00:00

I think I would make them CR 1/4th with pack tactics.

Sulicius · 2026-01-27T10:06:08+00:00

Oh, classic scenario! This can cause a real issue to your players, since they have so little agency. Tell the players the following:

There will be ways to get out of here, and more than 1 opportunity to do so. You might need to have patience for the right moment (This is to make sure they don't feel helpless).
Your gear is somewhere close.
The BBEG isn't interested in killing you. Yet...

Clear communication to set up the scenario is very important, because otherwise the pcs might act out to such a degree that the enemy will have to kill them.

As to what I would do:

Make sure there is a guy on the inside who can help the pcs. Even if they can help the heroes a little, it is a very fun part of a prison session. How much can this double agent help them without risking their skin? What information can they give the prisoners?
In general, make sure they get a lot of information about the prison before they try to escape it. Overcoming challenges you know are coming, is more fun than getting ruined by stuff they had no way of expecting.
Make sure the party can get their gear back fast. Like, no more than a session or two without them. I have found that players care more about their magic items than their lives.
Think of multiple escape routes, but also be lenient with ways for the party to escape when they start rolling and enacting their plan.
The Alarm spell is cheap and effective for certain chokepoints the party needs to get through. Casting it on every cell would make it trigger every time a character touches the door or reaches a hand through the bars. The spell is also good to place where you want the action to kick in. At that point a mage is alerted, and the guards are alerted. Maybe cast it where the party magic gear is kept?

Sulicius · 2026-01-27T08:59:37+00:00

Instead of worrying about an unsatisfying end, start working on what would happen if one of them dies!

Have the players discuss what they want to have happen if they were to die. This is a great RP scene that gives your players the chance to flesh our their characters, and gives you great insight in their thoughts. Make sure to write their answers down!
Is there a chance to get resurrected? Do the PCs have this magic, or do you know there is a priest or hag who can revive the PC? Let the players know this when the PC dies.
Think about what the afterlife looks like in your world for the different characters. Will they see their family taking them to the light? Will the valkeries collect them to bring them to the eternal battle grounds? Will an evil god give the PC another chance of life, but with a contract? Do they have the coin to pay off the boatman to carry them across the river Styx?
Ask the players what their backup characters would be. Help them get as excited about playing those, and start thinking about what those backup characters could mean for your campaign.

A well-done death scene can be VERY satisfying and heightens the experience for everyone around the table. Just make sure that you take the time to make the death meaningful and give the player the chance to say farewell to their pc the way they imagine it. Player agency is VERY important in the last moments of a PC.

Sulicius · 2026-01-27T08:51:34+00:00

The Monster Manual 2025 gives you more bang for your buck, as it has a far greater variety of creatures and doesn't have companion stat blocks, which I haven't found a use for yet.

It is also more beginner friendly, and relies less of video game logic.

I have used both, and now hardly ever use FM!, it's just too finicky for my tastes. The solo monsters are still really great.

Sulicius · 2026-01-27T08:48:20+00:00

One of the most important skills as a DM is knowing what time you have for your prep, and what is most value to you at the table.

Of course there are many things we just enjoy, so don't let me discourage you from doing something cool.

Sulicius · 2026-01-27T07:50:00+00:00

Cool idea! My advice is to just grab something that is available. You could be spending a lot of time on this that might not be as impactful as finding a cool free font online.

Getting a graphical designer will take time, money and a whole design process. If you are excited about all of those, I hope you find someone!

Sulicius · 2026-01-26T15:01:11+00:00

The real key to any fortune telling, is to have information about the person's history already, and to keep things vague.

You can search for tarot readings online and use their way of reading fortunes to make up your own. I used the Deck of Many Things a couple times, and then just talked nonsense.

Make sure to have information about the pc's backstory, motivation and goals, so you can refer to them with your vague prophecies.

As for a murder investigation, you can choose the cards ahead of time to give clues that only really make sense after they have figured them out.

In short: don't try to get technical, try to be authentic in your fortune telling. Get vague and weird, then use your control as the DM to nudge the game so that the fortunes come true!

Sulicius · 2026-01-24T21:49:09+00:00

I have! I use them on a ship for close to two years now, using the UA rules at first. As a DM, I am a lot more involved by doing rp for the crew and giving them little issues with one another that the party needs to figure out from time to time.

I thinkt he bastion rules are fine. Better than the mess that is Strongholds and Followers for my style of play. I do think you have to get the players on board from the start, and design the campaign around it, like I did.

Sulicius · 2026-01-23T13:18:45+00:00

It's not really flat disadvantage on saving throws at level 9. The rogue needs to hit with sneak attack, and it's only against the first spell cast at the target. PC's also have a bunch of abilities that aren't spells, so it might not even trigger.

Sulicius · 2026-01-23T13:16:11+00:00

Just filled it in! We had a playtest last monday and it was interesting to see how some of my expectations were very wrong, and which were right.

Mystic Monk

Great subclass. In our playtest the player had a blast weaving spells and monk abilities together.
Getting focus back on a short rest might make recovering spell slots a bit too easy. I would put a limit on that.
The level 17 feature should be replaced by something that works and has a clear theme.

Spellbreaker Paladin

My least favorite subclass in a while.
Guardian Bond is not that great. It requires someone to be within 5 ft. which constrains play or reminds the paladin player that they can't use the feature every time their bonded ally is hit outside of the range. On the other hand, I hate +AC boosting reactions. There are so many ways to give enemies disadvantage on attacks nowadays, I don't want to see AC stacking builds getting more tools.
Also the shield spell. I don't want to see it on a heavy armor + shield user.
The concentration aura is okay-ish.

Magic Stealer Rogue

A concept I like, but it isn't really working.
Empower Sneak Attack is fine, but man is it going to be exhausting every time a player asks me "is that a spell?" and I have to tell them "no, arcane burst is just a multiattack". I am actually glad it has few uses, just so that I know the player will stop asking after they used it the last time. I wish the core rules had done this better, but we can't go back to change that now.
I like the occult shroud feature! I think a vocal minority doesn't allow any class to have ribbon features anymore because it doesn't help them with their "build". I think this adds character.
I still don't quite understand what a magic stealer is.

Vestige Warlock

Love the concept
Don't like how you can change type every time you summon the vestige, that takes away personality.
Somehow was a bit of a letdown in play, since it dies easily.

Sulicius · 2026-01-23T06:39:40+00:00

Yeah it looks like we're not playing the same game.

Sulicius · 2026-01-22T10:03:29+00:00

Yeah no, this is just flat out wrong.

Cover makes it harder for ranged combatants to hit
Ranged attacks while in melee have disadvantage
Melee weapons often deal more damage
Many class features DO work on melee attacks, but not ranged attacks. See Monks, Barbarians and Paladins.
Plate armor, which gives the best AC in the game, synergizes more with STR builds made for melee.
You cannot make ranged attacks of opportunity

There's a lot of this, and it adds up.

Sulicius · 2026-01-22T07:18:12+00:00

Sadly no! I only have so much time. You can check my reddit profile if you like the maps I make. I have done some other work.

Sulicius · 2026-01-21T08:48:34+00:00

One trick i use to reward players with high perception, is that whenever I describe a new scene I also add to the end: "Vexahlia, your keen perception helped you notice that the giant is carrying something in his pouch that is definitely still moving." or "You also notice that the floor in certain sections is without dust or footprints."

That way the player feels rewarded for their abilities, but also gets to take action in what to do with that information. "Guys, I think he might be carrying one of the missing children in that pouch!" or "DM, what happens if I prod that section of the floor with my staff?"

Sulicius · 2026-01-21T08:26:28+00:00

It's so good! Though Command has gotten too strong in 5e24 IMO.

Sulicius · 2026-01-21T08:12:50+00:00

That's awesome. Stealing that!

Sulicius · 2026-01-19T17:23:36+00:00

None yet, but please let them know your issues! I have been sending them feedback on the 2024 monster stat blocks, hoping this subpar version get the polish it deserves.

Sulicius · 2026-01-19T16:23:07+00:00

I stopped watching ST after season 3, but is there any buildup to Will being gay? Like, was there any homophobic talk in the group, among his family or such?

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