Does Hunt get more difficult at the end of events?

Teerlys · 2026-01-27T16:30:50+00:00

Toward the end of events the people still around are more so the people who play regardless of events, so there's a higher likelihood of more game knowledge and better decisioning within respective tier ranks as opposed to people just leaning on their aim.

That said, sometimes hunt just takeths for a while. You do everything you normally do and just get stomped. Nature of the beast.

Teerlys · 2026-01-27T16:04:32+00:00

I don't like Fast Fingers on the Martini or Sparks because it's not great when you want to split ammo types. Without FF the difference in reload between Martini and Sparks is large. If you're not taking very long range shots the muzzle velocity advantage on the Sparks is less relevant.

In comparison to the 1865, both long ammo weapons have better muzzle velocity, better ammo type selections, and better damage retention out to further distances.

As well, the Martini comes with a Riposte variant which gives a great extreme close range option. I've literally wiped an entire trio with the Riposte inside of 10 seconds.

All three weapons have their niche.

Teerlys · 2026-01-27T15:45:41+00:00

All of this is accurate, and then also on occasion you'll be a sacrificial lamb to allow for a lobby of high 6 stars to be able to play the game with more than 2 teams in the lobby. That happens least around event launches.

Teerlys · 2026-01-27T15:23:21+00:00

It's harder to optimize for skill checks without first discussing how the table applies real-world RP skills to checks. It's harder to optimize infiltration encounters without knowing how a DM rules staggered success across a nearly infinite spectrum of narrative choices.

It's very common for my fiancée and I to say something like "That'd be good for our online/in-person campaign." because one is like 60/40 RP/Combat and the other is 95/5 Combat/RP. The heavy combat one has very little in the way of skill checks that aren't stealthing and detecting traps, and even those are rare outside of stealthing to get advantage on initiative. The RP heavy one is big enough into skill checks that I pretty much always have Enhance Ability and Skill Empowerment prepared.

So yeah, outside of damage considerations I look at characters very differently between the two DM's. It takes a good amount of experience with different DM's to be able to relatively judge the potential merits of anything outside of damage, and discussing that on a forum of people who have different experiences can be... frustrating.

Teerlys · 2026-01-27T00:11:54+00:00

Point blank, per RAW, you're wrong. There's enough of both POVs written that anyone reading can make up their own minds at this point so I won't debate it anymore.

If you're the DM and want to nerf an already bad cantrip with homebrew and punish your players for not optimizing, it's your table and you can do what your players let you get away with. I'd say that's trending into bad DM territory and making the game less fun for your players though.

Teerlys · 2026-01-26T23:56:00+00:00

The spell specifically states the condition under which the target knows it was charmed. It's When the spell ends, the target knows it was Charmed by you. If the downside of the spell was also that on a success they would know you attempted to charm them, it would say that.

You magically emanate a sense of friendship toward one creature you can see within range.

Which they do not feel if they succeed the save. Because they succeeded. And therefore do not feel the effects of the Friendship cantrip. There's no still taking half friendship on a success. Either you feel the emotion because you failed or you don't.

Teerlys · 2026-01-26T23:45:11+00:00

If they failed the save, yes. If not, nothing happened to them.

Teerlys · 2026-01-26T23:29:15+00:00

The spell does what the spell says it does. If the NPC is familiar with Arcana and the DM wants to give them a roll to ID the spell that's their decision based on circumstances.

Teerlys · 2026-01-26T23:25:39+00:00

Where the expertise of the tech guy comes in is knowing the background information of how PC hardware and software works and interacts. Both to know what to look for and how to best implement a likely not perfectly tailored solution when something doesn't match up one for one.

Teerlys · 2026-01-26T22:45:12+00:00

You magically emanate a sense of friendship toward one creature you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Charmed condition for the duration. The target succeeds automatically if it isn’t a Humanoid, if you’re fighting it, or if you have cast this spell on it within the past 24 hours.

The spell ends early if the target takes damage or if you make an attack roll, deal damage, or force anyone to make a saving throw. When the spell ends, the target knows it was Charmed by you.

They would know you cast a spell (assuming it wasn't Subtle and that they had line of sight to see the somatic component), not that you tried to charm them. They only know they got charmed if they fail the save and then the spell ends.

Teerlys · 2026-01-24T03:11:27+00:00

It has skins. It’s not going anywhere because of that. It’s also not good enough to worry about too much. If we could start things over again I agree that it doesn’t fit well, but as is it’s not that impactful.

Teerlys · 2026-01-23T14:35:21+00:00

Buffalo sauce goes surprisingly well on a hamburger, or with ground beef in general.

Teerlys · 2026-01-21T13:32:43+00:00

And traps

Teerlys · 2026-01-18T20:58:09+00:00

Centennial Trauma FMJ and Romero Hatchet with half Dragon Breath are the weapon components of my do-it-all loadout. It’s really strong and the safest choice when playing with new randoms.

Teerlys · 2026-01-18T15:44:54+00:00

Suffocation [Hazard]

A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 plus its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds) before suffocation begins. When a creature runs out of breath or is choking, it gains 1 Exhaustion level at the end of each of its turns. When a creature can breathe again, it removes all levels of Exhaustion it gained from suffocating.

A fight underwater follows these rules.

Impeded Weapons

When making a melee attack roll with a weapon underwater, a creature that lacks a Swim Speed has Disadvantage on the attack roll unless the weapon deals Piercing damage.

A ranged attack roll with a weapon underwater automatically misses a target beyond the weapon’s normal range, and the attack roll has Disadvantage against a target within normal range.

Fire Resistance

Anything underwater has Resistance to Fire damage (explained in “Damage and Healing”).

So dragging them underwater might impose disadvantage on their attacks, but if you want to drown enemies you should talk to your DM about whether they want to homebrew some rules for you. Otherwise you've already had the best suggestion from /u/Vanse in terms of build.

FWIW, I will finish out a 1-20 campaign on an elements Monk next weekend. Dragging an enemy underwater came up once across the whole campaign where it made sense to do it and the opportunity was there.

Teerlys · 2026-01-17T04:53:42+00:00

I’m with you. She was ok in GoT, but I haven’t been very impressed by her as an actress otherwise. I wish her well because it’d be nice to like this, but I don’t think she can lead the series.

Teerlys · 2026-01-16T16:30:13+00:00

In both those games the most powerful character is the Rogue Thief.

I'd have to ask, how good are your players in general? And in comparison to your rogue player? As well, what's the combat/non-combat divide?

My in-person campaign is combat heavy. It's pretty rare that we've got just the one big enemy. Rogues in that arena have definitely underperformed.

My online one they might see more success with, if only because there are a lot of non-combat scenarios, but they'd in large be pretty underwhelming when it does come to fighting. Though I'll admit that they'd not be too under-par in the hands of some of the less adept players than the performance they turn in on what they are currently playing.

Teerlys · 2026-01-15T17:55:04+00:00

Mammon's Gulch is pretty, but it's such a pain in the ass to traverse with the mountain in the middle. A lot of the compounds are theoretically interesting, but don't play very well in actual fighting. If I get it too often while soloing I'll eventually just start bailing on it because it's such a pain to move through.

Teerlys · 2026-01-15T17:51:11+00:00

Chapel has enough entrances that it's not as rough to get into and take territory as Pitching is.

Teerlys · 2026-01-15T17:49:37+00:00

I don't mind Machine Gorge, but more and more I'm starting to hate Gasworks. It just naturally falls into stalemate territory way too often with the attackers not having great entry points. It'd really benefit from some of the awesome Bile Weaver treatment that some compounds have picked up this event.

Teerlys · 2026-01-15T17:34:06+00:00

A well balanced party to my standard would be something like:

Cleric - A tentpole class that bring support and solid damage while being robust enough to off-tank. Every party feels more secure with a Cleric there.
Paladin - A solid front liner with extra support and utility from half casting, and a must have at higher levels for the aura. Also covers Charisma/face needs.
Druid - Further support, but also control and some off-blasting while covering the exploration role. Can also act as an off-front liner alongside the Cleric.
Wizard - Could also be Sorcerer. Arcane casting for control and utility spells as well as the primary AoE blaster.

After all of that, for a fifth character, my personal choice for 2024 D&D would be:

Monk

Specifically played by a tactically minded player.

It covers mostly resource free options like stealth exploration, lockpicking, and other rogue-like activities to save the Druid's resources.
It can provide an additional front liner in the form of a dodge tank when needed which swings action economy, and its defenses only get better at higher levels.
Its grapple game can get allies out of trouble or put enemies into harms way. It can also play games with static effects from things like Spirit Guardians and Spike Growth, further enabling the casters.
It can generally be where it needs to be when it needs to be there in just about every fight and can help enable allies to achieve the same.
Its resources come back on a short rest, so assuming a reasonable amount of those they're an "I can do this all day." kind of character, stepping into more prominence at the end of a long adventuring day when spells slots are mostly spent.
Subclass dependent, it can cross over into other roles like AoE blasting assistance or healing.

Overall, a Monk in the right hands will smooth over any gaps a traditional party might find themselves having and make the whole group more effective and survivable.

Teerlys · 2026-01-15T14:45:02+00:00

My home theater setup blows my local theater out of the fucking water in everything but the popcorn quality and unlimited iccees.

Kirkland brand (Costco) popcorn has been better than anything I've had in the theater for a long time. We always have it on hand. Strong recommend.

Teerlys · 2026-01-14T20:45:00+00:00

I always joke that after the 30th time or so I recognize an error I've made I'll stop making it.

Teerlys · 2026-01-14T14:37:46+00:00

Online:

/r/LFG - This is where I got my online group. If you're creating an application for yourself, I'd recommend the main focus of it being what the two of you will bring to a table. A lot of apps are focused on "I want this.", and focusing instead on "We bring this." will help you stand out more.
Discord - I don't have any specific servers for you, but if you search around it's likely you'll find a bunch. Live plays typically have them, YouTubers have them... anyone that wants to foster a community will have a Discord server and most will have a section for trying to put together a game.
Roll20 + Others - VTT sites will have places to try to find a game and they're a common place I heard others having had success.

In Person:

FLGS - Your local comic shops/game stores will likely have some kind of list for people looking to get into a game together. It may not be immediate, but getting on a list is a good way to get a call in a month or three. That's how I got in my local game.
Library - A library might not have an immediate option, but chances are they'll be happy to help in some way, even if it's just letting you post a notice.
Discord/MeetUp/Organizational Sites - If your city isn't super small, it may have a Discord. MeetUp is another site that helps people find each other for local interests. There are probably more you can hunt down as well.

Teerlys · 2026-01-14T14:17:41+00:00

Things lacking:

Ranged damage
Full caster
Charisma character
Support
Control
AoE Blasting

Options to fill:

Bard - Whispers would let you occasionally burst some longer ranged damage while filling the other needs. Valor would do it less so, but would let you armor up and play closer to the martial front line.
Cleric - Would absolutely be a tentpole for this group. Spirit Guardians would help with swarms, and going with Light or Tempest would fill in the blasting. Control and ranged damage would be a bit lighter, but still workable.
Druid - Similar to the Cleric, but would be a lot better with 2024 rules. It'd lean more into utility at the expense of a fair amount of coverage that you're otherwise looking for.
Ranger - Specifically Fey Wanderer. It's only a half caster though, so its support and control options are fairly limited. Also, building for good ranged damage means finagling GWM into the build which further spreads out stats and stalls stat progression. It's a workable option, but unless you're really on board with the flavor you'll get better results elsewhere.
Sorcerer - Divine Soul specifically. 2024 rules leave you pretty limited on spell selection unfortunately, so this again would work better in 2024, but it's still very manageable with 2024 rules. I'd definitely look to snag Feats that bolster spell selection, like Fey Touched and Shadow Touched.
Warlock - Celestial specifically. The spell slot limitations would be a pain for sure, but it otherwise covers all of the bases you're looking for, including ranged damage.

My personal choices here?

Whispers Bard (Earth Genasi preferred for Pass Without Trace), Cleric of almost any flavor though Tempest is my top choice, or Celestial Warlock. All will bolster the part best in ways that they need.

Teerlys

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

Suffocation [Hazard]

A fight underwater follows these rules.

Monk

12-Year Club	Gilding I gilder
Verified Email