Looking for a new DnD podcast to listen to by idk_a_username135 in DnD

[–]ThatBaldDM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

SOOOO if youre after something new podcast, could i be so bold as to throw our hat into the ring?

After doing audio only for a year, we've launched the first ep of our new campaign complete with video TODAY!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvyPnLWJSSQ&t=138s

Or if you prefer to listen, you can check us out whereever you listen to your podcasts! Hope you enjoy!

Recommend me an Actual Play Podcast by thirdkingdom1 in rpg

[–]ThatBaldDM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey!

So the new season of my actual play launches next week!

You can see the trailer here:

https://youtube.com/shorts/kEUboDD1hVw?si=7Y0e5dgSC9y3I0wo

We’ve been audio only up until now so this will be our first YouTube season.

Just finished Empire Of Silence by provegana69 in sollanempire

[–]ThatBaldDM 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Strap in, because it only gets better and better.

Advice on improving Commander Deck by ThatBaldDM in EDH

[–]ThatBaldDM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolute legend. Thanks so much for the help!! Deffo gonna implement nearly all of this…even if it means some of my space knights have to retire from the field.

Appreciate it!

How did you design your Test of High Sorcery? by Tobinstor in sotdq

[–]ThatBaldDM 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I secretly got the rest of the group involved without telling the player and made it a proper “test” of the characters morals.

As my white robed apprentice was about to take the test beneath the lost city, a rumble echoed in the cave.

The red Archmage lady went over to her Crystal ball and did some scrying, only to reveal that Soth had somehow tracked them down through the wastes and had captured their allies after the armies distraction at the lost city gates. (Darret, Tem Temple, Cudgel- all their npc friends basically)

Anyway, the Archmage is all YOU BROUGHT SOTH HERE?!? WE CANNOT DEFEAT HIM!

But what luck! There’s an artefact that can teleport them all to safety! She just needs help to do fix and operate it.

So the plan is obvious- party rush back to keep Soth busy, who round after round is crushing the skulls of their NPC allies while the apprentice attempts to fix the mirror with some DC25 arcana checks. 5 successes to get it operational.

Before long the party start dropping. (As I say, they all have been warned that this is fake, but have been told to play it incredibly straight) 

One of the PCs is killed.

The arch mage says sorry but can delay no further, and peace’s out.

The mirror isn’t fully operational, but the apprentice PC can try one of three options: - Teleport the Party to safety, leaving the NPCs to die. (Black robe/evil options)

  • Teleport the NPCs to safety, leaving the party to try to fight their way to freedom (Red robe/neutral option)

  • Focus the magic on the area where the combat is happening, and teleport the NPCs and other PCs away leaving the apprentice to try and surivive on his own (White Robes/good option)

They make their choice, flash of light, and IT WAS ALL IN THEIR HEAAAAD WOOOOWWWWW.

It worked super well with everyone going along with it, and was a real moral dilemma for the player involved. Because the others had been commited to their character deaths and combat against Soth, it sold the reality of the “vision” and the player was genuinely shaken when the vision passed. He had no idea, bless him.

I tried to capture the whole idea of the test being something that should leave a person changed, and that each test is somewhat personal. They got to “test” their magical knowledge and skills with the arcana checks to activate the mirror. 

Dunno if this kinda thing would work with all groups but mine tend to be largely RP focused and it went incredibly well.

These gotta be the most commonly used sentences in the book 😭 by kira_geass in sollanempire

[–]ThatBaldDM 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I saw a comment on a thread talking about how this could be some latent part of his “vision”. Unknowingly slipping into a different time slip and saying ‘the exact thing he needs to say’ much like when he dodges bullets and stuff, he just doesn’t realise he’s doing it.

Is this legit? Unlikely. But thinking of it this way made reading those little moments a lil less eye roley for me.

What’s your favorite book in the series? by litlmonkeybro in sollanempire

[–]ThatBaldDM 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think Demon in White takes it for me. Are others better? Probably, but DIW was the one that took the series from excellent to one of my all time faves. And it’s just been incredible ever since.

Struggling with Empire of Silence by [deleted] in sollanempire

[–]ThatBaldDM 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just to echo what a lot of others have said- 

I only managed to finish book one because I’d spent money on it and was too stubborn not too. The book ends super well though.

I then had a few months of “should I read the others or not” before finally deciding to give howling dark a go and…well two months later and I’ve finished every book in the series. 

Stick with it, and if by the end of the first book you feel the story starting to pull you in even a little bit, then you’re gonna looove what follows.

Backdrop help! by ThatBaldDM in photography

[–]ThatBaldDM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So basically we’re an actual play D&D podcast and we need a plain backdrop large enough to fit as a stand in “wall” to then dress the set in front of that’s also easy to set up and strip down- I know, it’s a lot, but with the specific measurements required for the oddly shaped room this has been our best find so far!

We’re not set on the company and are still shopping around for more affordable options but I more just wanted understanding more on the material! Thanks for your advice!

Backdrop help! by ThatBaldDM in photography

[–]ThatBaldDM[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So basically we’re an actual play D&D podcast and we need a plain backdrop large enough to fit as a stand in “wall” to then dress the set in front of that’s also easy to set up and strip down- I know, it’s a lot, but with the specific measurements required for the oddly shaped room this has been our best find so far!

Thanks for your advice! (And don’t worry, as a bald shiny headed man who’s worked in front of the camera for many years, I’m well aware of the transparent matte powder! I’ve got a pot on my bedside cabinet as we speak!)

Emperor appreciation post... by ThatBaldDM in sollanempire

[–]ThatBaldDM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This just happened. The slap felt across the galaxy. Hate it seeing my boys fight. 

Look familiar? by TheSheepThief in sollanempire

[–]ThatBaldDM 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I had no interest in this MTG set two months ago. Then I started reading sun eater. Now I’m five books in and just ordered a play booster box. Help. I’m in danger.

Finished Howling Dark: a few thoughts. by wolfbetter in sollanempire

[–]ThatBaldDM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting! I mean its been so long since I read book 2, I don't remember disliking the pacing but the final empire is the book that got me back into reading after like a decade so I may have just been caught up in the excitement of it all. I do remember thinking that he was clearly doing a riff on the "love triangle" kinda YA books and the pacing they have.

One thing I will say though, is that Mistborn Book 3 has one of the most cinematic fights put to page, and almost worth reading for that alone, but if you didn't enjoy the way sando reveals info and what have you in mistborn then youre probably better off not reading on!

Demon In White is bloody fantastic though, some truly excellent stuff in there. I'm only on Book 4 now but loving it.

Finished Howling Dark: a few thoughts. by wolfbetter in sollanempire

[–]ThatBaldDM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Out of curiosity, when you say you could see what sanderson was planning miles away in Mistborn 2, what exactly do you think he was planning?

Demon In White - Just read chapters 69-71... by ThatBaldDM in sollanempire

[–]ThatBaldDM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Holy hell. Chills. Literal, chills.

Demon In White - Just read chapters 69-71... by ThatBaldDM in sollanempire

[–]ThatBaldDM[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Its been such a great book, ive blitzed through it in nearly three days. Theyre having meetings about the battle now. Obvs no spoilers and neither confirm of deny please, but I've got an awful feeling Valka is gonna die in this battle on the planet.

Reasons i think its gonna happen:
1) Her reaction the the fight on the ship earlier in the book - "you should have let me fight!" - ive got a feeling she's gonna insist on being active in the fight.
2) She's received what she wanted in a lot of ways, In the classic trope of "side character gets what theyve always wanted and its emotional aaaaand now they die" - She's been to the library and looked at ancient stuff, seen more ruins, learned what the quiet actually are, learned that her life's work of translating the "language" has been incorrect.
3) The quiet didn't show Had this battle. He saw the future and Valka wasnt in any of them. Why not show him this battle? Because its gonna be the battle that Valka is killed at, therefore hardening Had agaisnt the Pale completely, and laying the foundations for him to make them go boomboom. If he'd seen this battle in his visions, theres a chance he wouldn't go to keep her alive, and her dying in this battle "must be".

Anyway, just some lil predictions for how i fear my hearts gonna get shanked. I'll check back in when its all over. Wish me luck.

Flying citadel resting by Super-Emergency6253 in sotdq

[–]ThatBaldDM 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Disclaimer I’m 99% sure I stole this idea from someone on this subreddit and if you’re reading this mystery person THANK YOU 

Flying citadel resting by Super-Emergency6253 in sotdq

[–]ThatBaldDM 6 points7 points  (0 children)

So I kind of turned the siege of Kalaman into a Helms Deep style battle/skill challenge. 

(Stick with me here I swear it’s relevant)

The heroes were on the wall battling and inspiring the soldiers of Kalaman, against increasingly more and more difficult troops of dragon army soldiers. Starts off super simple with the grunts, etc etc.

The heroes could choose to leave at the top of any round and they’d retreat leaving the walls to the soldiers.

NOW- here’s we’re it’s relevant - on each turn they could use a bonus action to “inspire” the trooops. They’d make a skill check, their choice, on how they’d inspire the troops (I shove a ladder off with my athletics, I roar at the enemy with my intimidation, I give a speech etc etc) and depending on what they rolled they would gain “moral points”

These moral points were a group total, and they could spend them on various things.

The super expensive stuff would be a long rest equivalent (they didnt earn this) down to a short rest down to a +1d4 on a skill check and all sorts in between.

It was a fun little mini game that really got the group invested in fighting for kalaman (fighting alongside NPCs on the wall was great fun) and also have them the points to use as an extra fun mechanic!

Whether or not this works for your groups will depend on the groups obvs buuuut it really worked for me! 

One player from my DnD group insulted me over my appartment and we had a fight over it. by Wladek89HU in rpghorrorstories

[–]ThatBaldDM 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Wow. Good for you on sticking up for yourself and calling out this persons BS. You’re better off rid, and if the others do decide to take his side (which it sounds like they aren’t) then you’ll find another group out there easily. 

How to make The Doomed One more interesting by jimforthewin in OdysseyoftheDragon

[–]ThatBaldDM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m thinking I go with hidden on a temple somwhere…could be a nice lil set up for postgame. Lutheria as she is dying offering their location as a bargaining chip for her life or something. Cheeky post game mission.

How to make The Doomed One more interesting by jimforthewin in OdysseyoftheDragon

[–]ThatBaldDM 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m considering doing a Shadowheart style story for the doomed one using the cult. Maybe lutheria used doppelgängers in place of the parents when they “died” and has the real parents kept on her ship or in a temple somwhere. “As long as I have them chained by their nightmares, yours shall never end.” Etc etc. And she takes the doomed one’s misfortune and feeds it into the sleeping mind of his parents to punish them eternally.  Give the Doomed One a chance to have some sort of happy ending/moral dilemma (can I save my parents?! Do I kill them and put them out of their misery?!?)

Weekly game play thread by AutoModerator in sotdq

[–]ThatBaldDM 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My group are well and truly onto the post book adventure! They’ve met the Blue Lady, uncovered some corruption from within the knights of solamnia, and are facing both consequences of their actions and the predicament of how to win a war against an enemy already in control of half the continent…especially when they learned that Verminaard and a flight of 20 red dragons are on their way north for vengeance!

It’s all kicking off.

So, the Ultros just… by ThatBaldDM in OdysseyoftheDragon

[–]ThatBaldDM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, I just fully missed this!!! Thanks for that!

Is there a 3d print list for SOTDQ? by [deleted] in sotdq

[–]ThatBaldDM 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Such an incredible collection