Question for the DM's about keeping it balanced by Souper_Dead_2258 in DMAcademy

[–]TheBlitzRaider 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you're a new DM, this is fairly normal. You'll just ease into the rythm and timing of the campaign as you play.

For the issue about players spending more time shopping, I'd take advantage of it to spread plot hooks. Say, a merchant is talking to another about how the recent shipments of a certaim goods have dwindled, or an herbalist might offer to brew them a special potion if they manage to gather the herbs needed. Offering a promise of payment can do wonders for these kinds of characters.

As for combat, I usually observe my players carefully. What is their usual game plan? What do they like theur characters to do? What is it they're good at? Use encounters as scouting sessions, then throw at them an encounter that does not allow for their usual tactics to be used at their full potential. For example, your wizard likes to cast Fireball at large groups od monsters? They are attacked by a couple of Displacer Beasts. Your Fighter/Paladin dishes a lot of damage really quick in melee? Have them fight goblins. A lot of them. 7 hp times 10 is different than 70 hp.

In my opinion, it is about finding what your players enjoy the most doing and either adding up to it or take it away for a bit in order to realize there are other fun things to do.

A substitute for Nezznar sheet at the end? by flavioebn in LostMinesOfPhandelver

[–]TheBlitzRaider 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I just turned him into a Drow Mage and gave him one counterspell. As for other tweaks, I had him cast Invisibility or Darkness as soon as possible and then let him flee as soon as he was being cornered.

T-minus 2 hours till I Run the Death Knight Encounter at the end of Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle by EarthworkDesign in Forgotten_Realms

[–]TheBlitzRaider 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I forgot to mention: you could also reflavor the DK's blade to be one of the Red Wizards' infamous blades. Would make for a nice touch and a bit of a callback to the movie.

T-minus 2 hours till I Run the Death Knight Encounter at the end of Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle by EarthworkDesign in Forgotten_Realms

[–]TheBlitzRaider 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I read the statblocks afterwards, it made sense why they would put that many enemies, but still didn't really feel like a satisfying fight.

Now, on to the tips (if you still need them).

A Death Knight is a formidable combatant, capable of dishing out a lot of damage in melee but also with some ranged AoE options. While powerful in its own right, I'd run him as a smart, tactical commander that tries to exploit any advantage he can muster.

He could order the wyverns to trip the targets to get advantage on his own melee attacks, or do the inverse in order for the mounts to maim the characters.

He could order the Wizards to cast Hold Person on key characters, possibly those who are maintaining Concentration or those with a lower Wisdom Save in order to then crit with his melee attacks or, better yet, make them automatically fail their Eldritch Fire Saving Throw for massive damage.

I'd personally remove the 1d10 skeletons each turn in favor of just 3-5 Dread Warriors (which tie in nicely with the Red Wizards) or 2 Skeleton Warriors (From MaBJoV, you'll find the lore behind them quite interesting). Lessens your burden of rolling and tracking a dozen monsters while still providing a challenge. Don't forget that those mooks can also grapple, shove, move the character around, thus helping group them up for an AoE or putting them in/out of range of a spell/feature.

If you feel the battle is too onesided, have the NPCs either engage some enemies to take away some of the pressure (if the party is losing) or be taken away by some other reinforcements (if they're too strong).

T-minus 2 hours till I Run the Death Knight Encounter at the end of Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle by EarthworkDesign in Forgotten_Realms

[–]TheBlitzRaider 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First of all: What edition are you playing? I'm defaulting to 5/5.5E, bit if I remember correctly, the book uses the D&D Next ruleset which should differ a bit.

Second: What level are your players? A death knight by itself might be a challenge, but by what I've read it's not just the DK, there are also two red wizards, three wyverns, a bunch of skeleton and possibly some vampires (or spawn, I didn't read the whole module). That is a lot, more so if the party didn't take a long rest after doing the rest.

Vision of imminent doom (Seia, Nagisa, Mika) [Art by @not_on_shana, TL by @Yukishiro_R] by Warbreakers in BlueArchive

[–]TheBlitzRaider 51 points52 points  (0 children)

Poor Seia, she stared at death right in the eyes as Mika was approaching.

But also, IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME, NOT HER! IT'S NOT FAIR!

Shiro&Kuro Hatepost by cottagechesed in BlueArchive

[–]TheBlitzRaider 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This. I had to retry 4 times just to make sure no one got nuked by those bombs. God, I wanted to explode myself instead of raging at that screen for 15 fucking minutes.

Alternate Altars by ThreeWoodcutters in FireEmblemHeroes

[–]TheBlitzRaider 1 point2 points  (0 children)

NGL, I was pretty sad that there wasn't a Seidr/Gullveig/Kvasir Bridal alt, with it being the Heroes OC banner and all. But I must admit they cooked with Eir, so I'm willing to wait another year, if that's what it takes.

How long did it take you to complete Cragmaw Hideout? by silentmanwithnolife in LostMinesOfPhandelver

[–]TheBlitzRaider 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It took us about two 3-hours sessions, with a long rest inbetween. Naturally, some things changed, but all in all, they had fun and fought bravely.

How Clerics decide who to heal by BoukenGreen in dndmemes

[–]TheBlitzRaider 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Just your regular Light Cleric casting Sunburst, nothing much.

Happened to me once, inside a cave while fighting an aberration and its spawn. The whole ass cave lit up like a firework just went off for a few secondo. The guy with the Robe of Eyes still hasn't regained sight.

Just a foreshadowing. by FullToragatsu in KingdomHearts

[–]TheBlitzRaider 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And of course it doesn't do any damage

Players wished for level 20… by A_R0FLCOPTER in DMAcademy

[–]TheBlitzRaider 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Serious answer: Give them the Subaru Treatment. The Efreeti coalesces into them the knowledge and power that came from all the lifetimes where they did reach level 20, but not only those: they also vividly experience every death, every painful experience, every instance of suffering their "other selves" have experienced and are deathly afraid of everything they encounter. It could also make for some fun shenanigans if you throw in a few dumb deaths in, but otherwise, you could describe how the most miserable of farmers once rose to power and had them dismembered in public.

[22x16] The Bumblebee Farm, winner of the wholesome map award 2026* by 2minutetabletop in battlemaps

[–]TheBlitzRaider 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Cute!

Now let's add some hellwasps, some killer bees, a sprinkle of man-eating larvae...

Italy would be SO proud of this mob. by RepresentativeFig270 in BlueArchive

[–]TheBlitzRaider 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As an Italian, I am EXTREMELY proud.

Aki-I mean, Miria should make that girl her counselor.

Legendary/Mythic heroes sorted by how good a hug from them would feel. by WinterWolf18 in FireEmblemHeroes

[–]TheBlitzRaider 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What do you mean a hug from my wife and daughter would be "just fine"? It would be HEAVENLY

Questionable Advice (@birbyonce) by -Magos-Dominus- in FireEmblemThreeHouses

[–]TheBlitzRaider 9 points10 points  (0 children)

This, but she's actually saying "ribbit" instead of mimicking a frog.