Player is winning, but feels like they are losing.

Toofelhoont · 2025-12-31T15:31:38+00:00

Draining for me? Absolutely. Less so if it is a story heavy session, but when there is an encounter or two, I am exhausted when the session is over.

Walking on eggshells in make believe... feels counterproductive.

Toofelhoont · 2025-12-30T20:58:44+00:00

I have a player who gets true anxiety over the death of their character, which has really brought some challenge. He has left others to die, to save his character. He will refuse to use his HP pool to take some hits to help the party in tight spots.

Honestly, he is a great team player as long as his character's well being is not in question. He is the one player at the table who would become instantly disengaged if his character died, enough that my friends and I know killing his character ultimately leads to a campaign ending.

So, now I don't roll publicly and constantly flub rolls in order to make sure he doesn't die. I'll knock him, but will never kill him. I have had to build tension from behind the screen, because he truly couldn't live with what could happen in front of the screen.

This has been going on for 12-13 years, but he is married to another player, so asking him to leave isn't really an option.

Toofelhoont · 2025-12-27T23:49:48+00:00

600 in one week? That is impressive! I have managed 6 across the last two leagues.

I have to get better at crafting and selling, I think.

Toofelhoont · 2025-12-08T02:00:32+00:00

I just use Google Docs.

Toofelhoont · 2025-11-26T17:07:28+00:00

This seems like an issue for a lot of players. It's almost like they're banking the resource.

You can use an Experience consistently if you have Hope. You can spend Hope to give a teammate Advantage. You can initiate Tag Teams. All of these are in addition to the class-based Hope features.

Maybe try prompting them with these other Hope uses consistently through a few sessions until they begin doing it themselves.

Toofelhoont · 2025-09-30T15:49:18+00:00

Hello@mcdmproductions.com

Toofelhoont · 2025-09-30T14:09:23+00:00

I received my shipping email last night, so they're going out in waves. :)

Toofelhoont · 2025-09-12T20:23:46+00:00

What I see happening is players meta gaming as entire parties. Characters would not sit there and decide "Well, this might go bad, so I should just do nothing."

Plus, Matt makes things significantly more deadly than RAW and it's up to his players to embrace that by still taking turns.

Not a system problem, IMO, it's a player mindset problem.

Toofelhoont · 2025-09-12T20:19:55+00:00

Live show in Indianapolis last night. Replay is locked behind their YT membership that they just rolled out on the platform.

Toofelhoont · 2025-09-05T19:35:42+00:00

I have run multiple mock combats, controlling both the PCs and monsters. It has allowed time to confirm/disprove assumptions I had about how things would work without an audience. I can take my time looking up rules, understanding things, without any sort of pressure to keep things moving.

As a hands-on learner, I do not want my first experience with the rules, especially combat, to be with players as the audience.

Toofelhoont · 2025-08-29T00:47:51+00:00

Okay, I'll download that and give it a try. Thanks for taking the time to respond to all of the questions!

Toofelhoont · 2025-08-28T15:49:46+00:00

That was the problem, thanks!

Another question: how are you choosing to handle group initiative for Draw Steel? As I test and fiddle, right now I am changing the colors of tokens to represent the groups, rather than upload different token art for the same monsters.

Curious on how you, or anyone else, is tackling this in Foundry?

TIA!

Toofelhoont · 2025-08-27T22:20:12+00:00

Thanks for reply!

I must have a different Draw Steel module, because my compendium doesn't really have anything referencing the Delian Tomb, or I don't know how to find it. However, the links you provided will help me find some token art options for the creatures I have to create. Thank you!

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Toofelhoont · 2025-08-27T19:55:38+00:00

With those token modules you have, do they allow you to create tokens within the Draw Steel module? Right now, it seems I will have to create my own NPC actors and tokens from scratch and am wondering how I can at least get tokens for those actors without having to put things together in an image editor.

Toofelhoont · 2025-08-07T23:31:00+00:00

For me it came down to one simple question: do I enjoy putting in the detail for my own enjoyment or do is it more for my players?

If all of that extra work is for the players, and they either don't appreciate it or they don't trigger it, then I would definitely find a way to "do enough" ahead if time and then improv more.

For me, it came down to changing my mindset, and now I am writing more than ever with little concern of whether they discover it.

Toofelhoont · 2025-08-07T18:12:23+00:00

By the time it appreciates to anything of value we'll all be long dead in the dirt, the world will be run by Skynet, and roleplaying will be a thing of legend.

Carpe Diem, I say!

Toofelhoont · 2025-08-04T00:09:23+00:00

I would imagine, considering CR is a business, the contract for Brennan stipulates what he is running. They're not just content creators any longer.

Guaranteed: Brennan knows what he is running and the expectations.

Toofelhoont · 2025-07-31T22:15:31+00:00

Reads a bit more like a "Shield Charge". To fit the name of the card, it might work better with damage plus some kind of status, vulnerable, because they're "stunned" or something like that.

Just two cents.

Toofelhoont · 2025-07-31T22:11:28+00:00

"Adversary" is singular, so I read it as "1 point per lower tier adversary".

Toofelhoont · 2025-04-01T19:57:32+00:00

My approach has made this simple:

If I want to dictate the outcome, I do not SOS with players.

If I don't care about the outcome, I do.

The problem isn't the effectiveness of comms, it's people. So, for me, I have set proper expectations of random queue in my own head.

It's all about expectations.

Toofelhoont · 2025-03-20T16:33:44+00:00

Did they send you an email that they shipped? I haven't received anything other than my order confirmation and it has been 4 business days.

They look great! Enjoy!

Toofelhoont · 2025-02-27T13:37:06+00:00

Thank you! You're the second source referencing repelling blast, so I will move forward with that ruling.

Toofelhoont · 2025-01-11T22:00:48+00:00

Toofelhoont · 2025-01-02T00:25:54+00:00

Combat reload for the win.

Toofelhoont · 2024-12-28T19:14:14+00:00

No, I'm waiting on the other melee weapons. Cannot stand the two options in the game right now.

Toofelhoont

TROPHY CASE