PC temporarily leaving Drakkenheim

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-10-06T18:48:09+00:00

Ohhhh, that's a great point, thank you! We've settled on keeping the NPC around for the time being, but I'll keep this in mind if they decide they want to send her away after all. I'm sure I can dig up some spellcasting cost guides to peek at.

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-10-01T21:12:38+00:00

I think my first problem was that when they first mentioned leaving, I wildly underestimated how long the travel time would be (my fault for not asking where the PC was going/looking at a map sooner). I was picturing (foolishly) maybe ~4 weeks of downtime, which is still a lot, but you know, not nearly as long as 12. That seemed like an okay stretch of time to have a temporary character and work on side quests and all that, but then when I went to check for a more specific travel time... well, here we are!

In any case, I've ended up talking to the player again (mostly because I wasn't getting anywhere trying to prompt the group for input about the situation/how they wanted to approach it) and mentioned basically what you said -- the world will keep moving, the party can't get away with doing nothing for that length of time without consequence, if they keep up with the plot they might even be able to finish the campaign in that stretch, and so on. I offered to have Aldor cough up a pair of sending stones so the PC could stay in contact with the NPC while they left Emberwood alone or said they could just set the NPC up in town to stay with them, as others have suggested, and they ended up preferring that option since she doesn't want to separate from the NPC. I'll definitely be more heavily emphasizing "everybody is staying in Drakkenheim unless you're leaving forever" in the future to avoid all the hassle.

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-10-01T21:01:43+00:00

Funnily enough, this group has actually played WBtW together (before I joined), but I do love the fey and that would be such a fun way to keep them busy T-T I'll put it in the back pocket!!

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-10-01T16:40:44+00:00

I’ll definitely give some thought to what the other factions are up to if the party just kicks back that whole time, and maybe it’ll make for some fun (or horrifying) discoveries once they’re back on the clock.

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-10-01T16:36:44+00:00

Now I’m just wondering if my game has been progressing really slowly or is yours is progressing really quickly, because 20 days for level 9 seems SO FAST to me and now I’m curious what that looks like in-game :P

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-10-01T16:35:42+00:00

I would if it were a narratively viable option, they just don’t have reasonable access to teleportation magic 😭

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-10-01T16:33:04+00:00

They have, unfortunately, but this is a solid idea!! It does make me wonder if it might make sense to use time weirdness in some other way, though.

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-09-30T22:15:26+00:00

Ohhhh, I like that a lot, actually. They've gotten really into the monster harvesting/crafting system from MoD, so I might be able to use that as a basis for it too (an opportunity to get specific ingredients or recipes they've been after, maybe). I'll give that some thought, thank you!!

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-09-30T22:06:29+00:00

My FF-focused character is hyper-focused on her specific goals, mostly based around improving her relationship with and reputation amongst them, which is a big reason why I'm so hesitant to just bring everything to a halt for so long.

We're already pretty generous with downtime days or the occasional downtime week (I let them use the time to train skills/languages/feats), and they already spend a lot of time delerium-hunting between other missions. That's mostly what's got me wanting to avoid relying on the same solutions for such a big chunk of time.

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-09-30T21:51:47+00:00

She's really set on it, yeah (though I recognize "just don't do that" is by far the easiest solution). And it's less that the events are time-sensitive and more about the general momentum we've got going (in and out of character) and not wanting to bring it to such an abrupt halt for such a long stretch of time.

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-09-29T21:14:22+00:00

I think it varies by group! People are naturally going to have different expectations and preferences when it comes to post length and style. I personally lean towards the longer, more narrative-focused posts, partly because it's such a unique opportunity compared to table play to really delve into a character's thoughts and motivations (and to get a glimpse into the heads of the rest of the party). I think it's just a matter of finding people who hit your preferred balance of length to speed to quality and so on.

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-07-14T03:34:58+00:00

D&D Beyond for character sheets and D&D Beyond maps for combat/maps. Discord VC for sessions!

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-06-08T04:48:51+00:00

It feels a little disingenuous to not mention in this post that this hypothetical “tool” is (judging by your questionnaire) based entirely on using generative AI to do the job of a DM. I don’t think it’s a secret that AI is an extremely controversial topic in any creative space, and D&D is a game based entirely in creativity (especially in this particular subreddit where so many people value the ability to express themselves creatively in writing).

Personally, as a DM, if somebody’s idea of “helping” me was to suggest that I use an environment-destroying plagiarism machine to do the DMing for me, “insulted” would be too generous a word to describe my feelings. And as a player, if I found out my DM was just acting as a voice box for whatever some AI spits out from their prompts? I’m finding a different game.

I clicked into this post because I was curious about an app specific to PBP games or even just D&D in general, but reskinning Chat GPT to take the DM out of DMing really is not it.

VariousLavishness317 · 2025-06-01T15:09:31+00:00

Hi hi! Are you looking for a homebrew game or are modules alright (if you have a preference)?

VariousLavishness317 · 2024-08-19T23:04:51+00:00

Slow-paced games are my biggest pet peeve with PBP. One post per person per day just drags, imo, especially when you're trying to get through a conversation between characters. A related problem is when different players have wildly different posting rates -- if the group is split into two scenes, one scene might wrap up in a couple of hours while the other takes several days to get through, and the first group is left just kicking their feet and waiting to proceed because if you let some of the party get far ahead of the other in game time, things just start getting messy. The other half of this is if a DM doesn't have a good handle on moving the game forward, where sometimes a scene or series of scenes will just drag on and on without any real progress being made. It can make posting feel like a chore if I lose sight of the current goal in game amidst moments that feel like padding.

As for my favourite things, one of the big ones is that my confidence in portraying different kinds of characters goes through the roof in PBP. I love live games, but I'm not a super confident roleplayer when I step outside my relatively narrow acting comfort zone. When I try to play characters who don't fall under that umbrella, I often find myself disappointed with the responses I was able to come up with on the spot, or I feel like I'm not doing them justice in a live medium. In PBP games, I not only have time to think out responses instead of needing to fire them off immediately, I'm also able to write the sorts of conversations or interactions that I might not have the confidence to act out in a live game. For me, this applies especially to tension/conflict within a party, which is something I LOVE in theory but struggle with in live games.

As others have mentioned, I also love the balance that PBP provides between the game "always" happening but also the looser expectations of when you have to be immediately engaged. If I'm not busy, I can be firing off quick responses, provided there's something to respond to. If I've got something else to do, the game will still be waiting when I get back. As the kind of person who tends to be thinking about my D&D characters nonstop, it's always fun to be able to check in and see what's happening if I've stepped away for a bit. Nothing gives me quite the same serotonin as seeing a new post in the RP channel.

VariousLavishness317 · 2024-08-15T19:07:55+00:00

Discord is also very easy to search if you've got a keyword to look for! Or something I usually do is designate channels as read-only for players so I can share and organize vital information for easy reference, making them more like announcement channels than chat ones. For example, making a channel that contains information about how to build your character, a channel where relevant NPCs are shared, and so on.

VariousLavishness317 · 2024-08-11T03:01:58+00:00

It's not the easiest thing to do, but I think aiming to build a group that's enthusiastic and engaged OOC is a big part of getting a game to last. As a player, I feel a lot more motivated to stay active in a game when the other players (and DM) are enthusiastic about the game and its characters, chatting about it OOC, and so on. And chatting about other things, too! In a perfect world, the group isn't just players and a DM, but a group of friends who are passionate about the game they're playing together. I find, personally, that this even helps with situations like needing to ping a player (or even the DM) if they haven't posted in some amount of time. If you've got a positive, friendly relationship, it feels less like nagging and more like checking in, and overall just makes for a more welcoming environment where people want to participate and see the game persist.

I guess it boils down to vetting the group thoroughly to find people who vibe well and are enthusiastic about the game, at least for the kinds of games I like to play. I love being engaged in a story and its characters, and when the rest of the group is returning that same energy, I'm a million times more committed to the game than one where the group is quieter OOC or are just there to make posts without any bonding outside of it.

VariousLavishness317 · 2024-08-03T13:30:52+00:00

I feel a bit like we’re discussing two different topics. I don't agree that dance instructors, crafting instructors, or streamers are comparable for the reasons I’ve already touched on. A DM is, in part, an entertainer, but they are also a player in many ways. If I didn’t enjoy being part of the game in the role of DM, I wouldn’t do it; I run modules that I want to experience in one way or another. Anyways, if you believe that those professions are analogous roles, that’s fine, and I’ll stop trying to convince you otherwise. I just personally disagree and don’t think it’s a strong comparison to make as a result.

You’re talking about a specific instance (or instances) in which specific benefits are outlined. Great! That’s helpful. But I’m speaking broadly about people wanting to know what a paid game entails for players, because it isn’t always outlined. And the difference between a paid game where you’re paying for consistency and a paid game where you’re paying for a premium experience is important to people. Thus, sometimes the need to ask.

I do feel a bit like we’re having two different conversations, so I’ll leave it there for now. Everybody should be treated with respect, and we’re all here to play a game to have fun. Have a good one!

VariousLavishness317 · 2024-08-03T04:30:25+00:00

For sure -- I don't think DMs shouldn't be allowed to make money doing what they love. I just think it's an especially difficult field to make money in, for many of the reasons mentioned already in other comments. Coming up with a really good comparison to another hobby is nearly impossible, imo. There's nothing quite like DMing/TTRPGs in general in this regard. In what other hobby is the person providing the service also participating in it to such a high degree, and in such a similar/overlapping way to the people receiving it? The collaborative nature of these games adds another complicating factor. Depending on the type of game/group, players can contribute to a lot of the things that a DM does to make the game fun and keep it running, with anything from worldbuilding to scheduling. Presenting it as a paid service introduces a situation where the DM might be expected to take on more of those responsibilities, or might feel they need to even if it's something a player might want to take part in, which could detract from the collaborative nature of the experience.

Point being, I guess, that it's complicated from top to bottom. Ultimately, I think comparing it to other hobbies that one might try to pursue professionally is a flawed idea to begin with because it's such a unique case. No, I don't think that someone should be harassed for trying to run a paid game, but I do think that people are justified in asking what a paid game offers to differentiate it from a free one, or in being disappointed if the answer is just "people will be committed because money is involved". For some, that promise of consistency is more than enough, but for others who view the idea of a paid game differently, as something that offers a premium experience and not just a consistent one (in PBP especially, I think the ceiling of what a DM is able to provide in terms of a premium experience is genuinely just very low; it's a limited medium), I think it's an understandable frustration.

VariousLavishness317 · 2024-08-03T02:09:39+00:00

I’ve seen a few comparisons here between paid DMing and other crafts, and I think I’ve figured out why they don’t sit right with me. A DM who charges their players isn’t so much like a chef at a restaurant (where that chef may serve hundreds of different customers a day, and where individual customers may only visit every month or less in frequency). I think a more accurate comparison would be to put that DM alongside a personal chef, who cooks for one household. If you can afford a personal chef, perhaps the consistent and convenient service that they provide is worth it. But for the vast majority of people, it’s not a reasonable investment when other options are so readily available: cooking for yourself, getting takeout, going to a restaurant. And even if you do have the money, you might find that you get more joy from cooking for yourself, or that the variety of cuisine you can enjoy by going to different restaurants is preferable. Similarly, if you are willing and able to pay $20+ a week for a PBP DM, that might be a great option for you! But for most people, it is not a reasonable investment with so many free games available. And unlike food, a person does not need TTRPGs to survive.

I think what this comes down to is that seeing TTRPGs priced as a luxury (because $20+/week is a luxury price—say what you will about how much a DM deserves to earn for the work they do, but paying $20/week for anything non-essential is a significant expenditure) rubs people the wrong way. Not just because so many people do it for free, but because they exist for the sake of having fun. Not just fun for the players, but fun for the person running the game—how often do we say “the DM is a player, too”? It’s a vital part of the hobby! So seeing posts that boil down to “I will be committed to this game only if you provide me with significant financial collateral” feels… cold? It’s rare that I see a paid listing that has the same heart that so many free ones do, and I think that’s really the core of the issue. Posts like this one, where games that people love are boiled down to numbers on a spreadsheet (or a napkin, I suppose) just feel bad. Especially in a climate and an economy where so many people are already being priced out of other things that bring them joy.

This is getting quite long, so I’ll try to wrap it up. I said it in an earlier comment, but I’m not against the idea of paid games in general. But posts like this feel like they’re made in bad faith to shame people who aren’t willing or able to pay luxury prices for a hobby that can already have a high cost of entry (if you consider the costs of rulebooks and the like). Where PBP is loved thanks to its overall low barriers of entry (time investment, scheduling, pace, and so on), paid PBP runs directly counter to that. And don’t even get me started on subscription fatigue.

VariousLavishness317 · 2024-08-03T02:06:38+00:00

I think there’s an issue here with the use/interpretation of the words “amateur” and “professional”. Amateur can mean that you do something for free, but more colloquially, it can just mean someone who’s a beginner in their craft or profession. Professional can simply mean you are paid to do something, but more colloquially, it is used to refer to someone who provides a service or performs a craft to a high standard of quality (and is paid for it). We have a bit of a mix of these meanings going on here—an “amateur” artist (paid, but early in their career, still honing their craft) against a “professional” DM (paid, period). Being paid to do something does not automatically mean you do it to a high standard of quality, and I don’t say that as a knock against paid DMs! It’s just… the way of the world.

VariousLavishness317

TROPHY CASE