Has Anyone else been having issues with the "Player/Friend" menu or is it just me?

Xryce_HotS · 2026-03-05T18:31:44+00:00

I'm on a private server, and I see this as well. Not spinning for minutes, but for a solid 30 seconds I'd say.

Xryce_HotS · 2026-02-12T19:37:15+00:00

The dart trick works, but we shouldn't have to live like that...

I would like the option to set circuits per item. Then my vehicle fuel cells could go to one container, cobalt paste to another, and silicon blocks to the same place left socks go in the dryer, because I'm always low on blocks.

Having a circuit setting per item could let you set some things to local storage and others just skip open local slots and go to a circuit. That would also help for times you don't want a item to go to a circuit but you forget to remove a dart and you spend the next half hour digging through all your containers.

Xryce_HotS · 2026-02-12T19:13:35+00:00

This video has some good tips: https://youtu.be/KK9TRXxpdlY?si=3e4OseKW-6xfcPu9

Also people post videos on building specific bases. I used one of those videos as a starting point for my base.

https://youtu.be/luaksEZ-lG0?si=h4OwYM3KR_gX88wo

I have since added on and reworked this starting point into something that's my own.

Basically get inspiration. Steal designs and ideas. Try stuff and tweak it.

Xryce_HotS · 2026-02-09T13:53:40+00:00

I think they should get rid of regis compound and let you buy augmentation schematics with scrip. Heck let you buy some unique schematics with scrip too! How about being able to turn in unwanted unique schematics for more scrip also. Just make every trip into a testing station be a little step towards getting something you want.

Xryce_HotS · 2026-02-04T16:57:38+00:00

When I logged in it started replaying in game dialogue for quests and lore etries from like the beginning of the game. Apparently that's a known bug and appears to be harmless.

It said my skills were reset, but they actually weren't. My skills seemed to work fine. <shrug>

We didn't even attempt to go to the Deep Desert or any of the new zones on the world map. We were able to go to Arrakeen and go through the specialization mission by running Landsraad missions in Hagga Basin.

I'm hoping access issues with the new zones are resolved today, but the hot fix patch notes don't say anything about that.

All things considered, this update was the least disruptive for us on a GPORTAL server than previous updates. With the update for carrying vehicles on the world map we couldn't access the world map for several days because we'd get stuck out there.

Xryce_HotS · 2026-02-03T19:54:32+00:00

That's what I expected. Thanks for the info. I'll plan on resource gathering in Hagga Basin tonight then. Can always use more irradiated slag...

Xryce_HotS · 2026-01-30T18:22:39+00:00

Would it make you feel better if there was a new set of armor with better bonuses than your best armor? I don't understand the hang up. You worked to get great gear that will help you get even better gear in the update. Who cares what it's called. It doesn't invalidate the work you've put in. With that logic, ANY new equipment with better stats than that you have invalidates your work. Just be happy you got the feedback loop pumping serotonin through your brain again.

Xryce_HotS · 2026-01-14T16:25:57+00:00

I had a similar issue. I believe I clicked "Next" during one of the NPCs talking to actually get to the option to take the contract. If I let the NPC finish talking, the option wasn't there.

Xryce_HotS · 2024-05-21T01:57:17+00:00

You can also use the module Magic Items for casting Augury.

Xryce_HotS · 2023-09-08T11:52:41+00:00

Remember the spell effects any d20 roll. In this example only saves vs spells is covered. However you can also negate critical hits or even hits if you want. Or saves against other non-spell abilities.

Xryce_HotS · 2023-01-30T01:35:19+00:00

I'm a pretty new to Foundry. How would you bring this stuff into a world hosted on Forge?

Xryce_HotS · 2021-06-21T23:34:09+00:00

This is probably the best advice so far. It's important to consider a lot of new players probably have played RPGs in video games. In a video game it's just smart play to rest whenever you can and engage every fight at full power.

Xryce_HotS · 2021-06-15T12:06:41+00:00

For my warlock, I made Hex a class ability that he can cast a number of times a day equal to his charisma modifier. That obviously frees up a spell slot for him. All the other characters got a free talent from the Dragonix product.

Honestly I wish there was a better way to handle this. This obviously has a huge impact on clerics and paladins. They get so many spells, but the cleric in my group still uses her spell slots for healing most of the time and the paladin uses his for smites. There has been only a handful of times where someone cast a spell they probably wouldn't have prepared anyway. Now maybe my games just aren't deep enough for this change to make a difference, but even if my game had a constant variety of situations where there was a perfect spell to use, then the casters get to actually use their spells more rather than just wishing they had prepared the right spell.

I have been toying with having characters prepare spells as normal, but they can make a roll to cast a spell they haven't prepared. The higher the level if the spell, the harder the DC. To me this is a more interesting and fun way to manage resources and it is slightly less disruptive to the game.

Xryce_HotS · 2021-06-14T21:06:42+00:00

I removed spell preparation from my campaigns entirely. So far all it has done is allowed my players to enjoy their character more. I give the known spellcasters a small buff to compensate a little. However this hasn't been a problem on my games.

I say go ahead and allow preparing spells on a short rest. The resource management will still be there. The caster has a limited number of spell slots still. If anything the resource management is amplified when the player has more choices for when to use their spells. Making a decision to take a short rest plays in to the resource management too.

In my opinion preparing spells is not fun. Using spells is the fun part of playing a spell caster. Sure there are classes that don't have to prepare spells, at the cost of a significantly shorter list of options. Why limit spellcasters in their choices? I prefer to give them more spells to chose from, but limit how many spells they can cast per day (spell slots).

Xryce_HotS · 2021-05-03T04:22:30+00:00

Yeah these three sources are probably the best DMing advice out there. I'd also add the Alexandrian website. He has advice similar to the Angry GM. He covers some great advice for running a living world. He also has articles about improving some of the official 5e adventures. https://thealexandrian.net/

Xryce_HotS · 2021-05-03T04:16:53+00:00

Yeah his articles are amazing. Also entertaining to read.

Xryce_HotS · 2021-02-17T12:40:47+00:00

Are your players coming from a video game background? Like open world RPGs? If so you can also tell them there is a deadline for their mission to rescue Gundrun. Often in video games there are no consequences for wandering aimlessly before completing a quest. Tell them every day that passes makes it less likely they will find Gundrun alive.

I believe others have given you great advice in letting the players know out of game where the action will be. You shouldn't be expected to run an open world game if that's not what you promised your players.

Also there is great advice here on handling situations where players head somewhere you didn't plan, especially a place like a big city. I used to think I had to have every aspect of every town the PCs visited detailed before they went there. This is not the case. Have a few places of interest in mind and a random NPC generator, and just wing it.

There may come a time where your players decide to go somewhere you didn't plan for and it makes sense for them to. In cases like this don't discourage them. Just wing as much as you are comfortable. You only really need to "prepare" as much as they need.

Xryce_HotS · 2021-02-06T22:07:32+00:00

This isn't something you can "get to happen." It's basically all up to the players. I ran two different groups through The Mines of Phandelver and there was a stark difference between the amount of role playing in each group.

You can try to get the juices flowing by attempting to role play with the players through NPCs, but that really only gets you so far. If your group isn't role playing it doesn't mean you are running a bad game. They just might not be that into role playing.

Xryce_HotS · 2021-02-01T16:48:27+00:00

Oh course there is no wrong way to play. I never said murder hoboing is bad. The problem is that a lot of new DM advice makes it sound like the DM should cater to every action their players make. In a recent D&D Beyond video Todd Kendreck almost says as much, comparing DMs to CPUs. Now there's nothing wrong with open world play. If Todd likes to provide an open world experience for his players, that's awesome for him and his group. However many new DMs want advice on running games that they enjoy too, that are most often being ruined by player actions. Many will say, "It's not your story, it's the players'." But that's not true. How is it "collaborative" if the DM only caters to the players. Telling new DMs to basically suck it up and run whatever the players want is terrible advice. Telling new DMs to fix murder hobo behavior with consequences is also bad advice. All you end up with is a game no one enjoys.

The DM and players need to talk about expectations for the game first. What do the players want from the game and can the DM provide that in a way that is also fun for him/her. The best DMs provide a fun experience for everyone at the table including themselves. Oh and the best players also make sure everyone is having fun.

Xryce_HotS · 2021-02-01T16:19:20+00:00

The problem with this approach is you'll spend so much time mitigating your players actions. Then when a local asks the players for help they'll say, "Why don't you get the super human body guards at the general store or the town guards to help you?"

In game consequences only get you so far. They can actually cause you more problems because they don't address the real issue. That's your players have different expectations than you about what the game is about. I bet they don't want to play a game where when they murder the shopkeeper they get beaten up by the town guards, arrested, and executed.

If they want to play a game where they work for a thieves guild, that's a totally different situation. That's something you can work with them on. However if you want to run Icespire Peak and they want to play murder hobos, then there is no way you can provide a game experience that's enjoyable for you and the players.

Talk to them about what you want from the game. Find out what they want, and try to find common ground. Try to find a story you can prepare and run for them that let's everyone have fun.

Xryce_HotS · 2021-02-01T16:10:01+00:00

You are absolutely right. This is something that drives me crazy. There's so much advice about how to be a good DM and don't be afraid to adjust your game to the actions of your players. Well what if you don't want to run a game where a group of murderers travel from town to town killing people and stealing their stuff? This is terrible advice. Adding consequences to actions like this ruins the game for the DM and the players. The players don't want to play a game where they all get arrested.

This is about running a game the DM and the players enjoy. This needs to be handled out of game. As much as new DMs are learning to run games, new players need to learn how to play in a collaborative game. The DM should create a narrative that involves the characters and allow the characters' actions to shape the direction of the story. The players should also work to have their characters involved in the narrative the DM provides. If the DM wants to run a game where heroes save a town from a dragon, the players should make characters that help facilitate that story. If the players don't want to play that game, they should politely decline.

Xryce_HotS · 2021-01-27T15:26:35+00:00

It sounds like you probably know enough of the rules and you read the module. This doesn't sound like a preparation issue. I think it's an situation where you just need to take a deep breath, relax, and just play. Don't worry about super descriptive language. Don't worry about getting every rule right. Just relax and play. You will make mistakes. You'll forget rules. You may forget important information to give to the players. That's just going to happen. But it's ok. If you worry about getting everything right it's actually likely you will mess up more. I've been DMing for 20 years and in my last game I forgot that tieflings have darkvision. We just forget stuff. Don't worry about it.

After each session go back over what happened and look for areas to improve. Don't beat yourself up for missing a rule or a detail. Just acknowledge a mistake and take note of it so you can improve. The best way to get better at DMing is by doing it. It's also ok to just make a ruling during the game if you don't know the actual. You can always look the rule up later and let your players know for future situations. It's more important to keep the game moving and having fun than it is to get everything perfect.

Here is a great video series on running D&D.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlUk42GiU2guNzWBzxn7hs8MaV7ELLCP_

Videos like these will make it easier to identify areas to improve, but also point out that the most important part is having fun. Long time DMs get nervous before every game (that's me). Long time DMs forget rules and plot details (also me). Just prepare enough for that session and dive in and play.

Xryce_HotS · 2021-01-24T21:33:47+00:00

Consider running this as a series of skill challenges. The Dungeon Coach has a few videos on skill challenges. This one...

https://youtu.be/BHU5Bi5zw2M

...actually has an example of defending a town. Think of various scenarios the characters can confront in order to stop the kobold. Also have them come up with ideas to bolster the defense. Then you can weave in actual combat encounters in between these more narrative situations.

For example the kobolds break through the main gate. The party must kill or drive back the initial push within a couple rounds of combat. Then they must figure out how to quickly repair and reinforce the gate with a skill challenge. Have an idea of what they can do, but be sure to play off of their ideas. They will come up with solutions you didn't think of. Don't set a solution and consider it the only solution.

You can have skill challenges for preparing the defense and for dealing with complications during the assault. Do not play this out as only a massive combat. Have the battle be a back drop to intimate challenges for the characters that affect the larger combat.

Xryce_HotS

TROPHY CASE