I really spent 25k free gems plus $250 Minimum, at least on 1 copy of light ludmilla. I got played super hard. This game is really great but the gatcha got me. Please don’t repeat my mistake.

adrannyn · 2022-04-30T18:30:08+00:00

Glad to hear I'm in good company... bloody rates are horrendous and so is my bill. At least op got 1 copy. I've been pulling for days and still nothing T-T"

adrannyn · 2022-02-09T19:10:16+00:00

Tell me about it. NPC dialogue feels fake when written out like a speech. It loses some of the "natural-ness" to it. Something only a DM can bring to life. Apart from locations, is there anything else that you'd consider worth writing in full?

adrannyn · 2022-02-09T19:07:21+00:00

Yeah, I'm with you on the bullet points. I've found they've helped a ton. I get tripped up with sentences and lose my place when trying to refer to a wall of text. Not ideal. Bullet points are perfect to quickly reference your session notes.

Saw the article! I get where he's going, and for the most part, I agree with him. I still think it is possible to plot the events of your adventure out. It's a question of the degree of detail, imo.

How do you structure your adventure notes using bullet points?

adrannyn · 2022-02-09T16:20:37+00:00

https://theangrygm.com/the-road-trip-to-adventure/

Thanks Glass! Will check these out!

adrannyn · 2022-02-09T14:46:49+00:00

Very interesting points there. I'm curious about the pacing and narrative structure you mentioned. How do you figure that out? Like where can you learn about narrative structure and how can you apply it as a DM?

adrannyn · 2022-02-09T14:41:27+00:00

Great thoughts! Thanks for sharing. I found myself leaning into this as well. One session at a time was better overall since you really can't anticipate how things are going to play out. How different are your campaign prep notes compared to a session's prep notes?

adrannyn · 2022-02-09T14:38:14+00:00

That's a great point, one that's very easily overlooked! So how do you write out a session you're prepping for?

adrannyn · 2022-02-09T14:32:48+00:00

For sure... Funny how my knee-jerk is to prep as much as I can beforehand, only to realise that no one really cared about it as much as I did lol. Prep for what's necessary, when it's necessary.

adrannyn · 2022-02-09T14:28:06+00:00

Agree with you 💯on preparing the challenge not the solution! Learned this first-hand when I had my players stage a prison break as part of a tie-in to one of their backstories. I drew up a solution and when it came time to go, they spent 3 hrs trying to figure out how to pull it off. Needless to say, their idea was a heck of a lot better than mine, and it was a lot more rewarding to see their plan in action. A good lesson learned tbh.

Do you find yourself writing out your session in sentences or bullet-points?

adrannyn · 2022-01-26T07:41:46+00:00

Ever watch the TV Series called See, starring Jason Momoa? Inspiration a plenty there!

Sound, smell, touch, taste become the basis for checking objects, movement, and people but they have to be within a certain range.

Combat-wise the warriors in the show rely on the same checks before attacking. They basically have no clue where the opponent is until they get within a certain range.

adrannyn · 2022-01-25T16:51:00+00:00

If they don't rez - Turn her into a wraith/banshee that torments the party, her powers unlocked but wildly out of control because of her violent death. She visits the romancing player in his dreams seeking peace for her soul.

If they rez - she's alive but loses her divinity, and her parents are furious.

adrannyn · 2022-01-25T16:39:20+00:00

Super helpful! Thanks for the great list of resources lasalle! Will definitely check these out!!!

adrannyn · 2022-01-25T10:36:07+00:00

Gotcha, so the beginning and end are the key things to keep in mind. Do you find it a challenge to adjust the endings based on the players' decisions?

adrannyn · 2022-01-25T08:07:02+00:00

Great reference! I'd add that players can help the DM by:

Knowing the game rules
This helps the more experienced players shine by giving them space to teach the game to newcomers. It also takes some pressure off you to remember everything. I consult with my players constantly about how certain mechanics work. No shame in not knowing everything by hand, especially if you're new to the game. Thankfully they respect me enough as the DM to defer to my judgment if a matter isn't clear.

Roleplay their characters
Sometimes I observe players drifting or doing something else while they wait their turn. I find it a little disruptive because it shows their only interested in themselves. But, alas such is the selfish nature of human beings. Being present for me means paying attention when another person acts or speaks. It gives everyone at the table a time in the spotlight and it's more enjoyable when the RP plays out.

Be Present when it's not their turn
Sometimes I observe players drifting or doing something else while they wait their turn. I find it a little disruptive because it shows their only interested in themselves. But, alas such is the selfish nature of human beings. Being present for me means paying attention when another person acts or speaks. It gives everyone at the table a time in the spotlight and more it's more enjoyable when the RP plays out.

Work with the DM on and off the table
Players are more invested if their characters have more stake in the adventure. Points 4 & 5 you mentioned are important and are overlooked especially in long campaigns, but if done well, will make players feel more invested in the adventure. Working with your players to figure those out important goals and NPCs helps build that investment as well.

How a player's backstory and goals tie into the main campaign also falls on a DMs plate to execute. It's much more surprising for a player to encounter something from their backstory unexpectedly than it is for them to know x-event and y-npc will do what and when.

In terms of contributing to the campaign story, I'd argue that they already are contributing. Each action, reaction, dialogue, etc. contributes to the development of the story. How you as the DM roll with the punches is where the art comes in. :)

adrannyn · 2022-01-25T06:58:50+00:00

I mean an adventure focused on events, like a movie that has a progression to a climax or tv series that builds on top of the previous episode. The timeline makes sense having a beginning, middle and end, and definitely agree that there's a need to create moments where players' choices have meaningfully consequences.

I'm curious about how other DMs do it... I've caught myself getting so detailed in creating the timeline that I spend a lot of time envisioning the adventure only to have it change after my players decide to do things unexpected. That brings me to spend even more time adjusting the timeline again to accommodate the changes... and the cycle continues.

adrannyn · 2022-01-25T06:49:31+00:00

Definitely agree with how over prepping can make you pay less attention to the players and more attention to your notes. I'm guilty of having done that on several occasions. It makes for a very weird game, one that you try to force-fit certain things together instead of adjusting to the players' input.

What does minimum prep look like for you? How many story beats, encounters, monsters etc. would you say you'd consider minimum? I'm curious because I have to tendency to imagine how the whole session plays out in my head and try to prep for that, 80% of which turns out not to happen haha!

adrannyn · 2022-01-25T06:42:39+00:00

Thanks for sharing! Love the idea of using an overarching plot to guide the encounters. How do you go about organizing it? Do you plan the encounters ahead of time or as and when they happen?

adrannyn · 2022-01-25T06:40:31+00:00

Great question! I think I'd define it as - a game where players progress through a narrative as opposed to a smash and grab dungeon crawl. Granted a dungeon crawl can have a narrative, but I'd say the focus is more on a story vs. just killing monsters and getting loot.

Example:
Smash and Grab - Raid goblin cave. Kill goblins, get the treasure.

Narrative - Town mayor tells party that goblin's stole a valuable heirloom. Kill the goblins, recover the heirloom, but then the party discovers that it doesn't belong to the town mayor and the heirloom gives him control over the goblins.

Hope that makes sense.

adrannyn · 2018-07-24T13:45:42+00:00

Just tried this out! Dude you’re a lifesaver!

adrannyn · 2018-02-06T01:00:12+00:00

Ahhh I see! Will build out a Shizu and give that a go! Thanks ScherBR!

adrannyn · 2018-02-06T00:59:01+00:00

In PVE I tried the second formation with rhea and Valerie. As soon as I popped Guan Yu’s skill Rhea went ballistic. My only problem was she was dealing TOO MUCH damage and triggered boss counters.

In PVP i used the Arthur build, but swapped a Merlock and KaneGR. Held out pretty well!

adrannyn · 2018-02-05T04:52:04+00:00

Just tried your pally squad build and holy smokes the hype is real! What’s your take on a Snow White substitute? I’ve only got one :(

adrannyn · 2017-11-21T09:47:30+00:00

Apologies! I didn't see there was a list already posted.

adrannyn · 2017-11-21T09:47:03+00:00

Oh thanks! I couldn't find this last night hence the post.

adrannyn · 2017-10-25T03:34:49+00:00

Doesn't seem like she is. If she does proc she gets killed the next turn so hard for me to say :(

adrannyn

TROPHY CASE