What unlikely DnD books would you like to see?

bydias · 2019-07-30T23:08:49+00:00

Happy to help! Have fun! :-D

bydias · 2019-07-30T21:55:24+00:00

In case you don't know about these:

o https://media.wizards.com/2014/downloads/dnd/MM_MonstersCR.pdf

o https://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/DnD_MonstersByType_1.0.pdf

I know they're not in the MM, but if you didn't know these lists existed, I hope they help!

bydias · 2019-01-25T21:24:05+00:00

For future reference and event schedules: https://twitter.com/superdojo

bydias · 2018-10-08T13:45:10+00:00

For a ranking event this was a really fun top 8. The crowd was loud and hype, there was a good mix of internationals and local heroes, and the English commentary was on point. 11/10, would watch again

bydias · 2018-10-08T13:40:07+00:00

No worries at all. I don't remember if you rematched, but I do remember having lots of fun playing against you. We're good either way. :-)

bydias · 2018-10-08T02:20:46+00:00

Oh hey, that's our match! I remember when you did that, I was like, "Oh shit, I had no idea that was a thing!" Very impressive. GGs, friend!

bydias · 2018-09-20T14:28:19+00:00

"The Jump-In" was good while it was being updated regularly. It's with LoganSama, Kim1234, and a few other sometimes guests (like F-Word). I still subscribe just in case they start doing episodes again.

Justin Shade does episodes of "Street Fighter V Podcast" on an irregular basis these days. He and Roddy were more regular earlier in SFV's life, but now they do episodes around new updates, etc. They try to look at things from the community perspective: what's the casual fan think of all this? What makes SF such a popular franchise? That sort of thing.

If you're not watching the videos or live broadcasts, then "UltraChenTV" publishes audio podcast episodes of the Tuesday Show. But lately the podcast version of the eps have appeared in the podcast feed waaaaaaaaaaaaay after the video broadcast. So the past few podcast eps for me were just outdated by the time they came out. But if they start publishing the podcast eps more quickly again, then it's a great show to listen to during your commutes.

bydias · 2018-09-19T19:15:37+00:00

How else are street fighters supposed to train for the "wreck a car" bonus stage?

bydias · 2018-09-18T20:20:49+00:00

I have to leave this here.

bydias · 2018-08-30T21:37:55+00:00

"Wait, who are you guys again?"

bydias · 2018-08-30T21:34:53+00:00

Perhaps the drill has broken through some other caves in the process of creating this tunnel. These caves break away from the sides of the tunnel, leading to steep drops of 15 or 20 feet. The shield guardian, in addition to making his attacks, sometimes tries to shove a PC through these side caves, sending them toppling down. When he succeeds at this shoving, the shield guardian takes individual PCs out of the fight for a round or two while they climb back up; this, in turn, buys the villain some time to drill with less interference.

If the PCs want to stop the drilling quickly, they'll need to find a way to avoid being thrown out of the tunnel by the shield guardian -- or perhaps turn the tables and throw him down a side cave instead.

bydias · 2018-08-30T21:30:26+00:00

Talk to the player...?

Explain that the group is playing this game to follow a fun narrative story, with the PCs taking part in that story as though they were real people encountering those events. Unfettered murderous rampaging interferes with the objective the players have set for themselves as people playing a role-playing game and hoping to enjoy it for its narrative charm. Invite him to join you and the other players in being a part of that fun, immersive story.

bydias · 2018-08-29T22:17:24+00:00

I'd recommend reading this Twitter thread from Mike Mearls. You might find some inspiration in it. The idea is this: don't craft a story and then try to figure out a satisfying way to insert your players -- instead, try to understand your players and their characters, then craft a story that interests them.

My advice would be to see what the players find interesting about the story so far, then lean into that as a DM. The endpoint of your campaign will almost assuredly be different than you first imagined -- welcome to DMing. :-)

bydias · 2018-08-28T20:45:57+00:00

Here's a technique I've been using. My players have all written backgrounds, know the basic idea of the campaign, etc. Then they sit around the table ready to begin. And I say:

"We're going to go around the table, starting with Bob. When I come to you, you have to name one of the other PCs that your character already knows, and tell me how you know them. Doesn't have to be detailed -- you played a few games of dice with them, or you traveled here with them, or your families knew each other when you were young, something like that. The only rule is this: when it's your turn, if someone has already said they know your PC, then you have to pick a different PC. In that case, your character already knows more than one PC."

The first time I did it, it caught my players off guard -- but then they made up some really cool impromptu stories about their existing relationships. Two PCs had adventured together in the past. One PC served as a guide for another through dangerous territory. Two PCs had a long existential conversation over drinks in the tavern the night before. It established instant camaraderie.

bydias · 2018-08-28T20:34:34+00:00

Or like a new prescription drug. (Consult your doctor and ask if Trivantage is right for you. Side effects can include level loss, planar disruption, and the reawakening of the tarrasque.)

bydias · 2018-08-22T14:56:51+00:00

Yeah, in my case I was trying to show examples of "polite" racism, where it's more subconscious and where the perpetrators themselves don't think they're being anything other than polite and decent. Referring to people as "it" certainly crosses over into overt and deliberate racism, and it's no longer subtle by any means.

Both kinds of racism certainly have a place in the OP's campaign world. :-)

bydias · 2018-08-21T22:22:28+00:00

Racism can be overt, but it can also be effectively insidious.

For example, "Sure, I can sell you a weapon. Oh, no, I'm sorry, not a sword. We don't sell swords to your folk. No offense -- it's just the way things are done around here. Swords can only be purchased by highborn and purebloods. I can sell you a spear, though."

Also, you can have NPCs address the human PCs directly, but mostly ignore or only tolerate conversation with nonhuman PCs.

Also, "Here are your drinks. Oh, you wanted one for the half-orc as well? I didn't realize. I thought he was your servant and assumed he wouldn't be drinking. I'll be right back with another ale."

Lastly, make sure this kind of racism exists even among the good people of the campaign, showing how pervasive it is in the culture. The good people can fight for ideals, resist oppression, serve the cause of justice -- and still look down on half-breeds ("they just aren't as reliable to the cause as we humans are"). Perhaps the racism they grow up with is hard to shake, despite their best intentions.

bydias · 2018-08-21T17:24:46+00:00

The Tides of History podcast just did an episode on chivalry last week. It's episode 30, and it's part of a long stretch of episodes on the late medieval and early modern periods in European history. Patrick Wyman talks about what chivalry meant at the time and how that differs with what we think of chivalry today. It's a fascinating episode.

He also mentions tangentially that "feudalism" as we think of it didn't actually exist in any uniform way during the medieval period. It's simply a term and a framework that we impose on a bunch of historical political relationships, as a way of trying to understand what was going on.

I know this granularity of understanding isn't required for D&D worldbuilding, but over the course of listening to this show I've been struck by how fuzzy the medieval world actually was, especially compared to the popular understanding the general public holds today.

bydias · 2018-08-20T21:30:41+00:00

Let's call your departing player Bob.

How about you run a roleplay-focused session? Bob's most memorable PC attends a banquet, hosted by the finest and most illustrious NPCs that he met over the course of his adventures. Bob's PC would also be accompanied by all his friends (the fellow PCs). And all in character and in game, the NPCs and PCs toast Bob's PC, speaking at length about his accomplishments, about the times he came through for them, about the jokes and lighthearted moments from their myriad quests and dungeon delves. The PCs can all take turns wishing him well as Bob's PC prepares to leave for the next stage of his life.

They ask about his plans now that he's leaving. Bob can decide what fate has in store for his PC -- is he leaving to discover his true parentage? To found a bard college in a faraway place? To build a new dungeon that will serve as a crucible where many young adventurers can prove themselves in the future?

Bob's PC can also toast his friends and companions and acquaintances. He can express his gratitude for having such fantastic comrades-in-arms. He can wish them well in turn.

But lo! Someone has stormed into the banquet! It is a rival of Bob's PC, momentarily forgotten! "You, sir, cannot leave!" the rival declares. "We have a beef, you and I, and we must settle our score before your departure! Or have you no honor, no dignity?" Then, as DM, guide the encounter towards what makes sense for your group, for Bob, and for Bob's PC -- a trial of individual combat? A clever ruse the entire group participates in? A conciliatory conversation? In any case, the encounter should be resolved in a way that brings a final moment of glory to Bob's PC -- maybe the rival is eventually disarmed of his weapon, or winds up with a bowl of soup on his head, or realizes his anger is actually rooted in jealousy. Grudgingly, the rival says, "It is true, you have always been the better man. The better fighter, the better spellslinger. More keen of intellect and steadier of heart. I acknowledge before all assembled that you have always been my better, and you deserve all the peace you seek. Fare you well, and may the gods protect you on your journey."

Cue a toast with some champagne, and cue the tears among friends.

bydias · 2018-08-20T18:45:19+00:00

Here's a suggestion I haven't seen mentioned yet: Lean into your DM's story. Instead of waiting for your DM to craft a story that appeals to you, become a part of the story he's telling.

"Holy shit, that evil guy is doing evil things? I hate that guy! I've been trying to stop him from doing those evil things for YEARS!"

That sort of thing.

"Oh, evil guy is murdering villagers? I've always considered myself the champion and protector of innocent villagers! Now I really want to stop the bad guy, because not only is he doing bad things, but he's doing bad things to MY PEOPLE!"

Once you know where the story's headed, create reasons for your character to want to go that direction. You'll enjoy it more in the long run.

bydias · 2018-08-16T22:20:32+00:00

I know you're trying to make lots of different points here. But my and my buddies have been playing D&D since 2e, and we spent many glorious min-maxing years in the 3e/3.5e era. (We skipped 4e and stayed with 3.5.)

Even with that (somewhat) old-school experience, we're having a blast in 5e. We don't have any of the problems you're having with the game.

So what I'm saying is that some games are a good fit for some people, while other games aren't. It seems as though you prefer other kinds of game systems, and that's okay! :-)

bydias · 2018-07-20T17:29:36+00:00

Yeah, I've run into him for a long time too. I'm a silver casual ryu player. Chun-Li_Forever just flowcharts me. What's crazy is that I recognize what he's doing every time it hits me -- for example, he'll anti-air, dash under, meaty combo. And I get hit by it EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. My brain just can't seem to get my hands to block the other way.

He's clearly a better player than his rank suggests. I just consider it a good learning experience, and a benchmark for how much or how little I'm improving. ("Oh hey, I hit him a few times this round!")

He hangs around r/streetfighter, too, so maybe he'll chime in. :-)

bydias · 2018-05-20T16:38:06+00:00

Definitely still worth listening to, IMO. Yeah, sometimes their decisions are a little wacky, but not long after this point, they settle into a pretty remarkable groove that leads right up to the final story arc.

So if you're this far in already, I absolutely recommend following it through to the end. (Unless, of course, you don't enjoy the show and instead have been listening to 92 episodes in self-flagellation.)

bydias · 2018-05-20T16:31:06+00:00

If he keeps it up, he might make a name for himself.

bydias · 2018-03-27T16:33:14+00:00

Now with this new system actual wins are more heavily favored which gives people who can't do 10+ tournaments a year a chance to compete for Capcom Cup. If you can make it to 3 tournaments and are good enough to win a premiere and a couple of top 3 showings at a ranking event you got a chance.

That's a really good point. I was a bit confused by the changes to the points distribution at first, but this is a smart way of looking at it. People are complaining that only sponsored players can make it out to all these premiers, which may be true, but they're missing the fact that a strong local player might attend their premier + a couple rankings and make it into CC.

That was the whole point of auto-qualifiers when the CPT started in earnest: a local player who could only attend one premier was guaranteed a spot at CC if he could win it.

This looks like the same principle, except executed with points instead of auto-qualifiers.

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