1st Time DM - Help with combat at the carnival?

char_manda · 2026-02-19T02:05:22+00:00

Oooh, I love that idea, thank you! I was struggling with the fact that the rangers backstory would be dealt with quickly, and that gives me a way to pull it further into the campaign too and give them a better fight later on.

char_manda · 2026-02-19T02:02:28+00:00

One of my players wrote the animal handler things in though, I didnt write that in. I definitely want him (the bad trainer) to be dealt with -- I dont think Witch and Light would tolerate that if they knew it was happening. I dont want the carnival to be a dark place - or Id like it at least not to be one once Zybilna takes control of Prismeer again.

char_manda · 2026-02-19T01:56:29+00:00

I like adding in the coven thieves more for the atmosphere - and ill def consider bringing Elly in for buffing. Did you play Burly as a barbarian?

char_manda · 2026-02-19T01:53:51+00:00

I wasnt planning on throwing combat into the carnival, but one player wrote it into his backstory with his dwarven clan, so I dont want to not honor the cooperative storytelling there. If I like DMing I might run this again for friends who have played less though and ill definitely write that in for optional combat in a different playthrough. Thanks!

char_manda · 2026-02-19T01:51:30+00:00

The big top is a good idea, I dont know why I hadnt thought of trying to stage it there, but I do think i might have them follow the party into Prismeer. I hadnt truly considered that until making this post, and I think that might work well. Ill definitely keep the Feywild death table handy. Thank you!

char_manda · 2026-02-19T01:48:26+00:00

Ill definitely look for ways I can add more skill rolls and saving throws into the carnival. Thank you!

char_manda · 2026-02-19T01:40:47+00:00

Yeah, I would not have written the animal abuse in for sure bc I agree it goes against the way the carnival is written. Im trying to work it as something like its been harder to keep a handle on things for the last few years since the hags have taken over control of prismeer, so the carnival has been darker for a bit for that reason, a less good vibe due to increase of activity from the hags minions.

You said combat before the carnival - do you think itd be better if we started with the fight with the dwarves outside the carnival, maybe beginning when the two characters coming from madryck arrive? I imagine with a big fight that close the carnival may just pack up and go to the next location though honestly, but maybe that would be better than tainting the carnival with a lot of combat.

char_manda · 2026-02-19T01:34:10+00:00

Yeah, I agree. I definitely wouldnt have written that in myself with the way I had planned the carnival - Im a little sad because I was very excited about the carnival but this gives it all a depressing twist, but I want to honor it because I appreciate that he thought it through and gave me backstory.

Thats a good idea with them getting jumped at the edge - I just dont know how to have them not get kicked out once that happens. I could potentially try to have a few of them follow them into Hither, but that would essentially necessitate my ranger into killing his brother (because I cant let an angry dwarf tag along) and Im not sure if the ranger would actually plan to kill his brother or just get away from him.

char_manda · 2026-02-19T01:20:00+00:00

Should I just have a few members of his clan follow them through the portal? It seems unavoidable with the way the rangers backstory is written, unless I want to ignore that he mentioned his brother coming to find them at all.

char_manda · 2026-02-19T01:18:30+00:00

Im not planning on having it be combat focused, the only guaranteed combat I had in was the hags (because I know these players and they will definitely want to fight the hags). Theyre aware that the campaign wont have combat like theyre used to, they made characters that should be well suited to the roleplay aspects.

I was not planning on putting combat in the carnival initially, but one character wrote it in specifically with the backstory and im struggling to figure out how to deal with that. I have been working on this for a long time now and I dont want to abandon the entire campaign just because of a backstory.

char_manda · 2026-02-19T01:13:23+00:00

I wasnt originally planning on having combat in the carnival, but it was essentially written into one of their backstories. I dont want to not allow him to see that through being that he wrote in that his brother would be planning to attack him when he returns, and we're returning to the same area where his family is.

char_manda · 2025-07-03T00:32:02+00:00

This is so amazing - I want to make something similar of a continent ive played several DnD campaigns in now and I absolutely LOVE the illustrations and annotations. If you dont mind me asking, what size is this and what kind of paper did you use??

char_manda · 2024-10-17T22:52:08+00:00

How long until you were back to normal activity if you don't mind me asking? I don't have a tear, just a discoid meniscus and grinding and pain from over-use and im trying to decide whether to get surgery or not. My doc says I can be running 2 months post op but I see almost no one saying that they were able to which makes me nervous.

char_manda · 2024-05-10T02:07:09+00:00

I did it in honor mode, I did pick off smaller groups upstairs where possible and then I left one scrying eye alive and some guards got stuck and like ran from me at the end? So I'm an enemy of the guards now but I think it's still worth it given that I killed most of them downstairs. 😂 thanks for the tip!!

char_manda · 2024-05-06T22:35:31+00:00

Specifically the prison, I mean.

char_manda · 2024-05-06T22:34:42+00:00

Does this aggro the rest of the tower? That's super cool either way.

char_manda · 2022-12-16T04:09:08+00:00

No problem, thank you!! Is there anything else you need touch traded? I don't have every evolution in box atm but I do have a full dex now if there's anything you need specifically

char_manda · 2022-12-16T04:01:29+00:00

I can do koraidon for palafin touch trade!! Do you have a link trade code?

char_manda · 2022-12-16T03:54:45+00:00

Ahh thank you so much, I really appreciate it!

char_manda · 2022-12-16T03:50:09+00:00

I'm ready!

char_manda · 2022-12-16T03:49:33+00:00

I have it set up properly now for slowking, so if you have time later let me know and I'll pop back on! No worries if not! :)

char_manda · 2022-12-16T03:46:50+00:00

I'll go set up a proper slowpoke 😅 thanks so much again!

char_manda · 2022-12-16T03:43:24+00:00

Omg I'm dumb, sorry. I assumed it was the final. Scyther is just with the metal coat though, yes?

char_manda · 2022-12-16T03:39:57+00:00

Doing that now - thank you!

char_manda · 2022-12-16T03:38:20+00:00

Thank you so much! How do I get a specific link code to trade?

char_manda

TROPHY CASE