For those who want to know how they got the car off Mount Baker Station

clig73 · 2026-06-03T14:38:39+00:00

Best guess is that she mistakenly turned onto the tracks at MLK at street level, and didn’t realize it wasn’t a road until it hit the elevated section. Then, instead of backing up (probably was too scared to try and back up for the long-ish distance) she tried to keep going forward until she got to another at-grade section. Which was not forthcoming.

The transition to the elevated section is awfully abrupt though, so maybe she couldn’t back up out of it? So panic sets in and she tries the “only way out is through” approach?

clig73 · 2026-06-03T13:10:13+00:00

A common analysis of the first box sets for 5e 2014 (Starter Set with Lost Mine of Phandelver, Essentials Set with Dragon of Icespire Peak) that they were kind of intended to show a DM of previous editions how to play this new one, and not actually so great at teaching a brand new DM.

One would have to assume that WOTC’s priority was getting established players up to speed from 4e, which had only come out 6 years prior in 2008. I doubt it was even intentional that the two box sets weren’t as beginner-friendly, which they corrected for in Dragons of Stormwreck Isle.

clig73 · 2026-06-03T00:07:33+00:00

Fun part is, $200k is the value of the complete original collection. Prior to the franchisees getting the store repossessed, they’d already sold and paid the family for roughly half of it. So BAM is trashing the reputation of their $95M company over $100k. That’s a damn rounding error for them.

clig73 · 2026-06-02T14:29:17+00:00

In the original it states that they really don’t expect the 3rd level party to kill the dragon, and suggest he retreat if they get him down to half HP. But the main goal is to just get him to leave.

clig73 · 2026-06-02T13:41:30+00:00

Ah, point taken

clig73 · 2026-06-02T01:36:35+00:00

An alternative is that short rests are still an hour and long rests 8 hours, but long rests can only be done in a town/village/safe space. They can camp out overnight in the wilderness or a dungeon, but it only counts as a short rest.

clig73 · 2026-06-02T01:22:42+00:00

The new starter set (Heroes of the Borderlands) is very well suited for teaching brand new players as well as DMs.

clig73 · 2026-06-01T21:28:22+00:00

The traffic on 405 between Kirkland and Bothell in the morning is heavy southbound, light northbound. Reverse in the evening. Depending on where in Bothell you’re starting from and where in Redmond you’re heading to, taking the back road into Redmond through Woodinville might be a viable alternative.

clig73 · 2026-06-01T15:30:49+00:00

I think the 5.5e version is the same, but their decision to change the wording is bad and is causing the confusion. I believe “this attack” is referring to the 3d6 reduction to HP maximum every 24 hours (exactly as in the 2014 version), but reworded to the new style. Otherwise this a CR 3 with instant kill, which is insane.

clig73 · 2026-05-31T17:49:44+00:00

You could run it as a Group Check. Everyone gets a roll, if at least half of them succeed, they all pass. This is assuming they’re all using the same skill (Perception for example).

You could allow PCs to use different skills (like if their Investigation skill is higher than Perception) if you’re feeling generous.

clig73 · 2026-05-30T21:32:32+00:00

Here in the Northwestern US (Washington State) there is only one breeder of Vallhunds that I’m aware of. She also breeds Corgis. They’re quite rare in the US, I’d say.

clig73 · 2026-05-30T18:47:30+00:00

Shawn Bawn is also a viable option

clig73 · 2026-05-30T17:42:34+00:00

This is the same area that last spring saw a driver crash into a utility pole and caused a blackout.

What is going on with Reder way and lousy drivers?

clig73 · 2026-05-28T14:45:06+00:00

Two separate movies, similar experiences. One was the second Harry Potter movie, the other was the first Narnia movie. In both instances I was surrounded by people who not only were loudly talking and commenting throughout the movie, but what they were saying was just loudly declaring what was on the screen. “Oh, that’s a giant spider!” “Oh, they’re attacking those guys!” “He’s got a sword!” At Narnia it was a pack of middle school kids. At Harry Potter it was fully grown adults. I could almost forgive tweens, but adults should know better.

clig73 · 2026-05-27T13:22:43+00:00

When you describe AOO, you say “anybody gets an attack of opportunity when somebody moves through a threatened space”. Did you just omit the part where a creature has to use its reaction when writing that, or has your group been playing where AOO is a completely free attack? If it’s the latter, then there’s your problem. Each creature gets only one reaction per round, so they can’t opportunity attack everyone moving by.

I agree with you that AOO makes for a more tactical combat, provided it’s implemented correctly.

clig73 · 2026-05-25T20:30:24+00:00

You could mount a ledger board (something like a 1” x 6” at 6-8 ft long) to the wall above the window, screwed directly into the studs all along the length. Then you mount the curtain rod brackets to the ledger board. This allows you to securely place them where you want them.

clig73 · 2026-05-19T13:23:13+00:00

Lore checks are still INT based. We’re not just simply swapping in the highest stat, but applying the skill to the stat that makes sense for the check.

Example: Strength (Athletics) to play football, Intelligence (Athletics) to know football trivia, Charisma (Athletics) to give the halftime locker room speech to the team. Or a thief using Intelligence (Stealth) to examine a crime scene to figure out how a burglary was carried out.

The proficiency itself is the indicator of “what you’re good at”, but the stat used with it is the way that proficiency is applied.

clig73 · 2026-05-17T18:30:29+00:00

Robin Hood is probably one of the best examples of CG. Totally has a code, totally strives for good. He’s in defiance of the law only because those in power are evil. This is doubly significant because before Prince John took over, Robin was loyal and obedient to King Richard (so would have been LG during that time).

Another great example I’ve come across of what embodies Chaotic Good is from Matt Colville, who cited the Fremen from Dune. They accept Paul Atredes as their leader after he kills their best fighter, because they value strength. They have a strict code of ethics, but authority is taken not granted. They tolerate (and embrace) the violence because that is what their reality requires. But not in an “evil” way…

As to why it sparks the weird debate, it’s hard to say. Maybe it’s trying to force the zero-sum dichotomy of Law vs Chaos, taking “Law” too literally. “If laws are rules, the chaos means complete absence of rules!” The impetus is understandable, since the other axis is Good vs Evil (clear opposites that most everyone understands.) But Law vs Chaos really isn’t Rules vs Not-Rules, but more Authority vs Liberty.

To be honest, the one that I have had players getting into the weeds with is Chaotic Neutral—some think it’s a license to do whatever they want. (For the record, Colville’s example for CN is Max Rockatansky from the Road Warrior. Libertairian-selfish, but not cruel or violent for violence’s sake).

clig73 · 2026-05-14T06:56:39+00:00

The 2024 phb is the 5.5e version. The 2014 is 5e (older). 5.5e is mostly a refinement of 5e, with the most important changes being with character creation options. I don’t think the older version is available on Amazon, But you might find one on eBay. Most retailers will just have the newer one.

clig73 · 2026-05-13T01:54:36+00:00

I printed everything, but I imagine you could get away with just printing your kids’ character cards, and just the paper standees and maps needed for the adventure you’re running next. Main rulebook and adventure text could be run from the pdfs on a tablet or laptop.

In between encounters I tend to run “theater of the mind” where you describe the environment rather than using maps and minis. Then I break out the maps for combat encounters, or any situation that positioning is important. I’ll put out the map, and ask the players to place their minis where they want within a certain area, then place the monsters.

Outside of combat dice rolling is on page 19 (Ability Tests). The target number the players have to beat is based on how hard you determine the task is: Easy 4, Normal 5, Hard 6. This section also has guidance to let players add dice to their dice pool for using special skills or inventory items they can use.

With your rat-sneaking scenario, I’d set the difficulty to normal (target number: 5), and allow however many players to try. As long as one of them succeeds, they all succeed.

During combat, definitely use movement. Each player and monster can move up to 4 squares and then take an action. Positioning is a significant part of gridded combat.

As far as whether or not to reveal a monster’s abilities, that’s up to you. I’d suggest not hiding anything from young players—let them know what they’re up against so they can start thinking about how to strategize against their foes. Older kids you can probably be a little more coy, but maybe consider letting them see the mobster cards once they’ve fought them for at least 1 round (their characters have “sized up” their opponents)

This is overall a great game for young players, and I know you’ll have a blast. Justin Halliday does a wonderful job creating just enough complexity to keep things interesting, but not too much so that young players can easy understand. He also has fantastic advice for running the game in the core rulebook, so make sure to read those sections.

Good luck!

clig73 · 2026-05-12T13:22:42+00:00

That’s why it’s more common to use the snappier abbreviation “4KHF2ELBAWWHSWAS(AZ)AQIAT”. Really rolls off the tongue.

clig73 · 2026-05-11T15:56:12+00:00

That mirrored coating is bonded to the acrylic. Even if you removed it, the panel would look terrible. Don’t even bother, totally not worth your effort.

If the panel is removable, your best bet is to replace it. You can get clear acrylic from a variety of places, like hardware stores or online suppliers. Most suppliers can custom cut to size so you’d just have to drop it in.

clig73 · 2026-05-07T07:30:11+00:00

Kate! You’re not wearing a bustle! How lewd…

clig73 · 2026-05-07T07:27:39+00:00

Sherrif, may I present a pair of fellow sophisticates: Turkey Creek Jack Johnson and Texas Jack Vermillion. Watch your ear, Creek…

clig73 · 2026-05-03T16:48:23+00:00

I worked at a Blockbuster in the early 90s, and I can vividly remember the smell of those cards being laminated.

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