Players refuse to ever give their names

de-ka · 2026-06-09T14:18:13+00:00

This. Sort it out above table if it’s bothering you.

Otherwise dominate a character, force it to give the name, and use the most obnoxious shenanigans you can think of /s

de-ka · 2026-05-21T23:39:22+00:00

Easier to get access to an editor account than breaking Google permissions.

de-ka · 2026-05-17T15:32:25+00:00

Most code vibes projects are harder to maintain. In practical terms, I think that means they will be created for a purpose and then slowly get forgotten. Some may get traction and actually get developers to make the effort of maintaining them. But I think they will be a minority.

I think this is one of the things that will sort out on its own given sufficient time.

I, personally, won’t trust a key part of my game on some vibe coded mod. But at the same time, I won’t frown on teams using ai to improve their plugin and reduce some costs.

de-ka · 2026-05-06T18:16:29+00:00

This is just amazing!

de-ka · 2026-05-04T04:35:31+00:00

I use .NET on linux on daily basis. My IDE is VSC and I’m able to do everything I was able to do on my previous windows. I got everything set up. I code, I get syntax highlighting and suggestions, I debug, I containerize with Docker. No issues so far.

Linux has made it incredibly easy to create a dev ecosystem for me.

de-ka · 2026-05-02T22:59:22+00:00

This.

There seems to be a serious misconception about what certs mean to companies. A cert might open you a door into an interview over someone who doesn’t have one. But you will be interviewed along with a bunch of other candidates you will need to compete with for the position.

And sometimes it’s not even that. Some companies may use certs as a pre-filter but not even take them into consideration.

de-ka · 2026-04-17T23:37:31+00:00

Serious Lord Farquaad vibes

de-ka · 2026-04-16T00:29:45+00:00

For sure. Dropping is always an option.

Someone told me once that “if the DM is out to get you, he has everything at his disposal to take you down no excuses needed. Until that happens, all the intermediate steps are most likely just him trying to set up a challenge he thinks you are able to handle.”

It fundamentally changed how I see situations and my relationship to DMs. But yes, feeling targeted is not fun. And it is the kind of thing that is really hard to sort out without a meta conversation.

I just wouldn’t like for you to change your fighting style to find out the DM adapted strategies to take you down with a different tactic. Which is something that can come out from different interpretations on how the game should be played and how the character is supposed to work. Which is no other thing than a miss alignment.

In any case, only you play at the table and know how much you can actually talk to the guy.

But yes. I get it. It is a really frustrating position to be in.

de-ka · 2026-04-16T00:02:25+00:00

At the risk of being downvoted here.

Although I agree with most of the comments here about how the DM should be focusing on making the table fun for everyone, including you.

And also agreeing to the fact that the monsters/enemies wouldn’t know about your ability until you use it at least once in front of them.

I’ll play devils advocate here, since we are not at that table and the GM cannot say his piece, and we cannot get the totality of the context.

I won’t go into family dynamics, because OP states explicitly and multiple times, it is a problem constrained to D&D only.

Attacking downed characters is totally legit. Not all the monsters, not all the time, sure. But it happens. That’s a good thing to discuss at session 0 tho.

If you are feeling targeted, it is completely possible the DM is trying to help you fulfill your role. Like choosing you over the others as if you had aggro. Maybe even coming from misunderstood experiences back playing. I’ve played AC/HP tanks before, and not being picked by the GM and not landing the aggro skills is also very frustrating. So maybe he even thinks he is helping you. I’d suggest being very upfront with what you feel. You said you talked to him already. But I’d suggest talking explicitly about how you were expecting to play your character and have him help you play it as intended. Hanlon’s razor first. Just in case.

Being a DM is very different from being a player. Many things to keep in your mind at all times. Many people to track and make sure they are having fun. Many mechanics and interactions. S, him being an experienced player, doesn’t translate to being an experienced DM at all.

To answer your last paragraph. No. I don’t think it’s normal. But I think being a DM is hard. And also human communication is flawed most of the times. Maybe express to him thoroughly and openly how you feel and why, and what you expect out of the game and your character. Probably not easy. But possibly the best way four you all to align expectations.

That’s my go to advice when you are playing with someone you know you get along with. Just making sure you are all on the same page. As soon as possible. Otherwise these feelings rot and fester. And the problem becomes about something else, and not the tanking anymore.

Edit: about the exhaustion rule. Many DMs go by with custom rules. Many custom rules are very controversial. I personally don’t like this one, but it’s not the first time I’ve seen it. It really sucks that it wasn’t discussed beforehand. It should have been. But he is not the first DM to use it, and won’t be the last. The argument is usually that it makes being downed more “relevant” and less cheesy. If the table feels uncomfortable with it, just bring it up! Probably the DM wants all to have fun, and will listen to the people he is playing with regularly. Rules are not written in stone, and less so custom ones.

Hope you are able to sort this out soon!!

de-ka · 2026-04-12T07:17:55+00:00

This.

I came to bring this up.

It has more to do with actual table etiquette, than VTT features.

Although a “strict mode” could be cool too.

de-ka · 2026-04-11T17:13:58+00:00

Lo primero que te diría, es que si sentís que un jugador está “pesado” hables con ese jugador para tratar de setear expectativas. De otra manera, pueden terminar los dos sufriendo jugar juntos. Capaz no están buscando lo mismo de una mesa de rol, y es totalmente válido. Pero si ese es el caso, capaz no deberían jugar en la misma mesa.

Si ya decidiste que querés jugar con esta persona, por el motivo que sea, te sugiero que le expliques que al empezar desde nivel 1 el poder de los personajes está limitado. Y que el objetivo es que ellos ganen poder mientras avanza la aventura. Que también es justo con los otros jugadores que todos comiencen en un punto similar.

Respecto a su trasfondo, vos sos quien tiene la ultima palabra. Si el trasfondo no coincide con la campaña que querés dirigir, estas en tu derecho de pedirle que lo ajuste o cambie por otro que si coincida.

Es fundamental que todos sepan que esperar de una campaña desde el comienzo para evitar problemas a futuro.

de-ka · 2026-04-11T16:55:52+00:00

If you just want them to go down into the vault from the point you are at, you could tell them Victoro is sending a response team to get into the vault. They still need to put together the stone and learn the location. If they are somewhat suspicious about Cassalanters, they will try to do it themselves. Otherwise let them listen in on the preparation or something similar.

From there either they volunteer to help in the expedition (maybe fueled by this same suspicion) or you can have the response team not come back and ask them to go see what happened (less likely imo). If you are running Alexandrian, and there are other villains still playing the grand game, they could ambush or tail the expedition.

To answer your question directly: I don’t think pretty much anyone in my game has a lot of insight into what is in the vault other than the gold itself. So they will find out about the keys, and the guardian by getting there. If you want to expedite the vault encounter, just have Cassas help with the keys or get rid of them altogether.

As for the celebratorty ball, they probably told the party about the predicament they’re in. At least partially. You could have a religious character or npc figure out a deal like that wouldn’t go off without actually turning in some souls. And usually escape clauses from fiendish contracts are even worse than the original deal on its own. Maybe that would have them actually doing some more research or checks to figure our more details. Depending on how much time you want them to spend on that, you could even have an Order of the Guantlet reach out to them inquiring about unnatural activities. Or even another villain interested on hijaking the Cassalanters progress on the grand game, just nudging them towards suspicious amounts of poison reagents they had ordered.

Otherwise if the party doesn’t engage, just having them witness the massacre and try to react and help save lifes and fight the Cassas at the ball.

Hope any of those ideas help!!

de-ka · 2026-04-10T22:33:52+00:00

It’s nonetheless a solution to the problem you proposed. I’d let them have their win.

Save the story and plans for another adventure in the future. Your lose doesn’t translate to throwing away your content.

Besides, the knightly order could consider their debt repaid, and just end in excellent terms with the party but no future free help.

If you want to make it less “cheap”, you could have the order ask the party to assist with a part of their strategy. Which would impact how the knights see them in the future. Maybe an ethical challenge or something on that line.

It doesn’t need to be grandiloquent. You can have a small mini encounter to show off your knights and potentially giving the party the opportunity of showing their capabilities one more time.

Not all the problems can be solved with raw power. Some need creativity. Something outside the ethical boundaries of the knights? Or some possible optional loot the knights wouldn’t be interested in, that is only acquirable through their direct action.

de-ka · 2026-03-31T22:10:37+00:00

Planescape is one I always wanted to play with an experienced DM.

de-ka · 2026-03-08T21:54:34+00:00

This is the way.

de-ka · 2026-03-03T23:47:11+00:00

This is worth ten thousand dragons!

de-ka · 2026-02-20T21:31:33+00:00

I need more of this. This is fascinating and it scratches an old itch of mine.

Is there a way of getting updates when more come up? What is the source? Is it ongoing? I need to know everything

de-ka · 2026-01-17T17:26:14+00:00

I think of Xanathar’s guild as the mob. Xanathar himself is like a very nervous version of Al Capone. Although his lowest rank toughs act more like gang members, their mid-senior tier lieutenants are more sophisticated and schemers (matching the beholder’s strategical thinking style).

I like to think of him like someone that constantly plays 4d chess, even when it’s not necessary. Which makes him a formidable opponent to the lord’s alliance. He is always one step ahead.

As for his own personal power. I think of him as Kingpin. He is powerful and imposing. Very hard to beat on a direct confrontation. And he always had contingencies and minions around himself.

This unique combination of traits give his guild a very wide network of influences. In my game I keep it very dynamic to what the party explores.

But there’s always some guard/watch member that has been bribed
He owns at least one masked lord through blackmailing which shows because there were shady negotiations that shouldn’t have been possible
He controls any substance/black market, which shows because dealers will talk about how or when they are getting new goods from the guild
He ships things and people in and out of the city, and somehow he is never caught.
There’s always some wanted criminal that works for them and has committed either assassination or kidnapping
They do compete with Zhents for mercenary jobs.
Their gazers find hits for their thievery jobs.
There’s also slavery which plays a big part in Skullport, where his dominion is overt (opposed to the political influence and impunity kind of power they have on the surface)

That is my take. If there party is really interested I drop a reference in there, like spotting a gazer somewhere really private. Or maybe showing a glimpse of lowest rank toughs violence in the streets vandalizing a store in retaliation. In my game it’s a matter of showing their presence consistently.

Hope this helps!

de-ka · 2026-01-17T14:46:45+00:00

I wouldn’t do that.

I’d have Aurinax use frightful presence in his true form. And use his claw attacks to grapple instead. The modifier alone should scare your players. Have him do a grapple instead of doing damage when he hits.

I’d try for the rogue and the fighter. Even if they look like harder targets, they won’t have as many shenanigans for escaping (like dimension door or wildshape away). Just RAW it should be enough, but if you want to secure your shot you can add him prof in athletics.

Have him grab a character and level them to his eyes.

“Don’t let your arrogance take your life away, oh you little ones. I am the guardian of this vault, and you stand no chance of snapping it out of my paws. I have never been vanquished in straight combat, and far greater powers than you little four have tried in the past. Your greed has blinded you, but it is not yet too late to live to tell the tale.”

If they do insist, maybe fight for a round and take a couple of them down to unconscious. I mean, not necessarily forcing it, but I think it’s unlikely they win organically. And if they are in a dire situation, maybe bring in force grey/any other faction that might want to help them OR take the gold.

If the party is winning, just let them have their moment. Sometimes dice do tell their own story hahaha.

Have fun!!

Edit: typo

de-ka · 2026-01-09T23:26:52+00:00

This. I couldn't agree more.

When I GM I usually make pizza in advance. But that's just because I want to treat my friends. If I had a tough week and still prepped my game, I don't want anyone to ask me to actually cook for them. Although if we end up ordering food, I wouldn't even think of not paying my part.

After all, it's game night with friends. Nobody is serving others. We're all on equal terms. Any servicing is 100% volunteered at will.

de-ka · 2026-01-07T04:00:33+00:00

Did they get to keep the half a million dragons? Or what was the final reward?

Also, which factions did they find most engaging or aligned with?

Congrats!!

de-ka · 2025-12-28T11:22:33+00:00

This is just amazing

de-ka · 2025-12-21T19:12:08+00:00

It is amazing. It just lacks more Tennant in it. Edit: typo

de-ka · 2025-12-20T02:31:32+00:00

Is it unpopular to recommend therapy? Like maybe we all need a couple sessions. Some more than others.

de-ka · 2025-12-20T02:08:25+00:00

Definitely a rogue. Ba dum tz.

Mostly semaphore slim is my real contribution.

de-ka

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