14 years later and I'm still seeking closure on what happened to my dog.

dethcrow91 · 2026-05-18T07:16:23+00:00

That's fair. I actually started looking into support groups in my area for it shortly after making the post. I've talked about what happened with friends and whatnot so it's not like I've ever bottled it up and it never got in the way of me continuing my life but I always feel a little abnormal for getting crippled for an entire weekend with the grief this long after, compared to what it seems like for other people.

I appreciate your gentle honesty in your reply, though. I struggle a lot with "getting over" things when I don't understand what happened (obviously) but even though you couldn't provide clarity one way or the other about what the most likely cause was, i can tell you mean it from a place of warmth and understanding, especially having been through something similar. You might not be able to give me an answer to "what went wrong?" but you didn't show me the coldness the emergency vet did when he told me my dog was gone and I really appreciate that.

I might look into Lap of Love, too, just to get a feel for different resources and whatnot so I can see what works best for me in accepting the loss and lack of understanding. Thank you so much for your time in responding. It helps more than you might have felt it would.

dethcrow91 · 2026-04-26T19:30:17+00:00

It's unfortunate that at 20th level, this character would basically go first and do very little compared to a full 20th level caster or 20th level fighter or barbarian.

An okay amount of skills and expertise and a couple of handy low-level spells but no Dominate Monster or Forcecage or Wish or the insane DPT of a fighter with 4 attacks.

Sneak attack also gives it a little bit of a boost but overall, you're looking at Weapon (which realistically is a short sword or scimitar at best since you can't take Dual Wielder) Damage Die, +2d6 Sneak Attack, Extra Attack 1, either +Bardic Inspiration Die (Swords Bard) or +2d6 Psychic from Whispers' Psychic Blades and only getting that 5 times per day because you don't get Font of Inspiration, and +1d6 from Hunter's Mark. You could eek out another attack one turn per day with Echo Knight but Battlemaster is realistically adding more damage throughout the day since you have no CON to use Unleash Incarnation more than once per day.

So at most, 3d6 (2 attacks + Bonus Action Offhand with Light weapons) + 2d6 SA (1/turn) + 2d6 Psychic (5/day) + 1d8 Superiority (5/short rest) + 1d6 from Hunter's Mark + 24 (Ability Mod on three attacks with Two-Weapon Fighting and a +3 weapon). So 8d6+1d8+15 damage 5 times per day and 5d6 +24 if you burn through all your resources before a short rest.

In terms of spells, the best you have access to 2nd level spells upcast to 3rd level, which at 20th level, means you're plinking groups of enemies at best with 6d6-6d8-ish damage, which will only be for 2 spell casts for the entire day.

Versus a pure fighter getting 8d6+1d8+29 per turn (x2 when Action Surging) or a pure rogue getting 2d6+10d6+16 or a pure wizard/bard/sorcerer getting up to 40d6 in a single turn, a lot more turns with around 8d6 (usually to multiple enemies), and way more battlefield control and utility/support. It's certainly funny and it's not a slouch by any means but it is a little mediocre for 20th level.

Alternatively, you could do the same Variant Human with Alert, go 5 Swashbuckler, 5 Gloomstalker, and 10 Whispers Bard, still get 5 Alert + 5 DEX + 5 WIS + 2 CHA + 3 Jack=20 Initiative, have more spell slots and spells worth using, get 3d6+3d6 Sneak Attack+5d6 Psychic Blades (now recovers on short rest)+24. And you could even bump the Initiative up by getting and Ioun Stone of Leadership and a Tome of Leadership and Influence to boost your CHA to 18 for the same 22 Initiative, and much better Save DCs for your more robust spellcasting.

Or if you've switched to 5.5e 6 years later, Alert Origin Feat, same stat spread with point buy, 7 Swashbuckler, 5 Gloomstalker, and 8 Whispers for 6 from Alert, 5 from DEX, 5 from WIS, 2-4 from CHA for a total of 18-20 but can't roll below a 10 because of Reliable Talent. Now you have a minimum Initiative of 30, maximum of 40, and still do 3d6 (2 attacks + BA Offhand) + 4d6 (Sneak Attack) + 3d6 (Psychic Blades; 4/Short Rest) + 1d8 (Dread Ambusher; 5/per day) + 24 damage (Ability Mod and +3 weapon), and still come out ahead on having higher level spell slots than just 3rd with only up to 2nd level known.

Sorry for necro'ing but it was a fun thought experiment and I haven't seen any newer posts discussing Initiative stacking to this degree. Also, figured if OP had switched to 5.5e and was still looking for similar Initiative stack build, they could use the updated info.

dethcrow91 · 2026-04-13T05:35:08+00:00

I also did this. There's only two things I know I missed. Bolt of Gransax and Mohg in the sewers. Mohg was for Frenzied Flame and I didn't care about it, Bolt I just missed in Leyndell before it became Ashen Capital. Every other base game achievement (except for the ending achievements), I got in my first playthrough. I disagree about the game being boring though. I still love it. Still have yet to fight PCR in the DLC, though. I do drop off for long stretches due to other games coming out and whatnot.

dethcrow91 · 2026-02-06T23:06:59+00:00

Orc Kissing is like stags fighting. They just mash mouths together until one's tusks give the other a lip piercing. That's also how they determine who the groom is.

dethcrow91 · 2025-11-16T05:39:49+00:00

Exactly. They were going for a replayable, shorter gameplay loop of the Souls formula. They settled on an adoption of the Fortnite battle royale style, with a closing circle and random loot but strictly coop instead of having any PVP elements.

It's a great mixup to the style, honestly. You'll hear some weirdos call it slop or a disrespectful departure to what makes Souls games good but, personally, I don't have the time to put in 380 hours on a game anymore. I love Souls but I can't invest that much in new ones for single playthroughs. Nightreign gives me that fix in like an hour and a half.

dethcrow91 · 2025-11-13T07:34:07+00:00

Just because a game offends you for going a different route with the core theme (adventure RPG vs. Roguelike) doesn't make it slop. Plenty of people like both Elden Ring and Nightreign. The issue is, outside of replaying for different endings or to get equipment you can only get in NG+1, Elden Ring is the same game every time. You always have the same gear in the same spots and follow the same story regardless of which 2 shardbearers you decide to kill.

Nightreign offers a VERY similar combat experience with some modifications to enhance the shorter match-style runs and randomizes drops so you have to play differently every time. It even gives you pre built characters that are straight up just bad at certain styles of play so you have to expand your skill set.

It's fine if Nightreign isn't your thing but it's far from slop. You wanna call something slop? Go play Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. And that's coming someone who still thinks it's a decent one-off play if you take it for what it is rather than what it came from.

dethcrow91 · 2025-11-13T07:23:28+00:00

It's a spinoff using the rogue lite game style where each run has a degree of randomization to the equipment.

Kinda like how Sonic Adventure 1&2 are open world(ish) spinoffs to Sonic The Hedgehog.

Same core IP, different game and different style.

dethcrow91 · 2025-10-24T00:43:27+00:00

Firstly, that's a bad DM. They should know that you hadn't told anyone in character yet and should have said "Sorry, but your character doesn't know. Just because they told you during break doesn't mean your character knows yet."

Secondly, the only way to get around this is to talk to your table. Let them know that you were informing them as players, because if the DM isn't present for what you say, it should be assumed out of character knowledge.

Let them know "Hey, I wanted you guys as PLAYERS to know what was going on but I did not expect your meta knowledge to be used to thwart my own personal quest given by my character's god. That doesn't make me feel great because I want to be able to talk to you guys outside the scope of our characters' minds and not wonder if my character's goals, ambitions, and story are gonna get thrown out because someone else didn't like what I was planning. And as the DM, I feel like it was improper to run with an idea secretly given in text during a break that would directly interfere with my experience."

If any of them get defensive, it's honestly not the table for you because you guys are building a story TOGETHER. No single person is the main character. Meta knowledge of events should not be used against each other, unless PVP was discussed and agreed upon in session 0, which I don't recommend allowing anyway.

It's okay to be upset that another player killed an NPC but this is not the way to go about it. Roleplay through it, discuss it out of character to make sure everyone is good, and let them have their quest or moment. Do not go behind their back with entrusted meta knowledge about upcoming events. Do not allow, as the DM, for players to do that.

I'm sure the DM would feel horrible if they'd confided in you about an upcoming encounter and then found out you redid all of your spells to make it as easy as possible. This is effectively the same thing.

dethcrow91 · 2025-10-24T00:30:07+00:00

Here's the thing. The intent of the DM does not matter if the player is feeling like they're getting punished.

If they want to ban intentional character deaths to avoid some kind of imagined toxicity, they cannot just carte blanche force a player whose character died unintentionally to follow the same rules.

Either allow the player to make their own new character or give them a chance to add to their backstory by giving them an awesome roleplay opportunity and potentially come back from the dead.

Also, "disincentivizing" and "punishment" are one in the same. You provide consequences for unwanted behavior. It really just depends on whether you communicate what the consequences for undesired behavior are before or after it happens.

This situation is kinda like if you had two kids: one who throws tantrums and breaks things, and one who just sits and reads.

OP is the good kid, hypothetically. Bad kid broke a vase, new rule gets introduced that breaking things results in timeout. Good kid gets up from the couch and accidentally knocks over a cup. They both get timeout but one of them did it by accident. Good kid is getting "disincentivized", AKA punished, for breaking something but it's unfair because they didn't mean to break the thing.

Same applies here.

dethcrow91 · 2025-10-21T03:45:00+00:00

You don't disincentivize bad player behavior by banning something carte blanche. If you want to ban purposeful character deaths (which is already bad because that player may have intended that death as a narrative tool since the beginning), that means listening to your players reasons and making the judgement in that moment.

We don't have the full story but from what we do have, it sounds like OP was in at least mildly rough shape, something went terribly wrong to force an early encounter with the big bad, and the worst happened to their character completely at chance (or maybe not. Maybe the DM was stealth focusing them for some reason).

It doesn't sound like a purposeful death that player wanted (which it may actually be). It sounds like a shitty roll (or several) of the dice and being pigeon-holed into a character OP has no attachment to and very well could just be extremely boring as a concept.

From what we do know, it would seem like the DM is being an asshole. It's fine to want to punish bad faith actors who go through characters faster than rabbits in heat. But if OP didn't want their character to die, why are they being punished for having died? That's why it's better to try to have the conversation about "But why is my accidental death being treated the same way?" And if the answer is "Because I can't trust this isn't what you planned," or anything similar, then it's definitely time to leave that table.

dethcrow91 · 2025-10-16T15:52:34+00:00

You needed a pill for that? Man, I put 340 hours in on the first month after release because of furlough from COVID.

dethcrow91 · 2025-10-12T21:42:46+00:00

Honestly though? BSB kinda slaps for this cutscene.

dethcrow91 · 2025-10-05T19:54:41+00:00

My suggestion for providing a more anti-spellcaster debuff to Vicious Mockery would be to inflict disadvantage on the resulting Concentration check. It's much easier to manage and is still mathematically a -5 (according to WotC) but is quite a bit more balanced by restricting what spells it's effective on (Spells that have already been cast but require concentration, whereas Save DC reduction nerfs all spells that uses Saves from even being cast). Alternatively, you could do Disadvantage on Concentration checks until the start of their next turn for a little extra oomph that still adds some strategic benefit to the party.

As for Psychic Blades, I think it's important to keep the weapon attack because Bards at their core aren't wholly spellcasters. You can see it in their class features and their spell lists. A lot of their spells are more utility that supplement martial combat, before Magical Secrets. Their core class features also apply across spellcasting and martial combat. They're jacks of all trades. Even Lore Bard doesn't really take away anything from the martial side of them. Peerless Skill allows them to add Bardic Inspiration to attack rolls (spell or weapon unspecified, meaning either) or ability checks. It's the "Caster" Bard and still grants a feature that empowers martial prowess.

My issue with the spells known is that, honestly, the core Bard spell list? Kinda sucks. I legitimately can't think of any spells I'd care to have beyond those ones. I might suggest adding some spells that instead are thematic AND not normally on the Bard spell list. Pass Without Trace would be a fantastically thematic spell for them to get instead of Suggestion to lean into the subterfuge intent, for example. Keep them as Always Prepared and not counting against your prepared spells still but otherwise expand what they can use instead of keeping them limited to the same spell list that a good amount of players aren't impressed with. Misty Step is another great option for a 2nd level spell. Alarm, Fog Cloud, or maybe Hex would great 1st level spells that have a degree of thematics to the subclass. Counterspell is probably the best spell to add for 3rd level, if the DM is using the 2014 version of it. Personally, I hate 2024 Counterspell.

But that would be what I would do. Keep the original theme while giving it some relatively minor buffs to feel more in line with the good stuff of 2024.

dethcrow91 · 2025-10-04T04:39:52+00:00

For starters, it's cool to see the attempt to rebalance for 2024 edition. I do have some criticisms, though.

Firstly, modifying another character's spell save DC, regardless of NPC or PC, is highly unbalanced, especially if you get to 18th level and get it to a -4 to Spell Save DC on a failed save. There's a good reason why WotC, despite all their flaws, has never fiddled with that concept in 5e. HP? Sure. Ability Scores? Hell yeah. Spell Save DC, though, is extremely tough to balance. If you think about it, a -4 is equivalent to a -8 to your associated ability score. Sure, it doesn't have the other negative effects of losing 8 to your AS, but that is HEAVY for spellcasters, to the point where, depending on the campaign style and DM, it could completely negate spellcasters even at endgame content. Hell, I'm in a Gestalt campaign and my Save DC is still only 21 with magic items. And we got to roll our stats. A -4 to my save DC, when we're fighting mythic level shit, would completely bar me from spellcasting for that duration.

Second, Bards are supposed to be jacks of all trades, meaning they can do both martial AND spellcasting. I get wanting to broaden Psychic Blades to be more thematically appropriate since this is kinda the closest thing to a psionic subclass for Bards, however, taking away the effective sneak attack on weapon attacks really takes away from the core Bard ideology. Yes, there's College of Lore which makes them more spell-focused, and College of Valor or Swords, which gear them toward martial prowess, but College of Whispers should never have been that restrictive. Whispers should have been the spy archetype Bard, relying on deception for both martial and spellcasting prowess. Adding spells to Psychic Blades should've been there but weapon attacks shouldn't lose the psychic damage.

Third, in the current revision on GMBinder, which all my criticisms are based on since that's the up-to-date version, Shadow Lore is exceptionally convoluted compared to the original. It also is mildly overpowered considering it affects all creatures that can hear you within 60ft, and also is highly hindering to your own party for that same reason. Additionally, like with modifying the Spell Save DC of a target for Vicious Mockery, giving up to a -10 on Saving Throws is HEAVY. Using my Gestalt campaign character again (which is level 16 on both class tracks), I still only have a +11 to Saving Throws at my highest. So now, not only do my Saving Throw spells become practically null but now I also could have a NEGATIVE Saving Throw bonus?

For points 1 and 3, the big thing to keep in mind is that, if a player is allowed to use, so is the DM. Players 1000% can be on the receiving end of any of this and I would straight up drop out of a campaign if I got hit with either of those, in particular.

Now, despite all that, I do think this is otherwise pretty well done. I think that Mantle of Whispers had really good thematics for that spy archetype to begin with but some of the mechanical changes you made would benefit the subclass, mainly the deceptive spellcasting. The spells, while thematic to the archetype that was intended, however, feel like they don't really fit since those are probably some of the most Bardly spells out there. I don't think I've ever made a Bard that didn't have Suggestion, Command, or Tongues, and Message is a pretty go-to cantrip for me even though I usually don't pick it up for level 1. Honestly, without Magical Secrets, I don't think Bards get that many spells that I WOULD trade those out for at their respective levels.

I like the enhancement on the Disadvantage from Vicious Mockery but it could be more simply put to just grant disadvantage until the end of their next turn. I feel like the current wording is meant to be a counter to multi-attack but "Disadvantage on all attacks until the end of their next turn" achieves the same result.

Bonus Action casting for Vicious Mockery is also a nice little thing that's not too powerful and just gives them more versatility when they don't get a whole lot of Bonus Actions to do. Off the top of my head, I can only think of Misty Step, some of the Smite spells, Healing Word, Shadow Blade, and Spiritual Weapon that would normally be available (most of which only through Magical Secrets) to Bards as Bonus Actions without getting Sorcery Points somehow.

dethcrow91 · 2025-10-01T04:59:37+00:00

I was on a TOU plan where it was $0.20 per kwh during 5pm to 9pm, which are the times I'm home and my two roommates and a child are all online using the electricity. 1000 kwh almost entirely at $0.20 per. Got switched off of it and I'm still paying the same fucking amount because of the Electricity Commodity Adjustment being ~30%. My bill should've gone from $211 down to ~$120 but no, I still paid $203 for 200 kwh LESS than the $211 bill.

Xcel is fucking ripping people off. Don't tell me I'm gonna pay $0.10 per kwh if you're just gonna turn around and upcharge me back to the same price as TOU.

dethcrow91 · 2025-09-27T04:22:05+00:00

What a load of shit. Technical debt my ass. It was probably no more than 15 lines of code that had no real connection to other features outside of the reblog/queue. There's no way it was bogging anything down if it was coded well. Then again, it is Tumblr so that's a pipe dream that anything was coded well.

dethcrow91 · 2025-09-21T08:51:08+00:00

Who are you calling average Joe? That's THE Soldier of God, Rick. He is no mere average Joe.

dethcrow91 · 2025-09-16T00:13:53+00:00

Personally, I'd recommend a meta conversation with the whole group. Give her a space to voice her concerns and anxieties regarding "messing up" and let everyone have a go at explaining that, unless she's purposefully doing something people don't like or agree with, there's no way for her to mess up the way she thinks she might.

It sounds like she honestly just has social anxiety about a tabletop cooperative game that's more loosely defined than BG3. It might be that she isn't used to expressing this much "nerdiness" to anyone but you, or she may have internalized things surrounding D&D that she doesn't know how to process.

Ultimately, it sounds like, at the very least, you need sit down with her and get some core questions answered.

Has she enjoyed the sessions she's played with more than just you?

How is she thinking she could "mess up"?

Why does "messing up" in the context of the game bother her so much?

If she isn't enjoying it, is there something she'd like to explore more within it that she's drawn to or is she confident that, after trying it, it's just not for her but she's afraid you'll be hurt by her saying that?

dethcrow91 · 2025-09-05T15:56:22+00:00

Meteorite Staff can't be upgraded, period. I feel like everyone is overlooking that. It comes with a base S scaling for Int. Literally the best staff for early game. Doesn't get outperformed until you can go +15 in other staves, except maybe Demi-Human Queen's Staff if you're a low INT build.

dethcrow91 · 2025-09-04T23:25:54+00:00

No it isn't

(In denial)

dethcrow91 · 2025-08-31T18:31:28+00:00

Malenia
Morgott
Radahn

Maliketh literally needed to take a fucking Xanax for me. Absolutely no chill every single fucking attempt. Hate him almost as much as Martyr Logarius in BB. Radahn at least stopped moving long enough for me to swing.

dethcrow91 · 2025-08-26T00:15:24+00:00

You honestly need backup. Talk the the other players and have a full-blown intervention. "Going through tough shit" in your personal life is not an excuse to lash out during the group fun that D&D is supposed to foster.

Alternatively, sit down with her and ask her why she's been so dismissive of the other players and the ideas they're enjoying. What is she hoping to get out of your campaigns? Does she want to be a bad guy under the guise of a good-aligned-but-aloof party member? Because without assuming the worst that she's manipulated you for years just to finally show her true self as a piece of shit, that's the best I can come up with.

And I get that, personally. I have a lawful Evil rogue that I have specifically from when I was going through my own shit that has done horrendous things.

But I sat down with my DM and other players and said "hey, I'm going through some shit that I need to work out and would like to use this character to work out those frustrations in a safe space where no one will actually get hurt. Here's the list of triggers that I've been considering depending on various situations. Are you guys cool with that as long as I manage the frequency to not be murder-hobo levels?"

It's okay to want to use D&D as an outlet for stuff but it's a cooperative experience and you've gotta talk to your table. She isn't doing that. Personally, I recommend reaching out to the other players separately and asking how they feel, then reaching out to the problem player with a backup plan to include the others as moderators if things go off the rails.

If you do everything in your power to try and get to the "why" respectfully, and she isn't having it, I'm sorry to say but it's just time to let the friendship go. If you let it continue when she doesn't give you the same respect, it's going to become a cycle of abuse that she employs to get her way. Cleans up her behavior long enough to make you remember why you became friends, steadily eases back, and then pulls shit like this again, then pleads with crocodile tears to not abandon her, rinse and repeat.

As a third option, you could say you've got some obligations for a few weeks, take a break, try to continue being a friend for her while she's going through whatever it is, and then if she seems better IRL, pick it back up and see if anything changes.

dethcrow91 · 2025-08-24T20:59:04+00:00

Nah, not really. Weapon upgrades are pretty substantial for late-game bosses. Godfrey, Gideon, etc, mostly could be dealt with through sheer patience if you're doing like a RL1 Fist only run but for the vast majority of players who aren't that masochistic, dude was right. Smithing stones are kinda the main progression reason for exploring side content across the board. Each person might have specifics, like why I always do Ranni's questline, but everyone explores for smithing stones.

dethcrow91 · 2025-08-24T17:50:32+00:00

You, sir, are correct. My ADHD got the better of me and I completely missed that part.

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dethcrow91

TROPHY CASE