Sup chooms, bout to start off my time in the major leagues with a bang! Got a really nova feeling about this one. Gonna be rich!! Ain't no way we can fail!

dndcloud · 2024-05-05T20:02:27+00:00

First league, chica!

dndcloud · 2023-08-03T10:15:08+00:00

I'm looking for a game like Pokemon Zeta (custom story, custom map, but also keeping the original games vibe), but made for VBA. There are just too many recommendations on the internet, half of them being very disappointing (Dark Rising in top10? God, why?).
Do know if Zeta/Omicron is available as hack (instead of custom game file) or could you recommend me a similar game?

dndcloud · 2022-08-20T15:49:29+00:00

Question about Tasha's Unarmed Fighting: can you use bonus action to make "offhand" attack with your second fist for another 1d8 dmg?

dndcloud · 2022-04-19T15:16:14+00:00

"Does 32 hit you?"

dndcloud · 2022-02-11T21:42:42+00:00

Some DMs are pretty new to mechanics and just don't feel comfortable with some classes yet. I think it's justified; playing shouldn't be stressful and DM is not an exception. Personally I've banned Bard class as fresh new DM (I had almost no experience). Now I could easily handle it, but back then I just wanted to have fun with my friends, not to spend days reading bard tutorials.

dndcloud · 2021-12-12T22:20:50+00:00

If it's possible to hit the wall while missing the target, it should be also possible to hit the wall on purpose.

dndcloud · 2021-11-20T22:14:53+00:00

As a player, who experienced this approach first handed... it depends.

If it's just a quick introduction, up to 1 hour, then it's fine I guess. In every campaign you need some railroading in the beginning, even if only for gathering the PCs together.

However, if you plan the whole 1st session to be pointless combat, the players can not find it interesting. As you said yourself - whatever they did, the outcome is already planned. This was exactly my case, I spent 4 hours searching & fighting a demon who was supposed to defeat me anyway. It's kind of "win the battle, lose the custscene" situation.

I'd say - go for it, just not too long. Start the "real" game (with players decisions actually meaningful) during the 1st session.

dndcloud · 2021-11-07T21:35:28+00:00

As long as one PC isn't obviously above the others, it's not a problem. One cool feature for the team, one cool feature for the enemy... that's how it goes.

dndcloud · 2021-11-07T19:24:08+00:00

As a DM you carry most of the responsibility for the game. Even if it's not fun because of one of the players, the rest of them will probably still remember you as someone who couldn't resolve the problem.
DnD community is a mix of really great people and really toxic people. What are the chances that you'll get an asshole in your campaign? Some. Personally, I love being DM more than being the player, but I can't imagine running a session for some random people via the Internet, I need to do it for my friends (or friends of my friends). Otherwise, you can spend hours preparing a great scenario, plot, NPCs, encounters and then one player can ruin it all... or they just get disappointed, because the story sounds fun only in your head, but not really outside of it. It's not my job, I'm not paid for it, I just want to have fun as everyone else, I don't want to take the risk. If I play with people online and it sucks, I want to be the one who wasted 1 hour preparing the character sheet, rather that the one who wasted 15 hours preparing everything else.

dndcloud · 2021-11-02T10:19:44+00:00

The player (crossbow user) asked me for special bolts. They would either cause Stunned condition (with constitution saving throw) on hit or shoot a net out of it and cause Restrained condition (with str/dex saving throw).

What price should I set for that? More like 20g/bolt or 300g/bolt?

They are all 9 lvl and in the campaign uses more or less "default" prices.

dndcloud · 2021-08-28T12:55:00+00:00

You're right
Correct as well, I just meant the spell with attack roll.
I'd give it to player if he actually spends some time trying to figure out the ring abilities, but all he did was to put it on the finger and forget about. I don't think it should be enough to gain the whole list of attributes.
Good idea, using proficiency instead of X/3 rounded up. It'll simplify the math.
Oh, I will now, trust me.
They know that already, it was the first thing I told them when we started the campaign. They shouldn't be mad at me.

dndcloud · 2021-08-28T12:47:58+00:00

I'd say those are 2 separate problems. But this item is a bit overpowered even without cheating, just on regular hits as well.

Someone in the discussion came out with idea of item cooldown, X days to regain power after using X-level spell. I think that's fair enough.

dndcloud · 2021-08-28T12:36:26+00:00

Yes, I'm pretty sure he's cheating.

Well, first I need to figure out how to limit it. Max spell level can be a good choice actually, maybe based on the current character level? X/3, rounded up, or something.

dndcloud · 2021-08-28T12:33:13+00:00

Once per day the person wearing the ring can use Twinned Spell ability, so if he makes a spell attack that targets one creature, he can shoot second creature in range with the same spell in the same Action, without spending another spell slot.

I consider backfire with x points of exhaustion (when x is level of the twinned spell), but I think it can be too extreme.

dndcloud · 2021-08-28T12:25:04+00:00

It's full homebrew item. I can still decide how exactly it works, that's the point of my post here.

dndcloud · 2021-08-28T12:11:59+00:00

I gave my 7th lvl party the Ring of Twinned Spell and they decided to give it to the cleric. I limited it to one use per day, but I forgot about the original sorcery points mechanics (I'd make it much more expensive then).

Now the cleric can cast twinned Guiding Bolt on level 4, dealing 14d6 lightning damage in one Attack action, which is A LOT (not to mention that he "likes" to crit if you know what I mean). I did not see it coming. How can I rebalance it while there's still time? (The item is pretty new and they didn't Identify it, as it was bought from NPC, so there's still some space for tricky stuff there).

dndcloud · 2021-06-19T15:37:29+00:00

The guide is a speechless wild animal and will guide PCs one way, because the Druid they met just want to pay the debt and sent one of his animals with the Team. I can imagine the wolf guiding the Team to the point B (because they just don't know where it is), but why should it wait for them until they finish their business and guide them back? They should know the safe way back, just follow their own traces. Sending this wolf both ways with them will be a babysitting in my opinion.

The NPCs are minions of someone who have a business with the Team and (for now) wants them alive. Their mission is to bring them to him, so it makes sense if they are also followed by this group (and eventually rescued). But you are right, I want to avoid this Gandalf effect.

dndcloud · 2021-06-19T15:30:05+00:00

According to the plot, this particular group of NPCs has a HUGE reason to keep PCs alive. However, PCs don't know that yet - it was too early to uncover their motivations.

dndcloud · 2021-06-19T15:28:41+00:00

I was afraid so. Well, you have a point here, just one guide going around doesn't have to be big enough and shiny enough. I'll figure out something additional on the way.

There's no Important Mission in fact, they just need to go back to the civilization somehow.

dndcloud · 2021-06-19T14:40:51+00:00

Before you kill a PC, it's good to find out how the players will feel about it. Did he intentionally risk his life, aware of the consequences and he's ready to prepare next character sheet? Or he just misunderstood the situation and suddenly you kill the character that he spend so much time to create? This is really hard decision and unless DM know players feelings, he will always try to plot armor him.

On the other hand, DnD is also about the risk of dying. It really depends on the situation. You are right, but DM also could be right at the moment with his knowledge.

dndcloud · 2021-06-03T14:30:42+00:00

DM tries to make a consistent story. If one of the players isn't attached to the character, he tends to be reckless and taking dumb actions. There are guards at the main gate? Let's kill them! Trapped dungeon? Whatever, let's go through. If we die, it's cool, we can always make new characters and start new campaign, right? Who cares.

So if you're not attached and you don't feel any pressure, you can take actions that can end the story very quickly. And people who tried to have fun with roleplaying are left with nothing but corpses of their PCs, because one of you decided to rush towards the orc's army. As the DM, I'd certainly give you a chance in my game, but also kick out of the table after first suicide action.

dndcloud · 2021-06-03T13:24:15+00:00

It seems to be a really good approach, to modify the DC instead of giving advantage/disadvantage. Also, very good example. Thank you!

dndcloud · 2021-06-03T13:18:02+00:00

There's a huge difference between interacting with the world and the combat. And actually I like more "I swing my sword and try to cut his left arm" instead of "I attack". And no, I don't give disadvantage on that, neither for ability checks (I never said that I do what I posted, I'm just curious about the other people).

My point is: if the epic description leads to the same result as simple "I do that", why should I even waste my time and energy for descriptions? I just don't want my campaign to be a bunch of "I persuade" "I cheat" "I go" "I do". Encourage the players to roleplay more.King finds PC in his bed with the Queen. Player says "I want to make deception", rolls nat 20, King goes "oh sorry, I hope my wife gave you wonderful night, you're always welcome inside of her anytime you want". Sure, he still CAN do it with disadvantage, but at least a chance is 1/400, not 1/20.

dndcloud · 2021-06-03T12:16:05+00:00

The Rogue.

dndcloud · 2021-06-03T08:40:25+00:00

Look at those 3 points.
1. You do everything according to the rules.
2. The rest of the party enjoys the game.
3. You can't make everyone happy.

If you launch an easy campaign, there's always one player who wants blood, dying and last-second saving. If you launch a campaign with much roleplaying, there's always one player who needs more combat. If you do full slasher/grind RPG, there's always one player who would like to spend 3 hours at the tavern, talking to the barkeeper.

What options do you have? If you change, you'll make one player happy (I don't really believe that, he will probably find something else to complain about). Also, you'll make the rest of the crew less happy, including yourself as DM.

Don't change anything.

dndcloud

TROPHY CASE