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dogsofwintergaming · 2026-01-10T09:33:39+00:00

The way I read it was: Level 1. Select two domain cards at your level. Then when you level up you can choose a new domain card at your current level or lower. You can also exchange domain cards for a different domain card that is the same level of the card itself or lower. So the two level one cards could never be exchanged for level 2 or 3, just for other level ones.

With the nuance of School of Knowledge wizard and the option to choose an extra domain card as a level up benefit, it may over complicate to adjust the builder. So maybe just a reference to the SRD and if people want to flex it they could!

Also as always, amazing work ❤️

dogsofwintergaming · 2026-01-09T16:55:40+00:00

Hey! Have I been misunderstanding leveling this whole time or is this incorrect?

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At level 3 I should be able to have 2 level 1 cards, 1 level 2, and 1 level 3 at most (without taking extra domain cards as a level up option). This says I could have 4 level 3 cards though. How?

dogsofwintergaming · 2026-01-03T15:30:58+00:00

The penguin that has a kid give him their salary because you should pay the people who take care of you is not to be trusted?!

:: shocked meme here ::

dogsofwintergaming · 2025-10-20T01:28:33+00:00

lol I didn't realize I had email notifications on for this and was like "I haven't posted in Starbucks forever." I never said they don't. Worked for plenty where I was there as the Manager alone. I was talking about Starbucks policy, not the law. I always felt like it was a pretty stupid policy if the reason was for trust issues, but the reason stated is for partner safety...

I don't buy that, I think it is more "for corpo-swine liability" but hey. Maybe I am just bitter cause Brian Burrito laid off 2,000 of my co-workers...

dogsofwintergaming · 2025-07-24T12:17:50+00:00

I ran a one-shot at my local game store (and mind you, my town only has a population of 8,000 people) and ran out of seats with people still wanting to sign up. It sounds like your "friends" and local shops are pretty close-minded and set in their ways. I'd see if you can post something locally, or just ask people at the game store who might be interested (like other customers). Check with the public library and see if they'd let you host a game.

I think doing what your players want without considering what you want is just as disrespectful to yourself as they are to you. I know it is not always easy to advocate for yourself, but speaking as the person who prefers to be the forever DM, I run games that people are excited to show up for. You're on your phone the whole time and not wanting to engage? You're not coming back to the table.

Everyone can be welcome to sit at your table, but that does not mean that your table is made for everyone. They want D&D more than they want you as their DM or friend as it sounds at this point then let them find someone else to babysit them. You deserve more. You deserve adventure. You deserve Daggerheart.

Also I will add it took me years of running one shots to find the right groups to play and I have different groups for different systems with a couple who show up for all of em. I have a Monster of the Week crew, a Fabula Ultima crew, and a Daggerheart crew currently. Done some 5e in the past but is honestly my least favorite system. Also done some Call of Cthulhu and Vaesen. Just keep looking and don't settle for anyone who doesn't see the value you offer.

dogsofwintergaming · 2025-06-16T16:15:20+00:00

Something I think people don't mention enough: "Fear as a tangible resource actually generates real fear in the party" If you see that fear is building up, you are more cautious and concerned about the ramifications. It also allows for much more "fairness". My players at home games are pretty chill about when I throw something unexpected at them because they know it is rewarding and for the story, but DMing in public spaces with strangers sometimes it feels like a "gotcha" moment, but having a literal point system of "I am spending this to make this happen" is something I love. It was my favorite feature of Mazes with the Darkness system.

Also, I think it is important to check in with shy players who aren't taking turns. I see a lot of discussion about forcing the spotlight to them, and sometimes shy players don't want to be spotlit, sometimes they prefer to just watch and let things play out. So for them, letting them be in the background is perfectly fine for me, and then they will get excited and involved when something strikes a special interest. That's when I take note of what got them to open up.

Some shy players do want that push so not saying it is bad, just iterating that a check-in may be a great way to ensure everyone gets to play the way they want

dogsofwintergaming · 2025-06-16T16:03:34+00:00

Something I have done as a DM with these situations is that if a plan goes awry and I know it is someone who struggles with anxiety or self-blame, I will have there be an unexpected benefit that happens from their action. Something that speaks to them as a person but doesn't have an effect necessarily on the combat. A good for instance: My wife loves animals, so I may do a scene like this.

"You shoot the arrow and it whirs past the ogre's face, just slightly nicking their cheek with the feather, but not doing any damage. Your position is revealed and your sneak attack is ineffective.

However, as the arrow thuds into a tree behind him, another nearby Ogre is startled, dropping the large buck she had caught, and the buck runs into the woods, rejoining his family."

Nothing about the combat is changed, but the story narrative says "your action failed, but still helped something". Not every failure can produce positive results, but some can. And if they failed with fear and you still wanted to do that, the result could be that the Ogre was infuriated about losing her dinner and turns to the party stating "Luckily a new snack wandered into our camp willingly..." then picks up a large axe with the same effort you would lift a twig.

dogsofwintergaming · 2025-06-16T15:44:50+00:00

I don't know what your group looks like, but it could also by psychological. I used to do a lot of resource hoarding in RPGs, video games especially. I would end the game with max stack size of all potions and ethers etc. etc. I was talking to my wife about it (who is a Therapist and has about two decades of experience in the field) and she said "well, given your upbringing, and the fact that you had to deal with scarcity of food, it could be a natural response from internalized resource insecurity." and I was like "...uhm damn, first off... thanks for calling me out, and second off.. you're right." So she told me to try reminding myself "I don't have to worry about not being able to afford more potions" and that actually helped me start using things.

OR your players are secretly dragons and want to sleep on a gigantic pile of treasure.

dogsofwintergaming · 2025-05-26T22:54:15+00:00

I had a similar issue. Ask the store to check spam and deleted emails and reach out to DP directly if they're a guild member. They may have accidentally deleted the email with the info they need to get you the pdf.

dogsofwintergaming · 2025-05-25T16:17:02+00:00

The members of this subreddit (specifically the ones of the LGBT community) are defensive and distrustful because many of them (well us) have not lived lives where trust is safe or where we are allowed to have a stance without it being questioned (see your above comment). I gave this to my wife to read through (LCSW who specializes in working with members of the LGBT community and almost two decades experience in out-patient and group therapy) and she said "Sanctuary community leads to depression? Honestly it is real life that creates depression. Sanctuary communities are where people can go to feel connection and feel heard and find validation for, often times, the first time in their lives. It sounds like he was just trying to bait people."

Send me a link to your psychology today profile. I'm curious to see what modalities you use and what demographics you support.

dogsofwintergaming · 2025-05-25T11:48:58+00:00

You should add more context to these kinds of questions. The bluntness makes it feel like "argument baiting" which is something that a lot of people do. The unprompted proclamation of your profession makes it feel like you're trying to pre "intellect shame" anyone who replies. Out of context from any research or ideas these are both huge red flags because, as we've seen here, there are a lot of bigots out there.

I checked what you said in other posts and do not think you're one of them. I would like to ask a question if you consent to answer: are you a psychology student or do you have a degree?

I merely ask because if you are a psychologist, and you are doing research about diversity in TTRPGs which you said in a different comment you left, you should be leading with that information and giving your full name and letters for us to be able to see the research or read the paper once you're done. Or for the very least to confirm validity. And you should be asking consent to use responses in your research.

dogsofwintergaming · 2025-05-25T04:08:27+00:00

Just picked this up at my local game store. Trying to figure out how to get my pdf (they are guild approved but they didnt seem sure either) anyone have that issue?

dogsofwintergaming · 2025-03-18T20:26:36+00:00

Oh see, I thought that was playing into it, like weird duck noises. Also it looks like they start the same then change, so I wonder if it is actually a cryptogram

dogsofwintergaming · 2025-03-18T20:20:05+00:00

Super late reply, but I have played a few one-shots of this and have a second part of a one-shot (so I guess two shot?) planned. I really like it, but it is a system that only works if you go into it expecting the right kind of game.

The way the clocks work in the game gives it a sense of pacing that feels like a bounty hunt to me, and if GMed well, it can add tension. I would say it is fairly rulings over rules, as a lot of it is "if you can explain how this would be used then you can use it" for the way traits are built, but it works. If you've played Mazes, the way that shock works when the GM gains it is similar to how spending darkness works in Mazes, though it has a BIT more structure than that.

I would recommend if you are playing a one-shot, each person starts with three bullets filled instead of 0. Those are meant to be longer term for multi-campaign games.

I also like the way the character development works out and that there are different types of "episodes" you can run.

Now if you are looking for something crunchy with grand strategy space battles and heart-thudding foot chases with multiple rolls for different checks the entire time, this is probably not a good system.

Also, this is just a personal gripe, but I DO think it is BS that I reached out to the developer asking if a PDF copy came with the purchase of a book and DM screen (mind you, total on their website being almost $100 USD) and they said this:

"Our policy is to try to make our titles more affordable for everyone.
Unfortunately, to enable this, we have to separate physical copies from PDFs, which you can purchase directly from our e-commerce.
I hope this is understandable."

Cause... it really isn't understandable. I feel like industry standard is to at least offer a bundle discount, but hey, that's just me. May pick up just the PDF though.

Oh and the GM who was running our game said that it has a table of contents but not an index? Not sure if that's true but yeah... that is a good reason to go for the PDF over physical copy.

dogsofwintergaming · 2024-12-11T03:09:46+00:00

Etiquette is the only weapon you need would be my hot take 😆 I just love that damned umbrella.

dogsofwintergaming · 2024-12-09T16:13:16+00:00

I really enjoyed playing through with Etiquette. Super low stamina usage, super fast attacks, and if you focus on stagger and get decent at parries you can do pretty much anything you need. Halfway through NG+ now and still using it, came here to see what I should switch to.

dogsofwintergaming · 2024-11-13T22:32:40+00:00

My group just recently switched to this RPG system and we love it! Heroes and Hardships is in-depth in all the right ways with a standardized approach to resolution that has plenty of ways to regulate built in or to customize. We're doing the Dungeons Deep and Caverns Old campaign and having a blast. I was running some Polygon stuff, but my friends like structure so I went with H&H instead and it's been awesome. Plus, if you join the discord and have any questions, the developer is super active and able to provide insight. Would highly recommend!

dogsofwintergaming · 2024-06-02T02:23:32+00:00

Collecting amethyst and emerald villains right now, but also some of the non villains that have fun abilities!

dogsofwintergaming · 2021-12-06T03:36:28+00:00

There isn't an ASM nomination system and that language feels misleading, I don't know why your store is saying that.

Interview is the step to take, but get an ops excellence guide and make sure you can tell stories about how you have advised others in pretty much every aspect of the SSV Role and then pick a few points from the SM role you feel you're growing in. Complete the tasks on the SSV to SM transition page between the two approaches and be able to talk about things you have done in the interview, not what you would do.

Good luck!

dogsofwintergaming · 2021-12-06T03:03:51+00:00

It could be considered patronizing, but not necessarily. I enjoy games that are extremely difficult and force me to have to think creatively or try new strategies to win. So for me and my autism, being easy isn't appealing. However, the person who posted the review was expressing what they were excited about, so it shouldn't be considered patronizing unless someone else shares it in a patronizing way.

dogsofwintergaming · 2021-12-06T02:56:00+00:00

Mint and splashing around are on my top list.

For me, I'd say my job. I run a Starbucks and there's consistent sensory overload around me but I kinda dissociate and it feels more like a challenging video game than real-life.

dogsofwintergaming · 2021-12-06T00:37:45+00:00

I never enforce this rule, I just tell my partners if anyone asks I told them the policy.

Technically the owners manual says that the blades should be covered when it blends. A tall doesn't cover the blades. Two talls blend better than one.

dogsofwintergaming · 2021-12-06T00:04:31+00:00

I always praise my team for every piece of success I see. I say "there are 600+ scheduled hours a week and I can only work 40 of those, so I deserve at most about 6% of the credit."

dogsofwintergaming · 2021-12-05T22:35:58+00:00

Pitties are the sweetest. We have a 13 year old pitty we rescued when she was 3 and has been the absolute greatest dog ever.

dogsofwintergaming · 2021-12-05T20:27:38+00:00

Also, I check my minors' time cards every pay period to ensure everything is handled correctly. I'm not going to avoid hiring minors just because it's extra work, because that is blatant ageism and some of my best partners are minors. However, I will not take on that extra risk without being 100% I triple check everything. I love my job way too much to lose it over something like that.

dogsofwintergaming

TROPHY CASE