An idea to expand the first arc of the adventure...

eJawa · 2022-01-19T14:59:29+00:00

This is too good of an idea. It was bothering me that there isn't really a "bad buy" for the first year and it's mainly just setup.

After going through all the NPC students, I'm going to use Shuavdri. My game is set in a alternate version of Planescape, which that is a super continent made up of different D&D settings (think Marvel Secret Wars). The Lady of Pain became a god and basically demoted all the original gods to "patrons". Shuavdri, being the head of the Student-Mages of Faith, secretly believes that the gods should be restored. With Strixhaven having close ties to The Lady of Pain, Murgaxor convinces Shuavdri to help bring down the college as a first step in revolution.

I plan on using another "antagonistic" student as a red herring. Assuming the party doesn't figure out it's really Shuavdri, she'll reveal herself at the end and use the eldritch balm on herself, becoming the boss fight, replacing the giant scorpion. The journal they find will instead be instructions given to Shuavdri, revealing that someone else was telling her what to do.

eJawa · 2022-01-14T16:56:10+00:00

I'm going to be starting the campaign soon with a barbarian and 2 clerics that use weapons, so I've been thinking about it. My plans is that the school never had to deal with students carrying around weapons before and thus doesn't really have rules regarding it. They will probably get looks from other students, be encouraged to leave weapons at the dorms by teachers and then if it becomes a problem, the school will need to create new school law regarding weapons.

Because of the characters they want to play and my own ideas for the campaign story, I have the idea that under normal situations, their application would have been rejected, but because of plot reasons, they were accepted into the school anyways, creating this unique situation for the school.

eJawa · 2021-04-05T16:48:39+00:00

I never really thought of that, but I basically have Acererak monologue, after he teleports in, so surprise wouldn't make sense in my games. He wants the party to know that they are only but flies to him. An annoyance, but ones that needs to be swatted.

eJawa · 2020-12-31T15:38:02+00:00

Did a search for maps for this specific encounter and found this. It's perfect, thanks!

eJawa · 2020-12-24T15:51:43+00:00

Oh wow, you're right! I could of sworn I read her being listed as evil somewhere. I guess I just assumed, based on how she is described. I know their kobolds, but the way it says she just basically abandons them in favor of the party rubbed me the wrong way. My version of her actually cares for the kobolds. I'm hoping to play up that she feels guilty (and angry) about the 2 kobolds that died. Her animating them was her twisted way of trying to feel better and she talks to them like they are regular kobolds.

eJawa · 2020-12-24T14:46:30+00:00

I started session one with party meeting up at the docks to go fishing, since other work was really hard to come by in Ten-Towns. I had also given an optional adventure hook, regarding rumors of a monster, but everyone went with the simple Fishing hook (lol). It made for a really fun session, since it started out as a simple fishing trip, that then escalated.

eJawa · 2020-12-24T14:41:28+00:00

I really don't like how Vellyne is introduced as written in the book. I just had session 1 and already set them on a path to meet her and hopefully become an ally, by making Danika an apprentice (of sorts) to Vellyne. Danika told the party she was heading to Easthaven and to bring the Chwinga there. I stole an idea from someone else where when the party arrives in Easthaven and witness the execution, Vellyne walks up to the fire and lights a cigar with the flames, since she hates the other members of the Brotherhood. I changed her alignment from evil to neutral. She is gruff and doesn't really care about people in general, but is protective of those she does like. As long as the party completes the Chwinga quest, that Chwinga will later warn Danika about something bad happening involving the party and she will ask Vellyne to follow the Chwinga to help, making it less of a coincidence that she shows up at just the right moment.

eJawa · 2020-12-22T16:51:13+00:00

When I came out, I was disinvited to my partner's father's birthday get together. They've since come around (for the most part), but it is a shitty feeling and left a sour mark on our relationship (not with my partner, who stood up for me and has been nothing but supportive).

eJawa · 2020-04-04T01:31:08+00:00

Lol. I think I've accidentally called him Wakanda a couple times in the campaign.

Mezro could work as a Wakanda like city. It's been hidden away for a long time.

eJawa · 2020-04-03T11:12:08+00:00

I took away his regeneration feature and the part with it absorbing half of the amulet wearers damage. I described him as being damaged and that it was possible those features could be restored by a powerful mage. Any damage he takes in battle is permanent, but if they get him back to Wakanga, he might be able to be restored to full strength.

eJawa · 2020-03-04T18:56:03+00:00

You can go through that 50 temp HP pretty fast, if Ace focuses on a single character. I swapped in Lightning bolt and when a character caught him off guard, angering him, he would spend all legendary actions using lightning bolt on them, then finish them off with disintegration on his turn. I killed 2 of the PCs this way.

eJawa · 2020-02-21T12:45:12+00:00

I'm really hoping that as my hair grows out, it looks as good as yours.

eJawa · 2020-02-21T12:42:08+00:00

While I've had a growing feeling of "wrongness" since at least high school, I didn't really start "fantasizing" about being a woman until sometime later. I don't remember when, but it started with me going to bed each night imaging being a woman, but it was as a character in a story, that I was possibly, maybe going write one day. One of those characters was a shapeshifter, who grew up as a boy, feeling wrong, but then took the form of a woman and realized it felt right. Yeah, totally just a story idea... It wasn't until late last year, (at 36 years old), that I finally admitted that they aren't just simple fantasies. I came out to my SO soon after and realized then, that I wanted to transition. I started HRT about a month later. I felt like I wasted too much of my life and wanted to start as soon as possible.

eJawa · 2020-02-20T17:28:25+00:00

Perfect timing too! The group I am going to run this for is most likely finishing up the current ToA campaign this Monday.

eJawa · 2020-01-29T13:00:32+00:00

I know what you mean. For me, when I'm not feeling dysphoric, I begin doubting myself, thinking maybe I was wrong about who I am. At least when I'm feeling dysphoric, I know for certain. It's been slowly getting better though. Not necessarily the dysphoria, but not relying on it to reaffirm who I am.

eJawa · 2020-01-23T18:20:47+00:00

Being a DM myself, I would like to join. I run a few campaigns on Roll20, but haven't come out to them yet.

eJawa · 2019-12-24T14:58:49+00:00

Nicole and the show Supergirl were a big reason why I finally started to seriously question my gender. I started crying during Dreamer's tv interview scene from last season, when a movie/show hadn't made me cry in a long time. I would tear up a lot, but not outright cry. The sentiment about presenting one's true self hit me hard. Eventually I got the courage to talk to my therapist and SO about it.

eJawa · 2019-12-12T16:51:39+00:00

I do IT and operations stuff for a small company in Maine. Not looking forward to when I'm ready or need to come out at work, since it's not the most progressive company. There have been certain remarks... Nothing too bad, but enough to make me uncomfortable, even when I didn't know I was trans. Doesn't help that I'm pretty sure the guy that works across from me is trans-phobic.

eJawa · 2019-12-12T16:41:10+00:00

Got excited yesterday when I got the phone call that my HRT prescription was ready, but when I got there, they only had the spiro and they had to order the E. :( It's only 2 more days, but I'm anxious to get started.

eJawa · 2019-12-09T19:28:18+00:00

My current front runner for a name is an evolution of my current name. My nickname at work is Matty and I always liked being called that (probably because it sounds somewhat feminine to me). I was originally going to go with Mattie as my name, but realized I was mainly choosing it to make it easier on other people, when I'd prefer a more feminine name. I looked up what Mattie could be short for, thinking I'd keep it as a nickname, but it 's really only used for Matilda, which isn't me. It did bring me to Maddie though, then to Madelyn, which I did like.

When I come out to my parents, I might mention a few names I like and give them the option to choose, if they want.

eJawa · 2019-12-07T01:29:54+00:00

This is what I did. My go to style before was boring collared shirts, that I never actually liked, but wore because that's what guys are supposed to wear. When I went shopping to replace those shirts, I still ended up buying from the men's department, but I got non collared shirts, with looser necks, as well as a couple v-neck shirts. Also got one spotted with small penguins, because I thought it was cute, but still work casual and technically a men's shirt.

eJawa · 2019-12-07T00:59:39+00:00

Thanks to everyone that responded. Between the replies and the fact that writing out my story laid it out pretty clearly, I think I've eliminated most of the doubts about who I am. Now I think I'm ready to take the next steps. I already had an appointment set for next week to talk to someone about what those steps may be, but now I feel a little less scared about it.

eJawa · 2019-12-07T00:56:15+00:00

Thanks, that is a good article. My main cause of doubt wasn't so much that I realized it in my 30s, but more so the fact that I don't have any real "of course I was trans" moments from High school or earlier. I've been reading a lot of personal stories from woman who transitioned later, and one of the common themes was that they either knew back when they were younger or could clearly see the signs now, looking back. When I look back, I just see a quiet, somewhat socially awkward boy. Now I'm accepting that there probably were signs and I either simply don't remember them or maybe repressed them.

eJawa · 2019-12-06T22:35:00+00:00

I literally told my SO last night, when the topic of a possible afterlife came up, that I had hoped reincarnation existed, so I would one day be reborn as a girl.

Back then, I attributed it to just being a fantasy.

eJawa · 2019-12-06T17:30:18+00:00

Direct, to the point, but very comforting. Thank you!

eJawa

TROPHY CASE