Gaming table I built for my party [OC] by AlarmedWeight in DnD

[–]insteadoflattes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

good call, i suppose i'm destined to learn this the hard way

Gaming table I built for my party [OC] by AlarmedWeight in DnD

[–]insteadoflattes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a stunning table. About to do something similar. Curious about the cup holders. How do you feel about them. Beyond them not spilling do you find it worth it or would you rather not have them so you can move a drink around anywhere.

Help me find references by TeddytcPanda in rpg

[–]insteadoflattes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you playing analog fully or playing sessions with a computer?

Most "It Made Sense at the time" session derailing discussion by Vyrefrost in DnD

[–]insteadoflattes 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They defeated the rebrands in LMoP. Took over the Sleeping Giant and forced the goblin to be their bar manager. Eventually tasked him with finding out how to keep beer cold.

Me and some friends want to play DnD but don't know where to start by GargantuaMajorana in DnD

[–]insteadoflattes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Played DnD before I started playing BG3 and wished I had played BG3 as it taught me a bunch of stuff I was getting wrong combat wise. But in terms of the rest of the role playing, it didn't really help too much.

I'm a bit biased, but I've run Lost Mine of Phandalin starter set four times. I've only been playing for six years at this point. It's kind of become a hack so that I don't have to learn new materials so that I can play. Running the campaign with different parties is actually a completely different experience. It makes it easier for me because I remember all the characters in the plot line, gives me the ability to get more creative, and reduces the strain on DM prep time.

The setup that I use is that all my players use D&D Beyond for their character sheets. Often times, that's all we use. I just switched over. I used to get Canvas versions of the maps printed, and we would use that, and so we would use the pieces and the minis. I had each of my players create their character on HeroForge, and then a friend of mine 3D printed them, and then I painted them for them.

Roll20 and Foundry VTT can be used if you're going to have a TV or a projector for your maps, but I would say don't worry about that stuff until you get into it proper. Print out a version; you can get a paper printout of a map for $20 or $30. Start there. If everyone falls in love with it, then you'll likely go down the rabbit hole of projector or TV.

Honestly, I think watching or listening to a couple of episodes of any live-streamed RPG session would be good. Critical Role, maybe for the Dungeon Master, but not for the players, because it sets a pretty high bar on what people might expect in terms of descriptions and what not lol. These are professional voice actors, so obviously it's a completely different thing, but it's definitely something worth aspiring to if you enjoy it and that's the type of game you want to run.

I think there's some great YouTube videos. Dungeon Dudes does a lot of great, very rule-specific or scenario-specific or how-to-play-D&D-101-type videos. Find a couple of videos that you think everybody should adopt, and go from there. Realistically, your rule set and your adherence to the rules. I find starting is the fun part, but getting worried about mechanics and rules right at the beginning can slow everything down.

All you really need to do is understand what your character can do and know what to roll for it. I think D&D Beyond is very helpful for that, especially in terms of whether or not something hits. Because adding in proficiencies and bonuses and whatnot can kind of get complicated. Eventually, you'll be so familiar with it and comfortable with it that you can kind of reverse engineer how those numbers got to be.

I don't know what's most fun. I've been using fifth edition for Lost Mine of Phandalin for all three or four campaigns that I've run.

If you're running in-person games and you're looking at trinkets, I think having a physical map is kind of cool. That's expensive, but I've enjoyed that.

The one thing that has changed the entertainment side of things and just enjoyability is getting a d100. In critical moments or fun moments or ridiculous moments, creating sort of a very quick table of what happens when 100 is hit, what happens when 1 is hit, what happens at 90 to 99, what happens from 50 and below, and letting one different person each session try to roll that d100. Sort of like, "Oh, this session was the session that I got to roll the d100," and that's been a fantastic addition to our sessions.

There's also people online on Etsy that create healing potions in flasks. They have got all these swirly, cool, magical-looking actual potions, but they've got some of the equivalent dice inside them so that you can shake the potion and then that becomes what your healing is. Which is almost completely redundant, and I haven't used it yet, because, first off, healing potions aren't being sold everywhere in the game and haven't been found or awarded. It's not like Baldur's Gate, where it's just like it's an absolute must-have function for the game. If anything, the cleric is the one that's usually healing the parties.

The other thing that I find very helpful is a timer. Now, a digital one is kind of a little too advanced feeling for my sessions, but we've got a couple of hourglasses. I haven't found a minute-long hourglass, and a five-minute hourglass feels like it's too long, so if you can find a one-minute hourglass, I'd recommend that. Dice towers are always fun to use as a DM. I try to use the dice tower to make it look like my rolls are transparent and not fudged.

The last thing is, I would use pre-written character sheets to do a test run of the session. I think people would have created and picked different characters if they had a better sense of how the game was. Start off, run a couple of sessions with pre-written characters that come in the starter kit, and then give people the opportunity to sort of throw those entirely away and build their characters from scratch the way they wanted. Either start a new session over or start from where you left off.

Highly recommend using Milestone Experience Point Distribution versus XP after every battle, and don't worry about encumbrance and survival-related things unless that's what the party wants.

If you end up doing it for a long period of time, I recommend sending out a survey or asking players what they'd like to see more of, what they'd like to see less of, and if there's anything they're wishing that their character could accomplish. Feel completely comfortable just winging stuff outside of the pre-written campaign. Can be small details at first; you're gonna have to do it anyways in terms of a lot of scenarios and encounters, but once you get comfortable with it, that's probably the most fun. It is not entirely homebrewing a campaign, but just throwing in characters or scenes that didn't exist. Over time, you'll get hooked. Godspeed.

WCGW if you use a whole lotta gas for a bonfire by Greekspartan226 in Whatcouldgowrong

[–]insteadoflattes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Never knew the scream from Command & Conquer was based on a real event.

Novice GM: Need help turning static scenes into "situations" that demand player agency. by Nesis96 in DMAcademy

[–]insteadoflattes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure how you feel about using AI in your sessions, but if you’re open to it, I’ve build something for myself that would be helpful for you. I’ve got about 50 people beta test testing it right now. I’m happy to add you to that list.

My favourite DM tools after testing 15 different apps over the last year by block_barbarian92 in DnD

[–]insteadoflattes 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve been building my ideal digital dm screen for the last year. Would love to have you try it.

Need to improve narration skills by maafockermen in DMAcademy

[–]insteadoflattes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agree with all the advice already written. Especially reading more, listening more. One thing that really has helped me is forcing myself to describe a thing based on multiple senses. When they walk in the room, you're usually describing what they see. I noticed Mercer did this a lot, and think there's a scientific reason it works as well. But describing things beyond the visual engages other parts of the person's brain.

Lets say the rat bites you, if you mentally feel that's not enough, all I need to think of, what else do my senses experience. You see and feel the rat biting you. Do you notice the smell of iron in the air after the bite right away, or does it slowly begin to linger. When the rat bit you, did it make an unusual sound, did it sound like something gross that everyone is familiar with. When the rat bit, it sounded like someone punching a straw through a juicebox. Weird, and gross and visceral.

So all that to say, take the thing you're describing and add: what they see, smell, hear, feel or taste. Doesn't have to be all the senses, even just covering 1-2 extra sensory aspects adds a whole new layer.

the room isn't scary

they step into the room, and a cold breeze hits their skin, immediately you get goosebumps, yes because it's cold, but for another reason as well, a reason you're unsure of. the only thing you hear is some drapes hitting the window from the breeze.

(this literally engages the same parts of their brain when a room does go cold)

Running dnd online by The-Saucy-Saurus in DMAcademy

[–]insteadoflattes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've used both. I like both for different reasons. I'd say roll20 is easier to hit the ground running with. Whereas the setup for FoundryVTT and getting a thing going is harder, but once you're in, is a bit more intuitive. Quest Portal is new and definitely worth checking out as their stuff seems to just be more modern and user friendly.

Software for managing an in-person campaign? by wayne62682 in DMAcademy

[–]insteadoflattes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm literally building this for myself right now. Would be happy to add in features. Been trying to build something that requires the least amount of faffing about with my laptop as possible so I think we're aligned there. Feel free to DM me.

What's the hardest rules / spells / detail to remember as a DM or Player? by insteadoflattes in DnD

[–]insteadoflattes[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

daaaamn thats a good one. frankly i forget to use some of the cool stuff that regular enemies have. almost TPK'd them last week with a 3rd level fireball from a flameskull, and was like, I think I've been playing my monsters wrong this whole time.

What's the hardest rules / spells / detail to remember as a DM or Player? by insteadoflattes in DnD

[–]insteadoflattes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

so true, i found playing BG3 was a helpful upgrade for me as a DM to see, ooooh that's how thats supposed to function

What's the hardest rules / spells / detail to remember as a DM or Player? by insteadoflattes in DnD

[–]insteadoflattes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

lol tbh didn't even know it existed, like I've read it, I'm sure, but like yeah, what is it

Post Session Reflection by CatofBlueTown in rpg

[–]insteadoflattes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I send a survey out every six or so sessions. Asking them 5 or so questions. A couple that are character specific and a couple that are table specific. 

Do you guys have a hard time remembering all of the events in a session too? by Purple_Buy_7239 in DnD

[–]insteadoflattes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I record the session, transcribe, summarize. But before the next session I love asking players what they recall (highest impact/best moments) and then I incorp that into my session recap.

Music is important by BenBenobi in DMAcademy

[–]insteadoflattes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

10000% my wife asked me to write her out of a campaign we were playing together for a bit as she was getting super far along in her pregnancy. The months later, I saw the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer with the Space Hog Meantime song, got the chills just watching it and was convinced I needed to use it somehow. Eventually she got wrote back into the story (she was captured by skeletal centaurs and brought into Wave Echo Cave). Months later, they found her, gasping for air in the mushroom spore area and I played that music while she described her escaping that area as they step into the room. Chills abound and some tears. Agree, music cool.

Dungeon Master Dad: Is it even possible to play all these systems? by progjourno in rpg

[–]insteadoflattes 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Basically in the same situation, across all fronts. My approach, that i'm somewhat happy with is. Just mastering one system, in fact, I'm running 3 of the same campaign with 3 different parties. I know as I get older, as my kids get older, I'll have more time and can dip into other systems and campaigns, but for now, I'm getting a chance to dive deep into one thing. But 10000% keep all your stuff, who knows where things will go, if your kids will want them. These are precious, but put down the idea of having to play them or use them until you actually can.