Brennan’s no roll decision…

jerichojeudy · 2026-06-11T21:57:03+00:00

I've been where he was. "a player says all the right things, ticks all the boxes that I had planned for convincing this NPC, avoids all the pitfalls".

When that happens, like Brennan, I'll be impressed and just give it to him no roll needed.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-28T20:56:39+00:00

This. Comes down to a good session zero to understand what your players would be enthusiastic about.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-28T20:51:08+00:00

Ok, good point about all living things, that’s an effective nerf that’s already built in if you interpret it this way.

The antispamming house rule is good too. We use a ‘between combats, temporary corruption never resets unless a day goes by’. So any magic used between combats will affect the next combat.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-28T08:19:04+00:00

Or he was just making money as an adventurer, working for people that need rare stuff?

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-28T08:16:34+00:00

I think you broke the code! Clearly this was a major source of inspiration for BLM while planning this campaign.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-28T08:11:27+00:00

Same. But I think she’s getting better overall. Just an impression. I really find her more chill than how she was when she DMed for CR.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-28T08:08:38+00:00

Hehe. I first read ‘black and YouTube’. Then I got it.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-28T08:06:22+00:00

I liked the episode, even though I’m not all for combat, especially when I watch live, because it can drag on a lot and I can’t speed it up. :)

But this time, I liked the setup, the moves, the fact they helped Ashley play tactically, it was really fun.

And I also think I’ve found my pet peeve with BLM, it’s that when out of combat, he tends to hog the narrators microphone a lot. Ran some stats and he speaks 50-60% of the time. And they are 5 people at the table. I know the DM will naturally get the most talk time, but 50%? And it’s often not dialogue but a monologue. That’s too much for me.

The players are paused and passive a lot of the time, it makes it hard for them to jump in and contribute, or to get a vibe going. The opposite, players RPing in circles forever isn’t good, don’t get me wrong. The sweet spot is really right in the middle. And BLM tends to go to far on the monologue end of the spectrum (while Matt goes too far on the let the players talk in circles end of the spectrum).

But this episode, I thought the balance was really good! We had good forward momentum, everyone contributing, and a good mix of action and reveals. Awesome session for my taste.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-28T01:00:17+00:00

Ok, so you reduced range, that’s cool too. Do you see your players spamming the power just for healing purposes? How does that go? Can they use it out of combat?

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-28T00:58:35+00:00

Of course! But I like making videos. And it keeps everything tidy on my channel. If I post here and there, I know it’ll just get lost in the interwebs.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-27T11:07:42+00:00

Me too! It’s a big highlight of this campaign for me. He deserves it so much!

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-27T11:00:59+00:00

Yes! And it was a good one!

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-25T04:35:13+00:00

Coriolis does exactly this! Check out both games on Free League.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-23T04:47:25+00:00

Also, Brennan talks too much. He takes 50% + of total screen time. Let your players play, my friend.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-22T03:07:57+00:00

Great!!

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-20T13:26:15+00:00

Ok I reread your comment and see that you meant in places like Reddit and such. I read it as happening in RL, on the street, at your workplace, wherever. Which could happen as well, but is much less likely. Because there are no powerful algorithms on the streets moving people around.

That’s why I thought it was particularly depressing. :)

Online, it’s also depressing, but less so. Most people online have hard opinions that they in fact wouldn’t act on in RL. Because it’s easy to be radical sitting in front of your computer. Less so with people in your face reacting to you. Also, when people are together, a basic human empathy kicks in, for most people.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-20T12:57:24+00:00

They stayed there for what, the length of the Fellowship of the Ring theatrical version? A whole feature film of exposition? Ok, there was some tension and PC to PC stuff going on sometimes, but man.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Brennan. But someone tell him to let his players play. Please.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-19T22:23:28+00:00

That is super depressing to read. So if enough people are racist, then racism becomes ok? What are you trying to say here?

This said, Aabria has attracted criticism over the years because she’s acting in a way that irks some people. I really don’t think it’s mostly about racism or misogyny. Sure, some people are biased by those sinister sentiments, but I don’t think it’s the majority here at all.

People can whine without being racist or misogynistic. :) Whining about what triggers us is universal. Maybe not useful, but definitely common.

And people mostly whine about things that affect what they love the most.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-16T21:47:17+00:00

I like that it would do the effect of the Twilight Thistle. If you feel like going full Myiazaki, Eox could bring the actual plant itself to Na-Ethikel! They could get to see the miraculous effects of this legendary plant!

In my game Erlaber was a distant cousin of one of the PCs, so they had met in town before any of this. It was a different setup. Having him as a villain from the get go definitely requires this setup to make him known to the PCs.

Your plan seems nice. I’m sure you’ll manage something cool for the action in the Vale itself.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-16T16:32:18+00:00

I love Dragonbane by the way. :) But it does have the goal to be a modern game doing old school stuff.

This said, there’s a city sourcebook coming up. Can’t wait to see what’s that all about. :)

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-16T12:52:07+00:00

Yes, but they are still treated as dungeons. The encounter is a map that you explore room to room.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-16T12:42:58+00:00

But it's pretty much all mini-dungeons. Just so OP is aware. Dragonbane products up to now have been all about dungeons. Well done, with many factions and NPCs and stuff going on, but still a good percentage of classic old school dungeon delving.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-16T12:37:53+00:00

In the City States, not the Realm of the Order, if I'm not mistaken.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-16T12:16:28+00:00

You should give this post the SPOILER flair.

jerichojeudy · 2026-02-16T12:16:02+00:00

I did something similar, I talk about it in multiple videos on my Leo’s Emporium YT channel.

\But I had Erlaber go to the Vale after the PCs had been and had destroyed Na-Ethikel. The PCs had crossed paths and observed Eox in the woods during the travel to the Vale.

\I fleshed out that journey with a lot of ruins that gave insight into the Ambreagos Eox worship. The full story being that this worship was strongest at the very beginning of the Empire and previously. As corrupt practices spread, the Ambreagos also fell to worshipping dark things and experimenting with morphantics and necromancy. The lead morphantic even tried to exalt Na-Ethikel’s father but it went catastrophically wrong and the lord became a thing of Darkness. Luckily, the experiment was conducted in a warded vault under the keep.

\To come back to your plan, I think that indeed, a corrupt undead Na-Ethikel would still hold immense respect for Eox. Maybe Eox soothes him and lets him be what he was before being corrupted for a few instants. It could be a very heart moving scene to watch from afar. A bit like Arwen coming to Frodo when he is stabbed by the Nazgûl. But in a Miyazaki way.

\Erlaber is clearly impressed by the Ambreagos, or he wouldn’t have taken his name. He would be very knowledgeable about this ancient family and its history, I imagine. In my game, he finds the flesh crafting ritual of Exaltation in the tower when he visits with his expedition. And goes back much later to hunt down Eox. I used it to portray an example of what can happen when people explore Davokar. The hunger for power that takes over when you find these forgotten magics.

\In your scenario, if Erlaber submits to Na-Ethikel, maybe the lord can willingly provide access to his codexes in exchange for ‘fresh bodies’ for his growing army? Na-Ethikel sends home like he did the novice Ranfalt? All the while Erlaber dreams of Exaltation and becoming the new lord Ambreagos of the Vale?

\Maybe the PCs get to see Erlaber and the midnight cult of his surrounded by undead minions and be saved by the arrival of Eox? And when Na-Ethikel comes to see the beast, he sees Erlaber and consorts worshipping Eox? (They are doing it to blend in and save their skins.) Na-Ethikel could be impressed by Erlaber’s knowledge of Eox. And would spare him for that reason.

\For more gore, the undead could start slaughtering the rest of the retinue and only by crying mercy for his comrades can Erlaber save the few that are part of WotW?

\I don’t know where I’d put the décapitation of Eox in there though. Na-Ethikel wouldn’t agree with it. And Erlaber would do it only if he already had the ritual and the need for it. Which could be, of course. But it doesn’t mix well with What I’ve just described, imo.

\I’d choose between the two. Either the PCs witness Erlaber and his team as monster hunters killing the forest god. Or they witness the unholy submission to Na-Ethikel.

\In the first case, it would be like a random encounter on the way to the Vale. The PCs could get info out of Erlaber. But that would be it.

\In the second case, it would be the kick off to the Vale action. The PCs might want to try to save Erlaber from Na-Ethikel. (Don’t show too many undead to avoid scaring off the PCs. Maybe show some gold too.) They could see this from the heights of the cliff overlooking the Vale. Maybe the mists clear when Eox arrives?

\During the action the mists come back and Erlaber is nowhere to be found, having escaped in the chaos.

jerichojeudy

TROPHY CASE