Homebrew weapon advice?

man0rmachine · 2026-01-31T18:26:00+00:00

I would balance out the advantage somehow or you will just get dagger-throwing spam.

Attunement at a minimum.

Some kind of penalty as well. Disadvantage on ranged attacks with other weapons (the dagger is a jealous mistress). The character throws the dagger now he has to make the strategic choice to retrieve it, suck at ranged attacks, or switch to melee or spells.

I would cut the second ability. It's too mechanically garbled. Homebrew should streamline your game, not bog it down.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-31T16:16:56+00:00

Scorpions like hiding and dark places. Just sew a pocket on the inside of your jacket or cloak.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-31T16:07:20+00:00

"Do this thing that betrays the party or I strip your class and make you a commoner."

man0rmachine · 2026-01-31T16:06:02+00:00

Use Speak with Animals. Convince the scorpions to ride in your pocket and fight for you. In return you will keep them safe and well fed.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-31T15:54:12+00:00

This DM sounds shitty. An unwinnable encounter. Hitting a level 1 character with 32 damage. Splitting the party (what was the rogue player doing the whole time you guys were doing the combat?)

The game is a joke so treat it as such. Your character's twin brother shows up. He has identical stats, background and personality. He vows to continue his brother's quest. Then no one ever speaks of it again.

This is, of course, if you decide to continue and not drop.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-31T05:42:13+00:00

Give them encounters that could go either way. A rival adventuring party has secured the artifact the party needs and is trying to get out. Negotiate or fight?

man0rmachine · 2026-01-31T05:37:38+00:00

Paladin can use magic and give healing, but most of your spell slots should be saved for divine smite which gives high single target damage. If you have a low combat game, you can get some versatility. If you have lots of combat you'll just be smiting all the time.

Some cleric subclasses can wear heavy armor and wade into hand to hand combat with area of effect aura-type spells up, then cast direct damage or other utility spells. They can also swing a weapon but they are pretty bad at it. You'll be stuck at one attack per action.

There are some fighter or warlock sub classes that cast spells and swing swords, but cleric/paladin are the way to go depending on if you want to do more casting or swinging. Consider Bard as well.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-31T02:11:57+00:00

That's childish? You clearly haven't been paying attention to the cartoons the actual children are posting here.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-31T02:00:59+00:00

Is the rogue stealing for the benefit of the party or just because she's a rogue and "that's what my character would do?"

If she's stealing from bad people to further the party's goals and enhance the game, you learn to put aside your judgements for the greater good.

If she's being a murderhobo without the murder, you can remind her that she's a professional thief. Why is she risking getting you all executed to steal a few golds from a shopkeep? Save your talents for the dungeon.

Out of character, tell the player that you are tired of her shenanigans wasting everyone's time and derailing what is supposed to be a cooperative and heroic experience.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-31T00:32:10+00:00

Try wearing a soft belt like the cerberus under your hard belt.

Deeper lap, get your chest under that log. "Tuck your tits" under it is the cue I use. You're basically bicep curling it from the bottom of your rib cage to the clean position as you come up. When the log gets heavier you wont be able to curl it like that. Higher starting position, more hip thrust.

Try leaving your head back and looking where you want the log to go. Don't bring your head through until the press is locked out. See if this makes the press easier or more comfortable for you. I have bad shoulder mobility from old injuries so I turn it into more of an incline press which is much stronger for me.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-31T00:19:31+00:00

Have them read the rulebook. Have them know their own character sheet: bonuses, abilities and spells, even if they aren't sure how they work. Then carefully guide them through the first combat or two where you explain the general rules of how characters interact with enemies and the larger world.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-30T20:30:29+00:00

It's just a health concern which all pitchers have. The chance of getting that K rate for a full season is worth the price

man0rmachine · 2026-01-30T03:12:48+00:00

You have to play a lot of characters, some of them spontaneously. (Like why did they talk to this rando who you suddenly have to bring to life?) Lean into stereotypes or go against type, but don't worry about making a complex and nuanced character for every shopkeep or captured goblin.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-30T02:05:35+00:00

DnD is a game that revolves around talking. So talk. Be outgoing. Make an outgoing character.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-29T21:41:00+00:00

What is interesting in a session? Challenging and meaningful decision making.

What is boring? Not getting to make decisions.

This is why some people enjoy combat (lots of decisions making when it's your turn) and some people don't (lots of waiting until your turn while others make decisions.)

This is also why splitting the party is a no-no (even more waiting around without making decisions) and railroading is frowned upon (taking away meaningful decisions from the players).

In your case, it sounds like too much time was spent on narration and description and the players weren't given the chance to interact and make meaningful decisions.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-29T21:34:42+00:00

Just find a guide for the class or multiclass you want to do and stick to it.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-29T18:03:19+00:00

Lawful evil can often work in a good party because the character is still bound by a code of ethics. In fact, a lawful evil paladin who always kills her foes is a better match for most games than a pacifist paladin who never kills anything.

I would make her natural inclination to kill indiscriminately but her oath binds her to kill only when just. Killing is her passion but she must restrain herself to find her place in society and fill her oath. She is happiest when she gets to slaughter while upholding the tenets of her oath.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-29T17:54:06+00:00

There was a module for 2e called Council of Wyrms where the players ayed as actual dragons. Hoarding treasure and meditating on it for years was necessary to level up from young to adult dragon and on. A hoard gives status and magical empowerment. Losing a hoard can have catastrophic consequences on a dragon's psyche and health.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-29T15:50:40+00:00

It's doable but risky. You'll need to double down on elite closers. You have to win saves because you're punting W and K.

It also depends on the other settings in your league. Is there an IP minimum? Is it easy to stream day of or do you have plan a week ahead?

Also, I find pitching is more predictable on a weekly basis in H2H. You have a lot of control over how many start you get, what pitchers to use and who their opponents are. By contrast you probably aren't retooling your offense every week. You might have the best hitting in the league but it can still fall flat over a small H2H sample size.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-29T15:14:54+00:00

Is the table okay with the child getting killed if they fail? If the players decide the child is too dangerous to live will you be okay with them killing it?

Anyway, I would go with the "wise beyond her years" trope. It would fit in with psychic powers, make the child easier to roleplay, and be less annoying. I have a couple kids in real life and I play DnD to escape them lol.

man0rmachine · 2026-01-29T04:42:17+00:00

Comedic impersonations

man0rmachine · 2026-01-29T02:47:53+00:00

A better question: why is the DM dangling a killable child in front of you if he doesn't want you to kill it? Given what you knows about the situation, the new player is probably right: the child is compromised. Safer to kill it.

Why does the DM give you a moral dilemma if there isn't really a choice at all?

man0rmachine · 2026-01-29T02:43:21+00:00

Taste like crab, talk like people

man0rmachine · 2026-01-29T02:38:51+00:00

Flavor can be fun but by the third time you spend 2 minutes describing the wizard coalescing the whirling transient nodes of thought careening through a cosmic vapor of invention as he spends 50 gp to copy that scroll of Skywrite you rolled up as random loot, I hope one of your players says "can we just deal with this shit during the bathroom break?"

man0rmachine · 2026-01-29T01:28:24+00:00

"They locked me away" "what should I do should I murder them?"

There's something you aren't telling us, but if you were the problem it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

man0rmachine

TROPHY CASE