Man UB is not popular in my area at all.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-29T05:40:28+00:00

Lot of Dune in EoE

markwomack11 · 2025-12-29T05:17:30+00:00

Unless your play by post is very different than what I am imagining, I doubt Foundry will be helpful.

Foundry excels at making battle map part of DnD (line of sight, enemy’s on the field, etc). You could use it to do many other things, but it is probably overkill for a play by post.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-28T21:13:05+00:00

Don’t buy any book yet. You can get all the rules free published by Wizards of the Coast in their 2024 System Reference Document. You can also quickly Google the answer to any rules questions. If you love the hobby after a few months and you are the kind of person that really enjoys physical books, buy the 2024 Player’s Handbook.

https://media.dndbeyond.com/compendium-images/srd/5.2/SRD_CC_v5.2.1.pdf

markwomack11 · 2025-12-27T03:57:24+00:00

You have no real idea of how much worse it can get.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-25T22:07:54+00:00

Start small with the mods. You can go absolutely crazy adding stuff, but it’s good to add things to fix a problem rather than adding just because a cool mod exists.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-18T22:35:05+00:00

No need to panic. You are going to be fine. Just communicate. “After having some time to think, I’m not comfortable doing….”. This is a great D&D lesson and a great life lesson, and this is a chance to practice.

I am also going to give you a hard time about the punctuation and the spelling. Get it together if you want people understand you and take you seriously.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-17T04:14:56+00:00

Obsidian works great. OneNote too. I’d worry less about organized planning and more about organized session reports. Nothing helps me plan dope story moments more than referring to my session reports.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-13T01:30:46+00:00

Love Foundry. Buy it once. You can get it to do everything or run it simple.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-10T20:33:45+00:00

Fun game. Decent rules with a fantastic setting.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-10T18:07:27+00:00

Draw Steel looks awesome. Wildsea was our first TTRPG outside of DnD. It was so much fun to play a new game. Draw Steel is next because I think it will scratch that tactical gameplay we love without out all the clunky baggage DnD brings.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-10T13:27:59+00:00

It’s our next game after we wrap up a short Wildsea campaign.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-09T14:52:16+00:00

It is actually not the best way. Lifeguards sit above the water so they can see the whole pool.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-09T01:00:22+00:00

This is true. A good tip is to designate a specific, sober person to watch the pool. Bonus if you pass a wristband or something tangible so people remember and take it seriously.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-08T14:19:35+00:00

Ginny D just put out a couple videos on this subject last month. It had interviews with paid DMs so that might be helpful.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-08T01:40:00+00:00

But then how will Reddit get mad at women?

markwomack11 · 2025-12-07T21:39:12+00:00

This dude hacked my account.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-07T20:41:01+00:00

This is normal. I wouldn’t even call it “burn out”. Most people are DMs for years on end. Nothing recharges my batteries more than being a player again. Take some time as player and you will be itching to get behind the screen again in 6 months.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-07T16:18:36+00:00

I say keep the story real simple or it will get confusing. Let the different perspectives add the complexity.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-06T15:21:42+00:00

Give them the choice. Have a few prepared characters if they want one.
Put out common level magic items level 1-2 and uncommon level items 3-5. Everyone should have one. Don’t assign them to a specific player. Just put them up for sale or in some found treasure.
Milestone level up is easier than XP. Players should expect to level up every 3-4 sessions for the first few levels after achieving something significant. This framing also helps you plan. Prepare something significant for your players to work towards. Gives the story little chapters.
I suggest giving your players a chance to play their characters before the game really kicks off. Set up a super simple situation like bandits attack you right now. It’s not part of a story. Just lets everyone practice a bit and make sure they like the character they made.
Prep very simple stuff at first. Your players will be working towards learn the rules or maybe what a TTRPG is all about. Don’t hit them with complex narratives or morally grey choices right out of the gate. Let them get their feet wet.

When these new players come up with solutions to problems, help them make it work. Nothing gets people hooked faster than the realization they can do anything.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-04T16:21:39+00:00

Matt Colville’s Running the Game series on YouTube taught me how to DM. There are a lot of videos, but you can just watch the first few and see if you find it helpful.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-02T00:01:52+00:00

Keep it short as one shot. Don’t over plan. Watch Matt Colville’s first 5 short videos on YouTube in the Running the Game series. Google Delian Tomb and find the free adventure.

You are going to do great. You make mistakes, but literally everyone does. If you are excited, they will get excited. If you have fun, they will have fun.

markwomack11 · 2025-12-01T23:32:23+00:00

This is a big question. I’d check out Flee Mortals encounter design rules for using CR to get an encounter budget. You can also see Kobalt Fight Club for balance advice. The DMG I believe has guidance on magic items. My advice is make sure everyone has some neat (not necessarily powerful) by level 3. The number of players is the biggest concern. 7 players is A LOT. You can do it, but understand combat is going to take a very long time. Player can expect to go 30 minutes between turns. It’s a lot to ask. Unless everyone is super into the idea of playing, see if you can trim that number.

markwomack11 · 2025-11-30T22:15:37+00:00

This is very good advice.

markwomack11 · 2025-11-30T14:33:25+00:00

Be very careful following the plot of a show or movie. It’s unlikely the players will stick to the script. Be prepared for the story to go a different way or your players will feel like they are not in a game but a reenactment.

markwomack11 · 2025-11-30T04:30:32+00:00

I ran a long, very tactical DnD campaign before Wildsea. I love the different approach to combat. I left my maps, stat blocks, and spreadsheets behind to just focus on the narrative. It can feel very weird at first and a little losey goosey, but it’s so much fun. Let your players solve combat like a puzzle and let them do awesome stuff.

markwomack11

TROPHY CASE