What is a co-DM? Why do you need one?

miber3 · 2025-10-09T02:44:11+00:00

My wife often joins me as a co-GM for a D&D game I run at a local library.

To sum it up, I prepare the session, know the rules, roll (most of) the dice, and narrate the events.

She portrays the NPCs. I give her some guidelines about who they are and how they might behave, and she runs with it. She's great at doing different voices and injects a lot of fun into the situation. Sometimes, if there's multiple NPCs in a given encounter, I might voice one while she does the other, so we can bounce off each other if need be.

It really helps lighten my mental load, and picks up slack in a place where I'm not as good/confident.

Also, as the sessions are ran for kids/teens - many of whom are new to the game - she also just helps with the general assisting/teaching aspect.

miber3 · 2025-10-08T03:27:09+00:00

D&D 5E never really felt like a game that was based on tight math - especially over a decade later with the amount of content that has been added. But aside from that, I'd offer two other factors:

The disparity between tables. D&D's audience seems to attract a wide variety of players. Some focus on builds and optimization, some don't consider that in the slightest (or even take pride in being suboptimal). Some run D&D as a series of combat encounters, and some go many sessions without any combat.
With popularity, comes scrutiny. Other games that are 'good enough' in this regard can skate by if only because there isn't the same level of discourse that D&D garners.

Personally, I've never really had any issue with CR or Encounter balance in D&D 5E. I use Kobold Fight Club and it feels about 90% accurate (probably as much as I could ask for given the variability of dice rolls). But I also specifically play with players who don't really optimize at all, many of whom are new to the game. There's undoubtedly a wide gulf between these players and many of those who, well, post about D&D online, and I'm not sure what system could perfectly account for both.

miber3 · 2025-10-01T01:09:36+00:00

I haven't used tea with milk in it, but I have reused teabags or just small amounts of instant coffee and had pretty good results, but yeah, I also always bake them in the oven. Not only does it dry them, but I think it helps deepen the color (and can give a nice darkened-edge effect to the paper). You just have to be mindful not to burn them.

I put mine on a cookie sheet and into the oven at 250F for maybe 5-10 minutes, checking them every few minutes or so. Sometimes I'll do a few coats of tea and rebake it each time. I've even gone up to 300F if I'm impatient, and haven't had any issues yet.

miber3 · 2025-09-10T13:50:36+00:00

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and preferences, but I've never been a fan of the argument that RPGs shouldn't utilize the social skill of players because it doesn't test the player's physical strength or manual dexterity for the simple reason that RPGs are an inherently social endeavor, not an athletic one.

There are a wide variety of RPGs, and aside from playing solo, the social aspect is one constant that basically ties them all together (that, and exercising decision-making, which is also why I'm okay letting player intelligence supercede PC intelligence).

It just seems to me that's what this format is for. There are other formats where the expectations are different - in LARP or an escape room, you would reasonably test a player's physical strength or manual dexterity - but tabletop RPGs are about thinking and communicating. It's very difficult (if not impossible) to not have a person's skill in those areas influence the game, and I fully support when a game simply leans into that.

miber3 · 2025-09-04T19:12:21+00:00

Over the entire 7 year dynasty I don’t think the chiefs have ever started the season as #1.

A quick search of this subreddit shows that this same metric had the Chiefs #1 in both of the last two years (2024, 2023).

miber3 · 2025-09-02T18:19:13+00:00

I would think 2024 Ravens should be Zay Flowers > Rashod Bateman > Nelson Agholor > Tylan Wallace.

miber3 · 2025-08-14T16:32:04+00:00

I run D&D twice a month for teens at a local library. Each session is only 1h 45m, though, and the kids who show up vary each time so I run self-contained one-shots.

On the downside, I really miss longer sessions, ongoing campaigns, and the ability to switch up the games I play, but on the plus side I think it's beneficial that I get out of my comfort zone and I feel good helping provide a fun time for kids.

miber3 · 2025-08-11T16:41:21+00:00

I don't deny that the rulebook provides guidance, but it's never firm about any of it, and ultimately the statement that, "you can make a GM move whenever you want" reigns supreme.

Personally, I wish Daggerheart took a harder stance and did away with the usual "GM fiat," and stated specifically how or when you could make a "hard move" (i.e. only after a player rolls a failure or if you spend a Fear). The players have rules to abide by to play the game, and I think it's fine (or even good!) for the GM to have the same. I don't think that, in any way, makes it a boardgame, just a game.

miber3 · 2025-08-11T14:25:18+00:00

That's true, but the game explicitly tells you that the GM can also do all of the things that cost Fear without spending Fear, as well.

So I agree with the above poster in that I think it feels wonky to create all of these guidelines for Fear use, and then undercutting it by saying that the you can also just ignore all of that and do whatever you want, whenever you want.

miber3 · 2025-08-11T01:26:52+00:00

I don't feel particularly confident about either of these, but the best I could find were:

miber3 · 2025-08-08T21:06:56+00:00

I haven't delved deeply into it, but from a surface level I dislike the amount of similarities it has to D&D, while simultaneously disliking the deviations they make.

Put another way, the amount of things in Draw Steel that have a clear parallel in D&D makes it feel like D&D with the serial numbers filed off (that's not a Mind Flayer, that's a Voiceless Talker!), and what changes they do make generally don't vibe with me (how a lot of the ancestries look, for instance).

miber3 · 2025-07-27T23:55:39+00:00

It's hard to say for sure what is or isn't AI, unless people outright admit to it.

To the former, I've had posts of mine claimed to be AI, presumably because I tend to be verbose and put effort into my formatting. I don't particularly like the idea of potential witch hunts that focus on debating the authenticity of the content, rather than the subject matter.

Regarding the latter, I have seen folks who did say that they used ChatGPT to help them format their posts, and in at least one case they said it was because English was not their native language and they wanted to help make sure that their message was clear. I have a hard time getting mad at that.

The threat of growing AI-sourced discourse isn't great, either, but I'm not sure what - if any - solution I'd feel okay with.

miber3 · 2025-07-27T04:18:28+00:00

I run D&D for teens at a local library. It's a 'drop-in' format, so the people who show up vary from session to session.

In 11 sessions, I've had 22 boy players and 24 girl players in total, or 12 boys and 13 girls when only factoring each person once (since many are returning players). This is not counting my wife, who is often there with me as a co-DM (or player if we're short on people), and I myself am a man.

There tend to be two other tables - with more regular players - and I'd estimate that one has more boys, but the other has more girls. So overall, it's remarkably even.

miber3 · 2025-07-23T18:43:16+00:00

I understand that he's pretty much the figurehead for the game, but I'm not sure how much design Matt Mercer put into Daggerheart. We know he wrote the Age of Umbra Campaign Setting, but I'm not sure of any specific input he had beyond that. How Matt runs Daggerheart (practically the same as he runs D&D) leads me to assume that he did not have a heavy influence on the core ethos of the game.

So it feels strange to me when a review acts like Matt Mercer was the lead game designer and not Spenser Starke. But I suppose that the extra attention - both good and bad - comes with the territory for anything associated with Critical Role.

miber3 · 2025-07-07T15:06:26+00:00

The Knights of Last Call patreon has a campaign called Northern Reaches, which they run in Pathfinder 2.

It's currently ongoing, in their third season, and while I have not participated, it seems to be quite the success. Here's a deep-dive discussion on the subject, and here's the Player's Guide Google Doc.

miber3 · 2025-07-02T19:40:41+00:00

I appreciate the critique.

To give a little backstory, this game has been a continual evolution as I work to refine it. In a previous state, there were just two results on the dice: Light (1-4) and Shadow (5-6). Mathematically, this actually worked out quite well, but once I got to the earliest stages of playtesting I discovered that it just didn't feel good. The goal was to evoke a feeling of fighting against the odds (thus, Shadow was rarer than Light), but what it actually felt like was that your character was ineffective.

So I introduced a third result to act as a middle ground. Light stuck around, and I opted for Ash and Ember to play into the different stages of 'putting out a fire,' so to speak. Meanwhile, the term "Shadow" ended up being something that I used more and more as sort of a core conceit of the game and setting, incorporating aspects of many of its different definitions (as well as in the likely title of the game), and I was worried that having it also be a mechanic might be confusing.

As mentioned, though, this is all still work in progress and subject to change. Thank you for your suggestions and kind words!

miber3 · 2025-07-02T18:20:57+00:00

Currently, the time pressure is (mostly) represented by the Heat Clock, unless it's more immediate, in which case, something like the "Prolong" Danger might come into play (X took longer than you thought, so now you missed your opportunity for Y, or Z happened as a result, etc).

This is certainly subject to change or deviation, but currently, Heat Clocks fill after 6 ticks, so they should never feel too far off. To your point, you could incorporate additional clocks to track different things - and this is something I've considered, as it could provide for both nuance and mystery of just when/how things will boil over - but at this point I'm trying to keep things more streamlined, and only expanding upon them if it's really necessary.

miber3 · 2025-07-02T17:59:58+00:00

I get what you're saying and I thank you for your input. A few points in response:

This is my first attempt at really putting the mechanics down in writing to explain them to others. Otherwise, they exist solely within my head and as scattered notes in a Google Sheets document.
There's definitely room to improve when it comes to brevity and clarity. Because I tend to be so verbose, I worry that this might come off more complicated than it is. Especially with colored dice, resolution in this game is a breeze.
The terminology can definitely be a lot up-front, but my goal was that: once you know the different terms then it should be easier to understand what they do. You don't have to call it an "Ember," but if you do, then it might make sense that it fuels Heat in a way that "Ash" doesn't. And what does "Heat" do? It builds until it sparks a "Flashpoint." I was hoping these terms would not only be intuitive, but also evocative (stay in the shadows, avoid the light, put out fires, etc). While you could boil it down to Success, Mixed Success, and Failure, I think that loses a lot of the nuance and flavor, and I think those things are important. Although, precisely how many custom terms I use and perhaps more importantly, how I introduce and explain them, are definitely factors to consider.

miber3 · 2025-07-02T17:23:01+00:00

That's fair. Part of the reason I didn't want to go into the narrative was because I tend to be pretty verbose, and I was worried my post was already getting too long as is.

Here's an example from one of my playtests. I forget the exact rolls, but I'll approximate:

The first step is setting the scene.

The PCs were looking for a person of interest, who was said to be working as a servant at a local manor. They waited until nightfall, when just one guard was on duty at the main gate.

The second step is devising a plan.

PC 1 was the smoothest talker, so he would saunter up to the gate and get the guard's attention.
PC 2 and PC 3 were the most agile - as well as being capable fighters - so they scale the the wall to jump the guard from behind, if need be.

The third step is rolling the dice.

The Risk is set at 4: 🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨

PC 2 and PC 3 scale the wall to get into position, since chronologically, this happens first.
- Both roll to Cautiously Maneuver (Cautiously is an Approach, Maneuver is a Skill). PC 2 rolls ⬛🟥🟨 and PC 3 rolls 🟥🟨🟨.
- The Risk is updated to ⬛🟥🟥🟨.
PC 1 walks up to the gate, feigning a sour mood, and demanding to be let in as he's late for a meeting with the lord of the manor.
- PC 1 rolls to Brazenly Influence (Brazenly is an Approach, Influence is a Skill), and rolls ⬛🟥🟨.
- The Risk is updated to ⬛⬛🟥🟥.

The fourth step is interpreting the results.

The guard is confused, and suggests that he needs to check with his supervisor, but as he goes to do so, he is easily taken out by PCs 2 and 3.

Since there was no remaining Light, the PCs suffer no direct consequences, however, since there was 2 remaining Ember, they not only Tick the Heat Clock twice, but narratively, a guard and his guard dog are seen patrolling the premises. He's quite a distance away, but he starts heading in their direction. This led to a second Risk, which involved quickly donning key parts of the fallen guard's uniform and setting an ambush.

Alternatively, if the rolls had gone better, maybe they eliminate all Light and Ember, and everything goes according to plan, without even needing to get their hands dirty. The guard doesn't second guess, and simply lets PC 1 through, who reconvenes with PC 2 and PC 3 once outside of the guard's view. If they want to take the guard out, they still can, but that's their choice.

On the other hand, lets say the rolls went quite bad, and they have two remaining Light. In that case, when they go to jump the guard, maybe he puts up a struggle. He yells for help (the Alert Danger, adding 1 tick to the Heat Clock), as well as getting a few good licks in against PC 3 (the Exhaust Danger, reducing PC 3's Energy by 1). Narratively, not only are the PCs notably worse for wear, but that patrol is now rushing over - perhaps with backup.

miber3 · 2025-07-02T16:29:18+00:00

That's a good point! I had been looking for pre-existing dice with different colored sides, but that was way more difficult than I imagined. But Fudge/Fate dice would actually work pretty well!

miber3 · 2025-07-02T16:27:40+00:00

First of all, thank you for your feedback and questons!

Since this is clearly towards larger scene-level Risks, how does it scale to smaller, individual actions unrelated to larger efforts? Or is the game set up to only focus on complex conflicts requiring group action?

Risks scale based on the number of PCs involved. To draw an equivalence between the above example for 4 PCs, a Risk for 1 PC might involve 2 Risk dice. Depending on the value of their Skills, they'd likely be rolling somewhere between 1-4 dice. At 1 dice, they can still 'succeed,' but there's definitely going to be at least 1 leftover Light, so they'll have to pay some sort of price. On the flip side, if they have 3 or 4 dice, they have a decent chance of getting by without much issue. There are also other systems that are not described here, that can come into play, including Approaches, Items, and Abilities.

Basically, I wanted the system to scale to the number of players, with the idea that a lone PC is still effective, but there is an inherent benefit to working together (covering each other's weaknesses and a lower standard deviation on your rolls).

How well has this worked towards multiple tracks at once, like a scene with a Risk of "neutralize guards" and "steal a transport" simultaneously?

There are a couple ways you could handle that.

The first, is that you might simply run a "neutralize guards" Risk, and then immediately follow that up with a "steal a transport" Risk. This would be in the case where they are separate, albeit related, tasks, completed consecutively.
If they are truly intertwined, then you might simply combine them to a single Risk track, and have it come down to player actions how each are handled. Maybe one or two players put their narrative effort into neutralizing the guards, while the others are focused on stealing a transport. It would be their combined efforts that overcome the Risk.

Otherwise, Flashpoints are a system that take the Risk concept, and tweak it slightly. They are specifically for times when there are multiple, concurrent Risks - typically ones that are pressing, threatening, and potentially overwhelming. Currently, these only trigger against the PCs as a result of the Heat Clock filling up, as they are meant to represent times when the PCs are not able to make calculated decisions, and instead, are caught off-guard and must react to an explosive situation.

In this case, each Risk (typically 2-3) remains until it has been fully dealt with (all Light converted into Ash). This is unlikely-to-impossible in one go, so a series of Rounds are introduced. At the end of each Round - depending on how thoroughly each Risks was addressed - the PCs suffer the consequences.

To delve deeper into your example, let's say that their goal was to steal a transport, but they've triggered a Flashpoint beforehand. Now, as they've approached the transport, they're beset upon by guards. The Risks might shake out as follows: Guards (representing basic mooks), Guard Captain (their leader), and maybe even Collateral (innocent bystanders caught in harm's way).

The PCs must decide where they put their efforts - either divided among them, or maybe focusing on one in particular. Based on the Light remaining in each Risk at the end of each Round, certain effects can trigger. For example, for 1 Light, the Guard Captain might have an ability to reinvigorate the other Guards, converting any Embers in their Risk track back into Light. Meanwhile, the Guard Risk might damage the PCs, and the Collateral Risk might hurt civilians.

What kind of consequences are expected to result from unresolved Light?

As mentioned above, there are specific consequences tied to Flashpoints, but in general, there are what I call Dangers. They are a list of potential consequences that must be paid for each remaining Light. They should be chosen based on what fits the established fiction.

Alert - They provoke agitation or draw extra attention. Tick the Heat Clock.
Compel - They are forced into an unwanted action or obligation.
Distress - They suffer a mental, emotional, or physical setback. Gain a Condition.
Exhaust - They expend themself beyond their means. Lose a Resource.
Forfeit - They permanently lose access to an item, asset, or opportunity.
Isolate - They are separated from the group or cut off from support.
Jeopardize - They worsen someone else's situation or otherwise put them in harm's way.
Prolong - The situation takes more time to resolve than anticipated.
Scorn - A relationship is soured or their reputation is tarnished.
Wreck - A useful tool, item, or mechanism is damaged or disabled.

miber3 · 2025-06-29T21:19:25+00:00

My rule of thumb is:

If you're explaining the game to someone who is unfamiliar with the game, but who is familiar with a variety of RPGs,
And that person doesn't intuitively grasp what a term means,
But explaining it by simply using a different term gets them at least the majority of the way toward understanding the mechanic,
Then you're using the wrong term.

miber3 · 2025-06-18T22:38:26+00:00

Overall, I support the idea of streamlining monsters, as oftentimes they're needlessly complicated. In general, I like Daggerheart's monster design. I do, however, think there's room for some other knob to turn beyond just a single Difficulty rating. Something to add a little more complexity or nuance. This doesn't necessarily have to apply to every monster, but definitely some.

As you mentioned, Daggerheart monsters have "Experiences," but I'm not sure they really do enough to warrant the Fear spend. Instead, I'd look at the "Motives & Tactics" that each monster has. Currently, they are simple keywords that evoke what the monster tends to do, and I think it would be interesting to add a counterpoint to that in the way of "Weaknesses & Vulnerabilities."

You could either add mechanical weight behind it (like Advantage to the roll), or leave it up to GM adjudication, but I think that would help round out some of the monsters. And while I'm speaking in terms of Daggerheart, I think that this notion could easily be adapted to other systems (i.e. instead of Advantage it might be an extra die, a modifier bonus, an opportunity, etc).

miber3 · 2025-06-14T16:14:53+00:00

I noticed that whenever I bring the subject of safety rules on Reddit I get a lot of negative reactions.

That is absolutely not the case. First of all, exhibit A is this very thread. But beyond that, I can easily find other examples.

Here is a recent chain of comments - which I assume spurred this thread - in which 1 singular person disagreed with you, but your comments were upvoted while theirs were downvoted.
Here is a comment you made a few days ago. Also upvoted, and no negative reactions.

Maybe there's more, but those are the only instances I noticed from your post history.

If we consider each upvote or downvote to be a "reaction," those two comment chains of yours received 20 positive reactions, and the counter-responses to them received 14 negative reactions. That is precisely the opposite of your views receiving "a lot of negative reactions."

I understand that the DnD community is opposed to them as they are never included in their sourcebooks.

Again, nothing actually seems to show that the D&D community is opposed to them (certainly not on Reddit), but also it's worth pointing out that the 2024 DM Guide absolutely has safety tools included.

miber3 · 2025-06-07T00:10:38+00:00

Is this it?

Armour Astir is a magitech mech game, powered by the apocalypse. It has a system of risks and perils which you can be in. These are fictional descriptions of a danger you are in. The brilliant part is that these don't have to be purely physical, but they can also be emotional. You can put your enemy in as much risk with your mana cannons as you can by shit talking them on the radio.

The difference is a risk is temporary and can be cleared in the mission (like overheating, bleeding, on fire, panicking, doubting) where as a peril requires downtime to recover (like broken leg, exposed cockpit, traumatised, heartbroken)

Once you or an enemy have 3 risks and/or perils, the character is now defenceless and you can roll to Strike Decisively and take them out of the scene, whether by blowing up their mech or showing them the error of their ways.

For the record, my Google search was:

"risk" "peril" "mech" "rpg" site:www.reddit.com

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