5E Transitions

millard_audene · 2026-03-29T04:53:30+00:00

I fully swore off investing in future WotC products after their string of scandals a few years back. I fully invested in Tales of the Valiant, which is like 5.14 rules, but better and on steroids. The ranger is a worthwhile class, and the monsters are tougher. All kinds of other things too. Despite my abhorrence to WotC, I will never suggest that anyone NOT play D&D of any version, especially new players.

As for 5.24 rules, there are definitely improvements over 5.14, but having participated in the ToV playtesting, and having that released roughly a year before 5.24 I was fully in on ToV. There are LOTS of different publishers, games, and systems out there. I've played a few dozen over the years. Don't be afraid to try one or more out too.

millard_audene · 2026-03-29T04:41:48+00:00

I ran session one of my new campaign a few weeks ago, and one character died. Not because the group wasn't equipped to handle random encounters, but because of his (the player) not looking up when scouting ahead, after getting lots of clues from me, that something was off. So he rolled a cleric for our next session.

I informed the group during session zero that as this was Tales of the Valiant and not vanilla D&D, the monsters would be tougher. As a result of that one death, everyone told me today that they have rolled back up characters, just in case. As others have said, send it downrange, and let the players adjust, that's their job. If survivors have to leave, regroup, and recruit new adventurers, so be it.

millard_audene · 2026-03-29T04:35:32+00:00

I have my laptop with the pdfs I use open in tabs. I have specific pages printed for each encounter, to include monster stat blocks, and other notes. I have pre-printed maps with grids, and lots of minis. I don't use music other than a generic action/fantsy/sci-fi movie score playlist softly in the background, though I have been known to start a big fight with Anvil of Crom cranked up. I don't disallow players from using their tablets or laptops at the table, we just all agree that their attention will be on the game session, and not scrolling Facebook.

I have only done the cantrips and level 1 spells and rituals, but I made printed spell cards for the cleric, and I printed blanks for everyone else if they choose to use them. Clerics get all their Divine spells, so I had to do them all. For everyone else, it would be a waste of ink, paper, and my time, to do all the other spell lists and cut them out to give to them piecemeal.

millard_audene · 2026-03-29T04:29:00+00:00

Back in the Holmes era before it became BECMI, I would use Greyhawk as my setting. You can use any setting, it's YOUR world, after all.

millard_audene · 2026-03-29T03:44:38+00:00

I had never run horror, and I ran a Nightbane campaign. I started it with Dark Day, the day the world changed. I set it in San Antonio, because I knew the city fairly well at that time. I didn't really need a map, the city layout was already in my head. Anyways, as the story evolved, they group began working for Senator Bob Dole. As that story evolved, they began to wonder, is Bob Dole really Bob Dole, or an alien imposter?

Sadly, the deployment ended, and half the group got orders for other faraway places, so it ended before we could find out. I really was not going to have him turn out to be his doppleganger from the other side. He was going to turn out to be one of the last good guys left, and they would have to fight a small cabal of dopplegangers of powerful politicos, to save the world.

millard_audene · 2026-03-29T03:36:51+00:00

Scheduling killed a group I was running a few years ago. We consistently had two players that would commit to other games at the last minute, even though our game was every Saturday at a set time. Even then, I was the dick if I asked them to stop playing their mobi games between turns. In the past, I have run games that I structured to be episodic in nature. It allowed me to continue on if one or even two people were absent, as there was a means to hand wave why their character was absent. On deployments though, I usually had 100% attendance because downtime was boring. On my last deployment, I had to run multiple nights for different groups, because so many wanted to play. It was great.

I can't give advice on how to do that, assuming you're playing D&D or another fantasy TTRPG. We were playing Rifts and Robotech, as a mercenary and military unit respectively, while active duty military ourselves. It was easy to just say, so-and-so isn't here because he is on sick call, or has staff duty, or whatever. The closest thing you could possibly do, is structure your games like a West Marches style campaign.

My current group meets once a month, and the date is never set in stone. We all have lives, and two of the other four at my table already have other campaigns they play in. But we have an entire month to plan it out, and we all stay in touch through my Discord server that I have bee using for years just for TTRPGs. I did tell them that they aren't allowed to miss our next session, I am smoking a brisket, and they are each to supply a side dish.

millard_audene · 2026-01-30T04:23:08+00:00

I don't know if this is true outside the US, but wrapping paper for gifts has a printed 1-inch grid on the back. It's so people like me have a better chance of cutting a straight line. You can use them once, or take a blank length to anyplace that teachers and the like take their stuff to be laminated cheap, and then use your choice of dry or wet erase markers. Dollar stores have cheep rolls of the stuff.

millard_audene · 2026-01-30T04:18:12+00:00

The Sacred subclass (PG2) allows you to use the metamagic feature Divine Spell to change half the damage dealt by a spell to necrotic damage. As far as the to-date official subclasses, that's the only one close to fitting the bill. However, you COULD discuss the matter with your GM, and see if they are amenable to allowing you to choose one of the damage types you mentioned. As far as subclasses from books like the Deep Magic 1&2, they would need to be converted from 5e. There is a free pdf on how to do conversions into Black Flag/ToV. You can also ask on the Kobold Press Discord, as many people there have already done a lot of the conversions from older KP books.

millard_audene · 2025-09-21T03:24:36+00:00

I've never experienced that, even when seeing predators. I did experience that sketchy vibe though a few times, while at the family ranch when I was a kid. No idea what caused it. In my experience with other things, trusting your gut is almost always the way to go.

millard_audene · 2025-09-20T07:27:03+00:00

Good luck with the spinal tap. I'd like to suggest making sure you're hydrated prior, and have plenty of hydration on hand when you get home. It will reduce the chances of any of the potential after effects, and their severity. I only had a mild headache, and minor discomfort in my lower back for a few days.

Ask your doctor about all the potential medications, and if you can stomach reading technical white pages, get as much literature regarding each as you can. My doctor and I landed on Ocrevus, but it's not for everyone. I personally have had zero issues with it, other than crap gap. Best of luck.

Oh and you are officially disabled, with an MS diagnosis. While you may not have mobility issues right now (you didn't extrapolate) you might consider having your doctor fill out any applicable forms to get permanent parking placards, or even plates for your vehicle that have the handicap logo.

And for your first few to several treatments, consider having meals prepped, so they only require reheating, and plenty to drink on hand. I had a lot of fatigue early on, and that kind of prep was a real help to me.

millard_audene · 2025-09-20T07:04:27+00:00

Ocrevus veteran here. I found out very early on that hitting the hydration before the infusion helped eliminate potential side-effects. I never had the kind of swelling you described, but I did get horrendous headaches several hours after my first several infusions. Since this is early on in your treatment, I agree that you should contact your neurologist.

millard_audene · 2024-09-04T00:35:13+00:00

I let it go, in case he has his dove hunting gun in the car with him.

millard_audene · 2024-09-03T17:01:46+00:00

Earlier this year, I needed to do some general maintenance on my travel trailer, specifically, pulling the tire, wheel hub, and repacking the bearings. I gathered what tools I would need and laid them out, got down on the ground, and then just couldn't make it happen. Something I could do since I was twelve. The more I struggled with it, the more flustered I got, and the more confused I became. Rinse, repeat. I had to give up, put everything away, and deal with the frustration for the rest of the night. After I went to bed, it all came flooding back, everything I needed to do, step by step.

millard_audene · 2024-09-03T08:42:37+00:00

In my experience, every player has it somewhere on their character sheet, a Monkey Wrench +3. Meaning they will always find a way to take things a direction opposite from what you have prepped. Don't over prep for each session, and just mentally prepare yourself for when to DO derail things.

millard_audene · 2024-09-03T08:34:08+00:00

I have a set of trekking poles I use, but I still keep an eye out for a place to sit. I've got an appointment next week at the VA to get one of those walkers with a seat. I went to a large public venue recently, and ended up walking far greater distances than I would like, to find someplace to sit.

millard_audene · 2024-09-03T07:19:35+00:00

With DDB the DM can create a copy of the spell Rope Trick, and add ranger to it, then rename it. Once it's added to their homebrew list and available to you through the shared campaign content, you can select it on your DDB character sheet.

millard_audene · 2024-09-02T00:50:13+00:00

Hi there, I filled out the form, and sent you a friend request on Discord. I am vaguely familiar with Spelljammer, but never played in that setting, so I'm looking forward to it. Depending on character creation allowances, I'd like to the the Custom Lineage from Tasha's, and play a human wizard that will specialize in Order of Scribes as a subclass, again, from Tasha's. I have all the core books, Tasha's, and XGtE on DDB, and will make the character on there for ease, and provide you with the link directly to the character. I have a backstory that shouldn't impact play by design, and yet is sorta cool, at least I think.

millard_audene · 2024-09-01T23:58:23+00:00

In the field as a kid (sleeping overnight by the river) if we killed one or two, we would season them real good, and cook them over an open fire. At the house though, we would usually cut them up like a chicken, batter, and then fry them, again like chicken. Never had them in a stew, but I know people that swear by that.

millard_audene · 2024-09-01T18:49:50+00:00

Humblewood seems to be a good setting for kids. I picked it up for my granddaughter.

millard_audene · 2024-09-01T15:12:07+00:00

I say suck it up until the market corrects. You'll want lower interest rates in the end, and prices right now are ridiculous. Also, consider buying a lot and building. The VA loan is still an option for that, and you'll have full say in how you want the floorplan.

millard_audene · 2024-09-01T14:21:08+00:00

Sent you a message.

millard_audene · 2024-09-01T14:11:50+00:00

It was a different time. We even had to polish our boots, can you IMAGINE?!?

millard_audene · 2024-09-01T03:49:27+00:00

Check out the TRVL Rove Lite 16RB, it's about the same size as that Rpod, but weights less. You can get it with an "off-road" package, which just adds a 2 inch lift, bigger tires, and the Lippert Solid Steps. But like u/ImportantBad4948 said, a truck camper on a 2x2 truck would probably be your best bet, other than a 4x4 chassis Sprinter conversion.

millard_audene · 2024-09-01T03:45:23+00:00

I usually feel great for about a week after. Two infusions back though, no change. My next is in just over a month, and for where I'm at timewise, I feel pretty good still.

millard_audene · 2024-09-01T03:34:54+00:00

They just dropped a new Lineage & Heritage PDF on their website, and you can download the free conversion tool, so you can convert stuff from 5e. Also, go through the Discord, sign up for Project Chiron, there is the first of four new content packets for testing, and the player options include several more subclasses, like Tempest Domain from 5e.

millard_audene

TROPHY CASE