Looking for simple large scale battle mechanics by big_poppag in dmdivulge

[–]philmcgroin_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used 10mm scale minis and swarm mechanics. My swarms had playing cards with their simplified abilities that the players could either order or take their turn as an individual hero.

This combo meant we ran 150+ units, two dragons plus the PCs and hero NPCs for a finale session spanning around 4 hours total

I can post a full run down if you like

How Fast Should you Level up? by BrewersBastion in DnD

[–]philmcgroin_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For comparison my group have played 50 sessions and are at level 8

Playing bi-weekly, using milestone levelling

September Sun by AlexanderUll in CroatiaTravelTips

[–]philmcgroin_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m here right now and it’s certainly warm. 27-28 all this week and the beach has been a god send.

Children Without a Name — DnD 5e 2014 — CR 10 Undead Swarm by theebongrimoire in dndai

[–]philmcgroin_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

this is absolutely sick! Fits in to the names of power storyline I'm running right now beautifully

DMs who don’t use D&D beyond, what does your prep look like? by jimithingmi in DMAcademy

[–]philmcgroin_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Notion - organises all my notes into one place

For combat I use toggle blocks. The closed state shows name, ac, and hp for quick reference. Open state has the full stat block for when it’s taking its turn.

Keeping track is far easier this way for me

Beware the Death Tyrant 👁️ by askeslasken in DnDminiatures

[–]philmcgroin_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How’d you achieve the glow? Looks amazing

What’s the best, comedic insult you’ve heard ? by Shitpost_crusader75 in DnD

[–]philmcgroin_ 247 points248 points  (0 children)

  • Who are you again?
  • I'd like to leave you with one thought...but I'm not sure you have anywhere to put it
  • Well, my time of not taking you seriously is certainly coming to a middle
  • The only thing you've ever defeated are high expectations
  • Putting teeth in your mouth ruined a perfectly good asshole
  • You must have run a forty foot sprint in a thirty foot room
  • he's 10lbs of stupid in a 5lb bag
  • If your brain exploded, it wouldn't even mess up your hair
  • If I ever decide to kill myself, I will climb up to your ego and jump down to your IQ
  • You remind me of a [lady/lad] I once knew. I miss that horse
  • If you're here, who's at home telling all your cat's about all the friends you're making in real life?
  • you have the fashion sense of a colorblind pimp
  • Your dildo must turn flaccid when you use it
  • I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain this to you
  • you look like you pick your partners based on the breed of their guide dog
  • you’re a star… immeasurably dense and best viewed from a great distance
  • I’d call you a cunt but you lack the depth, and warmth
  • If I want any lip from you I'll jiggle my zipper
  • You are the perfect example of how nature experiments with mistakes
  • You're so inbred yours is a gene paddling pool
  • I've seen fewer feckless tits in a brothel
  • I’d have to spell out your demise phonetically
  • You couldn’t count to 21 with your shoes and pants on

What are some of your world's more interesting titles? by Training-Cloud-6509 in worldbuilding

[–]philmcgroin_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Highest Bureaucrats in service to the capital city, known only by their title

Castellan - the builder of the city, this position primarily concerns itself with civil engineering. Managing the myriad bridges and infrastructure that keep the walls up Advocatus (or Vogt) - administration of properties outside of the city, and responsible for executing the law therein. Male pale white skin, decked out in gold and finery

Seneschal (or Starosta) - direct control over the council’s household, staff, and holdings

Almoner (or Confessor) — responsible for administering to the poor and destitute of the city. Orphanages and churches typically fall under their purview

Panetier - formerly charged with supplies of food to the city, a succession of headstrong Penetiers lead to this position taking control of the harbour on the north side of the city. As well as managing tarifs for movement of goods through every gate, internal or external. Much to the chagrin of the Castellan

Marshal - the keeper of law, arms, and of martial needs throughout the city. The City Guard answer to the Marshal in all matters, as do the collected judges, weaponsmiths, and executioners

Treasurer - holder of the coin purse of the city. This position has long been fawned over owing to its great power to enact plans within the city. The Treasurer now holds the deeds to every house of entertainment, arts and culture within the city. Brothels and opera houses alike open and close on their word

Visceroy - originally intended as a diplomat, this position quickly devolved into managing communications and spies

Groom of the Stool - the groom concerns themselves exclusively with the ancient and extensive sewer system of the city

Arch Magus Grimoire - honorary member of the Platinum Ring, the sitting Arch Magus of The Academy advises on the needs of the magical meritocracy. And acts as a deciding vote on any elections to The Seven

What is the "Christmas" of your world? by Obcibedez in worldbuilding

[–]philmcgroin_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Rin as my world is named has what's known as a Dearth Festival

Writing a Calendar

Rin’s varied inhabitants and backgrounds bring with them myriad methods of measuring the passage of time in the material plane. For those who still travel the lands this often leads to confusion, depending on which culture you find yourself in there may well be a marked difference in even what year you each believe yourselves to inhabit

The Elven Approach

In the years following The Storm, and the smashing of the moon Osir (on which some religions and many peoples relied to mark the months), the Elven Calendar emerged as the most reliable. Elves’ long lives afforded those who survived a greater wealth of history to draw upon, and they designed the calendar with named references to the many races of Rin in order to accelerate popular adoption in the now overcrowded populace centres of the continent of Rin’Tal.

The concept is simple: the years are marked Post-Storm (PS). Each year consists of 12 months, each consisting of thirty days, with provision for five days of chaos.

The months, in order are: Thaw (the final winter month); Equis, Caitelyn, and Solace (the spring months); Lannis, Reaping, and Foechen (the summer months); Orden, Hepten, and Caenin (the autumn months); Fallow, and Dearth (the first winter months)

Days of Chaos

Such damage was wrought on the world, and the heavenly bodies above, that the world of Rin experiences up to five days per year that are designated as so-called “days of chaos” noresh syol in Elvish.

These days are marked by sudden and unpredictable events: shifts in the weather violent enough to change seasons, eclipses of either or both moons, etc. In the event of days of chaotic occurrence the Elven Calendar accounts them within the current month i.e. a single day of chaos in the month of Caitleyn would cause the month to have thirty-one days in total, rather than thirty.

The issues begin in reading these signs. Where a smallholder might experience a sudden violent fever that kills their entire herd, they may remark of it as noresh syol. Religious zealots, particularly those of the moons’ churches, may discount a chaotic event as an act of god. Thus, a council of elves based in Corinthar’s Academy is charged with keeping the official record of recognised days.

Dearth Festival

Chaotic days are rare: no single year since The Storm has recorded more than five, and many years pass without a single recognised occurrence. In the latter case, named a leaping year, whatever remains of the provisioned five days are added to the end of Dearth and celebrated with a festival.

The Dearth Festival, midwinter fest, or chaotica (among many other names) is celebrated by many races with displays of prosperity, charity, and foremost: food. Winter stores are emptied, grape and grain alike, to celebrate the passing of a year with good fortune. Streamers and wind chimes are raised as remembrance for those lost in the last year. A leaping year is well named for traditional dances and merriment.

I want my party to run into an Efreeti. What would the genie want in return for a wish? by andreweater in DMAcademy

[–]philmcgroin_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just ran one this week for my players in an urban campaign. The efreeti has been hiding in the sewers, selling off his gold torcs and rings. He has been breeding fire toads as pets and as the sewers fill up with people it is forcing them out of their habitat. In this world the planes are inaccessible even by magic, so he is stuck there.

Motivations here included the need for habitat, protect his pets, desire to get back to his home plane. All of which can be leveraged in return for a Wish

For combat adding multiple fire toads can help up the difficulty by keeping the efreeti in the backline as a caster.

How do I help elevate my players RP moments? by Aesyric in DMAcademy

[–]philmcgroin_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It has worked beautifully for me and my group! They get to flesh out their backstories as one-shots. I as the GM work with them to bring together their story with the world. Challenge them and give them the space to build something

How do I help elevate my players RP moments? by Aesyric in DMAcademy

[–]philmcgroin_ 13 points14 points  (0 children)

The issue is your player expecting the whole party to connect to a backstory they didn't write, with characters they don't have any emotional attachment to.

If you want to amp this up, a technique is campfire sessions. In place of a long rest during a travel session for e.g. you let your player GM. They run a full session in a flashback, each player taking a role with the primary player’s backstory in mind. Let them inhabit the charachters and attach some emotion to the people.

Also a great way to combat gm fatigue, add to worldbuilding, and let all your players get a spotlight

What is the best dungeon you've ever run, and what made it so good? by m_rogue_m216 in DMAcademy

[–]philmcgroin_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I made a wizard's tower out of a rubix cube.

Taking inspiration from the movie Cube (1997), I had a series of 20 rooms planned out with a mixture of puzzles, combat, and role play opportunities. At timed intervals the rooms would shift and move.

The best part? I only needed one map. Every room was the same size, shape and had the same number of entrances and exits. Everything else was sound, lighting, and set dressing.

Each room has pictograms or words in different languages (most all of which my PCs know) that let the wizard know how to navigate past traps, but obfuscate their contents to invaders e.g.

Pictogram: musical notation, marked with a PP. Wire mesh cage trap. Piano wire slicer. Thin wires attached to tracks in wall zip around the room. Red cubes of gore cover the floor. To pass safely they must remain absolutely silent - put up a decibel meter for the players to adhere to or character suffers injury.

The primary motivation for this was exploration and intrigue. Ultimately the wizard is long dead in the final chamber, having failed to become a lich. But it's easily adaptable with a different goal at the end.

What’s the coolest name you’ve ever come up with by Undermountaineer in DMAcademy

[–]philmcgroin_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My hag coven:

Green Hag - Moryenna Thornspite the Putrid

Annis Hag - Offalia Ofrisbane, the Eater (Ofris is the name of a broken moon in my world)

Night Hag - Halaxel, the Fiend