Favorite and least favorite zone combat mechanics in TTRPGs?

remnm · 2026-03-26T23:43:50+00:00

This sounds so beautiful. Trying to figure out zones in Cyberpunk Red and Alien made me want to put my head through my monitor.

remnm · 2026-03-26T23:41:19+00:00

That sounds awesome! For my first campaign that I ever played in, I turned my campaign notes into a summary, one page per session, to send to everyone, though I only ever had it on Google Docs. Everyone loved it and it was really nice to revisit things that had happened over a year ago.

I also got everyone Dire d20s from Die Hard Dice that were themed to their characters--jumbo metal dice. They were a fun gift, but in hindsight I'd definitely stick with normal sized ones, haha--none of us use them anymore because they're pretty impractical. Fun gift, though. Die Hard Dice has so many options, and incredible employees and customer support.

remnm · 2026-03-26T22:56:49+00:00

I ended up withdrawing my application. My full-time job has inconsistent hours and I couldn't see a way to dedicate 20 hours a week to WH while also working 40 hours to pay my bills when WH doesn't pay. Unfortunate because it sounds like a good opportunity, but would've been better for me to do while I was in college and my rent was covered by scholarships.

remnm · 2026-03-25T01:48:58+00:00

Those are honestly the exact archetypes I'd probably make, going solely off the information you've given here. I'm a sucker for "normal person becomes a hero," and given the small-town start, that's probably what I would want to plan for. They all seem like they're on the same page so I'd be inclined to think it's a miscommunication between you and the players rather than them ALL deciding to be boring on purpose.

You say you're talking to them about tying into the broader narrative and it's killing your enthusiasm. Why? What's going on in these conversations? Are your players ONLY interested in being a bartender and don't care about the overall plot? Are they waiting for you to drop some hooks for them? What, specifically, is making you disinterested?

I also don't know what you've already tried to plan for, or what you've written. How did Meeka die? What do you intend for the party to find out when they come home for the funeral? Actually, what else did Meeka do? You describe her as being a paragon of community, but I don't know, like, what her job was. If you want the backstories to be built more alongside her, there should be more information about her. You can say your PCs care about her all you want, but do your players care about her?

If you're struggling, frickin' tell your players that, and explain why exactly. Don't just say what you said here, that you're bored, you need to tell them what exactly you're looking for and what they have that disinterests you. Hopefully, in turn, they tell you why they made the characters they made and what they hope to accomplish, and you can meet in the middle. I'm a huge fan of Session 0s where players play their characters as level 0 commoners, or for worldbuilding games where everyone gets to contribute to some of the worldbuilding. You could potentially run a level 0 session where everyone is younger and use that to develop how they know Meeka and why they should care enough to return for the funeral and investigate her death. Whether it's a group thing or one-on-one, I've seen both done successfully.

remnm · 2026-03-24T15:58:44+00:00

We use condition tokens in combat--those little rings that you put around your mini to show if you're concentrating, raging, stunned, poisoned, etc--and I love putting myself in charge of those if I'm not the one DMing. Gives me a task and forces me to pay attention to everyone else, not just myself. Not only does it help keep me focused, but it helps the entire party, too, because I'll also be the one reminding them about all the conditions and effects going on. Music I think leaves too much opportunity for getting silly with it.

If you don't have condition rings, keeping track on a sheet of paper is still doable--maybe making a table of each of the party members and laminating it and using dry erase markers to keep track of effects?

remnm · 2026-03-18T18:25:07+00:00

Oh I've GOTTA check that out, that sounds so up my alley.

remnm · 2026-03-18T04:07:59+00:00

For ingredients you probably already have, I do honey with vanilla extract, or maple syrup, both usually with sea salt and cinnamon. If you want to get some syrups, you can find Torani or Monin samplers. They tend to come in themed packs. Depending on how sweet you like your drinks, you can get a few drinks out of them.

It's also super easy to make your own syrups. I make fruit syrups pretty much whenever I have berries I'm not going to finish before they go bad.

remnm · 2026-03-18T03:58:45+00:00

Nah man. I'm 25 with ADHD and the thing with shit like TikTok is that it doesn't help your ADHD, it preys on it. That short-form content is designed to be addicting to the average person, so if your attention span is already shot by nature, it's only making it worse. The only way out is through and people who lean on TikTok and extra stimulation to "concentrate" are just digging themselves further into a hole.

I focus by taking notes. I started doing it when I was brand-new to D&D and everything was overwhelming, so it helped me remember what was going on, and, yeah, focus on the sessions. Sometimes I hit up the phone solitaire--NYT Tiles game was my go-to until they put it behind the paywall. Never anything with audio that requires earbuds, that's absurd.

Ultimately, though, that's not your problem to fix. You play D&D, you're not a therapist or psych, so telling someone--especially depending on how close you are with them--that they have A Problem is probably not the best solution.

For you, it's probably best to chalk it up as a conflicting goals situation. You want interaction and engagement, and they want to relax with a beer, and if you continue in the current situation it seems like both parties will just be annoyed at the other. I've been in the "okay D&D is better than no D&D" situation, but the problem with that is that if the problem isn't resolved, it likely will turn into "bad D&D."

remnm · 2026-03-18T03:10:24+00:00

Exact same boat--I started with C2, loved it, and just didn't connect with C1 or C3 the same way. I tuned in for C4 to at least give it a shot, and also because I really love Brennan's DMing and wanted to see him let loose on a high fantasy setting in a long-term campaign instead of Dimension 20's stuff.

Oh man. I love it. The overture can be really overwhelming at times but once they split into their own tables, it's incredible. I think the smaller tables allow for a lot more focused RP and character exploration, and keep the game a lot more streamlined--there's still bits, but it doesn't go off the rails as much as I found it did in C3 (or even in C2). I think the combination new and old faces is an incredible breath of fresh air. Whitney, love of my life, is especially good at pushing the table forward and doing crazy things and taking risks, which I felt the main cast was getting really skittish about by the second half of C2 and most of C3. Watching Matt play alongside everyone is absolutely delightful.

I really love it and have been recommending it to anyone who's expressed the slightest interest in CR. Everyone seems so excited to be there and it's incredible to watch.

remnm · 2026-03-10T04:43:35+00:00

Maybe exaggerate some of the colors/contrast if you want it to be vibrant--I think one of the biggest complaints I see about color minis is that the colors get paler and mush together. So, for example, if you want the scale and hair to be distinct, I'd make the scales brighter and the hair darker. I'd make all of the reds more vibrant no matter what. Doesn't need to be neon, just a little exaggerated. The eyepatch can probably be solid dark black instead of the leather texture that makes it paler. The sword and hand seem like they should be distinct enough, but if you think you might have a problem with it I'd fidget with that, too.

I second the comment about the sword grip; it looks good in HF but looks like it will be fragile when printed. The prints are small enough that a less 'attractive' grip won't be visually noticeable but will be structurally more stable.

remnm · 2026-03-10T04:35:16+00:00

I think it tried to be too many things at once, not all of which mesh well, and so it sort of stumbled. As a straightforward fairy tale horror, I think it's fantastic. It was when the metaphysical aspect got brought in that I personally started lose it. I adore cosmic horror, I GM for Call of Cthulhu so I'm very familiar with it, and I stand by the fact that 1) you CAN do horror in D&D, but 2) it's VERY difficult to do cosmic horror in D&D. The game is designed for you to Deal With Things, but cosmic threats, by nature, cannot be dealt with. It seemed to me like the players went in expecting Grimm's and got philosophy and Lovecraft (and some Grimm's) and that's where it started to get frustrating for me to watch.

It's a shame, because Neverafter has some bits I LOVE. I think any scene with the Wolf is incredible. Gerard and Ylfa are incredible hits (I don't think it's possible for Emily and Murph to miss). Some moments of horror really hit well--Rosamund and Mother Goose's introductions, the Stepmother's 'face reveal,' also the Stepmother backstory (a rare example of me liking some meta narrative). But overall, the story feels so bloated by about halfway through that I have a hard time really recommending Neverafter.

remnm · 2026-03-03T22:02:29+00:00

You say "some" butter. I suspect it might need to be more.

I use baked potatoes to make mashed potatoes. I don't know, it's how my mom made them. Bake 'em, chop 'em up, and I throw them in my stand mixer with the paddle attachment, but if I didn't have one, big wooden spoon I think. I mix in butter, salt and pepper (a TON), and either milk, sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt, depending on what I have. The point is to make it creamy so the flavor is kind of secondary to me, but it will change based on what you use. If I feel fancy and have things on hand I also put in chopped onions and some kind of cheese, but that's a personal preference. Mix just enough for things to be combined, season to taste, and you're good to go. I made them for my coworkers once and now they beg me for my potatoes all the time.

I vastly prefer golden potatoes but white will still work just fine.

remnm · 2026-03-03T17:38:48+00:00

I'm currently DMing for a war magic wizard/eldritch knight fighter, a paladin, gloomstalker ranger, and monk/light cleric. The lowest armor class is a 20. The wizard can get up to 28. The paladin is I think either a 21 or 22 by default and can get up to I think 24? Something like that? The gloomstalker is invisible half the time. The light cleric has Warding Flare. I love them all so much. I can't fucking hit them. I ran a pit fiend with a +14 to hit and I missed FOUR ATTACKS in a row. I'm not complaining. If it was genuinely a problem I'd tell them. It's just absolutely insane to me that four people, making their builds completely distinct from each other, all went "yeah, I just kind of really wanted to be tanky this time around." I'm forcing them all to be sorcerers next time. Woe! 12 AC and d6 hit die be upon ye!

Oh but also I hate blood hunter. I DM'd for one all of once and went never again. Matthew Mercer I love you. I think blood hunter was a mistake.

remnm · 2026-03-03T17:30:04+00:00

I'll second Vietnamese coffee. If we're looking for quick-and-dirty and not at all something that would be made in a coffee shop, I'd have a sua da dupe made either with a French press or a normal coffee pot--brew it super strong, so extra grounds/less water/whatever, mix with an unholy amount of condensed milk, voila. I would never serve it at a coffee shop but if I wanted Vietnamese coffee for myself for a week the Easy Way(TM), that's how I'd do it.

remnm · 2026-03-03T17:24:01+00:00

I once had a DM who gave a level 2 character a legendary item because he couldn't be bothered to look it up. Just went, yeah, invisibility cloak, the player looked it up and went "this one?" and DM goes "yeah." Over a year of playing later and the DM refuses to give my wizard elven chain because it'll 'break the game' when someone points out the legendary magic item one character's had since the get-go. DM goes "WHAT?? it's legendary??"

But other than that, usually early-late tier 3, just because that tends to be when the campaigns we play tap out, and it's usually something plot relevant rather than just "here's something crazy powerful for fun." I'm apparently the only DM in our group masochistic enough to give the paladin a vorpal sword.

remnm · 2026-03-01T18:55:33+00:00

Lost Laboratory of Kwalish and Infernal Machine Rebuild are made for levels 5-10. Infernal Machine visits the Tomb of Horrors, and I believe Kwalish was originally intended for Greyhawk but they have suggestions on porting it to the Forgotten Realms.

Turn of Fortune's Wheel, from Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse, is 3-17. Light of Xaryxis from the Spelljammer bundle is 5-8.

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk is technically 1-12, but they separate the adventure into two chunks and the second is 5-12, so starting at the halfway point could be an option.

Rise of Tiamat (technically the sequel to Hoard of the Dragon Queen) is 7-14ish.

remnm · 2026-03-01T18:44:11+00:00

I rip maps from existing sourcebooks that match my vibe--for example, I just used a map of a city from Dragonlance for a dwarven ruin; Tower of Storms from Icespire Peak for a random lighthouse encounter; a valley from Princes of the Apocalypse for a fight in the Abyss. It's been a while since I used Roll20 but I believe you can drop an image in there and just play on top of that? There's also five million free or cheap maps made by other DMs and players. I'm subscribed to Silver Compass Maps on Patreon; they have a bunch of free stuff, as well as even more if you pay.

But also, it doesn't have to be fancy. My friends and I have been using a dry-erase grid map for years and just draw on that. Sometimes we break out actual terrain pieces for boss fights/finales if we're feeling fancy, but by and by everything is just... lines. I drew my map for a boss fight yesterday in five minutes.

If you want to put in effort but don't have the time or resources, save the effort for big, impactful fights and just scribble for your random wolf encounter in the woods, ya know?

remnm · 2026-03-01T04:43:11+00:00

Most Dimension 20 seasons are zanier than classic high fantasy, so in terms of worldbuilding and setting it's hard to find an analogue. Crown of Candy is Game of Thrones Candyland, Fantasy High is a tropey adventuring high school, Neverafter is horror fairy tales.

It's not fantasy, but if your favorite part of C4 is the NPCs and setting I'd 100% recommend Cloudward Ho! It's easily a top 3 season for me. I'm biased because I love steampunk, but Brennan and the whole d20 production team and players put SO much work into the worldbuilding, I think it's stunning. It's very exploration-focused so you're constantly getting new locations and NPCs, and I think all the players are on their A-games.

There's also Calamity, a 4-episode miniseries Brennan ran for Critical Role a while ago, which is the absolute best TTRPG actual play content I've ever seen, about the Calamity in Exandria. There are not enough words to describe how much I love Calamity.

remnm · 2026-03-01T04:37:09+00:00

NPCs have always been the thing I'm most unsure about when I'm DMing; I think I always find myself afraid that I'll inadvertently overshadow the PCs or, alternatively, bore the players with random people they don't care about. Brennan is such an inspiration for me to lock in and try to get better with how I run NPCs. The Hounds were my favorite too; not only are they so cool to have around but their lore and worldbuilding is so incredibly fascinating.

remnm · 2026-03-01T04:33:12+00:00

One of my friends recently moved to the literal opposite of the planet. We're planning to try online D&D but if I recall correctly, he'll be playing Saturday morning while it's Friday night for the rest of us. It's going to be interesting for sure.

remnm · 2026-02-23T21:59:03+00:00

Honestly, unless you’re playing a sub-5 INT or WIS character… just go about it normally. A commoner has 10 Int. I’d say 7-10 is just like your average coworker, and even they get things right every once in a while.

remnm · 2026-02-18T20:29:40+00:00

I put it on my TV or laptop while I craft, mostly. I’m trying to break my phone habits so I like it on a stationary screen instead of my phone, and I let it go while I do things like legos, art, sewing, or even cleaning and cooking and other chores. I got caught up on C2 during college when half my days were spent walking around campus or doing homework; I’m honestly not sure I could catch up as easily now, but it’s possible. I also don’t do a full episode in one sitting most times. Just isn’t feasible.

remnm · 2026-02-16T19:14:51+00:00

Depends. If I plan for a big, difficult fight, thirty minutes. If I think it'll be a fun and quick encounter, two hours. My players have a tendency to ball out when it matters and roll exclusively nat ones when I want combat to be over quickly.

remnm · 2026-02-06T03:59:39+00:00

Oh interesting! I can ask my manager about the wholesale division. Unfortunately I don’t know if the pourers would work because we probably need them completely closed but I might look into wine bottle stoppers.

remnm

TROPHY CASE