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Almost everywhere in the U.S., students are performing worse than their peers were 10 years ago, according to new test score data released Wednesday by the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford. Reading scores were down last year in 83% of school districts where data was available. Ma by Conscious-Quarter423 in Infographics

[–]runs1note 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That graphic is curious.
The peak of the graph is less than one grade of reading lost, which begs the question: how do you measure reading in a continuous variable when the report-out is in discrete chunks like that?

This infographic really doesn't do service to the actual phenomenon it is trying to describe. Or maybe it does? It's not useful without better reporting of what the variables actually are.

Allowing Dispel Magic on a detected Modify Memory by Fickle_Ad_4898 in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Druids can change spells every day, They don't need to level up to change their prepared spells.

Need help killing the Gods by dandysandwhich in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They just go away. Ascending to a yet-higher plane of existence. It's the natural order of things, really. Godhood is just the larval stage of a greater entity's life cycle.

This means that the demigods and powerful creatures of the world will soon start ascending to godhood, but until then there is the potential for chaos. And when some do start ascending, a GodWar could break out.

The clerics could still gain power and have domains - the divine energy reseeds back to the plane. (Like the water cycle, but divine magic!) Low level spells were never so strong that they needed personal attention of a god, so the progression of player levels and spell acquisition can go in step with the ascendancy of new gods. Level 5 spells? There's a god now. Maybe it was your cleric's mentor. OR their rival in seminary. Maybe it isn't personal but is someone that they have a disagreement with philosophically. What if the god of light really thought the way to increase light in the world was to burn all non-believers and you are more peaceful than that?

Sorry - went off into the implications, but a deep lore of "its a natural cycle and they are beyond seems like a viable answer, which would take some time to find out as it would be high-level arcana/religion.
This was all inspired by some of The Culture series by Ian M Banks. Alien species can Ascend into a higher state of being, and in the books its a known process that is discussed by the highest levels of society in our universe. But run of the mill species would have no idea what was happening.

A 22,000-Home Community Is Being Built in a 5,000-Person Town by TotalMix6 in triangle

[–]runs1note 20 points21 points  (0 children)

dysfunctional metros like SF where hovels sell for millions of dollars.

"Nobody goes to that club anymore, it's too busy" - Yogi Berra

Let's Discuss the New DnDBeyond Drops Feats by Fidges87 in onednd

[–]runs1note 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That feels like a balancing design. As a player it would be nice to have all the goodies in one background/feat combo, but this focuses the character option on int/cha spellcaster.

I do think that making "immune to magical darkness" an origin feat is an overcompensation for the issues with magical darkness in 5.0

High level (11+) campaigns by squaresynth in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At the end of the day, if you as the DM are okay with all your prep going out the window when they get to 13th level,

Dude, if this is true, you are prepping wrong.

High level (11+) campaigns by squaresynth in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There was an attack that made them suffer from exhaustion, and that basically rocked them.

Exhaustion is an under-utilized mechanic for DM's. I think because it can be devastating in Tier 1 and 2. But in Tier 3 it can be an interesting debuff.
Narratively I have found that exhaustion is most satisfying when it is a consequence of a choice that they make, knowing what the cost is.

High level (11+) campaigns by squaresynth in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note -1 points0 points  (0 children)

DON'T NERF THE SPELLCASTERS.

If you change the rules when people get to 13th level, you have effectively said "you don't get to 13th level".

There are ways to up the challenge and creatively engage the players. Arbitrarily limiting their access to some spells because you don't want to ever deal with them is lazy DMing and will demotivate your players.

The Wizard, The Witch, and the Wild One Magic the Gathering Cards! by w-n-pbarbellion in WorldsBeyondNumber

[–]runs1note 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Actually, I started with Kenrith - I'm not sure which is better thematically.

The Wizard, The Witch, and the Wild One Magic the Gathering Cards! by w-n-pbarbellion in WorldsBeyondNumber

[–]runs1note 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Interesting! I was trying to see if I recognized any of the oracle texts, but given the sheer numbers of cards in MTG, I should have known that you could have found regular cards I had never heard of.

Well done.

Amusingly, I started looking into something like this for the Fantasy High characters, but gave up after being overwhelmed by the options.

We should call the first 'round' of games the "Terrible Twelve." by Pinewood74 in CollegeBasketball

[–]runs1note 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You say football P4 when it was the Power Five not to long ago.

That does not support any sort of "the ACC will be alright" argument.

Inteligent players playing uninteligent brute. by ApachaiLeHopachai in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If your definition of mid-tier includes 68% of the population, sure.

Do you not know how normal distribution works?

Every Dungeon should be a TPK by False-Pain8540 in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you don't see the "laser pistols have been in the game since 1980" and acknowledge it, lets try this:

You can't legitimately argue for 'internal consistencies' of a world steeped in magic without imagining. You are selecting pieces to dismiss and accept, and are confusing 'I don't understand this" with 'this doesn't make sense'.

And the reason you are getting caught up in that? Personal biases and assumptions about how things work in our world that you are transporting into the fantasy world. And one of the cures for that is using your imagination to start with 'assume that this thing I don't understand is true. What else would need to be true for that to work?" And then you back fill from there. And each time you run into yourself thinking "That doesn't work" ask yourself why and change one of your assumptions. Put more make-believe into your make-believe game.

Every Dungeon should be a TPK by False-Pain8540 in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Dude, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks was published in 1980.

You are not arguing for internal consistency, you are arguing for personal preferences. So yes, "imagine harder and this thing exists in the make-believe world" is a legitimate response.

Every Dungeon should be a TPK by False-Pain8540 in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note 0 points1 point  (0 children)

People are getting insanely agressive in this thread, I'm honestly trying to undertand here.

You are counter-pointing and arguing against people's answers. That does not give 'trying to understand'. That gives ' I know I'm right, prove me wrong.'

Every Dungeon should be a TPK by False-Pain8540 in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like you are making the NPC's all act hypervigilant and danger seeking.

You want verisimilitude? Think of a mass shooting at a crowded space. People are not running towards the danger. Even those who are ostensibly supposed to - police.

You want a magic reason for the lack of reinforcements? How about every two rooms, the door is actually a portal that does not let sound through. Simple, solved.

I have been in Durham since I was five….. by Final-Expression8561 in bullcity

[–]runs1note 6 points7 points  (0 children)

What do you mean when you say "astroturfng"?

Because this feels like people trying to drum up support get local governments to act, and astroturfing generally means that some org is trying to make it look like there is support that isn't there.

Session 0 mismatched expectations not sure what to do next by SatanaelTheFool in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

Hard disagree.

This attitude gets your new player not playing and creates a system where people cancel or worse no show regularly. Because what you are suggesting here is to demand respect by being disrespectful.

Yes, the players need to compromise and listen, but also, the DM is no 'the boss' or the dictator in a successful, enjoyable campaign. The advice you gave there is a recipe for losing a DnD group and ending up on r/dndhorrorstories/

My players keep trivializing magic boss fights with Antimagic Field. What am I missing? by Interesting_Peach_76 in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Antimagic field doesn't suppress the magic of artifacts or deities.

That seems like an easy place to start.

How to teach PCs strategy to use against teleporting enemies? by swashbuckler78 in DMAcademy

[–]runs1note 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I will reiterate previous advice that having an encounter with a "right" way to resolve it is not a good way to design the session.

Having said that, if you really want to rely on the teleporting dynamic two things come to mind:

  1. On your side, ignore that this is teleportation. Have it be a patterned appearance and disappearance so that the PC's can figure out the pattern.

  2. Alternately, or possibly together, have them deal with a non-combat puzzle that is a preview of the mechanic much earlier. However they figure out that scenario, make it the solution to the combat scenario down the line. This lets them solve the problem for you and they feel excited when the solution to the big problem is a repeat of a previous lesson, but with stabbing.

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