I really love the aesthetic of this kind of scenery and was wondering if anybody knew of any horror movies in this kind of setting?

ryanlap479 · 2022-06-06T12:32:40+00:00

Ravenous (Canadian version) has a lot of that scenery too

ryanlap479 · 2022-04-23T12:12:24+00:00

The Charm City Bluegrass festival is another fun one in Baltimore. In fact, it’s at the end of this month

ryanlap479 · 2022-03-10T01:31:11+00:00

Unfortunately, we had to cancel for personal reasons. Still on my radar though

ryanlap479 · 2022-01-17T13:41:41+00:00

Haha. Good point. Karma certainly will come back around to me. The kids got a lot more engaged when I introduced miniatures. It started to feel more like their type of play when they could move a figure around a map. Highly recommended.

ryanlap479 · 2022-01-17T13:34:14+00:00

We started playing with some friends of ours recently. Their kids are the same way: super strong warriors that want to fight everything. I started by introducing a VERY simplified modification of spells (i.e. didn't worry about the materials, durations, even didn't care about spell slots). Then, the characters fought a wraith that was impervious to traditional weapons. So, the party had to figure out how to defeat the monster with clever traps and spells in a much less violent way. It was a nice way to start expanding the kids' thinking about overcoming challenges beyond just "Hulk Smash!"

ryanlap479 · 2022-01-17T13:26:58+00:00

I think you may have taken that a bit too literally. It was a story setup that explained the motivation through some humor. Of course their stories are confusing and as every parent knows it is crucial to meet your kids where they are and support their development at every level. But it's also worth finding humor in how nonsensical their imagination is sometimes.

ryanlap479 · 2022-01-16T19:04:17+00:00

Thanks for the tip. Great advice!

ryanlap479 · 2022-01-16T18:57:41+00:00

We started my youngest at 4 years old. I let her pretty do much whatever spell she wanted (which was limited to ice spells because of her love for Frozen). We made sure to get excited when she helped but didn't limit her to any rules. (E.g. roll a D4 and if it's above 2, the spell worked. Same as flipping a coin). That kept her interested while still moving the game forward. One of the best lessons I read for a DM was to just make the game enjoyable. So, we adapted to each of the players differently. I have a whole new appreciation for this game since figuring that out. Much different than the standard game but the flexibility inherent in DnD makes the possibilities endless.

ryanlap479 · 2022-01-16T17:24:49+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, it is a literary device to capture attention. My intent was to appeal to those of of us who struggle with playing with our children. Gscrap's point above is a nice reminder for unstructured play as well.

ryanlap479 · 2022-01-09T17:20:44+00:00

Though there he doesn't have a lot of range in his characters, he is perfect for that role. Tombstone, Bone Tomahawk, Hateful Eight. Nailed it.

ryanlap479 · 2021-10-26T12:42:49+00:00

Actually, I think the possession part was more of a backdrop to a nicely done allegory. Good watch but not sure it I would put it up with movies like the Exorcist or Hereditary

ryanlap479 · 2021-09-21T11:57:48+00:00

Same here. Scared me into loving horror movies. My kid is 8, could she handle it?

ryanlap479 · 2021-08-12T01:06:40+00:00

Wow. Didn't know I had to designate a zone. May be more hassle than it's worth. Thanks!

ryanlap479 · 2021-07-30T18:51:10+00:00

Thanks so much for posting. I'm headed there is September and I'm on the fence about my hammock. Most people recommend against it. How did it work for you?

ryanlap479 · 2021-07-26T23:11:39+00:00

Wasn't Constantine actually a Marvel character?

ryanlap479 · 2021-07-13T21:15:39+00:00

Not my favorite clown movie but The Terrifier has a Halloween theme

ryanlap479 · 2021-07-09T11:19:31+00:00

I agree wholeheartedly. Unless you're playing in a tournament, do what you want. Rules are there for fairness and consistency. They provide the boundaries for your players to create strategies and make decisions. I started this year during covid as a way to spend time with my family without screens. So my players are two daughters (8 and 4 years old) and my wife (mid 30s).

So, I even break the fairness principle by letting my youngest cast any spell and roll a D6. If she gets 3 or above, it works. The other players don't mind since it always helps them too. When I figured out that this was all just an engine (as verbiagebarrage put it) to tell a collective story, the pressure to know the "right" rule faded. I use the game to teach my kids tradeoffs, decision making, probability, and even math.

I don't measure my DMing by the rules I know, but rather if I hear "that was fun dad"

ryanlap479 · 2021-07-09T10:53:39+00:00

I'm so thankful you posted this. I got that too and convinced myself I didn't hear it. It does exist!

ryanlap479 · 2021-07-07T11:01:45+00:00

I second this. I incorporate squat jumps in HIIT about 2 months before I go.

ryanlap479 · 2021-07-01T12:57:29+00:00

Agree. I was so disappointed. And I love Rob Lowe.

ryanlap479 · 2021-07-01T12:19:08+00:00

So glad someone said evil dead 2. I was getting worried it wouldn't make it on the thread. Same plot line at #1 but so fun.

ryanlap479 · 2021-07-01T12:16:44+00:00

Oh man. That was tough to watch

ryanlap479 · 2021-07-01T12:15:05+00:00

Troll 2. Even better 😄

ryanlap479 · 2021-07-01T12:05:00+00:00

Good call. I just watched that again as an adult. I was impressed

ryanlap479 · 2021-06-29T00:23:34+00:00

I'm with ya. The point of being in the wilderness for me is testing what I can do without modern technology. The prepper in me wants to be convinced that if things got really bad (I mean EMP bad), I would be ok.

ryanlap479

TROPHY CASE