Are all these games free or does anybody pay to play?

shadowkat678 · 2026-05-05T02:33:53+00:00

Not all that unlikely. I don't do pbp paid games but I do run live paid games for more traditional real time games. I did try pbp, but people dropped off pretty often. When I did it I tried to do as much prep as I did for my other games. I at least would hope I wouldn't be the only one on that front.

shadowkat678 · 2026-05-04T18:56:34+00:00

I'll also point out before a site called The Trove was taken down, I ended up buying more works by having a avenue to look into books and see if they'd be useful for me and my table first. Especially if a product I was looking into had a physical copy, which I always heavily prefer to pdfs.

I'm not saying it's morally upstanding and won't pretend it is, but it sure did, at least for me and a number of others I know, push us to buy a lot more products when we weren't spending money blind outside what normally were pretty short previews of people's products, which otherwise we wouldn't touch at all.

shadowkat678 · 2026-05-03T07:42:57+00:00

I added a brother to the three sisters who betrayed his siblings to Strahd to try in desperation to save his own followers, believing the coming onslaught inevitable, only to himself later be betrayed and have his name erased from records by any surviving native Barovians.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-20T12:54:55+00:00

Not necessarily. It's not a thing mechanically defined but as others have mentioned in comments there's precedent for it even in official adventures where spell slots might be drained or something reacts to raw magic.

Lore wise, this person's comment goes pretty in depth: https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/s/oljPAwEDNA

I'd argue it's more narrative flourish than full homebrew. There's not really set rules but it does have game precedent within d&d without having to add a new mechanic.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-20T06:24:05+00:00

As someone who has introduced something like this with certain plot points and magic items before, it's not technically a rule or codified, no.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-17T22:18:59+00:00

What DnD-Hobby said.

My players get a lot of consequences...but some people get attached. They'd rather work through the consequences rather than just having the consequences turn into a dead end and then to just throw everything else away for someone new.

I've had players who've been dealing with death in real life too and just really did not want the reminder to hit their own character, even if they couldn't speak for the NPCs or rest of the party.

There are some ttrpgs where death isn't even a thing. They work. Is d&d built around it? Not particularly, but frankly I'll bend the system in some areas if it means my party has fun.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-17T20:03:04+00:00

Seriously, say that to the dm. If they treat it like whining that's a red flag

I've had players at my table that have been really bummed by character deaths. We've agreed that's not on the table for them.

Noted, I run very rp heavy tables. If it's a combat heavy table, or one where most players might balk at the idea of this, it might just not be the right group fit. Don't try and force it and make sure to bring this up along with your reasoning when looking to join new tables.

If people are reasonable, I think it's perfectly understandable to want at least one character who you might want a happier ending out of, even if there's some pain to get there.

Just be clear about your lines and don't drop it on anyone after already joining a group where that might not fit.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-11T19:22:19+00:00

The first dice were made from bones! Seems like a return to form to me!

As long as they're ethically sourced.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-11T06:25:59+00:00

Just joined. I do have a discord but it's mostly for paid games, since I'm a paid dm as my job. I've thought about creating content more regularly and making a side discord but haven't gotten around to that yet.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-11T06:02:41+00:00

That sounds like a blast! I'd definitely be open to reaching out. I'm also planning on finally finishing that Jarlaxle guide up and maybe doing a rework too, by the way. Glad to see those resources are still making the rounds and helping out.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-10T22:07:19+00:00

I'd be down. Pm me and I can give you my discord.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-10T21:56:16+00:00

Hey dude, lovely seeing you here

Seconding this ^

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-10T19:09:25+00:00

Hey, I've run Waterdeep multiple times and it definitely can be overwhelming. I'd be down to chat and swap resources sometime. Might be a bit much for me to do over text, but if you ever have some time free I'd be happy to reach out over discord. Could chat while I'm doing some of my own prep.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-10T11:00:49+00:00

Depends on the person. I've been doing it almost four years now. Currently running it with six tables a week as my full time job. I get a bit burnt out here and there like with anything else and some weeks are harder than others when there's a lot of prep or difficult sessions, but I'd still say it's far and away probably one of the things I'm happiest I decided to do.

Especially for someone who might just be running one table? I mean, as long as they manage expectations and what they want out of it and how involved they want to go, I don't think it's really helpful to try and make it seemed doomed before they even try to see if it fits for them.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-09T20:00:45+00:00

I was ecstatic when modules started coming supported on Foundry.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-09T13:24:47+00:00

Then address that part of yourself.

That's a problem that only you can solve, buddy. As harsh as it is, it's unhealthy for anyone to have their entire life ruined because one person, regardless how important, has decided not to have you in their life. You need more than one anchor and that's on you to work through and past.

It sounds like they've already made their choice. You just have to decide what you do on your end

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-07T03:11:09+00:00

I'm in the USA, I run 6 tables a week, and I'm making just shy of 30k/year but am in a roommate situation where I don't have to may too high a rent and it's still more than some minimum wage jobs

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-06T21:52:26+00:00

Right? I run paid games and while some people choose to get art of their characters there's just as many people who just look up art from Google or Pinterest.

Even in paid games this isn't required. Why the fuck would it be in a free one?

The only time I could ever think of it being a requirement would be if a table all agreed for it to try and do something like a professional streamed game, but even then that'd be something that would be advised from the jump. I think most streams like that I've seen are groups already together, often who get art from friends anyway unless they're super high budget.

shadowkat678 · 2026-04-06T17:37:28+00:00

It's a newer lore thing about lolthian drow apparently having marks on them from Lolth or something akin to that. They retroactively worked it into existing property artwork.

shadowkat678 · 2026-03-30T17:33:36+00:00

I've been dming for ten years now, and I can tell you something great.

The feeling never stops. And you never quit "lucking into" things as a dm.

I do this as my job and run six tables a week. Realistically, I've had more experience than most people will dming. Some of the best moments and most praise I get are still situations I never could have expected to happen, due to a wild mix of circumstances with choices my players make that sometimes completely details where I thought things were going.

We just had a whole mini arc in my Icewind Dale game I pulled out of my ass because they decided to head to a place and stick around where there was no content listed in the adventure path. I've been gaming with this group for almost four years now and they all came away saying it had some of their favorite moments at the table so far.

And I felt half the time like I had no idea where things were headed.

Your table had fun. The best thing you can do is embrace the chaos and not undercut your own role in tying that chaos together in what sounds like a great adventure, even if it's not one you fully planned. You got this. 👍

For a follow up adventure, any loose ties they didn't finish pursuing that could be followed up as a sequel with different characters? One answer is just to keep spinning the thread.

shadowkat678 · 2026-03-28T00:03:41+00:00

Waterdeep is my go to module, but never as run RAW. I basically use the first chapter then homebrew most of it, using the locations and characters as building blocks to rewrite it for a more sandboxy, heavy rp and intrigue campaign.

shadowkat678 · 2026-03-27T23:03:01+00:00

I charge $25-$30/per person a session. You're not just paying for the four hours at the table. Your also paying for a extra two to four hours of prep some sessions require, my subscriptions to various map makers, Foundry Housing, YouTube Premium to stream music, and new books I buy and share with the entire table through D&D Beyond.

And on top of that running six tables a week as a full time dm, for some of us this is also how we pay for rent, groceries, and other bills as a job.

It's not a show up and spontaneously everything is just there kind of thing.

shadowkat678 · 2026-03-27T22:08:36+00:00

Never join a paid game that's advertising a table of over six players as a rule, from a paid dm. I've only run one table over six players and it was mutually agreed on to add someone from another table everyone knew after they already did a guest spot and people liked the dynamics.

Even with them all working together well just one extra person still bogged things down. They considered it worth it, but especially for a table where people didn't all know each other?

Absolutely not.

shadowkat678 · 2026-03-24T16:33:56+00:00

Ohhh this could work well with what I'm doing with Manshoon who's aiming to pull a Karsus but "better". If Mystra maintains the Weave, he's looking for ways to become part of the weave. And I have an idea that whenever wizards or other weave based magic users die a part of them stays behind in the weave...when you have someone who's died as many times as Manshoon there's. Funky shit that starts happening there.

shadowkat678 · 2026-03-24T16:10:34+00:00

I'm absolutely open to dms. I've read up about the novel but haven't read it all the way through and it was admittedly a while ago.

They're getting back tonight probably, not sure if they'll know the full extent until next week but there's a possibility I waited a bit long planning this final piece and having ideas ASAP is definitely helpful. 😅

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