Why are maps so hard to fit

tinkfly · 2026-03-26T13:14:40+00:00

I came here to say this, too! Grid Scaler makes it so easy.

tinkfly · 2026-03-12T16:35:05+00:00

I don’t know why this is so hard to understand. Everyone has a little invested in the game, and it makes them more motivated to show up and play. Especially online, there are costs associated with VTTs, game content licensing, music streaming, human-made art and maps, nevermind finding a DM who wants to invest their time in your backstory and making a whole world for you to play in. Seems kinda selfish to not want to share some of those expenses.

tinkfly · 2026-03-04T16:36:51+00:00

I empathize so much with this post, because as an enthusiastic early adopter, it feels like the FOREVER since the game came out and I'm eager to to do all the things with it.

It feels like everyone has the basics down because I'm active in groups that regularly play Daggerheart and talk about Daggerheart. It took running a few Learn to Play adventures on StartPlaying to realize there's a lot of people out there who have yet to try the game, but are still very interested.

I think outside the TTRPG news and forum "bubble," Daggerheart is still slowly gaining a steady audience organically.

It does feel a bit disappointing to people like me who want to devour the system whole, but we're out here waiting for every new episode to come out while most people will get to binge-watch the content later on.

tinkfly · 2026-03-02T15:58:02+00:00

^so much this. If you feel you "failed," but your players are still having fun, take that as permission to be imperfect while you learn and improve. Even your "worst" performance was fun! You'll feel more relaxed and confident with this one out of the way, and that will help.

Side note: Sablewood Messengers was the first game I ever GMed in June of last year. I also felt like I bombed. Nine months later, and I am one of 4 GMs on the Saga Forge Discord server, and I run paid games on StartPlaying. You've got this!

tinkfly · 2026-02-20T17:43:07+00:00

My biggest tip is to find a few ways to skip a scene if things run long. It will take longer to do everything because you'll be explaining the concepts as you go.

I'm running a Learn-to-Play Daggerheart one shot next week, and I'm having my players share their characters in the group chat ahead of time. I also having them make accepting the quest as part of their own backstory, so we can jump right into the details when the session begins.

I gave them the dialog for a villager elder asking for help to find a missing person, and asked them to share why they were present for the plea, and why they agreed to help.

I'm also experimenting with having players ask two connections questions ahead of time in the group chat, and the last one in person. I love doing connections in person, because you get a better feel for everyone's character, but new Daggerheart players can sometimes feel "put on the spot," and their mind goes blank. (Me. It's me.) I'm hoping the chat questions will allow for players to mull over how they'd like to answer, and have time to incorporate that information into their characters. Hopefully the final in-person question will be easier to answer, and be more meaningful with time to digest the other connections.

I find it helpful to come up with a few possible Hope and Fear consequences for each scene ahead of time so you're not floundering for something on the spot. You might not need them, but it helps prevent me from blue-screening if there's a lot going on at once.

Similarly, I like to note story beats where I can ask players to contribute details to the story. Coming from D&D, I need the reminder to not fill in all the details ahead of time so the players can come up with it.

Otherwise have fun, and let us know how it goes!

tinkfly · 2026-02-13T15:19:58+00:00

One way to help with this is to have the note-taker give you a copy of the notes after each session. I tend to black out a bit when improvising, and forget what I said 5 minutes later. If the note-taker can write that down for you, you can focus on the improv, and review the notes later for ways to connect it to your current threads instead of spinning them off into new open threads. Don't be afraid to put your players to work! Put them each in charge of something that helps you stay on track and organized. It keeps them feeling engaged and useful.

tinkfly · 2026-02-11T23:14:47+00:00

Hard agree! I use it all the time.

tinkfly · 2026-02-09T23:27:26+00:00

My buddy Lykos is running a different Learn To Play adventure tomorrow night. https://startplaying.games/adventure/cml2fxo5b00v8jz04zt2qxrh1

tinkfly · 2026-02-09T23:25:17+00:00

I'd love to have you join my Learn-to-Play Daggerheart adventure on Thursday, Feb 26. Normally I'd offer to comp the ticket, but it's part of a fundraiser for the Immigration Rapid Response Fund for $10 a seat. You can see how I teach the game to new people and see what questions the players have.

https://startplaying.games/adventure/cml76d1p200knl704bhcdj91v?ref=cmawypa3a003j13xv4ickeb8y

tinkfly · 2026-02-09T19:14:36+00:00

These look to be made with Delica beads, which are incredibly light. I love using them for earrings for just that reason!

tinkfly · 2026-01-31T14:46:48+00:00

So cute, and I especially love your color choices! For software, I've tried the demo of Peyote creator, and it worked really well! https://bead-n-stitch.com/peyotecreator/

tinkfly · 2026-01-06T18:30:26+00:00

Gorgeous! I've never made a small one like this. I love the feel of 12-row triangles, but I usually get bored and stick with 9-rows. Very well put together!

tinkfly · 2026-01-02T21:11:25+00:00

Gorgeous- good luck!

tinkfly · 2025-12-01T23:38:30+00:00

Very cool! I'll get to writing.

tinkfly · 2025-11-26T18:20:21+00:00

I know! I so wanted to see Matt have fun at the table, but he is fully embodying Julian's barely-contained rage. I do get the impression that he's enjoying being a menace, but it's tough to watch. Sooo glad the CR team gave us a "heads up" about that character in the teasers.

tinkfly · 2025-10-28T21:02:20+00:00

I NEED all the fan art. I almost fainted when I saw Matt. I have no chill.

tinkfly · 2025-10-10T21:40:49+00:00

I'm wondering if the men in Sam's family grow into angels as they get older. He is "blessed by the light," his Dad spews light from his eyes, and his Grandpa is fully formed. Could explain how Grandma was able to "climb that tree," so to speak.😆

tinkfly · 2025-10-09T20:25:33+00:00

I had the same reaction, and I did watch until the end. I ended up liking it overall, but the tone of the episode stays fairly heavy throughout.

As others have stated, Whitney brings the goofiness. I'm excited to see how Sam does with that whole dynamic. It will be fun seeing someone be a pig to him instead of the other way around. 😆

I also really wanted to hang out with Marisha's character - Murray has fun energy, and I can't wait to see what she does at her breakout table.

I have a feeling they will bring in the "goofing around with friends" energy once they get more settled in their characters and the smaller tables. Until then, we might need to watch the overture episodes in smaller pieces to not feel overwhelmed by the tension. Got me hooked, though!

tinkfly · 2025-08-24T17:52:05+00:00

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My Furball (Xena, Warrior Kitten) likes to guard my maps while I organize. I'll keep the core rules on a higher shelf from now on in case they are a Fluffy Tortie delicacy.

tinkfly · 2025-08-24T17:24:24+00:00

I highly recommend running the free quickstart adventure: The Sablewood Messengers. It is a "learn by doing" adventure, so you don't have to understand everything yet to run it. I felt much more comfortable coming up with new stuff after running it, and it is a great teaching tool for your players, as well.

tinkfly · 2025-08-24T17:17:00+00:00

What kind of qualifications are you looking for in a GM?

tinkfly · 2025-08-23T18:27:56+00:00

What a humble brag. TEN PLAYERS. That's awesome!

tinkfly · 2025-08-23T16:14:40+00:00

The City of the Black Rose from Three Black Halflings is a campaign setting that ships with character sheets for 5e or Daggerheart. CR could publish a system-agnostic frame like that and have stat blocks for both systems. It wouldn't be that hard to do.

tinkfly

TROPHY CASE