Activity Stream

I would just rule that it is always 2 cp. Keep it simple, unless there is a good reason (i.e. a storyline) in making it complicated.

I am a fiirm believer that no gaming is better than bad gaming. I've left a lot of games over the decades. I left games over DM restrictions that made no sense. For example, one game of 1e, I created a Magic-User as did a second player. We each got some interesting spells and wanted to trade with each other. The DM said we couldn't; apparently he wanted our spell lists to remain unique so...

Extreme Railroading. There is no point in having players at a table if you don't allow them to influence the story. There is nothing wrong with it, but you're an author, not a DM. Just write a book instead. Technically, I did not walk away from that table. We addressed the DM about this problem, and the DM walked away from the table. :hmm:

The reason it is not comprehensive and complete is because it is a small quick summary in the intro of "basic pattern" of how things tend to play out. its not meant to be a hard coded straightjacket ultimate MUST DO shackle for all DnD play. Some tend to see it as some form of clear denial of anything that violates this summary. i see it as the quick outline for new players and to set the...

He agrees with me. :D

ugh.

Flight of Dragons--18 The Last Unicorn--24 The Hobbit--22 The Lord of the Rings--20 The Return of the King--16 Wizards--25+1=26 Princess Mononoke--27 Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind--21 Spirited Away--21 Secret of Nimh--26

Alexander, Lloyd 23 Augusta, Lady Gregory 17 Bear, Elizabeth 15 Bulfinch, Thomas 23 Cook, Glen 24 Hodgson, William Hope 16 Jemisin, N.K. 22 Kay, Guy Gavriel 22 LeGuin, Ursula 24 Lynch, Scott 23

Alexander, Lloyd 23 Augusta, Lady Gregory 19 Bear, Elizabeth 15 Bulfinch, Thomas 23 Cook, Glen 23+1=24 Hodgson, William Hope 16 Jemisin, N.K. 22 Kay, Guy Gavriel 22 LeGuin, Ursula 23 Lynch, Scott 23

Okay, how about this: Reveling: Caprines of 5 or higher Hit Dice can perform this resonance striking method. The caprine must join or gather a group of at least 20 intelligent creatures and "party" for at least 1 hour. The caprine then makes three skill or ability checks as if they were simultaneously performing the Music, Imbibing and Dancing resonance methods. If they succeed on any of these...

From the Basic PDF, p 3: The play of the Dungeons & Dragons game unfolds according to this basic pattern. 1. The DM describes the environment. The DM tells the players where their adventurers are and what's around them, presenting the basic scope of options that present themselves . . . 2. The players describe what they want to do. . . . Sometimes, resolving a task is easy. If an...

Don't ever do hidden rolls. There are better solutions. Especially in your example "rolling survival to see if the halfling gets lost", I don't even see the need to hide it in the first place. What would you do on a failure? Tell the halfling that he found the trail and but really make him follow the wrong one? Don't do that. Golden DM rule: Don't lie to the player. Better: Failure:...

That was bloody awful. Absolutely dreadful.

Yes... dont build skill task events around one guy making one roll for the win. We don't build combat challenges that way. A locked door isnt normally a challenge to a heroic star - usually just a delay. A locked door with a guard that needs distracting and an alarm that needs disabling - that's a team effort and a challenge worthy of a team of skilled heroes. Let's face it, by the time the...

Observation... Spell and save dcs are pretty much as locked in to restricted range as skill task dcs are or more. Barring magic items tops at like what - 19 barring heighten and items? Resistance is exactly like guidance but applies to saves. Bardic inspire applies to saves as well. But threads about these seem to always focus on how bad it is for guidance vs skill checks or bardic vs...

Everyone who left my games so far just... disappeared. Not coming online anymore, not answering mails, etc. I don't think something I did as DM caused anyone to do that. I'm very clear already when recruiting players what type of DM I am and the players applying are those that love exactly my type of play. So I usually just get positive feedback. The things I don't like about other DMs...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, and you should feel bad for implying their is. Are you a bard? Are they? In all likelihood the answer is no. So stop forcing them to try to be. If you were an author and a character came up with a plan to end world hunger, would you expect your readers to demand every detail, or would you expect them to be happy with "a plan for ending world hunger"? ...

Recalling the example from the blog... players encounter portrait of ancient battle scene between archmages in robes and the wizard player announced he roll arcana yo see what he can tell from the painting and the blogger goes off on the ills of player asking skills cuz that should be history check. Gotta shut that down. Me? I give them suitable to result info on spells being cast, any arcane...

No, the rule is "if no cost is indicated, then the material components can be replaced with a focus", there's no 1 gp limit. A cost is indicated: One cp per eye. Even if I say "if there's no eye, the cost is 0 cp" that doesn't make "a cost is indicated" false. It doesn't refer to the actual cost but to the indication of a cost.

Traveller game forever and z day. GM blocked any attempts to perform routine tasks like buying gear at spaceport - literally down to failing to use phone book. After I just had my character sit and wait, patron shows up with mission and gear as the carrot. NOTE was not situation of sellers refused to sell to us due to fear of Patton, but just characters could not succeed at getting to find...

I agree the DM does what they like. Still, I have to lodge the thought that the game is rulings and rules. From Sage Advice Rules for games are constitutive, meaning that they enable something that couldn't exist without them. We can play an RPG with only rulings, but we can't play D&D without rules. If I decide that a barbarian can maintain rage without taking damage, that isn't an...

Combination of factors drove me away once from a table but the most egregious for me was a lack luster campaign.

Exactly! That's part of why "Mighty" is Strength mod to damage only.

Material components costing under 1gp can be replaced with a focus, right?

I'll drop game quickly if for me the GM style doesn't suit the game being run. Eg for 5e D&D and similar (3e, 4e), don't nerf core PC class abilities in the interest of simulation. If you don't understand the rules, either look them up, or accept advice from a reliable player. Viking Hat DMing is fine in 1e or 2e, not so much in 3e-5e.

This is from greek/roman mythology and the copper pieces are the fee you pay to the ferryman of the styx, Charon. You could either rule that the price is the same for every being, no matter the number of eyes, or let your player find an arcane focus to circumvent this problem. I wouldn't deviate from list of spell components or try to come up with a rationale for a case like yours. It'll...

1. I find that following what the PHB says, that repeated skill attempts use the Passive score, helps a lot. If the whole party can attempt a task, after the first roll use their passive scores. So the +6 athletics fighter will break down the DC 15 door in the end, but the DC 20 door may be unbreakable. I think a good rule of thumb is that taking-10/passive on stuff like picking locks takes a...

Nothing so far. Normally if there's a problem or a player is frustrated, we talk about it. I'm playing mostly with friends (and their friends), so this option is always there. I guess it can be trickier if you play at stores and with people who aren't necessarily your friends or even complete strangers. I think a session zero is a good place to talk about expectations and requests, not only...

Craigslist FLGS Half Price Books (if you have them in your area) But I can't help but ask why you have not played in 20 years? I did the same thing, but I had sold given away most of my stuff before I stopped playing. Now that I'm playing again I wished I kept some of it but I'm not really a collector and have no issues culling my collection. I wonder if it feels like a millstone around...

Lesseee...in keeping with: I turned the tradaditional Fey/Elves into crashlanded Greys who use solid-light holography to look like elves of legend, and other high tech like stasis fields to account for the nonstandard passage of time in “Underhill” (the buried remains of their ship) and weapons that seemed like spells. (Yes, before SG-1 introduced the Asgardians.)

Sounds good - you might find something useful in my 4e Loudwater campaign blog (2011-2016) - http://frloudwater.blogspot.com/ eg Eastern Gray Vale page at http://frloudwater.blogspot.com/2011/08/eastern-gray-vale.html

There are many kinds of birds out there, and each sports its own plumage & has its own calls. And different ways of demarcating territory. So yes, booming systems are one way of exhibiting mating/primacy. Here is some evidence thereof provided by two of the preeminent researchers in the field, Professors Tigra & Bunny:

I finished reading 'An Artist of the Floating World' by Kazuo Ishiguro. I can't say I'm impressed. I've read a few reviews to see if I missed anything, but apparently I didn't. After my experience with his first novel, I was reading this one extra-careful, watching out for clues that the narrator deviated from the truth. In fact, it happens plenty of times, but there's no big 'wow' moments where...

Your build seems solid. Also quite optimized. The combination of those feats and features will net you a great reward. This build also has a few disadvantages: delayed extra attack, baleful curse is only good for 1 minute per short rest vs a single enemy, if your str is below 15 you will have lower armor, especially since you already forfeit a shield. At least damage is great and vengeance...

Bardic Inspiration has a limited number of uses per day IIRC, so I don't think it's technically possible to "spam" it. Help use with skills is explicitly subject to DM's adjudication, and I think it should always be presented as "when the DM allows it" rather than "unless the DM disallows it". The DM absolutely should not allow it by default just because the player asks for it... instead, just...

I am sorry but this isn't working well for me. I read the updates, but I keep ending up without absolutely no clue about what to do since the interrogation scene. I feel incapable of picking up any clue... :( I am and will be still here, hoping that someone else would take action because right now it just feels like Sir Reginald has nothing to do but to return to his own errands.

dndbeyond has another nice shop for trollskull ally: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/316-visitors-to-trollskull-alley and some faction rewards: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/317-waterdeep-dragon-heists-factions-are-perfect-for

High-level play worked really well for me and my table. I converted all of the 3.5 Age of Worms AP to 5e. http://www.enworld.org/forum/rpgdownloads.php?do=download&downloadid=1254 What surprised me was how well the monster-building and encounter-building guidelines from the DMG worked despite them being just numbers in a table. All the creatures I made (or modified from the MM) were built with...

Actually I found the character in my sig thread. Here is Niles LeGosche, ready and able to be played.

As MISTWELL wants a commentary on the specific articles posted by Jester David... Point blank, that was NOT what I was talking about or looking for. What I stated was This is in reference to, at a minimum, the Quarterly or Annual reports to stockholders. What it was specifically looking for were the NUMBERS, similar to what I see in regards to various divisions of WotC, and...

No one I believe mentioned their game does not survive. Just so that I understand you correctly - the players roll for arcana while looking at a painting without asking for any skill roll?

PP spent

"Why can he fly over the canopy?" The Princess complains with a stomp of her foot.

WHAT!??? Okay, now that I see more clearly what you are talking about...You misread the post entirely. First, it was clearing up his math...and SECONDLY it was clarifying WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. If you are a Stockholder, than you are acting in pretty bad faith in your understanding. I wasn't talking about his discussions in other articles... and thus I specified that what I WAS...

I know you were asking about bulletmeat, joining, but I live in the area and would be interested in a Sat game, depending on the time.

I'm interested in the Monday 5E group, I have been itching to play 5E in person, (I DM my group) and 6:30 to 9 works for me, I live in Des Moines but work in Lacey, so getting of at 5 that will give me time to grab a bite somewhere and make it by 6:30, unless there is a bad accident somewhere between. Are you playing a 5e adventure or are you doing a homebrew campaign?

Palladium End of Summer sale. Looks like it is 20% off Heroes Unlimited and After the Bomb for the next week.

Dungeon 155 Zombie Hulk: ? Blazing Skeleton: ? Undead: The Warwood’s gnarled trees, tangled thickets, and lonesomeness would cause anyone to think it haunted—even without its restless dead. Those who died in the brief conflict after Sir Malagant and the Sleeper in the Tomb of Dreams killed one another still linger in the forest. The battle after the generals’ deaths broke the compact they had...

Alexander, Lloyd 23 Augusta, Lady Gregory 19 Bear, Elizabeth 15 Bulfinch, Thomas 23 Cook, Glen 23 Hodgson, William Hope 16 Jemisin, N.K. 22 Kay, Guy Gavriel 22 LeGuin, Ursula 23 Lynch, Scott 23

Alexander, Lloyd 23 Augusta, Lady Gregory 19 Bear, Elizabeth 15 Bulfinch, Thomas 23 Cook, Glen 23 Hodgson, William Hope 16 Jemisin, N.K. 22 Kay, Guy Gavriel 22 LeGuin, Ursula 22 Lynch, Scott 25

Ayuoso: Persists with a steady stare, nodding slightly as you speak. "I appreciate your welcome. It is good that you show respect to your elders. Rest assured you have nothing to fear from me young shaman. Guo has spoken highly of you during many fireside chats with us. I have looked forward to meeting you." Guo and the Djondarma leader have already moved over to the fire. It is several steps...

Interesting. For the moment, there's no one on the list who is obviously plunging toward oblivion. Though Elizabeth Bear and William Hope Hodgson are looking shaky. I have a feeling we're approaching the point where a whole lot of folks who've been levitating comfortably above the 20 mark will suddenly start to slide...

Many of your last several posts are nearly invisible, Nomessiah. Here’s why and how to correct it. http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?348563-Dark-Text-on-a-Dark-Background-Tutorial

Consignment at a local store isn't a bad idea. I'd not thought about that. As far as giving it away.... eh, no. Firstly, I don't know anyone who would even be interested, and secondly I'd rather have the money.

I Googled afterwards to see look at the old threads out of curiosity. I was also Olrich Henderthane the Arcanist and Alguhn Snarr the Giantblood Ranger. Seeing some of the old things I wrote was kinda cool. Will try to make something compelling for any new game.

Good post. Hmm. I was trying to suggest it's douchey to actively try to undermine it at the table, not necessarily to disagree with it in principle. E.g., a DM who said, "Ok, so now I've set up a situation, and decided what my NPC 'would' do, so that you're going to get mind controlled and have to pick up a weight that just happens to be exactly what is needed to make it hard to maintain the...

Alexander, Lloyd 23 Augusta, Lady Gregory 19 Bear, Elizabeth 15 Bulfinch, Thomas 23 Cook, Glen 23 Hodgson, William Hope 16 Jemisin, N.K. 22 Kay, Guy Gavriel 22 LeGuin, Ursula 22 Lynch, Scott 25

Right now I am also working on a gnome illusionist. His focus is a deck of playing cards, and one idea I have for him is to be able to do "close magic," card tricks near someone, while actually casting Charm Person or the like.

I had a mage once use his message spell to bother a BBEG while the rest of the party mopped up his minions. The GM liked it so much the BBEG ended up running away and we didn't actually need to fight him.

Mostly because you usually come off as arrogant and dismissive of my style of play when you disagree with me. It's irritating, and I tend to respond to people how they act towards to me. There are other posters here who I have great conversations with, because even if we disagree, it's just a discussion. I much prefer that sort of thing. Here you imply that I'm a douche if I don't agree...

“Ursa will have young Belgo fierce enough to take down cave trolls with a couple days time. I’ve never seen anyone fiercer with an axe,” Ulfred said chuckling softly. Getting up and resituating his pack, Ulfred looked over towards the carts. “Well we are burning daylight, and it may be a good idea to put some distance between us and those hooligans. Wouldn’t want them finding some courage in...

It might also be an indication that they all want to be involved whenever anything happens. In that case, maybe doing more combined skill checks or skill challenges, like a big elaborate trap where someone has to make a Strength check to turn the crank so that someone else can Acrobatics their way through the toothy door while two folks have to simultaneously operate levers in the same exact...

It's supposed to be common courtesy, but if you want to contribute to a discussion about a game, you should first acknowledge which rules you are changing before you try and impress your opinion on anyone. Nobody cares about the bizarre rulings you apply to your bizarre homebrew game, when they only follow from a nonsensical premise that nobody else has bought into.

That gives me an idea! I can run the second half of Out of the Abyss. In thanks for stopping the death curse, the Sword Coast’s power brokers ask the PCs to lead an expedition into the Underdark to deal with rampaging demons!

1) I don't really give a rat's fart what you believe, or if you think I'm debating in good faith. You make up your own mind on that one. 2) I don't agree that your definition is "overwhelmingly prevalent". I hear it from you and a very few others on places like Enworld. 3) All that aside, I've argued quite extensively on this forum and elsewhere that I believe what distinguishes RPGs...

Bethany: You sword slashes across the back of the bugbear. The creature cries out in pain and drops to the ground surrendering. Tranio: The ground is muddy and covered in pig filth, so you don't make it all the way down the hill. Your spectral hand does manage to squeeze the two headed foe. Aremus & Dren: Your projectiles all land in the large opponent, both heads roaring in pain. Ettin:...

See OOC for notes. The team can spend some time here and even travel on and should recover all toughness penalties before anything else happens

"CRAVEN DOGS!" the flying man shouts "You will pay for your insolence when my lord hears of this!!!" when suddenly there a burst of fire as he flies almost straight up and disappears from sight!!! The heroes catch their breath as only the sounds of the river and nearby waterfall replace and the debris start settling to jungle floor...

What fascinates me is why, whenever we get to this point, you insist on trying to make it very clear and explicit that ELFCRUSHER IS NOT PLAYING BY THE RULES!!!!! (An assertion I disagree with, by the way.) Why can't you just say, "Oh, that's interesting. You and I do this differently."? Why is it so important to you that your version is "by the rules" and my version is not?

NTensity's body returns to the floor while his spirit again leaves its meat shell. His summoned spirit nods towards him and they move to the northern door... to find their way blocked! The troll is not completely sure the there appears to be a bio-layer sandwiched within the heavy door. Checking quickly it appears that this bio-layer has also been incorporated within the floors also! The...

Alexander, Lloyd 25 Augusta, Lady Gregory 19 Bear, Elizabeth 15 Bulfinch, Thomas 23 Cook, Glen 23 Hodgson, William Hope 16 Jemisin, N.K. 22 Kay, Guy Gavriel 21 + 1 = 22 LeGuin, Ursula 22 Lynch, Scott 25

OK I am going to move too ending the battle. The badguy is going to fly away "escaping" so everyone gains +1 Hero Point. You can also spend unspent Power Points if you want now

Per the 5e rules, the players do not get to narrate the results of a roll. Especially when it comes to altering mechanics the way your example does. A failed save is absolute. It has an effect and you are altering that effect to make it a partially failed save. When a save is failed there is no partial success that allows a bit of resistance to what the caster intends. Not without a house...

Maybe I’ll start with that question as I gently peel back the layers to figure out where the issue lies! “I notice you guys are a bit eager with your dice rolling. It’s awesome you’re engaged (and fondling your dice), but I wonder if you’re jumping the gun sometimes because I’m not giving you enough opportunities to roll dice?” That might be a fair minded and disarming starting point that...

At full pace, the barbarian is able to catch the runaway sled. His offering of hideous Korrud meat gains the lone wolf's attention, glaring at it, licking his lips, and beginning to chew. How much trust this has gained you with the beast is an uncertainty, though it looks like you could certainly control the contraption attached to it. Rolin's sled is likely to outpace Gimlak's of course,...

Your examples were not the kind that indicated that you understood. Anyway, the player narrating the results of a roll is contrary to the rules of 5e. I understand that you run an unconventional game, and it appears that he does as well. It's a house rule to allow it, though. The rule is that the players state the actions of the PCs and the DM narrates the results.

"Hate it when they runout of my flavors at Freeznoes," agrees the other, deadpan. After Sovereign explains: "Blind as a bat it is then." With a sigh NTensity surrenders to the Zen and relaxes into f***king 'tranquility', since apparently he has to... "You chummers search this place anyways, case they left anything that might show us the way to the server?" Just a f***ing pic would do,...

I just meant that it was definitely the case for GURPS, which otherwise passed every test with flying colors.

I do agree that players need to hold off rolling until the DM asks for a roll, if for no other reason it reduces the potential for misunderstandings. I just think it is okay for a player to suggest or ask to use a particular skill or other ability.