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We do a one shot holiday special. I am the forever DM for our group with the exception of this one session. It’s usually a high level, gonzo adventure that revolves around some sort of Christmas theme. Last year we had to recover Santa’s sleigh from an island fortress where an Enter the Dragon...

Yeah. I was running a megadungeon and wanted to entice the players into risking their characters lives for loot. The goal was to get rich or die trying. I know it’s not the average gameplay style at most tables, but I wanted to capture the feeling and experience of the characters going from...

I was running Barrowmaze and decided tweaking the treasure drops for the sake of pacing was going to be way too much work for my feeble mind. I was flying by the seat of my pants because I didn’t know what the rate of advancement was going to be like. I actually started with a 1:1 ratio and it...

Use gold for xp for the first 4 levels. 2:1 ratio. Watch how important gold becomes. Also downtime activities and lifestyle expenses are a fun, off camera way to use gold.

Tell him to tell you what it is he expects to happen after the Elf kingdom is defeated. Does he want to have her crowned yet still go on adventures? Avenge her family? If he can’t give you those answers then he’s got three options. 1. He plays whatever you come up with next for the character...

I like it. Maybe a bit too granular for my tastes, but I can see the benefit of having initiative procedures for different levels of fights. I’m currently using side initiative, but at the start of every round. Highest on a D6 wins, ties go to the players. Once it’s settled start lighting...

I’ve put a cap of 10th level on the campaign I’m running. Party is at 5th. I plan on giving the characters more of their class abilities when they complete mighty deeds. I know, not much different from actually levelling, but all that will be given is the class ability. The other cap I...

Get you all some Barrowmaze! I’m a big fan of dungeon crawls, particularly running them. The idea that there’s this strange place, filled with monsters and treasure of a bygone age, and the whole point of the game is to face those dangers in the name of getting rich and acquiring power is what...

So to start, I’ll make it clear that I’ve homebrewed some rules that make characters have less HP, so the DR’s will seem low if you’re using basic 5E. Light Armour Clothing, AC 9 + Dex mod, common, advantage on stealth checks Hide/Leather, AC 10 + Dex mod, common, advantage on athletic checks...

I use a flat Damage reduction number based on the type of armour. Keeps rolling to a minimum. Has worked well. Even have consumable type armour that soaks up a single hit when the player chooses to use it. Shields can be used to negate a critical hit, but if they do, they are shattered. Also...

Every Thursday. Trying to alternate between online and in person.

I suggest “5E Hardcore Mode” by Runehammer. It set me on the path to making my own house rules that dial back the power levels. I’ve gotten good feedback from my players about it.

I hear ya. On a full night I can have 7 players and it always feels like someone gets left out or the session drags. Even without powerful loot, encounters are either laughable or drag on.

Have you talked to your players about this? Let them know your concerns and see if they can help out? Is there an issue with starting a brand new campaign with the assumptions that loot won’t be handed out willy nilly?

I think the DM could have handled it a little better by waiting a round before calling for checks from anyone who ate the fruit. This would have helped illicit a more true character response.

Honestly, do we NEED a new edition? Anything that isn’t just 5.5E is going to have to incorporate some big changes to the core mechanics and assumptions to really make a difference. At this point I’d say hack the game to suit your taste or find a completely different system to play in.

In my experience, having smaller groups or mobs of minions involved can change how the PC’s approach a bigger fight. Or having something to do during the encounter other than engaging the enemy helps get away from the slog for one or more players. Something I want to implement more is adding...

Snek

Had one of my players surprise the party at the end of the campaign by revealing his warlock character was trying to get his hands on the Book of Vile Darkness the whole time. This was revealed while the party was fighting the BBEG. Warlock got his hands on the book, opened a vortex that tried...

Donjon is an invaluable resource. It’s always tabbed on my phone for quick use.