dnd-discussion

[coarse ravine]

Getting it for free as a star druid is nice.

[woven flint]

I think that part was already well discussed lol

[cobalt owl]

I'm just gonna go, I've said my points but I feel like they've been ignored or glossed over

[coarse ravine]

We were talking star druid and druid snipers in general

[cobalt owl]

Clanks away

[coarse ravine]

All good carry on I'll hop

[celest ether]

Wild fire looks like a good option for a sniper druid. I feel star druid should be the ones that do that since they get the archer constellation but somehow it's not the case.

[tired crypt]

Question, is it ethical to use a voice changer for dnd. Im a dm and have issues with my having my voice high and cant really change it due to an injury as a child. If I wanna better immerse my players in a campaign, is it ethical/smart to use ai for a voice changer. (Note: I am very anti gen ai as it steals jobs, people's work, and damages culture and environment but Im not well informed on what voice changers due in any of those three regards)

[coarse ravine]

I think without dm meta gaming. Having 2 targets far distance away. Pelting you at different locations and a good concept for "snipers" because of the level 6 wildfire feature.

[celest ether]

I don't think people would have an issue with voice changers especially if its due injury.

[tired crypt]

Does it do any of the three things I dislike bout gen ai?

[woven flint]

As long as it's not an AI voice changer, no lol

[celest ether]

Ppl only have an issue with Ai on art and stuff like replacing workes

[cobalt owl]

Or environmental impacts

[tired crypt]

All stuff these days is ai tho

[cobalt owl]

A voice changer is very different to getting grok to modify a picture of someone

[woven flint]

Not really, no

[cobalt owl]

Blame Marketing.

[tired crypt]

I mean as in voice changers that aren't just pitch adjustment

[cobalt owl]

That's existed before AI

[woven flint]

It's hard to find good options, but options are out there for certain

[celest ether]

I don't think voice changers burn a lot of energy. They always have existed.

[cerulean bloom]

Yo peop. I suppose this is more for the DMs out there on how you'd rule this.
Let's say we are facing larger sized enemy (large+).
We got two goliaths at level 20, one a monk with 23 str (Aruka) and the other a barbarian with 24 str (Buck)
Would you allow one of them to grow to giant form (bonus action, iirc) and throw the other towards the huge or gargantuan sized enemy, before the thrown one starts growing into their giant form?
If so, would you rule differently or give any advantage or disadvantage on who was thrown? (I would think monk would make a better target of sorts).
If this would be allowed, what would you name this attack?

[celest ether]

It was jist implemented as a function on AI stuff.

[cobalt owl]

Or it's just marketing shoehorning

[woven flint]

That sounds like it'd be up to your dm

[tired crypt]

I had wanted to use voice mod so I can do voices for npcs but I have no idea the effects that has or non-ai options that have what I need

[cobalt owl]

Banzai Bill, and unless stated otherwise RAW size changes are immediate

[celest ether]

I think the pet can be the equivalent of an small turret. The main sniper spell would be scorching ray

[cerulean bloom]

Banzai. Eh. Neat

[tired crypt]

It seems like most voice changers don't have negative side effects according to what you guys are saying?

[woven flint]

Not really, no
I wouldn't think so

[molten pumice]

I just learned that a single ogre poses very little threat to a level 5 ranger with the lucky feat (3 levels hunter ranger, 2 levels monk) and I probably shouldn't be surprised, but I gotta admit, I am. I thought if I put in a second ogre it'd be a bit much, but thanks to that luck point, the ranger ended the fight untouched in the first attack of his second turn.

I probably should run simulations like this for more of the characters I make

[celest ether]

I think the only diference between Ai voice changers and normal ones is that the ai configuration of the voice for you. While in a tipical voice changers you need to play with options until it matches your voices with the voice you want and the good ones sometimes need subscriptions and stuff but I'm sure they should be good free source ones.

[tired crypt]

Ok, I just wanted to make sure as I really dont wanna be supporting ai thats doing any of those 3 things cause that sucks a ton. I just wanna be able to do voices for my party cause like immersion but injury said screw me lol. Ty for your help!

[woven flint]

Hmmm..
Throw Three Terrasque at them next, you know, just as a measurement /joking

[cerulean bloom]

Back to the main topic, voice changing was something that's been around for quite a while before AI. iirc, there are filters (at least in google) that you can type so you have search results before a certain date, so maybe you could use that to check for options, maybe

[unborn lotus]

This is not true at all
An AI voice changer uses generated voices created with machine learning and basically listens to the words you say and reconstructs them with a generated voice.
Nothing like a regular voice changer which ultimately boils down to audio effects

[vast pelican]

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of "AI" voice changers have no machine learning algorithms in them at all.

[celest ether]

I mean on the user side. But you're right.

[unborn lotus]

And it has exactly the same problems as any other AI powdered product - unethical sourcing of data, unsustainable use of water, electricity and human resources, etc.

[vast pelican]

Mostly you're looking at pitch modulation and frequency response rebalancing.

[unborn lotus]

I don't think Firestone was worried about how user friendly it would be when they were hoping to avoid AI 🤣

[unborn lotus]

That would make it not AI... they could be doing false advertising... But AI voice changers exist and absolutely use machine learning

So if the product your using is legitimate you can rest assured that it's using machine learning as advertised

[vast pelican]

I'm simply pointing out that happens. The code I write, for instance, is sold as "AI-powered" when it's all non-AI algorithms.

[unborn lotus]

Yeah it definitely does, I work at a company with AI in the name and we don't do any AI stuff haha

[vast pelican]

It's a hot word and sometimes Marketing just uses it because it's hot. Due diligence as a customer of whatever software you're using would be good.

[unborn lotus]

But it's pretty immediately obvious with a voice changer. Does it sound like an Instagram filter? Is there any latency?

[vast pelican]

Something that works essentially in real time and still keeps things like the meter and emotional inflection you speak with is likely not AI.

If it's a couple seconds behind or is making some major changes to the way you speak and not just the voice being spoken, it is likely AI.

[unborn lotus]

But those are honestly pretty uncommon these days... And Firestone straight up said they didn't want that

[vast pelican]

Pitch changing is just the simplest tool, fancier ones have been around well before GAI got involved.

[unborn lotus]

Most AI voice changers you'll find online are as advertised

You'll speak into them and a different voice with different tone comes out. And you can steal the voices of famouse people without consent etc. et.c

[tired crypt]

Ive decided to just be on the safe side and use my regular voice, can I really do anything with it no but its the best option I have and my players are used to it

[coarse ravine]

I tend to confuse my Australian accent with a Irish accent. Then my Jamaican accent rolls into a Irish accent. My British accent eventually rolls into a Irish accent yhahah. I think all my accents usually end up irish

[unborn lotus]

This is better anyway, inflection and tone can do far more for you than voices ever could anyway.

[tired crypt]

Funny thing is, I cant do tone very well at all or inflection cause of the injury lol

[unborn lotus]

I recommend watching some Brenan Lee Mulligan... He does plenty of ridiculous voices and accents... But he also does a lot of characters who just use his regular voice, yet sound completely distinct from one another. Just from speaking a certain way

[coarse ravine]

Yeah he changes up personality entirely while keeping same voice

Also a very good professional

[tired crypt]

I can change personality sure, still kinda hard due to the injury to sound like anything but my normal but eh, you live and move on

[coarse ravine]

Know you aren't him and won't be him unless you practice like him and plan like him

[tired crypt]

Oh I practice and plan like there's tomorrow, its more jsut cant do voices like at all cause hole in lung or smth

[unborn lotus]

Or if you want a more extreme example; Aabria Iyengar (she has a lot of free DMing on the official D&D YouTube channel) she's sometimes criticised for not doing voices at all, but she's still a prolific DM who straight up doesn't do anything for her NPCs and for the majority of people that works just fine - they mightn't even notice until someone points out that she doesn't do any voices

[coarse ravine]

I think mulligan could be a good stand up improviset comedian

[unborn lotus]

Is it something you'll heal from or something permanent?

[raw ocean]

Yall ever made a BBEG that was too smart?

[tired crypt]

The hole in my lung is no longer open by the miracle of surgery but my voice and my asthma is permanent sadly

[worn lagoon]

if i spend long enough talking to my australian cousins i think i can pull off the australian accent for my minotaur (bc he's from down under-dark)

[unborn lotus]

If it's permanent then it's not like you don't have a voice at all 😅
If you're playing a teen you can say things like "umm" and "like" or a knight can speak in a regal manner, never stumbling over his words and using a broad vocabulary. These don't require any special voices, just careful use of how you speak to bring out different types of characters

[coarse ravine]

See this is why liches are prolly so hard to beat. Cause if you are that smart. You prolly plan 10 steps ahead and leave no way to get check mated

[tired crypt]

Oh yeah I have a voice, i just cant change it unless if it's wheezing

[raw ocean]

It’s so hard writing BBEG’s to be menacing but not menacing enough to be genuine threats

[unborn lotus]

If you're American I wouldn't bother, I haven't heard an American do an Australian accent that's even in the ballpark in my life

[raw ocean]

Always gotta add a fail safe

[worn lagoon]

I'm not

[woven flint]

BOOO!
My Minotaurs typically have Russian Accents because I like how rough it sounds lol

[coarse ravine]

When 4/5 party members know banishment... im looking at my bbeg like well buddy... glad ya have legendary 5 resistances... after that he's gonna be gone hahah

[coarse ravine]

Oi crikey I sure bloody have

[raw ocean]

Just give the BBEG a wish spell that can enable components, pretty sure with components the person your banishing has to be disgusted by the component

[minor cargo]

On voices, I think one really easy trick to change how you sound is to slouch more/sit-up straighter.

It both changes how you sound AND physically reminds you to stay in character.

Practicing this also sets you up for other voice methods!

[woven flint]

That's where you mess up, I don't believe Australians use "Bloody" in their dialect lmao

[worn lagoon]

that's very british all of a sudden

[tawdry sentinel]

If you heat metal someone, and then get banished, does it break the concentration

[raw ocean]

And if the BBEG is decrepit enough, banishment just doesn’t work

[coarse ravine]

See everything goes back to irish

[glass granite]

We do use it, but not very commonly

Usually we just use the f word

[woven flint]

Frick

[unborn lotus]

Or C word

[glass granite]

At least where I’m from

[worn lagoon]

my family definitely just sticks to the f word

[glass granite]

The c word is a noun, not an adjective

[tired crypt]

Anyways peace

[coarse ravine]

For this bbeg specific situation I think that narrative could work. Based on lore etc

[unborn lotus]

Not if you throw a y on the end 😎

But yeah it'd never substitute bloody

[glass granite]

Indeed

[woven flint]

"Bloody" is definitely more a Scottish and British thing lmao

[worn lagoon]

as a non-native speaker i noticed i just unconsciously imitate the accents of the last few people i spoke to

it's a little weird when narrating, i have to remind myself

[glass granite]

Real

[thorny swallow]

yo if anyone got some spare time to like dead ass tell me everything i need to know about dnd that wo0uld be great

[severe rampart]

#learn-to-play

But if you have any questions you can go to #dnd-newcomers

[worn lagoon]

Oh hi echo

[severe rampart]

Hello Evren

Is Belial a new party member mayhaps?

[worn lagoon]

I'm John John Humanson here

[severe rampart]

Ah yes, John Humanson

[glass granite]

Hi yall, I’m Hi, I’m Nugget

[worn lagoon]

yuh

she's makin' a paladin

[keen kestrel]

Hello all, I’m hungry

[severe rampart]

Glamour Bard died to alcohol poisoning now we got a paladin

[severe rampart]

Hi hungry, I'm Dad

[worn lagoon]

rip nurcan 💔

[severe rampart]

Rip Nurcan, may they sing tunes and drink ale in the sky

[keen kestrel]

I could really go for some pizza

[severe rampart]

Roll a d20 for toppings

[woven flint]

Sardines for you.

Anchovies

[severe rampart]

Yum

In the world of DnD I wonder what delicacies they'd have

[worn lagoon]

ah, napolitana

[keen kestrel]

Never, point buy, I’ll give up sausage for extra pepperoni

[jovial shadow]

Anchovies are disgusting. My mother used to love to put them on pizzas. I had to peel them off before I ate them when I was a kid

[glass granite]

Oh anchovies? Gimme

[minor cargo]

Umami? Uh, more in me.

[uncut zenith]

Hold up, where’s my tomato?

[glacial hazel]

On topic please.

[raw ocean]

What if an anchovy became a dragon 🤔

[lyric viper]

Like the carp that swam up the waterfall, or Yu Lung in older editions? I would like to see Long /Lung dragons come back.

[hidden spindle]

The legend of Magikarp

[worn lagoon]

eastern dergs are cool

eastern dragonborn when

[sonic quiver]

i mean... the new gold dragons are very eastern. gold dragonborn could be too, but flavor-wise you can do whatever you want

[pearl hedge]

goddamnit i literally got killed in one ray of sickness crit

[sonic quiver]

RIP your character

[pearl hedge]

and I just got a kill defending one of my friends using my circlet of blasting

[worn lagoon]

absolute cinema

[severe rampart]

What a way to go

[pearl hedge]

IM A ROGUE WITH 17 HP 😓 LEVEL 2

[naive cedar]

havent gold dragons always been eastern inspired?

[pearl hedge]

THATS ALL YOU'RE GONNA SAY ABOUT THAY

[worn lagoon]

only eastern trait i see are the whiskers

[naive cedar]

i distinctly remember gold dragons in the first monster manual looking very eastern

[severe rampart]

At least you managed to defend your party member, rip to the lore that was yet to be uncovered by your character

[pearl hedge]

i didn't even roleplay my character puking up their guts with the ray of sickness because they died so fast @severe rampart @worn lagoon

[umbral cliff]

Im playing a homebrew game and one of my players used detect magic after a very powerful being had reached out to them. Is it bad to say that detect magic didnt work because the beings magic was too much?

[pearl hedge]

i'm good we have a paladin

[worn lagoon]

immediate nervous system shutdown!

[severe rampart]

Our Glamour Bard died of alcohol poisoning

[pearl hedge]

she just crumpled to the floor dead rip

[pearl hedge]

clearly not a dwarf then

[sonic quiver]

if the magic wasn't within 30 feet of them, that would explain why it didn't work.

[umbral cliff]

The remnants of the magic itself was surrounding them and slowly fading

[worn lagoon]

i'd have done the opposite unless i specifically want to keep this entity hidden. overwhelm them with sensory information.

[jovial shadow]

Too bad. If you were a Monk, you would have survived

[umbral cliff]

Its homebrew magic tho so im more asking, is it fine to break the rules of spells for the purpose of narrative

[severe rampart]

I think it'd be like an integer limit, like in video games

[worn lagoon]

do absolutely whatever you want, i keep inventing silly enchantments that don't exist but are funny

[severe rampart]

The magic was too powerful for him to detect so it became faint

or the powerful magical being also could suppress his immense magical energy

[sonic quiver]

yeah, when I'm DMing, I don't consider things like sending or message to be magical effects, so I'd rule Detect Magic not working on that.

if you do, then the magic fading after contact could explain why Detect Magic didn't work 🙂

[umbral cliff]

Well to be more precise, i said that it was incomprehensable but godlike in origin

[sonic quiver]

yeah, conversely, the magic could be ULTIMATE POWER and thus overwhelming the spell

[umbral cliff]

But im curious if people are fine with breaking dnd rules in general for the purpose of a homebrewed world building or rules that applies to a homebrew world

[pearl hedge]

I CANT DISENGAGE FROM THIS I NEED TO DEFEND MY FRIENDS

[sonic quiver]

heck yeah, the rules are guidelines

[stray atlas]

bit of a random question, does the health of someone infected by a mind flayer tadpole have any effect on the resulting flayer?

[karmic pendant]

i assume it would

[normal junco]

the rules are rules, but mainly guidelines for what goes on at individual tables and in individual adventures. you want to break rules or rewrite stuff? go right ahead. that's how your table has fun. just make sure to stay consistent and to ensure that everyone at the table is actually having fun.

[stray atlas]

I've had an idea for a few months about a settlement that sends people who are dying to a nearby mind flayer colony as a way for said person to keep "living" but that's a major issue if it does

[umbral cliff]

I think thats a good way to put it, detect magic had worked for them everytime until this moment xD

[sonic quiver]

this. consistency is the thing. or if you're inconsistent, have a good reason for it 😛

[stray atlas]

yes ik the person technically dies when becoming a flayer but still

[umbral cliff]

Agreed

[sonic quiver]

usually, the inconsistency is a key that something is Important™ and the players should pay attention

[woven flint]

The person dies, but not the body

[normal junco]

just because the settlement believes that the person keeps "living" doesn't mean it needs to be true. perhaps they were told something by the mind flayers.

[stray atlas]

I feel like some people would want to keep living in some form for different reasons

[umbral cliff]

I have told my players beforehand that i might break some dnd rules as long as it makes sense in the world they are in

Which hasnt happened alot, maybe just once or twice

[stray atlas]

no like the settlement knows that the person doesn't actually survive

[woven flint]

Mind Flayers are a particularly disturbing case.

That's why I'm going to the Illithid Colony to flirt-
I mean, study them

[stray atlas]

and I'm thinking of making it a more

I think the term is symbiotic relationship

[sonic quiver]

__>

[pearl hedge]

it sucks because it feels like in 5E combat you either come out of the battle completely unscathed or you just die

[normal junco]

there ya go. informing the table. good, they appreciate it. however, it might be a good idea to tell them in advance specifically what rules are altered so they can plan accordingly. as for lore or story, your world is your world. tell them what differs from your source and move on.

[hot marlin]

Yes and no. RAW, the tadpole is not immune to disease, so it could be contaminated by a disease the host had for example. But otherwise... Normally not, the entire body is reshaped during ceremorphosis

[valid geyser]

I think yeah I'd love if stuff like the DMG had more guidance on not using rules. I think it should give the go ahead but it should also give the pros and cons to changing something up

[flat monolith]

In this case there are spells like magic aura that can make magic things appear nonmagical so it’s not much of a stretch that a powerful being could hide theirs

[umbral cliff]

We are doing this as they discover more of the world

[stray atlas]

where the settlement gets something out of doing this

[woven flint]

I think we should befriend Illithids instead of killing them 🧐
-totally not an Illithid

[umbral cliff]

Very true!

[hot marlin]

Fun fact: The actual term is "Mutualism" if it benefits both parties, commensalism if it benefits one party and the other is unaffected, parasitism if it benefits one party and the other is harmed.

[jovial shadow]

The Rules are just guidelines/suggestions to play the game as intended. You obviously can do whatever you want with the game. Just like if you buy a car, you don't have to follow the manufacturer's suggestion on servicing your vehicle. You can opt not to ever service it, then one day the engine locks up. Okay maybe not the right analogy

[normal junco]

they can't really give pros and cons of a near infinite number of possible rule changes. that's outside of the scope of written rules in general.

[hot marlin]

The term "symbiosis" is for any long term biological interaction between two species.

[worn lagoon]

some hosts are much better than others for sure

[charred imp]

Question I’ve been trying to see from other people to see what most people say the “Final Boss” I don’t know if the story is linear or up to interpretation but it’s hard to tell who really the “final boss” or main villain of dnd is so I’d like to know from here

[worn lagoon]

what was the one where one is not benefited but the other is harmed

[valid geyser]

of course not infinite scenarios, but you certainly can be clear on why a rule works the way it does

[pearl hedge]

Legends of Avantris PFP 🥹

[hot marlin]

That's parasitism.

[valid geyser]

i just think this is a matter of developer transparency, which I think fifth edition heavily lacks in its writing

[normal junco]

the final boss is scheduling difficulties. and that boss always comes back.

[charred imp]

Yes

[worn lagoon]

no, not + and -

x and -

there was a word for it, it's at the tip of my tongue

[woven flint]

The real Big Bad Evil Guy is the dm /joke

[hot marlin]

Oh, yeah, I misread. Sorry. That's called Amensalism

[crimson gulch]

Dnd dosent have one, but individual campaigns do

[charred imp]

That is funny and I love a good joke I just been trying to see who it is

[pearl hedge]

is that you jarnathan

[charred imp]

Who would you say the most “Popular” one is

[sonic quiver]

Depends on your campaign, really. If you're Brennan Lee Mulligan, the final boss is always Capitalism

[pearl hedge]

LMoP (Lost Mines of Phandelver) is very beginner friendly

[severe rampart]

The BBEG of all DnD games is scheduling

[pearl hedge]

well also the final boss is managing your stream

[hot marlin]

For an example of real life amensalism: Penicillium mold and bacteria. Penicillium does not gain anything by killing the bacteria

[normal junco]

individual campaigns have objectives and antagonists and final bosses. each campaign, even within the same world, is its own thing. there's no "final boss" to all of the forgotten realms D&D. there's powerful antagonists, there's gods, there's entire factions, etc. its just a world with stuff that happens and PCs that interact.

[delicate owl]

And both being harmed is Competition iirc.

[sonic quiver]

this just in: the final boss, most often believed to be the DM, is actually the PLAYERS

cuz they just won't ding dang focus!

[hot marlin]

Exactly!

[charred imp]

Darn I heard that people joke about dnd scheduling I didn’t know it was this common

[stark tundra]

So they pulled the book

[woven flint]

Of course it is, D&D is a social hobby and people do have lives

[stark tundra]

Only the warforged survived

Because well it wasn't his main body that was there

[charred imp]

Who’s the most popular dnd boss

[stark tundra]

The dm

[pearl hedge]

well it's also that they won't stop making stupid decisions.. like in roleplay one time i asked about someone's tattoo because i thought it represented that he hunted down tieflings (i'm one for reference) and the other pc just said.. "why would i hunt my own kind i'm a tiefling too" and i was just like. oh

[woven flint]

Depends on who you ask

Well known ones would be like Acererak and Strahd

[stark tundra]

Nah it's probably someone like a litch or something there's no one popular boss I mean maybe strahd

[hot marlin]

Popular in the sense that it's been fought the most or in the sense that it's beloved?

[sonic quiver]

I would put a certain amount of dollars on Strahd being one of the more popular

[woven flint]

If its most beloved it's (probably, for some odd reason) Strahd...
Too many people glaze him >->

[proven mountain]

I would also bet on Strahd

[charred imp]

1. Has been fought the most

2. Most beloved

3. Just most well know

[trim marlin]

i need help making a new campaign haven't played in 2 years and need to get back

[normal junco]

some would say "Vecna" is the most popular boss, but to be honest he's like really not around that much at all. not even orchestrating things in many campaigns. Tiamat might be more involved, even if indirectly as her cult and followers tend to do more without being directed by her.

[woven flint]

Personally?
I'm a Fan of The Mad Mage

[wispy star]

Vecna is mostly a scary hand.

[woven flint]

...
And Baphomet

[sonic quiver]

for 5th edition, it's definitely anyone who's gotten a book: Tiamat, Strahd, Acererak, Auril...

Prior to Eve of Ruin and Critical Role, I don't know a lot of people who fought Vecna

[wispy star]

Correct answer is Klarg the Bugbear.

[woven flint]

Too bad Baphomet is one of those folk you'd have to actually go out of your way to fight 😔

[rough basalt]

Vecna is mainly an aurafarmer

Someone that just always exists

[woven flint]

Vecna is a loser, I can't wait for us to absolutely dumpster that man

[normal junco]

even Bhaal could be considered a popular boss, what with all the Baldur's Gate popularity, but like with Tiamat, most of the stuff involving Bhaal is done by followers without direct involvement of Bhaal. Acererak seems to be one that is more direct.

[rough basalt]

He's gonna get one rounded

[valid geyser]

i feel on average, most players either dont play in games that have those iconic villains or dont get to a level where theyd fight them

[buoyant oar]

Vecna was one of those villains that always existed. First appearing in Eldritch wizardry in Original DnD but not part of an adventure until Vecna Lives which Eve of Ruin is a sort of soft reboot of.

[hot marlin]

1, The final boss of Phandelver
2. Strahd, Vecna, Orcus or Acererak
3. Strahd

[rough basalt]

That's just the truth yeah

[worn lagoon]

hahahahaha

[valid geyser]

it is kind of the issue with quantifying these since high level threats arent commonly faced

[woven flint]

Don't forget the Terrasque!
It's not a singular boss, but they exist

[severe rampart]

Yep, we're gonna kill him alright

[charred imp]

Question to everyone I’ve heard this awhile back like 5 years ago possibly but I heard that Vecna was like a big deal and people liked him but this was before Stranger Things and here’s my thing ever sense stranger things came out did vecna become less cool

[hot marlin]

Yeah good point. Add it to the last two categories

[worn lagoon]

i've heard about an extremely popular homebrew monster called the false hydra, but that's not canon

[proven mountain]

I've only ever played in homebrew games so I've never fought any of them except a revised form of Tiamat

[buoyant oar]

The most well known publicly DND villain right now is Probably Vecna. Considering. stranger things. But for DnD. Strahd is one of the longest lasting with depth

[stark tundra]

I mean my end boss is usually Odin

But that's because I don't like the one eyed bastard

[normal junco]

actually, Strahd might be the most popular final boss. he's a jerk, he's entitled and opinionated, he directly and indirectly messes with the PCs as well as NPCs, and he is an absolute barrier to the party leaving Barovia.

[valid geyser]

strahd is probably the easiest answer

[proven mountain]

Yea, it's a bit of a meme because you can't really beat it without meta gaming

[woven flint]

Xanathar is also a pretty decently popular boss
But they're just beholders

[valid geyser]

i mean also the false hydra is just less usable now since its more well known and it was only interesting if you had no clue what it was

[stark tundra]

Fizbin is another bbeg that could be said

[sonic quiver]

Vecna got a bit more mainstream popular as the final boss of Critical Role's first campaign.

Then Stranger Things happened and people were simultaneously like 'who TF is Vecna' and 'that's not the real Vecna'

[sonic quiver]

imma be real, I still don't know what it is

[normal junco]

oh yeah, there's Asmodeus and Demogorgon (not the Stranger Things one).

[stark tundra]

A false hydra makes people forget everything about you if it eats you

[proven mountain]

After seeing the Xanathar puppet at Fan Fest I really want to fight him (or be his friend)

[valid geyser]

well then i wont spoil what it is

[normal junco]

generally you don't want to mess with Asmodeus at all. ever.

[rough basalt]

I had plans on using Vecna as a bbeg but that campaign died

[woven flint]

Vecna would probably roll over in his Phylactry I he saw the Stanger Things version of himself lmao

[charred imp]

Every monster in stranger things is based off a dnd boss

[wispy star]

I think Mimics are more popular than all of those guys combined. If you put a hat on a mimic...forget about it.

[buoyant oar]

Strahd works in a way that most people don't think. Imo Strahd works far more than other villains. Not because vampire or gothic horror. But because he is present he is there all of the time. He is an actual character the PCs interact with.

[rough basalt]

And tbh his cult would've been more interesting than Vecna himself

[woven flint]

We're talking about boss monsters

[sonic quiver]

i mean, I've heard of it, but I guess I just don't understand how it works. it feels like both a monster and a concept and I can't figure out which idea people are talking about when they mention it lmao

[rough basalt]

It doesn't work is the thing

[stark tundra]

Ive seen more party's tpked by a mimic then a bbeg

[uncut zenith]

The “false hydra” is a concept of a monster that you forget about once you’ve looked away from it. Kinda like the Silence from Doctor Who.

[buoyant oar]

Many villains in 5e modules just aren't active participants in the story. And that is a shame.

[wispy star]

They could be a boss, you don't know their life.

[woven flint]

Strahd is also fun to hate but there are a few things that can make one feel sympathetic towards him
If they ignore how horrendous he is

[valid geyser]

thats wotc not wanting to write high level modules for you

[rough basalt]

Until you find out more about him

[sonic quiver]

....golly, that was so easy 😂

[uncut zenith]

Ah I see what you did there

[rough basalt]

Then you realize sympathy was what he wanted you to feel when it's not deserved

[normal junco]

i like my homebrewed Mechatarrasque, where i pull out the near 60cm tall Titan class Trypticon figure which acts as a mini and terrain.

[karmic pendant]

how does a party get tpk'd by a mimic? i assume one of those mimics that pretends to be something like a cave or house

[buoyant oar]

You could absolutely do it with low level modules. Descent into Avernus missed a golden opportunity to use Jander Sunstar as a vehicle to make Zariel Sympathetic and to show her more on screen.

[rough basalt]

My current game doesn't have a bbeg yet

[woven flint]

Wait until I find a way to Permanently kill Strahd, I'm gonna take him out back like old yeller then

[sonic quiver]

strahd when i catch you

when i catch you strahd

[hot marlin]

We did perma kill Strahd!

[woeful bear]

I like the bagman but that's not really BBEG material that's more an 'OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT' kind of encounter

[hot marlin]

It was kind of the golden ending. But we figured out the trick

[rough basalt]

I'm looking forward to when my Monday game makes its own bbeg

[woven flint]

I'm gonna make sure my hands are like...
Covered in Tamato Sauce so when I get Strahd I mess up his drip as well.

[sonic quiver]

my favorite thing about the bagman is that he doesn't have a stat block. you can just. go ham

[valid geyser]

i mean the bagman isnt even a real statblock. It's just a scary idea that they didnt stat for and said "yeah just use a troll or something"

[stark tundra]

Nope it was just a chest

The party didn't check it when looting

[glad arch]

I feel after one person dies the rest of the party should have caught on

[wispy star]

You got to have one of those magic extending poles when dealing with mimics.

[severe rampart]

How does a whole party die to a mimic

[woven flint]

They should've done the Dark Souls 1 method of seeing if it was a Mimic smh..

[woeful bear]

That's true but I still like the idea ;-;

[uncut zenith]

Yeah, I love what VRGTR did regarding creating unique monsters by just amending official statblocks

[severe rampart]

Or get a really nice stick

[normal junco]

i find things workd better if there's an objective instead of a bbeg. sure, killing the bbeg might be a way to accomplish that objective, but at the end of the day, the objective is the reason to eliminate the bbeg instead of purely just motivation to kill them.

[rough basalt]

My party did pair a kid and a gold wyrmling together tho, so sequel campaign 20 years later bbeg locked in /j

[buoyant oar]

Soon though I will have an official 5e stat block for the last living daughter of Mystra. Even if I have to kidnap Jason tondro to do it. /S

[severe rampart]

We have kill Bephamot in order to free all minotaurs

[glad arch]

Bbeg is just this really annoying guy the party doesnt like

[stark tundra]

Ah Mr cheddar's

[sonic quiver]

I have yet to have this happen, but I also enjoy when the BBEG is someone the party has created by their actions

[woven flint]

That's weird, because, realistically, Minotaurs are pretty free to do what they want even if they were created by Baphomet,
So long as they serve it up with violence of course

[buoyant oar]

I had that happen via time travel campaign

[limber trail]

BBEG is just some guys high school bully who has absolutely no connection to the plot and is also just some random CR 0 commoner

[severe rampart]

I didnt listen to the specifics, I just want money

[glad arch]

Pwk

[woven flint]

WAIT...
I see...
KNOME!!!!..
My nemesis!!!!

[limber trail]

I agree wholeheartedly

[severe rampart]

Also again, how does a whole party die to a mimic

[rough basalt]

Bad luck

[limber trail]

whats a "knome"?

[woven flint]

Oh, pardon
I mean...
GNOME!!!!!

[buoyant oar]

The character was already a nuisance in the party's hand. But they had this shtick, that if they learned about a future event they would work to ensure it happening. And when the party went back in time to stop her the bard just told them everything bad they would do in the future.

Creating that villain because now she was compelled to do those things.

[woven flint]

I forget I always type your name wrong purposefully

[wispy star]

I have a question about Ancient Dragons. My Lost mines of phandelver campaign has gone a little nuts. There's now a zombie dragon running around, I want the Dragon's former mate to enter the scene and be like "WTF who disturbed my mate's resting place" So my question is, do I want to have them be an Ancient Dragon or is that too powerful for my level 5 characters? I don't intend for them to fight the dragon, but players be dumb sometimes.

[valid geyser]

i dont even like, make villains in the sense that they are BBEGs (I'm not even that big on the term myself), it's mostly just because I write sandboxes and don't chart out a story

[severe rampart]

Dear god please don't give the players the option to fight an ancient dragon

Especially if you have a bard

[buoyant oar]

The dragon is intelligent. If the players are insistent upon fighting it, they will simply refuse

[woven flint]

Make sure to give the party cues that the dragon doesn't seem interested in hostilities, that it just wants them to leave

[valid geyser]

i mean its their fault if they try attacking everything they see

[stark tundra]

I mean my players killed one but that's because there was 7 of them all level 14

[limber trail]

I don't think it's likely that it'll happen (my party are far too moral to ever justify the things my bbeg needs to do to save the world) but if they did align with that individual it'd be interesting to see the heroes and villains who align with vs against them and the characters that become their bbeg.

(It'll be interesting to see anyways who of the major npcs allies with vs against them by the end of the campaign)

[hot marlin]

If the PCs are dumb enough to fight an ancient dragon, then they should die. Don't be afraid of the TPK

[limber trail]

What's a "gnome"?

[stark tundra]

Exactly

[normal junco]

the real bbeg are the friends we made along the way

[woven flint]

Sigh

Hokrun?

[buoyant oar]

It was also one time where I had a game where the players were part of an adventurer's Guild. And their leader was the main villain. And they never figured it out. They only learn when we did the post game.Epilogues

[limber trail]

Hokrun? I think you mean, *cocksgun*

[normal junco]

hadoken?

[rough basalt]

If I did a BBEG in my world it'd probably be a Humanoid, or humanoid-like

[buoyant oar]

Human-like big bad evil guys are the best ones

[woven flint]

I hope Hokrun dies next session /j

[valid geyser]

i feel like when i really used to try and chart out full stories, part of the burnout was trying to make a fun cool overarching villain.
I just kinda hate doing it and fitting it into a campaign

[woven flint]

Artanza does have a scroll of Revivify though, I don't see him not using It if Hokrun died 😔

[limber trail]

I find it very telling that now that I'm taking stock of my BBEG and other major heroes/villains, they're all humans/humanoids, and it's only lesser antagonists or forces of nature that break that mold

[buoyant oar]

All my campaigns start with a villain. What they want, why they want it, and how they're going to get it.

The campaign is then drafted on how to stop that from happening

[wispy star]

I don't think they're dumb enough to do that...one of them is a bard. But they were present when the Zombie dragon rose out of the ground and fought him while he was regenerating. And dragon mate has seen them leaving the area and thinks they had something to do with it. And the living dragon wants revenge.

[buoyant oar]

And if you're going real evil, don't be afraid to pull a new hope.

Don't kill your party's families in front of them. Let them come home to find their skeletons long picked clean

[pearl hedge]

the BBEG of online games are timezones

[sonic quiver]

truuuuuu

[pearl hedge]

btw

[buoyant oar]

Simply be in a better time zone like American Central

[tacit cave]

I wish I can join my first campaign

[valid geyser]

I think it mostly stems into me disliking planning in the long term for my games. I'd rather just have problems that are pretty directly in front of the players

[wispy star]

Accurate

[sonic quiver]

/high five

[pearl hedge]

actually west coast best coast

[rough basalt]

East coast beast coast

[buoyant oar]

You mean West Coast burn coast

[valid geyser]

sandbox games are how I cope with that

[pearl hedge]

WRONG.

sorry sora but i gotta say no

[sonic quiver]

let's not descend into chaos. remember, the real enemy here: train companies

[pearl hedge]

West coast best coast

[buoyant oar]

I will take my tornado alley over the firestorms of the west and the hurricanes of the East any day

[woven flint]

The real enemy is the Giant Enemy Spider.

[pearl hedge]

oh right they were the one that messed everything up in the first place i forgot

[sonic quiver]

the BBEG is TRAINS

[buoyant oar]

Well I mean they did call them robber barons for something I guess

No one good ever had the title of Baron

[stark tundra]

The red Baron pizza

[limber trail]

No you know what, I've recently had a really good string of scheduling luck by switching how my campaign does scheduling (I have not cancelled or had missing players for a session since october, except for this week which I cancelled for mental health reasons)

[sonic quiver]

I was JUST about to say that

[woven flint]

As he said..
No one GOOD has ever held the title of Baron

[pearl hedge]

no the reason its trains is because train companies in the 1800s made American timezones so they wouldn't miss a drop of supplies and they would always be on time

[hot marlin]

... I've got a friend who is a baronness.

[severe rampart]

Irl?

[buoyant oar]

The Red Baron Is only fit for those, who aren't allowed to pick aristocrat in the lifestyle of Dungeons and Dragons.

[woven flint]

Of course you do, you're a fiend!

[pearl hedge]

understandable. Earlier last month i had a complete mental breakdown and i was like i'm not roleplaying today because i was out of control

[buoyant oar]

And I say this, as somebody who has eight of them in my freezer

[hot marlin]

Yeah. The title is basically meaningless, but some centuries ago, one of her ancestors was some bridge builder or something who got decorated by the crown

[woven flint]

It's okay because Incubus is just naturally evil, but he's a friend so he's awesome

[pearl hedge]

also their pizza is subpar

[limber trail]

you spelled fiend wrong

[sonic quiver]

i'd try to approach the DM as a group (strength in numbers and all), but overall, if it's not working out for you all, be free to leave

[stark tundra]

Keep in contact with the players but not the dm

[valid geyser]

I mean you can do one and then the other

[woven flint]

I already called him a Fiend, he's just ignoring me now smh.

[wispy star]

Baron Munchhausen? Maybe?

[rough basalt]

That reminds me.
I wanted to run a ToA style adventure in my homebrew world where the party are initially hired by the train company to help get train tracks set up through a massive jungle that takes up the center of the land.

[buoyant oar]

It's also important to note that if you're doing strength and numbers, it's very important to know if the dungeon master is new to this or not. Because the entire party showing up confrontationally could end up having that nervous effect upon them

[rough basalt]

And the train company is the bad guys, I know big shock

[pearl hedge]

provide critique. just say please stop railroading us and putting us in impossible situations that we cannot escape from. also say that everyone helps create the story not just the DM and let the players do as they please with less handholding and railroading

[valid geyser]

i mean i dont see why you cant just give them feedback and see if they work on that

[buoyant oar]

Just because they're a dungeon master does not mean that they are immune from social anxiety over confrontation

That doesn't mean ignore the problem. It means take great care in how you approach it the same way DM should with a player

[pearl hedge]

also just because they're the dungeon master does not mean they are the be all and end all on every decision

[obtuse hatch]

So I need some advice, cause I got some discouraging news about my DND group, and need some help figuring out the next move

[buoyant oar]

One thing that I do is anonymous Google surveys every around 15 or so sessions

[pearl hedge]

just talk to the others in private messages and ask if they're up to talking with the DM about his railroading

[pearl hedge]

disbanded?

[buoyant oar]

Also understand that railroading in and of itself is not always a negative thing.

[pearl hedge]

no it's not always negative but it can get too excessive and that is the point where you confront the DM

[valid geyser]

i mean in the examples they gave where rolls just didnt matter id say its kind of an issue

[pearl hedge]

having the DM point you in the right direction is always nice too, but it needs to be a nudge not a push

[buoyant oar]

Sometimes it also needs to be a push.

Sometimes players will stand in front of unlocked door for 45 minutes.

[shell crag]

random but You cannot convince me that the duck song does not fit perfectly with ragebaiting your DM
https://open.spotify.com/track/2I66eI2j2ZfOe9q8TMLPbj

[pearl hedge]

exactly you should have a choice to at least roll for dex to get out of the vines. it shouldn't just be "you are trapped now you cannot do anything at all about this"

[sonic quiver]

Really good advice happening, but also remember: you can leave (anyone or anything) for any reason, and you don't really have to justify that to anyone.

An explanation helps, and makes you seem less of a butt (sometimes), but if you're not enjoying yourself, you can just go.

[buoyant oar]

Pro tip: Don't rage bait your DM.

[shell crag]

lol

[worn lagoon]

(i didn't actually say "to free all minotaurs", my minotaur's patron just demands it because he's a devil of the nine hells and has personal beef with baphomet)

[stark tundra]

Extra pro tip rage bait the barbarian

[buoyant oar]

Your dungeon master is putting an enormous amounts of work to make sure that you have fun. Respect that and never diminish that in any sort of way.

[shell crag]

that too

[pearl hedge]

exactly you don't need to justify leaving if the dm is going to waste your time with traps you can't do anything about and railroading. i think they will understand why you left at some point @violet cave

[sonic quiver]

Secret pro tip: (sometimes) rage bait the BBEG

[pearl hedge]

is that really good advice?

[severe rampart]

Could I seduce the BBEG

[stark tundra]

Unless the bbeg is a barbarian

[woven flint]

Extra Extra Pro Tip: KILL your bard if they start flirting with extraplanar beings... for their safety... the extraplanar being safety, that is.

[stark tundra]

No the bbeg is aroace

[severe rampart]

Dang it

[buoyant oar]

Yes. Wear clear glass collars that cover your neck and go to Strahd's dinner

[obtuse hatch]

Not exactly, so early September we kicked someone from being a problem player and we found two new players not long after, but after 1-2 sessions, the DM said he needs to put the game on hiatus. I ask him if it's alright that we continue doing one shots and mini campaigns to keep the group together, which was perfectly fine.

Today, the problem player reached out, and said have we talked to the DM, cause he saw a few posts on Reddit from what he thought were from the DM (and can confirm, they were), where the DM's wife wants a divorce took the kids, and "ruining his life". Now the DM is suicidal and it's like I don't exactly know where to start.

[sonic quiver]

honestly, if you get the impression that the BBEG is hotheaded and prone to making mistakes when mad, then absolutely

[pearl hedge]

i mean you shouldn't kill your bard but you should at least stop him from doing anything with the being

[severe rampart]

Seduction doesn't have to be limited to that

[woven flint]

Sorry, I'm already ready to kill any bard I see 😔 /joking

[pearl hedge]

i mean i guess so but i wouldn't bet on the BBEG not getting a good hit in

[pearl hedge]

🫩

[stark tundra]

Honesty id try to reach out to the dm and ask how he's doing sometimes all it takes is a phone call

[buoyant oar]

Be very careful of Reddit posts that are not verifiable. If you're not a professional, don't offer professional advice. If this person is a friend of yours, talk to them. Be kind. It's rough out there.

[worn lagoon]

that said, the minotaur does also want to kill baphomet, as he thinks the general violent tendencies of his race stem from him, and he wants his people to deserve less hate

also, his patron made him stop feeling hungry somehow

[severe rampart]

Aha I just got the main motivation of my character and why they accepted the quest

[obtuse hatch]

So I tried the other day with something else via Discord and he never responded. I do not have his number.

[pearl hedge]

holy crap. that is definitely an rpg horror story if i've ever seen one. i think the best option is to leave that game and try to find a new one. that one is not going anywhere

[stark tundra]

Ah then the best you can do is try and be there

[buoyant oar]

Yeah, if you've attempted to make contact. You've done your part.

One of the reasons why I say be careful about Reddit posts. We once had a bad table that ended up dissolving. And a problem player invented a story about me. That made it all the way back to my immediate family.

[elfin sparrow]

Rage bait EVERYONE

[obtuse hatch]

Technically, we sorta were expecting that campaign to fall apart, since it has been almost 3 months, but we've been doing various one shots and a "prologue" to a campaign I've been working on until we heard from the DM

[pearl hedge]

oh good! i hope the dm is okay that sounds like an awful situation

[sonic quiver]

oh for sure, but like... if I was your DM and you'd done the work to figure out how to poke at my bad guy, I'd give him a disadvantage to whatever his reaction was for your hard work

EDIT: if you succeeded, of course

[frank forum]

Hello hello

[pearl hedge]

thats what i would think since hes so mad he can hardly think right

[obtuse hatch]

I am trying not to judge between the DM and his wife, but if that are his posts I do feel bad about him being suicidal

[frank forum]

Is anyone looking for a player in an online 5e campaign

[pearl hedge]

i mean i don't really know what you can do except refer him to 988

[sonic quiver]

head over to #looking-for-players!

[frank forum]

Thank you!

[vast pelican]

This is well beyond the ability of us randos on the internet to really give further advice on.

[pearl hedge]

exactly. i think this is where our authority stops and the actual mental health professionals come in

[sonic quiver]

it's lovely that you care, but you also can't put that kinda pressure on yourself

[pearl hedge]

exactly leave that to people who understand mental health and let them help

[hearty walrus]

SODA

I JUST SAW YOUR NAME AND I WAS LIKE "waaaiiiittt a minute I know that person"

Anyway

Y'all my boyfriend just got me some new bullet dice and I already know what character I'm playing next campaign

[obtuse hatch]

I guess it was more like, what can I do for the game, but I think I've done technically as much as I can by keeping the players together.

[sonic quiver]

i mean... one of you could DM something outside of your regular campaign? if anyone wants to take up that mantle

keeps y'all together and honestly takes pressure off your DM in the event they're also worrying about whether or not the game will be able to continue

[lofty thunder]

Would the crooked moon be a thing that could be played here? I know it is a 5e game but i have no clue if we’re even able to talk about it lol

[karmic pendant]

there's a channel for that #third-party

[sonic quiver]

Yup yup! Third-party is welcome here!

[snow zephyr]

Nothing quite like prepping hand drawn, grid squared, terrain compatible maps and then the session falling through

[sonic quiver]

ultimate sadness

[snow zephyr]

The real BBEG of D&D is scheduling

[lofty thunder]

Oh cool!!!

[crimson gulch]

Ahh so hype, was off for two weeks and now tonight my game at the shop is back on

[lofty thunder]

So real! A campaign i’m in has been off for four weeks!

[celest ether]

Do you think it's a good idea to reflavor the wildfire druid as plant druid that does solar beams?

[violet tendon]

Is there any campaigns going rn

[snow zephyr]

The holidays are like a gelatinous cube, they kill your inertia and they dissolve the plot

[woven flint]

I mean, that'd work
Flavor is free

[idle oar]

Check #looking-for-players and #looking-for-community

Also #find-a-game

[violet tendon]

Ok, thanks. I'm quite new to this

[pearl hedge]

i play stardew now

[celest hill]

So

[lucid gust]

Sup

[hoary crypt]

Hi peeps, I'm in desperate need of ideas. I'm still kinda new into dnd, therefore dont have much knowledge. I've recently aquired heart of a red dragon, I'm a fire dragon blood sorcerer. What I could do is potentialy aquire its power into my character granting me fire immunity and weakness to cold (im playing a cold campaign, therefore im not so fond of that option, lots of cold damage monsters, cold climate).

What I've been thinking already:

• maybe craft something from it, like some magic items
• use it for something, maybe like a forge
• make some research...

yeah not sure what to do with such power item.

[pearl hedge]

YES I GOT REVIVED WITH HEALING WORD!! my rogue's story does not end

[rough basalt]

Might be best to talk with your DM since this is homebrew territory.

[hoary crypt]

yeah, i wanted to give him some ideas.

[pearl hedge]

@jovial shadow @worn lagoon

[jovial shadow]

Good to hear!

[rough basalt]

Could use it to craft a Dragon-touched focus maybe

It's an official item so wouldn't take too much work to work out

[glad arch]

Revived or brought back from being downed. Cause thats 2 different things

[worn lagoon]

Who dares summon m- Oh! Cool

So they weren't dead, just downed.

[woven flint]

Shame.

If you don't die in glorious combat, then whats the point?!

[limber trail]

I love high level fighters. I just theorycrafted a PC sheet to use as a reference for an NPC stat block, and if all of the benefits in his very replicatable loop successfully go off, he can deal 2d8+2d10+7 damage in a single attack (which is expending one superiority dice per attack, but still)

[woven flint]

Theorycrafting is much different than application...

I'm hexing your dice as we speak

[mortal tinsel]

give that same fighter some love in a druid or wiz and access to Conjure Minor Elemental...

[limber trail]

This is a very very very martial character, but he does have a wizard and sorcerer buddy.

[eager marsh]

Dying on your deathbed after successfully training up the new generation of heroes that you call idiots but are still proud of anyways and you’ve told how to help people even through retirement begrudgingly because they’re just so eager and insistent and now you can rest easy knowing they’ll be alright

[mortal tinsel]

Corrected for the right spell... conjure minor elemental. It's self only, lvl 4 spell. adds 2d8 dmg when you hit a creature

[woven flint]

Nah, I'd die fighting for my cause.

[limber trail]

it's a violent violent spell.

[woven flint]

Not every warrior wants to just get old

[limber trail]

Wait I'm silly, I forgot action surge on the stat block

[hoary crypt]

@rough basalt how about something else, i have a scenario that i have a cold divine enemy's druid as prisoner, a lot of chardalyn, blood transfusion ritual book, maybe some experiments? (my character is lawfuly evil, researcher, font of power and magic items)

[eager marsh]

Never said they did. I was merely offering another alternative

[woven flint]

I choose DEATH!!!! /silly

[eager marsh]

Ok then Perish (power word kill)

[woven flint]

Jokes on you, I have more than 100 hp...
I have 101 hp!!!!

[fresh patrol]

I wonder what would a half beastfolk half human even look like

[severe rampart]

So... there's this community that holds conventions...

[worn lagoon]

You become a lich

[woven flint]

I'm not opposed to being a Lich.

[tame estuary]

living forever sounds cool, like 20 more years of girlrotting? hell yeah

[turbid vessel]

forever and 20 years are two very different amounts of time

(though one of them isn't technically an "amount")

[worn lagoon]

In 20 years they will interrupt it to take out the trash

I love your bio Lily

[tame estuary]

oh the FR roles are gone

[stark tundra]

Immortality would only be nice if you could choose when it ends

[eager marsh]

Just let the snail touch you

[stark tundra]

Honesty

The snail is one of the best forms of immortality

You could keep it in a tungsten ball near you that way if you ever wanted to end it you could

[eager marsh]

or just a tupperware container

[unborn lotus]

I think it's weird that Balor can be fiend patrons
I know it's not exactly 1:1... But can you imagine the Balrog sitting down making a deal with a mortal?

[eager marsh]

they usually use a proxy or talk via flaming sacrifice circle portal

[hushed mason]

Everything is delegated to the underfiends.

[hot reef]

Only if you catch it

[severe rampart]

High risk high reward

[eager marsh]

catching a snail isn't hard. you just can't kill it

[unborn lotus]

But I feel like Balor have no interest in mortal affairs at all 😅
Other fiends for sure, but Balor are no nonsense commanders in war

[severe rampart]

One touch youre dead, so hire a guy to catch the snail

[hot reef]

It’s a superintelligent snail. You aren’t catching it easily

[eager marsh]

it's a snail that moves as a snail. it also isnt super intelligent it only knows where you are always and moves towards you

[unborn lotus]

Nah the original prompt was it was super intelligent

[hot reef]

There are different versions of it

[eager marsh]

As are Pit Fiends who also want soul deals. Balors encourage mortals to chaotic evil regularly

the intellect of the snail doesnt matter it's still limited by the snail form

[unborn lotus]

Fair enough, I guess you can kinda say whatever to make something true in D&D
I'm mostly complaining because it ruins their character for me a bit 😛
Maybe because I'm a warlock hater so I view all patrons as slimy little guys

[hushed mason]

If only there were a really obvious example from the genre's literature that demonstrates how a balor can interfere with mortals...

[unborn lotus]

"if I have an iota of respect for you I'm sure you'd never be siphoning your power off to dirty warlocks"

[eager marsh]

Warlock pacts are a feedback loop for the patron. Generally the warlock getting stronger feeedback the energy to the patron to a degree.

[woven flint]

Hey, My Warlocks Patron is literally Eilistraee

[eager marsh]

And why would you be a warlock to a full goddess and not just a cleric?

[unborn lotus]

I'm not sure what you're referring to

[pearl hedge]

WOULD YOU HAVE LIKED ME TO DIE

[scenic zinc]

One of the worst gods
-# because i can't pronounce her name

[pearl hedge]

revived i think. but i got healed by healing word

[hushed mason]

Errtu, from the original Drizzt novel (and assorted sequals).

[scenic zinc]

Because i just want power. Not interested in the religion.

[unborn lotus]

Now a hag, or Asmodeus, those are the kinda underhanded filthy guys who would be making warlocks and cultists left and right

[eager marsh]

What you want isnt relevant. The deity needs to be willing to bestow power

And generally a deity bestowing magic to a mortal = cleric

Even Caderly from the Cleric Quintet books, who didn't even actively participate in the Gond(?) religion or sermons and just was inventive all the time was directly granted magic by the god and functionally was a cleric

[woven flint]

Well, it's a bit of a complicated answer
Half because I as a player didn't want to play a Cleric because i am currently playing one in another Campaign , second because he was never devoted to Eilistraee or anything and WAS a Lolthite but sought her help when his sister was murdered by a Balor.
Her ideals just align with his at the current moment lmao
He's definetly become a better person because of it, though

[unborn lotus]

Ah I'm not familiar at all haha
I thought you were about to blow my mind with a Tolkien thing I wasn't aware of... I'm treading on dangerous ground because I know Balrogs have a tonnne of extra lore in the Christoper published stuff and could well have something obvious I'm forgetting

[hushed mason]

Deneir, and one would argue that by doing all the research he did, he was actively worshiping.

[eager marsh]

Yes but if you arent devoted to Eilistraee in the first place how are you a warlock of her? How are you getting any power from her if you aren't worshipping her/a cleric ignoring the meta 'i dont wanna play cleric' part?

[eager marsh]

He was partaking of the tenants just not the formal religious parts

[hushed mason]

Okay, so maybe not THAT obvious, but in terms of D&D fiction... and the number of novels the fiend appears in... it is kinda "obvious". Basically, demons interact with mortals to get stuff they want. Even balors. Because mortals are everywhere.

[woven flint]

I don't think you understand.

Warlocks don't HAVE to be devoted to their Patrons

[hushed mason]

Divine magic doesn't have to come from a god?

[eager marsh]

No they dont. But getting power from actual gods does requqire that.

[eager marsh]

They explicitly called her their patron. Meaning the power comes from her

[keen kestrel]

any warlock pact can come in from monsters or anything else with a bit of power really

[unborn lotus]

Yeah I did say it's not 1:1 Balor are not Balrogs especially considering how fleshed out the Blood War is

But I want them to be Balrogs

[keen kestrel]

celestial warlock made a pact with a celestial, not necessarily a god after all

celestials can include pretty much all the angels, unicorns, and a few other species

[woven flint]

No, no, he made a pact with a Deity lmao

[unborn lotus]

Explicitly not a god if you read the description

[eager marsh]

They are Balrogs. Legally they were. Until Tokkien estate sued and the name was changed. Same thing with Hobbit-> Halfling

[unborn lotus]

The list is like, Unicorns, and Couatls and Sphixes and stuff

[unborn lotus]

Yeah 100% that's their origin, but Balor have decades of lore (and 4(?) editions of D&D) since the lawsuit

[hushed mason]

I missed what the original issue was. Ooops?

[unborn lotus]

Like did the Blood War even exist back in the Hobbit, Balrog, Ent days?
The amount fiends have been explored in D&D mean Tolkien lore is basically irrelevant unless you want to run an explicitly different version of Balrogs 😅

[woven flint]

Shrug
Look man, it's a simple as
not Wanting to play a Cleric, wanting to play a Celestial Warlock and trying to have a Patron at least partially connected to the story.

Lmao

[uncut zenith]

Well, D&D isn’t supposed to be a Tolkien simulator. Yes there’s plenty of stuff that takes inspiration from Tolkien’s work, but it’s not intended to be the “LOTR TTRPG”

[unborn lotus]

What do you mean by this? Celestial magic certainly not only from gods... Abjurations can be done by all sorts of casters... But uh... What do you think divine means?

[eager marsh]

I mean your patron doesnt have to be story relevant. they can be their own side relations with your character not main plot connected. But that's fine. I was just nitpicking the lore/narrative situation

[woven flint]

A good reason I suppose is that he doesn't want to completely devote himself to a God. But a God was the only figure he knew he could rely on.

[eager marsh]

Abjuration magic isnt divine magic inherently

Divine Magic is a type of magic explicitly defined by the power source. Abjuration is just a category of magic based on what it's doing

[hushed mason]

I'm not sure if it is edition specific, so forgive me if I'm messing things up, but clerics don't need a deity to grant them spells. It is the Heresay of Sertrous.

[woven flint]

Also because my assumption of being a former Lolthite Born in Menzoberenzen means that outsider knowledge is very limited to them as people

[little fable]

Heyo 👋
New here, I just had something of a question
Roughly how killable would a creature with 75 AC and 500 HP be for a party ~level 5-6?

[unborn lotus]

I'm not familiar... But like, if no gods existed clerics couldn't cast spells right?

[hushed mason]

A quote: Today, few question the fact that a priest need not worship a god to work divine magic- he needs only faith in an idea. Yet what of the source of this discovery? Who was the first to draw upon divinity without the guidance of a god? Who knows the truth of the first heretic, and of the serpent who exposed a secret no god wished revealed? ~ Demonomicon of Iggwilv

[eager marsh]

impossible

[little fable]

Good, thank you

[woven flint]

Who knows though, maybe he'll completely devote himself at some point and maybe become a Cleric of Eilistraee?

[unborn lotus]

They don't need devotion to the god, and they keep their power even if their faith falters. (Both of these are explicit in 2024) But they do need the god to actually exist as far as I know

[eager marsh]

for reference, the highest 'to hot' bonus in the game is +19 on attack rolls. Meaning without a Nat 20, the highest AC that could be hit is 38

[woven flint]

Wrong ping, I assume? XP

[eager marsh]

chat moved as I clicked i am innocent

[unborn lotus]

What edition is this?

[woven flint]

It's okay! It happens lmao

[glass granite]

More with war cleric and buffs no?

[unborn lotus]

I googled the herasy but basically got no relevant hits

[little fable]

Essentially I want this thing to be more of a puzzle boss, they have to maneuver around its attacks, dispatch of its dregs to immobilize it long enough to get past to the next encounter

[eager marsh]

5e as a system struggles to have those sort of bosses because how how mechanics and encounters typically opperate

[scenic zinc]

That's... not true.

[little fable]

This isn’t a 5e game, there’s some 5e mechanics but it’s majority homebrew

[scenic zinc]

Neither mechanically or narratively.

[hushed mason]

It's from Elder Evils, 3.5

[unborn lotus]

Check out Telegraphed Legendary Attacks by Zee Bashew (YouTube video)

[eager marsh]

for a warlock pact it most certainly does.

[unborn lotus]

Really great way to slow down bosses and make players have to scramble out of the way of attacks and stuff

[scenic zinc]

Ew dnd YouTube content.

[little fable]

Oh sweet, thanks for the suggestion
Will check it out

[unborn lotus]

You can have one shot attacks without just ruining your fights by telegraphing imo, make it a bit more videogamey.
I'd definitely use it sparingly though

[scenic zinc]

Nope. Perhaps how you decide to implement it maybe. But that's not a requirement that's narratively or mechanically required.

[unborn lotus]

Depends on the Patron, K'thulu is asleep and has no idea people are using his power

[little fable]

The narrative isn’t all there yet, but I currently have somewhat of an outline for the campaign. Most of the stuff I’m working on right now is more on the mechanical side

[eager marsh]

Cthulhu*? pretty sure they aint in D&D (formally)

[scenic zinc]

Either no idea, or does not care

[unborn lotus]

Bro have you read the PHB 🤣

[scenic zinc]

They are. They're directly listed in great old one patrons.

[unborn lotus]

I'm only seeing wrong takes from you here

[worn lagoon]

It literally is

[hushed mason]

Cthulu is public domain.

[little fable]

I completely forgot Cthulhu is considered a god in D&D
Like I knew he’s in it but

[eager marsh]

I was largely under the impression lovecraft's stuff wasn't old enough for that

[hot reef]

I believe he’s an Outer Evil or something nvm he’s not mentioned much

[eager marsh]

good for you?

[little fable]

In mainline Lovecraft canon, Cthulhu is essentially Azathoth’s guard dog, he’s just a lil guy

[scenic zinc]

Not sure if azathoth exists in dnd

[unborn lotus]

The gods are all kinda like Cthulhu, they're an immensely powerful force of nature and magic such that any cleric can wield the magic they leak into the world the same way sorcerers wield their magical bloodline

[hushed mason]

I'm in Canada. We didn't neuter our copyright laws to harmonize with the USA until the last Canada/US/Mexico trade agreement.

[scenic zinc]

But cthulu certainly does

[unborn lotus]

But not all patrons are the same, a unicorn is not powerful enough that you can just leech off it, it's usually going to have to agree to give you powers

[unborn lotus]

He's not a god he's a great old one

[eager marsh]

Your being in Canada doesn't effect copyright for something an American writer created however

[little fable]

Azathoth is essentially the god of Cthulhu Mythos, he lies at the center of the universe in a constant state of sleep by an alien band, because the universe is his dream and if he wakes up it will begin to unravel and collapse

[hushed mason]

It affects its public domain status here... making it public domain.

[scenic zinc]

There's a very murky difference. It's not entirely clear what a great old one is.

[little fable]

Ahh
So he’s not a god, he’s a goo

[eager marsh]

That would imply copyright laws are not internationally respected by the country of origin and I have a feeling that wouldn't go well depending on the entity in question

[scenic zinc]

It's honestly not even clear what all the deities truly are.

[unborn lotus]

It certainly does 😁
The Hobbit became public domain in Canada last year, but it won't become public domain in the USA for another decade

[scenic zinc]

They aren't internationally respected.

[hushed mason]

THe International Music Score Library Project was hosted in Canada for years specifically because works came into the pd earlier here than they did in the USA.

[eager marsh]

That...sounds wrong.

[scenic zinc]

Not by default, anyway.

[unborn lotus]

They definitely are not internationally respected 🤣
You know why there are so many Chinese and Indian bootlegs? No copyright enforcement

[eager marsh]

laws are stupid though so this checks

[scenic zinc]

There needs to be an agreement between the two legal structures to make that be the case.

[hushed mason]

Laws are indeed stupid. I agree!

[vast pelican]

Yes, international IP law is a mess.

[hushed mason]

It is! And since one of the creators of the current Canada, Mexico, USA trade agreement wants to throw the whole thing out, I say... 100%... as long as we get our original public domain terms back.

[hot reef]

On paper they follow it, but just don’t enforce it afaik

[scenic zinc]

-# ::1 is where the heart is

[eager marsh]

I say we just scrap copyright laws and slash them down so they aren't 100 years long anymore. suck it disney

[scenic zinc]

I believe it's 75

[unborn lotus]

Honestly copyright only makes sense from a capitalist lense

[scenic zinc]

And renews on use

[little fable]

I true this

[hushed mason]

Yes. Death +50 years was more than adequate to provide for the creator and their immediate dependants.

[eager marsh]

hm, coulda swore it was 100 last time they lobbied. still shouldnt be that long tho

[valid geyser]

it's 95 i think

[unborn lotus]

Ideas do not belong to people and stories historical were always freely shared and changed and rewritten.
If you could write the best Herculean novel you probably were the definitive canon

[little fable]

See: Dante Alighieri

[hot reef]

The current length doesn’t benefit anyone but companies like Disney with how long it is
It doesn’t necessarily benefit the economy as a whole

[hushed mason]

Let's discuss the status of copyright when an owner chooses not to pursue/protect their copyright protection. It's very relevant to D&D because WOTC has put no effort into protecting 3e/3.5e materials.

[eager marsh]

its ok we got pathfinder out of it.

[hushed mason]

The grandchildren of Oscar Hammerstein have been involved, too.

[unborn lotus]

Like seriously, why does an author need copyright after death? There's no incentive you can give them to keep creating after they die, they're dead! They're not making anything

Also one might argue copyright actually decentivises art. Why should I write another novel when I already have the monopoly on the popular one I already wrote

[hushed mason]

Mozart is an excellent example of how copyright could have provided for a wife and children after the death of a composer... if such a thing had been in place at the time.

[unborn lotus]

If Harry Potter was public domain Rowling would probably be scrambling to release more works, rather than just cashing the checks

[unborn lotus]

Arguably still a problem of capitalism in the first place

[little fable]

HP entering the public domain would be hilarious

[hushed mason]

No, she'd be busy trying to sue everyone for their LGBTQ2-friendly fan fiction. 🙂

[woven flint]

100% truth.
It's not just for the benefits of the person, but their family as well

[little fable]

My train of thought exactly

[woven flint]

I wouldn't touch it with a 20 foot pole!

[hushed mason]

Right... but not grandchildren and great grandchildren. I mean, my goodness.

[unborn lotus]

But like why?
I don't get exclusive benefits to my family for all my years working at a programming company

[uncut zenith]

So how about that D&D?

[little fable]

I would write a slander fic for the funny

[unborn lotus]

I can save money for them, but my code is gobbled up by the man

[little fable]

There are some dungeons here. Some dragons there. So many dungeons and dragons, eesh…

[hushed mason]

This is all relevant to D&D because WOTC doesn't defend their copyright status... they've allowed it to lapse for older materials. So why should we respect it?

[woven flint]

I.. yeah, you've got a point there lmao

[valid geyser]

what do you mean letting their copyright lapse?

[woven flint]

I, personally, want to eat a beholder

[uncut zenith]

From what I’m seeing, it seems like the topic has veered beyond D&D, so I’m just trying to give a friendly heads up before a mod does

[hot reef]

The way authors make money is fundamentally different
(Although for some reason code is patentable…)

[valid geyser]

as in the OGL? I mean that's kind of a different thing

[unborn lotus]

No way should an idea that belongs to the creative humanity be locked away so the inventors family can profit, sorry but that argument doesn't tug at my heartstrings.
My concern is for humanities expression of ideas and the evolution of art

[hushed mason]

Not lapse, but by not vigorously defending it, they create a reasonable case for someone to claim that they were merely sharing materials readily avaialble.

[scenic zinc]

lol what?

[hushed mason]

3.5e material is freely available on archive.org. WOTC does nothing to stop the sharing of older materials.

[scenic zinc]

Some of the biggest controversies in dnd history have been over licensing.

It's what led to pathfinder even existing.

[valid geyser]

i'm pretty sure thats more because wotc fired the paizo guys and stopped dungeon magazine

[little fable]

What was that act a couple years ago? A new part of Wizards’ terms that essentially said anyone who makes monetized D&D content is to hand like, I think 1/5 of their earnings over to WOTC?

Wizards is really weird with how they handle their copyright and licensing

[scenic zinc]

It's also a big part of why 4e died out.

[valid geyser]

yeah they tried revising the OGL

[little fable]

Open games license right

[hushed mason]

tried

[scenic zinc]

Because it used gsl instead of ogl

[limpid plaza]

then again its 3.5e

[hushed mason]

Yes, but it's still under (c). shrugs If they don't care about it, why should anyone else respect it?

[red linden]

Finally grew enough courage to take the first step in all of this ugghhghgh

[hushed mason]

Hello and welcome. If you're looking to join a game, be sure to check out the "Find a Game" section of channels.

[red linden]

I do have some questions in #dnd-newcomers if you wouldn't mind overlooking that one reeeaaaal quick

I assume that's the channel where i ask questions

[hushed mason]

Not sure I can help, but I'll pop over. I don't play Fifth edition, so I don't know the rules.

[red linden]

That's fine, I don't know anything as far as D&D vocabulary, so I'm totally clueless about what Fifth Edition means. Is that the standard D&D everyone plays?

[cosmic roost]

Welcome to Adventure!

Visit #learn-to-play for everything you need to get started!

• [What is D&D?](#learn-to-play message)
• [How does it work?](#learn-to-play message)
• [Where do I join?](#learn-to-play message)
• [Frequently Asked Questions](#learn-to-play message)

Quick Links

Basic Rules | Introductory videos | Create a character

[hushed mason]

Yes. The standard edition discussed in most of the channels is the 2024, revised 5th edition.

[red linden]

comical timing

[red linden]

Awesome, thank you

[hushed mason]

You're already ahead of most folks by popping into #dnd-newcomers to ask questions. Congrats.

[red linden]

[hushed mason]

It can all be overwhelming. Reading the basic rules and creating a character from them is a good way to get started with learning how to play.

[snow zephyr]

Having a group that knows ASL is awesome because you can use it for telepathy, and depending on the player, some players can sign one thing while verbally communicating another

[whole gate]

Hello everyone

[iron sequoia]

hello alexis.evn

[empty thicket]

ASL? what is that?

[blissful ibex]

American Sign Language

[empty thicket]

oh, irl gaming i guess.
Yeah, it help and can be used for codes

[snow zephyr]

Accessibility can enable you to do a lot of cool stuff at the table

[empty thicket]

yep, like, can add a new layer to many things.
Just a character that cant speak and its with another that translate for him the ASL, or a wizard that use ASL for casting spells, etc. etc.

or just give accessibility to a player that would like to have a group that let him feel connected to a group

[undone tundra]

hello my fellow dnd enthusiasts

does anyone have any recommendations on homebrew alchemy? i am working on a system that i think would benefit from a alchemy system, but i dont trust myself to make one.

Anyone know of any good systems?

[livid owl]

#homebrew might help you better, that's where all the hombrewers live

[radiant geyser]

For a character that believes there a sorcerer but is actually a warlock. (Because part of the contract was forgetting the contract). Would the character sheet follow the warlock levels or the sorcerer levels

[whole gate]

where do we find some games of dnd ? im new to this game

[hushed mason]

If you want them to BE a warlock, then they advance in character levels as a warlock.

[radiant geyser]

Thanks

[livid owl]

#find-a-game shows you how to use the looking for games channels, no games are hosted within this server itself but people advertise games they're hosting here!

[hushed mason]

"That's not an Eldich Blast... it's just what my Magic Missile looks like."

[livid owl]

Honestly you'd just use the warlock levels and flavor it to have your character believe they're a sorcerer

because, your class IS warlock, the beliving you're a sorcerer thing is just roleplay flavor

[vagrant quartz]

I thought It was sorc burst

[hushed mason]

I have no idea how sorcerers work in fifth edition.

[vagrant quartz]

It's one of my fav cantrips

[eager marsh]

Read the class and find out?

[short glade]

They have a smaller list of spells than wizards and they are charisma casters, however they can modify spells and regain slots with a resource called sorcery points.

[vagrant quartz]

Sorc burst its just, what if chromatic orb but cantrip ?

[hushed mason]

Sorry, I should have made my last comment as a reply to someone. I'm good.

[woven flint]

I.. must admit a "Class that thinks they're another class" character seems.. kinda redundant.. why not just... play the class your character thinks they are?

[short glade]

Is it really D&D if at least one player isn’t doing something annoying with their character for no reason?

[woven flint]

Why would a Warlock think they're a Sorcerer? Warlocks typically acknowledge the fact that they made a Pact with and Otherworldly being

[strong wave]

Unfortunately no

[vagrant quartz]

The idea is funny for sure, idk how believable it is tho, how in denial do you have to be to not notice that's not what a spell is supposed to look like

[hushed mason]

Yes. Yes it is still D&D if the players aren't annoying one another.

[short glade]

You sure about that?

[hushed mason]

Yes, I'm sure.

[woven flint]

Ah, I reread what they said
"Part of the contract is forgetting the contract" but.. why would the Warlock assume they're a Sorcerer? Sorcerers are rare in lore/class description, would the Warlock even know what a Sorcerer IS unless they've met one?

[strong wave]

That's why he goes to the sourcerer to source a sorcerer

[short glade]

I might be on some
Bologna but don’t some pact granters just pick random mortals too?

[vagrant quartz]

Help 😭🙏🏻

[woven flint]

I think it'd make more sense for the Warlock to figure that he's probably a Wizard? You could pick the Tome pact for that.. but then that also wouldn't make sense because wizards take years out of their lives to study magic and I'd assume they'd remember their past.

[vagrant quartz]

Maybe they hit theyr head pretty hard and can't find theyr spellbook

[woven flint]

"Class that thinks they're another class" is definetly a flawed 'concept' admittedly because it's hard to make them actually make sense

[vagrant quartz]

Wizard with magic amnesia ✨

[woven flint]

Because, you also have to consider, characters within the game logistically don't identify as a class.

Wizards, Clerics, Paladins, Rangers, Bards and Warlocks, maybe would

As those are typically jobs

[vagrant quartz]

Druid is just the magic gardener guys

[strong wave]

Next you're gonna say a fighter isn't a job

[woven flint]

Warlocks not really a job, but it's actively acknowledged

[strong wave]

He fights the good fight

[vagrant quartz]

Is monk a job?

[woven flint]

Fighter is a concept, it's not a job.
Mercenaries, Knights and things of the sort can be Fighters, but I don't think they'd call themselves "Fighters"

[strong wave]

Monk is a lifestyle

[woven flint]

It's a lifestyle, perhaps they'd refer to themselves as Monks, but they could also call themselves Priests, Martial Artist, ect

[short glade]

Classes do recognize each other, some of them like rogues and Druid’s have their own languages they share only with each other

[woven flint]

Yes, but to an outsider perspective, some people wouldn't KNOW what a Druid or Sorcerer is if they haven't encountered or heard of them.

[short glade]

Remember adventures are rare and also kinda oddball to most commoners-adventures for lack of a better way of saying “look like adventurers”

[woven flint]

Bards, Clerics, Wizards?
Paladins?
Those would probably be very common to hear about

To an extent, perhaps

But, anyway, I dunno, I'm overthinking a silly idea lmao

[short glade]

Yeah the class confusion concept… put that in a trash can, think of something better.

You got better in you.

[strong wave]

Warlock who believes he's a fighter

[woven flint]

No lol

Fighters typically in world most likely don't classify themselves as Fighters.

[strong wave]

Sumo then

[woven flint]

I'm not the one who wants to do that type of thing lol
I was questioning the validity of how it'd make sense..
which it wouldn't

[short glade]

They might describe themselves as a “fighting man” in the sense of like how sometimes soldiers are revered to as fighting men. It’s a bit of a dated terminology but it’s not far-fetched in D&D

Fighting man was the original name of the class

[woven flint]

It's not out of reason, but I'd more likely call myself a Mercenary, Knight or Sword for Hire over a Fighting-Man lols

[livid owl]

It kinda depends on setting on how well 'classified' classes are
For example, in my Sunday game, Wizards and Sorcerers are 'documented' magic users, while Warlocks are generally unknown to common people and usually only known to more scholarly magic users (and usually frowned upon)

[woven flint]

Speaking of...
I'm playing my Dragonborn Cavalier Fighter again soon 👀

[livid owl]

Though I do think there'd be more likely for Fighters to be referred to by their subclasses

[livid owl]

EPIC

[short glade]

Wizards be hella documented, that’s part of the Wizard thing-detailing your discoveries and such. The peak of it being getting a spell named after you.

[woven flint]

My Cavalier calls himself a Knight because he aspires to be a Knight like his great grandfather

[empty thicket]

yep but would remark the class too because if i say champion you can easily mistake it with some barbarian subclass
Eldritch knight with a warlock subclass

[woven flint]

Oh, absolutely, Wizards are 100% documented

[short glade]

Knight is a background variant of the Noble background.

[woven flint]

Well.. my "Knight" Fighter was a farmer and came from a somewhat modest family, their crops and quality riding horses were actually somewhat established within the world, even if just locally

He's got a Kobold boyfriend as well (another pc in the party) lol

[short glade]

Champion being a fighter is likely to wear armor. Barbarians don’t wear armor-especially not plate and the weapon of choice usually also a give away.

[glacial plover]

How to find ppl to play w

[short glade]

A champion fighter and a barb are going to carry themselves very differently too.

[little fable]

What kind of damage do you think a spewing of steaming liquid flesh and bile would do? I’m thinking necrotic

[woven flint]

Acid

[little fable]

True

[woven flint]

Bile instantly makes me think Acidic, maybe it could do a mix of the two though

[prime pewter]

Who know that character design would be so hard?

[woven flint]

Mixed damage attacks do exist!

[short glade]

Acid or burn.

[woven flint]

Simple solution, make them gayer

[cosmic roost]

Ready to play Dungeons & Dragons?

Visit #find-a-game for everything you need to start your search, including:

• Instructions for finding a game here on the server (including how to post in our #looking-for channels).
• Suggestions for finding a game outside of this server.
• Basic advice to help you in your hunt.

[short glade]

Character redesign is as simple or complex as you want it to be.

Simplest just make half orc barbarian. He hit thing good.

[harsh hinge]

Follow the bot post above to the server's Looking for Games/Group info.

[prime pewter]

I meant like, cosmetics wise

[short glade]

He big he green he scary. He have black war paint, beard, and long warrior-like hair, and tusks.

[prime pewter]

For a golaith archfey warlock, it becomes more complex

[glacial plover]

Ok thank you

[prime pewter]

Why is most non armor fantasy male clothing so boring???

I want something with whimsy

[short glade]

Because it’s functional. Leave that fancy elven stuff to the elves.

[livid owl]

jester outfit
bardwear
noble wear

[woven flint]

Just be naked.
Always surprise your enemies

[little fable]

It’s as boring as you make it
If you wish for whimsy, let your heart run amok

[woven flint]

Clothes can be both functional AND whimsical

[prime pewter]

True

The problem comes with designing it

[livid owl]

amen..... this is why half my dnd characters don't wear clothes

[short glade]

Rog has used this tactic. Great success.

[prime pewter]

Marrow is gonna wear needlessly ruffled sleeves

[glass granite]

Monk

[prime pewter]

Y'know, give him a ruffle collar too

[livid owl]

ruffles... EVERYWHERE!!!

[prime pewter]

Yessss

[little fable]

Monk

[prime pewter]

Playing a Golaith is hard. I was gonna make him bald, but gave him a flower crown to cover it up, but now he looks more bald...

[little fable]

Wear a wig made of vines and moss

[prime pewter]

That could work

[short glade]

If he warlock he can take disguise invocation and change his appearance at will.

[prime pewter]

I'll do that

I just got a level up, so i can

[short glade]

But you’re gonna take agonizing blast, Eldritch spear, and Repelling Blast aren’t ya?

BLASTING!!

[lapis delta]

So I’ve never played dnd before but do you think using dnd beyond and a discord game would be fine for my first time?

[glass granite]

Sure

[short glade]

Sounds nightmarish to me but if it’s the best ya got then ya gotta do it.

[glass granite]

A lot of new players do it actually

[lapis delta]

I don’t know who to believe

[glass granite]

Especially since COVID

[hushed mason]

I started with text-only D&D via mIRC. You'll be fine.

[short glade]

It’s fine, I’m just a snob and want all my action face to face over the table.

[loud tendon]

it will be fine... 🙂

[lapis delta]

Hey I want to be at a table with cool terrain and cool minis but it’s kinda not in the cards for me right now

[empty thicket]

idk what it relate to what i said but okey.
The eldritch knight just getting wizard spells and being able to attack if you do a cantrip//spell feel wasted
Could have an option of force damage in his attacks or half of it
Or just an extra dice of force damage per attack

[short glade]

Like I said-ya gotta work with what ya got.

[lapis delta]

I suppose I should’ve asked this in dnd newcomers my bad

[hushed mason]

Should have asked what? If playing online was an okay way to start? I think you're safe.

[lapis delta]

Alright

[hushed mason]

There are problems with playing online, but there are also advantages. Some folks find it easier to get into character/role play when it's not face to face. The downside is that finding the right group of Random Internet Strangers to play with can be challenging. People online can be jerks in a way they aren't IRL.

[vivid crag]

The only way I found peaple act good online if it’s like friends from other things that join together to play dnd if it’s like from this server or from another thing for dnd peaple always like sign up then never show up (dms and players aliek)

[lyric idol]

Face to face is superior unfortunately.

[hushed mason]

I like not having to leave home. Or get dressed.

[lyric idol]

It takes time to find the perfect group but when you do, and everyone has fun, you'll never be burnt out of DND.

[hushed mason]

I don't have a perfect group, but we have been playing the same campaign for 9 months now. That's not bad for a first time DM. 🙂

[formal dove]

just got new dice and was wondering what is the best way to store them without getting something like a dice bag?

[lyric idol]

I'm in a group where we play every tuesday and we rotate between 5e, a fun 5e coompatible system called Nimble, and this other system for making super heroes. Its open my eyes to TTRPGs outside 5e and OSE.

[rich laurel]

I played with my friends today and i was the DM and my friend impregnated the dragon

[hushed mason]

Mine sit in a tray on my desk.

[lyric idol]

A dice box.

[hushed mason]

A dice bag doesn't need to be fancy; an old sock will do.

[rich laurel]

Or a new sock

[lyric idol]

I would...NOT recommend old socks. A random box would do, the plastic container the dice came in will also do (I keep the containers the dice came in for a while)

[hushed mason]

Yes, a new sock would suffice. So would a dollar store tray.

[lyric idol]

I would recommend getting a dice holder at some point though. If you end up sticking with DND you will eventually get more dice. I have a little holder about the size of a extra large pencil case that holds 5 sets of dice.

Especially if you make the same mistake as me and discover gemstone dice.

[hushed mason]

What do you have against old socks? Hmm?

[lyric idol]

Its uh fine playing online or something. But the dice came with a holder, at least use that atp 😭

[empty thicket]

ngl, it help a lot more because you can access to a lot of info easier in the moment, track a lot of things easier and most importantly, distance access

[hushed mason]

This. I like being able to use my PC.

[empty thicket]

You can even play irl with people using Dnd Beyond and owlbear, both are good, would use a TV connected to the PC and there everyone move their characters in their turn using the mouse.
Dnd beyond is literally just that, the sheets

can use the dices of any of both pages or an irl dice, can still roleplay with them and most importantly, have fun

[lyric idol]

Tbh I'm biased but I think playing in person is a better newbie experience. Getting feedback, seeing how other people roleplay, and finally...Gotta get addicted to the thrill of rolling a nat 20 just to never experience it again for a month.

[empty thicket]

might be, but something i would say is, we cant deny that we are nerds and most of time nerds tend to be shy

behind a screen you have a little more of confidence
Irl is a bit more of pressure

[livid echo]

Is it okay to have a rather unoptimal character? My dm had us roll for our stats and while some were great I got some really low stats

My dex is -2 and my int is -1 I am a farmer halfling bard who is great at charisma and performance/persuasion

So I am role playing as a bit of a simple minded farm boy who is rather clumsy on his feet but won his local talent show playing the lyre and decided to leave his farm in search of fortune and glory as a traveling musician

Would this work? I have very little armor of 9 and hp of 11 at level 1 I worry farmer maggot bagginses will meet an untimely demise

[empty thicket]

BUT, shared snacks.

[lyric idol]

I was and still am quiet and shy. Also autistic so social cues arent great for me. DND is a great inbetween for getting me out of mt comfort zone

[empty thicket]

this sound nice

good you could find some comfort zone or way to practice the social skill

[livid echo]

I agree I find table top games dnd and others tend to be friendly safe spaces

[lyric idol]

Its such a good time when you have a good group. A bad group will make DND feel like a 9-5 sometimes tho.

[oak pagoda]

could anyone teach me how to play dnd?

i like stranger things so i might as well like this

[hushed mason]

Check out #dnd-newcomers !

[oak pagoda]

Thanks!

[hushed mason]

That's where they seem to send folks that are wanting to get started.

Why is that red? Oh my.

Did I kill the chat?

[empty thicket]

welp, its where they get the whole attention in that, doubts, how to start, etc. etc.
Now with the whole stranger things that was "kinda" around DnD

[oak pagoda]

they changed my name :(

[formal dove]

what?

[knotty pasture]

Ask your dm if they're fine with you being dead weight

Can't be helped with bad stats sometimes, more acceptable that way than deliberately assigning bad stats

[brisk urchin]

hey can i ask you all a question about Bladesinger wizard

if you use two hands to make a Weapon attack that means one weapon attack right?

so in theory you could be a bladesinger duel wielder so long as your not making one weapon attack with two hands on one weapon?

[tame forge]

You guys have any ideas on fitting instruments for a Ghoul necromancer bard?

[scenic zinc]

A -2 and a -1 alone doesn't make a character dead weight

[tame forge]

Oh god not this again.

[knotty pasture]

Trust me I wouldn't drag you into the discussion either if you don't insert yourself into it

[tame forge]

XD

[scenic zinc]

Now, if their cha is also very low... then that's going to hurt as a bard quite a lot more than dex or int being low.

[tame forge]

What do you mean, we mix sooo well... like oil and water.... babies and cancer.... pineapple and pizza... It's truly a match made in hell.

[civic nova]

Bards don't really need Int or Dex

They can be helpful but they're not necessities

[knotty pasture]

Yeah you go on with your delulu shipping I ain't part of this

[scenic zinc]

But they at least have a 16 con if they have 11hp at level 1

So not all their stats are terrible

[tame forge]

Absolutely. Anything is playable. Even abysmal stats can be a load of fun. Lean hard into roleplay and play out your natural abilities and disabilities. This is what makes for great characters!!

[scenic zinc]

It doesn't sound like they have garbage stats to me though lol

[delicate owl]

It heavily depends on the campaign and game knowledge/skill of the player if a characters ability scores will be that detrimental to their ability to perform well.

But as stated, a -2 and a -1 in scores that are not at all required in any of the class they are playing as, does not make them dead weight...

Seems like you should be playing with a different rolling system or maybe play some video game you can min-max if you think that is "dead weight".

But what you said is just plain demotivating and elitist of you as a player and person.

Itd be like me saying that if you just play with 2014 rules, you should ask yourself why you're playing a crappier version of 5e that has way more issues than the 2024 changes.

[tame forge]

^ 100%

As a long term DM and player most of my favorite PC's I have had in games and the ones with the most impact are usually the statistically disadvantaged.

If you struggle with marginally low stats, its a roleplay skill diff.

[delicate owl]

Let people have fun, that is the point. Implying someone is "dead weight" because their scores aren't optimized is kinda messed up lol.

[tame forge]

Right tho?

[empty thicket]

Con and dext would be more important beside the obvious stat of cha
Mostly because most of spells are Dext saves and having some HP help to survive help in a lot of stuff

[civic nova]

That is fair, Dex is pretty important. Depends on the build of the rest of the party.

[knotty pasture]

Yeah this is why I said ask your dm yknow

[tame forge]

Also if you are truely statistically disadvantaged but roleplay it well most DM's will appreciate that and work to help you out.

[empty thicket]

Again, its general defensive use. Now if you are using rolling stats i would recommend being in the same level of stats than your allies
No one want to be the powerhouse of the team and no one want to be the only weakling of it too
Or all weaks, all strongs or some middle grounds

[tame forge]

End of the day the only important skill in D&D is roleplay skill. Work on that and the rest will all work out in the end

[scenic zinc]

Except you threw in the 'dead weight' part. Which is the issue.

[empty thicket]

Yeah, if you are a DM always plan in the failure of your players and have backup plans for their success

[scenic zinc]

'cause they're not.

[civic nova]

Still, if you know you're party you can figure out how much you need to do that. For example, I played a rogue and never let anyone buy me AC buffs that weren't regular armor, because other people needed it more. If the monsters are reaching my ranged rogue, everyone else in the party is dead anyways. Same could be said of bards, they're typically backline fighters

[empty thicket]

Then that is another whole different thing, positioning and knowing each one roles and needs

[scenic zinc]

Also, a '9 ac' is ignoring the fact that armor exists lol

[empty thicket]

I wont give a greastsword with +1d6 cold damage to a Bard or Monk
Like i wont give a heavy armor to a wizard that cant use it.

[civic nova]

One should know their party composition when building ones character.

[delicate owl]

You should ask yourself why your attitude on the ability scores of others in a fantasy game that is meant to be fun, makes you standoffish to others.

[hushed mason]

You may be better by putting the lower scores in Str and Wisdom.

Generally, you don't want a party member to be a drain / detriment to the party.

[scenic zinc]

Definitely not wisdom.

[hushed mason]

What do 5e bards use wisdom for?

[scenic zinc]

If they have low wis and low int that's the majority of skills with a minus in them now.

[hushed mason]

Yes, I'm saying... they should boost the Int at the expense of Wis based on their initial array. If they've already started playing, then it doesn't matter.

[scenic zinc]

I'd say have low dex and str rather than int or wis being low

[empty thicket]

Yes, but there is the thing that you already can came up with an idea and no one want to be forced to change that idea directly.

Lets say i wanted to play a fighter, another ally wanted to play a barbarian, another a monk and finally a Rogue.
What is the lacking of that team directly? Magic, you can be altruistic and say " yeah, i dont mind changing my fighter for a wizard"
But you might be playing something you arent good at all, etc. etc etc.

[hushed mason]

If you have a 9 and an 11, where do you put those stats as a bard? Str 9, Wis 11. We dont' know what the rest of the array is.

[scenic zinc]

One of them is at least a 16, in con

[empty thicket]

Same in the other side, you are playing a ranger, someone else a warlock, artificer and sorcerer. What is lacking there?
Martial // front line.
Planing through your team decisions is good, but being always the one that have to adapt to another people choices isnt nice.
One must find a balance

[civic nova]

I mean you don't need to change your character necessarily, but you can realize "Hey I might help more if I focus more on this than this." Stats aren't something that always need to change though, since they can change as you progress.

[scenic zinc]

Rangers can easily be a frontline character.

Just because the word range is there doesn't mean they need to be ranged.

[civic nova]

In this example its assumed they're not I believe

[empty thicket]

Welp, stats depend of hte way the dm choose to put them
One can roll for his stats, that is where i said about finding a balance before
One can use point buy and then you choose what kind of character you want to make
I dont remember a third system but i know there is one

[scenic zinc]

Also, warlocks and artificers can pretty easily be frontline as well.

[empty thicket]

yeah but this artificer is pretty chicken tho, got his hp at half in one bossfight and ran aways with the rest of the team leaving me alone against hte boss, when i wanted to run the boss blocked the door and didnt let me escape so....same the warlock

[scenic zinc]

Sounds like it's moreso an above table issue.

[civic nova]

This is also true. I balance by allowing my players to reroll ones, so they're all fairly strong in many respects. I change a lot of rules though.

[empty thicket]

The way i will need to adapt is, get an unity that can work like a wall for us, a frontline.
Or kill the enemies before they turn into a problem

[scenic zinc]

Best solved with an honest above board conversation.

In game solutions to above board problems don't truly exist.

Communication at the table solves this problem.

[empty thicket]

its okey, it was the first session so we will see how things work. Its modern times settling too so, i guess we will find ways to make it work

[empty thicket]

yeah, but they were scared, low hp, feared for their lifes.
I was dealing around 14 per hit to the boss and even that wasnt enough to give them a lil of confidence, even the dm told me that if i wanted to betray them i could in any moment

[knotty pasture]

Answering a question with another question is rude in itself

Though I probably should specify that it was a question on my end, my bad

[scenic zinc]

Ew.

That's very uncool of that dm.

[empty thicket]

Maybe i become a bit more selfish and self reliant, the only thing i know is that boss let me survive because i gave him such big fight that he enjoyed it. But will come back repaired and more powerfull

And it isnt, it was a FR really mean move what they 3 did, they could even break from inside the door and help me or just 1 stay and help me to take it down. I know hte whole "its a team game" but ACTS have consequences