TRPG General Chat

KorvinStarmast

12:02 AM

@NautArch finally got around to messing with that. thanks.

@MarkWells that was brought up when this site was founded...if you want to go back and look at some of the early meta discussions.

Ben

1:21 AM

Morning all.

It's been a while since I went on SO... has something changed recently?

I posted a question and within a minute it was drowned in 3 pages worth of other questions

And a day later it's still only been viewed 5 times

Xirema

I guess we're just more popular than before?

Which means individual posts might get less attention.

I haven't seen the stats on this though, so I could be off-base.

Joshua

Is it time to worry when the dark lord says killing him leads to his will?

Mark Wells

1:42 AM

@Joshua But it does, doesn't it? When he dies, his lawyer goes and gets his will out of the safe.

Joshua

Nice one.

Ben

@MarkWells I'm tweeting that

Hot RPG Questions

2:26 AM

6

Q: Can a character/creature escape the Negative Plane without its Nightwalker being lured back to that plane?

Background: Character of approx 9th level is attempting to find something hidden in the Negative Plane. They will not have access to spells of 3rd level and higher, let alone 7th level and higher that allow for planar travel to escape the plane and so my main concern is the bag of holding effect ...

TheDragonOfFlame

2:54 AM

Hi so, a game I’m playing at sort of collapsed, and I’m don’t really want to commit to another normal game, but I have heard good stuff about play by post, and I was wanting to play a game of it. I was wondering if any of you here have any experience with that? And do you know any sites (or even games that are looking for players)?

Shalvenay

@TheDragonOfFlame I've tried it before, found it very hard to keep momentum going in that sort of context

TheDragonOfFlame

@Shalvenay I’ve heard that too

Xirema

3:10 AM

Yeah, the few play by post games I've played are just too slow.

Hot RPG Questions

7

Q: Does Calm Emotions prevent the damage from Weird?

Weird says On a failed save, a creature becomes frightened for the duration. The illusion calls on the creature's deepest fears, manifesting its worst nightmares as an implacable threat. At the end of each of the frightened creature's turns, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 4d10 ...

dnd-5e spells

Ben

@TheDragonOfFlame The right forum can work. We once played on FB, which was probably not the best. Discord worked better.

One of the main things we used was a "post initiative order", and a timeout. So for example, it would be Player 1, then Player 2, player 3 would take longer than the agreed time to post, so player 4 would post.

GcL

6:27 AM

@TheDragonOfFlame What kind of game are you looking to play? AM5 has worked nicely for me by posts.

Mithical

We're currently running a campaign here on SE chat. If you can find players and can coordinate, the exact medium shouldn't matter all that much, I think...

SmokeDetector

10:20 AM

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Blacklisted website in body, pattern-matching website in body, potentially bad keyword in body, potentially bad keyword in title, blacklisted user (268): Is there any option to contact a delegate if the Cash app not working? by Daniel Weber on rpg.SE (@Rubiksmoose)

AncientSwordRage

A Mending: A solo keepsake game about a journey to visit a dear and distant friend, using sewing, map-annotating, and story-building mechanics by Shing Yin Khor

BESW

Heads up: There's a TRPG KS going on that bills itself as "created by a team of Natives" but I'm hearing unfortunate things about how it's treating its creators. I won't link it here, but if you stumble across it, be aware.

2

AncientSwordRage

@BESW thanks for the heads up!

BESW

A pattern I'm starting to see: if the pitch for a KS leans on hiring a lot of marginalized creators, but the stretch goals prioritize extra merch for backers over extra pay for creators, dig deeper because that's a warning sign.

AncientSwordRage

@BESW that is a troubling pattern

BESW

10:40 AM

Yeah. Like, just generally I'd like to see more KS campaigns kick extra money to the creators. It's a good way to build the industry! But if you're using marginalized people as a marketing point, well. Then I'm gonna get downright suspicious. Especially giving how many big-budget campaigns I've heard about recently that are jerking the creators around behind the scenes.

Another warning sign: a big list of creatives and no social media or contact info for them. Bigger warning sign: there's contact info for only the leads.

(Sometimes creative people don't want to be listed, especially if it's a project that outs them in a way that they don't want to get back to their day job or families. But if a big list seems weirdly absent ways to, say, commission one of its artists for your own work? Suspicious.)

In other words, I get warm fuzzies if a KS campaign is designed so that the people working for it leave better off financially and better positioned in the industry than the campaign strictly needed to.

AncientSwordRage

12:00 PM

@BESW it makes me happy too

NautArch

2:05 PM

o/

RevenantBacon

2:16 PM

hey

NautArch

my daughter has had me make her pizza bagels for breakfast the past three mornings

RevenantBacon

Sounds like she knows what's good

NautArch

that she does

my good eater

RevenantBacon

Is the other one not a good eater?

NautArch

not really

except eating apples. He's really good at that.

We go through 4-6 apples/day with him.

and that's a large portion of what he eats

RevenantBacon

2:20 PM

One of my friends, when we were growing up, went through a pahse where he would only eat butter and american cheese sandwiches

like a grilled cheese, but not grilled

Thomas Markov

My 3 year old is super picky. Her response to almost any food is "i want chicky nuggies". My two year olds response is usually "I want more".

NautArch

I"d like "chicky nuggies". From him we get "I like only one type, and they don't seem to make it anymore, so apples please"

RevenantBacon

Does he at least eat a variety of types of apples?

Or is it red delicious all the way?

NautArch

We mostly do pink lady, gala, and honeycrisp.

The bigger apples :)

he's not a fan of red deliciosu

NautArch

2:37 PM

I had to downvote DaleM for his unsupported answer regarding the pit traps, but man,those are some good ideas.

MikeQ

@NautArch 4-6 apples a day are the material components for Anti-Doctor Field

2

NautArch

@MikeQ he is pretty healthy

KorvinStarmast

@MikeQ It's a slower sugar high, is that many apples per day. There was a time that I'd use a half an apple in the morning as a sub for a cup of coffee. Probably should do that more often.

NautArch

2:52 PM

@KorvinStarmast why not both?

enkryptor's answer to that grease question is awesome.

KorvinStarmast

@NautArch yeah, I liked the "walk you through it" methodology there

Hot RPG Questions

1

Q: Why do we assume that PHB rules apply to monsters?

The party is deep into my 5e-updated classic Greyhawk Giants series. They are returning the body of a stone giant killed in the siege of Headwater to the stone giant's clan. The Thane of the Stone Giants intends to hold Funerary Games in honor of his slain kinsman and invite the PC's to particip...

dnd-5e monsters npc proficiency

RevenantBacon

@HotRPGQuestions Because why wouldn't they?

AncientSwordRage

> Evil psychopaths who build dungeons like a laugh as much as the rest of us.

MikeQ

@KorvinStarmast That's no good. Eating half an apple will only protect yourself against half a doctor.

Thomas Markov

3:08 PM

@MikeQ Half an apple a day keeps the PA away?

KorvinStarmast

@MikeQ Fair point. I need to revise my medical threat assessment.

RevenantBacon

3:25 PM

@MikeQ Or a whole halfling doctor!

GcL

3:39 PM

@NautArch No one is a fan of those. Half of their name is lie!

RevenantBacon

3:57 PM

@GcL Yeah, those apples are green!

doppelgreener

@Ben that seems pretty normal for stack overflow. the front page churns so fast, everything's gone in the blink of an eye.

NautArch

@KorvinStarmast I do not understand that inspiring leader question

NautArch

4:23 PM

I seriously don't understand what the problem is we need to solve.

RevenantBacon

Apparently, an extra 8HP/day is like, game breaking or something?

I think that the DM and the players are seriously overestimating the strength of the temp HP from that feat

NautArch

What's odd is that OP had said there hasn't been an actual problem at the table.

The only thing i say is that they thought it was too easy for the rogue to give them the temp HP.

I think the counter is do you make all your players RP their features to use them?

RevenantBacon

I mean, yeah, it takes 10 minutes and a speech.

NautArch

I mean, GWM is pretty darn powerful, too.

We should make the player do something to get the -5/+10

RevenantBacon

@NautArch Trying to balance a mechanical advantage with an RP restriction is never a good idea

@NautArch I swing the sword more harder to get the +10 damage

:p

GcL

4:31 PM

@RevenantBacon I actually get decent mileage doing that in civilized locations. Using magic, carrying large weapons, using abilities has role playing consequences.

RevenantBacon

And forcing someone to RP to be able to use a feat they took is kinda bad manners. What if they don't like doing RP, and are just there to hang out? What if they're just not good at RP or improv, and can't come up with a speech on the spot?

@GcL That's not the same thing though

Because RP "consequences" can be easily ignored

GcL

Not by characters that want to live.

NautArch

Heh, but that's a specific situation - not a general use.

RevenantBacon

But having a "you must do X amount of RP every time you want to use this feature" can't be ignored

NautArch

Clearly there will be times where doing X is a bad idea.

GcL

4:33 PM

Fireball in town generally gets people thinking the characters are bad guys and responds accordingly .

NautArch

ALthough players often ignore that and then go "wuh?!" when you point out the logical consequence.

@GcL maybe they are just kicking off the bonfire festivities?

RevenantBacon

@GcL Attacking someone is a mechanical action, and having the players get attacked back is a mechanical response

Not RP

GcL

That would be a heck of a way to do that. "You said you wanted a BIG bonfire."

MikeQ

I wonder what is the origin of this mindset, that the DM is somehow expected to negate all player decisions

Because it is a dumb mindset

The party gets a spellcaster? Well now the enemies are anti-magic. Invisible rogue? Anti-invisible guards. The party gets an additional +8 hp? Now the enemies do an extra 8 damage.

RevenantBacon

Because many DM's view the game as "player vs DM"

NautArch

4:35 PM

Yep

That was entirely my world for years and it's taking me a long time to recover.

GcL

@MikeQ Some people read the DMG as an adversarial manual?

MikeQ

As a player, this tells me "my decisions don't matter, because the DM will instantly negate them"

NautArch

I do set up instances that can challenge a party by making their easy buttons not available.

Mark Wells

@GcL That seems strange when the Monster Manual is right next to it.

NautArch

but that's not the same thing.

GcL

4:36 PM

@MarkWells But a lot of the monsters are pretty bad. Who wants to seem them win?

RevenantBacon

One of the guys I used to play with played that way, and every game inevitably devolved into an arms race of "what can I add to this monster to negate the thing that the players just got from levelling up?"

KorvinStarmast

@NautArch his problem is one of perception on the part of his players, and he's trying to accomdate them. The two answers already given IMO provide sound advice.

RevenantBacon

I don't game with him anymmore

NautArch

@RevenantBacon Like picking up sentinel and having the DM consistently pick monsters that can avoid it?

MikeQ

At that point, why even bother playing a game where characters advance and level up?

NautArch

4:37 PM

@KorvinStarmast WEll, he's trying to accomodate two of the players. The one with the actual feat doesn't seem to have an issue. But more importantly, there is no actual, practical problem listed. Just an impression, and I don't know about you, but I don't make changes when tehre isn't actually a problem to solve.

KorvinStarmast

@RevenantBacon It's an additional 24 HP if you have two short rests and use it during both of them. 😎

Yuuki

I wonder if there's a TRPG that's designed specifically to make the "players vs. DM" paradigm enjoyable for both sides.

NautArch

@KorvinStarmast and they earned those temp HP!

RevenantBacon

@NautArch More like picking up a feat that gives me a +1 to saving throws, so he just increases every monster save DC by +1

NautArch

@Yuuki paranoia?

GcL

4:38 PM

@NautArch You'd be in a vanishing minority of people then.

KorvinStarmast

@NautArch me either, which is why I have stayed out of it. My answer would be "you're players are being needlessly picky" but that's not a great answer

RevenantBacon

Like literally negating every feat or feature we had

NautArch

@GcL That I am.

Mark Wells

@NautArch Good point, though that's "player vs. everyone"

GcL

@Yuuki Hero quest?

KorvinStarmast

4:38 PM

@Yuuki Hackmaster?

GcL

Although, that's more of a board game.

Oh heck, what was that dungeon crawly boardgame that had a vcr tape that played along with and was part of the game? That was awful for everyone.

KorvinStarmast

@NautArch I have half a mind to suggest to him that he discuss with the player taking another feat, but honestly, the two players thinking it needs extra handling (how darned simple of a feat can it be? )need to be told "No, it doesn't, you take care of YOUR PC" and press on. But I doubt that's the kind of answer he's looking for. So I won't waste his time.

MikeQ

The problem isn't the players-vs-DM paradigm. The problem is that the DM's go-to approach is to take away the players' new toys.

NautArch

@MikeQ because of an unsubstantiated complaint

I would be much unhappy if I saw my DM asking this question here.

KorvinStarmast

@MikeQ IMO, the problem is the other players and the DM doesn't see that as the problem, he's choosing to see the feat as the problem. One player wants the speech and the player with the feat does NOT. The feat's not the problem.

Very tempted to frame challenge, but honestly, the atmosphere at the table is unclear to me so I may be completely off base with my guess. That is why I suggested he take it to a forum and brainstorm it.

GcL

4:43 PM

Does a dirty lymric count as a speech?

MikeQ

Don't we have a question or two here about why players shouldn't dictate other players' playstyles?

KorvinStarmast

@MikeQ yes, I think we do, but I am not sure what tags to search for that.

NautArch

@MikeQ plurality of playstyles?

oh, no.

not that.

35

Q: How should I deal with a player telling other players when and what to roll?

I have a player who tells the other players what rolls they should make and when, usurping my role as a DM - they don't try to narrate the story, but do jump in to demand rolls. For example, in their first session, the players enter an inn and their first course of action was to get wasted. Said...

dnd-5e problem-players

close, but not it

MikeQ

Not what to roll, but how to RP

KorvinStarmast

I am thinking that a few years ago I answered a question for a DM along those lines, now I need to search my own answers ...

MikeQ

4:46 PM

i.e., a player shouldn't tell another player that they need to sing out loud if the PC is a bard, or tell another player to hide under the table if their PC is a rogue

NautArch

@MikeQ yeah, it's the stepping on toes, but not uite it

22

Q: How do I, as a player, encourage my fellow players to role play?

I am a player in a group of 5 +1 dm. Three of them are wonderful, as well as the DM. They role play, provide commentary, and are great sports when it comes to the game. The last two are a bit more problematic. They don't seem to know how good the game is when you actually act, rather than simply...

dnd-5e problem-players roleplaying group-dynamics player-communication

This is an interesting statement: "Verisimilitude is a very real thing in D&D"

@Someone_Evil Did you just create a second chat on that inspiring leader question?

Upper_Case

5:09 PM

Good heavens I'm worn out today. I wish I could do real life TTRPG style: roll 1d20+4 to complete this report, 1d20+3 to paint those walls...

nitsua60

5:49 PM

@mods I wonder if rpg.stackexchange.com/q/110848/23970 would benefit from a historical lock, now that WotC's ditched PHB+1 for AL? Or just a head-note that says "the referenced rule was rewritten in 2021, this Q&A references the version in effect 2015-2020," maybe.

Thomas Markov

@nitsua60 Give it a final canonical update and then lock it seems fine

KorvinStarmast

@ThomasMarkov concur @nitsua60

@nitsua60 great to see you break lurk, hope things are improving at your end of the nation. We are getting some spring weather now ... which means for me Yard Work is my fate, and my doom.

@nitsua60 not sure if you are still in the play test loop / list, but if you have another one coming up I'm game. 👍

NautArch

6:07 PM

@KorvinStarmast Now I do want to make up Entitled

MikeQ

A creature with the Entitled feat can cast Speak with Manager, requiring very loud verbal components

KorvinStarmast

**Entitled**
Add +1 to Charisma. You have huge tracts of land, and you can sell the property without so much as a *by your leave* from the local duke ... and you get a signet ring.

Upper_Case

+1 to Charisma? Entitlement tends to reduce Charisma, in my experience

KorvinStarmast

snigger

OK, now do I italicize and bold in chat these days? My usual tools are not working .,.

I will try control I - nope

Look like a post in chat with an internal carriage return
*won't italicize*

TIL in chat today ...

@Upper_Case Of course, having high charisma includes having an overbearing personality, hence Intimidation as a Charisma check ...

Upper_Case

@KorvinStarmast Fair point. I don't think I'll ever quite break free of my intuition pointing me to World of Darkness stats

Hot RPG Questions

6:18 PM

4

Q: Can you use a large creature's dead body as a means to walk over a grease spell so that you are unaffected by that spell?

In 5e, if a Grease spell is cast and a large (eg. 10'sq facing) creature is killed on it, covering the same area as the spell, could other players/NPCs/monsters walk over that creature as if the Grease spell does not exist?

dnd-5e spells movement

KorvinStarmast

@Upper_Case Entitled Feat, Revised: Add +1 to Charisma. You have huge tracts of land, and you can sell the property without so much as a by-your-leave from the local duke. You get a signet ring. Everyone you speak to refers to you as Lord or Lady Kah Wren

Thomas Markov

@KorvinStarmast Reddit has been blowing up lately about lizard folk having tracts of land.

KorvinStarmast

@ThomasMarkov I thought they lived in a swamp, or in swamp castle? Or are you referring to the 'tracts of land' that Burlew applied to his lizardfolk in the Western Continent in OoTS?

Thomas Markov

@KorvinStarmast They lived in a castle, but it fell into the swamp.

KorvinStarmast

@ThomasMarkov Which ought to be a part of my Salt Marsh campaign where the lizardfolk are exiled from their rightful home by sahaguin, but isn't. Drat, I missed a trick there

GcL

6:27 PM

@ThomasMarkov 4th one was fine

KorvinStarmast

@ThomasMarkov I am referring to this comic strip that some people got up in arms about seven or eight years ago

Upper_Case

6:38 PM

That strip agitated people?

KorvinStarmast

@Upper_Case yes, and I am glad that I was not participating on the forums when that came up. Rich did say later that in going for a gag he didn't realize that there are people who'd take exception to that ... and he has chosen not to go for that style of joke in the future ... writer's prerogative.

Upper_Case

@KorvinStarmast I suppose it's always good for an author and their community to get into sync when they fall out of it, even if the process is sometimes awkward or unpleasant

AncientSwordRage

7:13 PM

I feel bad for getting Aydan S to split their question in two, and then they both get closed as the dupe of the same previous question

NautArch

@AncientSwordRage They should have changed their first one to one of the questions and then submitted the others.

Thomas Markov

@NautArch Or spend some time searching the site instead of shotgunning questions

NautArch

@ThomasMarkov stop making sense

KorvinStarmast

7:35 PM

@NautArch Talking Heads 77 (I liked that album better than a movie of them performing live)

NautArch

Should we put that homebrew review meta link on that healing question that just came in?

or do we consider 'houserules'fundamentally different?

Thomas Markov

We definitely should, since the brevity of houserules should make it much easier to meet those expectations.

NautArch

7:53 PM

Or why not just give out some healing supplies?

Free healing is free healing, just give them healing.

Upper_Case

I do feel that most "my campaign doesn't have enough healing options" can be directly fixed by free potions and/or easier adventuring days

KorvinStarmast

@Upper_Case find more potions, purchase them in town, teach players about the Healer feat and the Healing Kit.

Upper_Case

It seems like people asking that sort of question have other criteria in mind, just not explicitly described in the questions. I'm not sure it changes the solutions much though, maybe people are just after a fine balance of exciting danger that doesn't go too far

GcL

@Upper_Case I offer half healing potions (1d4+1) for half the cost of the regular to be widely available. It adds weight, but is cheap and easy for low level parties. Still... the players buy 20 and forget they even have them! "Welp.. out of hit dice... guess we're hosed."

Upper_Case

8:09 PM

@GcL I tried introducing a brew-your-own-healing-potions mechanic in one of my current campaigns, but it was unfortunately a disaster :( Now a friendly NPC brews them and offers them at a discounted price, with the quantity she has available to sell determined by die rolls

I like that half potion mechanic though. It helps defray the risk of death in combat, which is my (and my players') top concern wrt HP

Xirema

So last session our Barbarian tried to buy Healing Potions at a pawn shop, and the only thing the shopkeep had were these strange potions full of a substance that looked like Pepto-Bismol, and she agreed to buy all three.

GcL

@Upper_Case That's a good idea. I might do that in my next campaign and have the relationship dependent on a player character's relationship with them. Same effect and twice the hooks!

Xirema

They ended up producing an effect which was nearly mechanically identical to the Tomb of Levistus Warlock invocation. 😂

Upper_Case

@Xirema Hilarious! It's sort of the same idea, at least when they would see the results I guess

Xirema

She also chose to find out by drinking the potion in the middle of a fight against a swarm of revenants. 🙃

Upper_Case

8:19 PM

I had a similar experience in a game where I'm a player. The DM introduced a mysterious brew of beer, which seemed to be extremely addictive and damaging to NPCs in a town (the description sounded a lot like methamphetamines). But it turns out they granted Haste, with CON saves for withdrawals (modeled by exhaustion)

A swarm seems like an especially interesting time for that potion effect. How did she fare?

Xirema

8:30 PM

Well, it's a level 10 party, with 5/6 of the PCs present.

And none of the Revenants had any of the PCs as their "hated foe"

So having the Barbarian incapacitated for the rest of the fight, with 200 extra TempHP, was unfortunate, but they broke her out afterwards with no real consequences.

Mark Wells

I ran a one-shot funnel (~25 randomly generated commoners vs. the dungeon) where one of the PCs was an apothecary and started with a few random items from the Sketchy Potions Table. At some point that character died and as usual their gear was picked up by someone else... who was not an apothecary and so didn't know what any of the potions did. But they could read the labels and make educated guesses.

RevenantBacon

8:59 PM

@Xirema You call?

:p

Ben

11:09 PM

@doppelgreener I guess I'm not used to the "active hours", since I'm in UTC +10, normally the site is nowhere near that fast.

Which is probably why I was so suprised.

Ben

11:49 PM

and nopw I think about it, I normally only follow the c# tag anyway. That makes a lot more sense

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