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hot cocoa on the couch posted:there are a bunch of opportunities to join factions in LMoP. i'm getting to the point where the pcs are about to go to cragmaw castle so those opportunities are coming up in the book. where can i read more about what it means to be apart of this faction and stuff? is it all in the sword coast sourcebook or? i don't want to give this to my pcs and then it never comes up again lol If you're not interested in the default factions and don't plan to go beyond Lost Mines, don't bother. If you're interested in the default factions and plan to go beyond Lost Mines... don't bother.
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May 29, 2023 02:20
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If you want to do a campaign with good faction play, I reckon Dungeons of Drakkenheim would be up your alley.
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May 29, 2023 03:17
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Trivia posted:If you want to do a campaign with good faction play, I reckon Dungeons of Drakkenheim would be up your alley. I am currently playing in a Dungeons of Drakkenheim campaign and I can confirm.
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May 29, 2023 03:39
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Yeah I rarely ever get to play so often consign myself to reading published adventures. DoD is well designed, and the faction play looks awesome.
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May 29, 2023 04:02
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Yusin posted:For fun I will do a little synopsis of the setting later. Here it is. So Sigil also called the Cage and City of Doors, is considered by many to be the center of the planes of existence, and is a major hub for many creatures throughout the planes, and resembles a ring with the city on the inside of it (So if you look up you will see the other side of the city above you). The only way to or from the city is one of the countless number of portals within it. Near every inch of Sigil has unseen portals over it, these portals leads to different locations within the city, and to other locations throughout the planes and multiverse, they can also be permanent or temporary, linking to a fixed or shifting location. The portals only activate when the proper key is brought near them, and this key can be anything, from a literal key, a gesture, or a state of mind, as a result someone can be transported to or from Sigil while walking around due to unknowingly having its key. While there are many known and recorded portals far more are unknown. Sigil is a pretty rough place as a result of near any type of creatures ability to get there, and status as the hub of the planes. It's kept from being a war zone due to the presence of the Lady of Pain a mysterious silent being who is considered the ruler of the city. The Lady is seemingly all powerful in Sigil, capable of shutting down any of it's portals and can prevent any known god from entering the city. Anyone that causes too much random destruction, kills her servants the dabus, worships her, or approaches her, is likely to bring down punishment upon themselves. Generally first time offenders of the Lady of Pain are banished to an extra dimensional maze with a single exit. People who manage to escape and reoffend or are unlucky are suddenly flayed and killed by invisible forces. While scary the Lady takes no active role in leading the city, and is no danger to those who don't disturb her, and her dabus just construct buildings and repair the city. As a result groups within the city have taken the role of running it. Sigil is home to multiple groups, gangs, and organizations. But there are 15 known as Factions, philosophical power groups, many of whom perform the administrative and practical functions of the city. They are; The Athar (aka the Defiers). A faction that denies the divinity of the gods, and claim that while powers are mighty, they do no deserve worship, and there is a secret unknown force behind true divine power. Their headquarters is the Shattered Temple, which used to belong to a dead god pointing to it as proof of their beliefs The Believers of the Source (aka the Godsmen). A faction that believes each life is a test and that everyone can potentially become a god, and will after enough reincarnations. Their headquarters is the Great Foundry, saying it symbolizes the universe forges and refines all beings. The Bleak Cabal (aka the Bleakers). A faction that believes there is no meaning in the universe or that any system of belief has merit. The universe only has physical rules no philosophical ones, so any meaning in life has to come from within. Their headquarters is the Gatehouse the city's insane asylum, saying there is no meaning to the wailing within. The Bleakers also run many of the cities charities like soup kitchens and shelters. The Doomguard (aka the Sinkers). A faction that believes in the sanctity and inevitability of entropy, particularly the eventual destruction of all things. They believe that everything ends eventually and many of their members want to help it along Their headquarters is Sigil's Armory, where they forge weapons as tools of destruction. The Dustmen (aka the Dead). A faction that believes the life people live in now is a false state of existence, that there is a state of "True Death" which can only be accomplished by denying one's emotions, physical wants and needs.Their headquarters is the Mortuary, where Sigil's dead are interred or cremated. The Fated (aka the Takers or Heartless). A faction that believes that those with power and ability have the right to own what they control and to take what they can from those who are unable to keep it, and that it is their right to exploit any situation to their advantage, regardless of how it affects anyone else. Their headquarters is the Hall of Records, where they serve as the tax collectors of Sigil. The Fraternity of Order (aka the Guvners). A faction that believes that laws govern the universe, and if you can learn all of the universe's laws and exploit them you will rule the universe. The rules of society are the same, but smaller scale. Their headquarters is the City Court, where they serve as judges and legal advocates. The Free League (aka the Indeps). A faction that does not believe it's a faction, and rejects all the others, They hold individual freedom as the highest good, and the cities Great Bazaar serves as their main meeting place. The Harmonium (aka the Hardheads). A faction that believes peace and harmony can only be established under their rule, and that they are always right. Any that oppose them oppose peace and stability, and so when their foes are bashed until they agree with the Harmonium or die, the universe is one step closer to universal harmony. They serve as the city's police force, and their headquarters is the City Barracks. The Mercykillers (aka the Red Death). A faction that believes in justice and retribution at the expense of all else. Their name does not come from "killing out of mercy," but rather "killing mercy." Their credo that mercy is for the weak, and the merciful should be punished. Their headquarters is Sigil's Prison, where they carry out the sentences of convicted criminals. The Revolutionary League (aka the Anarchists). A faction that believes that social order and man-made laws are inherently corrupt and must be destroyed, though none of their members can agree on what, if anything, should replace them. They have no actual headquarters and pretty much everyone else hates them. The Sign of One (aka the Signers). A faction that believes that everyone is the center of their own reality, and that reality can be reshaped by the power of imagination. Their headquarters is the Hall of Speakers, which houses Sigil's legislature. The Society of Sensation (aka the Sensates). A faction that believes that accumulating experiential knowledge through the senses is the only way to achieve enlightenment. Their headquarters is the Civic Festhall, which features an endless series of entertainments and a library of magically stored experiences. They tend to look down on hedonists looking to join up, believing they are missing the point. The Transcendent Order (aka the Ciphers). A faction that believes that each individual is intuitively aware of their place in the cosmos, and instinctively knows the right thing to do at the right time, and that conscious thought overrules this, and only interferes with their ability to act correctly. Their headquarters is the Great Gymnasium, where members can train to improve their bodies and minds. The Xaositects (aka the Chaosmen). A faction that believes the only truth is revealed in chaos, and are best described as crazy and dangerous. Their headquarters is the Hive the poorest and most disorganized part of Sigil. Yusin fucked around with this message at 07:53 on May 29, 2023 |
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May 29, 2023 04:25
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History Comes Inside! posted:Do that but also take a single level of fighter for duelist to be a more accurate tremendously annoying hit and run rear end in a top hat A single level of fighter will not make you more accurate, unless you’re an archer. Dueling just gives +2 damage, which isn’t worth giving up an SA die for, much less evasion.
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May 29, 2023 06:05
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nelson posted:A single level of fighter will not make you more accurate, unless you’re an archer. Dueling just gives +2 damage, which isn’t worth giving up an SA die for, much less evasion. Ah poo poo yeah it’s the damage rolls not the attack rolls.
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May 29, 2023 08:25
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Inkspot posted:If you're not interested in the default factions and don't plan to go beyond Lost Mines, don't bother. lol word. thanks. thinking to continue the adventure around the sword coast after lmop but yeah i looked around and there's not a lot of info for those factions. seems like it was a planned thing that was abandoned, like someone else said
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May 29, 2023 17:29
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hot cocoa on the couch posted:lol word. thanks. thinking to continue the adventure around the sword coast after lmop but yeah i looked around and there's not a lot of info for those factions. seems like it was a planned thing that was abandoned, like someone else said They work best when they’re just background organisations that are features of the setting, rather than actual game mechanics. The Harpers and Lords Alliance feature fairly heavily in my FR campaigns, but that’s due to our adventures having political intrigue and most senior political figures in the Sword Coast are members of one, the other, or both. The Emerald Enclave, on the other hand, has never come up in my 5e games—it will if the players get themselves involved in druidy stuff, but I’m not going to drop in EE questgivers just to provide “faction content”.
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May 29, 2023 19:06
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History Comes Inside! posted:I’m rolling a swashbuckler rogue to drop into a campaign starting at level 7 because someone got half the party killed, and I don’t know if I wanna: Pick a subclass that sounds interesting to RP and just play that. Anything is good (except Ranger) as long as no one else at the table is doing 1 level dips for Youtube optimized power builds in which case balance is probably hosed. If you're not steamrolling everything the DM is either an encounter design guru or fudging a ton of rolls behind the screen. Ashheap Empire fucked around with this message at 05:50 on May 30, 2023 |
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May 30, 2023 05:41
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Trivia posted:If you want to do a campaign with good faction play, I reckon Dungeons of Drakkenheim would be up your alley. Oh hey, I posted a while back that I was new...I'm about a month or so in, about 6 sessions played now, and Dungeon Dude's Dungeons of Drakkenheim was like my biggest influence in learning how to play and what was possible. I'm on episode 50 now and am pumped to see how it will wrap up.
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May 30, 2023 08:33
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hot cocoa on the couch posted:lol word. thanks. thinking to continue the adventure around the sword coast after lmop but yeah i looked around and there's not a lot of info for those factions. seems like it was a planned thing that was abandoned, like someone else said I was in an adventurer's league game that used the factions!!! Well, a faction. It was a desert outpost where you had to gear up for a level 1 quest, and there was a hint that desert clothing would be useful to buy, which of course none of us had. Due to the remoteness and criminality of the outpost everything was double the PHB price -- unless you were a member of this one faction, in which case they'd sell you things at a discount (the normal price). In 6 months of AL play that was the only time factions came up.
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May 30, 2023 09:38
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Yusin posted:The Doomguard (aka the Sinkers). A faction that believes in the sanctity and inevitability of entropy, particularly the eventual destruction of all things. They believe that everything ends eventually and many of their members want to help it along Their headquarters is Sigil's Armory, where they forge weapons as tools of destruction. A neat thing about these lads is I believe they're the only living creatures in the entire planar cosmology to make outposts on the quasi-elemental Plane of Salt. Existing 5e texts don't talk about the quasi/demi-elemental planes, so they may not exist now, but the plane of salt is hostile to all life and more or less immediately desiccates anything that shows up there. In Descent into Avernus, there's an NPC that can potentially be a villain who knows Plane Shift, and I made it a thing that he has a frightful reputation because he uses Plane Shift offensively to send those who defy him to the plane of salt. It's a handy bit of deterrence in the Hells, since it's a fate that even devils and demons might fear. I telegraphed that info so the players knew that guy is super dangerous, and when they decided to take him down, they knew they had to do their homework and learn about his weaknesses and make a plan rather than just rolling up on him like an ordinary fight.
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May 30, 2023 12:00
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History Comes Inside! posted:Ah poo poo yeah it’s the damage rolls not the attack rolls. For a booming blade build, the main advantage of a 1 level fighter dip is defense. You get shield proficiency and one fighting style. Defense is a solid choice but I could also see having some fun with Superior Technique as well. For a TWF build there isn’t too much 1 level of fighter will do. But 3 levels of fighter gives you BM maneuvers which allow things like tripping an enemy with your main-hand attack so you get advantage on the prone enemy with your off-hand attack. nelson fucked around with this message at 19:44 on May 30, 2023 |
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May 30, 2023 16:43
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Nehru the Damaja posted:A neat thing about these lads is I believe they're the only living creatures in the entire planar cosmology to make outposts on the quasi-elemental Plane of Salt. Existing 5e texts don't talk about the quasi/demi-elemental planes, so they may not exist now, but the plane of salt is hostile to all life and more or less immediately desiccates anything that shows up there. They are shown in the art of the Elemental Planes in the DMG. Stuff like the Plane of Frost, Ash, Mud, Ooze and others. More Planescape stuff. The full cover art showing Sigil and the Lady. https://twitter.com/jacobsontyler/status/1663623084040126464 
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May 31, 2023 01:28
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I don’t like how her mask is literally the cover of the OG box set instead of having its own style
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May 31, 2023 01:32
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It's similar but not the exact same. I also like how we can see Sigil.  Edit: Also a look at the case. I spot Modrons and a Dead God. 
Yusin fucked around with this message at 04:25 on May 31, 2023 |
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May 31, 2023 04:21
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I'm sure that it's identical, if you ignore the different expression, shape of the head, shape of the blade halo, and perspective point.
YggdrasilTM fucked around with this message at 08:06 on May 31, 2023 |
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May 31, 2023 07:41
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 Compared to this, yes she looks like the old box set cover
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May 31, 2023 09:31
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The cover art is too tight-focus imo. They lost the nice curve of sigil in the background.
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May 31, 2023 11:57
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Can anyone recommend a good spellbook app for iOS? I don’t mind paying for it but I’m not forking out for d&d beyond books
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May 31, 2023 12:11
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Toebone posted:Can anyone recommend a good spellbook app for iOS? I don’t mind paying for it but I’m not forking out for d&d beyond books Why not D&D Beyond? It has a great interface.
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May 31, 2023 13:18
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nelson posted:Why not D&D Beyond? It has a great interface. They don't want to pay for the source books. I think they're asking for an app that has all the spells in it, not one to record spells for a character.
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May 31, 2023 14:03
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unless this is something where you won't have Internet, I'd be tempted to just say go to http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spells from your mobile.
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May 31, 2023 14:19
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Sandwich Anarchist posted:They don't want to pay for the source books. I think they're asking for an app that has all the spells in it, not one to record spells for a character. D&D Basic, which I believe has everything in the SRD, is available free in D&D Beyond.
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May 31, 2023 14:26
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Yeah, I just want a quick reference for my characters spells, instead of flipping around in 2-3 source books at the table. I have one called Spells 5E that's decent, but I was curious if there was a favorite alternative.
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May 31, 2023 14:57
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Toebone posted:Yeah, I just want a quick reference for my characters spells, instead of flipping around in 2-3 source books at the table. I have one called Spells 5E that's decent, but I was curious if there was a favorite alternative. I use https://5e.tools/ It also has a "DM Screen" you can use where you basically add anything you can search into a grid, so you can easily have a list of spells available at your fingertips.
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May 31, 2023 15:01
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Verisimilidude posted:I use https://5e.tools/ This looks great, thanks
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May 31, 2023 15:29
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whydirt posted:
His new art for the DM screen keeps a bit of that look.  goatface posted:The cover art is too tight-focus imo. They lost the nice curve of sigil in the background. The cover of the book itself keeps it 
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May 31, 2023 20:02
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Thank god honestly because, the art (along with, the writing and the typesetting) in the original books is, painfully 90s edge. That lady of pain would be right at home on a Johnny the Homicidal Maniac t-shirt.
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May 31, 2023 20:22
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Is there a good quicker intro for newer players than the basic rules? Eg something you can send out to get new players to have a bit of grounding before a first session without intimidating them?
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Jun 1, 2023 00:33
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I made a flow chart explaining skill rolls and weapon/magic attack rolls. Everything effectively falls into those two categories when it comes to entry level play and it helps smooth out level 1-3 for new players. Beyond that the only simple thing would be like "you are a race and a background at level 0. Every level after zero you must work into a class to unlock skills. Martials hit stuff, casters use magic, and there are some classes that do a bit of both. Silvery Barbs is banned at this table."
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Jun 1, 2023 05:49
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5e is so easy to teach on the fly I wouldn't worry about making anyone read anything. Just roll characters together in the first session, run down the stats and the skills as a group when you get to that step, and then when the game starts contrive some kind of reason to go around the table and make each person do some kind of skill check so they're comfortable rolling. Then you just do a bit more "what do you do" type prompting than you might normally until they realize what whatever they want to do is going to get interpreted by the DM somehow. By the end of the first session they're experts, works every time.
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Jun 1, 2023 07:12
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A lot of people are talking about this encounter simulator lately. I feel like, its advice is even less based on any kind of reality than the DMG encounter building rules, personally https://battlesim-zeta.vercel.app/
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Jun 3, 2023 01:13
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change my name posted:My level 13 party of 4 is loaded to the gills with magic items and are about to dungeon dive to find the Infinity Spindle. It's being guarded by a sphinx at the end (CR 17); how much should I soften the party up first? They won't be able to rest in the dungeon and I assume they'll steamroll a single sphinx on its own Do you want to winnow down the amount of magic items? The Sphinx is an ultra-dimensional sphinx, and he has the spindle, but has decided he's fulfilled his duty in guarding it, and will just trade the PCs it for some of their more annoying (to the game master) magic items.
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Jun 3, 2023 02:58
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homeless snail posted:A lot of people are talking about this encounter simulator lately. I feel like, its advice is even less based on any kind of reality than the DMG encounter building rules, personally https://battlesim-zeta.vercel.app/ It's an interesting data point to use. It can't account for every variety of spell or ability a character can use but it also accounts for activation advantage better than other encounter builders. Any time I ask something like KFC to generate a hard/deadly encounter for a 6-person party it alwasy spits out like 2 high CR monsters which I know my party are going to dive on one at a time and annihilate with very little trouble.
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Jun 3, 2023 15:08
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The problem with encounter calculators is they can never adjust for how good the players are. I have no doubt that a deadly encounter is probably still a pushover for a group of players from this thread, and yet in our home game, it didn't occur to our cleric to use healing word on me when it was post-combat and I was 2 death saves down.
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Jun 3, 2023 15:31
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Bobby Deluxe posted:The problem with encounter calculators is they can never adjust for how good the players are. I have no doubt that a deadly encounter is probably still a pushover for a group of players from this thread, and yet in our home game, it didn't occur to our cleric to use healing word on me when it was post-combat and I was 2 death saves down. Agreed, there's no rule that fits all parties. Ultimately you just have to finesse the structure of the encounter to meet the makeup of your group. And to be fair I think people do this anyway when running modules etc.
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Jun 3, 2023 16:22
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All that said it would be nice if the underlying difficulty metric were based on math and not vibes.
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Jun 3, 2023 17:03
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Only vibes based gaming at this table
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Jun 3, 2023 17:27
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