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Looking to start another 5e campaign. We're about to wrap up a WFRP campaign and would like to play something a bit less rules heavy and less intense for a bit, as a palate cleanser. Thinking these will be the house rules/preferences: quote:Characters Still thinking about whether to do XP leveling or Milestone, and whether to introduce other racial/class options.
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Aug 31, 2023 16:26
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Personally I'm a fan of giving players a generic +1 for flanking (instead of advantage) but not giving the same bonus to npcs/enemies.
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Aug 31, 2023 16:31
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Never don’t be using milestones there’s already enough maths in dnd
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Aug 31, 2023 16:33
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Verisimilidude posted:Looking to start another 5e campaign. We're about to wrap up a WFRP campaign and would like to play something a bit less rules heavy and less intense for a bit, as a palate cleanser. Note: the standard HP gain is half the hit die rounded up, not down, plus CON mod I do like most the Baldur's gate changes. They should probably all be standard. It's fun that you guys will be using them. Verisimilidude posted:Still thinking about whether to do XP leveling or Milestone Ah yes, the evergreen question... e: the war has already started History Comes Inside! posted:Never don’t be using milestones there’s already enough maths in dnd I will always recommend just doing XP, the math is easy and I'm too lazy to list the reasons I like doing it, but it's an overall good game mechanic HOMOEROTIC JESUS fucked around with this message at 16:43 on Aug 31, 2023 |
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Aug 31, 2023 16:39
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HOMOEROTIC JESUS posted:Note: the standard HP gain is half the hit die rounded up, not down, plus CON mod Standard HP gain is what I was going for! I'll take a note of that. I personally love XP leveling. Gives you the sensation that you're getting close to leveling up. It works well for my group, and Foundry lets you add XP very painlessly to character sheets. XP will be gained across the entire party, and it gives players a reason to risk fighting more monsters or gain inspiration beyond their max. I don't mind milestone leveling, but I don't really gel with the idea that I am essentially telling the players when they level up. I get that it's easier, but I want the game to dictate when they level up, not me.
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Aug 31, 2023 16:44
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Verisimilidude posted:Looking to start another 5e campaign. We're about to wrap up a WFRP campaign and would like to play something a bit less rules heavy and less intense for a bit, as a palate cleanser. Is it a sandbox/megadungeon with preset encounters that you don't know what order they'll fight them in? I recommend XP in that case. If not, milestone is the way to go. I see a lot of those changes are from BG3, but I also notice that it's not all of the changes BG3 made to the 5e ruleset. idk if you already have but if you haven't it might be good to provide clarification on some of the other rule changes they made (multiclassing requirements, changes to Haste, being able to cast 2+ leveled spells/turn, etc.)
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Aug 31, 2023 16:46
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Personally I'm a fan of the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Volo's Guide to Monsters, and the Xanathar's Guide to Everything sourcebooks. I think they have good additions to the game and are fairly well-balanced. And I'm not sure Inspiration really needs to be prohibited from being used for Attack Rolls or Saving Throws - I always struggle to get my players to use it in the first place, and I don't give them XP for hoarding it. Finally, I tend to essentially do milestone XP - I'll give the party group XP rewards after each session to give them a sense of progression, but I weight the results heavily based on story milestones.
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Aug 31, 2023 16:52
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Verisimilidude posted:Standard HP gain is what I was going for! I'll take a note of that. It's the only place in the game that I know of where you round up instead of down. Very strange but it's in the players favor at least. I guess they want the safe option for HP gain to be better than the risky option (i.e., rolling for it). Verisimilidude posted:I personally love XP leveling. Gives you the sensation that you're getting close to leveling up. It works well for my group, and Foundry lets you add XP very painlessly to character sheets. XP will be gained across the entire group, and it gives players a reason to risk fighting more monsters. Yup, agree with all of this
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Aug 31, 2023 16:52
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I like XP leveling, but make sure to give XP for good roleplay, puzzle solving, etc. Too!
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Aug 31, 2023 17:19
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Is there a problem with advantage in flanking? I just started an online game and the DM there expressed they don't like it as well
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Aug 31, 2023 17:22
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S.J. posted:Is there a problem with advantage in flanking? I just started an online game and the DM there expressed they don't like it as well It's a much better bonus than the static bonus flanking gave in 3E and 4E, and many people think it makes flanking too powerful. I'm sure some people find it annoying to watch PCs try to flank everything to help fish for crits too. I don't really know for sure, though. I'm in the "5E doesn't have because it doesn't need flanking rules" camp.
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Aug 31, 2023 17:52
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S.J. posted:Is there a problem with advantage in flanking? I just started an online game and the DM there expressed they don't like it as well I think it’s too easily achievable and makes other abilities that grant advantage seem not as strong in comparison. Advantage is a huge boost to combat potential, and I prefer when my players use their unique class abilities rather than standing on either side of a guy to get it.
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Aug 31, 2023 17:58
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Plus giving advantage for flanking will also mean the enemies will be getting advantage a lot too. That means the people getting hit, usually melee martials, will be spending more time on the ground.
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Aug 31, 2023 18:16
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Advantage for flanking seems fine as a feat/class feature but yeah it’s too strong and fiddly to be the default.
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Aug 31, 2023 18:17
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how do you handle sneak attack for rogues if flanking doesnt give advantage?
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Aug 31, 2023 19:22
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Arione posted:how do you handle sneak attack for rogues if flanking doesnt give advantage? Sneak Attack has its own bespoke flanking rule.
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Aug 31, 2023 19:26
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Verisimilidude posted:I think it’s too easily achievable and makes other abilities that grant advantage seem not as strong in comparison. Advantage is a huge boost to combat potential, and I prefer when my players use their unique class abilities rather than standing on either side of a guy to get it. It also is far stronger for villains since they typically outnumber the PC 's. Flanking makes playing a tank type very very difficult.
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Aug 31, 2023 19:33
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Staltran posted:Silvery barbs is super high impact for a level 1 spell. Frankly I think it could reasonably be a level 3 spell like counterspell. And like counterspell and shield, it's really good action economy since it's a reaction. I think the biggest issue with Silvery Barbs is that it is reactive. That means you spend the resource at the moment you need it. If you play 3-hour games IRL and only have one or two encounters per session, you might use 0-2 castings of Silvery Barbs in a session; after all, you're going to SB when the dragon's bite crits, but if it also has some regular MM kobolds with it you probably don't care as much when they crit (and you certainly don't care if they succeed on a save). Maybe if you string together a lot of encounters between long rests, it's less of an issue, but it's still an issue. If the GM's rolls are bad this week, you're just sitting on that spell slot ready in case your luck changes. Imagine if we rewrote Shield and Silvery Barbs in this way: instead of being "cast as a reaction," you cast the spell on yourself as an action, and the effect is that for the next 8 hours (no concentration required), either you can spend a reaction under the originally specified circumstances to get the effect of the spell, after which the effect ends. That means you're down 1 L1 slot for the day, even if you don't end up needing the Shield or Silvery Barbs effect. Would it still be worth casting? I feel like Shield is an easier yes than SB. Maybe you could patch SB if you implemented this requirement instead: you can cast it on yourself or an ally, granting them a one-use reaction to give themselves the reroll on either their own check, or an attack against them or a save against one of their spells or abilities. That potential lasts for 8 hours or until used. Would it still be worth casting, or is the loss of utility (can react to any roll, at any time) too great? Would you load every member of the party up with one at the start of the adventuring day? Would you recast the spell on someone, in combat, as an action? It still isn't balanced, in part because the "class has an ability or spell requiring a saving throw" element isn't balanced. The Monk may be getting loaded up to force a reroll on stun; the spellcasters' big spells are getting SB; the battlemaster's trip attack isn't. I suspect that if you limit the reroll to attack rolls only, it's still worth a L1 slot, but you probably cast it on the front-liner if your party has one, because turning a crit into a miss on them can make a big difference.
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Aug 31, 2023 19:41
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So I've been DMing for a few years. Heres what I've ran so far. Lost Mines Ice Spire Peak Descent to Avernus Dragons of Stormwreck Tyranny of Dragons Waterdeep, dragon heist Currently running strahd I've found running sessions weekly keeps people actively engaged as they know not to schedule other plans for the specific date and time, usually Sunday at 11-4 We always start the session with food, grilling, pizza, etc Beer is always on the table, if you roll a 1 you take a punishment shot (usually lovely liquor) Unfortunately one of my key players got kicked out of the Marines and went back home, so like an idiot I let one of my HOA board members join and holy gently caress do I regret it. Despite being in his 50's hes the most disruptive player I've ever had. He DM's for his kids so hes constantly trying to override me as a DM and not only describes his characters actions, he attempts to describe the outcomes of those actions, even telling other players what to do. Naturally I shut this down constantly, reminding him that he can control his own character, not the outcomes, and to let others play their characters as they see fit. This campaign his Cleric is a coward, so hes constantly trying to avoid plothooks, searching for other quests to go on, and flat out ignoring any tasks at hand. For example when they entered barovia and the gates shut, he spent 15 minutes trying to leave. When they got to the town, he flat out ran away from the death house encounter and tried to find something else to do. I took him aside and reminded him that this is the campaign everyone agreed to run, and its not a fing videogame, I can only prepare so much on a published module. So if he doesn't want to play the module, find another group. He stayed. He constantly gets off topic and defaults to current events to the point another player has a squirt bottle and will literally spray him in the face like a misbehaving cat. I really cant kick him out without repercussions. The other 3 members are a business owner, a dealership service manager, and a military NCO. I think this campaign will "be my last" kill the group chat, and start another one for the next module without him so hes none the wiser. I usually run the campaign using printed maps, I have 6 melemap erase boards for when I have to draw, but all encounters are with icons of the realms miniatures. I buy all the books and supplies, I bought the $550 beyond character pack they use, and usually provide the food more often than not. To cover the cost of the IotR minis I pay for half of the bill, and they split the other half 4 ways. Strahd ran us 2k for singles on ebay to get everything, so they all chipped in $250. it usually takes us 2-8 months to finish a module depending on the size, BG-DtA took 8 months meeting weekly. Beer is usually byob. Next campaign will be dragonlance, I already bought all the expensive minis myself for that one.
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Aug 31, 2023 19:53
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Arione posted:how do you handle sneak attack for rogues if flanking doesnt give advantage? Sneak attack has its own rules and with Steady Aim in the game, they get advantage on demand now
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Aug 31, 2023 20:04
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Arione posted:how do you handle sneak attack for rogues if flanking doesnt give advantage? You don't require advantage for sneak attacks. You only require that someone friendly to you is within 5 feet of the target. Several rogue subs have abilities to grant sneak attack as well, Investigator and Swashbuckler in particular come to mind.
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Aug 31, 2023 20:15
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Arione posted:[Nightmare player story]  that sounds absolutely terrible. But, what sort of repercussions can some random on the HOA board really do to you if you tell them that they're ruining the table's fun and that's he's no longer welcome? His antics aren't just affecting you, they're negatively impacting your other player's enjoyment too. And if he lives near you and you start the next campaign without him, he's definitely going to notice that you have 4-5 vehicles showing up on Sunday between 1-4. He's going to be just as butthurt about it as if you give him one final chance to play nicely or hit da bricks.
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Aug 31, 2023 20:36
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Mederlock posted:
hes in my HOA, its not worth getting the negative attention I would incur. They can make your life absolute hell. If anything I'd need my players to confront him and give him the boot.
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Aug 31, 2023 21:04
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Arione posted:I buy all the books and supplies, I bought the $550 beyond character pack they use, and usually provide the food more often than not. To cover the cost of the IotR minis I pay for half of the bill, and they split the other half 4 ways. Strahd ran us 2k for singles on ebay to get everything, so they all chipped in $250. Arione posted:Next campaign will be dragonlance, I already bought all the expensive minis myself for that one. Holy crap. For D&D minis I write an initial on a glass bead with a sharpie.
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Aug 31, 2023 21:14
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I use cardboard tokens with names written on them for enemies and NPCs, and colored wood cubes for the players. I don't play as a PC but if I did and my GM said "I am going to buy thousands of dollars of minis" I would not give them any of my money for sure.
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Aug 31, 2023 21:17
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I know it’s extra work but you could’ve spent 500 bucks on a 3D printer and resin and got all the minis you ever could need.
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Aug 31, 2023 21:21
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Arione posted:I buy all the books and supplies, I bought the $550 beyond character pack they use, and usually provide the food more often than not. To cover the cost of the IotR minis I pay for half of the bill, and they split the other half 4 ways. Strahd ran us 2k for singles on ebay to get everything, so they all chipped in $250. 
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Aug 31, 2023 21:24
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Pussy Quipped posted:I know it’s extra work but you could’ve spent 500 bucks on a 3D printer and resin and got all the minis you ever could need. I went this route, and honestly I regret it. It was fun for a while, but resin printing is a whole-rear end hobby in itself. It takes a lot of time to get right, you need space and ventilation for it, and the resin is very, very poisonous. Not to mention all of the failed prints, and resin is incredibly delicate. You will save money resin printing, but I also value my time, health, and the overall lifetime of the minis I paint.
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Aug 31, 2023 21:25
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Pussy Quipped posted:I know it’s extra work but you could’ve spent 500 bucks on a 3D printer and resin and got all the minis you ever could need. but the time and effort to paint and base them all flat out isnt worth it, neither is buying all the STL's
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Aug 31, 2023 21:26
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Pussy Quipped posted:I know it’s extra work but you could’ve spent 500 bucks on a 3D printer and resin and got all the minis you ever could need.  This is one of my d&d endgame goals, resin printers are siiick
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Aug 31, 2023 21:27
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I mean, if that's your thing, cool - you do you. But I'm not paying for someone else's minis habit. (If anything I can see why a player might have some odd sense of entitlement in a game if they paid a couple hundred bucks for the GM's minis to be at the table.) Cessna fucked around with this message at 21:56 on Aug 31, 2023 |
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Aug 31, 2023 21:44
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My mini solution these days: https://dnd.wizards.com/products/campaign-case-creatures It is extremely useful. I just wish they'd come out with more of the static clings. They are ridiculously restickable but I can't find anyone who is making the darn things. There's no 3rd party sheets at all, so I just have the sheets in the box.
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Aug 31, 2023 21:58
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Every campaign I’ve ever played at a real table has been with dice from the giant bag of dice standing in for monsters or whatever 40k minis we had handy at the time
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Aug 31, 2023 22:02
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Cessna posted:I mean, if that's your thing, cool - you do you. Eh, everyone in the group is pulling down 6 figures, 250 shouldnt be an issue when its for the players experience and its 38 sessions or 190 hours of play. I get some people think the entire cost with the exception of dice should be on the DM, and I dont play with those people.
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Aug 31, 2023 22:11
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I like Pathfinder Pawns for striking the right balance between cheaper than real minis, lower effort than making my own 2d minis, and less cognitive load to remember what they represent than dice, although dice are nice too.
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Aug 31, 2023 22:12
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My new tabletop group are all very nice people but . . .they pretty much exclusively do theater of the mind
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Aug 31, 2023 22:27
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Arione posted:Eh, everyone in the group is pulling down 6 figures, 250 shouldnt be an issue when its for the players experience and its 38 sessions or 190 hours of play. I make good money myself, but that's still a bit off to me. Like I said, I wouldn't be thrilled about buying someone else's toys, especially when there are other options available. Don't get me wrong, I play Historicals and 40K/30K, so I've sunk way too much money into minis. But I buy my own - I'm not going to make someone I sit down to play with buy me a new Leman Russ or whatever. Arione posted:I get some people think the entire cost with the exception of dice should be on the DM, and I dont play with those people. That's not what I'm saying. I don't like bringing a "pay to play" dynamic to an rpg. I'm a Forever GM myself; I'm just fine with paying for the stuff I use to run a game, like dice, books, etc. I'm not using or expecting anyone to use or pay for minis. If they want to buy and use a mini for their character, great! I might even buy something for a special NPC or monster. But I'm not going to sink a grand into minis for an rpg. And, straight up, if you told me to buy you a few hundred dollars worth of models to play in your game I'd immediately find another game. Edit: But this is getting into "Paid GM" talk, and maybe that's a can of worms I shouldn't open, my apologies. Cessna fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Aug 31, 2023 |
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Aug 31, 2023 22:33
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I bought a Photon S for resin printing and once you get your settings locked in once, you basically have all the minis out want for 20 cents a pop. I now ask that all players in my in person campaigns make a mini in Hero Forge (or elsewhere) that I can buy the stl for $4 and print the whole squad for $1. I also ask that players paint their minis since it gives them the chance to see and think about their character.
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Aug 31, 2023 22:42
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Making a guy in hero forge and then just taking a snip or screenshot is a great way to put a picture on a character sheet or make a token for any given VTT without giving them any money
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Aug 31, 2023 22:53
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Cessna posted:
Yeah, its pay to play, not going to argure that point. but its not like im charging $10-$30 a session like some people do at stores or on roll20.
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Aug 31, 2023 23:00
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