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Robert E. Howard when writing his Conan stories seemed to be in love with the material called 'shagreen' - cured shark skin leather - because he was constantly describing people wearing shagreen girdles and such. Anyway obviously the marine post apocalypse barbarians get around in a submarine boat thing wrapped in shagreen, the o.g. barbarian default mariner costume material. They'd call it the green shagreen machine. Probably has a couple of those ballistas strapped to the top. Maybe it's propelled by giant squids, I dunno.
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Dec 7, 2023 18:18
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Lean mean teen marine in shagreen jeans
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Dec 7, 2023 18:28
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Mederlock posted:Goons With Harpoons was Right There Watch out! It's the Goon Platoon!
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Dec 7, 2023 18:35
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Don't be silly, the leather submarine is being propelled by dozens of captive slaves told to swim as hard as possible.
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Dec 7, 2023 18:38
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Nehru the Damaja posted:Is this gonna be the best thread for me to ask for suggestions/critique on DMing the new Planescape module Feel free.
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Dec 7, 2023 20:37
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Leperflesh posted:Robert E. Howard when writing his Conan stories seemed to be in love with the material called 'shagreen' - cured shark skin leather - because he was constantly describing people wearing shagreen girdles and such. Anyway obviously the marine post apocalypse barbarians get around in a submarine boat thing wrapped in shagreen, the o.g. barbarian default mariner costume material. They'd call it the green shagreen machine. Probably has a couple of those ballistas strapped to the top. Maybe it's propelled by giant squids, I dunno. Man, those sound smooth as hell.
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Dec 7, 2023 21:15
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Macdeo Lurjtux posted:Man, those sound smooth as hell. it's actually not, shark skin is covered in microscopic spikes that make it abrasive
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Dec 7, 2023 21:53
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change my name posted:it's actually not, shark skin is covered in microscopic spikes that make it abrasive reported
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Dec 7, 2023 21:59
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I believe macdeo was referring to how the propulsive squids sound, and I agree they are likely very smooth sounding indeed slick, even
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Dec 7, 2023 22:17
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Yusin posted:Feel free. So, I'm running the Planescape campaign "Turn of Fortune's Wheel," but with some pretty substantial alterations. I just don't vibe with the main antagonist, whose motivations seem pretty small-time given the scope of what's going on. I planned on the following: Shemeshka is planning to profit from the multiversal glitch created by the Modron March contingent in Tyrant's Spiral, but the whole thing was actually set in motion by an Ancient Time Dragon, whom the players would meet in the Outlands in the form of a wandering itinerant philosopher. He's orchestrated a very long-term and complex plan to strand the Modron March in Tyrant's Spiral knowing that their mistaken beliefs and repeated circling about would be enough belief to manifest these alternate realities that the players are glitching between. As a wandering philosopher, he's familiar with the Sensates, the Athar, Mind's Eye, Fated, and Fraternity of Order. He's formed a synthesis of their philosophies that holds that: 1) The powers are not divine but merely extremely powerful beings 2) It is possible for one to rise to this station 3) Doing this requires an understanding of the laws of the multiverse and how to use them 4) It is not merely the self that advanced through accumulating sensations. The universe as a whole does so. (This is taking the Sensates' concept and applying it to panpsychism, the belief that all matter has at least some degree of primitive consciousness.) We're all portions of the universe experiencing itself through the subjectivity of individual consciousness. So the experiences of each individual inform, empower, and grow the multiverse. 5) This multiverse has a central condensed consciousness that is embodied in the Lady of Pain, and Sigil is the natural outcome of her existence, in much the way that dragon domains naturally form around ancient dragons. 6) By creating near-infinite potentialities through the mirror continuities from the glitched Modron March, he can rapidly expand the breadth of experience the multiverse has. 7) By being present at the top of the spire when those potentialities collapse back into a single reality when the Modron March is restored, he can absorb the collected experiences of near infinite realities and ascend to something greater than the gods, and greater than the Lady of Pain. (Similar to how when those realities collapse together, the player characters leap to level 17.) edit: Actually the philosopher would probably be legitimate, but his student would be a disguised dragon so it's not a campaign-long monologue by the dragon about his intentions. Okay, so that's a lot! I guess what I'm wondering is, does this sound serviceable and better than the book's antagonist? Could I gradually introduce the principles of this plot by having the philosopher appear periodically through the players' travels? Anything I should do or look out for in trying to implement this? Nehru the Damaja fucked around with this message at 23:46 on Dec 7, 2023 |
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Dec 7, 2023 23:30
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Nehru the Damaja posted:
Are your players PhD students in philosophy or have other deep ties to this sort of stuff? Otherwise I can see pretty much everyone else bouncing off this, except for a tldr condensation of the villian's motivation. If your players are fans of planescape and have a familiarity with the lore of the various factions, I think you can land this. If they have limited experience or are disinterested in the faction war of planescape, this is probably not going to land.
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Dec 8, 2023 00:43
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Legit Businessman posted:Are your players PhD students in philosophy or have other deep ties to this sort of stuff? I pitched a few game options and this one with the caveat that it'd deal with philosophy and cosmology and making up lots of sci-fi bullshit. It's possible they don't know what they signed up for, but if that's the case, I don't think I can reliably give them any game.
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Dec 8, 2023 00:50
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two fish posted:Don't be silly, the leather submarine is being propelled by dozens of captive slaves told to swim as hard as possible. we all live in a leather submarine
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Dec 8, 2023 01:04
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Shell bent for leather.
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Dec 8, 2023 03:05
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Nehru the Damaja posted:I pitched a few game options and this one with the caveat that it'd deal with philosophy and cosmology and making up lots of sci-fi bullshit. It's possible they don't know what they signed up for, but if that's the case, I don't think I can reliably give them any game. I don't think any of this stuff sounds too big brained for D&D. When it comes down to it, you have a dragon trying to become something even more powerful than the gods. That's a pretty standard D&D villain motivation. That it's wrapped up in all sorts of cosmological philosophy and bullshit is par for the Planescape course. And if the players do bounce off the density of it all, the basic premise of a dragon trying to become the most powerful being in existence is still good enough for most players to want to beat that dragon's rear end.
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Dec 8, 2023 19:49
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Finally getting a chance to write this. We had Session 1 of the Planescape campaign this past Saturday, with Session 0 being character creation/me explaining the Planescape setting in general terms. Overall I think it went really well! This is for 'Turn of Fortune's Wheel' so spoilers ahead!: - For the most part the players followed the intended path, with only the Dining Room going unexplored. Their initial incarnations were Bard, Paladin, and Sorcerer. I was bummed that they never went into the Dining Room, so I tried to steer them there through a couple of encounters. They rightfully decided that given the horror show they had been experiencing already the dining room was likely going to be something bad, so good on them for paying attention. - I think I must have done a good job playing Morte, because they rightly decried him as a smartass, but acknowledged they needed information from him so they needed to just eat the jabs. - Fruth, the newbie Dustman in the cold storage, got an expanded role. I used him as an on-going obstacle/check for the players to maintain their Dustmen facade. For example, as they were getting ready to head into Corpse Retrieval I had him appear behind them and start asking about what they were doing, are they going to dinner, etc. I played Fruth as a bit over-eager, looking to please his tenured Dustmen peers with knowledge of the tenats of the faction and being confused when the players tripped up or said something wrong. The players never actually found the manifesto for the Heralds of Dust, so their Persuasion checks grew in difficulty as they encountered him a couple times in the Mortuary. One of the players was a Bard, and he was on fire for those skill checks, so they didn't end up sounding any alarms. It was very much a "Yeah buddy we're gonna do the thing and meet you at the place later *finger-guns*" situation that ended up working out. After the final check I had Fruth decide that he was being tested, so he thanked the players for keeping him sharp. - The Bard convinced the Demilich not to explode the party by curing his writer's block with a quick inspirational puppet show. Yes he took the puppets from the earlier scene with the ghosts and skeletons, bless his heart. Being a bard in his former life, the Demilich appreciated the performance and decided to assist the party in searching for their death certificates. I didn't add any of that in, obviously, but it was nice that the Bard player naturally managed to connect with the former-bard Demilich without knowing about the lich's past. - I thought that having one path out of the Mortuary being blocked by a tough combat encounter + DC 15 STR check and the other path having nothing was a bit of a let-down, so I added an additional encounter to give that exit some flavor. The players actually defeated the black pudding in Corpse Retrieval without casualties (to my chagrin), but couldn't pass the check to climb the chute. We decided that the innards and guts flying down the chute had slicked the surface too much, so they needed to find another way out. When they decided to chance the stairs, they were met by a pair of elder Dustmen who interrogated them. The Paladin was the star this time; he managed to pass a couple tough DC 15 CHA checks to convince the elders that the party wasn't spying nor lost. One of elder Dustman started pressing about True Death, asking them that if they are true Dustmen then had they embraced the true release of this miserable existence. He advised that fear is natural, but the dining room held the key to casting off the anchor and truly being at peace. Not very Dustmen-like, but I wanted to seed the thought in their minds that these factions are made up of people with their own "interpretation" of the philosophies that govern the factions themselves. The Paladin thought quickly and declared he wasn't ready to go yet, and that he was still clinging to something important to him: A religious icon, the heirloom he selected during character creation. Rather than being a ruse, it was the Paladin's real feelings of fear, confusion, and trepidation about the current situation causing him to cling to something ANYTHING that he recognized. That was the final check, and the elder Dustman appreciated the candidness. He urged the party to let go of passions and material things tethering them to a pained existence before departing and letting them out into Sigil. There was a bit more to it than that, but basically the gist was: Convince the elder Dustmen that you are one of them, that you understand a core tenet of the Heralds of Dust, and prove that understanding by convincing them that the your fear and material attachments are part of the natural path the Heralds must walk to let go of this life. At that point you've convinced them you aren't a spy or some other miscreant. They seem excited for next session, so here's hoping that one goes well too!
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Dec 13, 2023 18:01
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Vecna Dossier is back if you have not claimed it on Beyond. https://www.dndbeyond.com/claim/source/vecna?icid_source=house-ads&icid_medium=crosspromo&icid_campaign=advcal2023
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Dec 18, 2023 17:05
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I'm going to be playing a forge cleric with a focus on beauty and aesthetics. Any suggestions for a decent deity that would fit with that?
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Dec 21, 2023 03:44
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Maigius posted:I'm going to be playing a forge cleric with a focus on beauty and aesthetics. Any suggestions for a decent deity that would fit with that? Moradin, or Darahl Tilvenar would be good fits. Moradin likes things to look nice.
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Dec 21, 2023 03:49
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Maigius posted:I'm going to be playing a forge cleric with a focus on beauty and aesthetics. Any suggestions for a decent deity that would fit with that? Maybe Sune, goddess of love & beauty from the Forgotten Realms (Chaotic Good)? I always felt bad that Sune was only portrayed as only a “shallow hot girl” in most fiction. When I portrayed her in games, always tried to give her depth, depicting her as a god who values aesthetics because the human desire to create pleasing things is born out of the desire to make a world of happiness and joyful expression.
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Dec 21, 2023 03:54
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Tharmekhul is also a good option.
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Dec 21, 2023 03:54
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change my name posted:it's actually not, shark skin is covered in microscopic spikes that make it abrasive Yep Some samurai swords had their hilts wrapped in shagreen to give the wielder a better grip. It would also be used the same way we use sandpaper.
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Dec 21, 2023 03:58
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Pretty sure sharks are smooth as hell actually
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Dec 21, 2023 04:08
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Maigius posted:I'm going to be playing a forge cleric with a focus on beauty and aesthetics. Any suggestions for a decent deity that would fit with that? Sune the Goddess of Beauty and Love would probably be a good fit for you, or Hanali Celanil if your character was more fae. https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Sune https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Hanali_Celanil
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Dec 21, 2023 04:11
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S.J. posted:Pretty sure sharks are smooth as hell actually Yeah I don't know why goons keep trying to ignore the truth
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Dec 21, 2023 05:30
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They have yet to.embrace the gospel of Rob Thomas and Santana
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Dec 21, 2023 06:53
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Sune is directly beauty, and I looked into her a little for a nanowrimo project I was doing. Other gods have 'and beauty' in their remit but her deal is entirely beauty and aesthetics, so she seems like she'd be the best choice - in fact if you chose to represent beauty and didn't worship her, it would be entirely in character for her to get jealous and capricious about it. Earlier versions have her as ruling over literature as well, and I'm sure the Neverwinter MMO has something in the blurb for Sunites about harvests as well.
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Dec 21, 2023 09:57
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We're doing a one shot tomorrow and I'm getting some silliness out of my system so I'll be playing Barbara Argentine-Smith (of the Waterdeep Argentine-Smiths). The DM might not let us have Silvery Barbs but he can't stop me from being Silvery Barb. Born as a fifth child to a noble family Barb was unburdened by the expectations and responsibilities facing her older brothers, foregoing stately banquets, lessons in politics and diplomacy for a life of exploration and adventure. Life was looking pretty good until her drat fool brothers got themselves killed in a series of entirely avoidable and mundane accidents, bringing her career to an abrupt end as honor and duty to the family meant she'd have to secure a politically beneficial marriage. 400 years and more children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, pets, in-laws and the neverending work of housekeeping later than she cares to keep track of Barb is a grumpy, no-nonsense, chainsmoking old lady. She's just getting ready to roll out the dough for the 18th batch of cookies, pausing to lift the lid off her large cauldron to check on the porridge for the wee'uns, when suddenly she is whisked away by magical means... https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D44603999/ Hill dwarf dueling style battle master wielding a rolling pin (warhammer) and a cauldron lid (shield). Centuries of raising children has given her eyes in the back of her head (blindfighting) She's wearing her ceremonial but functional chain shirt, her exceedingly large and spacious handbag (modified to double as a backpack when both hands need to be free) and keeps other sundries about her such as her jug of alchemy and her pipe of smoke monsters (which does wonders for putting the fear of the gods into impressionable young minds).
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Dec 21, 2023 13:27
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Government Handjob posted:We're doing a one shot tomorrow and I'm getting some silliness out of my system so I'll be playing Barbara Argentine-Smith (of the Waterdeep Argentine-Smiths). accompanied as always by her goliath friend, Mr Shand, first name Bernard, known to his friends as Big B Shand.
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Dec 21, 2023 14:32
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We finally got into the titular tomb of annihilation last night and started out with two people immediately falling into the pit trap at the start and losing half their health
change my name fucked around with this message at 15:37 on Dec 21, 2023 |
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Dec 21, 2023 14:34
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Lamuella posted:accompanied as always by her goliath friend, Mr Shand, first name Bernard, known to his friends as Big B Shand. I'm gonna work that in as a combination of Lurch from Addams Family and the kids not being able to pronounce Mr Chandler, thanks. I've just spent an hour filling up the backpack with ridiculous custom items like * Diaper, cotton * One loose Werther's Original * Four copper coins * A solitary tin soldier * Handful of cool rocks * Lipstick * Romance novel, saucy * Crossword pamphlet * Sowing kit * Measuring tape * Sealing wax * Crampons And other things you might find in Gamgam's purse, intentionally placed there or deposited by a child.
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Dec 21, 2023 14:44
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change my name posted:We finally got into the titular tomb of annihilation last night and started out with two people immediately falling into the pit trap at the start and losing half their helath It's a real tone-setter! For both the dungeon and the party dynamic.
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Dec 21, 2023 15:10
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change my name posted:We finally got into the titular tomb of annihilation last night and started out with two people immediately falling into the pit trap at the start and losing half their helath Trust nothing, poke and prod everything with a big stick DnD 1st Ed. Style, and above all trust nothing. Nothing is as it seems.
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Dec 21, 2023 15:22
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HellCopter posted:It's a real tone-setter! For both the dungeon and the party dynamic. It's true; the paladin who could fly was fine, my rogue was hanging off the lever and was fine, and the only people who got hurt were the two squishy spellcasters who usually hang back change my name fucked around with this message at 17:39 on Dec 21, 2023 |
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Dec 21, 2023 15:37
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Government Handjob posted:* Sowing kit you probably meant a sewing kit, but in my head now this is a trowel, some seeds, some of those little sticks that you use to write what you planted on, and a little jar of Lady Beethrum's Mega Hot Chili Powder Squirrel Repellant
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Dec 21, 2023 19:13
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My group has been in the tomb for a while now. They always amaze me at the stuff they'll do. "Sure! I'll climb into this box, and press the button!" Zap. "I'm going to need a new character sheet, aren't I?" "Yeah."
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Dec 22, 2023 00:30
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I made handy index cards with their weapon actions (expanded from BG3) for my players so that they would remember to use their weapon actions. Turns out they're great. the martial weapons getting one or two more actions as encounter powers (to use 4e language) makes using specific weapons feel like a weightier choice than variations on a d10 and they get a lot of use in combat. Less "I hit this guy and that's it". I also had my players add one thing to the battle mat when they first come up in initiative which they used to their benefit to give themselves some cover (and I put flammable down and paper around the battlefield on the baddies turns) and in the next encounter three of them put up a marquee on a building, and thomas and martha wayne on their turns.
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Dec 27, 2023 15:05
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Fledging DM seeking advice! I'm running Lost Mines of Phandelver. My party is level 2 and after a run-in with the Redbrands they decided to leave town and let things cool off before storming their Manor hideout. They all decided to go after the Banshee quest, and one player specifically is super invested in what that could bring. However, in the adventure as is, it's basically a nothing quest; you talk to her, get an answer (or not), then part ways. Since there's a lot of party interest I wanted to expand this some, but I'm not sure how to go about it. Maybe conjure up some mini-dungeon with a reward for completion, or have the book tied in with Venomfang somehow? This would be my first time really going off-book so any advice (in general or specific to this adventure) on ways to reward the party's interest would be appreciated!
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Dec 27, 2023 21:52
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YorexTheMad posted:Fledging DM seeking advice! Go heavily away from the book wherever it makes sense! Maybe have her give some kind of omen or fortune to each player, perhaps?
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Dec 27, 2023 22:58
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One of the nice things about running beloved campaigns like Phandelver is that there’s a lot of folks who have already done a lot of work exploring the scenarios in their own way. For example, this DM built a whole extended backstory and in-depth session revolving around the Banshee - you might be able to draw some good ideas or components from their experience. https://cros.land/2019/09/quest-the-redemption-of-agatha-the-banshee/
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Dec 27, 2023 23:08
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