Goldfenix's recent activity

  1. Comment on Alright, you sly son-of-a-gun, you got me. I'm going to run my first Narrative TTRPG. What do I need to know? in ~games.tabletop

  2. Comment on Alright, you sly son-of-a-gun, you got me. I'm going to run my first Narrative TTRPG. What do I need to know? in ~games.tabletop

    Goldfenix
    Link Parent
    Hey kaffo, you were actually the person who planted this seed in the first place, so thank you for the gentle push! Thanks for this new info, it sounds great. I like the idea of using flags, is...

    Hey kaffo, you were actually the person who planted this seed in the first place, so thank you for the gentle push!

    Thanks for this new info, it sounds great. I like the idea of using flags, is there a list I can use somewhere of common Flags or particularly good ideas on how to generate them with a new group?

    Also, how do I get ahold of PDF files that I can print out for the character sheets that allow me to replace some of these elements like bonds? Do I just have to sit down in Photoshop and fix them myself?

    3 votes

  3. Alright, you sly son-of-a-gun, you got me. I'm going to run my first Narrative TTRPG. What do I need to know?

    ~games.tabletop Ask (advice)
    A while back I asked for some advice about running a haunted Beaver Dam game, and a few people popped up to ask why I wasn't trying out a narrative RPG system instead of using classic DnD. Well,...

    A while back I asked for some advice about running a haunted Beaver Dam game, and a few people popped up to ask why I wasn't trying out a narrative RPG system instead of using classic DnD.

    Well, you got me. After some discussion (particularly about the painful amount of time to conduct a high level fight in 5e), we're going to try out the Dungeon World system instead. I've never run a TTRPG like this, and I'm rapidly working through the rulebook to figure it out. But rules only take you so far, there's a lot of learning that only comes with experience.

    So for those of you with experience, I ask you: What do you wish you would have known before running a narrative TTRPG?

    20 votes

  4. How do you design a dungeon with a lot of backtracking for the purposes of puzzle solving?

    ~games.tabletop Ask (advice)
    Hi DnD friends, I'm tackling a new DM challenge and could use some guidance. I'm designing a dungeon where humanoid beavers are attempting to awaken a sleeping god. Their efforts get derailed when...

    Hi DnD friends,

    I'm tackling a new DM challenge and could use some guidance. I'm designing a dungeon where humanoid beavers are attempting to awaken a sleeping god. Their efforts get derailed when they offer the god a magical plant that overgrows their entire base, warping the rooms and fusing many surviving beavers into half-plant, half-beaver creatures.

    Since our group is relatively new, I've found that combat can be a bit slow. To speed things up and make combat more dynamic, I want to include environmental elements and traps—things like shelves that can be pushed over or a chandelier that can be dropped on enemies. I hope this will make the players feel more impactful when they pull off creative moves.

    I plan to design a large building that encourages investigation, puzzle solving, and backtracking. My goal is for the players to get familiar with the map before combat, allowing them to discover useful items or environmental features they can take advantage of when enemies appear.

    Since I've never done anything like this, I'm seeking advice on how to approach the design. Are there common pitfalls I should avoid to keep the building fun? How large should the maps be if I want to run this over 3 sessions, each about 3 hours long? And what types of puzzles would fit well in this environment?

    Thanks a ton for your ideas! I’m already feeling like I may be reaching too high, but I’m excited to give it a shot!

    17 votes

  5. Comment on I am sick of "providing feedback" in ~life

    Goldfenix
    Link Parent
    Hey friend! We're heading out to survey a site with a newly discovered 5 star, largest T-Rex fossil ever found! We'd love to have you join us to review what we've found so far and provide...

    Hey friend! We're heading out to survey a site with a newly discovered 5 star, largest T-Rex fossil ever found! We'd love to have you join us to review what we've found so far and provide feedback, thanks!

    13 votes

  6. I am sick of "providing feedback"

    ~life Text 148 words
    The ongoing attempts to measure everything has gone way too far. Every app constantly has pop-ups asking if you're enjoying the app. It's not just phone apps and websites though, it's everywhere....

    The ongoing attempts to measure everything has gone way too far. Every app constantly has pop-ups asking if you're enjoying the app.

    It's not just phone apps and websites though, it's everywhere.

    Went to an escape room, "Y'all take tips?" "No sir, but if you leave a 5 star review on Google or yelp and mention my name then I will get a bonus!"

    Went too the dermatologist, now I'm getting both emails and texts asking for a review.

    Sent flowers to an uncle who lost a pet. Got an email and a letter in the mail asking for feedback.

    Theaters, restaurants, barbers, hospitals, support tickets, waste hauling, clothes shopping... A million people collecting feedback that goes into some black hole probably only used to punish some poor kid on the front line of customer service.

    I'm sick of it, it's worse than the tipping culture fiasco.

    99 votes

  7. Comment on How to make this a fun djinn fight for relatively new players? (Bryan: Stay out, I know you're out there) in ~games.tabletop

    Goldfenix
    Link Parent
    The druid player is my wife. She's very new to DnD and I do not think she'd think of this, but that is a very clever tactic!

    The druid player is my wife. She's very new to DnD and I do not think she'd think of this, but that is a very clever tactic!

  8. Comment on How to make this a fun djinn fight for relatively new players? (Bryan: Stay out, I know you're out there) in ~games.tabletop

    Goldfenix
    Link Parent
    Thank you for these ideas. I think those are all great ways to have the party fight creatively. I'd be happy to see them use any of these tactics! In case they start to really get stuck, I've...

    Thank you for these ideas. I think those are all great ways to have the party fight creatively. I'd be happy to see them use any of these tactics!

    In case they start to really get stuck, I've added a bonus action where the djinn snaps his fingers and uses the air to pull weapons out of their hands and towards the djinn. That'll get them moving in the right direction.

    1 vote

  9. Comment on How to make this a fun djinn fight for relatively new players? (Bryan: Stay out, I know you're out there) in ~games.tabletop

    Goldfenix
    Link Parent
    Party has a druid, bard, paladin, warrior, ranger. Thanks for mentioning how hide works here. I think I'll add a bonus action for him that allows him to hide, but give hints as to the location...

    Party has a druid, bard, paladin, warrior, ranger.

    Thanks for mentioning how hide works here. I think I'll add a bonus action for him that allows him to hide, but give hints as to the location when I describe the sand whipping around on the battlefield.

    I'd really like to see the party come up with something creative like tying ropes around their waists in order to both not fall off the roof and also prevent the djinn from moving easily through their ranks without being seen. I'd love for them to have an "aha!" moment where they figure out how to reliably find him and then commence to whollop him quickly as a team.

    2 votes

  10. How to make this a fun djinn fight for relatively new players? (Bryan: Stay out, I know you're out there)

    ~games.tabletop Ask (advice)
    I'm working on a new boss fight for a 5-person level 8 party of fairly new people. I wanted to give them something completely different, so I figured a fight on a small 20x20 circular rooftop with...

    I'm working on a new boss fight for a 5-person level 8 party of fairly new people. I wanted to give them something completely different, so I figured a fight on a small 20x20 circular rooftop with a stealthy djinn might be fun. I'd love to hear thoughts on how to make this a good time. My main idea is to force the party to figure out creative ways to find the djinn, since they don't have any way to see invisible creatures in their normal set of abilities. Things like throwing sand in the air, or holding ropes between each other to detect the silent wind motion as he moves around. Stuff that is more flavorful than a normal straight fight.

    I'll also be throwing players off the roof, forcing them to make agility saves to grab hold of ropes that are on the edge of the building, then strength checks to pull themselves back up. Have some moderate injuries occur if they roll badly. What suggestions would you have for me to make this a fun fight?

    Izel, Guardian Djinn

    Large Elemental (Air), Lawful Neutral

    • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
    • Hit Points 152 (16d10 + 64)
    • Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.
    STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
    18 (+4) 22 (+6) 18 (+4) 16 (+3) 20 (+5) 18 (+4)
    • Saving Throws Dex +10, Con +8, Wis +9, Cha +8
    • Skills Insight +9, Perception +9, Stealth +10
    • Damage Resistances lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
    • Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion
    • Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 19
    • Languages Auran, Common
    • Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

    Elemental Demise. If the djinni dies, its body disintegrates into a warm breeze, leaving behind only equipment the djinni was wearing or carrying.

    Innate Spellcasting. The djinni's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:



    At will:

    Mage Armor: You touch a willing creature who isn’t wearing armor, and a protective magical force surrounds it until the spell ends. The target’s base AC becomes 13 + its Dexterity modifier. The spell ends if the target dons armor or if you dismiss the spell as an action.

    Greater Invisibility: (Concentration) You or a creature you touch becomes invisible until the spell ends. Anything the target is wearing or carrying is invisible as long as it is on the target’s person. The target can attack or cast spells without becoming visible.


    3/day each:
    > Wind Wall: Requires concentration. You create a wall of strong wind on the ground at a point you can see within range. The wall is up to 50 feet long, 15 feet high, and 1 foot thick, or a ringed wall up to 20 feet in diameter, 15 feet high, and 1 foot thick. It lasts for the duration, blocking arrows, smaller creatures, gases, and fog.
    > Lightning Bolt: You release a bolt of lightning that arcs toward a target you can see within range. A line of electricity 100 feet long and 5 feet wide blasts out from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 8d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

    Actions

    Multiattack. The djinni makes two scimitar attacks.

    Wind Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) slashing damage plus 5 (1d10) lightning damage.

    Windforce Blade (Enhanced Multiattack). If Izel hits a target with both attacks during his Multiattack, the target is pushed 10 feet away from him.

    Whirlwind (1/Day). As an action, Izel transforms into a whirlwind for one turn, moving in a straight line up to 60 feet. Any creature in the path of the whirlwind must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 18 (3d12) bludgeoning damage and is thrown 15 feet in a random direction and knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and is not thrown or knocked prone.

    Legendary Actions

    Izel can take legendary actions, choosing from the options below.

    Wind Push. After every enemy's turn, Izel rolls a D20; on a 13 or higher, he uses the wind to move that enemy if they are within 60 feet of him. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be pushed 15 feet away from Izel and knocked prone.

    Wind Buffet. Izel creates a small burst of intense wind around himself. Each creature within 10 feet of Izel must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 17 (3d10) bludgeoning damage and be pushed 10 feet away from him. Using Wind Buffet breaks Izel’s concentration and ends his turn.

    Lair Actions

    • At the start of each turn, roll a D20. On a 10 or higher, all creatures on the battlefield are pushed 5 feet in a random direction determined by a d8 roll. This unpredictable movement simulates the chaotic nature of the winds that Izel commands.
    23 votes

  11. Comment on Feedback on boss monster for tonight's DnD session in ~games.tabletop

    Goldfenix
    Link Parent
    Hmmm... making them a bit slower but unlimited range actually would be kinda interesting. Makes people run around all over the place! I like forcing player movement, so this has appeal.

    Hmmm... making them a bit slower but unlimited range actually would be kinda interesting. Makes people run around all over the place! I like forcing player movement, so this has appeal.

    4 votes

  12. Comment on Feedback on boss monster for tonight's DnD session in ~games.tabletop

    Goldfenix
    Link Parent
    That's part of the idea for the pool, actually! If somebody dies, they can resurrect in the pool and get a little bit of character story to add to their adventure. And since the boss will destroy...

    But yeah. This will be fun for them and you might even get to kill one or two adventurers if you’re lucky!

    That's part of the idea for the pool, actually! If somebody dies, they can resurrect in the pool and get a little bit of character story to add to their adventure. And since the boss will destroy the magic crystal (unless the players destroy it first) with it's death throws, the pool won't be relevant for anything long-term.

    3 votes

  13. Comment on Feedback on boss monster for tonight's DnD session in ~games.tabletop

    Goldfenix
    Link Parent
    The hands have a maximum distance from the main body, which I've set at 40ft. Each hand can move up to 30ft on it's turn, but can't ever be more than 40ft from the body. Sorry for the confusion on...

    The hands have a maximum distance from the main body, which I've set at 40ft. Each hand can move up to 30ft on it's turn, but can't ever be more than 40ft from the body. Sorry for the confusion on that!

    Still, I might indeed slow them down, and I like the idea of removing some of the healing amount. It's meant more as a threat and a note for the players anyway!

    2 votes

  14. Comment on Feedback on boss monster for tonight's DnD session in ~games.tabletop

    Goldfenix
    Link Parent
    Wonderful suggestion with splashing the party, I think that's great. And I also appreciate the advice on healing the boss, my motivation there was entirely that I didn't want the party to just run...

    Wonderful suggestion with splashing the party, I think that's great. And I also appreciate the advice on healing the boss, my motivation there was entirely that I didn't want the party to just run around outside the monster's rather slow speed hitting it with ranged attacks, I wanted to force them to get closer. I'll think about how to do that without making it feel bad.

    4 votes

  15. Feedback on boss monster for tonight's DnD session

    ~games.tabletop Ask (advice)
    Hello tabletop peeps! I have completed a monster design for my first ever boss creature, and I wanted to get some quick feedback. This is all based on a previous post where I got ideas from y'all,...

    Hello tabletop peeps! I have completed a monster design for my first ever boss creature, and I wanted to get some quick feedback. This is all based on a previous post where I got ideas from y'all, here: https://tildes.net/~games.tabletop/1cjn/designing_my_first_dnd_boss_fight_with_a_giant_mimic_5x_lvl_5_characters

    Players are a group of 5 lvl 5 characters, fairly magic heavy and lower hp overall.

    The boss creature is a mimic that appears to be a large stone fountain with blood in it. If a PC touches it or stabs it, then they (or their weapon) will be grappled for the start of combat. At that point, the mimic will sprout 6 tentacles that each can travel up to 40ft from the main body and wield a weapon. All tentacles will operate on the same turn as the main body.

    Healing Pool in the boss room

    The boss room is a large room with a pool in it where blood is mixed with water that has flowed over a magic crystal to produce a healing solution. The idea is that the PCs will figure out that they can either heal themselves by dipping into the pool, prevent the boss from getting close to the pool, or that they can break the magic crystal to prevent the boss from healing. Several of the boss abilities reference this pool.

    Mimic main body:

    STR 16 (+3)
    DEX 10 (+0)
    CON 20 (+5)
    INT 16 (+3)
    WIS 12 (+1)
    CHA 8 (-1)

    HP 200
    Main body loses 20hp if a tentacle dies

    Armor Class: 13
    Speed: 15 ft
    Proficiency Bonus: 2
    Damage Resistances: None
    Immunities: Poison, Acid, Sleep, Charm

    Abilities

    Harden: Cannot take other actions, harden body to stone and increase AC to 18, as well as resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire
    Spew Blood: Begin charging up blood, PCs can see mouth direction. At the beginning of next turn, spew acidic blood in a 180 degree arc for 30 ft. Deals 3d6 acid damage, half damage on DEX 14 save. Mimic main body cannot do anything on its next turn as it recovers.
    Chomp: +5 to hit. 1d12+3 piercing damage
    Charge: If no arms are left, it will spew blood from the back and charge at a target. Increase speed to 45ft, and deal (+5 to hit) 4d6+3 bludgeoning damage to a target. Dex15 save for half damage.

    Sword Tentacle (x3)

    HP 20
    Armor Class 13
    Speed 30 ft
    Damage Resistances: None
    Damage Immunities: Poison, Acid

    Abilities

    Harden: Cannot take other actions, harden body to stone and increase AC to 18, as well as resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire
    Heal: If the healing pool is nearby, soak arm in the pool to heal it fully, and heal the main body for 15hp. Alternatively, resurrect a different defeated tentacle instead of healing self or the main body.
    Slice: +5 to hit. 1d8+3 slashing damage

    Shield Tentacle (x1)

    HP 20
    Armor Class 13
    Speed 30 ft
    Damage Resistances: None
    Damage Immunities: Poison, Acid

    Abilities

    Harden: Cannot take other actions, harden body to stone and increase AC to 18, as well as resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire
    Heal: If the healing pool is nearby, soak arm in the pool to heal it fully, and heal the main body for 15hp. Alternatively, resurrect a different defeated tentacle instead of healing self or the main body.
    Shield Bash: +5 to hit. 1d4 + 3 bludgeoning damage
    Defend: As a reaction, give disadvantage to an attack when an ally 5ft away is attacked

    Crossbow Tentacle (x1)

    HP 20
    Armor Class 13
    Speed 30 ft
    Damage Resistances: None
    Damage Immunities: Poison, Acid

    Abilities

    Harden: Cannot take other actions, harden body to stone and increase AC to 18, as well as resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire
    Heal: If the healing pool is nearby, soak arm in the pool to heal it fully, and heal the main body for 15hp. Alternatively, resurrect a different defeated tentacle instead of healing self or the main body.
    Heavy Crossbow shot: +2 to hit. 1d10 piercing damage

    Handy Tentacle (x1)

    HP 20
    Armor Class 13
    Speed 30 ft
    Damage Resistances: None
    Damage Immunities: Poison, Acid

    Abilities

    Harden: Cannot take other actions, harden body to stone and increase AC to 18, as well as resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire. Cannot harden when grappling a PC.
    Heal: If the healing pool is nearby, soak arm in the pool to heal it fully, and heal the main body for 15hp. Alternatively, resurrect a different defeated tentacle instead of healing self or the main body.
    Grapple: +5 to hit. Grab a target, they can avoid it with a DC16 strength saving throw. If the target is successfully grappled, they can escape with a DC14 strength save at the start of their turn.
    Squeeze: If a target is grappled, squeeze them for 1d6+3 bludgeoning damage.
    Throw juice: If the healing pool is within range, scoop up a handful of purple juice and throw it at a skeleton to resurrect it.

    Potential Adds

    There are two skeletons in the room that can be resurrected by the Handy Tentacle with it's "throw juice" ability, should the fight is too easy for the PCs or they are hanging back too far. These adds are Boneknights from page 6 on this link: https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-Mv5UKsPhrHkBqSf9vo1

    Conclusion and Questions

    Is this a fun boss? I aim to have the tentacles each fighting a different person, so I don't think I'll wipe the party out too quickly, but I know of the mystical "action economy" and I might be overdoing things.

    Also, how do I rate the CR of such a creature? And how much gold should a party earn for such a fight? Thanks for helping out a new DM!

    20 votes

  16. Comment on Designing my first DnD boss fight with a giant mimic (5x lvl 5 characters) in ~games.tabletop

    Goldfenix
    Link Parent
    Regarding actions, I was going to have all tentacles take their turns with the mimic. This was a way to spread out the damage among all PCs and give everyone a target to wrestle with.

    Regarding actions, I was going to have all tentacles take their turns with the mimic. This was a way to spread out the damage among all PCs and give everyone a target to wrestle with.

    1 vote

  17. Designing my first DnD boss fight with a giant mimic (5x lvl 5 characters)

    ~games.tabletop Ask (advice)
    Hello tabletop community, I am designing my first ever boss fight, meant to really challenge my players. I don't want to kill any of them off since we're all new and it feels weird to lose a...

    Hello tabletop community,

    I am designing my first ever boss fight, meant to really challenge my players. I don't want to kill any of them off since we're all new and it feels weird to lose a character, but I also want it to feel threatening. I could use some advice about how to execute this situation:

    Boss is a big mimic disguised as a blood fountain with 6 long tentacle arms, each of which will be it's own figure on the board that can be up to 3 tiles from the 3x3 mimic figure.

    Four of the tentacles have weapons that can deal 2d6 damage and have 30hp AC11 (roughly making it in line with a Brown Bear for threat and HP). They can grapple (squeeze the target) instead for 1d8 damage per turn, escapable on DC13 strength.

    Two of the tentacles have shield-like hard points that defend neighboring enemies by giving disadvantage on attack rolls against them. AC14 HP30. I couldn't find anything to base these on for an encounter designer app.

    Main body has low movement (10ft), and has 200hp AC19, and loses 20hp per tentacle lost. It has a bite attack +6 to hit 2d8. It also floods blood through sections of the room, forcing player movement and dealing 2d8 poison damage. I based it on a Roper for difficulty and attacks.

    I think this combination creature would provide a very interesting and movement focused fight, but I'm very new to DM'ing and I'm afraid of accidentally killing the players.

    My questions are: (1) How do I avoid accidentally killing everyone? (2) Is this fight too hard for a newbie group of 5 new players? (3) Any other cool ideas I didn't think of?

    9 votes

  18. DnD 5e - Looking for advice on Haunted House monster difficulty for a level 5 party

    ~games.tabletop Ask (advice)
    Hello Tildes community, I am soon going to DM my second ever mini-session for a small group of fairly new players. I'd like to send the group into a haunted tavern that has an unusually...

    Hello Tildes community,

    I am soon going to DM my second ever mini-session for a small group of fairly new players. I'd like to send the group into a haunted tavern that has an unusually intelligent mimic in the basement that has been eating tourists that pass through, leaving behind undead creatures throughout the basement.

    My primary goal with this is to help the players (most pretty new) understand how to conserve their magic instead of firing it all off in each battle, so I wanted to prevent them from long resting. I figure I could magically lock them inside when they arrive, and then let them learn that if they should rest, previously killed undead creatures (like Minotaur Skeleton or zombies) resurrect after about an hour.

    I am looking for two pieces of advice. First, I'd like to know good creatures to put into the dungeon that would provide a challenge, but not be too devastating. I looked at Wraith, for example, but a Wraith could easily one-shot any of the casters in the group and instantly kill them, which isn't fun. What should I be using instead? Remember that each individual fight doesn't need to be too hard, I just want the group to start feeling the strain of resources getting exhausted.

    Secondly, the primary DM (who I am running a single session for) has said I can level up the party to 6 during the dungeon. Does this essentially heal the whole party and refresh their spell slots, ala most RPG games? I'm a bit confused how this part would work, tbh.

    Thanks for your help, and big thanks to everyone who answered my last question about a Kobold Brewery. It was a blast, and the party loved it, particularly some of the traps that y'all came up with. By the time the party escaped, the entire brewery was on fire, which was amazing.

    Appreciate your help!

    8 votes

  19. Comment on What sort of traps would Kobolds set up around a brewery? (new DM) in ~games.tabletop

    Goldfenix
    Link Parent
    Using your pit trap idea, it's a great concept. I'm trying to think of how to prevent the druid from just flying back out of the pit if she falls in. Maybe the pit is so stinky she has to make a...

    Using your pit trap idea, it's a great concept. I'm trying to think of how to prevent the druid from just flying back out of the pit if she falls in. Maybe the pit is so stinky she has to make a concentration check in order to transform?

    1 vote

  20. Comment on What sort of traps would Kobolds set up around a brewery? (new DM) in ~games.tabletop

    Goldfenix
    Link Parent
    Love the weak floorboard ideas, and I have a ton of beer barrels around the facility, perhaps some being "tippy" might make for interesting rolls that the party has to accomplish!

    Love the weak floorboard ideas, and I have a ton of beer barrels around the facility, perhaps some being "tippy" might make for interesting rolls that the party has to accomplish!

    3 votes