sirblastalot

joined 2 years ago
MODERATOR OF
rpg

I'm not one of them, but I empathize with all the GMs that are just sick of dealing with those particular kinds of misconduct that crop up with new players.

[–] sirblastalot@ttrpg.network 16 points 1 day ago

Cover your phb in spray adhesive and leave it sitting on the table. As soon as someone touches it, shout "ROLL INITIATIVE!"

Actually, apply this to other random objects at the game table. A bag of chips, 1 can of soda in the fridge, every 3rd pencil, whatever.

[–] sirblastalot@ttrpg.network 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Not a very high quality article. Makes constant reference to "faction and domain play" without adequately defining the terms for someone that didn't grow up with them. (Presumably, the target of the article.) And a lot of typos.

[–] sirblastalot@ttrpg.network 18 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Addl wisdom: some people make jokes when they're uncomfortable, as a defense mechanism. If you have a player or players constantly trying to lighten the mood, consider that the atmosphere you're trying to create may not be a good fit for your party, and/or parts of your party may not be a good fit for your game.

[–] sirblastalot@ttrpg.network 4 points 1 month ago

One slab of dry ice is a couple pounds, I could easily see a bathtub full of it being a problem. Also, co2 is heavier than air, cats are smaller than humans, and they live closer to the ground, so I think ...m... made the right call.

[–] sirblastalot@ttrpg.network 4 points 1 month ago

This kind of thing can be fun. It can also be just as or more fun to sit around with nothing more than some scrap paper and an idea. Especially no shade on people that don't have unlimited budgets to spend on setups like this.

[–] sirblastalot@ttrpg.network 3 points 2 months ago

Fun fact, any game dev's financial data can be stolen if you're capable of answering my riddles three

[–] sirblastalot@ttrpg.network 15 points 2 months ago

I would really like to commission that one artist that does the WWI kobolds to do a piece with 3 kobolds running a vintage SMG as if it were a crew served weapon. (But sadly they won't return my emails)

[–] sirblastalot@ttrpg.network 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I just want you to know how much I appreciate your hammer comparison. That is an incredibly apt simile and I want you to get credit for it. You should feel good about your analysis and communication skills.

[–] sirblastalot@ttrpg.network 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Isn't SCP public domain? You're explicitly allowed to do whatever you want with it

[–] sirblastalot@ttrpg.network 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That strikes me as highly reflective of google's position of power; from the employer's perspective, the point where the diminishing returns are no longer worth it is related to the point where they're losing too many applicants from interview exhaustion. If you're not google, not offering the kind of pay and such that google does, your break-even point is likely much sooner.

Additionally, from the worker's perspective, the only-3-interviews rule is an assertion of our power. And, as an added plus, if enough people adhere to it, it will shift that break-even point even for places like Google, and resist the shifting of that burden onto unpaid workers.

[–] sirblastalot@ttrpg.network 3 points 2 months ago

This is silly. EVERY system can be exploited, and every group should expect eachother to act in good faith. The difference between systems is what parts are done for you and what parts you do yourself, and every group is going to want a different assortment of those pieces. You're just mad that some groups get what they want out of DnD. You are the problem person in this image.

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submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by sirblastalot@ttrpg.network to c/rpg@ttrpg.network
 

I recently started a new campaign. Two players (one who has played in my games before and their SO, who has been begging me for a spot for years) unexpectedly dropped out, moments before our first session. Their reason was somewhat baffling; they said they didn't want to spend "all day" on this, despite the game only going from noon to 3PM. They seemed to think this was a totally unreasonable expectation on my part, despite them previously having stated they were available during that time. This puzzled me.

I've been musing on this, and the strange paradox of people that say they want to play D&D but don't actually want to play D&D, and I've had an epiphany.

A lot of people blame Critical Role or other popular D&D shows for giving prospective players misplaced perceptions, often related to things like your DM's voice acting ability or prop budget, but I don't think that's what's going on here. My realization is that, encoded in the medium of podcasts and play videos, is another expectation: New players unconsciously expect to receive D&D the way they receive D&D shows: on-demand, at their house, able to be paused and restarted at their whim, and possibly on a second-screen while they focus on something else!

I don't know as this suggests anything we as DMs could do differently to set expectations, but it did go a long ways to helping me understand my friends, and I thought it might help someone here to share.

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