Hobby Thread

[striker42]

Umm yeah. I tied with a player on defeating her too. I've killed a PC a few times. Didn't do it early in the game where death was scary but I kind of regret it. All the heavy things are concerning, but I'm setting them up well. Rolls matter less IMO.

I generally run my combat with a healthy amount of improvisation. I tend to keep monsters alive until the death feels right. Similar with some rolls.I've fudged rolls heavily to add tension or stop deaths. To me as a DM while I want to let there be an amount of randomness, but I feel it's my job to move the story along.

The issue with critfishing on say a champion fighter, is there is a limit to it. They make pretty interesting dips, but you cna do better. I had a heavy hitter crit fisher. Oath of Vengance+Hexblade+Dualwielding, coupled with my party wizard hasting me meant by round 3 I was making 4 attacks at advantage with +proficiency to damage and crits on 19.

Champion fighter would definitely be the dip, 3 levels max. That way I'd get the improved critical and the action surge. I'm thinking maybe Halfling Barbarian Berzerker with a 3 level Champion Fighter dip. It would take until level 6 to start to work. At 6 I'd have 3 levels of each which would give me reckless attack, action surge, frenzy, and improved critical. So once in a frenzy I'd be able to make two attacks a turn with advantage and the ability to re-roll ones.

At level 8 I'd get the second attack as a 5th level barbarian which would translate into 3 advantaged attacks in a frenzy, 5 with an action surge. I like pairing the easily obtained advantage of reckless attacks with the expanded crit range and basically eliminating ones (which increases the crit chance).

I know a lot of people pair champion fighters with hexblade warlocks but I'm wanting the character to just be a crazy combatant with essentially no magic.

I've also considered a champion fighter/rogue build using an elf or half-elf. Champion fighter dip to 3, elven accuracy feat giving the extra d20 on dex based attacks with advantage, then rogue getting advantage attacking from being hidden. So that would be 3 dice to crit 19-20 plus sneak attack which I believe doubles as well.

 

[zitothebrave]

The risk with Halfling is heavy weapon limitation, so you can't wield heavy weapons without disadvantage. So you slide more into a sword and board barbarian, which isn't bad, just if there was a class who almost needs great axe because of Brutal Critical.

One of my favorite Critfishing builds I built but never played because it's absolutely absurd. Need 2 levels of fighter to action surge.

Half Elf, Hexblade,let's say at level 8

So ther'es a few things you need to have.

First, Elven Accuracy you need that at level 4. Second thing, darkness. Third thing, devil sight.

So you pop off Darkness and then jump at it. All attacks against anyone who relies on normal sight, you get advantage on your attacks. With Elven Accuracy you get to re-roll one of your dice. If you take pact of the Blade to use a GLaive. And Thirsting blade. So you get your 2 attacks and a bonus action attack all with super advantage. With Hexblade you can Hexblade's Curse to crit on 19. Etc.

Of course Tasha's set up more critfarming classes with elves. Like Say you go Sword and Board Paladin. Half Elf, full elf, etc. Say you take the oath of vengeance, against one enemy you can use your bonus action to get an advantage on all attacks vs. one enemy. With Elven accuracy you use a rapier. Get triple advantage, on crits you unleash a powerful smite to yeet them. But with Tashas, and another caster who can put darkness on you, you can now take Eldritch Adept and get devil sight so all paladins can get advantage.

The real fun that is now out with Tasha's and ladies and gentleman the first good use of the cantrip true strike. Elven accuracy+Truestrike+Blade of Disaster. Which means your first of 2 melee spell attacks is at super advantage.

 

[Garmel]

Anybody see this? EnWorld is making an Advanced Dungeons and Dragons for 5e. Lots of playtest material on the site and it looks really good. https://www.levelup5e.com/faqs

 

[zitothebrave]

Anybody see this? EnWorld is making an Advanced Dungeons and Dragons for 5e. Lots of playtest material on the site and it looks really good. https://www.levelup5e.com/faqs

I haven't heard about that. I tend not to get a ton of 3rd party D&D stuff, partially because I'm so heavily bought into the 3rd party DNDBeyond. But I'm always interested in what others do. I've backed a lot of stuff from HitPointPress and Kobold Press.

 

[zitothebrave]

So some photos of the final build I made for the final battle of my campaign.

 

[striker42]

Nice setup you got there, Zito! I can't imagine what the loot in a Tiamat fight would be.

I've finally started my campaign with my friends but we have to do it on Roll 20 since we're spread out over half the country. I'm not great with that platform yet but I'm hoping to get better. We're doing a pre-written adventure right now though I've spiced it up with some extra encounters and homebrewed items. I'm hoping none of the PCs die in this adventure as I'd like them all to make it to my homebrew planar island campaign. I'll be really annoyed with myself if one of the PCs dies because I'm not great at balancing encounters yet.

 

[zitothebrave]

I mean even in a poorly balanced encounter, the PCs can still not die. Just have them plead for their lives. If you're facing an intelligent enemy they could bring them back as slaves or servants or something.

Or have them revived by a church for a specific campaign beat. Etc.

Death in D&D doesn't have to be the end of a story, unless it fits. You can find a way to get people back. I built a whole Strahd campaign around killing people and the dark powers of Ravenloft making bargains with people for their eternal souls.

Another quick story. When my campaign started it was pretty heavily on rails. And we were down a few players. I gave my party an encounter that should have been manageable but they did a bad job managing the encounter and had a ton of bad rolls on important saves. I got them out of it because they were working for an organization who sent in a more powerful hero to clean up and save them.

 

[Runnin]

I've recently gotten into wood-working. Made my own work bench.

This workbench was a beast but fun to make. I started with a photo from google search and went from there.

Next project will be easier - calf stretching board, but not this design.

 

[striker42]

I mean even in a poorly balanced encounter, the PCs can still not die. Just have them plead for their lives. If you're facing an intelligent enemy they could bring them back as slaves or servants or something.

Or have them revived by a church for a specific campaign beat. Etc.

Death in D&D doesn't have to be the end of a story, unless it fits. You can find a way to get people back. I built a whole Strahd campaign around killing people and the dark powers of Ravenloft making bargains with people for their eternal souls.

Another quick story. When my campaign started it was pretty heavily on rails. And we were down a few players. I gave my party an encounter that should have been manageable but they did a bad job managing the encounter and had a ton of bad rolls on important saves. I got them out of it because they were working for an organization who sent in a more powerful hero to clean up and save them.

Good point. Defeat doesn't have to end in death. I think that's especially important for low level characters with beginner players. Gotta keep the game fun. Failing a mission is a viable alternative to death.

I really just want to get them through this adventure alive, get them to level 3, and then turn them loose in the giant sandbox that is the planar island.

 

[zitothebrave]

Good point. Defeat doesn't have to end in death. I think that's especially important for low level characters with beginner players. Gotta keep the game fun. Failing a mission is a viable alternative to death.

I really just want to get them through this adventure alive, get them to level 3, and then turn them loose in the giant sandbox that is the planar island.

Certainly. And you don't have to have player death be huge in your campaign. YOu can have your characters be chosen or something. Like Chris Perkins screwed around with this heavily with Dice, Camera, Action where when his PCs died they were often resurrected in weird ways, like one came back in a Golem at one point, etc. there's silly ways you can have terror and fate and not have death or have death and be light. I told my girlfriend if my current character dies, given what subclass she is and her background, I gave her full permission to bring her back as rebornunder her control. My next campaign, I'm going to kill her character right off to create a long term enemy (Rakshasa) that they can build toward to battle.

 

[zitothebrave]

Update to my little blurb at the end. In classic players do what they want. I told my girlfriend what would get her character killed, she wound up not wanting her character to die so they eventually surrendered and prostrated before the Rakshasa (who just looked like a human) and asked to join his crew. Some successful RP and some good rolls and he let them and now they run the acquisitions arm of his business. So far I've kept the quests pretty simple. But next session we finally get into the meat and potatoes of a real quest and a chance to explore the world a bit.

 

[striker42]

Zito, got any recommendations for dice companies? I have a Norse Foundry set and am looking for others.

 

[Tapate50]

Picked up my Bronco to redo on Sunday. So far I drove it to work 2 times and gym twice.

Runs like a top

Tires are almost brand new.

Got an oil change, he said all looks good there.

Added K&N air filter, fuel treatment, new oil filter, new wipers, ordered new spare tire cover, got a spare waiting to get mounted.

Waiting on paint estimates. They seem higher than I'd have thought.

It needs new speakers and head unit, but head units seem to be tough to come by.

 

[zitothebrave]

Zito, got any recommendations for dice companies? I have a Norse Foundry set and am looking for others.

Way too many haha.

I am really into Gemstone Dice.

I have a handful of sets from Level Up dice. They build rock solid stuff. For my metal dice (I only have 1 set I use regularly) I use Die Hard Dice. The one of theirs I use the most is a special D20 from a Dwarven Forge Kickstarter. But I backed Level Up's Kickstarter for what I assume will be launched in their shop soon, but right now is KS preorders still. They're made of Aircraft Aluminum super light they make a fantastic clackity sound. I'm rocking as well a set of Dispel Dice, I backed their first kickstarter and picked up another set in the store and I'm getting one from their Kickstarter with Wyrmwood. They're dropping more dice 2 weeks from now basically (15th) I'll drop links below.

Norse Foundry makes good dice I have their Giant D20s, I believe they call them boulders. I don't like Norse FOundry's lettering. The dice are fine. But I don't like the lettering. The dumb**** kickstarter I just backed was this one so I can put my dice on pedestals, but aslo I'm going to display our party miniatures on it.

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...dice-thrones-from-dwarven-forge?ref=user_menu

Levelup Up Kickstarter

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/levelupdice/level-up-dices-complete-character-dice/description

Level up normal site

https://usa.levelupdice.net/

https://www.dieharddice.com/collections/metal-dice-1

Mythica are the sets of theirs I have

https://dispeldice.com/

 

[Tapate50]

Picked up my Bronco to redo on Sunday. So far I drove it to work 2 times and gym twice.

Runs like a top

Tires are almost brand new.

Got an oil change, he said all looks good there.

Added K&N air filter, fuel treatment, new oil filter, new wipers, ordered new spare tire cover, got a spare waiting to get mounted.

Waiting on paint estimates. They seem higher than I'd have thought.

It needs new speakers and head unit, but head units seem to be tough to come by.

New head unit with BT, and speaker phone along with 4 kicker speakers added Tuesday. Had to get the clock spring fixed on Wed. Tire cover came in wrong (had a hole for a rear camera) but the quality looks good. Its the old school with the bucking bronco on it.

Upholstery folks are having a hard time matching the mocha seats to repair them.

Got two lines on folks to paint it. Its a dark red over tan now, thinking dark navy and tan.

 

[striker42]

I've gotten into collecting movie posters over the last year. Just procured an Empire Strikes Back. I have several on my list I want but a lot of them are pretty spendy.

 

[zitothebrave]

Been baking for the last month with an online class set up by Christina Tosi (Milkbar creator) Long since been a favorite of mine. But i got to make some of her things and make some of my creations.