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June 2016

Nerdarchy > 2016 (Page 7)
painting miniatures
Nerd Craft

Painting Miniatures and Modding Miniatures – The Basics.

Many of you out there might be like myself and have an addiction to plastic.  You collect Dice and painting miniaturesMinifigures.  It can be a consuming hobby that lands in FB groups and Forums looking for the one mini to complete your collection.  You might spend loads of time on Ebay looking for deals and steals just to boost up the extras bin or that one exclusive piece you just found out about.

Well if you are like that, then you are like me, Nerdarchist Ted.  I cannot fathom a guess as to how many hours I have spent searching for deals on Amazon or Ebay because of my habit/addiction.  I have it under control based off of the argument my wallet had with me some years ago.  Enough was enough.

As I sat and looked at the hundreds if not thousands of little pre-painted plastic miniatures It begged to question what was I going to do with it all.  My friends and I spent years playing Mage Knight.  I have loads of them.  I spent years playing Heroscape and I had loads of them.  I bought loads and loads of D&D minis as well as they were perfectly sized for our Table Top role playing game.

Mage knight there was variety and you had lots of uses for them.  With Heroscape unless you were planning to play a 10 player game, not recommended by the way, and everyone wanted the same pieces there was no need to have that many copies of the miniatures. 

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by Ted Adams
June 23, 2016
0
Player tips Roleplaying

When is it okay to Voice Disagreement with the Game Master?

gameArrows are flying. Swords are swinging. Blasters are blasting. And suddenly your character goes down in a fight because of what you perceive to be a stupid ruling from the game master.

Game MasterYour blood boils and your temperature begins to rise. What you want to do is curse and yell at the game master, informing him or her just how much of an idiot they really are. Or maybe you want to break into the middle of the game and argue about how the game master’s ruling was bad or unfair.

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by Ty Johnston
June 22, 2016
1
Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Games

The TOP 10 most common Mistakes made in D&D 5e

Hello, fellow Nerdarchests…

I recently found this blog talking about mistakes made in D&D 5e. You can find the original article on the Dungeon Master’s.com or by clicking- here. I wanted to share some of the dorks-r-us-784604highlights as well as give some people insight on good things to know to make their games run smoother. Hope its helpful.

If you’re like me you’ve been playing D&D a long time and 5e is not your introduction to this wonderful game. And if you’re like me you haven’t read every single page of the PHB and DMG. You’re an experienced player, you know what’s what. You rely on your experience and looks stuff up when you need to (good luck finding it in the PHB index).
However, as I play with more and more new players I find that many of the rules I thought were the same in 5e as they were in previous editions are not exactly the same. Many are quite similar but because I hadn’t taken the time to look them up I was doing things incorrectly. That’s not to say these errors broke the game, but if I’m doing things in a way that is contrary to the actual Rules As Written (RAW) that may cause confusions and lead to arguments in real life. Better to get it right and share that knowledge with others who didn’t know.
So to help all those experienced players like me who haven’t read the rule books cover to cover, I’ve compiled a helpful list of common mistakes I’ve seen or done when running or playing 5e D&D. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it covers the most gross violations and misconceptions. And to assure you that everything I say in the article below is correct, I’m even going to site page references from the PHB as applicable.
1) Surprise!
Repeat after me “There is no such thing as a surprise round in 5e.” Don’t believe me, look it up. The first round of combat can function differently than normal if some creatures (friendly or hostile) are surprised. This is usually based on who’s hidden and who’s not, but there are other factors. Don’t even get me started on the Ambuscade action Rangers get in the Unearthed Arcana article. That’ll just make your head hurt.
(PHB pg. #189)
2) Initiative
Two players and a monster all roll the same number on initiative. Who goes first? In previous editions ties were settled by the Dex modifier or Dex score. In 5e that’s not the case. When players get the same result on their initiative check, it’s up to them to decide amongst themselves who goes first. The Dex score, the Dex modifier, and even the number on the d20 are all irrelevant. They just talk it out and decide. Of course if they can’t decide then they can roll off or find some other way to settle the dispute. Likewise if a bunch of monsters get the same result the DM can decide what order they go in.
Now I remember reading somewhere that when the DM and players tie the players ALWAYS go ahead of monsters. I’ve scoured through the PHB and AL Players Guide and I can’t find that written anywhere. Maybe it was something that was in the D&D Next play test? In any case, I’ve been applying this rule since 5e was launched and it’s worked very well. If anyone knows where this “rule” came from, please let me know in the comments below.
(PHB pg. #189)
3) Movement
Movement has changed (for the better) in 5e D&D. You can now move throughout your turn. You can move, attack, move some more, attack some more, move again, attack again using your bonus action, and move even more. You’re no longer forced to do all your moving at the beginning or end of your turn. Break it up into 5 ft increments and use them when you need to. Just be sure you understand how opportunity attacks work (more on that below).
One other thing about movement is the Dash action. This replaced the double-move common in previous editions. Think of movement in 5e as a pool of steps. When you take the Dash action you get more steps added to your pool. So a Rogue can use their cunning action to Dash as a Bonus action (adding to their pool) and then use their action to Dash (adding to their pool again).
(PHB pg. #190)
4) Bonus Actions
Many players who came from 4e liken bonus actions to minor actions. Although they are similar, they are not the same.
◾You cannot downgrade your action or your move to take a second Bonus Action. You get one bonus action per round; that’s it.
◾Many bonus actions can only be taken when you do something specific with your action. For example, if you make a melee weapon attack with your action, you can then make one off-hand attack as a bonus action. You cannot make the off-hand attack if you do something else with your action, like Dodge or drink a potion. (PHB pg. #189)
5) Opportunity Attacks
The 5 ft step or shift is no longer a thing in 5e. If you back away from an enemy, moving out of their threatened area then that enemy can take a free swing at you (what we like to call an opportunity attack). Once inside a monster’s threatened area (usually all squares adjacent to that enemy) you can move freely wherever you want as long as you remain within their reach. So if you’ve got the speed you can literally run circles around an enemy and they will not get an opportunity attack. Remember that in 5e each creature only gets one reaction so if they take an opportunity attack against you they won’t get one against your ally when he runs away. Unless the enemy goes between you and your ally, then you’ve got a problem.
In 5e fewer things provoke opportunity attacks than in previous editions. For example, if you stand up from prone, an adjacent enemy does not get an opportunity attack. And if you make a ranged attack, an adjacent enemy does not get an opportunity attack – however, you do have disadvantage on the attack roll.

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by Art Wood
June 16, 2016
2
Out of the Box D&D Encounters

“Down on the Farm” Out of the Box D&D Encounters #6

out of the boxIntroduction:
Often, the most basic of settings can be a great place to put an encounter. What will seem like another boring problem will turn out to be more. When missing goods, livestock and the like become a problem, players always assume that goblins, kobolds, or the usual rogues gallery of villains is to blame. Switching that up from time to time is a good idea, as it keeps the players guessing.
  Additionally, players tend to forget that others operate as a team too. Players will use scouts, terrain, spells and the like to their best potential. They will seek to flank their foes or find some way to gain Advantage. Some monsters like to do this too, but the list is short. What if a monster has another monster as a pet? What if the players assume that typically solo monsters surprise them by acting like a team?
 
Environment: Wilderness/Forested/Farmland.
Suggested level: 3
A local village or farmer of renown has a problem with an increasing loss of farm animals. Chickens geese, small goats, and even domestic dogs or cats has gone missing of late. What started as a suspicion of a coyote problem has been made more mysterious, as no howls have been heard and no large tracks have been found. What has been really disturbing is the lack of cricket song in the evenings, giving nightfall an eerie silence.
The farm borders on a large forest that has been avoided by local hunters because of rumors of a haunting. To reinforce this foreboding sense, an increase of large webs has been noticed deep in the forest, and a prized hunting dog has gone missing in pursuit of a deer very recently while exploring this area.
In reality, a “Fengus” the Ettercap has begun a spider farm.
  “Fengus” has been breeding spiders bigger and bigger, creating a new species in the process. His D&D encountersfavorite spider is “Beatrice”, a giant spider and very protective companion. On the way to Beatrice, he has bred a species of dog-sized Large Spiders, as well as fostering an entire swarm of tiny spiders who have recently hatched.
  For them, he has created a “fenced in” spiral series of webbed walls leading to a large central pen. This is where he’s been breeding spiders to be bigger and bigger. These spiders then hunt for him and are for sale to many nefarious sorts as guards and pets. The “farm” can be as big as desired, but should have webbed walls clinging to strong trees tall enough to discourage climbing. Anyone still trying to do so should be treated as if under the effect of a “Web” spell, DC:14. Within this spiral maze of webs, the walls will be crawling with Large Spiders (see below), a swarm of tiny spiders from which they were bred. In the center of the maze will be the open area where “Fengus” and Beatrice will be.
  Once the players find their way inside the labyrinth of webs, they will see the “farm” in all it’s glory. The carcasses of dead animals, wrapped in gossamer, will cling to the inside walls or dangle from the trees. Fengus and Beatrice will be here and ready, having seen the trembling of the webs as the players either fought their way through, burned a hole through, or got caught in the webbing. They will fight as a pair. Beatrice will have been with Fengus since she was born, so they are very familiar with each others tactics.
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by Mike Gould
June 10, 2016
0
Dungeons & Dragons Player tips Roleplaying

The Mystery Your Missing in D&D 5e…

drg359_unsolved_mysteries.previewHello fellow Nerdarchists, Hope to see you all having awesome game sessions! In this article I wanted to address the common problem that a lot of game masters have trying to keep their players engaged by using the elements that are at the core of the RPG and that is… Mystery!
I have been recently tasked with running a large group of new gamers and teaching them the game of the newer Dungeons & Dragons 5e. So, with more players added I found it hard to keep each player involved on a personal level as well as how to keep the game sessions intriguing. I wanted to share with you a few tricks I learned about how to use Mystery as a tool to keep everyone happy and having a good time. On a side note, I usually don’t feel comfortable running a game for more than five players so with seven players it has become a bit of a challenge. So let’s get started…
First, I in general character backgrounds are normally a great way to engage players, but when you have seven people at the table it can become a bit overwhelming. Luckily for me my custom game world “Dark Myth” had a built-in way for me to deal with this being a Time Line. The time line in a game setting can be an easy way for players and DMs alike to quickly and easily come up with back stories to link things together. Also it can leave quite a bit of room for mystery such as “Why, did the war start in the first place?” or “Who is the spy” and many more. Questions like these can lead to a whole plethora of time-line related mysteries to keep gamers on the edge of their seats!

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by Art Wood
June 9, 2016
1
Out of the Box D&D Encounters

The Dance Macabre- Out of the Box D&D Encounters #5

Introduction:

  Many times, the hardest thing to do is getting started. Many DMs will have awesome ideas on what to out of the boxdo later in a campaign, or even later in a dungeon crawl, but struggle with a starting point. I’ll often see a campaign in reverse. I see where I want it to end, or what a final encounter will look like, then write encounters like movie scenes to guide players in the direction of that end scene.
  The first encounter, or start point, is often the sticking point.
  That’s where “The Dance Macabre” comes in. It’s vague enough to be the entry level to a dungeon, and has non-combat skill checks that hint at something more. It could be used as a stand-alone encounter, an adventure hook, a start point for a dungeon crawl, or whatever a DM wants.
With that, I present you with “Out of The Box #5: The Dance Macabre”
 
“The Dance Macabre”
Environment: Wilderness/Dungeon
Suggested level: 2-3
  In a clearing obviously made for a massive structure, the players encounter an old ruin. It’s ringed by barbed hedges to a height of six to eight feet, obviously from a lack of care. A series of arbors, choked with nettles and vines, lead through the hedge in a curving path, exposing the ruins beyond.
  Its many walls, towers and other structures have crumbled to rubble – all save one example. The remains of the columns and buttresses that supported a massive great hall still remain, with it’s vast decorative tiled floor mostly intact. Beyond it the former grandeur of a noble’s castle lay in piles of broken walls, toppled towers, and other debris. Much of what debris should be there seems gone. (History, Investigation, or even an Intelligence check, DC:12, will reveal that this practice is not uncommon. Scavengers will often raid ruined buildings for materials to be used elsewhere.)
  What will come as a surprise is that these ruins are not unoccupied. Figures in formal clothing dance encountersendlessly to the eerie lack of music – like an eternal waltz in silence.
  Even as the characters advance, the figures remain dancing, seemingly oblivious to their approach. When they close to within 50’ they can finally ascertain (Perception: 12) that the finery worn by the figures are in poor repair, and in some cases, tatters.
  Should the characters wish to really test their knowledge about either the setting, location , or even this activity, you might optionally allow the characters a Difficult (DC:17) History, Religion, or Arcana skill check to know some or all of the following:
  The former Lord and Lady of this castle dabbled in dark necromancy, and held great celebrations and grand balls to lure unsuspecting victims into their lair. During the height of the celebration, a victim would be lured away to a hidden chamber and sacrificed to Orcus. Over time, their machinations were discovered and the surrounding peoples allied to destroy the Lord and his holdings. Now, ages later, his victims have animated to continue the dance where they died – a tortured reminder of the vast power of the Demon Lord.
  What happens next is up to the player characters. If any character steps upon the dance floor, it is subjected to “Otto’s Irresistible Dance” (p.264 Player’s Handbook. DC:14 Wisdom save. Duration 1 minute. Save ends.).
  Within the finery are Skeletons, who will attack those who step upon the floor, whether they are affected by the Dance or not. The Skeletons do not discern if a character is under the affect of the Dance or not, nor do they care. If you need to determine between a number of characters whom is attacked, determine randomly.
  If the players retreat beyond the hedge, the Skeletons will not pursue beyond the thorny barrier, as if held back by the curse that animates their remains. However, should a character continue to attack the undead while retreating, in effect taunting them through the hedge, then the undead that are being undeadattacked will pursue as long as they are being damaged.
  Once the players are on the other side of the hedge, any remaining skeletons cannot effectively be attacked by normal ranged weapons through the hedge, and trying to lob projectiles over the hedge will prove ineffective. The hedge is green, and so does not burn readily. However, a truly committed effort to burn the hedge might work at the DMs discretion…although not really to much effect, as the thorny remains will still be difficult to pass though.
Monsters:
Skeletons (10): p. 272 of the Monster Manual, or p. 310 of the Player’s Handbook, and depending on “Complications” below, perhaps a Zombie or two (P. 316 of the Monster Manual or p. 311 of the Player’s Handbook)
Complications:
  While under the influence of the Dance, a character is at Disadvantage for all of it’s attack rolls and saving throws, and can be attacked with Advantage.
  If a character is knocked unconscious upon the dance floor, the skeletons will ignore it and move on another target.
If a character is killed on the dance floor and left there, it will animate as a Zombie in 24 hours, and continue to dance like the others. It may be that some of the original dancers seen on the dance floor have been here long enough to rot from Zombies to Skeletons.
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by Mike Gould
June 3, 2016
1
character
Game Master Tips

Game Master Tip- Engaging Individual Characters in a Roleplaying Group

game master tipAs a player, one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in roleplaying is exploring a story which your character has a personal stake in, and which is tailored specifically to your character. It’s one thing to raid a tomb full of undead with your pals, but it’s entirely another to explore the tomb of your ancestors, fighting the spectres of long dead family

members and searching for a priceless heirloom.

Engaging individual characters within the party can be a fantastic way to develop characters
and make players feel badass, and these personal storylines can often develop into entire
plot arcs and adventures. However, the logistics of keeping the whole group entertained
while your game focuses on one character can be difficult. It’s often difficult for people to
find time to game together, and the last thing you want is for people to show up and then
spend the whole session watching somebody else play the game.

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by Tim Sutherland
June 2, 2016
2
Books Free Nerdy Things

Free fiction from Ty Johnston

As some of you might know, after 20 years as a newspaper journalist, nowadays I make my living as a fiction writer, mostly in fantasy and horror though I occasionally dip into other genres. Over the last decade or so some of my short stories have become available to read on one website or another, and a number of my shorter e-books are currently free to read. For those who might be interested, I thought I would provide a brief guide along with links to the stories or e-books.

Concerning the e-books, where available I will provide a link to the Amazon page for those of you with a Kindle or who use a Kindle app, but I will also provide a link to a site called Smashwords where you can download the free e-book in whatever format you desire.

Let’s get going.

Free e-books from Ty Johnston

Mage Hunter: Episode 1: Blooded Snow

Mage HunterA hunt for raiding barbarians turns upon the hunters. But far worse is to come for the sleepy villages of northern Ursia and the soldiers who protect the villagers. The Dartague barbarians have had enough of the Ursians encroaching upon their mountainous borders, and the raids are but a feint to draw out soldiers while a much larger attack is in the works. His squad mates slain, Sergeant Guthrie Hackett finds himself alone in the winter wilderness on the border between his homeland and the nation of barbarians. He discovers the Dartague have a new leader, a wyrd woman who is behind the border assault. Worse yet for the sergeant, he has fallen under the attention of an ice witch, an inhuman creature with secret goals of her own. Seeking to survive, Hackett tries to make it back to his own countrymen, only to find there is relatively little safety for him anywhere in the northern regions.

This e-book is serial fiction, the first in a five-part series that tells the tale of Guthrie Hackett and how he comes to learn a few things about himself while trying to survive an approaching war with outlanders.

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by Ty Johnston
June 1, 2016
0
Monster Bag
Nerdy News

Monster Bag Plus Weekly Wrap

Hello and well met traveler of the internet. Nerdarchist Dave here with another edition of our Weekly Wrap. We finally got a game in after a two week hiatus of no tabletop gaming 🙁

Sometimes it just goes that way. We weren’t able to schedule our 1st Cypher System meets Shadow Run game this month and had to push it to next month. The beginning of the month Ted ran his Gryphongaff game and this weekend I ran mine. If nothing else we were at least able to book end the month with gaming. The same day this post goes up we’ll also have our fan game going on. I at least get little extra gaming in.

Couple of weeks ago Nerdarchist Ted hit up the Steam Punk World’s Fair and you can see what he picked up while he was there down below.

Ted’s Man Monster Bag

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by david friant
May 29, 2016
0
Out of the Box D&D Encounters

“Gone But Not Forgotten”- Out of the D&D Encounters Box #4

Introduction:out of the box

Not every encounter is a stop-gap intended to act as filler or a way to make an other wise long journey more memorable. Sometimes an encounter can alter the entire plan that the players have…simply because of a choice. We’ve seen this dynamic over and over again in movies, TV, books, etc.
  As DMs, we also know that the wild card of player choice will always alter any plans made when a DM over-plans. Therefore, it’s sometimes a good idea to use this factor to one’s own advantage. Player curiousity, greed, aggression, stubborness and so on can be to a DMs advantage when the set-up is right. They key is not to use this too often or your players will become so paranoid as to go nowhere and do nothing without tedious over-prep on their part.
  However, used sparingly, you can fish the players into a whole series of events, all because of one tiny choice or another.
  Then you have stopped having an encounter. Now you have an adventure.
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by Mike Gould
May 27, 2016
0
Character Builds Dungeons & Dragons Film, TV and Video

Gaming like a box of chocolates: D&Dizing Forrest Gump

Gump running

Run, Forrest, run! The Mobile Feat in action.

Yes, this week I’m doing something silly. The idea occurred to me during a recent road trip. Behind the wheel of a car for hours on end, I had to have something to think about, and a Fifth Edition D&D version of Forrest Gump came to mind. Once I started thinking about it, Gump has a lot more talents than I initially thought.

And to be clear, all references are to the movie version of Forrest Gump, as I’ve not read the books the character is based upon.

I’ll provide some explanations below, but first, his stats:

Forrest Gump — D&D style

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by Ty Johnston
May 25, 2016
0
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