The D&D Corner (and other Pen & Paper - or virtual - RPGs!) <3

[Tawmis]

Just wondering: did you forge the sword, also? How long would it take to forge a sword? *curious* I've seen some Youtube videos about forging, and I'm writing a story where a blacksmith does it. So I'd like to get (some of) the details right, to make it more authentic.

So this is a coincidence. My good friend Lindsay Archer (who I've blabbed about on the forums before about her art) - just did a trade for some of her art for a sword she had forged from a friend. So check it out.

[Rath Darkblade]

Wow, that looks like very hot work (and yes, smelly). Good on Josh for keeping his facial hair short and his head-of-hair tied up; you don't want long hair near open flames!

Yes, forging requires a crapload of hammering.

Good to see Josh is taking care of his hands (by putting on gloves) while working around open flames. *thumbs up*

Around the 20:50 mark reminds me of blacksmiths in Skyrim: "EIther you're here to buy something, or to be covered in sparks."

Aw, around the 21:10 mark it skips from having the sword in bits to the sword in one piece. Drat!

Yes, I've seen enough smithing videos to guess what happens next. the thin, pointy end of the blade is where the cross-guard goes, and then the hilt after that. Right?

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmm ... just wondering. Can D&D monsters commit suicide (either of their own choice or through a spell, e.g. Command Monster/Command Humanoid)?

[Tawmis]

Hmm ... just wondering. Can D&D monsters commit suicide (either of their own choice or through a spell, e.g. Command Monster/Command Humanoid)?

The Command spell purposely says that it will not work if it means inflicting harm to itself. For example, you can't Command a Drow to walk off a cliff or slit it wrists or stab itself. However, you can command it to keep walking until it falls over from exhaustion.

As for monsters committing suicide - yes. I had Drow (for the "Work Game") commit suicide rather than being captured. They had suicide capsules in their mouth.

[Rath Darkblade]

However, you can command it to keep walking until it falls over from exhaustion.

Can you Command it to set off a trap (thus killing it, and sparing the party)? Or attack the Big Bad?

Also, suppose that a so-called monster wants to die? For instance, suppose the goblin warrior is in love with the gobliness back home, and they've decided to marry etc., but she passed away last winter before it could happen. Suppose further that the goblin shaman foretold that if our goblin dies in battle with a human paladin, our two goblins will be together again in the afterlife.

What happens now? The goblin will strike out on his own and seek out a human paladin to die in battle against. (All right, not a fair fight. But life isn't fair). All the while, our goblin is exposed to the elements, ridicule, prejudice etc. Can he survive long enough to fulfil his last wish? There we go, an adventure seed for low-level PCs! Can the party protect our goblin until they can find a paladin for him?

As for monsters committing suicide - yes. I had Drow (for the "Work Game") commit suicide rather than being captured. They had suicide capsules in their mouth.

Hmm. Can monsters have an Attack of Conscience (e.g. "Aaaaaahhh! I'm spilling other people's blood!!! WHAT HAVE I DONE!" etc.)? All right, not as melodramatic as that, but ...

[Tawmis]

However, you can command it to keep walking until it falls over from exhaustion.

Can you Command it to set off a trap (thus killing it, and sparing the party)? Or attack the Big Bad?

If the target knows it will die, it can't be (in D&D) commanded to do so. So for example, if a goblins knows that the pit is a 300 foot fall into spikes, you can't command it to jump into the pit.
You can however, command it to fight for you (so if you're fighting a red dragon, you could probably pull off commanding it to fight along side you - even though it will likely die).

Also, suppose that a so-called monster wants to die? For instance, suppose the goblin warrior is in love with the gobliness back home, and they've decided to marry etc., but she passed away last winter before it could happen. Suppose further that the goblin shaman foretold that if our goblin dies in battle with a human paladin, our two goblins will be together again in the afterlife.
What happens now? The goblin will strike out on his own and seek out a human paladin to die in battle against. (All right, not a fair fight. But life isn't fair). All the while, our goblin is exposed to the elements, ridicule, prejudice etc. Can he survive long enough to fulfil his last wish? There we go, an adventure seed for low-level PCs! Can the party protect our goblin until they can find a paladin for him?

That'd be a DM ruling. I'd say no, myself. Because if a creature truly wanted to die, it wouldn't be alive to command it - it would have already found a way to kill itself.

[Rath Darkblade]

So ... can a monster choose to commit suicide (perhaps because of an Attack of Conscience - e.g. "Aaaaaahhh! I'm spilling other people's blood!!! WHAT HAVE I DONE!" etc.)?

[Tawmis]

So ... can a monster choose to commit suicide (perhaps because of an Attack of Conscience - e.g. "Aaaaaahhh! I'm spilling other people's blood!!! WHAT HAVE I DONE!" etc.)?

If the DM wants it to - it can. No different, than for example, me having Drow biting the "cyanide" tablets rather than being caught.

[Tawmis]

So the group I DM for (I call my "Work Group" since most of the players originally started at my place of work) - we usually do bi-weekly games.

Well a few of them have been itching to make it weekly - but I know that several of them have kids, and such and may not be able to commit to weekly games from their spouses and kids.

So I decided to DM an "Off Week" game (falls on the same day, just not the day we play our normal game; or if enough people are not present for the normal game on the normal week; if there's enough for the Off Week we just do the Off Week).

Now since the Off Week is "play if you want" - I wanted to make it easy as to why players can appear and disappear each session.

So I came up with an idea that an (evil) Wizard named Mordak (sound familiar?) has this tower on the main continent (Tawaim - easy to see how I named that continent right?) - and has this massive tower, known for possessing a ton of knowledge, so a lot of people turn to him. He always offers to help - but at cost - he marks the individual's neck with a rune and says "Whenever I need you I will summon you." And he literally summons them to his side by casting a spell and tracing that person's unique rune.

Now the players, all of whom have been slaves of Mordak have learned the summoning spell - but it takes at least two of them to make it work (this is because I always want at least two people for the off week game). So the players can spend an hour (not actual time, but game time) casting this spell to summon their companions.

I've called these games "Servants of the Wizard"...

Now the party members, obviously don't enjoy being Mordak's slaves... and they've learned on this new continent, all kinds of magic is being discovered - ancient magic. And Mordak has forbidden his slaves from going there (fearful they may yet find a way to break his summoning spell).

So the first adventure is two Warlocks, and a Rogue (the story is the rogue heard of Mordak's stash - tried to sneak in and steal something - got caught - but rather than killing the rogue, Mordak enslaved him with a rune on his neck, to use him later to steal from other wizards!) - all boarded a ship (using the Rogue's forgery skill, since Mordak forbids his slaves to travel to the Broken Lands)...

Season 1:
http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... -wizard-01

And Season 2:
http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... -wizard-02

These have been very fun, because I literally have NOTHING planned. The first adventure, I had a piece of paper that said, "boat, beach, goblin, manor" - everything that came after was all improvised. These sessions are VERY heavy reliant on roleplaying.

[Tawmis]

My one game I DM that's been on hold since COVID-19 ... everyone is texting about how excited they are - all but one is fully vaccinated now (and that one just got their first - so they only need their second shot). So we've began texting when we will get together to resume (which right now looks to be Mid-July) - I made these from photos I took (typically after the sessions) - to show how I missed their smiling faces.

[Rath Darkblade]

This is nice. I wish I could be there to play D&D, instead of being stuck here in winter weather.

[Tawmis]

So far behind in doing my notes for my games - this one dates from Feb 2021 (just finished the notes).

The party has been recruited by "Shadow Elves" - who have been suffering at the hands of the Drow - who seem to thrive on capturing them and exposing them to light (which kills them) and capturing their "life essence" in orbs.
Now the party has track down the Drow into a cave deep in the Shadow Vale (my version of Underdark, essentially) - they went inside and found some cultists - but the cave was large, and there was more to explore - and finding where the Shadow Elves were being taken...

http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... nturers-38

[Tawmis]

Session 39 - The party has entered the cave where the Drow are taking the Darklings to steal their life force - but these caves are guarded by dark cultists who practice the forbidden act of Necromancy, using ancient magic not seen for thousands of generations - where is it coming from?
http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... nturers-39

Session 40 - The party has saved the Darklings ("And there was much rejoicing!") - and their leader offers to teleport them through the Feywild (crazy fairy/magic land) to get the party as close to the Dwarven Kingdom as they can - party agrees... and things happen... but they reach the King... and the fight for their lives begins...
http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... nturers-40

[Tawmis]

Session 3 - For the off week game entitled "Servants of the Wizard" - these characters are on the haunted island - discovering pieces to a mystery of murder... deception... and a much darker secret yet to be uncovered....
http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... -wizard-03

[Rath Darkblade]

I have a special present, just for D&D!

"The D&D Show"
(to the tune of "The Muppet Show" Theme Song)

Deekin: It's the D&D Show! Yaaay!

(Here's Deekin! Thanks, Reddit!)

*music starts*

Wight: It's time to drain your courage!

Hero: It's time to kill a wight!

DM: It's time to run a session...

All: ...on this RPG-ing night!

Lost Hero: It's time to claim my birthright!

Tyrant: It's time for strength and might!

Succubus: It's time to be alluring...

All: ...on this RPG-ing night!

Mind Flayer #1: (to another) Why don't we suck their brains out?

Mind Flayer #2: I couldn't; I'm too full. *burps up a human femur*

Mind Flayer #1: Let's wait until we're hungry!

Mind Flayer #1 & #2: That would be really cool!

Snare Drummer: *bang bang bang bang!*

*orchestra joins in*

Kobold: So let's backstab a hero!

All other monsters: Shut up, you utter zero!

Hero: Hope I won't meet a seer-o --

EVERYONE:
-- in this most magnificent,
Not munificent,
RPG-ficent,
D&D-ficent --

That's what D&D is all about!!!

*Minotaur bangs a gong!*