Judging Worst (and Best?) Of D&D Reddit! Buckle Up... | Ep 124

[@bbsj86]

In the penultimate story, the dragon thing is wild. My part of 4 level 7s barely made it through an encounter with a young white dragon, in Tyranny of Dragons, and that campaign is advertised as being for experienced players. No shot Lost Mines has them fight a dragon at level 3 unless its a wyrmling, thats just a DM on a power trip

[@tjdr3amer]

I looked it up because I have the module and haven't played it and yep young green dragon and the party are suppose to be level 2 or 3 at this point 😢 it does say they aren't likely to kill it but if they get it to half hitpoints it will flee and they can have its treasure

[@bbsj86]

@tjdr3amer woah thats crazy, I guess the DM is meant to likez use their brain and not be awful about that though? Like maybe it does t always use its breath weapon and if youre seeong it go poorly like... pretend its down to half when its not?

[@punzrkool]

1:03:10 be who you wanna be barbie girl

[@iremainteague5653]

​@bbsj86 when I played through it, the dragon hired the party to kill the druid that lives nearby, who was annoying him. No combat was necessary because we were scared shirtless by the dragon lol.

[@donniejefferson9554]

The "Is low level D&D supposed to be this hard?" one is hilarious to me because those are all module encounters that absolutely are supposed to be that hard. The mage with fireball is actually intended to be for level 2. My party made it out alive but probably wouldn't have if I had opened with fireball

[@donniejefferson9554]

And yes, you can fight a young dragon at level 3 in Lost Mines. Its good stuff

[@indiarobertson9906]

The little jokes becoming that a big part of the campaign thing reminded me of when my character (half-elf noble druid)’s father was negotiating with the Dwarven army and we thought they might just blow his head off. In a fleeting moment my sheltered character turned to the old man tortle wizard and said “if my father dies will you adopt me?” My father survived but now I also have a tortle Dad.

[@eldritchpodblast]

AWWWWWW 😭

[@Sanne78]

The hydra-story was really cool! And the artworks are always on point, the Quern was *chefs kiss*

[@RadiantEnv]

When I first started playing, I thought up a "cops and robbers" themed campaign where one of the players were an informant for the "robbers." The players worked together investigating to get them closer to the baddies, with the informant "tipping them off" making the investigation related roll dc's higher. It was never the informant having enough power to fully screw the party, just delay. But I didn't get past that and maybe I'll find a party to try it out

[@AsimiShadowborn]

I love random jokes becoming a big part of a campaign - immaculate vibes 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@tacoempress9723]

Post 2: For context, did a campaign as a firbolg, had explained the race to some new players as being cow people. We were on our way to his town where his mother stays because he’s a mama’s boy. When we get there, a new player is introduced and, in their description, they tell us they have a cowbell with the name “Betsy” inscribed on it. I forget who looked at me, but someone went “Is Betsy your mom?” Being no stranger to improv (and with the new person’s permission), I went “YES“ and she became the group’s favorite MILF. The new player proceeded to lose said bell later on in the game because they tried to steal Betsy’s panties (for the lols, not toxic) and got absolutely wrecked by her very strong son.

[@tacoempress9723]

Also! Betsy was later brutally murdered in front of the party during the BBEG reveal. RIP Betsy. We loved her so much she became a goddess. 🫡

[@LunaRiverSong]

IDk if this counts as someone running with an idea but my first time playing dnd I was an elvish cleric. Fight 1 I drop my mace on my foot in front of my whole party and the enemy group EVERYONE laughs, (including me). After we get into town I roll nat 1 on my perception walking into a bar and a candle holder hit me in the head and I got knocked down in front of 15 people in the bar. I was the ditsy kluts the whole game (I loved it).

[@kassandrapatrick9064]

As an avid berry replanter, I am honestly not offended. Tbh, berry replanting sucks in early game in most Pokemon games (especially in the older games) because it's so much work getting back to the planting beds. I normally start replanting once I have the Fly HM, and then I tend to the berries to the point I never have to buy a status healing item ever again (or any low grade healing items like regular potions, since Sitrus berries do a better job).

[@eldritchpodblast]

That is honestly so fair hahaha

[@jeanettekozue7287]

Having ever game/combat be super deadly is imo never really fun because the PCs in character get tired and the players too cuz every time u play you have a 50% chance of losing your character and then you start thinking that nothing much matters.

[@lilbatterwitch7912]

On the subject of giving hints for betrayals and the like, once another game my dm run had some npcs that the players didn't know were from another world. The dm gave "hints" by having them miss-name a famous venue in one of the major cities. Problem, this game was nowhere near that city, nor were any of the pcs from there. So no one caught it and when the npcs betrayed them they were baffled and made to feel like overly-trusting fools

[@user-jt1js5mr3f]

It’s either a dm on a power trip, or they’re just a bad DM. Sounds like a bad dm

[@tjdr3amer]

I think you were too hard on the dm because this might be their own only experince playing dnd and here they are using prewritien modules and their players get tpked each time. A lot of modules have some insane stuff in them and yes there is a young green dragon in lost mines of phandelver which is even on the cover art that the players encounter at level 2 or 3. It says that the players wont likely be able to kill it but if they reduce it to half health it will flee and they can get its treasure. For an unoptimized and poorly balanced group of players who are not making proper use of stealth and short rests, hitting every combat a tpk is more likely then not with modules and a new dm with everything going wrong is more likely to fall back on what is writen in the modules because they dont know what to do

[@coddudnr1]

In my Tyranny of Dragons campaign (no spoilers don't worry) there is a npc name The Pole. he's a 7,5 feet human and i roleplay he as Ferdinand the Bull from the old movie. he's a npc that can guard while traveling with a caravan. instead the players gets the Pole to join the group to guard a different and when the caravan got attacked the players let there employer die and protected the Pole.

[@magicalmims]

I do enjoy these episodes. Can't wait to see more :3c

[@danieldubon8057]

You guys made an impact in how I am for the better!

[@TotallyNotAGrizzly]

Hi; if you are impatient like myself this should be helpful. 14:15 - Killed my boss monster with a cantrip 19:45 - What is something a party member incorrectly assumed but rolled with it anyway? 32:30 - New player learn DND is not what they expected 37:56 - Had an amazing session until the end of the session with a very unfun twist 47:20 - Is low leveled DND meant to be this brutal? 1:00:20 - Made a handout for the players; don't remember the translation... 1:12:40 - Art start (KOBOLDS!)

[@eldritchpodblast]

Thank you!!!!!

[@Pluto_Unbound]

I have a campaign based around game of thrones and my players are about to enter into the third arc of the campaign and I just wanted to say I made you guys the big bad of this upcoming arc. Jack is a magical weapon summoner and Margaret is a beast summoner. I'll keep you guys updated also where is my artificer podcast 🤨 (jokes).

[@eldritchpodblast]

OMG 😭 That's amazing!!! Please let us know how it all turns out 😂

[@parsifalsunflower6529]

It's Always Clogging Time

[@dannyleephantom]

It's a smorgasbord of topics, and I love it!

[@Rainanana07]

Gardevoir is one of my favorite pokemon! hahaha I also don't replant berries.......

[@eldritchpodblast]

NOOOOO 😭

[@AdamSmiley1996]

That party that kept getting tpk'd was just the dm being terrible at balancing or intentionally killing them I can not think of anything else that could be

[@eldritchpodblast]

Yep 100%

[@AdamSmiley1996]

I think I read the false hydra story, but like I think he genuinely forgot but knew he would forget because his memory is bad and then found it in his notes somewhere But my memory is also bad, so I may be remembering wrong

[@dissi2866]

I'm eating salmon and mixed veggies 😁❤

[@Tiaruk]

TAROOOK

[@QueenRoe173]

All the encounters in the swingy low level dnd post are being run as written in the WOTC books from what they’ve described, but the DM seems to have missed the part of ‘not every creature fights to kill’ and the party maybe didn’t get the ‘you can run’ memo. DM also maybe didn’t have experience in changing things on the fly and pulling punches - I’m running the bandits cave with the ice frogs in the critical role campaign soon, and I think it could be very easily non lethal and the bandits drag you all to their leader if the party all goes down.

[@eldritchpodblast]

Very, very good point! I never thought of those options!

[@user-jt1js5mr3f]

Which is wild to me, my very first time DMing it was very apparent that things weren’t balanced well and I adjusted on the fly. After that many TPKs, they’re just Mean or Bad.

[@QueenRoe173]

@@user-jt1js5mr3f oh yeah, not denying that some self reflection was due after that many TPKs, but i get at least the first time running an adventure as written, expecting it to be balanced right and not knowing how to adjust right away

[@user-jt1js5mr3f]

@@QueenRoe173 for sure, first gets some grace, but by the 5th? 😬 yikes

[@WhiskeySellars]

🌙

[@eldritchpodblast]

🖤🖤🖤

[@AnankeQ]

I did NOT hit the like button. jk... April Fools!! I totally smashed it :)

[@eldritchpodblast]

You nearly had me there 🥺

[@Tiaruk]

here

[@Tiaruk]

lol tryn to get more comments here

[@dannyleephantom]

I'm sorry but second to last is not the word penultimate. Sure it's the meaning.... But you didn't say that word 😢

[@Tiaruk]

is