#It was strong too D8

[pointycorgiears]

Nothing like a glass of wine to end our staycation!

[ataliagold]

But My Heart Is Just A Little Boy

Pairing: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Rating: Teen (swearing)

W/C: 2012

Tags: Established Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, hurt/comfort, Steve Harrington has dyscalculia, Steve Harrington has self esteem issues, Steve Harrington needs a hug, fluff, light angst, DnD, Mike and Dustin are a little mean here

Notes: Just slowly posting some of my AO3 stuff here as well :) Title from Rattlesnake by Jack Van Cleaf.

___

Steve joining in on Eddie’s campaign was supposed to be a nice surprise for his boyfriend.

And it was; Eddie’s face had lit up with joy when Steve had walked in and sat down with the kids around the table. Steve had taken the dice Dustin had loaned him and lined them up in front of him, from the D4 (the funny triangle one) up to the D20 (the one with heaps of sides, Steve reminded himself.)

If he kept them in that order it would help him pick the right dice quickly, he’d decided.

Because he wanted this to go to perfectly.

Eddie had been asking him to join in on a game for months, but Steve had so far refused, only coming along sometimes to watch quietly. There were parts of it that piqued his interest – namely the combat and the creatures Eddie planted into the game, because some of them were so damn cool even if Steve wouldn’t readily admit it out loud. A small part of him, a much younger part that had loved fairy tales and stories about knights and dragons and sword fights before his father had confiscated those books, deeming them too childish, watched with a quiet giddiness as the kids battled all manner of beasts.

But much of the game was so complicated - there were so many numbers, and Steve had no idea how Eddie and the kids managed to keep track of everything, how they added dice values together so damn quickly and kept track of a seemingly endless list of stats and bonuses and modifiers, whatever the hell they were.

Eddie knew about his difficulty with numbers. He’d seen the way Steve had to count with his fingers, how it took him far too fucking long to do a simple equation, how he stood in Melvald’s staring at the price of something just trying to make the numbers make sense so they wouldn’t blow their grocery budget.

And Eddie was patient, always. But D&D was Eddie’s realm, his place to shine, and Steve was so worried about holding him back and ruining the game every time he had to pause to add two fucking dice together.

Finally, he’d caved. Secretly, with Dustin’s help, he’d put a character sheet together. He’d made a paladin because Dustin had told him it suited him. Steve made him strong and lawful good, just like the knights he used to read about as a little boy. Dustin had rolled his eyes a little at that but Steve had been quite proud of what he’d put together.

Plus, Dustin had promised to help him with the math.

But here Steve was, well over an hour into the campaign, and he was struggling.

Cheeks burning, he turned to Dustin yet again.

“Wait, which one am I rolling?” he whispered.

Dustin rolled his eyes. The kid had been patient at first, but it was beginning to wear thin.

Steve was beginning to wear thin.

“The D10, Steve,” Dustin hissed.

“Right,” Steve nodded, grabbing for one of the dice.

“That’s the D8, Steve,” Mike said wearily.

Steve’s cheeks flushed even hotter, and he grabbed the other dice, rolling it quickly.

“Ahhh...seven,” Steve announced.

“You slash at the goblin, your blade cutting deep into its chest, the creature gurgling and reeling backwards…” Eddie leant over the table, giving a dramatic recount of events.

Steve smiled, unable to help it. His boyfriend was having such a good time, and even if Steve wasn’t enjoying himself so much, well, that was ok. He could do this, for Eddie.

“…but it scrabbles back to its feet, weak but alive,” Eddie finishes.

Mike groaned and slapped the table.

“It has to be almost dead,” Lucas announced.

“Yeah, but there’s still four others,” Mike pointed out.

“This one must be on two hit points or less,” Will surmised.

How did he know that? Steve frowned, let the kids talk amongst themselves. His gaze wandered over to Eddie, watching him lean back in his chair, eyes shining. He shot a wink at Steve when he caught him looking, then frowned a little, obviously noticing Steve wasn’t looking all that comfortable.

You ok? He mouthed at him.

Steve nodded quickly.

But he felt small.

Grow the fuck up, you’re fine.

“…Steve!” Mike groaned.

Steve’s attention snapped back to the kids. “What?”

“Stop staring at Eddie and tell us how many hit points you’ve got left.”

“Um…” Steve glanced down at the piece of paper in front of him. He’d scribbled some numbers down like Dustin had told him to every time his character had taken damage, but there were a lot of numbers there and he wasn’t sure they all actually related to his hit points…

“Give it here,” Dustin snatched the paper from him impatiently, peering down at it.

Steve waited while Dustin assessed his work, the feeling vaguely reminiscent of being back in school, his teachers reading over his work with a disappointed shake of their heads.

“This can’t be right, Steve,” Dustin sighed. “It says you’re on twelve hit points…is that a twelve? Your writing’s messy.”

Steve nodded. “Yours isn’t much better, pea-brain,” he mumbled, just to shoot something back at the kid.

Dustin narrowed his eyes at him. “You must have less than that because of the damage you took in the last round. You’re probably down to…eight at the most, by now.”

“Just make it eight, then,” Steve grumbled.

“Eight it is, big boy,” Eddie agreed.

“It doesn’t work like that, though,” Mike huffed. “You actually have to keep track of this stuff Steve, there’s no point playing if you just make the numbers up.”

“It doesn’t matter, really,” Will tried to intervene quietly. “It can just be eight.”

Dustin picked up his pencil, drawing some columns on Steve’s paper. “Ok, so just use this one column to keep track of damage, don’t write all over the page. There’s your total hit points at the top, and every time you take damage, write it down under there, ok? And then just take it off the total. Simple.”

Like it was that fucking easy. Maybe for them, it was. They didn’t get every number mixed up in their brain, they didn’t stare at a single digit trying to put some numeric value behind it and coming up with zilch.

Dustin was trying to help, Steve knew. But his tone of voice was so fucking condescending that it had Steve squirming in his seat, wishing he was anywhere else.

He felt Eddie’s eyes on him.

“Come sit by me, Stevie, I’ll help you keep track.” Eddie said gently.

“You’ll just go easy on him, and that’s not fair!” Mike whined.

“Can it, Wheeler,” Eddie snapped at him.

“Just because he can’t do basic math.”

“Right, you get to roll with disadvantage now, just for that,” Eddie told him smugly.

Mike was retorting with something, but Steve didn’t hear it.

His pulse was thumping in his ears, his cheeks on fire. The years were stripped from him, the sensitive child he’d tucked away inside a long time ago forced to the surface.

“Look, just carry on without me,” Steve muttered, and stood up quick enough that his chair scraped on the floor.

“Steve -” Dustin started, but Steve was finished, striding towards the stairs and blinking back tears.

He wasn’t going to cry in front of the kids, not over a fucking game, not over something his boyfriend loved so much.

But they were coming faster than he could blink them back as he headed out of Mike’s stuffy basement and out to the driveway, the cold night air caressing his flushed face.

This was supposed to have been a treat for Eddie. It was supposed to be fun, and Steve had ruined the night by being fucking stupid.

A tear tracked down his cheek , Steve losing the battle against them. He’d just drive home, he decided. Steve had come straight from work that day, so Eddie had come separately in his van, he wouldn’t be inconvenienced.

And then they could finish their game in peace, without having to treat Steve like a five-year-old.

He was getting in the driver’s seat when Eddie ran to him, both hands reaching for him.

“Stevie…” Eddie murmured softly.

“I’m sorry,” Steve mumbled, dragging his sleeve across his face, smudging the tears there.

“Why? The kids were being assholes, I’ve already yelled at them.”

Steve shook his head. “I was just slowing everyone down, they were getting frustrated, I get it.”

“No, sweetheart, they were being rude,” Eddie corrected him. “Especially Wheeler.” Eddie brushed his thumbs across Steve’s cheeks, crouching down beside the open driver’s door. “I’ve told them to pull their heads in. Do you…do you want to come back inside?”

“Eds…” Steve leant into his hands a little. “I’m no good at it. I really wanted to try, for you, and I’m so sorry I ruined it, but there’s too many numbers and I can’t keep track of everything and it takes me so fucking long and it’s embarrassing because I can’t even keep up with a bunch of kids, and I just feel like I’m back at school again.”

Eddie cupped his cheeks again, tilting Steve’s head to look at him. “Hey. You haven’t ruined anything, they did. I’m so happy you came along tonight, because I know you did it for me. But look, D&D doesn’t have to be your thing -”

“But -”

“It doesn’t,” Eddie cut in. “Just like…your balls in laundry basket games aren’t mine. But I like hanging around while you and Wayne watch them, and I love how excited you get about it, and how you sit there with that fucking pretty smile…”

Steve huffed out a small laugh, and Eddie grabbed his wrist to press a kiss to the inside of it.

“But I don’t know what’s going on most of the time,” Eddie continued. “It makes you happy, and that’s enough for me. So, I don’t want you to feel like you have to play D&D just for me if it’s not something you enjoy. It’s more than enough that you listen to my ideas, that you help me write -”

“I don’t really,” Steve said quietly.

“You do! Or have you forgotten who came up with that fucking amazing twist with the elven prince?”

“I got it from a movie,” Steve argued.

“So? I didn’t think of it, and it had the little shrimps completely stumped.”

Steve managed a small smile. “I do like some of the stories,” he admitted quietly. “But I think…I just wanna go home, ok? You can carry on.”

Eddie shook his head. “I’m gonna get them to pack up in there. I’ll drop them home, then follow you back, ok?”

“Steve?” came Dustin’s voice from behind Eddie, small and hesitant.

Steve quickly straightened up in his seat, wiping a hand across his face.

“Yeah, buddy?” he replied, his voice a little hoarse.

“I’m…I’m sorry. That we weren’t more patient. It’s ok if you struggle with numbers, and we should’ve helped more.”

“It’s ok, Dusty,” Steve told him.

Eddie frowned, reached down to squeeze Steve’s hand, then turned to Dustin. “It isn’t ok,” he argued. “But it was nice of you to apologize.”

Dustin nodded. “If you want to try again sometime, I promise I’ll help more. I…I really liked having you play.”

“Thanks,” Steve managed.

“Tell Wheeler to start crafting his apology too,” Eddie said firmly, still cradling Steve’s hand in his own. “Otherwise he’s rolling with disadvantage for the whole next session.”

Dustin’s eyes widened a little before he nodded.

After packing up, the kids waited sheepishly by Eddie’s van. Eddie stayed crouched next to Steve a moment longer.

“Go home, get comfy on the couch, and pick out any movie you want to watch, ok?” Eddie murmured to him. “When I get home I’m gonna order us some pizza, and I’m gonna cuddle the shit out of you, understand?”

Steve laughed softly. “Sounds perfect.”

“Good. I’ll see you soon, sweetheart.”

___

[calicobigamy]

I can't be only one, right...?

I wanted to finish the game and then write this post but I gave up. I put in 100 plus hours and just could not go on once I got into act three. Maybe no one will hear my pitiful cry from the void, but I must scream for the sake of my sanity.

I was completely and utterly disappointed by Baldur's Gate 3. 

It had huge maps like an open world game yet I had no desire to explore the settings despite their beauty. It had hours of dialogue as an RPG would and yet I found myself skipping characters' responses. The game mechanic structure was inspired by DnD, a story-telling game dictated by some rules, lucky rolls and the extent of players' imagination, yet I was strong-armed into fighting impossibly stacked battles. A story-telling game dependent on the players’ attachment to their and their teammates' characters and yet this game lacked any kind of narrative consistency or depth of feeling. 

Larian wanted to make an open world RPG, based off of DND mechanics and somehow did the worst version of all three. The studio touts that Baldur’s Gate 3 has 17,000 possible endings and 2 million words, but to what end? What did this game have to say about what happens when people rise to the challenge and become heroes despite their circumstances or fall into the dark and become the monsters they were supposed to fight? What did it suggest might happen when fate deals you a bad hand but in doing so also helps you find true friends or love with the other? Ultimately, nothing. 

BG3 is so large that it ends up being incoherent. No writing or game structure decisions were made to keep the narrative tight and on theme. It urges players to choose a moral alignment, but most decisions, good or bad, seem to end up having little effect in the end. To play the game at all you have to resort to save scumming and that in turn deflates the possible impact of so many plot points of the narrative overall. 

Forcing players to save scum in order to progress through the game is terrible design in general. Statistically speaking the bosses make impossible critical hits again and again. I was playing in the game’s “casual mode” and found myself struggling to get through confrontations with bosses that were at a lower level than my own. If you are reading and thinking oh well you are probably not using tactics or spells well, etc., let’s do a little experiment…

Take your d20 (https://rolladie.net/roll-a-d20-die if you don’t have one in person). In the third act of BG3 I had an AC of 13 as a sorcerer with 100 plus HP. Roll your d20 ten times or more. How many times out of ten would your character have gotten to hit mine successfully? Unless an enemy is extremely lucky it should be unlikely that an enemy could hit my character every turn they get. And even if they do they would have to roll for damage which is only a single d6, d8, d10 or d12 plus a modifier at lower levels depending on your class. Again an enemy would have to have an extremely lucky roll to hit me every turn AND deal significant damage. During an in person DnD session that is just a bad night for my character. In a video game on casual mode that is significantly suspicious. 

So what you might say. You've made and enjoyed the fanart, memes and etc. You got your $61 worth of playtime. So many other people were fine with the game, what is your problem? 

I love video games. They blend so many artforms and tell stories in ways never done before. It is a medium unique to our current century and when historians look back they will view video games as an insight to our culture. 

It frustrates me to no end that Baldur’s Gate 3 is considered the next gold standard. Too many games have done open world and RPGs in a fantasy setting far better for Larian (Swen Vincke) to have made the design and writing choices they did with BG3. There are so many podcasts and shows that have written better stories through the DnD format. I am embarrassed for the medium as an artist and frustrated as a player. Players and the industry deserve better than to have artists, actors, engineers etc. burn themselves out creating maximalist behemoths like this game. A game that is beautiful but basically unplayable, narratively, nihilistic and incoherent. 

[eldjester]

SOAR, The Damage Race and Damage Die

(Yes, this is inspired by @makapatag latest post, I like getting into details about what goes on in my design thoughts)

So I've ran a fair bit of games over the years, and talked about a few design thoughts with my good friend Ru. That experience has lead me to feel opinionated on some stuff or try to fix some "issues" I didn't want in my own TTRPG, namely Damage Die and the idea Damage Race is all that matters.

-Damage Die: For about a whole year, I have been running a system that uses multiple types of damage die, from d6 to d10, which are bound to its classes rather than abilities (this is Icon, if you're curious), and while i don't think it is unworkable, it made me think about a few things, namely the nature of why we roll for damage in the first place and why so many Tactical TTRPGs want to have critical hits. In most cases, I don't tend to like rolling for damage with wide possibilities, for example rolling a d8 or a d10, as those are very swingy and hard to make informed decision about, even if they fit a playstyle that's more about pushing your luck, they just don't work for me, I don't like how they control pacing, especially if rolling high on them is supposed to really hurt, it tends to make anything that surrounds them uncertain for basically everyone on the table, and for me it doesn't really do a fun surprise when you do roll good on them. Critical Hits adding more damage is also a staple of many games, and I think as time goes on i'm less of a fan of that too as it tends to be done in a way that just shines a bigger spotlight on the uncertain damage numbers of some attacks (hi "Double Damage on crit" systems !). So what I ended up doing, was just remove this idea that your damage die has to inform the damage you do related to its number. See, I'm a big fan of tables, I love random tables, I also love having some level of control over what you can expect, so I had a fun idea, what if I used a damage profile table for attacks ? So, in SOAR, when you hit (which you still need to roll to do specifically for attacks, as I like having that mechanical lever to tinker with) you roll a d6 or more if your abilities add some, and you keep the highest one, the number you roll then tells you what you'll be using as a profile for the attack, bigger means better in this case, here's an example:

Weak Hit (1-2): 2 damage, push target 1, move 1

Normal Hit (3-5): 3 damage, push target 1, move 1, push target 1

Strong Hit (6): 4 damage, push target 1, move 2, push target 1, target is dazed

Critical Hit (6,6): 5 damage, push foe 1, move 2, push foe 2, foe is dazed. A keen eye might have noticed this shares similarities with how FITD handles rolls in terms of spread (being a tiny bit more forgiving), this has allowed me to make sure I know how much damage every attack does while still having room to make the damage uncertain, you can still cheer if you roll a strong hit or a critical hit (you in fact, have a resource you can spend to upgrade a hit to its next step if you want to), as a fun added fact, this type of damage profile idea started off as something I made for a gunfight based game, and worked backward into adding to SOAR, from my, admittedly limited, testing it has sped up play a fair bit while still giving me levers to work with in terms of balance. -The Damage Race There's this really annoying feeling sometimes when you play TTRPGs Combats that not doing damage isn't ideal, you see it all the time (death is the best control my beloathed expression) even when it isn't "true". Something you learn relatively soon in TTRPG design is that even if you don't think something is true, people believing it is will still affect how they interact with it, often in a self reinforcing way, and this was something I wanted to avoid in SOAR as it would be especially prone to this, it is after all a Beat'Em All inspired TTRPG, so it was going to have people come in with that assumption regardless. So I thought, hey, what if I didn't bother trying to balance Control and Damage here ? What if i had everyone "do both" ? So that's what I ended up settling on, every Style comes with an attack, which you can use EVERY turn, and a bunch of abilities, which is where a lot of statuses and utility moves exist. Of course, it didn't come free of problems, I had to essentially make everyone have more HP to account for it, but it also made me free of a problem I was having trouble figuring out: what if someone never attacks and just deals damage through abilities which never need to hit ? The way i'm doing it now, people HAVE to care about attacks, and it also means that, with it being essentially "free", I can balance around it and make sure fights aren't static, players always have 2 shots at changing things every turn they do. Thus far in testing I think it has proven to work.

[blacktowbarony]

d8 Dispositions × d6 Reactions

goblinpunch made this great blogpost that featured in Knock! #4. I redesigned it for a d6 and rewrote them each to have 4 outcomes. I have this on the inside of my GM screen when running Knave to replace the standard d12 reaction table. I've not yet rolled a d8 to determine disposition, I choose whatever makes sense for the character. But maybe you will!

1. Benevolent

1      Shun.  If you don’t leave, they’ll leave.  Reason: disgust / fear / dislike / you are bad.

2-3  Curious but guarded. Riddle talk / trades information.

4-5  Small assistance.  Limited in duration and degree. Shares information.  Asks questions.

6      Large assistance. Trusting, conversational. May ask to join the party. 

2. Neutral

1      Attack.  Reason: protecting something / desperation / honor / mistaken identity.

2-3  Try to avoid or ignore you. Reason: busy / scared / suspicious / annoyed.

4-5  Parley. They want: information / assistance / supplies / employment.

6      Small assistance. Limited in duration and degree. Shares information.  Asks questions.

3. Hostile

1      Attack, with strong motivation to kill. Reason: commanded / hates you / desperate / no witnesses.

2-3  Attack, aiming to kill / capture. If you seem far too strong: Flee and regroup / reinforce.

4-5   Attack, aiming to rob / drive off. If you seem far too strong: flee.

6      Guarded parley: insult / threaten / command / deceive. Reasons: tired / scared / disgruntled / wounded.

4. Merchant

1      Will try to cheat you.

2-3  Will only try to cheat you a little. 

4-5  Unmotivated. Standard prices.

6      Discounts!  Limited time only.  Reason: desperate / they like you / common enemy.

5. Guardian

1      Attack, pursue further than normal.

2-3  Attempt to drive you off, attacking if you don't.

4-5  Attempt to drive you off, but won’t attack if you don't intrude further.

6      Warn off then observe calmly. Will fight to defend what it’s guarding.

6. Hungry

1      Attack. Ravenous, near starving.

2-3  Attack if party seems weak or hostile.  Possible chance for retreat.

4-5  Targets foodstuff near party or in their bags, avoids combat.

6      Not hungry right now–but will be soon.  If approached: may flee or attack.

7. Greedy

1      Attack if you seem weak, steal if you seem dumb, beg otherwise.

2-3  Steal if you seem dumb, or else beg.

4-5  Focuses on hiding / protecting its own treasure from the party.

6      Tries to strike up a fair bargain.

8. Militant

1      Attack.  Reason: protecting something / desperation / honor / mistaken identity. 2-3  Hostile parley.  Will attack unless you: leave immediately / surrender money / surrender. 4-5  Parley. They want: information / assistance / supplies / employment. 6          Offer protection, try to recruit party into mission / gang / society / army.

[fantasyfantasygames]

Glasswork

Glasswork, The Refractory, 2007

Glasswork has a fair amount of standard fantasy RPG to it - elves, feudalism, rangers, priests, dragons, magic, swords, magic swords. Scratch the surface and things start diverging quickly.

The world is post-post-apocalyptic. The apocalypse in question is implied to be nuclear, but the game skips past overused radiation/mutation tropes. Instead, it posits that the heat from the explosives not only pulverized stone and fused the sand into glass, but pressed all the magic of the world into that glass. Much of that was used raw, and used up in the process. It was over a century before people figured out how to house the glass in special metals so that the magic didn't escape after use.

Your characters seek out that glass - maybe to use it themselves, maybe to deliver it to a nobleman who hired them, maybe to keep it from their enemies. There's a neat quest-tracking system that pushes your characters in interesting directions, demanding that they choose between various conflicting goals.

The magic system is one of my favorites, and the game's greatest strength. It's tied strongly into the quest system mentioned above, and a crafting system that's honestly mostly a pacing mechanism but still useful just as a pacing mechanism. You pick a kind of glass that you found, melt it, mix in some carefully chosen ingredients, and expose it to light at dawn/dusk/midnight/etc. to imbue it with power. You then set it in metal and, using the metal to cut yourself (lightly), bond it to your own blood. Every spell you have is thus the result of your character's work. You can have any number of items, but there are only so many you can really wear or use at once, so you have a limited number of them available at once.

Magic is mostly elemental effects, with the elements in question being weather, "light" (radiation), metal, and "blood" (the body in general). Weather and light clash with each other, as do metal and blood, so you can't use those at the same time. You have to specialize, which means you'll want to work together. In D&D4e terms, weather is really good for Controller effects, light does Striker, metal does Defender, and blood is Leader, but each of them has a range of unique side effects. A simple glowing amulet might only smell faintly of ozone, but a metal wand that fires burning rays might not only damage your target but melt the ground around them, or burn your hand, or blind people who don't shield their eyes. Every spell-item feels very unique, but you're in control of how it's unique and can swap it out.

Stat names are a little twee - Hardness, Clarity, Sharpness, etc. It feels like a PbtA game that maybe went a little too hard on matching flavor and setting. You get specialties in each one that are sort of like skills, and can be named more reasonably. Stats are dice ratings (d4 to d12) and specialties are flat bonuses (+1 to +3). The standard target number is 4, or (average dice roll) + specialty if you're rolling against someone else. If you're up against someone with d8+2, your target number is now 6. You don't actually suffer injury - instead, the damage that would be done is all bound up in your glass, and once you're out of the hit points it provides you, the magic explodes and then you're injured, probably very badly.

The setting is mostly points-of-light, but with strong connections between places. Cities send each other messages using weather magic. Navigation is easier because of metal control - you can make a compass quickly and also spot large underground deposits that help guide you along. Each of the city-states has a very distinct feel, often focused around an alignment or clash between the citizenry, the leaders, and their magic. Major antagonists include other city-states, as well as dragons (no "types", all unique individuals) and their mortal armies.

The book's artistic direction is unique as far as I know. Some pages have a layout that puts the text into the shape of a mountain, a dragon, a giant, a vase. It's fairly well-done. There were no pages where I couldn't recognize the shape immediately. It does sometimes make the text harder to read, like when it breaks words across the teeth of the dragon. There's no other art except the cover, which is a (probably stock) photo of a gem set in the hilt of a sword.

Glasswork was PWYW on DriveThru for a while. I think The Refractory went under at some point (the game never got a supplement), but since you could always get the PDF for free I wouldn't feel bad about grabbing a copy if you see it for download.

[yaldabaothadeez]

Fat Tails

(needs: 2-6 players, referee, standard DnD dice, paper, pens)

You are adorable but highly territorial geckos, attempting to store enough calories to survive winter. You begin with 500 calories each.

The ref secretly rolls 1d6+6, the number of days left until winter.

Each day, the ref randomly selects a subset of available hunting spots (represented by d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20) equal in size to the number of geckos.

Each player secretly writes down the number of calories their gecko expends trying to claim each spot on a piece of paper, and the bids are revealed simultaneously. (Draws go to a roll off.)

If you have won any bids, choose only one and move sit out the rest of today's bidding. All calories bet are expended either way.

The remaining players bid again on the remaining spots. You may not bid on the spot you won yesterday.

Roll your die to see how many calories you gather:

If you roll 1, re-roll until you don’t.

Multiply your first non-1 result by 10 for each time you re-rolled.

The winner is the gecko with the most calories come winter.

-----------------------

Ok to archive etc.

Yes, this is mostly just a pun, no idea how it would play. 194 words including the title.

I chose 10 because it's an easy number to multiply, but that probably makes the small dice too obviously strong.

Feel free to strategically add the sufficies "girl" or "boy" to certain nouns.

200 Word RPGs 2024

Each November, some people try to write a novel. Others would prefer to do as little writing as possible. For those who wish to challenge their ability to not write, we offer this alternative: producing a complete, playable roleplaying game in two hundred words or fewer.

This is the submission thread for the 2024 event, running from November 1st, 2024 through November 30th, 2024. Submission guidelines can be found in this blog's pinned post, here.

[cagemasterfantasy]

DM Guide: Things you Need

What you need hasn't changed much since the game's first publication in 1974.

Rulebooks: As the DM you need the DM's Guide plus the Player's Handbook and the Monster Manual. Your players need access to the Player's Handbook too but they can share as needed. Let players know beforehand what books (other than the Player's Handbook) they can reference during a playing session. For example it's not appropriate for players to look up a monster in the Monster Manual (or the equivalent digital tool) while fighting that monster. If you're running a published adventure players should avoid reading that adventure so they don't spoil any surprises.

A Dungeon Master: One player has the special role of DM. Some people love being the DM all the time while others can end up trapped as the Forever DM for their gaming group.

Players: Players who aren't the DM take on the roles of the heroes also known as the characters or the adventures. DND Plays best with 4 to 6 players in addition to the DM but it's possible to run a game with fewer or more adventurers. Where do you find players? Here are some suggestions:

Game or Hobby Stores (the Store Locator on the Wizard of the Coast website can help you find stores near you that host DND events)

Friends family community members and work colleagues who enjoy gaming or fantasy (like me :D)

Gaming clubs at schools

Social media and online messaging sites

Gaming conventions

A Place to Play: The bare minimum of space you need to play DND is room for everyone in your group to gather and participate (:D). When choosing the space you'll be playing in enlist your players help. Think about any accessibility needs you or they might have. Some players might have difficulty with low light background music strong odors cramped spaces or specific allergens. Accommodate what you can communicate what you can't as early as possible. If possible play in an area with minimal visual or auditory distractions. Favor surroundings that reinforce your desired atmosphere and have little non player traffic. If space is shared reserve the space in advance. You can also play DND anywhere you might come together in an online space from a group video call to a sophisticated virtual tabletop.

Dice: You need a full set of polyhedral dice: d4 d6 d8 d10 d12 and d20. It's helpful to have at least 2 of each kind. Ideally each player should also have their own set of polyhedral dice. Lots of digital dice rollers exist. Simple browser based dice rollers are easily found on the internet. Specialized dice apps can be found in app stores. and virtual tabletops typically have dice rolling functionality built in.

Note Taking Materials: Everyone needs some way to take notes about what happens in the adventure and at least one of them should record any clues and treasure the characters collect.

Players need some way to record important information about their characters. Plain paper works fine but players might find official or fan made character sheets more helpful in organizing the information. A variety of digital character sheets are also available if you're playing online or using digital devices at the table.

Useful Additions:

Various Resources can enrich your game and make it more fun. Many of these resources might have digital versions making computers tablets and smartphones essential elements in some DND games and for some players.

DM Screen: a DM screen shields your books notes and die rolls from your players. Most DM screens have art on the outward facing panels and handy rules information on the inside facing panels. Others might be made of fancy wood or sculpted to help set the mood for your game. You don't need a physical screen to hide thing if you're playing online but it can be helpful to have ready access to important information like condition definitions common actions and other key rules. Some DMs set up a physical DM screen near their computer screen. A virtual tabletop might have reference information like this built in.

Adventures and Sourcebooks: Beyond the 3 core rulebooks a plethora of additional content is available from Wizards of the Coast and other publishers. Adventures provide hooks plots maps and encounters you can use in your game. Sourcebooks include things like new character options new monsters and inspiration for building your own adventures and campaigns. You can play DND without any of these additional products but many DMs (and players) find them to be exciting additions to the game.

Battle Grid and Miniatures: Some DMs use a battle grid and miniatures to run combat encounters which helps players visualize scenes when playing in person. A vinyl wet erase mat with a printed grid a gridded whiteboard a cutting mat a large sheet of gridded paper or a printed poster map any of these can serve as a battle grid. The grid should be marked in 1-inch squares. You also need plastic or metal miniatures to represent characters and monsters in the game but you can use coins extra dice paper counters or even pieces of candy if miniatures are unavailable. Many software tools designed to facilitate online DND play provide a batlle grid. Even without such tools though many online DND games use screen sharing in combination with drawing programs shared whiteboards or similar tools as simple battle grids. Some DMSs are comfortable with software that allows them to control lighting and show the players exactly what they can see others find that complex software gets in the way of the game. Use whatever works for you and your group.

Card Accessories: Some players and DMs find it helpful to have information available in the form of cards. You can buy (or make) cards with individual spells magic items monster stat blocks rules reference and similar information for easy reference.

[landingpagedesign1]

Key Features of an Effective Landing Page Design

A well-designed landing page is crucial for converting visitors into leads or customers. It’s the first point of interaction with potential clients, making it essential for businesses to get the design right. An effective landing page should not only grab attention but also guide users toward taking a specific action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a resource. In this article, we’ll explore the key features of an effective landing page design.

1. Clear and Concise Headline

The headline is one of the first elements visitors see when they land on your page. It should be clear, concise, and immediately convey the value of your offering. The headline must align with the visitor’s expectations based on what they clicked on, whether it was a search result or an ad. A good headline grabs attention and tells users exactly what they can expect from the page.

For example, if your landing page is promoting a free trial of a software product, the headline could be something like, “Start Your Free 30-Day Trial Today.” This makes it clear what the visitor will get without overcomplicating the message.

2. Strong Call-to-Action (CTA)

A well-designed landing page must include a strong, clear call-to-action (CTA). The CTA button is usually the focal point of the landing page and directs users toward taking the desired action. Whether it’s “Sign Up Now,” “Download the Guide,” or “Get a Free Quote,” the CTA should stand out with contrasting colors and be positioned prominently on the page.

It’s also important to ensure that the CTA language is action-oriented and compelling. Instead of generic text like “Submit,” use language that reflects the benefit of taking action, such as “Get Started” or “Claim Your Free Ebook.”

3. Minimal Distractions

An effective landing page design is focused and free of unnecessary distractions. The goal is to keep visitors’ attention on the main message and CTA without diverting them to other areas of the website. This means avoiding elements like navigation menus, excessive links, or unrelated content that can pull users away from the conversion goal.

By minimizing distractions, you help visitors concentrate on the task at hand, whether that’s filling out a form, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase. A clean and straightforward layout ensures a smooth and focused user experience.

4. Engaging Visuals

Visual elements play a critical role in landing page design. High-quality images, videos, or graphics can enhance the page’s appeal and help convey your message more effectively. Visuals should be relevant to the offer and help illustrate the benefits of your product or service. To know more info check https://weboseo.ir/blogDsc/23/%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AD%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85-%D8%A2%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B4%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA%DB%8C

For instance, if your landing page is promoting a software tool, a short demo video showing how the product works can be highly engaging. This gives visitors a better understanding of the product without requiring them to read through lengthy descriptions. However, it’s important to keep visuals balanced and avoid overloading the page with too many images or videos that could slow down loading times.

5. Responsive Design

In today’s mobile-first world, having a landing page that is responsive across all devices is essential. A significant portion of your visitors will likely access your landing page through mobile devices, and if the page isn’t optimized for mobile, you risk losing potential conversions.

Responsive design ensures that your landing page looks great and functions well on screens of all sizes, from desktop computers to smartphones. This includes adjusting the layout, resizing images, and making sure the CTA buttons are easy to tap on mobile devices. A seamless experience across devices helps retain users and increases the chances of conversion.

6. Social Proof

Adding social proof to your landing page can help build trust and credibility with your audience. Social proof includes elements like customer testimonials, reviews, case studies, or logos of companies that have used your product or service. It reassures visitors that others have had a positive experience, which can increase their confidence in taking action.

For example, featuring a few short testimonials from satisfied customers or displaying trust badges from well-known brands can significantly enhance the credibility of your landing page. Social proof provides validation and encourages new visitors to follow the lead of others.

7. Benefit-Focused Copy

The copy on your landing page should focus on the benefits of your product or service rather than just the features. Users want to know how your offering will solve their problems or improve their lives. The text should be clear, concise, and speak directly to the needs and desires of your target audience.

For example, instead of simply listing features like “24/7 customer support” or “cloud storage,” reframe the copy to focus on the value to the customer: “Get support whenever you need it” or “Access your files from anywhere, at any time.” Benefit-focused copy helps create an emotional connection with visitors, making them more likely to take action.

8. Simple Forms

If your landing page includes a form for lead generation, make sure it is simple and easy to complete. Long, complicated forms can deter users and lead to higher abandonment rates. The fewer fields your form has, the more likely users are to complete it.

Ask for only the most necessary information, such as name and email address, and make it clear what visitors will receive in exchange for filling out the form. For example, “Enter your email to download the free guide” sets clear expectations and encourages participation without overwhelming the visitor.

9. Fast Loading Speed

Page loading speed is another key feature of an effective landing page. A slow-loading page can frustrate users and lead to higher bounce rates. In fact, studies show that users are likely to abandon a page if it takes more than a few seconds to load. This is especially true for mobile users who expect quick access to content.

Ensure that your landing page is optimized for speed by compressing images, minimizing code, and using fast hosting solutions. A fast-loading page improves user experience and reduces the risk of visitors leaving before they even see your content.

10. A/B Testing

Finally, to maximize the effectiveness of your landing page, you should regularly perform A/B testing. This involves creating different versions of the page and testing elements like headlines, CTAs, images, or colors to see which version performs better. A/B testing allows you to fine-tune your landing page for higher conversion rates.

Testing different design elements can provide valuable insights into what resonates best with your audience. Over time, these adjustments can lead to significant improvements in your landing page’s performance.

Conclusion

An effective landing page design incorporates clear messaging, strong CTAs, minimal distractions, and engaging visuals, all while maintaining a focus on user experience. By including these key features, you can create a landing page that not only captures visitors' attention but also encourages them to take action, leading to higher conversion rates and business success.

[kreigwrites]

Dungeon Kids - The Cleric

Here's the first modified class playbook from my in-progress "DnD for kids" homebrew

This is intended as a rough draft and should only be used for playtesting purposes (this one is a VERY rough draft)

Hit Points: 8 plus your Constitution modifier, times your Level

Starting Moves

Choose one of the following starting moves:

Bookworm Cleric

You're a smart cleric who's all about learning and wisdom. You have a special connection with your god, and you can ask them for help 2 times per session. Choose a domain and its bonus from the list below:

Knowledge Domain: Whenever want to Know Something, you succeed as if you had rolled an 18+.

Life Domain: When you use Magical Healing, you heal the target for +Wis HP.

Light Domain: When you roll a 10+ to Defend, you can blind attackers with bright light, stopping their attack.

Nature Domain: Your body can sprout a coat of brambly thorns that deal 1d6 damage to any creature that hits you up close.

Warrior Cleric

You're a strong cleric who's ready to fight and protect as well as doing magic.

When wearing armor or carrying a shield, you gain a +1 to your Armor.

Choose one of your weapons to give holy power from your god. Its damage die size goes up by one step (a d6 to a d8, a d8 to a d10, etc.) up to a d12 at most.

You also start with these moves:

Use Magic

You have magical powers from your god that you can use with special spell slots. You start each adventure with 3 spell slots (more when you Level Up).

When you use a spell from your god, roll +Wis and mark off one spell slot. On a 18+, the spell works great. On a 10-17, the spell is cast, but choose one:

You draw attention or put yourself in a tough spot. The GM will tell you how.

Your god is unhappy with you—take -1 ongoing to Use Magic for the rest of the session.

If your spell is an attack, roll 1d6 +Wis to Deal Damage.

Magical Healing

Your god's magic lets you heal your friends. When you touch someone, you can heal them for 1d8 HP.

Guidance

You can use your god's magic to help your friends. You can give one friendly creature you choose +1d4 to a single roll. They can use this bonus any time during the current session.

Go Away Creepy Things

When you call on your god for protection from creepy things, roll +Wis.

On a 10+, no scary or creepy things may come within reach of you.

On a 18+, you also scare smart creepy creatures and cause dumb ones to run away. Smart creepy things will still bother you from far away. They’re clever like that.

Advanced Moves (Level 2+)

When you gain a level from 2 to 10, you may choose from these moves:

First Aid

You you heal someone with magic, they are healed for an extra +2 HP.

Don't Give Up Yet

When someone near you rolls to Stay in the Fight, they take +1 to the roll.

Super Magic

When you Use Magic, on a 18+ you can choose from the 10-17 list. If you do, you may choose one of these, too:

The spell’s is twice as strong

The spell’s hits twice as many targets

Holy Protection

When you wear no armor or shield you get 2 armor.

God's Help

Once per session, you can ask your god for extra help for you or a friend. If you do, you or they take no damage.

Stay Calm

When you Use Magic, you can ignore some of the things that make it hard to use magic or do other stuff. Ignore one -1 penalty or one source of Disadvantage.

Magic Symbols

You can add special symbols to a weapon, shield, or armor to make them even better. When you do, it gets a special bonus on top of any other bonus it has:

Armor or Shield: Grants +1 armor

Weapon: Grants +1 to Deal Damage rolls

Advanced Moves (Level 6+)

When you gain a level from 6-10, you may choose from these moves:

Holy Armor

Replaces: Holy Protection

When you wear no armor or shield you get 3 armor.

Super Duper Magic

Replaces: Super Magic

When you Use Magic, on a 18-19 you can from the 10-17 list. If you do, you may choose one of these, too. On a 20+, you get to choose one for free.

The spell’s is twice as strong

The spell’s hits twice as many targets

Mega Healing

Requires: First Aid

You you heal someone with magic, they are healed for an extra +1d4 HP.

Unstoppable Help

Replaces: God's Help

Twice per session, you can call on your god for extra protection for you or a friend. If you do, the harm is negated by a manifestation of your god's domain.

Magic Energy

Requires: Magic Symbols

With magical energy, you make your special symbols more potent. When you add a magical symbol to a weapon, shield, or armor, you can choose this bonus instead.

Armor or Shield: Grants +1 armor, also deals 1d4 damage to any creature that hits you (close up or from far away)

Weapon: Grants +1d4 to Deal Damage rolls

[duoscbd]

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[thrythlind]

Let's do a fourth character along the lines of the characters we've already made:

Spark Bug Rune Striker Black Sheep

Okay, that gives us the following options:

1 - Upper Class 6 - Law Enforcement 7 (1+6) - Academic

So, let's see here, with the rest of our group we have:

An alien supernatural suspected to cruel experiments. An ex-military power suit pilot with a magic-pased suit. An Thorathian/Human blend super from the far far future.

Which of those three options above are the most interesting fit into this group? I'm going to resist framing up some of the relationships here. We know that Dae's secret ID is a data analyst for the PI firm, the others are rather more vague as to what they do outside hero stuff.

I'm going to go with Upper Class here for the simple reason that of these options, it is the one that is the least common result... by a very little. Admittedly,

So, let's assign those dice:

Persuasion d8 Conviction d10

And for the Principle.... I think I'm going to go with the Principle of the Team and having the feeling that her Team is her family.

So, now we move on to Step 2 - Power Source

All right, so let's see these options:

1 - Accident 6 - Nature 7 (1+6) - Relic 8 - Powered Suit 9 (1+8) - Radiation 14 - Alien

Okay, we already had an alien in the form of Spark Bug... and Black Sheep is from a non-terrestrial species blended with human, but is an Earth native, just from far-far-future Earth. But we haven't actually taken the Alien power source... and I know that Alien specifies "not from Earth" but I've been flexible before.

Instead... what if this ties in to her Principle of the Debtor

What if her life was saved by some alien tech?

So, yeah, going for Alien.

So, I'm going to opt for things that aren't as obvious physically. At least until she uses them.

Going with Cosmic d8 Telepathy d10 Presence d8

Because we all want more cosmic empowered, supernaturally charismatic rich people. Thank God this setting is such an optimistic one.

For abilities I'm going with.

Alien Boost (Telepathy) Empower and Repair (Cosmic)

I considered Halt as a typical upper class thing and then dismissed for not wanting to play that sort of person.

Now, I don't have any d6 powers, so I have to add a d6 power somewhere. And I'm going to add say Agility d6

So now on to Step 3 - Archetype

I did reroll things that left me with fewer than 6 options, and I did so without looking at the options. It was stuff like doubles and 1,6,7 and yes, technically you only get one reroll... but it's a game and in a lot of cases people have switched to Constructed method by this point anyway.

So... options:

2 - Shadow 3 - Physical Powerhouse 5 (2+3) - Blaster 8 - Flyer 10 (2+8) - Robot/Cyborg 11 (3+8) - Sorcerer

Now, let me think what we have so far... Spark Bug is a supporty Wild Card Rune Striker is a Flyer that's split between blast and support Black Sheep is Armored and split between tank and support

As a note, I lean heavily toward support, and most options have support elements... so... yeah... I tend toward a lot of support.

I think I want this character to be less spotlight-oriented. Like she doesn't want to take the credit, she wants empower other people to do well and is fine just being unheard of. So taking Blaster, Flyer, and Sorcerer off the table for now.

But I'm not thinking traditional ninja or stalker type. So taking off Shadow too. That leaves Robot/Cyborg (which fits the life-saved by alien tech idea) or Physical Powerhouse.

And I just like the idea that she's secretly super strong and I'm going for Physical Powerhouse

Now... everything coming off Alien is d8s... so we know what Strength is going to get.

Strength d8 Speed d8 Insight d8

And for Abilities I'm going for the following:

Green Galvanize (Insight) Damage Resistant

Yellow Power Strike (Strength)

For the principle?

I think I'm going for the Tactician.

And now it's time to go to Step 4 - Personality

This gives us the options of:

5 - Sarcastic 10 - Alluring 15 - Jovial

And I think i will go for Alluring here.

Sarcastic and Jovial don't seem quite what I want, plus the idea of Alluring personality on someone with Presence as a Power is interesting.

Which brings us to Step 5 - Red Abilities

(Side note, I apparently lost connection earlier so I lost my prior draft... this does mean we'll be seeing less of my thoughts as they develop.)

I decided to focus on things that are less spotlight holding for people in the story, though of course a lot of audiences would see through that.

First, I get access to this from her psychic powers, so I attach Telepathy to this and she can now give people an extra turn… at the cost of them suffering damage.

For the second I turn to her Social Qualities and attach this ability to Insight so that she can hamper the efforts of enemies when things get down to a dangerous point.

That brings us to Step 6 - Retcon

I almost considered switching out one of her Principles, but instead, I'm giving her a third Red Ability and that is an option to carry out a feat of extreme physical strength that would be unlooked for from her.

This is an Overcome not an attack, so it is focused on clearing obstacles, rescuing bystanders, and other such things. But it also boosts her nearby allies.

Now we got to Step 7 - Health

This character's health looks a lot like the health of other characters in this group.

8 - Base +10 - Max of Status Die +10 - Max of Conviction 4 - Choosing not to roll

Once again we have a 32 health.

Oh! Hey... I can make that image smaller.... (screen cap from a smaller view)

Anyway, on to Step 8 - Final Touches

Danica Thorn's family was killed in the attack on Earth by the alien villain known as Deadline, but her own life was saved by the efforts of the heroes Sky-Scraper and Tempest, both aliens themselves. Unbeknownst to any of them, some of Sky-Scraper's nanites had assimilated the cosmic energies being wielded by Deadline and these filtered into Danica's very being and eventually she realized that she had acquired superpowers herself.

She hadn't learned well enough how to use her powers by the time of the OblivAeon event, especially as she had to work to keep hold of her inheritance against the efforts of her remaining biological family. She found herself on the receiving end of unethical practices she had never thought much about in the past. But her telepathy and other abilities gave her an edge her family didn't know about it gave her a deep conviction about her morality.

Post OblivAeon she connected with three other heroes and offered to act as their public representative and give them resources to operate with. She also attends classes at the Hall of Freedom with them, with the aid of the staff helping her keep her powers mostly secret. The public assumes she's just a rich girl doing the cool thing and buying her way into a superschool, and this is how she likes it as it puts the spotlight and credit on people she feels truly deserve it.

[spacetravels]

OKAY WELL.. sorry i just have to laugh at kade’s monk multiclass cause he really doesn’t qualify (having 9 dex? in this economy????) and i mean . he’s perfectly suited as a utility character ig. ki points are so wasted on him if he doesn’t even have 3 levels invested into his subclass like i would’ve chosen inquisitive rogue and reflavor spell modifier for int/wis over charisma 🧘‍♀️

i also just have quastions about nia ??? like is shadow nia considered a form like wild shape ??? does she have her own hp separate from normie nia ??? i understand the Flavor of changing her class from multi cleric/monk to sorcerer/cleric but then you have separate spell lists to keep track of (esp cuz the cleric domains are different too) and that just also seems like too much of a logistical hassle for both dm and player 😭😭😭 also d8 combat turns ? with trying to make a con save to break out of it ? is that a full action and are you just wasting shadow nia time trying to Unshadow Nia rather than use the build she has…? like should the player be actively trying to make a con save or take actions normally. was action economy considered in this . it’d be easier to do the wild magic surge and add necrotic damage to her attacks + points of exhaustion imo

I MEAN I HAVE MORE THOUGHTS BUT ??? homebrew dnd is a headache and a half. sometimes things are way too flashy and get scaled too strong or too weak in either direction. this is too much. this is a small preview into my brain breaking these down in distress

unforch i am insane enough to have lots and lots of thoughts on the dnd character sheets for the blades of light and shadow characters. as a well experienced dm. as a gamer. as a lover

[cornflowercanine]

why is romance so.......... hard. 

[dungeon-strugglers]

✨New item!✨ Fiddlehead of Frondescence Wand, uncommon (requires attunement by a spellcaster)

This wand has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges and choose an unoccupied space on the ground within 60 feet of you. Roll a d8 and consult the following table to discover what happens. A plant or fungus produced by this wand withers away after 8 hours.

The wand regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the wand's last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles into dust and is destroyed.

A beautiful flower grows from the ground. The flower has 4 petals. As an action, you can pluck a petal and force a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see to make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, roll a d4. If you roll an even number, the target is charmed by you for 1 minute. While the creature is charmed in this way, it believes itself to be infatuated with you. If you roll an odd number, the target becomes hostile to you for 1 minute. A creature prone to violence might attack you. A creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

A bulbous melon, 5 feet in diameter and weighing 100 lb., emerges from the ground. The sweet, juicy flesh of the melon provides no nourishment but contains 10 gallons of fresh water.

A tiny weed springs from the ground. 1d4 + 1 goodberries dangle from its stalk.

A puffball, 3 inches in diameter, sprouts from the ground. You can use an action to throw the puffball up to 60 feet. The puffball explodes on impact and creates a 20-foot-radius cloud of dense black spores. The cloud spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. The cloud lingers in the air for 1 minute, or until a strong wind disperses it.

A cluster of 1d4 + 1 dandelion puffs pop up from the ground. While holding a dandelion puff, you fall at a safe speed, as if under the effect of the feather fall spell. Each puff can slow your fall for 1 minute before dissipating. A strong wind instantly destroys a dandelion puff.

An awakened shrub grows from the ground. It is friendly to you and your companions and it will obey your commands. (There is a 10% chance that a hostile awakened tree will appear instead).

A bioluminescent mushroom emerges from the ground, providing bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.

A small hole appears in the ground, just wide enough for you to put your hand into. The hole is too dark to see into, and it cannot be illuminated. Reaching into the hole as an action will reveal one of the following things (roll a d8):

The hole closes suddenly, severing your hand. You take 2d10 psychic damage and cannot use that hand for 1 hour, after which you realize it was an illusion. Nobody can convince you otherwise until the illusion passes.

Your hand is stung by an unseen venomous creature, you must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 hour. While poisoned in this way, you cannot regain hit points.

Your hand is submerged into a viscous, numbing goo. You cannot feel that hand for 1 hour and any attack rolls using it have disadvantage.

Your hand is submerged into honey. A creature that licks the honey off of your hand as an action regains all lost hit points. The honey will attract an angry swarm of wasps every minute until it is gone.

You retrieve a Percussive Pinecone.

You retrieve a Scryer Beetle.

You grasp hair and pull. The head of a pleasant, but filthy, man is revealed. He seems to be submerged up to his neck, but unbothered. By talking to him for 1 minute, he remarks upon your plans and grants you an omen, as if you’ve cast the augury spell. Then he is sucked back into the hole and it closes.

You retrieve a leafy satchel filled with various gems worth 1d10 x 10 gp.

The hole closes after you remove your hand. Items retrieved from this hole don’t wither away after 8 hours like the other effects produced by this wand.

- 🖌🎨 Like our work? Consider supporting us on Patreon and gain access to the hi-resolution art for over 150 magic items, item cards and card packs, beautiful creature art and stat blocks, monthly setting pdfs with narrative hooks and unique lore, and vote for the content you want to see!🧙‍♂️

📜 Credit. Art and design by us: the Dungeon Strugglers. Please credit us if you repost elsewhere.

[the-nysh]

TAREOOO!!!! 🥺 Is for sure the bravest mvp this chapter (titled: "Greatest Hero")

The way he insists, absolutely sure and confident now, while vouching for his feats in front of everyone, how Garou is a hero. :'))

Uwaah!!! Even when Garou's growing rage & frustration mutate his defensive outer monster shell into further massive, unrecognizable forms....

Tareo STILL sees past that and goes to him. 🥺

Even when he's held back and hauled away onto the rescue boats by the other heroes, Tareo slips past them and swims back to the shore for him!

We even get the classic callback to when Garou saved him that time during the shed scene...

But this time, Tareo vows not to be scared or run away from him again, because no matter what he looks like on the outside, Tareo knows him and understands the truth! ;o;

"You were a hero all along!" Tareo's faith & bravery are so pure - aaa he's being strong for Garou by insisting this truth as many times as it takes.

;A; !!!! Destroy me now. Even when Garou still can't possibly believe or accept it (which is quite sad that his outlook on life, his identity & future have been crushed/resigned to such an extent that he can't see himself as anything but a monster) and asks him to take a good look - what part of him is a hero? Tareo replies it's the 4th time now he's always come to save him (which matches the 4 times this chapter he calls him a hero - 3 times to Garou's face: Garouuu you're his herooo!) so that's what matters to him. Because in Tareo's view of what's most important and meaningful, he knows it without a doubt: to him Garou is the Greatest Hero of them all. 🥺 (TITLE DROP!!!)

The way Tareo pleads with him to stop pretending because....he truly believes in Garou's goodness and doesn't want everyone to misunderstand and hate him. :')) (Which....Garou already knows how that feels; it's always been 'real' that way for him ever since childhood, even when he wasn't pretending, so now it's...become par the course to take all that scorn/cruelty/unfairness upon himself as a monster - he's already been ready to endure the pain of this role.) Tareo's tears for him come from a place of genuine care & concern on Garou's behalf, like he can't stand the thought of Garou mistreated over this, where it would be terrible to see the best parts of him wronged and shunned away via perceptions of him that aren't even true, and that's so.....;o;

Damn...but even still, Garou can't help those human feelings either (he's still soft/sympathetic/weak to that face...enough that he wants to...show Tareo - the crying bullied kid, in his own 'monster' way, something strong to be proud of little does he know, he already did make Tareo proud when he won vs the centipede monster earlier.)

That it's just....ah w-wait, hold on a sec there Saitama, we were having a tender moment right before intervening with those types of comments from the other direction....tsk, now it's become just as Tareo said - Garou's getting misunderstood (particularly for the perceived reason why Tareo's crying here...whoops;;)

*facepalm* Dammit...we were doing so well too, before the need to specifically provoke him and make things worse with those inciting words!?! D8 (Yup it's the same webcomic line, but now it's like, geez Saitama please read the room with an actual child there on Garou's side who's clearly pleading he doesn't want that to happen or lead to a fight.)

*sighs* Alright...if Saitama's not going to be the one who approaches things soft or gentle here, then Tareo permits him to do what it takes to make Garou stop pretending as a monster, even if it (the task of finally imparting the truth and saving Garou from himself, while promising not to kill him!) has to be done the hard way...