The Dungeon Master's Ramblings

DM Post #195:

After what has felt like decades the group has finally accepted an NPC into the group. Most surprising is that you immediately allowed this newcomer to claim leadership of the group. This female gnome named Linli, does not come alone. Alongside her is a trained basalisk named Bilsbi! What a duo to join this male drow group from Menzoberranzan! Pictures of Linli and Bilsbi have been posted to the pictures section. Tell me what ya think! Is this what you expected for their images or not?

And for fun how about a 200 xp bonus for sending me the text or email of "Linli and Bilsbi"!

DM Post #194:

As I paint your PC minis I wanted to offer some expectations. DO NOT expect flashy colors as the drow wear purples, deep reds, dark blues, dark greens and black. They are not flashy with colors and are more drab than most other races. However, their white hair makes an impression upon their dark skin color and garb.

NONE are done, but I've gotten much further tonight. When will they be done? I'm not sure as when done I want you to enjoy the paint scheme and if not, happy I can change it. You all have somewhat similar paint schemes all coming from Menzoberranzan and being drow.

Part of MY problem is identifying each mini to their character on the battlefield as they're all DROW with dark skin and white hair 🤣

And for 50 extra xp's text, email or somehow send me the message "Let's Get this Campaign Going".

DM Post #193:

I appreciate the patience of everyone tonight as we prepared for the new campaign and characters. It took some time, but we finally did it! This campaign should be a blast and a change from your previous one. Yes, both Captain Bluebeard and the drow are inherently chaotic, but they are much different in the way they portray that alignment.

I want to be clear that my hopeful goal for this campaign is that you eventually become "good" crusaders of the Underdark. That would be such a unique and original story. The "Robin Hood" of the Underdark. However, if you veer in a different direction then so be it and we go where you choose. However, if you were to be evil then more than likely you'd simply stay with your house and move up the ladder killing ones above you. Why abandon your house?

Now, I shouldn't say "abandon your house" as you may well come back after this mission and continue to work for them. However, if that's the case then how will each of you still be connected. I can think of an idea BUT IS IT ON ME TO THINK OF THAT RATIONALE?

Either way be prepared to take on this first mission only. All the other crap I bring up should bear no pressure on you at this point and I apologize if it did. As DM my goal is to look far ahead and prepare so I am speaking out loud for you to hear.

DM Post #192:

Of real fun was repainting both Sindrax and Quavol into drow minis. What fun when encountered unless they want to use them as their current PC's? Bothg look quite cool and different. Not sure you'd recognize them as the former characters. I'll post pics at some point but tight now they are in process.

OK, you pressured me.....

DM Post #191:

Interesting point. There are not too many drow minis made in pre-painted plastic. Well, I should say not enough if we are planning a campaign in Menzoberranzan. So, my solution is getting more elf minis and repainting them black! BOOM, MORE DROW! The purchase is for standard drow. Not elite as I want minions in numbers. Elite Drow will have to be looked at shortly and I'm sure there will be a need to buy a bunch of cool looking Matron Mother Minis as only a couple have been released to date from D&D.

I just put in a $50 order on elf minis which shall soon be facing the dark coloration of being drow!

Maybe we can have fun and each of you buy 1 "Matron Mother Drow Mini". It simply has to be an elf looking female with regal attire. Sounds fun and what you say?

And for fun enjoy some repainted pics of Gorilla Minis that were part of the Usa/Gorilla mission. For now, they will move to storage! Silver backs with red eyes!

DM Post #190:

I'm almost done with your first mission! Intriguing and dangerous I'd say. Have more to do pulling creature stats and minis but I'm confident that can be done tomorrow. So, in short, I think this campaign is on its way!

Please keep in mind that in the early stages there is a high chance of fatality! A critical hit will almost always "DO YOU IN". A few good attacks or a spell doing maximum damage could be your end.

So how do you survive?

• 1st: Let the others engage the enemy while you stand back (just kidding but had to add) 🤣

• 2nd: Don't rush into attack blindly. Be smart with how and where you attack regardless of your class.

• 3rd: Flank and get behind enemies for the extra +2/+4 bonus to attack.

• 4th: Don't get surrounded by enemies and choose smart battlefield positions.

• 5th: Stay away from melee if a spell caster.

• 6th: Stand back-to-back or grouped with allies when attacking melee to avoid spaces for enemies.

• 7th: Love and respect the Magister for his blessing.

• 8th: Love and respect Lord Garou for his respect.

• 9th: Do not cross the elves of Quel' Thalas and Queen Chandrilla.

• 10th: Do Not cross the Gemstone Guild (Tex and Silver Eye) and those lovable gnomes.

• 11th: Do not cross the Ascore Dwarves and the dead or dying Ivor Ironhand.

• 12th: Retire and work at a local inn - the end.

\

IF NOT - LETS GO as KRINTHIUS AWAITS NEW HEROES! ARE YOU THEM?

(THE SEA DOGS WEREN'T - Just Saying)

DM Post #189:

Tonight, after our first ever ZOOM GAME MEETING I really started working on the future campaign. It was funny when Dan said "oh, we are playing next week? I thought you'd need another week to prepare - or close to what he said". Initially, I was like - "NO WE ARE GOOD: and we still are but damn I am now recognizing how much I need to do to simply get the first adventure set up. Oh, it will be done and ready but I'm going to have to work overtime.

Getting your first mission ready was an awakening as I was very limited on any core creatures as I had to be careful with them being overpowered. Of course, they all have a CR (challenge ratings), but many of the creatures I use and have don't even have one (not a big deal at all as CR's are a joke to me anyways as an experienced DM).

With all that I am EXCITED! Thank you for being there tonight as it invigorated me for the campaign. I know it will take time getting used to it, your new PC's, the new area, the newness of the group, the new DC's, spells, skill DC's, abilities you have, and in general the limitations on both our ends.

I'm worried about the danger for all as death at this level may well be forever and a new roll up. Who's raising you at this level?

After all is said and done, I'm EXCITED and thank you for your concern about ME! Seriously 🤣! I am SO READY TO GO and QUITE EXCITED!

DM Post #188:

I may have posted this before, but I wasn't in the mood to scroll through God knows how many posts to check. Anyways, here are the names of all the missions I have ready to go if the group should continue. Well, almost ready.

-The Dwarven Stronghold

-The Black Lotus

-The Bunyip Worry

-The Golden Duck and Horse

-The Death Tunnel

-The Gorilla Capture

With the title some seem somewhat apparent as to what they may involve. Others, however, are not as clear. Even if a title gives an idea of the mission, it does not give the details and what it involves.

DM Post #184:

My daughter moved out of her apartment and bought a house. Good for her but even better for me as she had tons of stuff she was getting rid of which she thought I'd like for my game....and I did. It was a bunch of plants and things like that. Below I show you a plant I worked and modified to use in game as a cool, possibly magical or sentient being. I'm going to add some more shading and paint but I kind of like it now.

You can see in the background some other plants and flowers that I'm working on as terrain for our game. And other things!

DM Post #182:

I feel the Sea Dogs are headed down a dangerous path and I'm worried. I say this for you to prepare and have insight. The Sea Dogs have added a new member to their mix, but they have weakened.

A Great Evil Enemy would be foolish not to strike now!

Just a heads up and know I play "REAL" with enemies (but like to throw hints to help - which this is).

I think you know what I'm saying, and I am DEFINATELY WORRIED! We shall see!

Maybe the ones or one I speak of have other important things which take precedence, but if not, the Sea Dogs are his, her or their target!

Some enemies don't simply disappear because you retreated!

DM Post #181:

So, Pathfinder and Starfinder (their sci-fi game) will be fully compatible with rules and their universe moving forward. I LOVE this as if I ever wanted to dive into some sci-fi beyond Krinthus now I can much easier. Having Starfinder be the universe beyond our Pathfinder/Krinthius world is pretty cool.

If interested here is the article:

Pathfinder & Starfinder Will Crossover Into 1 Single Universe

DM Post #181:

Tonight, I completed the write-up, creature stats and pulling of minis for a future adventure. It was far from complete before tonight as to be honest I didn't think I needed it with you exploring the Ruins of Dwakkah. I figured this would take some time and I had a nice cushion of time. Even though you recovered the boat pieces for the captain I know there was discussion of returning and searching other areas for the vast treasures that lie within.

With the Desicus battle interjected I felt I had even longer.

However, after the situation and circumstances last week I felt I had to definitely get it ready, and it is! So now, regardless of whether you continue to explore the Ruins of Dwakkah (which I hope at some point), go after Desicus again (which I'd love) or choose to do something completely different I'm ready. Of course, I always have multiple small situations and things ready when necessary but now there is a major mission prepared besides the two you are still embroiled in.

DM Post #179:

I just wanted to say that I LOVE playing Thursday. If ever down the line, you wanted to switch I am ALL FOR IT!

You may ask why? It's simple. It gives me Wednesday Night to prepare and review everything before the game. Sure, I can do that the weekend before but as the week goes on, I come up with so many ideas that can improve the situation for both parties. I think of opportunities, chances and much more, but playing Wednesday doesn't give me the opportunity to modify much as I'm working all week. Sometimes I do a rush job at 6:45pm right before the game, but having this extra night has been awesome.

I HAVE NO PROBLEM playing Wednesday and will for eternity, but Thursday works very nicely 😉.

EDIT: The extra detail added tonight is a benefit for the group. It DID NOT amplify Desicus or his beloved Beluri's power as that would simply be suicidal for the group! I gave you some "hidden chances" to help the Sea Dogs in this battle as I think you will need it!

This Desicus is an evil son-of-a-bitch! He has desecrated more temples and churches than you know placing them under the worship of his beloved demon lady Beluri! He has taken the lives of so many innocent individuals sacrificing them to his beloved Beluri to strengthen her. He has transformed himself into a partial demon through agonizing rituals to become closer to his beloved Beluri. His ultimate goal is to become a full demon lord and then him and Beluri will conquer and rule the Abyss!

Is that even possible? Well, Desicus and Beluri think it is and have plans to accomplish this. Of course, this is after your interference is dealt with your DEATH!

DM Post #176:

At some point in our game, I'm going to place down a Shrek mini to battle. The question is will you recognize him. I've been ripping apart this mini for quite a while making him look completely different than you'd expect. It's still a work in progress but I'll show you before & after pictures when you encounter him!

You make ask "why would I buy a shrek mini" and that would be a fair question. The reason was it was very cheap for a HUGE MINI and I wanted to be creative and see what I could do with him. He is an ogre after all or was before my desecration of the poor green fellow.

It would be hysterical if Shrek kills, the group instead of Desicus! 🤣

DM Post #175:

Just an FYI -

I HAVE NO MISSION READY AFTER DESICUS!

I Really Don't.

HMMMMMM?

What does that say?!

"I am all, I am everything and I am the Abyss. Feed me more mortal souls and strengthen me even more."

DM Post #170:

After the game I caved into the great mini offer which I mentioned tonight. I bought 530 Mage Knight figures for $149. The deal with tax and shipping was not as great as I hoped but it is still good enough. The mini cost was only $115 but tax and shipping was the killer.

I also bought 300 bases for the minis when rebased for $47.99.

I spent a bit more than I wanted but I'm still good with the deal to place them down on the table when needed.

DM Post #168:

I just wanted to say I think the leadership of the Sea Dogs (Kylor and Sindrax) have done an excellent job. I feel leadership, I feel direction and I feel group unity which comes from strong leadership.

It's never easy leading a group of powerful, adventurous individuals with many different desires, but the current leadership has done an exceptional job with that!

Just wanted to bring these thoughts out to compliment the current leaders. Of course, this is as of now and things can change in an instant.

It's just a flyer. You can ignore if you'd like, but it is something that has been posted for inquiry. If it seems appealing jump on the opportunity. If not move on to something else. Always your choice.

DM Post #166:

The 5 White Gorillas and Crowns are renowned for their white fur and each having a different color "crown"! Many hunters have tried to capture them, but all failed. Strangely it's said some have caught one, two or even three but when they were unable to catch the others the ones they had magically disappeared from capture! These medium sized gorillas are said to be passive, but impossible to capture.

Currently there is a bounty of 7,500 gp's for each individually colored headed gorilla, but if all 5 are captured the paid price is 500,000 gp's! Why such a great increase in price for all 5 is unknown but it has raised interest. The bounty is being offered by a gnome named Tex!

Since the bounty (August 3, 715 - Current Date September 9, 715) 17 deaths have been recorded of ones trying to capture the 5-White Gorillas. Very strange?!

These Gorilla reside with 100% certainty on Omegon Island which is the huge "C Shaped" Island between Haven and Gatchorof.

You've seen the flyer posted in Montravail.

DM Post #164:

Tonight, I sent emails to all players. These emails may outline family history, character flaws or abilities, situational penalties or gains of some sort. In truth it may be something completely different.

However, I think all of you should receive a short fun read.

Enjoy I hope,

John

DM Post #163:

One of our gaming groups best decisions was on the sea faring galley we decided to buy. We bought the MUCH less expensive galley which Pete's son put together and I then painted. The D&D one was about 5x higher in price and in reality, the need is very limited. The initial thought was that the vessel would be a critical component to adventuring on the waters. I'd say it is but the vessel itself is only a minor impact on most things.

Don't get me wrong, it is great we have the ship when necessary but spending the much greater money on the D&D vessel was not worth it, At least I don't think.

DM Post #162:

I start this post by saying I have 2 things going on with individual players with regards to their history and write-ups behind the scenes. They know who they are, but the reality is nothing may come from this. I like to offer things to keep players guessing and wanting more. There usually is more but sometimes it just doesn't play out! I always move to other players after this is done.

With that being said I also see great fun ahead with these ruins. So much to tackle, but rewards are there as you have recently seen. The items you recently got are top-tier items and many of the remaining ones may not be up to that standard. However, there are many that equal if not exceed what you've already found without question.

Let's not forget why you are in Dwakkah and that is to find the pieces of the boat for Captain Bluebeard to create his "ghost ship".

The secret phrase this week to gain 2,000 xp's is "4 Players are awesome!"

DM Post #161:

This one-handed mini (who is an enemy NPC) continues his glory! Krinthius lives you know as u adventure.

An interesting point is that the first DM Post on this site was April 2022. So, about 2.5 years ago. We've been on this site for quite some time now! Time flies doesn't it!

DM Post #158

For your delight I spent some time tonight creating a bunch of original magic items that will be dispersed throughout Dwakkah. There's already a bunch scattered about, but I wanted to spice it up even more adding very interesting items that have never been seen or heard of before both as players and characters.

For your prying eyes I attached a photo with some obscurity due to minis and the placement of the magic item cards. Maybe you can get an idea of what a few are by the picture. Enjoy!

Oh, I'm working on 1 additional magic item card which will be an artifact of some sorts (minor or major). My mind is thinking of what that will be right now!

DM Post #157

I have the battle situation with Desicus all prepared. I'm not 100% sure this will be where you battle him, if ever, but I have a strong feeling it may. My reasoning has to do with Desicus and his planning as well as his new "ally".

His ongoing assault with summoned and controlled demons will I believe lead you to battle him wherever he may be. Maybe I'm wrong but Desicus festers and grows strong with his endearing LOVE who has been leading him from the start! He has joined her on her home plane of existence to grow even stronger.

Post #156

I wanted to post a pic of this week's battle in the underwater ruins of Dwakkah against many Xulgath. I think it's pretty cool with the circle terrain representing the conch shells.

Post #153

The Expo - White Board Spray Cleaner is done. I post this because after washing it in soap & water (many times) spraying it with WD40, it still didn't slide up and down! I have tried but NO success. Sadly, I will use our gaming funds to get another tomorrow. The bottle is almost completely full, so I hate spending money on this. I'll see what I can think of tomorrow before getting another.

Post #148

I've always wanted a mini for Lolth. I've considered buying many but never pulled the plug. WotC recently released a mini of her and I was quite enthused. Regardless of price I said I need her. She is currently going for $40 to $116, and I'd bet her price will increase.

The unfortunate part is when I received her, I was NOT that impressed. I wanted a darker color for the Queen of the Drow and may consider touching her up with paints. However, I hate doing that to an expensive mini like her.

Here are some in hand pictures. What good is talking when pictures are needed.

You tell me what you think of her. I think she has a good face just lacking in color overall. She is gargantuan in size.

My First Step is a BLACK BASE! I am old school with bases and like them black. I don't repaint all my clear mini bases black but for huge they must be black.

Next, LOLTH IS BLACK, not gray!

Next, I needed her legs to be attached to the edge of the base, not simply floating in neverland. If you look at the images above, you can see how her legs were. Splayed all beneath her. Now they are attached to the edge of the base more significantly showing her spread of space!

To be continued..........................

Post #146

An interesting point and quote 😁

Post #145

I'm very close to finishing off the next mega-mission which is beneath the Deacon Ocean! It is at 44 pages and the monster page list is at 144!

Post #144

You are engaged in a lengthy mission right now, but afterwards I think you will soon be engaged in some deep-sea exploration. This will be no simple exploration but one which involves something magnificent, expansive, dangerous and mysterious. You have much on your plate so this may take a bit (and I haven't even finished writing it) but when you do it will be what you have hopefully built your characters for (the Deacon Ocean - above and below). If you like what is listed below you will enjoy this mission!

• Ruins and their exploration

• Battle with creatures that are not wandering encounters but established forces with power backing them.

• Finding different and mysterious treasure

• Making sense of the history where you're adventuring to gain insight, understanding and knowledge and useful stuff moving forward.

• Fighting unique monsters

• Possibility of taking on immense battle challenges or trying to flee and avoid them.

• Unique, one of a kind, monsters that are the talk of legend!

• Learning game history with regards to a major underwater fallen city (how, why and by whom), and possibly even its resurrection!

Post #143

So, a 45-page adventure has grown to 65 pages! Awesome for adventure and fun! It's done and being printed. So, how many pages do you think it takes to print a 65-page mission? Well, it is printing now and takes way more than 65 pages. A pic of the final printed mission is below. It takes well over 125 pages and a damn lot of black ink. You may ask why?

Well, the biggest thing besides printing the mission itself is the creature stat blocks. If there are 50 different creatures that's a minimum of 50 pages worth of creatures with powerful ones and spell casters taking much more than 1 page.

So, in the end this mission has taken 123 pages to print. It is done and ready with minis pulled. The question is when you'll get involved in it? Well. I have other things printed out as well and you know something big like this will definitely be played but how and when is unknown. We shall see.

That be some hefty writing by the DM, but that's what I do especially when I'm off from work. Now, simply looking at that printed pile of a mission at least give me some understanding when I'm asking for a measly $10 every once in a while, for the game cost. Trust me I'm not trying to steal your money except for Sean. I want to take all he's got. That guy is rich! 😁

Post#141

I think some of you may find this interesting if not all. For their 50th Anniversary Wizkids is releasing a mini set based on the original cartoon and characters. They're also revealing "barbie doll-like toys" of them with articulation but that's not my thing although I do think they are pretty cool especially the Dungeon Master (now where did I put my Dungeon Master mini that you gave me)! Here is what's been revealed so far.

Meese pappy used to say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Meese say beholder is as pleasant as the eye of Medusa. Beholder speak little but when it does, have iron ready.  

Post#140:

There are some monsters I love dearly. Even if I have an abundance of them, I still buy more when new ones are released! One of these is the Beholder. In reality you don't need many beholders, but I have at least 25 and tonight I just received another 3. These three are probably some of the best beholders to date so regardless of whether they will be needed I'm OK. Here they are! Very happy with this purchase.

The question is how can I make an adventure where numerous beholders are involved? Wait..............., that would be definite death at your level. I'll hold off on my thinking for a while!