[Dolmen 2.0]

Macros, on 11 April 2023 - 08:17 PM, said:

not really sure where to ask, but you nerds seem to be talking DnD here.
so I've been signed up to do my first campaign (outside of BG or IWD) of actual DnD. Have the rule book in PDF on phone and on laptop, but would like the book in my hand as well. It's expensive, I remember getting the rule book free with BG. Now its £30 for a hardback, and all second hand ones are half that, but postage bring it back up to new value. Nothing on WoB, and amazon second (sorry guys) is the half price double postage deal.

Any other sources for UK to get second hand or cheap copies of the book? can only find hardback online as well

Perhaps you could try Ebay? I know the postage issue was a concern but the prices I see there are £25.00-£10.00. Starter set is at £12.00 and players handbook at £17.30...

Edit: These are prices for pre-owned copies

This post has been edited by Dolmen 2.0: 12 April 2023 - 09:23 PM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Macros, on 11 April 2023 - 08:17 PM, said:

not really sure where to ask, but you nerds seem to be talking DnD here.
so I've been signed up to do my first campaign (outside of BG or IWD) of actual DnD. Have the rule book in PDF on phone and on laptop, but would like the book in my hand as well. It's expensive, I remember getting the rule book free with BG. Now its £30 for a hardback, and all second hand ones are half that, but postage bring it back up to new value. Nothing on WoB, and amazon second (sorry guys) is the half price double postage deal.

Any other sources for UK to get second hand or cheap copies of the book? can only find hardback online as well

So long as it's only for personal use (and no special terms apply) it seems you should probably be able to legally print it yourself from the pdf and bind it in a hardback book (or have it printed or bound for you):

Quote

Copyright law has been changed to allow you to make personal copies of media (ebooks, digital music or video files etc) you have bought, for private purposes such as format shifting or backup [...]

Consumers (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Though that doesn't specifically address whether physical copies count....

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

I often see them on Facebook Marketplace for fairly cheap.

[Macros]

So the new LotR stuff coming out, it's still using the 5e ruleset, just modified a bit?

[Tiste Simeon]

What's the name of the book Macros?

[Macros]

I dunno, saw LotR finally coming to DnD, figured the nerds would know more

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Macros, on 14 April 2023 - 10:27 AM, said:

I dunno, saw LotR finally coming to DnD, figured the nerds would know more

It's 5e compatible, but I couldn't see anything about a book being released yet. It looks like it's still only in pre-order:

Lives here

[Tsundoku]

Macros, on 14 April 2023 - 10:27 AM, said:

I dunno, saw LotR finally coming to DnD, figured the nerds would know more

So I was wondering what a collective term for a group of nerds/geeks is? Plenty of ideas on teh intardwebz, but I'm sorta leaning toward "convention".

https://scienceblogs...-noun-for-geeks

Anyhoo, back to your arglebargle.

[worry]

I’ve always called that a ‘message board’ personally, but some say ‘forum’.

[Tsundoku]

"A funny thing happened on the way to the message board." Yeah ... nah.
"A forum of nerds" works better. I still like "convention" though.

[Macros]

An empire of nerds

[Macros]

Next question, not DnD specific I suppose, just a generic organisational question I suppose.

I've been clicking and checking through many apps and options (rollrota reads well)

but mainly what we are looking for is a scheduling app. Where our group can all input times that best suit them and it will overlay it for us so we can co-ordinate our DnD sessions.
Anyone have an app or website they use, or have used?

[Slow Ben]

Yes, it’s a group text.




Now get to the good stuff and tell us about your character!!

This post has been edited by Slow Ben: 20 April 2023 - 01:24 AM

[Macros]

Not until you give me the app I need!

[Imperial Historian]

The biggest challenge of a dnd game is scheduling it can't be defeated by mere technology!

I've used doodle when trying to arrange a game but it's not ideal.

My personal experience for having a game which lasts is agreeing a date and a time that everyone will be able to do consistently with a set frequency and everyone keeps it free, on occasions when it's busy you try and rearrange if possible or otherwise run without people.

[Abyss]

Imperial Historian, on 20 April 2023 - 10:28 AM, said:

The biggest challenge of a dnd game is scheduling it can't be defeated by mere technology!

I've used doodle when trying to arrange a game but it's not ideal.

My personal experience for having a game which lasts is agreeing a date and a time that everyone will be able to do consistently with a set frequency and everyone keeps it free, on occasions when it's busy you try and rearrange if possible or otherwise run without people.

Also, flex.
Multiple people being able to DM, a few extra characters/NPCs who can move in and out of the story, and a few one-and-done options.

That sounds like it requires a pile of planning but really all you need is >1 semi competent DM who can improvise on the fly and/or have a couple of modules/planned games in hand. Some of the bestest campaigns i ever did as DM or player had exactly zero planning.

[Macros]

Take that Goblin Ambush!

[Macros]

I'm starting the process of building my own campaign to DM.
(were still playing through our first campaign)
I'm going to run a prefab one shot and at least one forgotten realms campaign first naturally, but I figure creating a campaign from scratch will be a lengthy process.

Queries for the nerds, is there a handy way to find, for example, a spiderweb map of plot and sub quests of a game I know like Ice wind dale? Searching just keeps giving me the actual maps or a walk through.

[Chance]

Macros, on 17 July 2023 - 04:31 AM, said:

I'm starting the process of building my own campaign to DM.
(were still playing through our first campaign)
I'm going to run a prefab one shot and at least one forgotten realms campaign first naturally, but I figure creating a campaign from scratch will be a lengthy process.

Prefab's can be good to get some mechanical proficiency and learn what the players like but are also frequently good examples of what is called railroading which is generally considered less then optimal roleplaying experiences.

My strategy for it has become rather streamlined after doing it for well god more than twenty years.

Do a very long time plan very sketchy so that you know where you are going. Divide it into steps with natural sections and have a decent idea of where the current section is going. Do a lot of detail on the area so that you can improvise things that fit the setting and locations. Only detail plan say 2-3 sessions ahead and be ready to adjust for what happens during the session.

Roleplaying rarely work well when detail planned too much, but it thrives on having an idea of where you want to go eventually, introducing facts, people and stuff well ahead of them becoming important just like books. However they aren't books which are supposed to get to the writers supposed end, but at least partially a joint storytelling exercise at least at their best.

The exception is dungeons or dungeonlike situation when playing something like D&D the more detail planning you do the better they become at the same time don't fall into the trap of making them videogame large that usually don't work well at the table or at least only rarely. Mostly consider how much time you want to spend in the dungeon and how long your group takes to play out a combat encounter. I'd say you only occasionally want to spend more than one session in the same dungeon and no one enjoys killing the tenth group of goblins/skeletons/orcs/whatever.

Basically the best realization as a GM is that your basically entertaining a group of players, there is no reason to spend much time on things the group doesn't like including the GM who is a player just as much as the rest.

Macros, on 17 July 2023 - 04:31 AM, said:

Queries for the nerds, is there a handy way to find, for example, a spiderweb map of plot and sub quests of a game I know like Ice wind dale? Searching just keeps giving me the actual maps or a walk through.

The best I can think of is the game walkthroughs they are usually exhaustive and decently organized.

This post has been edited by Chance: 18 July 2023 - 01:33 PM

[Imperial Historian]

Having dm'd for a while I'd echo that 'planning' a campaign should be kept to broad strokes, your players will head completely the wrong direction, suddenly come back somewhere you didn't expect, kill your important NPC or become best friends with the your big bad evil guy. It's nearly impossible to plot out a campaign too far in advance. You can come up with broad strokes and motivations of your antagonists and some locations but don't plan to far in advance, you aren't writing a novel and your players will do something you don't expect. I've frequently spent time planning something only for my players to bypass it entirely.

I don't think there are easily accessible spiderwebs like you are talking, but walkthroughs should have all that info.

If you like Icewind dale I'm currently running the prefab campaign rime of the frostmaiden and the background knowledge from playing the game is definitely helpful when I have to improv!