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1500 questions
39
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12 answers

How do I allow player agency in situations with predetermined outcomes?

One of the current members of our group joined a little later than everyone else. His character's history wasn't developed too well, so I am running a one-off session so that the group can play out his history and get a better sense of the big…
dpatchery
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Is there a monster that won't boil?

I'm planning an encounter where my players will need to traverse a geyser-fed lake, where the water can range from uncomfortable to boiling, depending on the closeness to the nearest font. I'd like them to have to fight something that lives in these…
keithcurtis
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19 answers

How can I take a powerful plot item away from players without frustrating them?

I am GMing for a group of ex-College friends, who are quite new to role-playing (six month or so), in a custom universe using a lot of characters inspired by Arthurian legends, including the sorcerer Merlin and the sword Excalibur. The system is…
Thalantas
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4 answers

Is Morrowind based on a tabletop RPG?

Is there a tabletop, pen-and-paper RPG system that The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is based on?
A-Lloyd
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3 answers

Potion of Longevity and a 9 year old character

Due to some wild magic fun, one of my characters is now 9 years old. To be a nice, kind DM, I decided it would not impact any of his combat stats, only affect social situations [mostly for the sake of fun, as nobody wants to have their character…
Marshall Tigerus
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5 answers

How do I keep a long-range plot cohesive and coherent?

I enjoy GMing but I much prefer to to have some sort of long running plot (or meta-plot) rather than having a series of unconnected unfortunate events afflict my PCs. For example, I would love to get a Dresden files game running--but I think the…
YuriPup
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11 answers

One of my players is trying to cast a spell that isn't in the handbook, and he hasn't told me how his character knows it

One of my players is playing a sorcerer, and during an encounter with some medusa, he decided to channel his magical energies into a bolt of energy. He hasn't done anything like this before, and he doesn't cast spells that often (he fights with a…
Caleb
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4 answers

Can a Sorcerer use Sorcery Points to create spell slots higher than he can cast?

At level 6, a Sorcerer may have a maximum of 6 Sorcery Points. This is enough to create a level 4 spell slot. Would the Sorcerer be able to create a level 4 spell slot, even though he only knows level 3 spells, in order to cast a spell with a higher…
Matthew
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4 answers

Can a demon or devil be redeemed?

In Chapter 4 of the Basic Rules or PHB p. 122, under "Alignment in the Multiverse", it says: Alignment is an essential part of the nature of celestials and fiends. A devil does not choose to be lawful evil, and it doesn’t tend toward lawful evil,…
Nemenia
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1 answer

Is there any documented proof of Mage: The Ascension writer intoxication?

I have several times been told that Mage: The Ascension is a rulebook written in a state of perpetual intoxication. There has been numerous allusions to it for years, and it has been argued the contents of the rulebook serve as the best commentary.…
eimyr
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2 answers

Do owlbears lay eggs?

Well, do they? And has this changed across editions? I'm interested in "canonical" answers. While not something a typical Monster Manual entry would cover (am I wrong?), there may well be an article in Dragon about Ecology of Owlbear or some…
Magician
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2 answers

Why do druids use scimitars?

I know this question has been asked on other forums, and I have heard some explanations, but I wondered if there was a source that could be cited (not the rule itself, rather an outside source that shows the historical connection) to show the origin…
Wyrmwood
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5 answers

What is 'punk'?

What is 'punk' and how is it applied to RPGs? I've heard of: Cyberpunk Steampunk Clockworkpunk Gothicpunk Dieselpunk And I'm sure there are others. What main streams are there, and what is the 'punk' that is the common denominator?
Tobiasopdenbrouw
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13 answers

How do I help my group stop derailing our GM’s set-piece battles?

My current roleplaying group has a problem in which the GM will plan an awesome setpiece, only for one of the players to accidentally and unknowingly derail it by performing what seems like a reasonable action. For example: We are fighting a…
user23518
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Is Dungeons & Dragons the origin of “Bahamut” as a dragon?

Bahamut, the platinum dragon god of good, metallic dragons, takes his name from the Bahamut of Arabian mythology, the great fish upon which the earth rests. The similarities between dragons, serpents, and fish are noted, and the three have been…
KRyan
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