Getting mad at a DM for your own assumptions about their fantasy world is like getting mad at your partner when you wake up for something you dreamed they did.
You know what helps trapped wind, Mags? Clogs. But seriously, I absolutely needed this episode since I’m having a pain flare and am stuck in bed. Time to relax with the podblast!
51:57 this was just the worst version of dm panic lol, that could have easily been a gift for the dm "We can't be charmed because Im a paladin" "As you begin to identify the charm being cast on you, you reach within yourself and invoke the power of your oath, only to find your resolve failing and you and your party sliping into sweet nothingness" A whole subplot you can figure out later just given to you on a platter
That story about the DM instantly deleting the server because they had an Oath of Devotion Paladin as a PC who made everyone immune to the charm effect hook they'd set up is insane. That's a setup for a railroad if I've ever heard one. "Your characters must do exactly what your queen demands, and she wants you to go to this place and steal this artifact from these people, and your alignment and character motivations don't matter because you're compelled to act due to being charmed." It feels like the kind of campaign where the DM told everyone to make good-aligned characters, and then is going to make them do evil things to make the characters feel bad and "teach a lesson" about moral gray-ness, or something dumb like that. So probably a good thing that OP got kicked out of that game so quickly.
I did have a character who left the party after his backstory was resolved… he was a dad trying to save his wife, and once he managed that he decided to stay with his family because they were his responsibility. I did talk to my dm about this and I told him that it was a possibility that he would stay behind but I wasn’t sure - in fact I definitely wanted to keep playing him, but narratively I didn’t have a reason for him to keep traveling with the party. I looked for excuses to keep him with the party, but everything simply led to him staying behind with his family. My dm totally allowed all of this, and he was prepared for whatever decision I came to in the moment. And it came really close to him staying with the party, but in the end he left them to stick with his family.
ok so here's my idea for the charming not working one: tell everyone in one way or another that if they fight or try to run from this succubus queen she's op enough to absolutely murder all of you so it might be in your best interest to pretend your charmed so she doesn't attack. In my head this leads to increasingly funny scenarios in which the characters are pretending their thoroughly charmed and doing whatever the queen says while also trying not to do anything against their morals while also trying to amass enough power to defeat her. Ofc this would be an oddly specific scenario that might not work for whatever the dm was planning but i still think its an amusing concept.
As a dm, the thing I most want my players to understand (and something were going to talk about soon) is that I'm not a mind reader. If they want something specific from the game, whether it's a story beat or an opportunity to use a specific skill/ability, they can just tell me. I want them to have a good time, but it's hard for me to tell if they are when they don't tell me what they want. Also, that if I describe a path in the forest while they're looking for a cabin in that same forest, the path probably leads to the cabin. The fact that other creatures also live in the forest should not be a deterrent.
30:36 from my real life experience, I'd actually rule this the opposite way. I'm definitely high int low wis, and I'm much better at "do I see anything interesting that might suggest something about the city?" than I am at "do I see any signs of which way the thief went?" lol
I'm dying. The one that just booted/blocked the paladin OR deleted the server is going to carry me through the day. That's, for sure, something I'd have done when I was a kid. Just "Oop. This is over. Time to delete everything and change my name."
As a DM, sometimes combats are going to be hard and won't go the way you expect. If you go into an encounter thinking it will go a specific way, discover (pre-combat btw) that the bad guys you're about to deal with are super powerful but still commit to the encounter, that's on you. No everything is a cut and dry slaughter fest. Combats can have narrative. Combats can be avoided. It's ok to run away from an unexpected AT-AT. Don't get mad at me for using that AT-AT to the height of its power when I let you know beforehand that it'd be hard. Use it as an opportunity for your character to grow and perhaps think more before jumping straight into a fight... that's all.
48:42 as the person who does the recap log for ALL of my games, “TAKE YOUR NOTES!!” I do a generalized recap from the perspective of my character. There are going to be things I forget or just can’t put in the recap because my character wasn’t there. “TAKE YOUR NOTES!!!” 53:58 “As the DM, I can always say, ‘This person’s charm ignores resistance and immunity to [insert thing here]”, your players might get made, but if it’s an ArchBeing, it makes sense vs Jeff who’s a really powerful wizard
39:00 (ish) I was that player, partly by accident. Two of us were chasing after the boss of the arc we were in and there was a big fight in our way, so I grabbed the other character and thunderstepped right past the encounter 😅
I've always been much more lucky on my alts in WoW, even though I've mainly been raiding with my main, it's so weird. Congrats on the Serpent! It's hard to get these days 💜 I've not been able to get back into retail for a while and I don't know how to hit the switch on my desire to play. Eventhough SoD has gone into a new phase it feels more like a chore atm. But I've also taken such a long break that I'm guildless and not many friends play it any more 🙃💁♀
what im doing is watching my favorite podcast 1 day late because i have started a campaign on Mondays. trying out paladin for the first time and i love to crit smite my enemies.
I got kind of punished by my DM by taking too detailed notes today 😅😅 taking notes calms my adhd brain and helps me focus, so i´m not gonna stop, but it did feel bad, ngl
What do I wish my players would understand? That trying to second-guess me is not the point of the game. Any time the plot isn't 100% linear, and they have to make a decision about something, I will inevitably hear someone say, "I think DM wants us to...". It drives me insane. No matter how many times I tell them, "There isn't a single 'right' choice here. Do what makes sense to you, and we'll take it from there", they still treat it like some kind of meta guessing game. None of us are big roleplayers, which is fine. But I do wish they could get into the spirit of things enough to occasionally act based on the world and the story, instead of being "above table" all the time.
Im just gonna edit my thoughts in as it goes: If you dont want your players to impact the outcome of an event in game, it shouldve been a cutscene. Put it in a history book or in the memories of a old being. If the player cant succeed even on a 20, it shouldnt be a roll. Personally, i live for the moment where i can outsmart the dm. Given that, i would always either lay out all my cards on the table, or use things that my dm has already approved of. The dm is always allowed to say no, but should be required to present a valid reason. I remeber arguing with a dm that the paladin does not need to know the creature type of a foe for smites to do more or less damage. I had to drop it, but post game research proved me correct. The dm definitely overreacted to the devotion paladin. Perhaps they didnt knowbof a good way to work around this and just rage quit. Imo, they couldve turned this from a cutscene to an "Objective: Survive" mission. I think making the players happy is worth killing off important characters in your story.
Getting mad at a DM for your own assumptions about their fantasy world is like getting mad at your partner when you wake up for something you dreamed they did.
You know what helps trapped wind, Mags? Clogs.
But seriously, I absolutely needed this episode since I’m having a pain flare and am stuck in bed. Time to relax with the podblast!
Hahahahah DANA 😭 WHY DO THIS TO ME! Seriously though, sending love, hope you feel better 🖤🖤🖤
51:57 this was just the worst version of dm panic lol, that could have easily been a gift for the dm
"We can't be charmed because Im a paladin"
"As you begin to identify the charm being cast on you, you reach within yourself and invoke the power of your oath, only to find your resolve failing and you and your party sliping into sweet nothingness"
A whole subplot you can figure out later just given to you on a platter
Mags sees a needle: "I would like to rage"
Grant Resistance to piercing damage, lol
That story about the DM instantly deleting the server because they had an Oath of Devotion Paladin as a PC who made everyone immune to the charm effect hook they'd set up is insane. That's a setup for a railroad if I've ever heard one. "Your characters must do exactly what your queen demands, and she wants you to go to this place and steal this artifact from these people, and your alignment and character motivations don't matter because you're compelled to act due to being charmed." It feels like the kind of campaign where the DM told everyone to make good-aligned characters, and then is going to make them do evil things to make the characters feel bad and "teach a lesson" about moral gray-ness, or something dumb like that. So probably a good thing that OP got kicked out of that game so quickly.
That art at the end! ♥
I did have a character who left the party after his backstory was resolved… he was a dad trying to save his wife, and once he managed that he decided to stay with his family because they were his responsibility. I did talk to my dm about this and I told him that it was a possibility that he would stay behind but I wasn’t sure - in fact I definitely wanted to keep playing him, but narratively I didn’t have a reason for him to keep traveling with the party. I looked for excuses to keep him with the party, but everything simply led to him staying behind with his family. My dm totally allowed all of this, and he was prepared for whatever decision I came to in the moment. And it came really close to him staying with the party, but in the end he left them to stick with his family.
ok so here's my idea for the charming not working one: tell everyone in one way or another that if they fight or try to run from this succubus queen she's op enough to absolutely murder all of you so it might be in your best interest to pretend your charmed so she doesn't attack. In my head this leads to increasingly funny scenarios in which the characters are pretending their thoroughly charmed and doing whatever the queen says while also trying not to do anything against their morals while also trying to amass enough power to defeat her. Ofc this would be an oddly specific scenario that might not work for whatever the dm was planning but i still think its an amusing concept.
That was the best intro ever
As a dm, the thing I most want my players to understand (and something were going to talk about soon) is that I'm not a mind reader. If they want something specific from the game, whether it's a story beat or an opportunity to use a specific skill/ability, they can just tell me. I want them to have a good time, but it's hard for me to tell if they are when they don't tell me what they want.
Also, that if I describe a path in the forest while they're looking for a cabin in that same forest, the path probably leads to the cabin. The fact that other creatures also live in the forest should not be a deterrent.
30:36 from my real life experience, I'd actually rule this the opposite way. I'm definitely high int low wis, and I'm much better at "do I see anything interesting that might suggest something about the city?" than I am at "do I see any signs of which way the thief went?" lol
I'm dying. The one that just booted/blocked the paladin OR deleted the server is going to carry me through the day. That's, for sure, something I'd have done when I was a kid. Just "Oop. This is over. Time to delete everything and change my name."
For friends who accidentally skipped a couple posts like I did, topic actually starts at 10:50 !!!
As a DM, sometimes combats are going to be hard and won't go the way you expect. If you go into an encounter thinking it will go a specific way, discover (pre-combat btw) that the bad guys you're about to deal with are super powerful but still commit to the encounter, that's on you. No everything is a cut and dry slaughter fest. Combats can have narrative. Combats can be avoided. It's ok to run away from an unexpected AT-AT. Don't get mad at me for using that AT-AT to the height of its power when I let you know beforehand that it'd be hard. Use it as an opportunity for your character to grow and perhaps think more before jumping straight into a fight... that's all.
48:42 as the person who does the recap log for ALL of my games, “TAKE YOUR NOTES!!” I do a generalized recap from the perspective of my character. There are going to be things I forget or just can’t put in the recap because my character wasn’t there. “TAKE YOUR NOTES!!!”
53:58 “As the DM, I can always say, ‘This person’s charm ignores resistance and immunity to [insert thing here]”, your players might get made, but if it’s an ArchBeing, it makes sense vs Jeff who’s a really powerful wizard
I'd love to get an art like that done 1:15:00 for my Little Tabaxi Faith.
one day when I have some spare monies.
That artwork looks *sick*
Once again what is the positive energy plane video 😂
the paladin aura story made me laugh out loud at work.
39:00 (ish) I was that player, partly by accident. Two of us were chasing after the boss of the arc we were in and there was a big fight in our way, so I grabbed the other character and thunderstepped right past the encounter 😅
I've always been much more lucky on my alts in WoW, even though I've mainly been raiding with my main, it's so weird. Congrats on the Serpent! It's hard to get these days 💜 I've not been able to get back into retail for a while and I don't know how to hit the switch on my desire to play. Eventhough SoD has gone into a new phase it feels more like a chore atm. But I've also taken such a long break that I'm guildless and not many friends play it any more 🙃💁♀
Best intro Margaret's ever done? More like best intro anybody's ever done!
Eatin some appy slices and raisin bread ♥
what im doing is watching my favorite podcast 1 day late because i have started a campaign on Mondays. trying out paladin for the first time and i love to crit smite my enemies.
That intro was splendor.....it got my clogs tingling
I was gonna dislike the video because i dont like being told what to do... However, I could never dislike the video >:c so you win this time
Hahahahhaahh STALEMATE
I got kind of punished by my DM by taking too detailed notes today 😅😅 taking notes calms my adhd brain and helps me focus, so i´m not gonna stop, but it did feel bad, ngl
What do I wish my players would understand? That trying to second-guess me is not the point of the game. Any time the plot isn't 100% linear, and they have to make a decision about something, I will inevitably hear someone say, "I think DM wants us to...". It drives me insane. No matter how many times I tell them, "There isn't a single 'right' choice here. Do what makes sense to you, and we'll take it from there", they still treat it like some kind of meta guessing game. None of us are big roleplayers, which is fine. But I do wish they could get into the spirit of things enough to occasionally act based on the world and the story, instead of being "above table" all the time.
Im just gonna edit my thoughts in as it goes:
If you dont want your players to impact the outcome of an event in game, it shouldve been a cutscene. Put it in a history book or in the memories of a old being.
If the player cant succeed even on a 20, it shouldnt be a roll.
Personally, i live for the moment where i can outsmart the dm. Given that, i would always either lay out all my cards on the table, or use things that my dm has already approved of.
The dm is always allowed to say no, but should be required to present a valid reason. I remeber arguing with a dm that the paladin does not need to know the creature type of a foe for smites to do more or less damage. I had to drop it, but post game research proved me correct.
The dm definitely overreacted to the devotion paladin. Perhaps they didnt knowbof a good way to work around this and just rage quit. Imo, they couldve turned this from a cutscene to an "Objective: Survive" mission.
I think making the players happy is worth killing off important characters in your story.
Ayoooo!!! Goated pod as usual
hope this is ok to say but the bearded look is really suiting you!
Margaret is the best. Also my hyperfixation
Ooo a podblast pedicure?
F in chat for trapped wind
Omg big F
C L O G Z 👾
😂😂
i need this tik tok
My hyperfixation is Ollie from Bring Me The Horizon ❤
I'm sorry Margaret but the sick squeak intro was my favorite. You peaked on that intro, it's only downhill from here! (JK I LOVE YOU)