An Odd Post: How D&D Has Kept Me Going

Dear Readers, my posting, as I have said recently, has been sporadic. as I’ve said before, my multiple sclerosis has been kicking my backside. I’m really trying. That said, I did want to do a post today, even if it’s voice to text from my phone. Like many people, I started playing D&D as aContinue reading “An Odd Post: How D&D Has Kept Me Going”

Announcement & A Story

So we’ve run into a perfect storm at the moment. With my current health issues, as well as recent health issues for yourdorkmaterials, my posting schedule has been…difficult to work on. That said, again, I’m not abandoning or quitting The Blog. I just can’t do it. For those of you who are just readers toContinue reading “Announcement & A Story”

Rime of the Frostmaiden: Of Cookies and the Murder Moose

I know I’m a bit behind in my writing, but I’m going to play catch up this week. I’m also going to be getting new articles from yourdorkmaterials for the end of this week. He’d been under the weather and unable to post. There won’t be a post for New Year’s Eve or New Year’sContinue reading “Rime of the Frostmaiden: Of Cookies and the Murder Moose”

Miniature Painting Christmas Miracle

So I wanted to tell you all a quick story. I wanted to surprise my wife this Christmas with something I thought she’d appreciate and wouldn’t think that I’d be able to get for her. You see, she’s been on a HeroForge kick of late. She’s been designing characters left and right. She’s even hadContinue reading “Miniature Painting Christmas Miracle”

How-To Paint Minis: Painting Minsc

Hello, Dear Readers! I only have a short post as my recent MS relapse has had me in near constant doctors appointments! That said, I have something to show you: Isn’t he wonderful? I finished painting his base, did some touch-up work, and shaded him. There is a shading technique that I want to tryContinue reading “How-To Paint Minis: Painting Minsc”

Rime of the Frostmaiden: Helping Hillbillies and Delving Into a Mine

When last we left our band of heroes, they had just completed their trip to Brynn Shander to remove curses, restock their gear and head out to see about the troubles of Dougan’s Hole (they also had picked up a job delivering supplies to a reclusive gnome north of Lonelywood and heading to a pirateContinue reading “Rime of the Frostmaiden: Helping Hillbillies and Delving Into a Mine”

Rime of the Frostmaiden: Operation “Housekeeping” a Success

Dear Readers, due to my having just been discharged from the hospital yesterday, I missed getting my post out, and we didn’t end up playing. Therefore, today I’ll be giving a brief overview of what happened Sunday to make up for missing that post. Thanks for your love and understanding. ~The Daily DM ______________________________________________________________________________________________ WeContinue reading “Rime of the Frostmaiden: Operation “Housekeeping” a Success”

Character Profile: Ad hoc Discord Group Playing “The Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga”

As some of you know, I’m back in the hospital for an MS flare up. Not fun. That said, I got bored last night and began running Baba Yaga with a group consisting of a couple of people I know in person and two of my Discord internet friends via voice chat on Discord. ThisContinue reading “Character Profile: Ad hoc Discord Group Playing “The Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga””

How-To DM: So There Wasn’t a Sunday Game For My Table, But Here’s a Post

So, as the title says, I didn’t have a game this past Sunday. The reason? Because I just needed a break. Today, we’re going to talk about DM burnout. It happens to the best of us: we DM time and time again, likely for multiple games and for multiple days, that stretch into weeks, months,Continue reading “How-To DM: So There Wasn’t a Sunday Game For My Table, But Here’s a Post”

The Australian Nightmare

Once again we take a stroll down Amnesia Lane back to the mid-1980’s, and this time the game was Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu. For those of you that are unfamiliar, CoC is a cosmic survival horror game based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft; it’s a very fun, very deadly game where you’re really justContinue reading “The Australian Nightmare”

How-To DM: Building Encounters (Part 2)

Hello Everyone and welcome! Last week we discussed one philosophy behind building encounters. Today, I’d like to talk about some practical mechanics behind implementing those philosophies into a game. For our purposes here, let’s assume a party of 5 4th level characters: a Goblin Totem Barbarian, a Human Moon Druid, a Human TWF Ranger, aContinue reading “How-To DM: Building Encounters (Part 2)”

The Dancing Hut: Return With an Offering

So…everyone, by now, should know that I try to tell these stories objectively; that is, I try to tell the story as it happened and no more. I really can’t do that today…it was too funny and just too bizzare. If my objectivity breaks, well, I apologize…also, I don’t have too many pictures for thisContinue reading “The Dancing Hut: Return With an Offering”

Rime of the Frostmaiden: Cauldron Conundrum and Ghostly Possessions

Having left off before a fight, the party engaged the three duergar. Seeing they were outmatched, one tried to run, to warn Xardorok, but was shot down quickly by party spells and arrows. Having dealt with the evil dwarves on the ferry, the party decided to head off along the coast to find the lostContinue reading “Rime of the Frostmaiden: Cauldron Conundrum and Ghostly Possessions”

DM Story: Tapping Him Gently With My Warhammer

Ah, the mid-1980’s. We had no computers. We had no cars. What we did have is the living room of my friend Bob’s house and his saintly mother who never complained about a mob of teenage boys in her house every Saturday and Sunday for hours at a time. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay was my 2ndContinue reading “DM Story: Tapping Him Gently With My Warhammer”

How-To DM: Building Encounters – Design

by yourdorkmaterials A Moon Druid, a Barbarian, a Rogue, a Monk and a Wizard walk into a cave…sounds like the start of a joke, doesn’t it? But a party like this can be a nightmare to build challenging encounters for. The Druid and Barbarian effectively have twice (or even three times at low levels) theContinue reading “How-To DM: Building Encounters – Design”

Player Character Party Highlight

This week, instead of my normal Tuesday Game Summary, I wanted to do something different. So…I’ve been thinking of explaining why the varying adventuring parties do what they do in my posts, but it always seemed to get in the way of telling what happened. Therefore, I’m going to give you an idea of whoContinue reading “Player Character Party Highlight”

Rime of the Frost Maiden: Ascent of Kelvin’s Cairn

When last we left off, The party was at the abandoned base camp at the foot of Kelvin’s Cairn, having found Garret’s dog sled and dogs, as well as those from the adventuring company he was guiding. Secure in the knowledge that the dogs would be safe, the parties staked their axe beak mounts andContinue reading “Rime of the Frost Maiden: Ascent of Kelvin’s Cairn”

Another Tuesday Prequel

So the last time I updated everyone on what happened in the Tuesday game before I started recording, was the 25th of September. We left off with losing track of Tilna, and the party locating her somewhere in the sewers. Following their locate person, they began seeing a strange symbol written in chalk on theContinue reading “Another Tuesday Prequel”

Miniature Painting Highlights: What I’m Working On 11/3/2020

Here we are again for another Mini Painting Highlight, and in the U.S., Election Day (as an aside, a big shout out to my Dear Readers in China, France, Pakistan, India, Canada, the U.K., and any other place I’ve missed: Your readership is very welcome!). Without further ado, here’s what I’ve been working on, someContinue reading “Miniature Painting Highlights: What I’m Working On 11/3/2020”

Rime of the Frost Maiden: Caer Konig and Duergar

Having finished the assault on Caer Dineval, the party was rewarded with free room and board by the Town Speaker, Crannoc. The party went a step further by agreeing to police up the bodies, if for no other reason than to take all of the chardalyn amulets. Deciding that the amulets were too much ofContinue reading “Rime of the Frost Maiden: Caer Konig and Duergar”