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Jul 28 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
While we're on the topic of #necrobiotics (if you haven't seen the spider tweet, go check it out)

Not only did we cover this for #dnd in Playing Dead with the Corpsecrafting invocations for the Warlock, I adapted an FR-specific Artificer called the Chardalynist for Necrobiotics!
The Reanimator reanimates dead creatures, turning them into a fully realized controllable pet for the Artificer!

By overriding the damage dealt on the statblocks with a standardized progression, using Arti-based HP/AC, and dropping Multiattack, any statblock works for PC use! Corruption 3rd-level Reanimator feature As an action, you caIn combat, the corrupted creature shares your initiative cou
I was particularly proud of this mechanic when I first created the Chardalynist as it captures the player's want and desire to reanimate a creature like an Owlbear or Remorhaz and not have it be a kiddie-glove nerf'd creature that is its namesake in appearance only.
If you want to reanimate a Rust Monster that melts metal weapons and armor, go for it!

The aforementioned Remorhaz complete with Heated Body and Swallow? Sure! The DCs become your Artificer DC so no worries there either!
Playing Dead is a truly awesome supplement for D&D 5e and the book is absolutely brimming with great content for all types who love Undeath.

vorpaldicepress.com/product/playin…

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More from @vorpaldicepress

Steve Fidler of Vorpal Dice Press Profile picture
Jul 29
We can argue back and forth all we want about whether CR in #dnd5e works but in the end it comes down to this:

Players and Monsters are asymmetrical

As such, there will never be a perfect metric of Encounter Balance. It'll always be horseshoes and hand grenades

So what to do?
As designers (of player options, monsters, adventures, etc.) we have a skeleton key:

Playtesting

Nothing will tell a better story than actually using the content as many times as possible and aggregating the results, turning dials, testing the results, and concluding.
As DMs its not so simple. The point of CR/Encounter Balancing tools is to be able to ad hoc playable material outside of what is published.

What we need is better guidance into what goes into CR and Encounter Balancing, so we can better see where we stand.
Read 34 tweets
Steve Fidler of Vorpal Dice Press Profile picture
Jul 26
#ttrpg VTT Product Integration

With the partnership between Roll20 and OneBookShelf and generalized shift towards VTT/online play focus in TTRPGs, how should small publishers approach it?

WotC currently subscribes to the "buy it thrice" model between Physical, Beyond, & VTT

🧵
From what I've gathered from speaking to customers and getting their general impressions of the R20/OBS partnership is that they expect they will buy a product once to get a PDF and—if available—integrated Roll20 Assets.

Should we, smaller publishers, be providing that?
Looking at Tome of Heroes:

Kobold Press sells a PDF, PDF+Physical combo (for marginal increase in price), and then every VTT license (Shard, Foundry, Roll20, Fantasy Grounds) separate at a price point half way between the PDF and Physical book cost.
Read 15 tweets
Steve Fidler of Vorpal Dice Press Profile picture
Feb 6
I said to look for the QRT and here it is.

5e assumes no magic items. Some ability to overcome resistances as you go up in tier of play factors into CR, but it's *never* ignored.

When DM's say they can't challenge their players, does every martial have a magic weapon?
Because this is a significant factor in Creature CR. A Stone Golem drops from CR 10 (ish, see QRT'd thread) to around CR 8 when immunities are a non-factor.

This is especially problematic in AL, where players are flooded with magic items and the ability to curate what they have
If you're giving your characters boatloads of magic items and trinkets, and that makes you and them happy, GREAT!

Don't be afraid to throw the encounter balance rules out with the bathwater. They don't apply to you and your party anymore.
Read 4 tweets
Steve Fidler of Vorpal Dice Press Profile picture
Feb 6
I've been seeing this come across my timeline over and over the last few days with praises sung and while I agree so wholeheartedly with the message:

the DMG's monster creation instructions aren't nearly as bad as people think

They also aren't that far off from what WotC does.
The major fallacy in this article is the image of the Monster Statistics by Challenge Rating table.

That table exists for quick stats and falls under the "Creating Quick Monster Stats" header. It's used to ad hoc creatures at the table. (more on this later, stay with me)
The paragraph preceding it says specifically if you're making something akin to the MM to skip ahead to the Creating a Monster Stat Block section, which has somewhat* different guides.

* It's not anyone's fault, all the later sections refer back to it as a calculation reference.
Read 21 tweets
Steve Fidler of Vorpal Dice Press Profile picture
Jun 30, 2020
This follow up is insulting, and lack lustre.

DISCLAIMER: I will be using "we" to refer to those like me, and "you" to refer to DMsGuild/OBS/WotC as an organization, not whichever individual reads this.

CW: foul language

A thread. (1/God only knows)
We don't want you to go through and covertly remove content.

We want -transparency-. No more of this covert bullshit that has been going on for years.

Every product that is removed as a result of this should come with an explanation of why, made public.
These explanations should then form the base of a formalized, transparent, and readily available collection of content policies. Which should be posthumously applied to every piece of content on DMsGuild - including official Wizards of the Coast content, and art packs.
Read 22 tweets

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