Advice – Page 2 – Justice Ramin Arman

Take a Beat to Avoid a Beating

Have you ever tried to avoid an encounter in D&D, but it didn’t quite go how you wanted it to? The roleplay started to feel awkward, and you ended up fighting anyway, making the whole interaction seem pointless?

We had one of those this weekend.

Beware! Spoilers for chapter 3 of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist ahead!

Image result for bar fight dnd — *Come on, though. Who stops a tavern brawl?*

The Situation

This past Saturday, the party entered Gralhund Villa, a luxurious mansion belonging to a pair of ambitious nobles, Yalah and Orund Gralhund. The session was going smoothly until the party reached the Great Hall, where a trio of Zhentarim thugs stood over the fresh corpses of several Gralhund guards.

Two of the characters have chosen to align themselves with the Zhentarim in this campaign. Seeing the Black Network garb on the thugs, the pair understandably attempted to avoid an encounter by reasoning with their fellow faction members. Unfortunately, these two characters work for Istrid Horn, but Istrid didn’t send the Zhentarim thugs in the Great Hall.

For simplicity, here’s our D&D party.

Sear. Fire genasi divination wizard. New member of the Zhentarim.
R’yzzlan. Drow kensei monk.
Nika. Human gloomstalker ranger.
Henzio. Aasimar celestial warlock. Long-time member of Zhentarim.

Urstul Floxin, Loose Cannon

If you’re not familiar with the module, there’s a bit of a divide within the Zhentarim. After all, it’s a company of mercenaries, and members are entitled to their own alliances – especially if those alliances could lead to a buttload of gold.

One particular Zhent baddie, Urstul Floxin, is a bit of a loose cannon. He’s been hired by the Gralhunds to retrieve the stone of Golorr, but they didn’t trust him entirely to do his job. Long story short, his employers cost Urstul half his face, so he’s come to Gralhund Villa to beat the snot out of them and take the stone.

While Urstul’s more of hands-on, I’ll-do-it-my-way type, Istrid Horn likes to sit back and keep track of her ledgers. As Master of Trade and Coin, Istrid is keen to follow the chain of command. The characters currently owe Istrid a lot of money. She’s warned the characters in the past about Urstul and his way of doing things. As long as they make payments and don’t draw attention from the city watch, Istrid stays happy.

So, What Happened?

Sear and Henzio, the two Zhents, attempted to calm the guards down. They tried to blend in, mentioning their affiliation to the Black Network. Nika mentions that they are a clean-up crew, and all is going well until the lead thug asks, “Who do you all work for?”

It’s not a bad question. They don’t exactly blend in, and the drow monk refuses to remove his mask due to his monastic order. Suspicious, the guard asks again. “Who do you work for?” he presses.

D&D brain begins to set in. Nika essentially no u‘s the guards by replying, “Who do you work for?” The players – not the characters – begin to panic. Henzio tries to cover by stating the party works for Istrid, which makes the guards exchange a look and tighten their grip on their maces. A bead of sweat runs down the lead thug’s brow. A fight is imminent.

The players, however, don’t realize this. They don’t know the guards have been ordered to hold the room. They could ask, but it’s probably too late. In their minds, they’ve entered roleplay with the DM, and it’s time to improvise. Not surprisingly, improv is hard, and they begin to forget what they’re doing here.

Insults start rolling of the monk’s tongue – he’s been a bard for the last three years. The characters stop communicating with each other. One by one, they say the first thing that comes to mind. I, as the DM, have failed to keep the excitement flowing and to clearly demonstrate the results of the characters’ actions.

Roll initiative, I guess?

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

There are times when you can avoid fights in D&D, but some are easier than others. It can get tricky as a player to gauge this information. If you’re not careful, social interactions can become a habitual game of replying off the top of your head without considering where you are, your character’s identity, or what you want from the exchange. In my six years of DMing, I’ve found that when players lose sight of their goal during roleplay, they default to insulting the NPC, which rarely works. Eventually, these scenarios simply escalate, making all previous roleplay feel like wasted effort! It’s especially frustrating if some are trying to diffuse using one method while others are not.

Getting Better

I often take time after sessions to write down what I thought went well or fell flat. How can I learn from my mistakes to avoid them in the future? I think that a mark of a great DM is setting the pace; that includes identifying or anticipating lulls and getting everything back on track. However, DMs are already monitoring dozens of small things behind the screen. Until something becomes second nature, it’s going to be a constant effort that divides your attention.

So, what would I have changed about this social interaction? Well, for starters I would have encouraged the players to take a beat and assess the situation.

*A cool map of Gralhund Villa by Valeur RPG.*

Taking a Beat

When you notice a troubling roleplay scenario like this, it’s a great time to take a pause as a group. No one has to think on their feet unless a timer has been placed on the table. And, in my opinion, the players should not be held to the same standard of knowledge as their characters. Otherwise, we get into a typical D&D brained back-and-forth where tension escalates, but we aren’t really doing anything helpful to calm it down.

When you take a beat as a party, here are some good questions to ask:

What do we want here?
What stands in our way?
Who is the best person to represent us, i.e., who should take the lead?
Do any of us have useful information?

Let’s take a look at the situation again from the party’s perspective.

What Do We Want?

We are trying to avoid a fight. We need to convince the Zhentarim thugs that we belong.

What Stands in Our Way?

Well, we look pretty weird. We’re arriving late, just after they’ve murdered a bunch of people. On top of that, we’re not really dressed like these Zhents, nor are we in disguise.

Who Should Take the Lead?

Probably one of the two Zhentarim characters. They’ll be the most convincing, and one of them is a warlock with a nice Charisma score.

Any Useful Info?

Henzio knows that there’s a split within the Zhentarim. Perhaps he could whisper this in character, or convey that he would have told Sear this info, since she’s new to the Black Network. It also doesn’t hurt for the DM to remind players of useful info they may have forgotten.

Improving Communication

It’s no wonder so many players have trouble finding a steady group. It’s hard to specify exactly what makes a “good” Dungeon Master, but I think we all agree that a lot falls on the DM’s shoulders. Heck, the amount of time I’ve spent trying to actively improve my DMing – practicing accents, prepping for sessions, reading books, and watching videos – easily dwarfs the time I spent studying for classes during my undergrad or MBA (maybe even both). However, improving in-game communication is one skill that can only really be strengthened at the table during session.

Here are a few ways you improve communication at your table.

Asking Questions

Ask your DM questions. This may remind them of something they forgot to mention or assist other players in understanding a situation. It also may prompt the DM to have you roll checks and keep the game moving forward.

“Does it look like the thug believes us?” Make a Charisma (Deception) check.
“How likely is a fight here?” Make a Wisdom (Insight) check.
“Why are these guards here?” Make an Intelligence (Investigation) check.

Convey Your Intent

You don’t always have to come up with the mechanical solution to a problem. Try not to think of what’s on your character sheet, but what your character wants to do. Your DM can then help you make your plan a reality.

“I want to avoid a fight by deceiving them, but I’m having trouble thinking of a useful lie.”
“I’m wearing Zhent colors. I want to use that to my advantage.”

Be Clear to Each Other

Both in and out of character, make your desires known! If you don’t want to fight, don’t let the party barbarian push you into one. On the flip side, throw them a bone every once and a while and share the spotlight.

(Out of character) “I don’t want to get into a fight here because I think we can avoid it. These guys are Zhents and so are we. Let us handle this one.”
(In character) “R’yzzlan, Nika, I told you we’d find the rest of the squad in here! I’m Henzio and this is Sear. You look surprised. Didn’t you get our flying snake?”

Like this article? Consider supporting me by buying one of my products on the DMs Guild, such as Darkhold: Secrets of the Zhentarim or Elminster’s Candlekeep Companion. If you’re running Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus, consider picking up an alternative introductory adventure to the campaign, Devil’s Advocate: A Guide to Infernal Contracts, or Baldur’s Gate: City Encounters.

You can also follow me on Twitter at @justicearman or sign up for my email list, the Gjallarhorn, for exclusive updates, playtest opportunities, and discounts.

Using Unearthed Arcana at Your D&D Table

Back in 1985, when Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was in its prime, TSR released Unearthed Arcana, a collection of supplemental rules written by Gary Gygax. It contained new races, classes, and previously published material from sources such as Dragon Magazine. The book included the first hardcover iteration of the barbarian as a class (originally detailed in Dragon #63), details on using subraces such as the drow and deep gnome (now staples of D&D 5e), and some new spells. It was unfortunately met with criticism due to its editing, binding, and some of the content within, such as the comeliness attribute. Gary intended to incorporate much of the optional content into a second edition for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules, but Unearthed Arcana is the last TSR hardcover to bear his name on its cover.

Image result for unearthed arcana — *They actually reprinted the original Unearthed Arcana in a premium edition in 2013. It’s the only hardcover version to incorporate errata published in Dragon Magazine after its 1985 release.*

Unearthed Arcana Today

Today, Unearthed Arcana (UA) is alive and well in 5^th Edition D&D, though there’s no hardcover book. Instead, it takes the form of a series of articles published by Wizards of the Coast containing PDFs with new subclasses, races, or rules for D&D 5e. These articles stay true to the original Unearthed Arcana by introducing variant options for players and Dungeon Masters who want to customize their games.

Why Should I Use Unearthed Arcana?

There’s been a lot of great Unearthed Arcana coming out lately. We’ve had astral monks, a huge supplement on class feature variants, and most recently, psionics! If that’s not enough to convince you to check it out, here are a few additional reasons:

It’s Free

You can technically play D&D 5e using just the standard ruleset. If you’re strapped for cash but still want some new options, these playtest options slot right into the existing 5e rules without requiring access to any other published books.

You Can Shape the Future of D&D

After each Unearthed Arcana release, Wizards of the Coast puts up a survey where you can rate the options that were presented. The most recent survey is for Class Feature Variants. You can complete it here. That page also details the new psionic subclasses for the fighter, rogue, and wizard. Who doesn’t want to make their fighter the equivalent of fantasy Darth Vader?

*This could be your fighter. All you need is a red sun blade, and an asthmatic respirator mask courtesy of your party’s artificer.*

D&D 5^th Edition has seen multiple years of double-digit growth and is arguably more popular than ever. The lead designers for 5^th Edition have attributed much of its success to the extensive playtesting conducted before its release. Bummed that you didn’t get to participate in the 5e playtest? Jump in now! That’s basically what Unearthed Arcana is!

Previously released Unearthed Arcana has already made its way into published books. Designers at WOTC take survey responses seriously and use them to gauge popularity, reception, and perceived balance. Based on survey feedback, they may rework UA options over multiple iterations, repackage abilities into new classes or spells, or even scrap poorly-rated options altogether.

Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, for example, was heavily influenced by Unearthed Arcana content. The Gloomstalker, Storm Sorcerer, Samurai, Drunken Fist, and many more options in that book all started with an article from Wizards of the Coast. I remember reading about the ceremony spell in UA back when it was first proposed. There was even an UA druid subclass that became a spell, guardian of nature!

Image result for xanathar's guide to everything — Xanathar’s Guide to Everything *is packed with new options for D&D 5th Edition. It introduced multiple new subclasses, common magic items, and variant rules such as expanded downtime.*

Ever looked at an official subclass and saw something you didn’t like? Chances are you had an opportunity to voice your opinion to its designer. So, what are you waiting for? Get playtesting, and let your voice be heard!

It’s a Peek Behind the Curtain

If you’re an aspiring designer like me, you won’t regret following Unearthed Arcana. Jeremy Crawford is often talking with Todd Kenrick at D&D Beyond about the options and the philosophy behind them. Here he is talking about the massive Class Feature Variants UA that dropped recently. It’s a great opportunity to learn from lead designers like Jeremy, get new ideas, or study UA that earns multiple iterations (I’m looking at you, Revised Ranger). Plus, Todd and his guests are a delight to listen to due to their passion and humor.

Incorporating Unearthed Arcana into Your Games

So, I succeeded on my Charisma (Persuasion) check, and you’re thinking about testing some Unearthed Arcana in an upcoming session. Awesome. Start by communicating with your DM and/or players that you want to use these experimental options.

Here are a few ways to work these playtest options into your games.

One-Shot Adventures

One-shots are a great opportunity to feel out some new options. Especially with the holidays coming up, many of us have the chance to game with some new people – family who have never played D&D, friends you’ve not seen in a while, or a kind stranger at an unfamiliar gaming store. Alternatively, many D&D groups put games on hold due to low attendance around the holiday season. Who says you can’t still play D&D with a group of three, or even a one-on-one session? If you’re having trouble finding a group, try advertising your one-shot at your local game store or joining an online game through Roll20.

A one-shot is also a good chance for the DM to get a much-needed break. In addition, a player interested in DMing can take on the mantle in a low-pressure environment – aside from the usual stress of DMing – without committing to an entire campaign. Here’s a GM Tips video from Geek and Sundry where Matt Mercer talks about writing one-shots!

If you’re having trouble writing a one-shot, there are many great short adventures on the Dungeon Master’s Guild worthy of your table. Seriously, the quality in the Top 100 products has skyrocketed over the past year. Head over to the Guild, grab a Tier 1 or 2 one-shot, and roll up some new, no-strings-attached UA characters for single session of gaming! If you’re primarily playtesting subclasses, it’s best to find an adventure that doesn’t lean too heavily on any one pillar of play. If possible, give the subclass a chance to shine in combat, exploration, and social interaction.

Take Notes. As you play, consider taking notes on the Unearthed Arcana class, spell, or ruleset. What worked? What made you feel epic? What fell flat? How did other players feel about your character? These will be useful later when filling out the survey.

Encounters

For those more interested in combat or just short on time, you can test most Unearthed Arcana using a quick series of encounters. Perhaps each player brings an UA character and an encounter with certain parameters, almost like the X-Men training in the Danger Room. You could take turns DMing a few scenarios, such as a trio of fire giants in a desert temple or a long, trapped hallway.

Remember, there is a “N/A” option on the surveys, so if you didn’t get a chance to try out an ability, you don’t have to rate it. This is a good way to test multiple UA options, but it’s probably not as fun as a dedicated session for most players.

Campaigns

Sometimes, an Unearthed Arcana option grabs you from the moment you read it. You’re ready for the long haul and want to play it every night for the foreseeable future.

Great! Talk to your DM. Have them read the class and tell them that you’d like to give it a proper try. Keep in mind, there’s likely to be some back and forth with your DM as you level up within the class; you or your DM may feel something is unbalanced and want to tweak it as you go.

If you choose to incorporate Unearthed Arcana into a campaign, remember that the surveys only last a few weeks! After you’ve had a couple sessions with the new rules, don’t forget to go back and fill out the survey before it’s too late. In addition, check in from time to time. The rules may have been updated based on previous survey responses.

Where Can I Find Unearthed Arcana?

There may never be another Unearthed Arcana hardcover, but the spirit of the original book is alive and well in 5^th Edition. I think people weren’t ready for Gary Gygax’s variant rules in 1985. Sure, there might have been some obscure ones (did we really need a Thief-Acrobat?), but they were always meant to be optional. Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like most D&D players today are willing to tinker, house-rule, and experiment. Perhaps it’s due to the variety of available TTRPGs or the renaissance of new board games, many of which bring unique and brilliant mechanics. Either way, I think Gary would be proud.

You can find current and past Unearthed Arcana here.

You can also follow me on Twitter at @justicearman or sign up for my email list, the Gjallarhorn, for exclusive updates, playtest opportunities, and discounts.

Devil’s Advocate: A Guide to Going Gold!

Update: Devil’s Advocate is currently a MITHRAL (over 2,500 copies sold) best seller!

When I released my first Norse-themed subclass, the Oath of the Aesir, I put a post here on my website. Somehow, I forgot to do the same for Devil’s Advocate: A Guide to Infernal Contracts. It could have been all the excitement (and anxiety) I was feeling at the time of its release. Perhaps it was because the release was the week before Gen Con 2019 – more on that in a future post. Seeing as NorseDM.com functions functions as my digital portfolio… better late than never, right?

Devilish Ambitions

When I began writing Devil’s Advocate, I had a few goals.

1. Have a great first product for my portfolio. In my eyes, my previous two DMs Guild offerings don’t really count. Heart Hunt was a small adventure that I put on the Guild mainly because I had so much of it already typed up in OneNote; it was really just my digital notes for our annual spooky one shot. I had no idea anyone would enjoy my writing, let alone pay me for it.

Oath of the Aesir was a lot of fun to write, but it’s just a few pages. Is anyone really going to look at my portfolio and say, “Hey, this guy wrote a Norse subclass. That’s never been done before. Hire him!” Probably not. So, with my first “real” product, I wanted to come out of the gate swinging.

2. Pay livable wages. Devil’s Advocate was not cheap. It cost me $666 to produce. That’s not a joke, by the way. The total came out to $664 all-told, but I’m counting the .5mm pen I used to draw that Mephistopheles spot art. This bumps the total to a truly hellish figure.

Good art isn’t cheap. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t have to adjust my budget during the project timeline. But I wasn’t about to haggle with artists or offer to pay them in “exposure” like we’ve all seen online by now. Wonderful artists like Gwen Bassett (who did the cover art) have spent countless hours honing their skills. I chose these artists because of their style and ability, and I paid them fair rates.

It’s unusual for a project of this size to have a budget above $100, let alone $600, on the DMs Guild. I’m sure some people will look at the product and think, This cost $666? I could’ve made this for half that. And honestly? I don’t blame them. I simply don’t have the skillset to do something like this alone. My art is in this book, though it’s not particularly good.

Also, I straight can’t do layout. Anna Urbanek did a wonderful job. In the future, I’d like to move away from traditional WOTC-style layouts. I’m sure that there are many talented designers just waiting to do some fantastic, original layouts, rather than simply reusing their standard template.

3. Get that electrum medal, dammit! At the time of release, I had one product with a silver medal (Heart Hunt). My philosophy with fitness is that the only person that you should compare yourself to is you. So I wanted to do a little bit better than last time.

Pick of the Week!

Image may contain: 1 person, text — I had to rub my eyes when I saw this.

The day I released Devil’s Advocate, I was very anxious. Whether it was by luck or the infernal bargain I had signed with Asmodeus, there wasn’t some amazing, 200+ page POD product from an esteemed DMs Guild author releasing on the same day. Somehow, I ended up Pick of the Week on the DMs Guild Newsletter! It gave me a fantastic bump in sales.

Many friends graciously shared my work on social media. DM Dango did a review of Devil’s Advocate on his Youtube. And the Saturday after release, I got an article on ComicBook.com written by Christian Hoffer! Again, these helped bump my sales significantly.

Devil’s Advocate hit copper on its first day and silver on its second – something that took Heart Hunt over six months to do! I had a bit of impostor syndrome there for a bit. Do I deserve this? I thought. By the end of the first week, I had reached my goal of the illustrious electrum that I so craved. Then, while walking the Exhibit Hall at Gen Con 2019…

I surpassed my goal!

Look at me Mom! Gold medal! Not only did I break even, I doubled my original investment. This means that I can put these earnings towards future projects with beautiful art, original layouts, and livable wages.

What Did You Learn?

This product taught me a few things. First, I learned about managing expectations. While I started to sweat as sales were coming in, my #1 goal was to build something great for my portfolio. I felt like I did that before Devil’s Advocate ever hit the DMs Guild.

Secondly, I learned not to shy away from a bigger budget. Though I recognize that not everyone has the funds to invest into their products. I don’t have any kids, and I have a very, very supportive spouse. The original art and layout I included in Devil’s Advocate was worth every single penny, even if it had never recouped its costs.

Marketing for the DMs Guild is tough. I think my growing follower base on D&D Twitter – which has been quite the wholesome and supportive place, thankfully – helped a lot. I think the infernal contract giveaway gave the product a good boost with people who would not have otherwise stopped to examine it. Similarly, managing social media requires constant diligence. I’ve started using Hootesuite to schedule posts when I’m either asleep or busy (even though my Facebook game is trash).

Finally, this entire process was fun. Creating something from nothing is extremely rewarding. I enjoyed watching my little devilish baby go from taking its first steps to earning a gold star. I look forward to the many DMs Guild babies I will birth. May they go on to do great things.

Progressive Products on the DMs Guild

I’d like to increase representation in future products. I love the cover of Devil’s Advocate not only because of the dynamic lighting from the contract, but because it features a female devil that isn’t a succubus. She’s clothed. She has character to her. And look at that big 80’s hair! Wonderful.

I’m going to make a conscious effort to include artwork featuring diverse characters. As I discover more artists and designers, I’d like to do the same with my teams. If you are a minority creator or know one, please reach out to me via my Contact page.

What Are You Writing?

Right now, I’m finishing up a huge collaboration of Nine Hell-themed adventures lead by Bryan Holmes called Hellbound Heists. My adventure is a Tier 4 train robbery set in the 8th layer of Hell, Cania. It’s been a blast. Not only am I writing on this project, but I’ve also done a fair bit of editing. In addition, it features a few of my illustrations and a bit of B&W cartography. It’s going to be one hell of a product.

What else, what else… Oh! This month, I’ll be releasing a sorcerous origin tied to the Norns. Get those knitting needles ready. It’s time to entwine the fates!

I’m also working on one super-secret project and starting a couple of other collaborations towards the end of this month that are currently mummified (under wraps).

Purchase Devil’s Advocate

You can also follow me on Twitter at @justicearman or sign up for my email list, the Gjallarhorn, for exclusive updates, playtest opportunities, and discounts.