 Pugmire, and its accompanying setting, The Monarchies of Mau, are vibrant tabletop settings where you get to take on the roles of anthropomorphic dogs and cats going on quests and adventure. Want to be a Pomeranian Barbarian? You got it! An adorable Pug Pugilist? Sure thing! It's...super cute, but not everything is fluffy and cuddly. See, the world of Pugmire and its sister kingdoms rest in a world without humans. It's our world, but with a very different future. We're all dead. That's right. This is a post-apocalyptic scenario. Ruins of our modern cities dot the landscape and echoes of our technology become great relics of the past to be uncovered by those left behind. There are only a few animals that "Man" uplifted before their mysterious demise, leaving the rest to either remain beasts of burden or swell to gigantic size and danger. Dogs, cats, rats, mice, lizards, birds, and badgers all claim the enlightened states of language, skill, and commerce. There's even a religion in this! For the noble Dogs of Pugmire, they follow the Code Of Man.  There Are Layers To ThisAgain, even with the obvious pulls toward dog punnery, there is great depth below these tenets. This is a world of secrets and great mystery. It is the Dogs's belief that The Master uplifted them for a reason; maybe to discover the truth about their end, or ensure their return, and not to betray one another as you do so. There is a dark evil in the land of Pugmire and the lands beyond it known only as The Unseen - invisible demons and corruption that plague the ruins of Man and forbidden realms that encircle the planet. No matter their allegiances, all creatures must be protected against The Unseen and the nightmares they spin...  Let's Make A Good DogOn the surface, Pugmire borrows heavily from 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. You can clearly see the influence from the public SRD and basic rules. But it's much more than D&D with Dogs. Knowledge of how D&D functions will get you through the mechanics just fine, though. D20 system, modifiers, 3 death saves, advantage and disadvantage, spell casting, even rage! But let's map out what we'll need. FIRST - CALCULATE ABILITY SCORES You can roll using any technique you would normally use to generate attributes in 5th Edition D&D, so for our benefit today, we will err on the side of even playing fields and use a Heroic Array. For those uninitiated, that comes out as: 17, 15, 14, 13, 11, 9. SECOND - CHOOSE A CALLING This is what the game counts as a "class," for those looking for transferable terms. There aren't the same plethora of options here as with D&D, but once you take into account that this game banks hard toward exploration and social interaction over number-crunchy combat (there's still combat, mind you, but we'll get there), you begin to recognize the goal of this game. It's about story-telling and immersion. Most of the rules end at Level 10 (not 20; you can keep going, and there have been supplements to expand this, but "leveling" in the traditional sense isn't the target here). So let's break down our options. Artisans (Wizards) - sages and scholars, these are the protectors of knowledge and the arcane. They are one of two callings with access to magic. Stamina (Hit Points) = 6 + Con modifier, and they count Charisma and Intelligence as their primary abilities. Simple Weapons, Light Armor, and (choose 1) Encouragement or Focus Magic. Guardians (Fighters/Knight) - elite warriors with a code, strong and stalwart. Stamina = 10 + Con, and they value Charisma and Strength. Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons, Light-Medium-Heavy Armor, Shields, and (choose 1) Fighting Style or Inspiring Word. Hunters (Rangers) - intelligent trackers and woodsmen, Hunters are quick and perceptive. Stamina = 10 + Con, and they use Dexterity and Wisdom. Simple and Martial Weapons, Light-Medium Armor, Shields, and (choose 1) Archery or Natural Explorer. Ratters (Rogues) - swashbucklers, thieves, and stealthy specialists. Stamina = 8 + Con, and they use Constitution and Dexterity. Simple Weapons, Light Armor, and (choose 1) Precise Attack or Second Wind. Shepherds (Clerics) - divine casters who live the Code of Man. Stamina = 8 + Con, and you better assume they're using Wisdom and Intelligence. Simple Weapons, Light-Medium Armor, Shields, and (choose 1) Good Memory or Prayers to Man (magic). Strays (Barbarians) - just as the nomadic tribes of D&D do not mean stupid or savage, a Stray can be articulate and intelligent. The defining characteristic is its separation from the civilized society of the kingdom. Stamina = 12 + Con, and we're rocking Strength and Constitution. Simple-Martial Weapons, Light Armor, Shields, and (choose 1) Rage or Unarmored Defense. THIRD - CHOOSE A BREED This is the game's version of Race, but you're not tied to a high level of specificity here. You'll gain an ability score bonus (usually a +2 somewhere) and a Trick (a special ability indicative of the Breed). As the game progresses, you'll pick up new Tricks, but your Breed grants your first one. I'll give you each Breed, some examples of dog Families (the specific type of dog), the Ability Score Bonus, and the name of your First Trick. Note about about Family Names: The exact dog that you are is your "family". So, Yosha Pug's family is "Pug", and that's also her last name. Companions | Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Pug, Shihtzu. +2 Charisma First Trick: Puppy Dog Eyes (advantage on Charisma checks to make friends or be polite) Fettles | Bulldog, Dalmation, Doberman, Mastiff. +2 Constitution First Trick: Hardy Constitution (add 1d4 to all Constitution Saving Throws) Herders | Canaan, Collie, Sheepdog. +2 Wisdom First Trick: Keen Observer (advantage on all checks involving hearing, sight, or smell) Pointers | Bloodhound, Labrador, Rat-Terrier. +2 Intelligence First Trick: Voracious Learner (advantage on Intelligence checks to remember read knowledge) Runners | Borzoi, Greyhound, Whippet. +2 Dexterity First Trick: Speedy Runner (advantage on skill checks to run or chase; also increase walking speed to 35 feet, and all-fours running to 50) Workers | Akita, Husky, Malamute, Salish. +2 Strength First Trick: Brute Strength (advantage on Strength checks to pull, push, or lift) Mutts | +1 to any two ability scores First Trick: pick one from any other Breed. Backgrounds and GearA dog's background details what he did before becoming a hero. It awards two skills they are Proficient in (so they get to add that sweet Proficiency Bonus to rolls for it), a Rucksack of equipment that fits into the background, and a Background Trick. In this blog, I'll give you the name of your possible backgrounds, their skills, and the name of their Trick Note about skills and custom backgrounds: If you don't like any of the listed Backgrounds here, you can always make a Custom Background by picking two skills to be proficient in, and selecting one of the Background Tricks found on page 79 in the core rulebook. All of the available skills are: STRENGTH - Intimidation DEXTERITY - Balance, Sneak, Steal CONSTITUTION - Traverse (like athletics) INTELLIGENCE - Know (Arcana, Culture, History, Nature, Religion) WISDOM - Handle Animal, Heal, Notice, Search, Sense Motive, Survive CHARISMA - Bluff, Perform, Persuade Acolyte Skills: Know Religion, Sense Motive Trick: Acolyte Of Man Common Folk Skills: Handle Animal, Survive Trick: Folk Hero Criminal Skills: Bluff, Sneak Trick: Friend In Low Places Free Dog Skills: Know Nature, Survive Trick: Respected By Strays Merchant Skills: Bluff, Sense Motive Trick: Odds and Ends Noble Skills: Know History, Persuade Trick: Good Breeding Sage Skills: Know Arcana, Know History Trick: Nearby Expert Soldier Skills: Intimidate, Traverse Trick: Rank Has Its Privileges The contents of your Rucksack denote your starting equipment. Learning New TricksA dog's Calling and Breed each have First Tricks, but every level a dog can choose a new Trick as part of their improvement or refine one, if it has that option. Defense, Initiative, and SpeedDEFENSE Without armor = 10 + Dexterity Modifier Light Armor = 11 + Dexterity Modifier (padded armor, leather, or studded leather) Medium Armor = 13 + Dexterity Modifier with Disadvantage on Dexterity skill checks (hide, chain shirt, scale mail, half plate) Heavy Armor = 16, with Disadvantage on Dexterity skill checks and movement is reduced by 5 feet (ring mail, chain mail, splint mail, and plate mail) Shields = +2 Defense when out. INITIATIVE + Dexterity OR Intelligence modifier (Adamus House Rule) SPEED Most dogs move at a speed of 30 feet. If they drop to all fours to run, that speed is 40 feet. In ConclusionYou should have your:
Ability Scores distributed, with modifiers (as per D&D) Your Calling, Two Skills, and its First Tricks (some give a choice between two, so make that choice) Your Breed and its First Trick A Background, Two Skills, a Rucksack of equipment, and another Trick Your Proficiency Bonus (+2, and increases by 1 at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th levels (to a maximum of +6) Spells, if you have a Trick for magic. Now all you need is a name and a backstory, and you'll have the bestest puppy in the land. In case it wasn't obvious, this post does not replace the core rulebook. There's a lot I'm leaving out, and if you have the chance to score the book from Onyx Path Publishing, I highly recommend it. WOOF. See you at the table. -Adamus
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Something To Unwind WithSome days are rough, some nights are tough, and sometimes you just need a little sweet and smooth to take the edge off. Let's try a "cool" hot chocolate with a boozy twist. Measurements for this will be less measurement and more pour time (like in spoken seconds, but no "Mississippi", got me?) First, boil up some hot water and make yourself a "dense" hot chocolate in a mug. Dense means I'm only filling the mug a quarter and stirring in the mix. I then pour in two splashes of 2% milk, and stir. Now the second pours: 2 seconds your favorite Chocolate Wine 4 seconds white chocolate liqueur 4-5 seconds milk chocolate liqueur Stir and place in the fridge for a few minutes Once you take it out you're good to go, but if you're feeling cute, put some whipped cream on top and snuggle up with a short stack of cookies and your favorite show, and enjoy your cheat night. Pre-Emptive ChaseOn rough days, my wife will contact me on her way out of work and I know just what to prepare. We're simple people when it comes to flavor palettes, and low ingredient count serves us well, both for effect and digestion.
On your next rough day, try this out. Walk in, drop your stuff, and down a shot of straight Cinnamon Whiskey (Fireball will do just fine). Then take a saunter around the house and mix yourself a lovely Disaronno and Coke. The Cinnamon Whiskey will mix well with the smooth amaretto and peppery Coca-Cola. And that's all for now from the Moonriver. Don't forget to love each other, and please enjoy responsibly. -Adamus So I’ll be very open that I’m not used to the whole blogging thing. This is usually Adamus’s territory, but given that I’ve lost my voice at the time of this writing (and I have SUCH opinions on things), I figured I’d try reaching out in a new way. For this inaugural blog post, I figured I’d talk about my philosophy on building characters. See, I build characters to exact opposite of most people. A lot of players read a character class's description, decide which story they like, then build. I instead cherry pick which features and traits will satisfy the experience I want to have from a game mechanics perspective, crafting the character's story with the function of the game's rules in mind. Sometimes this can be accomplished in a single character class's leveling progression, but more often than not this method requires multi-classing. But first, let's dissect my methods, and why I believe the best Dungeons & Dragons storytelling follows the intimate understanding of game mechanics rather than preceding it. The Marriage Of Story And Mechanics Now most people recognize that Dungeons and Dragons is less of a game and more of a storytelling vehicle that shapes the narrative through game mechanics (the agreed upon rules of how player choices affect and change the values of the game state). Often, the characteristic that attracts people to Dungeons and Dragons and other tabletop role-playing games is the limitless possibility of what can happen at the table. Through a unique alchemy of imagination, creativity, strategy, and luck, we sit down together to form memories and experiences that stick with us through our lives. As is our mission at DM Shower Thoughts, we’re playing together to discover our best selves through gaming and having tremendous fun along the way. However, despite the storytelling possibilities, game mechanics are still constitute the foundation that keep Dungeons and Dragons anchored as a game rather than as a free form storytelling workshop. Without the structure of rules and mechanics, the louder voices outshout the shyer, and new players may not know how they can and can't contribute. Game mechanics help with these problems in two ways. First, the game often has players take turns, so everyone gets a say in the action. Second, the game has discrete options players can rely on if they feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of possible choices. D&D’s mechanics offer reliable options, while still being flexible enough to reward creativity. As for story, D&D (and other TTRPGs) grant us the space to tell the stories of ourselves we secretly want to tell. And while it may be part power fantasy, it’s also our yearning to discover who we really are when our society’s rules and norms aren’t limiting us and we’re given autonomy in an imaginary space. This is also where things can get dicey (pun intended). Unlike other board games, like Monopoly and Risk where a player’s choices are finite and objective, a Dungeon Master is the ultimate referee of the rules as well as the primary narrator. The objective is fundamentally different (telling a story versus defeating other players through strategy and luck), and the mechanics of the game can be changed to fulfill the storytelling tone that the players want. Unfortunately, sometimes you get the opposite effect. You see, with each rules entry of the Player’s Handbook, there is also a story or lore explanation to that rule’s inclusion. For example, a Barbarian’s Rage is noted as being innate primal fury and a Cleric’s magic is said to be the product of a Deity. However, instead of flavor text being a creative ignition of imagination and wonder, a close-minded DM or player can read story text as the only possible explanations for a rule’s inclusion. Even worse, and probably more common, a RAW (rules as written) DM limits the mechanics of a class to compromise its storytelling potential. Because of this, if a player only selects a class based on that class’s story, they may actually discount another leveling option that would tell that story better. Example 1: The Fighter Oftentimes, a newer player coming to Dungeons and Dragons has the perception that the game is unnecessarily complicated and the rules are overwhelming and difficult to master. To many RPG veterans that have played a variety of rules systems and editions of D&D, the opinion is often the opposite, and they believe that 5th edition is too simple. I’ve found the truth to be somewhere in the middle. To compensate for a new player’s fear of causing some kind of detriment to a well-established play group’s flow, often a DM will suggest the Fighter class to a new player. The suggestion is usually well intentioned. Because a Fighter is a fairly survivable class with limited rules to remember, a new player can learn about different dice, weapons, and 5th edition’s action economy without having to memorize spells and situational effects. However, most fighter players resign themselves to saying “I roll to attack”, and every once in a while “I use an action surge and attack again”, rather than feeling engaged with the dynamic interactions in the game’s story. To me, this is where the problem arises. The Fighter story in 5th edition is intentionally generic to allow the player to create the character’s story. Is your fighter a brave knight in chainmail looking to uphold justice for the weak? Are they a grizzled monster slayer that believes playing fair is a poor strategic move? Are they a bandit, a master archer, a gladiator or something else entirely? All of these examples are fighters, and although their stories are wildly different, their mechanics tend to be similar. This problem is compounded with a lack of competitive performance from the Fighter’s features. From my experience both playing a Fighter and DMing for others playing Fighters, I’ve found that through class features alone, Fighters are usually outclassed by other characters that are built to the same role. Did you build a fighter to be a bruiser that can take some punishment? The party barbarian can deal and take more damage. Do you want a clever archer with unmatched accuracy? A well-built rogue can do more damage with the same weapon, and a well built ranger can match that accuracy while also casting healing spirit on the side. Looking to be a clever controller that uses tactics and maneuvers to outthink the enemy? Just try and compete with a dedicated Druid or Wizard. And because clever player-DM teams can re-flavor story elements to any mechanics, the same story can be told through multiple classes, but the impact on the game state is only determined by mechanics. So without magic items to compensate, a fighter really doesn’t get their own story. If you build a fighter, you’re probably looking to tell the story of a character that’s good at fighting, and when someone else always fights better than you, you tend to ask yourself if your character matters. Example 2: The Warlock Let’s now look at a class with the opposite problem – the Warlock. The Warlock story is one as old as mythology, where a mortal seeking power (either maliciously or due to some need) strikes a bargain with some higher power in order to fulfill their goal. Most warlock players I’ve met have gone for the Faustian myth, where the character’s patron is operating against the interest of the player character. After all, if they had the player’s back, they might as well be a cleric. Now the Faustian deal is an interesting angle to explore, especially for a deep dive into a character’s psychology and back story. However, like the fighter, the warlock can be a frustrating class to play because of its mechanics. Unlike other spellcasters in 5th edition, Warlocks usually only have two spell slots per fight, which severely limits their options in combat. Sure they have the most powerful cantrip in the game (eldritch blast) which can be enhanced through invocations, but the warlock isn’t given as many turn by turn options as other casters (like druid and wizard). Now I’ve been a warlock player, and I’ve felt this conflict personally. I’ve loved playing through the dynamic relationship between Player Character and Patron, but the game’s mechanics were always lacking. So, why can’t I, say for instance, play a Druid but have the story of the warlock? For some DMs, the answer is “because the book says that Warlocks are the pact ones. It’s the warlock story.” To which, I retort, “Why can’t my Pact manifest as druid powers?” And as one would expect by now, I often let my players create characters like that. However, to many readers, the story of a game rule and its mechanics are married. My suggestion is to divorce them. Once you can see how mechanics resolve in play, the story description returns to being energetic ignition rather than the boundaries of what this rule HAS to be, and that’s where a lot of fun can happen. How I Build CharactersLike I said in the introduction, I build characters by thinking through the mechanical experience I want to have with them. This includes thinking through their action economy (what my choices will look like turn by turn) as well as how I want to design their strengths and flaws into their mechanics. As a case study, let’s look at Solomon Blackedge, the character I portray in both Cloudsinger and Adamus’s custom world of Gray Owls. The story of Solomon was inspired by that of Geralt of Rivia, the Witcher from the book and videogame series of the same name (now also on Netflix). Although I didn’t want to BE Geralt, I was interested in portraying a character like him along with some of his abilities and style. This included:
Now, no single class in 5e can encompass all of these traits. One can argue, “Go Eldritch Knight! They get access to lots of equipment and magic!” Having tried to go that route (and see my complaints about Fighter up above), it also didn’t serve my character’s story the way it theoretically should have. First, I had proficiency in Nature and Survival (ability to track and know about monsters). Second, being a Fighter meant I should be able to fight. Third, dampened emotions make him speak his mind and make him hard to get along with. I at least got used to the third one, which was in my control as a role-player. Again, the problem I ran into was performance. I rarely succeeded on my skills of choice (Nature and Survival) due to dice luck, meaning that my Witcher character couldn’t actually succeed at the things he was designed to. Second, he almost never hit during a fight, and even when he did, because of nonmagical damage resistant enemies, he never did damage. Third, an eldritch knight is far more committed to casting than I actually wanted, and included many magical abilities I didn’t want my character to have. So how do I reconcile this? Well, Solomon’s current build in Gray Owls is 12 levels of Scout Rogue, 3 levels of Open Hand Monk, and 2 levels of War Wizard. How does this play? Incredibly well. Same story premise, very different mechanical performance. Unlike the Eldritch Knight, Solomon almost always succeeds on Nature and Survival checks because of the Scout’s expertise in those skills. Not that I’m afraid of failure or having flaws, but always failing is just as boring as always succeeding. Not only that, but he has skills he’s designed to fail at, like persuasion and athletics. Combine that with the Rogue’s reliable talent, and now he truly is a seasoned expert as his chosen craft. Objective #1 complete. How about fighting? Well, even though Solomon isn’t a criminal (he’s a monster slayer), the rogue’s features fit his fighting style well. Once you discard the rogue’s story as that of an outlaw and see it as that of a dexterous warrior, sneak attack and cunning action produce an engaging tactical experience in combat. Solomon isn’t meant to get hit and tough it out. He’s meant to hit a crucial target for maximum effectiveness and deftly reposition so he’s harder to pin down. As for Armor Class? That’s where Monk comes in. Monk or Rogue alone wouldn’t really perform as well, but together, with a little bit of a Monk’s unarmored defense and a Rogue’s sneak attack, he’s a force to be reckoned with. And now, the story of Solomon being a deadly fighter with the story of being an expert tracker is now fulfilled. But what about the magic? Well, Eldritch Knight has way too much magic. And what’s the function of this magic anyways? For me playing as Geralt in the Witcher games and seeing how he fights in the Netflix show, it comes down to minor magic gusts and quick shield spells. That, and Arcane Deflection is one heck of a feature, especially since its “balance point” is that you can only cast a cantrip on the next turn after you use it. No problem; I’m not going to be casting many cantrips when I sneak attack like a Fireball. So as clunky as the build looks on paper, and how it borrows from class features with classes that may not have to do with each other, together the dissonant pieces form a cohesive custom story I want to tell. It’s not to say there also aren’t clever stories I can tell with single classes, but it does mean if I want them to perform a certain way I have to be open to multi-classing. In Conclusion Dungeons and Dragons as a storytelling vehicle is unique in that the rules offer excellent creative leverage to tell powerful, long lasting stories. However, the problem arises when we build our characters using suggestions and absolutes. I came to my character building method because of my disappointment that my first character didn’t perform the way he was designed. And if any of you readers take anything away from this, it’s that how mechanics resolve dictate the story, and if you want to tell a specific story, you need to know which mechanics are going to allow you to tell that story in the context of the game’s system. So every time I hear someone say that “Optimizing takes away from role playing”, all I can think of is the storytelling limitations that frame puts on the collective experience at the table. As a Dungeon Master, it’s taught me to offer my players choices as they build, to remind them that they don’t have to build to their preconceived notions unless they want to. Want to build a support nature caster? You can do that through druid, but have you considered nature cleric or archfey warlock? Druid probably works best, but know those options are out there. Hopefully this has had some value, if anything else than to clarify why you build characters the way you do. That way, when you do it, you’re doing so out of choice rather than habit. Study Hard, Play Hard. -John Enjoy this take from another corner? Smash that Like button and stay tuned for more every month.
Other perspectives help us grow as fellow gamers. :) Also, if you want to help support the site in a different way, Subscribe to our YouTube Channel, DM Shower Thoughts. See you soon, and remember to Game Responsibly. -Adamus This shall be a rare post. Normally this is a gaming blog, but occasionally I've got life stuff to talk about and this has been on my mind in these uncertain times. So here goes something. STOCKS!!!Yes. I am so far away from the stock moguls of this universe and the next. I am not a broker, I'm barely a trader, and I am certainly not an entity that possesses the enormous capital required to swell my own ranks in a successful portfolio on the grand stage. ...Which, I think, makes me more qualified to talk about this. I'm not rich. Far from it. Meaning, if you're reading this, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. :) Jumping into stocks and bonds and putting money away, especially in TINY increments - just scrimping and saving literal change at a time - is hard. You'll try to educate yourself here and there, and though you might pick up a few hints and tricks, a lot of the advice I read first involved investing numbers that there was no way I could achieve in the time frame they suggested. It still boggles my mind to think that people would just have $10K to throw around, like it was no big deal. Maybe, some day, I could get to that point...but I'm in the wrong career and I'd have to be REALLY lucky. But my focus here isn't to get rich, it's to have something left over, and that's going to be very important moving forward. I don't want to devote 90% of my day to stocks...I actually have fun things to do. This needs to be easy, and I want it to work better than a savings account with terrible interest. What I Use and WhyI've always had a good "math brain." I like crunching numbers, budgeting, and messing around with theoretical quantities. It's helped me in game design, in money management, and now, it serves me in assessing the level of Control vs Peace Of Mind that I want when I put money away for the future. I utilize (currently) four "assets", in addition to a savings account. I say currently, because I'm testing one out for a year. If I don't like it, I get to withdraw and re-invest into one of the remaining three. I didn't start things this way. I added each new pursuit as I discovered the shortcomings of my previous pursuits, and experienced the truth of some of their main draws, and then clarified their real power. ... That was super vague. Let's get into it. AcornsI like Acorns.com. At the time I joined up, it was my first and only foray into stocks and bonds, and it's all automated. This has certain benefits, with some revealing detriments that are only bad if you're like me and you want more "control." The main idea here is "as long as you have at least $5, you can start investing," and that mission remains true beginning to end. The minimum deposit is $5; you can automate this or not from a funding source, and there are one-time deposit options. Pros: 1) Set deposit with a funding source; as long as that source is healthy, then you're consistently putting money away in general stocks. 2) You select 1 of 5 options for a portfolio, based on your level of risk and your time frame. Got a while and not a lot to deposit each time? Go Conservative. It'll grow. 3) Adjusting your deposits, portfolio, and other details is super easy and clear. The UI makes you feel sunny and confident. 4) Low subscription fee of $1-3. As long as you're putting in at least $5 a month, even if they take $3, you're still coming out with more in the account. The arguments against this product about diminishing returns have little weight, because you have to deposit at least $5 (that's the minimum), so you'll always come out with more, and most folks will set it at $10-25 per month to start themselves off, so that gap gets bigger fast. And you're paying for the convenience, with a minuscule fee. 5) There's an Acorns Later option for building up retirement (which is lovely). Cons: 1) Round-Ups, the main advertising draw, are, in my experience and execution, a complete joke. But not a deal breaker (in fact, a lot of these robo-traders have this feature; I go into detail about my qualms with it below in a separate section). 2) You don't choose what stocks you're investing in. You want to invest in Amazon specifically? Not going to happen. But maybe that's okay for you. My main draw: Acorns.com is a "set it and forget it" investment tool. You're not meant to watch this account like a hawk each day; check it once a week maybe - make adjustments when you want. Be sure to set your budget clearly, and if you have extra cash to put away, you have a one-time investment option. I don't recommend the Round-Up option, but again, that was never my draw in the first place. RobinhoodIf Acorns is the set it and forget it, Robinhood is the hawk. Now, originally, I was thinking about using E-Trade, but I'm just not a fan. They're too big and I don't trust them. Robinhood's mobile option is lovely, and it's intuitive and easy to set things up. Their website is amazing. I enjoy how easy it is to organize my portfolio almost like a professional, whether I want to look at things by price, gain, loss, etc. The interface is also quite transparent. You know precisely how many shares are in what and where, how much they're worth, how much of your portfolio they make up, and your total return or loss over the lifespan of owning the share. Pros: 1) FRACTIONAL SHARES - this is HUGE. Most people I would wager simply don't have the capital needed to invest in many of the big companies (like Amazon or Apple). Fractional Shares are, well, fractions. You can choose to put a $1 into Apple, giving you a fraction of a share. Slowly work up to owning half a share, or whatever you like. It lowers the barrier of entry for new investors, and was my big selling point for this asset. It also allows you, if you're like me, to better budget or "wipe" your buying power if you have a few bucks left over that would normally just sit there (put that extra in your target stock and keep building toward the next complete share). 2) Full control over what I'm investing in and how much (exactly what I wanted when I jumped into this). 3) Easy to get started. Transparent and clear. 4) Just for joining, they award you a free share in a random stock, so you have something to work with right away. This stock can be anywhere from $1 - $500. It's a free gamble, and it feels neat to get something (even if you decide to sell it later!). Cons: 1) You have full control, so you have to take full responsibility. You might be thinking, "well, duh," but this is where personal research and education will start to show its value. You need to look up the stocks you want to invest in... thankfully, a quick search on terms will take care of most - but YOU have to do it. And if you're wrong, you might end up losing some money. I don't know if this is a "true" con and not more of a reality check. 2) Transfers to get buying power are fast at first, during a grace period, but if you want your cash right away you'll have to sign up for Robinhood Gold, which has a monthly fee. Annoying, considering they give you a taste right away without telling you it's temporary...but it's still a small fee. My main draw: I truly appreciate knowing exactly where every cent is going. I have supreme control over what goes where, and when. Want to invest in Disney? You can! That's what I wanted all along! ...may not have been the best choice, but at least I had the choice! And it feels SO GREAT to do your research, act on it, and then reap your rewards (even if those rewards are lessons for next time). I'm just grateful for the opportunity to jump in and try. There's a lot of learning involved in this, and by giving myself a (VERY) limited monthly budget, I know I've always got some buying power available to me - ESPECIALLY with Fractional Shares - and appreciate having access to all of the resources I would need to know what the heck I'm doing. Real success needs experience, but I'm gaining that, and it's a lot of fun to cultivate my portfolio on MY TERMS. Stash InvestmentsStash Investments I put here because I can best describe it as the "bridge" between Acorns and Robinhood. Where Acorns has little say, and Robinhood has all the say, Stash splits down the middle. Yes, you can invest in individual companies OR in cultivated "mixes" from the program's robo-advisor. They get cool catchy names and nice Dividend spreads, they're (mostly) informative about which companies or funds are included in the mix, and they're pretty up front about what you're getting without having to use a lot of jargon. This approach, I think, has a benefit and a small detriment. It's beneficial because it feels more accessible. Language and terms are simplified so you get enough information so you can make a decision, but you have to dig to know everything going in. It requires a level of trust in the company that they know what they're doing with each mix. BUT, if you don't trust that, you can always invest in individual companies anyway, they just don't recommend it as readily. Stash is intended for complete beginners. Pros: 1) Mixes feel safe without feeling flat. You have a lot of say in what kinds of companies you buy stock in, and, just like Robinhood, if you don't like it, you can sell the mix and get some cash to invest elsewhere. 2) You set up your portfolio of mixes, companies, whatever as a monthly schedule with deposits of varying set amounts into each stock or stock pool. This is a more specific "Set It and Forget It." It can be exciting to check it out and see where you want to make any adjustments, or leave it alone and let it grow. Like an "upgraded Acorns." 3) Though it's not explicit, Stash also uses fractional shares, hence why the Mixes work. Better for your budget plan. Cons: 1) Customer Support... I ran into an issue with scheduled deposits into my Cash Flow. The interface for scheduling this isn't as transparent as it needs to be. It's better to clarify and be redundant than be vague when you're dealing with someone's money. I get it; english can be hard sometimes. So I contacted customer support. And then I contacted them again. And again. And again. ...To this day, 6 months later, no one has responded to my question. I ended up solving the problem myself, and once I was more careful with the interface, everything was hunky dorey. ...But seriously? No one? It boggles my mind. ---Now, they have a pretty extensive FAQ section, but nothing surrounding my issue AT ALL, so when I reached out to a person and got NOTHING, I nearly withdrew everything on the spot. I hope it's gotten better, but I don't know. 2) In case you haven't guessed, this is the one on trial. Trust goes a long way in this gig, and that initial experience of being ignored with my problem did not help. They've got another 6 months; we'll see. There's a lot of potential in the rest of the service, so I'm being optimistic. My main draw: Though the initial reception was lukewarm, Stash has grown on me. I like knowing where my money is going, but I don't have to shift it around or watch it like a hawk. It takes less spell slots to maintain this portfolio, and I like that I could draft a few companies and mixes, and then walk away and trust that I'm putting away a set amount every month that will work for me. A Word On Dividends (Imma drop some math on you)The term Dividend is what drew me to the Stock Market in the first place. In very simple terms, a Dividend is a payout from a company to an investor; you get a certain percentage yield per share that you own, which is cash. It's income for owning the stock. Yields are represented by a value, often with a decimal, but it translates directly to a percentage. So, if you see something with a "0.8", it is literally "0.8%", not 80%. That also means, for that specific example, that a single share of $10 will yield $0.08. I know, that's not a lot, but that's PER SHARE. So if you have 100 shares, your yield becomes $8. 1000 shares, $80. 10K? $800. Some dividend yields look REALLY HIGH. Like 75% kind of high. So for even a $1 share, you'd get $0.75. Start multiplying, and this starts getting intense. 100 shares becomes $75, 10,000 becomes $7500. But it's not that simple. These are common among REITs, which are Real Estate stocks. They have high volatility, and IF they pay out, it's real nice, but it's never a guarantee. So, from experience, let me drop some knowledge. Dividends come in many levels, but a safe yield is considered around 2-4%, sometimes 5%. I know that sounds boring, especially with the above example, but if you're going toward consistent dividends like me (because I want this to be passive money that is working FOR me), then sticking to about 3-5% will help get you there. The reason is that companies don't HAVE to pay out Dividends. If they don't pay their investors too often, though, they're in deep trouble and risk losing their capital all together. But the payout happens if the company decides they can afford to do it - and 80% is a lot harder to justify consistently than 5%. That's why Hasbro (HAS) is fantastic, by the way. They've stayed at a consistent 4.5%, even through the pandemic, and have a long history of paying consistent dividends to their backers. I highly recommend them, even if only for a fraction of a share. Now, even after all of my research and lessons on this topic... I still have shares in certain companies with high yields. I have redistributed and restructured my portfolio to have more shares in that 3-5% range for stability, but I admit there's something very exciting about seeing that high percentage. The real reason, though, that I've kept a few of these...is trust. Despite those alarming high yields, there have been a few companies that have consistently paid me those high dividends - much to my surprise. There are still others that keep cancelling, despite having comparatively lower yields and higher profit (businesses are weird). But if a company is paying out their Dividends to me, even if it's just a couple cents to start, it begins to build "trust fund" for me. I keep a personal log of the companies that follow through with their promises - and I'll share my current top 5 and why I like em so much! 1) Hasbro (HAS) - approx. $75 /share, at 4.5% Dividend (payout quarterly) 2) Washington Prime Group (WPG) - approx. $1 /share, at roughly 50% Dividend Yield (payout quarterly) 3) Coca-Cola (KO) - approx. $50 /share, at 3.5% Dividend (payout quarterly) 4) Alpine Global (AWP) - approx. $5 /share, at 10% Dividend (payout MONTHLY so far) 5) Tie between two similars: Western Assets (WEA + HIO) $13 + $5 /share, at 5.5% + 8% Dividend (payout Monthly so far) And when, realistically, you're only supposed to focus on 30 stocks max...I went a little overboard with 65. Oooooooops. I've scaled back! I promise! Worthy BondsThe best option here is the least complicated. They're bonds. Plain and simple. Worthy is a bond and loan service that supports small businesses, so you feel good about yourself. Plus, each bond is liquid (so you can just withdraw it whenever you want), but last three years before they close it and open up a new stack. Each stack earns 5% DAILY INTEREST. I'm not joking. It's so freaking baller. Why do I think that's so amazing? Because I'VE EXPERIENCED TERRIBLE INTEREST IN SAVINGS ACCOUNTS. It's tragic. So this way I can set an easy monthly schedule, and watch the interest roll in. It's compounded interest, too, so every cent you earn from interest counts toward the total amount, so that number gets bigger, which gets more interest, which then gets bigger... You get the idea. I hope. :) Pros: 1) Simple and clean. Buy bonds. Get great interest. 2) Withdraw whenever you want, even if the 3 years aren't up. 3) Safe and secure. Cons: 1?) The cash you put in takes 4-6 days to clear usually. I don't think this is a big problem, because it's definitively a security measure. My Main Draw: out of these 4 assets, Worthy is my favorite. It's simple and straightforward with the most consistent returns. And it kicks the crud out of most standard savings accounts. Easy choice. A Word About "Round-Ups"The primary marketing strategy with 3/4 of these companies is using a "round-up" mechanic to augment your investments. How they say it works is that you link a card to your account and it tracks your purchases, "rounding" them up to the nearest dollar. The difference from the rounding is then set aside into a separate pool. Once that pool reaches $5, it is automatically deposited into your account. Now, upon originally seeing this as a main draw, especially considering the frequency at which each company pushes this agenda, I tried it out. The way I imagined it would work would be the following scenario: I purchase a coffee for $1.62 on my credit card. My card is actually charged $2.00, and that $0.38 is put into a separate pool. I make other purchases here and there, and my card is charged the "rounded up" amounts, siphoning the difference into the pool. I did this for a little while, excited and totally cool with the idea that I would be seeing "whole values" on my credit expenditures and that my balance would have had some incremental gain. Upon checking both of these things... Neither was true. In reality, this is actually what happens. I purchase a coffee for $1.62 on my credit card. My card is actually charged $1.62, and that $0.38 is just a number, put on a list in my account. I make other purchases here and there, and more arbitrary "differences" are put on that list. I then must sign in to my account and go through that list, checking box after box of these "differences" until I crest at least $5. That amount of money is then withdrawn not from my credit card, but from my funding source. To which, I ask, why didn't I just deposit an extra $5 as a One-Time deposit? The Round-Up system uses the rounded differences as arbitrary values to collect in a list that you must then pick and choose which ones to "use" to add up to $5. Like a game. A really dumb, boring game that adds extra work to something I could more easily automate using the features I already have. Hmm. Maybe others enjoy it, but it seemed so pointless once I experienced it. So, though they'll recommend that you sync a card every time you login, in my experience it's worthless. The way it is presented and worded gives the impression that the extra deposit comes from your credit card...but it doesn't. You're just collecting numbers so can do a "bonus" deposit...which you can do anyway, and do better by setting a budget and a schedule. Duh. ReferralsSo. As with most little upstarts, there's a great referral perk program. If any of these seem valuable to you, I highly recommend jumping in through a referral. It's a nice bonus for the one giving and the new recruit.
Acorns gives an extra $5 when you sign up. You get 5, I get 5 if you click here. Robinhood gives free stock to me and you - here ya go, friend! Stash gives each of us $20 to invest in stuff, if you're down. Worthy gives each of us a free bond (they're $10 bonds). Alrighty. Thank you for jumping on to my weird life math lesson. Puppies and kitties with swords and sorcery are next (Mau!) See you at the table. -Adamus Foreword: Apprentice Ian has been hard at work developing a successful Curse of Strahd campaign...between two groups. Now, it would always work out that one group (meeting monthly) would take place before the other (meeting weekly), allowing the DM to take the lessons learned from the first group and apply them with great success with the second. This is the lesson of practice and learning from the feedback you receive through play to make satisfying encounters. His main struggle here is trying to re-apply the successful lessons from the second group to the first, so that both tables have satisfying sessions. Originally Transcribed on 5/12/20 As a new DM, one of my greatest goals is to create an engaging and satisfying story for both myself and my Players to enjoy. In my eyes, the ultimate goal of a game like Dungeons & Dragons is to have fun with your friends. And so, when a social encounter I’ve set up falls a little flat, for either of us, it feels disappointing. Now, it’s important to take this with a grain of salt - even the most experienced DMs will go through this, and it’s not the end of the campaign just because your goblin merchant doesn’t quite harmonize with the Party. These things happen.
But it’s not what this entry is about. I am in a fortunate position as a new DM: I am able to take what is essentially the same encounter, and present it to two groups, one after the other. Because of this, I am able to learn from any missteps I make, and enhance the things that went well. However, I want to take even the lessons I learn from the second chance, and apply them to the future scenarios I set up for the first group. And so, I have found myself asking a few questions. What are the goals of my PCs, and of the Party in general? This is important to understand, because each session should feel as though the Party has in some way furthered their goals in the campaign. Whether this means defeating an ancient dragon, removing a political figure from power, or seeking revenge against a Big Bad Guy, the encounter must somehow relate to that goal. What are the goals of my NPCs, and what knowledge do they hold? When I begin to plan my encounter, one of the top things in my mind is to create an interesting NPC with depth of character. This means that the character will have their own motives, which may not be aligned with the Party’s. The answer to this question which shapes the dynamic of the conversation, and determines whether the NPC can be considered antagonistic or protagonistic in the eyes of the Party. Finally, how do I best reward the Party for their time invested in the encounter? This is honestly one of the things that concerns me most. An encounter that does not have a significant impact on the Party is meaningless, and a waste of time. The Party members are making an investment each time they interact with an NPC, so it’s important that they feel like it changed their perception of the world, helped them further their goals, or fleshed out the setting overall. For example, learning the location of a magical artifact, understanding the motives of a powerful enemy, or making a crucial ally who will provide safe harbor from the city guard. These are not all of the questions one could ask when creating a rewarding and satisfying encounter, but they are effective at enhancing a DM’s creative faculties. They touch on key points that will bring your interactions to life - even when improvising the lines. I am confident that this lesson will prove invaluable in all of my campaigns, and I hope it will help you as well. Good luck on your journeys. - Ian Foreword: Every person trying their hand at running a tabletop scenario runs into the realm of creative bursts, circumstantial rulings, and an overall desire to put spins on the game world. Though these moments are what breathe life into the table for me, they blossom from a strong understanding of the core rules first. I'll often tell my music students, "Walk with me now, so you can run later." Learn the rules, so you can bend and break them later at appropriate times, and it's amazing how freeing it can be to just...master the rules of the game first. Your players will also be stronger moving from table to table, and the more tables they can be equipped for, the better. :) Originally Transcribed on 5/5/2020
Besides the official material printed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual, there are veritable terabytes of information out there in the shape of online forums and posts discussing helpful tips to becoming an effective DM. Immersing oneself into the vast expanse of resources, tools and video-blogs can often be overwhelming, however, and so I find myself forced to turn away from the immense forest that is D&D and start with a single, tall oak tree: the Rules As Written. Many people come into Dungeons & Dragons with a sense of inspiration and wonder, excited to be able to tell any story they want in this unique game. All campaigns have the goal of creating a satisfying story for both Players and DM. However, it can be easy to let this unbridled creativity get away from us during play. This is why it is important for new DM’s to mediate and regulate the mechanics of the story through the Rules as Written in order to bring out the best in their Players. This is especially true for a table with new Players. I run a home campaign in the Tyranny of Dragons setting, and four of my five Players have no experience with D&D whatsoever. If I were to introduce special homebrew rules, such as drinking a Healing Potion as a bonus action, then I would be setting them up for confusion should they eventually crack open the Player’s Handbook to learn more. Or, if a Player has already done their homework before attending the session, the confusion could bog down gameplay and change the dynamic between Player and DM. Generally speaking, one can look at the game of D&D as a blank canvas, and the Rules as Written as the pencil. When learning to paint, you must first learn to draw, and so you use the pencil to learn the essentials: lining, shading, perspective, and more. Once this has been mastered, you begin to introduce new elements to the game to increase satisfaction and fun. When starting out as a new DM, there are so many other lessons to learn - it’s unnecessary to worry about homebrew at this stage. But don’t worry, there will be plenty of time to discuss that in a later entry. Good luck on your journeys. - Ian |
Adam SummererProfessional Game Master musician, music teacher, game designer, amateur bartender, and aspiring fiction author. 1st Saturday: Etsy updates*
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September 2022
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