D&D: Q&A Thread

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Ask your questions here

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Q: Have I gone insane?
A: Most likely...

Q: Will you get to choose your own race & class
A: yes, of course

Q: Will you have your own skills according to your class?
A: Yes, I will provide that. Everyone will start at level 3.

Q: Can you give me more detail on the tasks?
A: Think of it as a choose your own adventure. You will be given a scenario. You will have to choose a path to follow. One path may have tasks, another path you choose you may have to create your tasks, yet another path may require you to do to a story using book titles or a spell out. Whatever you do, you affect the results. Your answer decides how I react and what I come back with.

Q: Does the whole team have to choose the same race & class?
A: Absolutely NOT! In my opinion, it is better to have a variety of skills. However, the strategy your team chooses is up to you. Have fun choosing your characters.

Q: Can I use the same books for my individual challenge and my team challenge?
A: If you can make them fit, yes. However, this is like a choose your own adventure. Every decision changes the course of the game.

Q: What are the spellout rules?
A: Spellout Rules

Author first or last initial
Title - you may use or drop articles
Series name

Q: Can I use a book more than once in the same adventure?
A: No but also yes. This is complicated. Typically the answer will be no. However, if you get a story task that requires pre-planning to write the story, you may use the book for one of the pre-planning tasks & the story itself.


Tips
Struggling with ideas for your story tasks?
Don't forget that you have skills. All of you. These can be used to enhance your stories.

Another option is to use the tools available to you. One team is using ChatGPT. I will not fault any team for using technology. This is supposed to be fun.

[Catsalive]

Do my Individual challenge books have to be different from my Team books or can I use the same book for both if it fits?

[RachelG.]

Does everyone in the team have to be same race and class?

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Catsalive wrote: "Do my Individual challenge books have to be different from my Team books or can I use the same book for both if it fits?"

You may use the same books if you want but your team may choose to do something different than you do so your tasks may differ down the line. Let's put it this way... it is like a choose your own adventure. Every decision your team makes can change the course of the game. Same goes with your individual game so they will not be the same. However, if your book works for both, by all means use it.

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

RachelG. wrote: "Does everyone in the team have to be same race and class?"

Oh no. Absolutely not. You will each make your own decisions on race & class. This is a good thing. Everyone will have their own skills. You may need a variety of skills because you never know what quest you will be sent on. It may be easy but it may not be. Your skills may be the answer. You decide the path you take in this game.

[Jessica]

Hi Donna, is there a book completion template we should use?

[Catherine]

Can we use plural words in the book ex DWARF- dwarfed, dwarfs?

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Catherine wrote: "Can we use plural words in the book ex DWARF- dwarfed, dwarfs?"

Dwarves or dwarfs (for the authors that can't spell) are accepted but dwarfed is NOT accepted because it changes the meaning of the word. Dwarfed means stunted in growth or to make something small.

So yes, I will accept plurals BUT I will not accept forms of the word that changes the meaning of it.

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Jessica wrote: "Hi Donna, is there a book completion template we should use?"

Yes, I will visit threads and set one up for you ; )

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

Does anyone have an alternate site for the classes and abilities? I tried the website link from first post yesterday and today and for some weird reason it freezes my computer and I can't browse that site. :/

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

I have added a spreadsheet to your threads. There is no need to do a completion post for your books. Just add it to your spreadsheet.

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "Does anyone have an alternate site for the classes and abilities? I tried the website link from first post yesterday and today and for some weird reason it freezes my computer and I can't browse th..."

Try another browser and see if that works.

[Kari]

Donna wrote: "I have added a spreadsheet to your threads. There is no need to do a completion post for your books. Just add it to your spreadsheet. "

Hi Donna, I have a thread but no SS
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Kari wrote: "Donna wrote: "I have added a spreadsheet to your threads. There is no need to do a completion post for your books. Just add it to your spreadsheet. "

Hi Donna, I have a thread but no SS
https://ww..."

It's in message 1.

[Kari]

Donna wrote: "Kari wrote: "Donna wrote: "I have added a spreadsheet to your threads. There is no need to do a completion post for your books. Just add it to your spreadsheet. "

Hi Donna, I have a thread but no ..."

Thank you!

[Sally906]

Donna wrote: "I have added a spreadsheet to your threads. There is no need to do a completion post for your books. Just add it to your spreadsheet. "

Just a little unsure how this works - I put the details in the spreadsheet (I get that - love spreadsheets) so how do I direct you to the spreadsheet? Do a completion post directing you to my spreadsheet link in message 1 in the completion thread?

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Post in the check in thread that you are done with a link to your spreadsheet

[Sally906]

Donna wrote: "Post in the check in thread that you are done with a link to your spreadsheet"

Great! Thank you 😀👍

[Fi]

Can books be started before January 1?

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Fi wrote: "Can books be started before January 1?"

As long as you finish them after the New Year.

[Erica]

We have two elves on our team. But there is just one elf slot in the SS for the book to read for race. So, can you read for any race or does it have to be the race you chose for the game?

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Erica wrote: "We have two elves on our team. But there is just one elf slot in the SS for the book to read for race. So, can you read for any race or does it have to be the race you chose for the game?"

What do you mean elf slot? I have a list of options to the left. Those are not slots. You can read for any race. You choose your task from the dropdown. If your team wants two elves, you may certainly have two.

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa), Bibliotherapist]

I think she means there is only one option/row (row 18) for Elf in Column A. So if they have two elves on their team, should they change one of the other races to Elf, so that they can have two elves noted on the spreadsheet as being covered by tasks? Or do they add a new row and fill that in with the second Elf?

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Exactly my point. That is not meant to be a row option. That list of races is just for reference nothing else. Let me give you a sample of what you should be doing.



Choose your task in column B and then fill out C-H in the same row. You will have two dropdowns to do for this task one for race starting in row 16 and one for class starting in row 26. There is a row for each of you with a dropdown. Each of you pick a row, it doesn't matter which one. Fill out your choice of task and book information. There is a place to choose the reader.

[Erica]

So if I'm a dwarf I can read for the orc race, for instance. I get generally how to use the SS.

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Erica wrote: "So if I'm a dwarf I can read for the orc race, for instance. I get generally how to use the SS."

They are both races. You only want one race and one class.

[Sally906]

Spell out question

In the standard rules I can’t see specific guidelines for spell outs so can I presume I can use either author first or last initial and/or title of book not including The, A or An?

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa), Bibliotherapist]

Donna wrote: "Exactly my point. That is not meant to be a row option. That list of races is just for reference nothing else. Let me give you a sample of what you should be doing.



Choose your task in column B..."

Got it, thanks! Once we select our task and fill in how our book fits, that gives you, the Dungeon Master, our chosen race/class. I was thinking we had to use the row with the actual class and races listed (so row 18 for elf, for example).

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Sally906 wrote: "Spell out question

In the standard rules I can’t see specific guidelines for spell outs so can I presume I can use either author first or last initial and/or title of book not including The, A or An?"

Spellout Rules

Author first or last initial
Title - you may use or drop articles
Series name

[Sally906]

Donna wrote: "

Spellout Rules

Author first or last initial
Title - you may use or drop articles
Series name..."

Oooh - series name as well - bonus 😜

[Erica]

Donna wrote: "Erica wrote: "So if I'm a dwarf I can read for the orc race, for instance. I get generally how to use the SS."

They are both races. You only want one race and one class."

I realize that. What I'm asking is if I'm a dwarf then do I have to read a book for my own class (dwarf) or can I read a book for a different class.
I ask because our team has two elves. There is only one line in the first red column for elf. So our second elf has no line to report a second elf book that I see. There are dropdowns to choose options in other columns, but not in that first red column.

[Richard]

Erica wrote: "There are dropdowns to choose options in other columns, but not in that first red column."

I may be wrong, but this is how I interpret it. I'm putting it in the Q&A in case it's right & helps other people.

The red column is just the options of what we can pick, like a guideline. Those options don't have to be the only thing in each row.

So just read for the options that you choose for yourself. It doesn't matter what row they're on.

Does that help?

[Erica]

Yes I think so.

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Richard wrote: "Erica wrote: "There are dropdowns to choose options in other columns, but not in that first red column."

I may be wrong, but this is how I interpret it. I'm putting it in the Q&A in case it's righ..."

Thank you, Richard. I already said in message 25 that the list was just for reference. You choose for yourself regardless of what anyone else chooses or what row the race/class is on. You only read for the race & class you choose because this is YOU choosing YOUR character. Some of you are overcomplicating this.

[Erica]

Sorry! I *used* to be blond but the roots can be quite powerful, lol...

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

We both know there is no truth to that. Blondes are plenty smart. Everyone has their strengths & weaknesses and we all have our moments where we are quite ditzy.

[Erica]

True that.

[Jessica]

I'm going to be a Wizard. Would the character need to be called a wizard in the book, or would you accept a mage?

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Jessica wrote: "I'm going to be a Wizard. Would the character need to be called a wizard in the book, or would you accept a mage?"

They are the same thing so I will accept it.

[Michelle]

My question is in regards to the fighter class option. The book I am reading, the MC is a Homicide Detective who uses weapons and is trained in combat styles who can fight when they have to, Would I be able to use the characters profession and skills to justify the fighter task?

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Michelle wrote: "My question is in regards to the fighter class option. The book I am reading, the MC is a Homicide Detective who uses weapons and is trained in combat styles who can fight when they have to, Would ..."

That is a bit of a stretch. Think bodyguards, adventurers, former soldiers, or master swordsmen. This will get you thinking in the right direction.

[Catsalive]

For "If you plan a heist.
Step 1: Gather your heist materials
Minimum 4 books - items should be on covers or in the title

should it be the word, or will the letters in any order work?

[Gail]

Hi Donna,

Something “glitched” on our spreadsheet and the red pull down prompt disappeared by my book and name. I retyped the prompt but maybe I should not have done that? Sorry! We are only filling in our slots for reading - we are not done reading yet. Here is our SS link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Gail wrote: "Hi Donna,

Something “glitched” on our spreadsheet and the red pull down prompt disappeared by my book and name. I retyped the prompt but maybe I should not have done that? Sorry! We are only filli..."

fixed

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Catsalive wrote: "For "If you plan a heist.
Step 1: Gather your heist materials
Minimum 4 books - items should be on covers or in the title

should it be the word, or will the letters in any order work?"

I will allow it

[Gail]

Donna wrote: "Gail wrote: "Hi Donna,

Something “glitched” on our spreadsheet and the red pull down prompt disappeared by my book and name. I retyped the prompt but maybe I should not have done that? Sorry! We a..."

Thank you!

[C]

For quests, we can only use a book once? (For example, I saw that steps 1 and 3 for quest 1 have min 4 books each. Can I use the same four books for both steps? Would they also cross over into step 2?)

[Jessica]

Hi Donna, for step 3 Execute your plan - tell me your plan
Use book titles BUT please use filler words as needed to tell me your plan. Minimum of 4 books.

Do we need to actually read the books or just tell you the heist plan using book titles we can find?

[Donna, Curator of Challenge Terrors]

Jessica wrote: "Hi Donna, for step 3 Execute your plan - tell me your plan
Use book titles BUT please use filler words as needed to tell me your plan. Minimum of 4 books.

Do we need to actually read the books or ..."

Yes, dear. This is a reading challenge. That is what we do. Remember there is no limit. This is at your own pace. Take your time.