Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk Princes of the Apocalypse Storm King’s Thunder. Thanks for the interest folks, this campaign has already started. CryptoLost mine of Phandelver dragon quest. At this point they have just had the redbrand encounter in town. (Leads to: Goblin Lair, Mine Tunnels) Goblin Lair — Create a 1/1 red Goblin creature token. Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk, a high-fantasy adventure that begins with the familiar story of Lost Mine of Phandelver and then delves into the perilous Underdark. Klarg, in the caves, is another. In case you're interested, most of the C5-9 locations are worth in the region of 100000 xp if everything is killed. The original Lost Mines of Phandelver was pretty stingy when it came to magic items. This adventure is designed to take characters from 1st to 12th level. Variant Roll dice for stats allocation. It’s epic, but still require some love to be actually very nice story to follow. Where Lost Mine of Phandelver took characters from 1st to 5th level, this new adventure book progresses all the way through 12th level. 1. and plan what to do if the if the characters aren’t level appropriate yet. Lost mine of Phandelver typically sells for $14. An NPC miniature or token for Sildar. D&D’s latest adventure reimagines and expands Lost Mine of Phandelver into a full-length campaign that runs from 1st to 12th level. However, I've been throwing in quite a bit of homebrew stuff I made, new plot points and enemies. " However, I will only be running three players through the campaign (or. The basic calculation is. What starts as a simple quest turns into a sprawling (for levels 1-5, at least) campaign. . The issue I have with my newest group (4-5 PCs) is that they sidestepped Cragmaw, and went straight to Phandalin. They are supposed to reach level 5 by the end of chapter 2, but there is no way they will acquire almost 4000xp each in a few more sessions. A Lost Mine. The Lost Mine of Phandelver is the introductory adventure for the 5th Edition Starter Set. • Easy (DC 10). As a dungeon, Wave Echo Cave poses three challenges to GMs: The immense size of the dungeon’s map, the underwhelming nature of the Forge of Spells, and the lack of challenge that Nezznar the Black Spider presents to a 4th level party. " However, I will only be running three players through the campaign (or. I'm looking at the very first encounter, the . There is apparently enough exp in each part of the Adventure to get level 1 characters to 2, then to 3, then to 4 then most of the way if not all the way to 5. In this series I'm going to help you prepare to run the Lost Mines of Phandelver, the excellent adventure that comes with the Dungeons & Dragons Starter. Part 4 - Wave Echo Cave. GameStop Moderna Pfizer Johnson & Johnson AstraZeneca Walgreens Best Buy Novavax SpaceX Tesla. Appendix A focuses on Magic Items and is a resource for the Dungeon Master. However, I've been throwing in. Part 5 - Side Quests. 0 level spells, known as Cantrips, do not need to be prepared and do not use a spell slot. RELATED: D&D: 10 TV Shows That. Releasing on September 19th, Phandelver And. All of these are classic, well-written modules, and are designed to have easy 'starting points' at level 3. " However, I will only be running three players through the campaign (or at least for the first encounter), which makes me think that some (or all) of the encounters in the module will need to be scaled back. Hone Your Lazy Dungeon Master Skills. You also get two pages of magic items, which consists of classics like the Ring of Protection and Gauntlets of Ogre Power. Could someone please explain why the Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign has so many deadly encounters? Some examples: The very first encounter with 4 hidden Goblins has a difficulty of 400 XP (which is considered Hard), but we also need to consider that this is a surprise attack, which increases the risk greatly to such low-level characters. If you want the characters to be a certain level at some designated stage just use milestone levelling and be done with it. Part 2a - Phandalin. My question to you guys is now if you have also run this campaign and if you thought it had any shortcomings lore. r/DnD. They can be cast at will. If you increase your skill to expert in PF, that's a +2 in 5e compared to a +7 bonus at level 3. I have been running this for 6 months, intermingled with Lost Mines of Phandelver, because it occurs in the same region. Give each party member exp equal to the result of this calculation. After the "Goblin Trail" encounter, you're instructed to award each player 75 XP, which includes XP for defeating the goblins on the road and finding the hideout. Princes of the Apocalypse is specifically designed to follow up Lost Mines in terms of location and level. The adventure takes place in the Forgotten Realms setting in and around a frontier mining town called Phandalin. The Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure is described on its first page as "an adventure for four to five characters of 1st level. For modules, use the published runtime and published average party level. Goblin ambush on the Triboar Trail. 352. These are not specifically described as Wizards,. Kazri - Level 10 Human Paladin (Oath of the Ancients) - The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks Droknin Palemane - Level 3 Leonin Barbarian - LMOP Faelan (Cottontail) Whisperwind - Level 2 Ranger - Zorg's Lost Souls II "Science is organized knowledge. Seek first to understand. They should be level 2 after the cragmaw hideout. My concern is their survival given the CR,. Rushing the lost mine at early levels. My party was stoked to play this Saturday night. Join. We've been playing together since the pandemic and are a good group. Phandelver and Below: the Shattered Obelisk releases digitally next Tuesday, and the hardcover is out two weeks later on the 19th. Download it all here for free, No need to. Re: Starting Lost Mine of Phandelver with 3 lvl 3 characters. (Spoilers for LMoP follow, obviously. Part 2b - Redbrand Hideout. The Lost Mines of Phandelver included helpful resources and supplies for a new DM. *milestone level up* In town, play with the npc hooks so that the next options are only and. That first milestone is probably at the end of the first cave, so make sure they find the recommended amount of loot there (2 2nd-level permanent items (such as +1 weapons, full plate, an onyx dog, etc), 2 1st-level items (probably just gear), 2 2nd-level consumables and 3 1st-level ones, such as healing potions, scrolls, potency crystals. Since Lost Mine of Phandelver has consistently ranked as the most popular 5E adventure, the announcement that Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk would expand on and follow that story made sense. Hi y’all! DMs Guide to the Lost Mine of Phandelver | pt 1 Intro and Setting Up the Adventure. Six level 3 characters, or five level 4 characters, or three level 5 characters (in which case it would actually only be a Hard encounter. I run a mix of XP and milestone type system, that account for attendance, so if you miss a whole bunch of games you might be a level or two. All Maps from Lost Mine of Phandelver. Your party shows up, sees that the mines are cleared of enemies, and the spell forge is dead. The alternative to start at level 5, in chapter 2, which is perfect for characters that have gone through the Starter Set. " However, I will only be running three players through the campaign (or at least for the first encounter), which makes me think that some (or all) of the encounters in the module will need to be scaled back. As for character sheets, I haven’t tried importing them, but I just have my players use google drive and have them share their sheets with me that way. In the game where we don't do milestone leveling, we just keep the whole group at the same XP level to solve that issue. Basically 1 PC being 2 PCs). Like this: One of the excellent aspects of Lost Mine of Phandelver is that it includes a number of side-quests. Lost Mines of Phandelver, Level ups. Based on D&D Beyond (and similar websites), for a party of 4 characters that are level 1, four goblins are on the start of the "Deadly" range (after adjustment). The players aren't penalized if their character can't be in a session, because even if they aren't there, they will level when the party levels. There is apparently enough exp in each part of the Adventure to get level 1 characters to 2, then to 3, then to 4 then most of the way if not all the way to 5. I'm DM'ing for the first time with a group playing for the first time (Table of Noobs). Hell, it's part of the starter set after all! Hell, it's part of the starter set after all! The issue though, as with many other modules, is that it doesn't describe the best way to transform the contents of the book into an actual session. One original class and one being Cleric subclass. You can get Lost Mine of Phandelver there for free, as well as the Basic Rules. Bigger varierty in enemies and goes longer (7th Level) than Phandalin. As the adventure promises, you don’t need to be a Forgotten Realms expert to run it – but maybe some of this will interest you. ago. Level 3 after the red brand hideout. 2) they can't hear you due to the very loud waterfall. Included in. Roleplayically, u/FiveFingerDisco is right and you should do what fits for your ranger. #14. Sep 11, 2023. Speedrun honestly might be to somehow pull off an easy heist or kill someone rich or something to make a bunch of money (or hell, just take out a loan), hire a bunch of mercs, and just storm the cave at like. Having run Lost Mine of Phandelver myself, I completely agree that they are not all necessary to complete the adventure. First level was the usual slog, but the group used terrain and smart tactics to handle the Goblin Ambush and a few other scenarios and quickly advanced to level 2. Which means as a DM you will received 300exp and 150 gold 4 times over the whol adventure. They discover. Level 2 depends but i like the suggestion of jegpeg. . Amid a wilderness of jagged, snow-capped dangers of the Lost Mine of Phandelver. Aug 9, 2022. This is why I’ve provided a step-by-step guide to your first session of Lost Mines of Phandelver. (Leads to: Goblin Lair, Mine Tunnels) Goblin Lair — Create a 1/1 red Goblin creature. First. Compendium - Sources->Lost Mine of Phandelver. Business, Economics, and Finance. A glossy and sometimes lovely book with maps and art that are both inoffensive and excellently drafted. The original starter set, The Lost Mine of Phandelver. We are 10+ sessions in and the characters are at level 4. If your kids are playing more spellcaster type of classes I would suggest going with a melee type character like Fighter or Paladin. I noticed, on the PDF, that one of the things the Goblins can do is "Tell them. Lost Mine of Phandelver Cover Art. At the milestone that they level to level 2, I gave an ability score point. Consider starting them with max HP or starting characters with 2 hit dice and don’t give them any when they reach level 2. Unfortunately, there are only three of them and wave echo cave is a pretty sizable dungeon, so they ran out of resources after a handful of combats with zombies and other monsters and have decided that the best course of action would be to find a safe place. WotC have now put out a number of great lower level adventures. Experience points by Milestone . I am currently D. Format: PDF. We want to stick with these characters. - Doppelgangers needs to play bigger role. This portion of the adventure is also self-sustainable, and you can choose to end the adventure here if you'd like. . Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk is a new Level 1-12 campaign set to release on September 19th (or 5th if you get it early via DNDBeyond). This live stream video is about using milestones in lost mine of phandelver. I wonder if any of 5E's Legacy Content will ever. Some spells (marked as ritual spells) can be cast without being prepared that day. Watermill assets from Wave Echo Cave created by Tom Cartos . Despite the packaging, Lost Mine of Phandelver counts as a hardcover. Venomfang’s EnemiesThese minis feature artwork for the fronts and backs of every monster and NPC, as well as for the premade heroes that come packaged with Lost Mines of Phandelver. The one issue I’m facing is one player still has Lightbringer, a +1 mace that deals additional radiant damage to. HiNoKitsune • 3 yr. The Book to session conversion can be. Some things to remember are that 1) they don't expect you, you are catching them completely off guard. " p51 (Conclusion of Chapter 4)I have to say I "upgraded" more than I "swarmed". Matt Colville's Welcome to D&D video. Up to the players what order they do things. With the. I have 5 players and they're all level 2 and have just cleared the Cragmaw Hideout. Lost Mines of Phandelver. My regular playgroup consists of me as the DM with two players (my wife and oldest child), and for a variety of reasons this group isn't likely to get more players in the near future. What story points make suitable level-up milestones in Lost Mine of Phandelver? 3. The PCs have made it to 7th level, and there are still things they have punted on, but I also have customized it a lot by adding Neverwinter into the mix. Wagons get heisted, there are magic swords, fights in dungeons and the woods. Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest,. 6 Gobin, 3 wolf, and 1 Bugbear tokens or miniatures. The XP leveling in LMoP is a pain in the ass. Flexible and simple progression, jobs show up on a quest board to do in any order. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. I would love to hear the things you wish you knew before you ran it. The articles are organized in the same fashion as the module, so if an NPC. On the web. If you're asking how to do it, find the monster's stat block and find its XP value next to it's CR. My party ran away from Venomfang at level 3 (the DM at the time did a good job of making this an intimidating encounter where we should have known we were outgunned). Billtacular Initiate of the 2nd Circle Join Date: 2/15/2019 Posts: 1,693 Yeah, that's the general idea - I just don't want to be too slow or too quick about it. Level. We're about to wrap up the Lost Mine of Phandelver, and (as they haven't taken many of the optional quests) they'll probably end up partway through 4th level. The DM's guide to the Lost Mine of Phandelver 5e adventure. Bundle price: $0. This book is partly an update to the Lost Mines of Phandelver and also part sequel. If you've played Dungeon & Dragons at all since 2014, you've at the very least read the words Lost Mine of Phandelver before. Starting Level: Level 1 Leveling: Milestone Leveling Multiclassing is allowed. Aug 6, 2015. Types: Dungeon. Which highlights another problem you may run into. Lost Mine of Phandelver is an adventure for four to five Many players of DUNGEONS& DRAGONSfind that being characters of 1st level. Exclusive Annual Member Only Fully Prepped One-Shots. More general advice: - There is almost no reason to go to Thundertree. It’s in its fifth edition, and aimed at characters just starting out–first level up to the fifth level. My question to you guys is now if you have also run this campaign and if you thought it had any shortcomings lore. They should be level 2 after the cragmaw hideout. I'm about to start Lost Mines of Phandelver, but only have 2 players (both 13 year old girls). Mechanically, u/AkrynFletcher is right and the extra damage die from extra attack with a shortbow is far more valuable than a bigger damage die. In this first part we gather our resources, connect our player. I and my group loved it so much that even when we moved over to PF2, we didnt even bother looking up the experience system, and just ported over milestone leveling. So that might be a really strong option. Number 2 was based off the goblin cave of lost mines but I made it bigger with more bugbears (3) and goblins in it. The same package includes a content catalog, listing all the available hardcovers and modules. A character cannot play the same chapter of a hardcover twice. The party is not meant to kill Venomfang, only wound it enough to send it fleeing and survive long enough to do such. This is the first in a series of articles covering all aspects of Act 1 of Lost Mines. Level 4: Level 4 unlocks Wave Echo Cave (from LMoP) and Mountain's Toe (from DoIP). Can be done level 2 or 3, but prepare for TPK. View Cover Art. Lost Mines of Phandelver Guide. · 2y. Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk is a prewritten adventure that takes place in Phandalin, a fictional town that many players will remember from the Lost Mines of. The party has just finished up with Cragmaw Castle, made level 4 and returned to Phandelver. "If I went around saying I was an emperor. Level 3 by the time they are 2/3 done with the level 2 quests. 2. If you level up to 5 at the end of the campaign that's kind of pointless for the players unless you continue on. This is where your Milestone-planing comes in. This is a fantastic opportunity to practice the art of the lazy dungeon master. Number of available spaces. Then, with milestones, when they hit level 3 milestone, they leveled to 5. #1. You'll still run the same adventure for the most part, but you'll notice a few improvements and changes along the way. You can avoid all that bookkeeping by using milestone leveling. The beginning of each chapter gives you an idea of what level they should be. Then just make sure you make. Re: Starting Lost Mine of Phandelver with 3 lvl 3 characters. During the course of the adventure, the characters will advance to 5th level. Exclusive Annual Member Only Fully Prepped One-Shots. Here's what I thought up: The ambush is kept. 6 I'm currently planning to DM Lost Mine Of Phandelver as my first D&D game, and as explained in this question, I'd like to add more encounters than the. Explore subterranean labyrinths! Plunder hoards of treasure! Battle legendary monsters! This promotion is no longer available. Problem is they are bloodthirsty idiots and all they care about is killing goblins for xp. Part 1, the Cragmaw Hideout, is a great. You can claim Lost Mine of Phandelver. (Leads to: Goblin Lair, Mine Tunnels) Goblin Lair — Create a 1/1 red Goblin creature token. Phandalin is obviously central to both adventure books, its just a shame you’ll need new low-level characters to experience the encounters as written. This live stream video is about using milestones in lost mine of phandelver. On the web. 3 years ago. Clear out Cragmaw Caverns and make it to Phandalin: Level 2. ensure the prosperity and security of Phandalin by clearing the rich mine of its monsters, and. (Lost Mine of Phandelver spoilers within, obviously) I can give some detail based on my experience last year as a brand-new DM running for two brand-new players. I wanted to use milestones instead of XP but I didn't want to feel like progress only happened at certain times so I assigned each quest/location a point value depending on the level it is balanced for and then assigned level-ups based on how many progression points. All maps created using assets created by Forgotten Adventures . all enemies were using non-lethal damage that day) and treat it as a practice run; then start Lost Mines of Phandelver fresh at level 1 with this character (plus another one). My group cleared every sidequest in the module, and I gave them. We know how the OOTA authors intended chapter 1 to work. Under this rule, you pick certain events in the campaign that cause the characters to level up. The DM's guide to the Lost Mine of Phandelver 5e adventure. In Hoard of the Dragon Queen, the characters gain a level after completing each episode except episode 5. IIRC, if you skip Death House, which isn't even really part of Curse of Strahd proper, then level 3 or 4 is where Curse of Strahd starts, but I'd definitely want a bit of experience. The town of Phandalin will be recognizable to any players familiar with the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure. The focus on combat without creative ways to find and bypass dangers would be a slaughter fest for the players. each session would last about 4-5 hours. A dungeon masters guide to running the dungeons & dragons. A grided battle map for Cragmaw Hideout. Social Share. I have a party nearing the end of Lost Mines. I have some questions: Level up's. A dungeon masters guide to running the dungeons & dragons 5e role-play game. Here's what I did for LMOP. Part 4: Wave Echo Cave Fifteen miles east of Phandalin, in the deep vales of the Sword Mountains, lies Wave Echo Cave. Rather than doing a one-to-one conversion, we tuned the adventure to ensure that the experience supports those new players. If Gothic Horror is something your party wants to try, send them a mysterious letter and lure them to Barovia, just skip Death House because. I think it’s impossible to be too familiar with a published campaign when you’re running it. It's the 64-page adventure book included with nearly every D&D starter. Hey everyone, I'm a 1st time DM that's been running the Lost Mines of Phandelver with my party, it's been fun and so far everyone seems to be having a good time. Hello. " I really like the idea of making the first encounter a tutorial, and I guess I'm going to do it. 90% of DMs do milestone. Many Fifth Edition fans began their adventures with Lost Mine of Phandelver in the original D&D Starter Set. If you want to play this part, you must invent something to give your players a reason to go there. Hell, it's part of the starter set, after all! The issue, though, as with many other modules, is that it doesn't describe the best way to transform the book's contents into an actual session. Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk. This is what I would use for milestone leveling in lmop. What are we doing wrong?As always, The Lost Mine of Phandelver takes characters from levels 1-4, while the new “and Below” portion runs them from levels 5-12. Aug 9, 2022. This live stream video is about using milestones in lost mine of phandelver. The black spider was searching the mine for clues as to the whereabouts of the phylactery as it was brought there centuries ago in an attempt to study and or destroy it using the Spellforge - back in history the Litch's forces arrived however and the ensuing battle was the one that destroyed the mine and entombed the place. It is included in the D&D Starter Set and is designed to help new players and Dungeon Masters (DMs) master the. My main group I have a home brew campaign going on. You can avoid all that bookkeeping by using milestone leveling. Both are valid ways to tackle. Lost Mine of Phandelver is a page booklet with a complete adventure module written in four parts. Clerics use spell slots and can cast any prepared spell into a slot of equivalent or higher level. RUNNING THE ADVENTURE Lost Mine of Phandelver is an adventure forfour to five characters of Ist level, During the course ofthe adventure, the characters will advance to Sth level. LOST MINES OF PHANDELVER. 95. The recommended class for new player is a non-spell casting class. You can access all of the magic items and monsters from the Lost Mine of Phandelver in and out of the game. competence or a modicum of luck to accomplish. Buffing it up to a Rare item with crazy powers is the last thing you should be doing as a DM running Lost Mine of Phandelver. 5. Basically, every time they complete a plot point (think Chapter here), they gain a level. It has what so many people want from their first D&D game: it has. Kinda figured they'd turn the original Lost Mine of Phandelver into Legacy Content, what with the retcons in Shattered Obelisk. However, along the way they might be a bit tougher than expected, though that might drop off as we progress. The party includes: A Goliath Totem Barbarian. Description. At this point they have just had the redbrand encounter in town. Based in and around the town of Phandalin, Lost Mines of Phandelver is a module for the fantasy tabletop RPG that sees players attempting to rescue two friends from a band of goblin. We've been playing together since the pandemic and are a good group. I would definitely not start them at level 3, though, unless you're using milestone leveling and they're prepared to wait. Overview Lost Mine of Phandelver is divided into four parts. For 3x level 3 characters, a similar encounter would be 3x Goblin Boss. Then level 5 after wave echo cave. As of v7. I'm currently planning to DM Lost Mine Of Phandelver as my first D&D game, and as explained in this question, I'd like to add more encounters than the scripted ones in the scenario. When they got to the level 4 mile stone, they get 2 ability score points. In short, you must gain one Inspiration Point plus one per level to gain a new level. The story of “The Lost Mine of Phandelver” is interesting, presenting a mystery that becomes more complex over time. Since Lost Mine of Phandelver has consistently ranked as the most popular 5E adventure, the announcement that Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk would expand on and follow that story made sense. Tip . A 78-page campaign aid featuring the Lost Mine of Phandelver NPCs—Daran Edermath, Droop, Garaele, Gundren Rockseeker, Linene Graywind, Qelline Alderleaf, reformed Redbrand, Reidoth, and Sildar Hallwinter—reimagined as player characters. I chose to use milestone experience. 1. . 4) After control of the town is established, she wants to acquire a slave force to build a lower level to WEC as her permanent lair. In this series we're going through step by step to help you start your DM journey and to give your players an amazing adventure. I’ve just ran lost mines and am getting the new book because my players loved phandalin as a setting but keep in mind the starter set goes up to level4/5 and the new phandelver book is a level 1-12 campaign so even if the start is exactly the same it’s still only 1/3 of the adventure going by levels. So here I wanted to try something new. The Master’s Vault from roll20 is designed for new players, it’s level 1-2, and can be completed in two short sessions or one long session. Price: $59. I'm always looking for the highest CR I can ever throw at them. He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying. Note: This review isn’t going to spill the beans about everything going on with the Shattered Obelisk (i. Counterpoint: Lost Mine of Phandelver is what people who have never played D&D think D&D is. Become 3rd level when you complete three quests. The Lost Mine of Phandelver has been remade. These adventures haven't been written with much in the way of real gating, so being under-level and over-numbered isn't much of a problem. Lost Mine of Phandelver: 16%: Storm King's Thunder: 13%: Out of the Abyss: 8%: Tales of the. 1) This boxed is a great adventure for beginner players. Milestone levelling is more like how it would be in a movie. These things even out. Kolton is playing Olo, a level 3 Tortle Barbarian. Lost Mine of Phadelver (LMoP) says it is an adventure for Level 1 characters. Printable Maps! -- Lost Mine Of Phandelver! -- Mega Pack! Hey! I finally did it. The Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure is described on its first page as "an adventure for four to five characters of 1st level. ). With XP, challenge is more exploration-driven, but with milestone the DM decides both how difficult the opposition is and how capable the characters are, meaning it’s the DM’s. I understood when players should level up (we will use milestone type), but I am not sure about the. )A possible leveling might look like this: Level 2 after Cragmaw cave. It. But I'd make sure to let them know it will be milestone. After i finished Lost Mine of Phandelver, the party was level 5. . "If I went around saying I was an emperor. These are quests which don’t advance the main storyline that you can get from NPCs you meet. (Monster 1 exp * monster 1 count + monster 2 exp * monster 2 count +. Here's what's included in the free module: Five battle maps, properly gridded (5-ft) with dynamic lighting for subscribers; An overland map of the Sword Coast;Hi guys. Re: Lost Mines of Phandelver - OOC Thread. That said, depending on the size of the party, you'll want them to be going into WEC at level 4-5. Basically, decide ahead of time how savage you intend to be, and where you want to pull punches. Become 4th level when you complete five quests. You could make them Gestalt characters (they level in 2 classes simultaneously, and have 2 actions/2 bomus actions each round, etc. When I read about the green dragon the players are supposed to encounter at 2nd level, I read up it's stat block and thought: how is a 2nd level party supposed to even remotely defeat. I'm giving them a level at the end of each part, so overall the campaign should end with them at 5th level. Current campaign just finished Lost Mine. If you have your own version of. Search. This way, lower level characters would catch up to the higher level characters before they gained more levels. I have material planned to take them to Level 20 and beyond, but I’m super curious about what’s in this upcoming book. This has some details about 5e, the module, the events, and some AP “Let me tell you about my character” fun.