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veven
2012-08-09, 05:21 PM
Due to a recent move and a few other big changes in my life I took an involuntary break from gaming for about four months.

I've made a lot of rad friends in my new city but none of them play D&D. A lot of them are interested in it though, so I offered to run a sort of introductory game for about five or six of them.

I've ran three pretty long running campaigns and a dozen or so one off games so I am a reasonably competent DM. I really want to make sure that this game is engaging for the players while at the same time avoiding the "goblins took my mcguffin" sort of adventures for my own sanity's sake.

I'm looking for any interesting ideas for an adventure that will help introduce a handful of completely new players to the game (this is 3.5 D&D, but the edition isn't specifically that important).

Another thing I'm worried about is character creation. With me being the only experienced person in the group, the amount of time it would take for me to help five or six people create their first characters could easily be many hours. I don't really want to have a bunch of premades because I think making that first character is a really neat part of the hobby. I want to start the party at level 3 to avoid squishiness.
Any ideas for speeding up the character generation process for completely new players?
I mean absurdly new. Some of them still don't understand that it isn't a video/board game.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Madeiner
2012-08-09, 05:31 PM
Any ideas for speeding up the character generation process for completely new players?
I mean absurdly new. Some of them still don't understand that it isn't a video/board game.

Thanks in advance for the help!

I suggest to divide the players in two groups, and help them create the characters a pair at a time. It will take you two or three evenings, but they won't have to waste an entire evening making characters while you can only devote your attention to one of them at a time.

I also suggest making them 1st level, way better for people that have never played. Way less things to learn, spells to memorize. Maybe give them extra hp for now, if you want to make sure they dont die, and just go easy on them. They wont notice any fudges if they dont know the system.

1337 b4k4
2012-08-09, 06:37 PM
I don't really want to have a bunch of premades because I think making that first character is a really neat part of the hobby. I want to start the party at level 3 to avoid squishiness.
Any ideas for speeding up the character generation process for completely new players?

I think you have to decide which is more important. Quick start with no squishiness or having them create their own characters right off the bat. Admittedly, making characters is indeed fun, but often times not while you're still trying to learn the basics of the game. Nothing wrong with tossing a bunch of pre-gens at them and letting them know you'll be more than happy to help them make their very own character if they like what they see. You could ask them up front what sort of characters they have in mind and pre-gen up something unique for each of them, with the promise of showing them how to customize as you go.

As for the adventure, that sort of depends on your players and what they expect. If you're just looking for a one shot, you could go with a "Last Will and Testament" type adventure: "Greetings <Player Character Here>, I hope this letter finds you well. Your <Long Lost Relative> recently passed, and though this must be heartrending for you, you will be pleased to know that they have left your the family estate, on the condition that you can clear the current "occupants" out. Yours, Mr. Zygag, Mad Archmage Law Offices and Sanitarium"

Plot Twist: <Long Lost Relative> became a Lich, he's sent this letter to a number of adventurers, looking to trap and kill them for his undead army.

Or you could go with a basic messenger adventure: "You arrived and the Magistrate's office with the job posting in hand. 'Wanted, small traveling group to deliver urgent message of peace from King Ran Dum the Reasonably Just to Queen Bo Hemian of Rhapsody.' The King's creepy old magistrate looks your group up and down disapprovingly before handing you the sealed letter. As he turns to leave he warns you that there are those who profit from the war in this kingdom who would seek to have the letter destroyed, so beware." Follow this up with a basic journey + random encounters.

Plot Twist: The Magistrate is one such profiteer. The letter was a fake, and instead contains Maximized Empowered Explosive Runes, when the players arrive and the Queen reads the letter, she is severely injured / killed, they are arrested as assassins. End here for a cliff hanger or proceed to jailbreak adventure.

Lastly, you could go with a "You wake up in a strange land. The ground beneath your feet is rocky, scattered sparsely with bushes. A few clouds drift in the sky. In front of you , you see what appears to be the impossible, large brick blocks floating in the air. But more importantly, you see a hideous monster barreling towards you. GO!"

Plot Twist: Their princess is always in another castle.

Masaioh
2012-08-09, 11:31 PM
Due to a recent move and a few other big changes in my life I took an involuntary break from gaming for about four months.

I've made a lot of rad friends in my new city but none of them play D&D. A lot of them are interested in it though, so I offered to run a sort of introductory game for about five or six of them.

I've ran three pretty long running campaigns and a dozen or so one off games so I am a reasonably competent DM. I really want to make sure that this game is engaging for the players while at the same time avoiding the "goblins took my mcguffin" sort of adventures for my own sanity's sake.

I'm looking for any interesting ideas for an adventure that will help introduce a handful of completely new players to the game (this is 3.5 D&D, but the edition isn't specifically that important).

Another thing I'm worried about is character creation. With me being the only experienced person in the group, the amount of time it would take for me to help five or six people create their first characters could easily be many hours. I don't really want to have a bunch of premades because I think making that first character is a really neat part of the hobby. I want to start the party at level 3 to avoid squishiness.
Any ideas for speeding up the character generation process for completely new players?
I mean absurdly new. Some of them still don't understand that it isn't a video/board game.

Thanks in advance for the help!

While I normally have my PCs start at 3rd level for my games, I would recommend against it if this is their first time playing. It just means less headaches. Also, stick to the 3 core books and the occasional homebrew only.

As for plot, have them investigate a small, idyllic village where people keep going missing (due to being eaten by werewolves).

eggs
2012-08-09, 11:42 PM
Or a small, idyllic village where everyone seems to be busy over the full moon and people keep going missing (due to werewolf-poachers) :smalltongue:

Jay R
2012-08-10, 10:11 AM
I'm looking for any interesting ideas for an adventure that will help introduce a handful of completely new players to the game (this is 3.5 D&D, but the edition isn't specifically that important).

For a bunch of new role-players, I would avoid non-cliched adventure ideas. Have them rescue a princess, or discover a long-hidden entrance to an underground, or travel to a big city to try to begin life there, or stumble on a dying man with a quest.

They don't know the system; they don't know the world; they don't know role-playing. Give them something familiar.

If you want a semi-new idea, then a new continent was just discovered, and a colony is being formed. They are looking for people to sail away and settle the New World. (Might as well put them in an unknown environment - they won't recognize any of the monsters anyway.)


Any ideas for speeding up the character generation process for completely new players?

Don't bring a bunch of pre-mades; design each of them a post-made.

Describe the setting, the classes, the races, and anything else you find important in character creation. Then ask a few questions:

What class sounds like fun?

What race sounds like fun? (If you're unsure, play a human.)

What kind of person is he or she?

Did he or she grow up on a farm, in a village, in a big city, on a military base, deep in a forest?

Is there anything you want in his or her background that affects the character now, like the death of Batman's parents, or Harry Potter being raised by muggles?

Anything else that sounds fun to include?

Then you build the complete character from that. They have serious input on the parts they already understand, and don't have to learn a lot of mechanics before playing the game.

JoeMac307
2012-08-10, 10:44 AM
Don't bring a bunch of pre-mades; design each of them a post-made.

Describe the setting, the classes, the races, and anything else you find important in character creation. Then ask a few questions:

What class sounds like fun?

What race sounds like fun? (If you're unsure, play a human.)

What kind of person is he or she?

Did he or she grow up on a farm, in a village, in a big city, on a military base, deep in a forest?

Is there anything you want in his or her background that affects the character now, like the death of Batman's parents, or Harry Potter being raised by muggles?

Anything else that sounds fun to include?

Then you build the complete character from that. They have serious input on the parts they already understand, and don't have to learn a lot of mechanics before playing the game.

This is great advice.

A couple of years ago, I started a new campaign with six players, only one of which had any RPG experience (my brother). My brother wanted to play one of his old 2E characters, so I just converted him as best I could to 3.5. For the other five, I asked them same kind of questions that Jay R described, then created their characters for them. And two years later, we're still going strong.

I also created a Word doc that gives an overview of the basic stuff you need to know to play a character in 3.5 D&D... core races, classes, ability scores, saving throws, alignments, etc., with comparisons to well known fictional characters... it isn't perfect, but it gave my players a reference to work off of when thinking about their characters. I can send you it if you want.

Anxe
2012-08-10, 10:49 AM
I always learn a new system best by creating a character for it. Given that your players are familiar with video games, they know a bit about character creation. It won't be an entirely new concept to them, so I would suggest you have them all create characters. You can solve the lack of rulebooks to go around by having them use the SRD.

This does mean that the majority of the first session will be character creation. That's fine. After they're done, set them on a journey of some kind. You've got some good suggestions already. My first good adventure had townsfolk being kidnapped to be eaten by orcs. The party went to the orc cave, killed some orcs, and rescued the townsfolk. A cliched encounter is what you want for the first session and probably for the first year of playing D&D.

Another thing you should include for first timers is undead. That way the cleric's turning is actually relevant. Not all undead though, because the rogue still needs his sneak attack.

Yora
2012-08-10, 01:22 PM
I suggest playing the adventure "The Sunless Citadel". It is really good to introduce new players with 1st level Characters to the many aspects of the game without making it too complicated.

Hylas
2012-08-10, 03:44 PM
For me the first session is always character creation, so I wouldn't worry about that.

Have the players start at level 1. There's far less to learn and throw only things like goblins in padded armor using small clubs (goblins are more familiar than kobolds). Give them either the basic 4d6 stat rolling or just give them the standard array as point-buy and complicated rolling systems will just add confusion. SRD and core only! Going through multiple books for character creation sucks, so just have them with the single Player's Handbook.

Encourage Sorcerer and Bard over Cleric and Wizard as prepared casting is less intuitive, but don't tell them they can't do something.

Make suggestions for feat and skill selections. Long lists are scary. Same deal with spells. Ask them general questions like "what is your character best at? What is he okay at?" and use that for picking out where to put skill points.

Fitz10019
2012-08-10, 04:02 PM
For a bunch of new role-players, I would avoid non-cliched adventure ideas. Have them rescue a princess, or discover a long-hidden entrance to an underground, or travel to a big city to try to begin life there, or stumble on a dying man with a quest.

They don't know the system; they don't know the world; they don't know role-playing. Give them something familiar.

I came here to say this, but with misspellings and dangling modifiers.

Jeopardizer
2012-08-10, 04:13 PM
Give them some pre-made characters (wizard/fighter/cleric/rogue or ranger or whatever, easy group) and run them through a short adventure. Decided to follow a map to untold treasures/to open new trade routes or something. Make them each play each charac one time, then propose to create their own characs.

Adventure hook for the new adventure? Investigate the disappearance of adventurers/caravans in 'whatever' regions and find the corpses of the previous party. :p (If there is a BBEG it will be personal, he killed their ex-char's!)

R0110
2013-01-03, 04:19 PM
I also created a Word doc that gives an overview of the basic stuff you need to know to play a character in 3.5 D&D... core races, classes, ability scores, saving throws, alignments, etc., with comparisons to well known fictional characters... it isn't perfect, but it gave my players a reference to work off of when thinking about their characters. I can send you it if you want.

This has been a handy thread as I am preparing to DM my first long-term sandbox campaign. JoeMac307, could I get a copy of that Word doc for my newer players?

Windy
2013-01-03, 10:36 PM
Last year I started playing 4e with some guys from work. They had barely touched the RPG genre in video games, let alone tabletop. I bought a book and encouraged them to pool for at least one other PHB (they ended up getting a D&D Insider subscription for the character generator). I told them they would be starting at level 1, and they could make whatever they wanted as long as they could explain the basic rules of the class to me. Only one guy decided to play a caster (Wizard), but he did a good job grasping casting rules. So the point there is not to discount the players' ability and motivation to understand the more complicated side of the rules.

I also said they had to be generally good, or at least willing to work together as a party. I'm sure you realize it, but I can't say enough about what a mistake it is to allow intra-party conflict with a first-time gaming group. That kind of thing ruined the game for a few of my college buddies and it's hard to rebuild their trust in the game.

Lastly for the character creation step, I said that they each had to provide me with at least a one-sentence description of where they came from, one sentence about why they grew up to choose their adventuring class (or why it chose them), and a reason they would be traveling with the first trade caravan of the season. Some of the more hack-and-slashey guys did the bare minimum, the jokester guy gave me a fun challenge to work into a serious backstory, and some of them really surprised me with how deep their stories were.

My evil plan was simple: overland trading routes between the north and south of this continent all had to pass through a narrow choke point between a mountain chain and the sea. The trade caravan was an exploratory venture by an up-and-coming trading family who wanted to avoid the heavy tolls. Their surveyors got it mostly right, but the spring thaws affected a snowy slope, and the trade caravan was plunged into a deep, icy crevasse. In my game the first thing I said to them was "Roll for initiative!" and you should have seen the looks on their faces. It was a blizzard, and they were being attacked by a dozen starving wolves. Then I threw the avalanche shocker at them, and the game was in top gear immediately.

The most important part of this plan was that once they had recovered from falling several hundred feet and landing on the snow piles, they realized the ice cave entered into a dungeon. Their job was to escape the dungeon and hopefully rescue the part of the trading caravan that was trapped (and still alive) with them. As a DM, this will allow you to tinker with the dungeon as a kind of tutorial level, or "bumper rails" like in bowling. It gets more difficult and more dangerous as they proceed, but the remnants of the caravan offer a kind of "town" they can easily get back to if they need supplies or protection. The dungeon can offer social interaction as well as combat, if you decide that the dungeon denizens are intelligent enough. Once the players seem to have the system under control and are worrying more about decisions than rules, you can let them find the exit and get out into the world at large.

Edit: Oh, sorry, didn't realize the question was so old, probably already taken care of long ago. Well, maybe someone else can benefit from my ramblings.

toapat
2013-01-03, 10:58 PM
Basically, in Order:

As has been Said, get them to individually or in pairs roll up characters. Stick to PHB classes - Monk (everyone else can perform some form of Opfu from the PHB without Dragon 310 somewhere in the game). Make sure some form of copier is available so you can get duplicate sheets without the standards Oh God.

Also, you need to have them use an attribute array, not Rolled or Pointbuy. Arrays are better for first timers so long as you have something like this:

16 - 14 - 14 - 10 -12 - 10. This way you can have some power in the hands of the spellcasters, but distribute also to the Gishes and Mundanes.

Once you have done that, you will want to start the party as Retinue guards for Michelle Princess the Kidnapped.

The Retinue Caravan is then attacked by Slavers, and the party is too far away to prevent the princess from being kidnapped.

Oh, and everyone else who the party doesnt specifically save burns alive.

Add intrigue from there.

Guizonde
2013-01-03, 11:04 PM
i've got two friends who didn't know what to do. late at night and drunk "let's role-play! i'll dm!" was probably not the stupidest thing i could've said, but a close second at least.

what i did: 3d6 rules light system based on how fast i could think up the rest.
chargen: what do you wanna play? any race so long as it's halfling (we were in the countryside, seemed not far fetched to imagine the adventure was happening outside) then i gave them stuff based on what i deemed fitting. (bow and a pair of shortswords, along with 80lbs of food... you know, a halfling breakfast)
setting and motivation: medieval fantasy, wanderlust.

the quest: to see the world

it honestly worked out better than i thought it would. they got a kick out of being halflings and exploring a new world (roleplaying).

however, for your example, would having pre-builds be useful? you know, skeleton outlines that you can help a player customize in 10-15 minutes tops based on what they want to do?

Lord Il Palazzo
2013-01-04, 03:53 PM
Give them some pre-made characters (wizard/fighter/cleric/rogue or ranger or whatever, easy group) and run them through a short adventure. Decided to follow a map to untold treasures/to open new trade routes or something. Make them each play each charac one time, then propose to create their own characs.I'd advise against this unless you're sure youre group will be patient enough to each use each character once before getting their own. Most of the time, I'd rather get to the main event and give each player a chance to have a character tailored to his or her style. It's no fun to get stuck with a character you don't like for a long game but it's more or less inevitable if you just start a game with "Ok, who wants to be the cleric?"

If you do want to run with premade characters, I would advise keeping it to a short (2 or 3 sessions, at most) game and leaving a couple options for customization ("Which of these two spells would you like your sorcerer to know?", "Your ranger can specialize in archery and have this longbow or in two-weapon fighting and have these two short swords. Which looks better to you?" or "You get one more feat. Would you like Improved Initiative or Power Attack?") Keep it to either/or choices with easy to understand implications. That way, their characters will be their own even if they wer mostly premade. After all, they'll have plenty of time to learn more of what's available further down the line.

Also, make it possible for multiple players to take the same class/architype. Maybe none of your four players wants to be a fighter, but two think the rogue looks cool; make it happen. The more fun you make their first game, the more likely they are to play more.

Friv
2013-01-04, 04:36 PM
I second the suggestion for providing an array rather than doing point buy; prioritizing stats is a lot easier than making complex priority decisions.

If your players are used to video games, but not tabletop, why not use a videogame plot as a branching-out point?

There's a seasonal problem in the area - some kind of animal or monster of relatively low CR that comes out of its lairs every spring. The local lord has put together a bounty on such creatures, and it's turned into a bit of a festival; the players, along with several other adventuring crews, arrive to make some money killing things for their pelts.

Then you can ease them into the idea that they can use unorthodox tactics, methods, and systems by showing some NPCs doing some things. And one NPC group decides that killing other adventuring parties and taking their pelts is easier than spending all day hunting...

JaronK
2013-01-07, 04:35 AM
Fun random idea based on The Hobbit. Everybody is a dwarf. Make appropriately themed very dwarfy characters for them... Dwarf Fighter/Crusader, Dwarf Cleric, Dwarf Wizard/Runesmith, whatever else fits. Their ancestral home was attacked by a dragon backed up by a loose coalition of Kobolds, Orcs, Giants, and other enemies of the dwarves, and they want to take it back. They must adventure through hostile lands to get to their mountain, then fight their way in and secure it for dwarf kind. Perhaps when they get there the coalition has fallen apart, so they can play one enemy off the others.

This brings in all aspects of D&D (a long epic journey, a dungeon crawl, social manipulation, and eventually the ability to shape their mountain as they see fit to defend it from future attacks), and it doesn't require everyone meeting in a tavern. But the characters are all fun from the start... everyone likes playing gruff drunken warriors and fearless soldiers with a grudge and slightly mad forgemasters!

JaronK

Hyena
2013-01-07, 05:34 AM
I'm looking for any interesting ideas for an adventure that will help introduce a handful of completely new players to the game
Make them adventureres who fight the dragons. Nobody have done it for a long time.

Andreaz
2013-01-07, 05:47 AM
Make them adventureres who fight the dragons. Nobody have done it for a long time.Crossing the woods, they meet a large manlike creature made of wood. The creature busies itself chopping down trees and lugging it off somewhere else. It ignores your attempt at communication, but fights back if you get in its way. If they follow the creature, they come across a large building with smoking chimneys and various similar constructs doing the same thing.
The building is a unmanned factory that builds more of those constructs, which promptly get up and start to collect wood.

Yora
2013-01-07, 06:25 AM
Everybody is a dwarf.
Works with pretty much every race and most classes. Especially in 3rd Edition, where you can combine classes as desired.
A party of all multiclass rogues or multiclass wizards is also great fun. Or a party with two clerics and additional fighters and paladins, who all belong to the same temple. And so on.

I think everything is better than having a party of random races and classes that randomly run into each other and decide to go adventuring. Having a shared background also means having shared ideals and motivations, which is the very basis for great campaigns.

Amphetryon
2013-01-07, 12:16 PM
How are you defining a "non-cliched adventure idea," OP? I ask as someone who has DMed for groups (plural) that felt that any plotline that followed any arc indicated in TVtropes was a cliche.

Yora
2013-01-07, 03:52 PM
I would says everything that goes "You are sitting in a tavern when some guy asks you to get a treasure out of a dungeon" or the larger campaign "An evil sorcerer/warlord tries to conquer the world with his demonic armies".

Everything else is already a huge progress. :smallbiggrin:

Lord Il Palazzo
2013-01-07, 04:12 PM
I'm fond of giving the PCs a specific reason to be together and a specific goal the first time the meet up. Consider:

During a violent storm, the PCs one take refuge one by one in a cave near the main road. The monsters/bandits/whatever who live in the cave want you dead or out.
The PCs are all captives of the same person or group. Fight back and escape!
The PCs are all affected by the same mysterious circumstance which they meet while investigating.

As an example of the last one, I once heard of someone starting a game with the PCs all being guests at some formal ball or banquet. Part way through the evening, everyone there drops dead except the PCs. They now have to figure out what happened while being pursued by authorities who believe they were responsible. I've wanted to use this ever since I saw it, but haven't had a chance.

JaronK
2013-01-08, 06:01 AM
Works with pretty much every race and most classes. Especially in 3rd Edition, where you can combine classes as desired.
A party of all multiclass rogues or multiclass wizards is also great fun. Or a party with two clerics and additional fighters and paladins, who all belong to the same temple. And so on.

Very true. Another one I love is the all Kobold party. You have to teach the players about why Kobolds are so awesome (they're dragons) and everyone else is inferior (not dragons). Then you can have a nice all Kobold party that makes a bunch of sense... Factotum/Trapsmith/Combat Trapsmith, Sorcerer, Cloistered Cleric with the Kobold and Trickery domains, and a Sorcerer gish. Fun times!

JaronK

Clawhound
2013-01-08, 10:21 AM
You can't really create a non-cliched adventure. There are only so many excuses that you can use to get into a fight.

What you can do it to identify the elements of the cliche, then change one of those elements.

Don't like goblins took my McGuffin? How about, "Goblins took back their own McGuffin. With it, they can make war on us. We need it back so that we can hold it hostage."

Note that the structure is the same, but the feel is now different.

"Somebody took our McGuffin." Now you have a mystery. Turns out, it was goblins.

"Goblins kidnapped my family." Now the McGuffin is alive. Not only that, but you now have to get that family, unharmed, back to your sponsor, with that tension that things could go badly. For a plot twist, the goblins sold off the family to somebody else.

"The goblins tried to steal our McGuffin, but we lost it years ago. You need to find it first." Now you have both exploration and a race against time.

"Who's got the McGuffin?" Did the orcs, goblins, or gnolls take it? Just don't start a war.

Guizonde
2013-01-10, 10:22 AM
You can't really create a non-cliched adventure. There are only so many excuses that you can use to get into a fight.

What you can do it to identify the elements of the cliche, then change one of those elements.

Don't like goblins took my McGuffin? How about, "Goblins took back their own McGuffin. With it, they can make war on us. We need it back so that we can hold it hostage."

Note that the structure is the same, but the feel is now different.

"Somebody took our McGuffin." Now you have a mystery. Turns out, it was goblins.

"Goblins kidnapped my family." Now the McGuffin is alive. Not only that, but you now have to get that family, unharmed, back to your sponsor, with that tension that things could go badly. For a plot twist, the goblins sold off the family to somebody else.

"The goblins tried to steal our McGuffin, but we lost it years ago. You need to find it first." Now you have both exploration and a race against time.

"Who's got the McGuffin?" Did the orcs, goblins, or gnolls take it? Just don't start a war.

goblins ate my macguffin:smallbiggrin:

also, why goblins? it's the standard PC1 fodder. sheep mutants (same profile as a goblin, but now you can shear them)

i really like lord il palazzo's banquet. i'll have to test it out too.

one thing i'm fond of: your PC's might be level 1, but backstoried, they've all known each other with their quirks for years. instant party-bonding. even differing alignments aren't a major problem (as if your band of irl buddies share your alignment. i know mine are more NG or CG, whereas i'm closer to LG irl. with maybe one or two on the evil side of things. still love 'em)

works great with a gabby character and a wizard who can cast illusions to describe the scene over a campfire (how my character got recapped and integrated with a band a few sessions in) think Xykon's teevo shtick with a wizard as the tv playing reruns.

mkrowe51
2013-01-23, 07:58 PM
This is great advice.

A couple of years ago, I started a new campaign with six players, only one of which had any RPG experience (my brother). My brother wanted to play one of his old 2E characters, so I just converted him as best I could to 3.5. For the other five, I asked them same kind of questions that Jay R described, then created their characters for them. And two years later, we're still going strong.

I also created a Word doc that gives an overview of the basic stuff you need to know to play a character in 3.5 D&D... core races, classes, ability scores, saving throws, alignments, etc., with comparisons to well known fictional characters... it isn't perfect, but it gave my players a reference to work off of when thinking about their characters. I can send you it if you want.


Can I get that Word Doc? I've been looking for a somewhat comprehensive beginners guide and can't seem to find one.

Thanks!

CarpeGuitarrem
2013-01-23, 08:58 PM
Twelve Angry Kobolds

You won't regret it.

Guizonde
2013-01-24, 06:45 PM
Twelve Angry Kobolds

You won't regret it.

by pelor, you didn't just summon tucker's kobolds (http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Tucker%27s_Kobolds), did you?

i'm planning on throwing them at something one day, but not sure if i'm cruel enough to do it:smalleek: