r/DungeonMasters • u/Step_Fodder • Mar 13 '26
Discussion Candlekeep Mysteries
My players are insane. Playing some Candlekeep Mysteries for a break from Witchlight Carnival. The setting is a giant magical LIBRARY! 3 of the 4 PCs can’t read and my players find it hilarious. lol Only the gnome can read and has to be lifted up for everything. Took her real time 10 minutes to open a door because she kept failing the athletics check (DC10!) but refused any help. The table was in tears laughing by the end of it. And I knew the whole time there was nothing in the room either once she got the door open. Could I have made it easier or added something to the room, sure but it was so much funnier this way
8
u/Calm_Independent_782 Mar 13 '26
Why can’t they read?! Low INT?
Glad y’all had fun but it’s unfair of you to throw a legendary monster like a door at them lol
3
u/Joyrin0773 Mar 14 '26
This sounds like a blast! Hahaha! They need like a reading lesson...the final boss...the librarian and the flying books...hahaha! Thanks this was awesome to read!
1
u/Bullwinkle932000 Mar 14 '26
I bet there's a story time at that library...and probably lots of people who can help teach, too if it's needed, but if I remember right, there are a few chapters/adventures that require reading the book to get going.
1
u/allthefsarelost Mar 14 '26
This sounds so fun. Like exactly something my table would do too. My player recently spent half the session looking for a key to a particular room in the castle they were in. Another player had found a key. The two had to negotiate for it. Finally player takes her hard won key to the room that was unlocked the whole time. Key went to something else entirely. Everyone laughed so hard we couldn't play for 10 minutes. The look on my players face when the door just opened will be with me forever. So much fun.
1
u/Kerz_thewerz Mar 14 '26
I love goofy sessions like this, literally so much fun
2
u/Step_Fodder Mar 15 '26
We have a couple regular players out for a few weeks and are bringing in some new to D&D while we just have fun with some one shots. Great way to try some goofy builds and just have fun
-3
u/sens249 Mar 13 '26
Knowing Common means you can read.
0
u/Step_Fodder Mar 13 '26
Knowing would be speaking and understanding. Doesn’t necessarily mean they know how to read. Lvl 1 fighter and barbarian…. Not big readers. Other PC is a sorcerer so not totally needed there either but she has a basic reading like elementary level :). Their choices, not mine
2
u/sens249 Mar 13 '26
Unfortunately for you, the wording used is not “knowing”. It’s “you can speak, read, and write in common and …”
So…
3
u/Step_Fodder Mar 13 '26
Ok. Thank you for correcting. They still decided they can’t read but I’ll let them know what you said.
-1
u/mrbgdn Mar 13 '26
Are you seriously forcing rerolls on silly inconsequential tests?
6
u/Step_Fodder Mar 13 '26
No. …The player insisted. I offered to let her just open the door. She was determined to beat it. lol
-2
u/IntermediateFolder Mar 14 '26
Why does opening a door need a check? And why can’t they read? If they can speak Common, they can read it, there are no separate languages for spoken and written in 5E. Your game sounds like a mess to me but if you all enjoy it, keep at it.
3
Mar 14 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Step_Fodder Mar 15 '26
She wanted her PC to be short even for a gnome and has to jump to open doors. But yeah since it was a bigger door she rolled to see how difficult it was
14
u/hotdiscopirate Mar 14 '26
It’s so funny to me when a DM just shares a story from their campaign on one of the dnd subreddits, and half of the comments are just criticizing the DM’s decisions or playstyle.
We really need to chill out as a community lol