Note from Bob: I remember writing this immediately after the session, still buzzing from the adrenaline of the “Ogre-choking” incident. There is no greater compliment to a GM than a party that spots a trap, looks you in the eye, and walks into it anyway because it’s what their characters would do. It’s that rare moment where player bravery and character logic perfectly align. I might set the stage, but the “Bad Batch” always brings the fire that actually makes the story worth telling.

It is shaping up to be a busy day and an even busier weekend.

At some point, I will post a full recap of what happened during last night’s Trials of Everrun session and why – but first I wanted to take a moment to give my players a big pat on the back.

This group never ceases to amaze me and inspire me with their level of intensity in the game – and I made some joking comments that I hope weren’t incorrectly received.

Like most game masters, I like to throw hooks, setbacks and downright ambush traps at the players to watch them overcome them.  It never ceases to bring me great joy when they spot those traps, identify them as traps both in- and out-of-character only to deliberately plunge headlong into them anyway!  Their bravery in the face of overwhelming odds (the phrase “I expect Kaderin to have them all dead before I even manage to draw my sword” was uttered), teamwork (“You guys work on the Ogres, I’ll work on the door.”) and flat-out logical bad-assery (Ogre blood corroding your axe?  Guess it’s time to choke the ogres to death instead.)

You keep me on my toes, Bad Batch – and I love you for it!

2026 VTT Perspective: We often talk about “player agency” in the VTT era—the ability to click anything and go anywhere—but this post reminds me that the best agency is emotional, not technical. Even with all the 2026 bells and whistles like automated traps and line-of-sight triggers, the most satisfying “trap” is still the one the players choose to trigger. When I see my players pinging a map location they know is dangerous and saying, “Let’s do this,” I know the tech is doing its job by staying out of the way of a great story.