Hey everyone! Just trying to figure out if what I'm thinking is a good idea or the worst idea ever. My group is only two sessions in. They started at level 5. I have them going into a supposed-to-die battle wherein they wake in hell and have to figure out how to get out (yadda yadda this is where the real story starts). I was thinking that when they awaken in the underworld that they'd revert to level 1 and lose their gear, and that's my contention. Is that a dick DM move? Or would it make sense? I know it's hard to give a solid answer and the best way to know is to know my players, but I don't exactly want to ask them for obvious reasons. How would you all feel?

Thanks!

I don't know how but long story short my therapist wants to try a dnd session with me and wants me to dm. Are there any small like one player modules I could run? He wants to play a warlock if that helps.

Hey everyone! I've been working on this D&D tool called DNDToolbox for a few years now on and off as a passion project. I just released some new features that I would love feedback on! It's a free site (no ads, no registration required) where DM's can generate random items, encounters and NPCs to use in your sessions. You can try it out here: www.dndtoolbox.app

Whenever I hear about D&D more often than not it seems like people go to great lengths to stay in character and roleplay

This is great and makes for some very interesting stories but I tend to find myself more interested in just going on an adventure with a group of friends, solve a few puzzles win a few fights, complete a few quests etc

I'm also a big fan of character optimisation and mechanics but get the feeling that can be frowned upon by much of the community

Difficult to describe what I mean here but as an example in baldur's gate I barely roleplay at all, my character has no personality except for the fact they make the decisions I would make, but I find that more fun, not having to worry about what my character would do and just making the decision I want to make

I realise not having a fleshed out character in D&D detracts from the immersiveness of the story because the DM can't weave your character into the story but at least at the moment that doesn't sound too bad to me.

Just wondering if there are people out there who run lighter roleplay campaigns

Bonus points:

What are some interesting takes/interpretations/ reflavours that you've seen or want to try?

Hey, everyone my name is Advent, and I run a Patreon called Advent's Amazing Advice! I take popular One-Shots, Adventures, Campaigns, etc., and fully prep them for New and Busy DMs. My prep includes detailed notes, music, ambiance, maps, encounter sheets, handouts, and tweaks so you can run the best sessions with the least stress possible!

I've been working on Advent's Amazing Advice for well over a year now! Thanks to all the support of my Patrons, I'm finally in the position where I can add someone to the team to lighten the load of prepping! With their assistance, I'll be able to expand the ways I can help everyone!

In order to find the perfect person, I'm creating a contest. The rules are simple. The person who can prep a One-Shot in a style most similar to mine will be the winner. I'll be judging this based on the following:

Main Criteria

• Formatting: How close you can match my style
• Improvements: Includes additions; as well as flow, ease of use, etc.
• Music Selection: Picking the perfect tracks to match each scene (*Create a YouTube playlist)
• Including additional resources: ie. maps, handouts, encounters sheets, etc. (Be sure to properly credit)
• Packaging: Delivering the Prep the same way I would (ie. Folder Organization)

The One-Shot that contestants will be working on will be The Delian Tomb. I've chosen this one because it's short, has multiple versions, and is made for beginners to D&D. How you choose to prep will allow me to see how well you can get into the mind of a new DM; ensuring they have all the tools at their disposal to run an Amazing session!!!

Not only will the winner be joining the team*, but there will be prizes! Additionally, if 2nd and 3rd place impress me enough with their quality, they might just find themselves being called up to collaborate in the future!

Prizes

• 1st - $100 and have your prep featured on Advent's Amazing Advice
• 2nd - $50
• 3rd - $25

Deadline - 1/15/24

If this sounds like something you're interested in, you can get started by downloading the Contest Resources by Clicking Here or Here. Once you've finished, you can upload your files to Google Docs and send an email with the link, as well as to the YouTube playlist that you created!

Email - AdventsAmazingAdvice@gmail.com

For those of you who haven't seen my work before, you'll find an example of my Into Ivy Mansion prep in the Contest Resources Pack. I've also included additional examples of my prep below.

• Dragons of Stormwreck Isle - Click Here
• A Most Potent Brew - Click Here
• Index of over 4 dozen sessions with previews - Click Here

I can't wait to see how this turns out and I'm so excited to have the chance to be able to do something like this. Thank you all so much, without you, I could never have imagined coming this far! If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask!

Cheers,

Advent

* Joining the team is contingent on producing high-quality content and being a person others would want to work with!

Edit sorry I was way to vague and bad explained question. But great explanation everyone.

If you start playing as a player in a homebrew world that I built. How little information would you feel needed to be able read before you can build a character in it?

I have been planing to start looking for players soon but I struggling as I don't want to give them a whole novel of mostly boring lore dump but sending them like two sentients feels just silly.

Not to mention would you as a player like reference to other mediums so you could quickly know what to expect or would you rather have a in game view of it?

The campaign is set in the Moonshae Isles. I am playing the Sarifal outcast background as a Fairy. As part of the background, my character, Spark, is on a secret mission (rooting out traitors) for High Lady Ordlaf. Now, Spark isn't allowed to tell the real reason that he is not at court. And he is known to be banished as part of his cover. I was thinking that he would use multiple excuses when he is asked what he was banished for. Not all have to be serious, and he is skilled in deception.

D&D and other tabletop RPGs require someone to lead them—a Dungeon Master, also known as a Games Master. It can be an intimidating role to take on, but as someone who's been regularly running campaigns for about 20 years now, trust me when I say that learning how to DM is much less difficult than it appears, and it can be a ton of fun to boot.

The first thing to know is that you don't need to be perfect right away—or ever, really. Popular D&D shows like Critical Role can make it seem like being a good DM means giving a flawless performance, but the reality is that you can give the group a great time without having any real skill for things like storytelling or vocal performance. Play with friends or at least like-minded individuals, and you'll find any mistakes you make are quickly glossed over, and that even the most simple and cliché adventure can be a blast.

That said, the role of Dungeon Master does require more preparation than being a player, and you will find things go a lot more smoothly if you put in some time to learn about what's expected of the role. This guide is designed to equip you with the knowledge you need for a great first adventure—read on, and you'll be running epic campaigns in no time.

What makes elves fun to play?

@dnd

Something I've been puzzling over with my #homebrewdnd stuff is about the classic #dnd elf. I don't really know what makes the Elves a compelling race to play. I'm thinking of changing them quite significantly for my campaign, but how far can I change them until they no longer hit the same buttons?

Hi all!

We're a family of three, my wife, my son (11M) and me. We would like to start playing "real" D&D, after trying a very simplified version we bought a couple years ago.

I've been playing "real" D&D with my friends many years ago, but only as a player, never as the DM. What I'm looking for is a set comprising a Player's Handbook, a DM Handbook and Rules (?). I'm not really sure sure what else I would need to start... I'd be the DM and the player, at least at the beginning...

Can anyone point me towards a good starter pack, with the minimum needed books? Also, any additional suggestion would be welcome.

Thanks a lot in advance!

EDIT: Thanks to everybody! These have been very useful suggestions. I think we may start with the "Starter Set" (cheap, slightly more advanced than the one we're using right now) and if the family enjoy it we may explore the "core rule set" afterwards. Hope my son may appreciate this kind of games, as a healtier alternative to phone/pc video games :-)

I'll go first.

A person seeks out a fey to get a warlock pact. The person doesn't know, however, that they're a sorcerer with strong fey ancestry that just hasn't manifested yet. The fey obviously agrees to the "pact" and makes a ridiculous contract that the person agrees to. The person lives their entire life believing they're a warlock when they're actually a sorcerer. The only thing the fey did was help the person's magicky shit manifest.

What dnd races are required?

@dnd

I'm making a new #homebrew #dnd setting. The mistake I felt I made last time was trying to devise an orgin from whole cloth for each playable race, which wasted a TON of time and energy while also confusing my players. So, herein I wish to ask: What playable races would you miss, if you joined my table and noticed their absence?

Humans, dwarves, halflings, orcs, goblinoids, and elves will all stay, but I am not sure about all the others.

I hope everyone is having a Fantastic December! With the Holidays in full swing, I wanted to give everyone here a present, by doing all the prep work for a fantastic Holiday One-Shot for you! Then, in turn, you can gift that experience to your players! And what better gift is there for players who have been so good, than an opportunity to let loose and be evil for a change! Yes, that's right, The Night before Wintermas is specifically designed for Level 5 Evil/Neutral aligned players.

Thanks to the creative mind of jmanc, you'll bring your players to The Town of Frosthold and join a morally bankrupt Toy and Tabacco company to put an end to Santa's charitable operations by Infiltrating his workshop and dealing with the problem for good!

Experience holiday music to fit every scene, face your favorite Christmas Characters...in a battle to the death, earn unique magic items to help you take on the fat man, and live vicariously through your newly evil characters! This is a One-Shot you won't want to miss!

Without further ado:

• Google Docs Notes for The Night Before Wintermas: DM Notes (Preview)
• Google Docs Notes for The Town of Frosthold: DM Notes
• Link to: The Night Before Wintermas PDF
• Link to: The Night Before Wintermas Playlist
• Link to: The AAA Collection

Included in The AAA Collection is:

• A Word document with all my notes including links to music tracks for ambiance and fights
• Special PDF for the encounter. This includes the enemy stat block organized neatly along with an initiative tracker and a spot to mark HP
• An Alternate encounter PDF for Frosty and The Snowmen *(Updated 2023)
• Custom Maps for Santa's Grotto
• Custom Boss Fight Music
• Handouts for the Scrolls of Haste and Invisibility
• A Preview PDF of Flee Mortals

Other One Shots, Adventures, and Campaigns:

• Dragons of Stormwreck Isle - Click Here
• The Wild Sheep Chase - Click Here
• The Haunt - Click Here
• We Be Goblins - Click Here
• Scarab of Death - Click Here
• Don't Say Vecna - Click Here
• The Egg of Estyr - Click Here
• Into Ivy Mansion - Click Here
• Wolves of Welton - Click Here
• To the End of Time - Click Here
• A Most Potent Brew - Click Here
• Moon over Graymoor - Click Here
• The Drunken Treasure - Click Here
• Curse of Strahd - Click Here (W.I.P)
• A Grimdark Adventure - Click Here
• A Wild West One-Shot - Click Here
• The Wizards Treehouse - Click Here
• D&D vs Rick and Morty - Click Here
• A Prison Break One-Shot - Click Here
• A Holiday One-Shot (2023) - Click Here
• The Barber of Silverymoon - Click Here
• The Tavern at Death's Door - Click Here
• The Night Before Wintermas - Click Here
• L'Arsène's Ludicrous Larceny - Click Here
• Shadow of the Broodmother - Click Here
• Grammy's Country Apple Pie - Click Here
• The Secret of Skyhorn Lighthouse - Click Here

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! If you have any advice on how I can improve my notes further, please let me know either here or leave a comment on the Google doc itself! If you'd like to support me, shape future releases, and get content early, feel free to check out my Patreon!

Cheers,

Advent

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/6427823

Source for the model

I painted this little fella with Army Painter Speed Paints 2.0, Vallejo paints, Apple Barrel paints, and Rust-Oleum primer.

I'm so excited for when my DnD party gets to encounter this little fella, they're currently planning to talk with it when they find their lair.

So I'm a long time fan and playing my first campaign. First big quest and we're in a fortress.

Pretty spent after an encounter and some traps. We see a sleeping BBEG in the way of our finish.

Cast pass without a trace to sneak past. Fighter in heavy rolls a nat 1 on his disadvantage.

So it's 1 + 1 dex +10 pass without a trace = 12

BBEG passive perception is 10. We sneak past.

WTH? I mean sure my PC is happy but I feel somehow disappointed in our DM giving us a pass.

I've DMd before and would've definitely woken up the boss.

I feel like DM gave us the pass cause it could've been a TPK.

Thoughts?

Edit:

Thank you everyone for your thoughts.

I was caught up in the homebrew rule of auto fail nat1s that is NOT in the PHB.

Rules as written we earned that easy win by taking advantage of the bosses low perception and spending a spell slot on pass without a trace.

It’ll be out in 2026, and Starbreeze are being upfront with the fact it’ll be a games-as-a-service-type game.

Just came up with this question in a game. Would a dragons kidney stone be worth anything? Are there other creatures that would have kidney stones worth a lot?

Earlier today I was browsing through shelves at a toy store to look for a last gift for one of my daughters. That's when I hear an excited voice ask one of the store employees 'do you have dungeons and dragons?'. I listen in and learn that they do not have any DnD material at all and also can't order it. I walk a bit closer and see 3 12 year old ish boys and a girl with disappointed faces. The employee also can't help them where to find dungeons and dragons products.

Now I live in Germany where you can't find dnd boxes at the likes of Target like in the US for example. In fact I know of 2 stores in the whole city which carry DnD books and material.

I step in and ask if I may help out with the question. I tell them that there are 2 stores which carry the books, dice and more on the other side of the city. They said that's far away but they'll try to go there in Saturday.

We get talking and they tell me about how they are looking to start a dnd club at school and also play at home. They got a set of dice and saved around 70 euros for a book and maybe some more dice and such. I tell them that'll buy them the players handbook which is a good starting point and maybe some extra dice.

They ask me if I played as a kid and I said yes, in fact I still do and I'll be playing tonight. That's when I made a weird decision in my head. I had all my stuff already with me so I don't have to go back home between work and game night. I opened my backpack and gave them my copies of the PHB and Monster Manual. They were super excited and actually insisted to pay me but I'd have felt bad taking money from them.

I didn't want to post this as virtue signaling stuff or anything. It was just kind of a crazy decision I made that I think was kinda cool. They just reminded me so much of me when I started out. We were lucky to get our first dnd books gifted by an older brother of one of our group's members. So I wanted to pay it forward. Now I just have to figure out how to run tonight's game without my books.

Hey there everyone, I am back with v1.1 of my Latex Template for making D&D Item Cards. I received one major point of feedback from multiple people in the fediverse: make an option for fixing the card dimensions for easier printing and distribution/storage at the table. So that is exactly what I did!

Now you can choose the (admitedly more user-friendly) option of letting the card length vary for digital distribution, or you can fix the card aspect ratio. The item art background and text backgrounds can also now be changed, and a number of options have been included for item art backgrounds, but you can use whatever images you want.

Example Cards

The fixed-size cards are 5:7 by default, the same as playing cards. They include a front and back side for longer item descriptions, but you will have to edit the text more carefully and decide where to split between front/back content.

For the printable card item art, I highly recommend using a PNG with a transparent background and modifying tcolorbox interior style to set your background. Ensure your backgound art is close to 7:5 for best results. You can also load your image as the background art if you'd like instead, again, making sure it is in 7:5.

I love D&D and have an on-going game that occurs twice a month on the first and third Saturday evenings of the month. The game has been going for a little over two years and I love it so much.

I am a father and husband too. Unfortunately, my wife is frustrated with having those Saturdays taken up on the schedule where she has to schedule things around them or go without me (vacations, family outings, etc). Admittedly she has done well at scheduling and should be given credit for her tolerance thus far.

Those of you who are successfully managing family schedules and gaming, what is your secret?

I've been trying for a bit to get together a group or find one to join here with no success. I've posted in two communities here on lemmy, replied to a few peoples posts, and each time it seems that I and the others don't get enough people together to start a game.

My question is towards others experiance in the fediverse with getting together a group as a DM or a player.

Have you been able to do so?

If so, what's your experiance been? Where did you find success?

Is mastadon or another service a better place to look?

Any experiance or story is appreciated.

Alternatively, if you've been looking yourself and have had the same experiance, I'd love to have you at my table. I am in the EST timezone though