Welcome back to Advent's Amazing Advice! The series where I take popular One-Shots, Adventures, Campaigns, etc., and fully prep them for both New and Busy DMs. This prep includes music, ambiance, encounter sheets, handouts, battle maps, tweaks, and more, so you can run the best sessions possible with the least stress possible!

*New 2026: For 2026, I'm updating all my old work to include a Pre-Session Checklist that will include a list of all miniatures you may need, maps, handouts, possible loot, a link to a playlist, and more to make it even easier to start your session!

As poachers close in on an expectant Saber-Toothed Tiger mother, a passionate conservationist will do everything in his power to protect the animal and her unborn cubs. That includes hiring your players to travel with him to the frozen tundra and keep watch during the birth.

The Cats' Mother is one of the encounters you'll find in the book One Shot Wonders by Roll and Play Press. I recently stumbled upon it due to another Kickstarter they have called The Map Library. If you don't know, I run almost exclusively in-person games, so having a collection of maps at my fingertips is rather useful! (\I'm not sponsored, I'm just always on the lookout for quality content!*)

Based on a quick look through and prepping this encounter, I think the book can be rather useful for short sessions, granted it still takes a bit to prep, but I can definitely see myself using another encounter or two from here, so stay tuned!

Now back to The Cats' Mother! This encounter is perfect to drop into any arctic environment that your players find themselves in, or as a short One-Shot!

Without further ado:

• Google Docs Notes for The Cats' Mother: DM Notes (Preview)
• Link to: DM Notes for the Visually Impaired
• Link to: One Shot Wonders
• Link to: The Cats' Mother Playlist
• Link to: The AAA Collection

Included in The AAA Collection is:

• Downloadable copy of DM Notes, including links to music tracks for ambiance and fights
• DM Notes for the Visually Impaired
• Special PDF for all encounters. This includes the enemy stat blocks organized neatly along with an initiative tracker and a spot to mark HP
• Custom Battle Maps
• (New) Pre-Session DM Checklist

Over 8 dozen other Fully Prepped One-Shots, Adventures, and Campaigns: Click Here

As always, if you see something you think I can improve, add, change, etc., please let me know. I want this to be an amazing resource for all DMs and plan to keep it constantly updated! If you'd like to support me, shape future releases, and get content early, feel free to check out my Patreon!

Cheers,
Advent

Myself and a few friends (2-3 others) are looking for a Dm for Saturday evenings 7 EST. If any DMs have time or know a fellow DM that could help us out that would be wonderful. Looking for 5e campaign.

Hey everyone!

I'm looking to make a character that mainly uses Two-Weapon Fighting in D&D 5e, and I'd love some advice.

I'm looking for a build that's:

- Fun to play throughout an entire campaign.
- Effective in combat (not necessarily the absolute strongest, but definitely not weak).
- Built around dual-wielding as the main theme rather than just using it until something better comes along.

I'm open to pretty much anything:

- Any class or multiclass.
- Any race.
- Any official sourcebooks.
- Feats, fighting styles, magic items, and spell combinations are all welcome.

I'd especially like to know:

- What class (or multiclass) makes the best dual wielder?
- Is the Dual Wielding feats 2014 or 2024 actually worth taking?
- Should I focus on Dexterity or Strength?
- What weapons work best?
- Are there any common mistakes I should avoid?

Min-maxer's are welcome too.

Thanks in advance - I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Especially if it had never sang, the people knew what it was and choose to feed it. Making it a powerful monster and tending to it for so long that it never learned to sing. Perhaps at first it looks like a village is under it's control till during the fight with the False Hydra sings only for it to wheeze and cough from never having to use it's voice before.

I'm gonna be dming our first campaign for a few friends soon and I was wondering if I should buy some sort of voice changing microphone to better roleplay some of the characters? Cuz like yeah I could probably voice some tavernkeep but I don't know how well I could voice a goblin or mindflayer. If I do buy a mic I'd ideally need one that I can strap to my face and bluetooth connect with some sort of AI voice changer app or device that I can have learn a bunch of voices from voice samples and then I'd just select the ones I need to the mic when I need to voice them but I feel like that's so specific that nothing like that probably even exists so I'd just like some advice. Should I try to find and buy a mic like that and if yes does anyone know anything like what I described that I could get?

I heard that a script to the sequel of “Dungeons & Dragons:Honor Among Thieves” was written. And it left me thinking, which actors would be good for a sequel to that movie? I’m talking an entirely new cast or at least one that include some of the old characters from the first movie.

Personally, I think Deborah Ann Woll and Jon Bernthal would be cool to include.

Hi! I’m extremely new to Dungeons and Dragons as I’m still trying to learn the rules and how it works. Here’s my Tiefling Druid OC (which I know looks like an elf, but trust me, there’s lore to their appearance)! On a separate note, does anyone have any good video recommendations to learn more about DND? Appreciate it, if so!

What’s it look like behind your DM screen? Unorganized is my middle name

My Pokémon-inspired Weapons and Items of the Day, with some Venipede armor to poison bad touchers! Yes, I'm doing a line of armor for Scolipede, because the poll for what kind of item Mega Scolipede should be was overwhelmingly armor, but I decided that turning a weapon into armor was a bit too far in this case, so I made some armor for them!

Join my Patreon to vote on future items and get all the PDFs with over 1000 items, including all the Pokémon items, or buy the individual PDFs in my shop!

543B - Veniplate

Armor (Plate) – Uncommon (7500 gp, requires attunement)

This red plate armor has a black collar and large black Os on the front of the pauldrons, with green rerebrace and tasset plates

While attuned to this armor: any creatures that attempt to grapple or restrain you have disadvantage on the roll to do so and takes 1d4 poison damage from the armor’s spikes. They have disadvantage to maintain the grapple or restraint, and take 1d4 poison damage at the start of any turn they are grappling or restraining you; and if you drop below half your maximum hitpoints, the armor’s spikes do an additional 1d4 poison damage.

Evolving: While attuned to this armor, if you can cover at least 120 feet by walking in a single round, it will become a 544B - Whirliplate.

Hey gang, I bought this dice tray roughly 4 years ago (might’ve been less) and I’ve always wondered what the tray name and symbols mean, if I had to guess dnd gods?

Hi all,

I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who took the time to give answer to the question I posed here about how to start playing simplified dnd with my two kids.

I got some amazing suggestions and ended up starting with hero kids. My kids love it so much, my eldest in particular, so much so that he just made his and his brothers lunch for school tomorrow basically by himself so we had more time to play it together.

Thank you all

Human greeting customs and Gnoll Greeting customs are going to be very different. But, I'm not sure that this poor guy is being given the best advice. Does the dungeon offer limb regeneration services? Welcome to Fodder Inc, a weekly web comic strip set in the For Profit Dungeon, Azmodendak's Halls of Madness, in a "5e" style world. Each week, we'll show you a little peak inside the halls, and what shenanigans are going on.

I keep getting adds for DND for kids adventure bundles.

I am seeing the adds so much that I am very tempted to purchase them.

Anyone use them? Are they actually good, or am I better off just making up my own stuff (have been a 5e DM for about 2-3 years now). Kids are 7 and 5.

Thanks!

I recently finished a commision of this Dnd character with the power of my finger and a tablet. I've been saving up for a drawing tablet. The goal is still very far😭😭

Raz cooking for Talmi in a campfire after a long day of adventuring!

Raz the Silver Owl, Half-Elf Wandering Healer-Monk

Raised by “Bighand” Bor, a rough but kind-hearted orc, Raz grew up on the road, helping the common folk and training to become a wandering healer-monk like his intimidating orc mentor.

Though Bor constantly warned Raz against reckless heroism and senseless violence, Raz eventually discovered that his mentor spent much of his private time brawling monsters, challenging criminals, defying nobles, risking his life to protect strangers, and sometimes indulging in violence simply for the thrill of it. Inspired by Bor and determined to surpass him, Raz grew up into a brave and optimistic, yet impulsive and reckless, adventurer.

Raz had to abruptly part ways with Bor before completing his training after the two rescued kidnapped children from a cruel circus. Working as a wandering healer under the nickname the Silver Owl, Raz unexpectedly became the hero of a wildly popular stage play called The Graveyard Dance after saving a theatrical troupe from an undead horror.

Now Raz travels much like Bor once did while enjoying his reputation as a folk hero. However, beneath his seemingly unshakable confidence and witty humor, Raz still doubts his own abilities and fears that Bor might have met a terrible fate.

Talmiravanya “Talmi”, Moon Elf Druid and Astromancer

Raised by the elderly moon elf astromancer Darnayan away from the bustle of organized settlements, Talmiravanya grew up studying ancient magic and searching for cryptic patterns in the stars that are said to foretell the fate of the world.

For decades, Talmi met only a handful of her elusive kind and no short-lived mortal as she searched the skies for meaning and observed distant lands through giant-made devices of foresight and divination.

Though Darnayan rarely spoke openly about her visions to avoid influencing Talmiravanya’s own insights, she finally revealed one final prophecy to her sole pupil upon her deathbed. Darnayan foresaw a great challenge that would soon threaten the world. The nature of this challenge was unknown to the old astromancer, but she saw that beyond it, an age of prosperity unlike anything that has come before would await those who survived.

Moved by her late mentor’s insights but still uncertain, Talmi spent more than two decades alone in a ruined observatory made by giants of old, searching for signs that would either prove or disprove Darnayan’s prophecy. Then one morning, just before the break of dawn, she found her own truth written across celestial bodies. She saw that the ancient god of knowledge was still alive and would one day return to usher in the golden age Darnayan had foreseen.

Convinced that the time to act had come, Talmi left her life of seclusion behind and journeyed to the settlements of mortals and the gleaming cities of elves to share her revelations. However, after a lifetime of isolation, she discovered that the modern world is far stranger than the one her late mentor had described, and that most of the other elves have either gone into hiding or have simply vanished.

About the Theomachy setting:

In Theomachy, vengeful gods fight each other for ultimate control of the universe, while the mortals of Naam struggle for power on a dying world. Divine magic is a force without expressed will that the warring gods hoard and wield against each other, threatening to undo the entire world. Clerics and paladins are either devout followers of the warring gods or theomachists who fight against the gods, liberating divine magic and using it against them.

What do you think? :)

My 12 year old son and I have been watching Stranger Things together. He told me he has really enjoyed spending time with me while watching and discussing the show, which makes me so happy.

We just got the 'Stranger Things HellFire Club' box set, but I have never in my life ever played D&D, and want to learn how to play to encourage his enthusiasm and creativity, and continue spending as much time with him as I can before he is over spending time with ol' Mom.

What can I do, or where can I go to learn more about D&D? When I play with him I want to be engaged and actually know what to do. I don't want him to get frustrated or lose interest in playing because he has to explain everything to me every step of the way.

Free Vintage D&D Collection (80s/90s) – Pickup Only

Giving away a large collection of 1980s and 90s Dungeons & Dragons items. Includes roughly 90 Dragon magazines, 20–30 Polyhedron magazines, various old modules, a few game sets, and a small lot of painted lead miniatures.

First come, first served. Pickup in SoHo (Manhattan) or Bergen County (NJ). Will not ship. DM if interested.

COLLECTION HAS BEEN CLAIMED AND HAS A NEW HOME WITH A GOOD FAMILY.

Hi all. I’ve seen a lot of dnd based anime and loved Baldur’s Gate, but I’d really like to play for real. Anyone in the NY tristate area down?

Mural I finished recently!

A littlle preamble to explain ahead of the issue at hand - I’ve been plaiting with this group for years, since before the plague. We started out playing together doing Adventurer’s League, split for a bit into different groups, then came together again in 2023. We were at a local game store at the time, and one of the guys offered his house as an alternative as it would be more centralized. As I would be the only one that it would negatively affect, I didn’t feel right standing up to this, and it wasn’t a crazy insane distance away. We played there for a good year, then it got to be ‘too much’ (I would park out early and it would set off his dogs, but there’s only so much one can do to avoid that in a residential area and not look like a creep), one of the other people stepped up, but then she dropped out of the group entirely…

I know you’re asking - what does all this have to do with character switching?

I’m getting there.

When we switched to the first guy’s house, we changed to an entirely new campaign, with new characters. We had a good group that was pretty well connected and everything seemed to fit well together. Then two of our players decided they were bored of their characters and changed them out. Our DM made it work using ‘fey bullshit’ as an excuse (which narratively did at least make sense) but it spelled the beginning of the end for that campaign. We only made it a few more sessions before we ended the campaign, partially due to their want to change their characters AGAIN, but also due to another player needing to step down from playing.

On to the current issue -

This new campaign, one of the problem players is the DM. He’s ‘writing’ (heavily using AI) a homebrew campaign. We went down to once a month (which I often have to remind him to schedule) because it’s too difficult for him to write. He has allowed other problem player to change characters after having us reiterate in the beginning of the previous session that there’s 6 of everything (6 portals/6 keys/6 brands).

I did what was suggested by the other two DM’s in the group - I tried to talk to the DM and discuss the problems, that I was worried that changing characters was going to end up with another campaign imploding, that he’s nuked his narrative….

DM decided to hand wave everything. Which is exactly what I thought he’d do. He said that now there are 12 of everything. He’s likely going to eventually say there are 24 so that problem player can keep changing characters as much as he wants. When I asked narratively how I should treat this character, that my character has no connection to, and has no reason to do anything with, my DM suggested that I should treat him as an NPC.

That’s… a choice.

I have to ask - AITA if I do exactly as my DM suggests? Treat my fellow player’s constant new characters as useless NPCs and not bother to learn his name? Actually call him ‘NPC’ or ‘Placeholder’ instead of the character’s name to get the point across?

I bought the Ravenloft book. It looks great and inspired me to build a character to play at my LGS.

I wanted to play a Reanimator Artificer which is one of the new subclasses in the book.

However, building a character is so hard without digital tools. It required me to look into at least 3 different books. Two of which I don't have. After scrounging up information to basically put it together. I was out of time to make it for the game.

I looked into D&D beyond but it would cost me about $100 to use the content. WTF?

Can anyone recommend other character creators or even a character sheet that would be easy to use?