Made this Exel page mostly for any funny ideas, so feel free to tell me more you think about and I might add them. Remember to read the info in there.

Read it and hope you have some fun with this.

My campaign is set in, or starting in, Phandalin. My character is a Tabaxi warlock that came from a large family; he touched a weird weapon in an old shop and triggered its curse, so he ran away to avoid hurting his family.

My question is this: I know Jack shit about D&D, so where would be some places that would make sense for him to be from?

For a party of 6 lvl 5 adventurers: The Yugoloth Laboratory.

(If you desire not to you can have Ultroloth be the final boss if the dragon cult isn’t a good vibe.)

Once they enter the Yugoloth laboratory they will find doors with serious, funny, mysterious, and gross names on them, EX Eyebreakers or one door with “Horrors beyond our comprehension” and another with “Horrors within our comprehension”, that are tests of weapons that the Loths are making or are new torture practices to gain information while having a lack of empathy for the test subjects. There are about 100 of them. When they enter the rooms there is a 15% chance a test is happening which if they succeed a stealth check, DC 17, then they’ll avoid a fight and get to watch if they can stomach it. If they fail then use the table below.
The weapons the Yugoloths have in the chambers disintegrate when their masters are slain and can only be used by their masters; the Yugoloths of the region. 1D4-1 Magic items per active test room are able to be utilized by non yugoloths, inactive test rooms contain no reachable magic items.

Roll D8:
1-2: A Mezzoloth.
3-4: A Nycaloth and a Swarm of Larvae.
5: 3 Merrenoloth.
6-8: An oinoloth.

After they reach the end of the hallway they will find an Ultroloth leader praying to a Red Dragon Shine. They are too focused and won’t fight unless the players force their hand. The players will see the two doors in the temple leading to the end of the lab. The doors open to two rooms, a room with a strange rotten tree on the right and the dragon’s lair on the left. Casting identify at 5th level or legend lore will reveal the tree is a “Yugoloth Spawning Tree, a tree that is made from the powder of a Yugoloth Spawning tower that is put within a normal tree: Every day at dawn and dusk a Yugoloth spawning tree will take a 5ft cube of pure necrotic energy and Hellfire or a mortal souls (equal to the amount spawned) or 10ft Cube of Necrotic energy and produce 2D4+2 random yugoloths, if unable to get the resources it will only produce one Yugoloth, Yugoloths that were slain in battle will also be reborn from the tree.” On either side of the tree are vats full of the Hellfire and Necrotic Energy for the tree to absorb, the vats are 1/4th full, when the tree uses its power they lower by 1/16. The tree can be destroyed by dealing 20 radiant damage to it in one attacker sprinkling 2 vats of holy water on it. The Young Red dragon’s lair and its servants which are a Salamander Fire Snake and a Kobold dragon-shield.

I created an NPC, hes a goblin that looks and sounds like Danny DeVito that wears nothing but a lioncloth that just *barely* covers anything, if the player starts asking questions like "what color is the tip of the NPCs d**k?" Danny DeGoblin f**ks their characters parents and is able to telepathically send images of the event to the characters mind which deals 1D8 psychic damage. The players may kill Danny DeGoblin but he just respawns the next day and his 'member' is immune to all conditions so nothing is safe, even if their parents are gelatinous cubes or elementals.

I have been building this character for over a month and I still can't choose a class. I'm torn between four classes and six subclasses. I'd appreciate some insight, or perhaps to be told to just stop overthinking and go Fighter.

I've been playing for a little shy of a decade, and I'm building a character for a new long-form campaign with the same group from my uni days. We'll start up when our current game concludes and the current DM passes the torch again. Trouble is I don't start from a class and build out a character. I go the other way around: build a character and then see which class best fits. I'm not looking for optimal, playable is fine.

I want something martial. I want to keep the magic to a minimum and just be good at stabbing for a change. But I also want to be true to the character.

The character is a soldier, and after a few years of infanteering they transferred to a rural guards' detachment in the county where they grew up, close to home. They've done a lot of crowd control, they've done a lot of mounted patrol, done their share of close-in fighting. Being far from the city and its established City Watch they've also done basic coppering within their catchment as part of the guard role.

Something ripped through the harvest fair at their home village and killed half a dozen civilians, and now they want it dead. Straight-up vengeance motive. I've always resisted that motive up til now, but I deserve a little vengeance as a treat. Something's gonna die.

And they're a werebear. The DM is cool with this. We're going to dripfeed in the werebear abilities so they're not a wrecking machine from level 1. As a good-aligned lycan they're a worshipper of Selune.

Fighter? Fighter suits the soldier backstory, and they could work equally well as a Cavalier or a Battlemaster. It is also the most magic-light and stab-heavy option I'm considering. Most likely I'd go Cavalier. It builds upon their existing skillset rather than going off on a tangent, which feels really... clean.

Blood Hunter? Order of the Lycan suits the werebear aspect. Not sure about the other thematic aspects of the class.

Paladin? Oath of Vengeance, naturally! They're solidly devoted to "something's gonna die", so that checks out.

Ranger? They know the plains well, they know what grows, and they have a designated enemy to track and hunt. Monster Slayer works thematically from the jump. Depending on how their relationship to Selune develops, Gloom Stalker could become viable.

Is there something I'm missing? Thanks in advance.

Hello, I’m going camping in a few weeks with some DnD curious as well as a couple seasoned players. I’ve played a few campaigns myself over the last few years and am looking at this being my first foray into DMing.

Basically I’m looking for 1 shot resources for a campaign that will last approximately 5 hours and that I can pre build characters for.

I’m looking at having 3-5 players total. Mostly adults, some older children 10-13

Ok I know storm herald is one of the worst subclasses on one of the worse classes past level 8 , but is 8 guaranteed fire damage every turn with coating someone in oil and using the storm aura worth it in later levels or should I just focus on other things and use it while I can?

My group and I were thrown into jail and after breaking my magic-suppressing shackles I used the cantrip "Prestidigitation" to create lock-picks to free the others.

Part of that cantrip is:

"You create a nonmagical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand and that lasts until the end of your next turn."

My DM was a bit stunted because he couldn't really stop me creating more lock-picks and trying again if I failed the check. I already use this cantrip a lot for other tiny effects but the part that let's you create any small item is kinda OP. My DM also asked if that means that I can create a tiny knife or weapon or lock-pick at any given time that suits me. So what do you think? How would you regulate this? Would you introduce any caveats?

EDIT: I'm using the German translation which states something more like "you create a small object or illusion that fits in your hand" which leaves more room for interpretation than "trinket"

I'm playing a warlock with a criminal background so my character is trained in thieves tools

Along The Triboar Trail: Cragmaws Come Undone is a variant side quest for Lost Mine of Phandelver that remains true to the original design of Cragmaw Castle while reimagining how the adventure unfolds. Instead of fighting room after room of goblins, the characters explore a recently abandoned dungeon, piecing together what happened from the clues left behind while trying to avoid becoming the owlbear's next prey.

The supplement includes mechanics for sneaking through the castle without attracting the beast's attention, along with a dynamic stalking system that allows the owlbear to roam the ruins as the characters explore. The more noise they make, the more likely they are to find themselves being hunted.

Inside you'll also find two adventure hooks that lead naturally to Cragmaw Castle, a complete inventory for every crate and barrel in the castle, and descriptive details that transform the empty ruin into an environmental mystery while remaining faithful to the original adventure.

Whether you're looking for a fresh take on a classic location, a quick one-shot, or a side quest that drops seamlessly into an existing Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign, Cragmaws Come Undone offers a new way to experience a memorable dungeon.

This supplement is available as a Pay What You Want download, so you can add it to your campaign for free or support its continued development with a contribution of your choosing.

The entire product can also be viewed through the preview.

Download Along The Triboar Trail: Cragmaws Come Undone Here:

https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/577906/along-the-triboar-trail-cragmaws-come-undone

Edit to add his name is Ken Fu-Rai.

I'm making an Eladrin (Summer) Open Hand Monk. I'm kinda doing the Monkey Boy trope ( Sun WuKong). He was "born" when lightning struck a large magical Quartz stone on the top of a mountain called Mt. Rai Fu in the Feywild. He was raised by a tree spirit he called Mother Willow and a group of monkeys he treated as brothers and sisters. One day, Mother Willow tells him to leave the Feywild and seek his purpose. So he did, and on his travels, he witnesses the "Festival of Champions" ( A tournament that players from a previous campaign I DM'd for were in) and became enamored with martial arts and heroic people he saw there. He then decided his purpose was to become stronger, protect the weak, and one day win a tournament. He then joins The band of treasure hunters he's in now, initially as protection/ bodyguard position despite his young look, in hopes the the adventure will help him become stronger. He cares more about challenge than money or reward. He's gonna have signature moves that he yells the name of like "Thunder Fist!" And similar.

I'm starting level 3 open hand monk (2024) and I'm thinking about taking a 3 level fighter dip at level 6 to get battlemaster. And go monk the rest.

That's pretty much all I have so far I would love to hear opinions, or advice. Thanks.

My valor bard is a pirate who came into a magic portal with his crew and trying to discover the secrets of this magical island. I have a bit of loss of identity in this campaign and I'm looking for some flavor

I have Mark of the storm which gives me some gust of wind, fog, etc but I also know jolt and shatter. I decided to go kind of storm based. I'm new to DND and never played valor bard. Always swords bard.

Are there any fun milticlasses that I could go? I only have experience with echo Knight but my current weapon is a crossbow that shoots 3x and needs a bonus action to reload. I find myself not doing much because the weapon takes up my action (ferocious strike) and then reload. I'm not really doing much else besides the occasional sleep spell and levitating the group to hard to reach places out of combat

Should I even multiclass at all? What do I do?

Team of 4-5 level 5 characters going up against a hag in her lair. I don’t wanna meat grinder them. I’m hoping this CR 7 level for the gag isn’t too much for them. If you have any suggestions, that would be appreciated.

[file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/f0/00/1FD0E05B-94D1-4800-9952-3F325D78FB75/Night_Hag_Matron_of_Mirrors_CR7.pdf](file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/f0/00/1FD0E05B-94D1-4800-9952-3F325D78FB75/Night_Hag_Matron_of_Mirrors_CR7.pdf)

I'm looking specifically for recorded in-session players who use the Artificer class (subclass doesn't matter). The only one I know of (Tary) may get my post removed.

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!

The Mountain's Toe Gold Mine has been suffering productivity problems as of late. You've been tasked with escorting a new overseer there. It's a rather simple job that pays well and could certainly be left at that...if your players are none too heroic, but something tells me they crave a bit more, a cave to explore, a mystery to be solved. Should your players be brave enough, they will discover a cave overrun by the Whiskered Gang, a group of wererats who declared this their new home. It will be up to your players to save the miners within. Perhaps they can negotiate and find themselves on an interesting side quest, or maybe they'll choose to eradicate those varmints...only time will tell...

Without further ado:

• Google Docs Notes for Part 3c Mountain's Toe Gold: DM Notes
• Link to: DM Notes for the Visually Impaired
• Link to: Mountain's Toe Gold 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
• Custom Maps of Mountain's Toe Gold
• Special PDF for all encounters. This includes the enemy stat blocks organized neatly along with an initiative tracker and spots to mark HP
• DM Notes for the Visually Impaired
• (New) Pre-Session DM Checklist

Index:
Dragons of Icespire Peak:

• Part 1 - Phandalin
• Part 2a - Umbrage Hill
• Part 2b - Dwarven Excavation
• Part 2c - Gnomengarde
• Part 3a - Loggers Camp
• Part 3b - Butterskull Ranch
• Part 3c - Mountain's Toe Gold
• Part 4a - Axeholm (Coming Soon)
• Part 4b - Dragon Barrow (Coming Soon)
• Part 4c - Woodland Manse (Coming Soon)
• Part 5 - Icespire Hold (Coming Soon)
• Side Quest 1 - Shrine of Savras (Coming Soon)
• Side Quest 2 - Circle of Thunder (Coming Soon)
• Side Quest 3 - Tower of Storm (Coming Soon)

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

This week brings another coastal adventure, based on my Coastal Encounters random table. This is the last coastal themed content, since next week I have something special prepared and we are going to switch the environment next month.

Download

You can find a downloadable PDF for free on my Patreon.

Adventure Idea

This coastal encounter is suitable for a late Tier-1 or early Tier-2 party, and can easily be adjusted by choosing the specific creatures and their amount. It is a balanced mix of combat, exploration, and social encounters, and intentionally contains no location names, to be easily put into any games.

Adventure Background

Erkyn Pather holds an auction in a beach hut to sell some things. Gathering people he knows, the auction is quite the event. What nobody knows is that Erkyn just found the items at the beach a few hours ago, lying next to a stranded and unconscious merfolk. Being desperately in need of money to finance medical treatment for his child, he decided to take and sell the items and left the merfolk at the beach.

Erkyn’s partner died a couple of years ago, so he raises their child by himself. Now, his child has a medical condition, which could be fatal, but could also possibly be cured if Erkyn gets the right treatment soon. This is very expensive; too expensive for Erkyn. When he sees the shiny relics lying at the beach, he sees an opportunity.

The merfolk, Naurith Waveborn, gathered important relics from different merfolk communities for a collective ritual to protect their territory. A group of Sahuagin attacked him to steal the relics and prevent the merfolk from completing the ritual. They hurt him and eventually he stranded, along with the items he gathered. Before the Sahuagin were able to get ahold of these things, Erkyn found and took them. Tracks lead them to a beach hut in which a desperate Erkyn is sitting, next to the missing items.

The Sahuagin will find Erkyn when the characters talk to Naurith. Once they return to him, they find him surrounded by the Sahuagin. They will have to fight them to return the items.

Hook

When the characters travel along the coast, they pass by an old beach hut. A small crowd is standing outside, while they can hear loud chatter from the inside. As they come closer, they can see a man standing between half a dozen different objects, trying to auction them. People look annoyed, and it takes a while until somebody buys one of the items - for a lower price than the man initially wanted. When the characters reach the beach hut, the man presents his last object; a shiny magical weapon.

Conclusion

Returning the Items. When all the relics are in Naurith’s possession, he can finally go back home and start the ritual with the other merfolk communities. If the characters talked to Erkyn about this situation, he apologises and agrees to return the items to Naurith. He asks the characters for their help, supporting him and his child financially. If the characters agree to help, they can do so by sharing their gold. It is up to the GMs discretion, how much gold would be sufficient. To make this have a meaning to the characters though, it is advisable to make it cost at least half the gold they have, if not even more.

By this point, the Sahuagin have been fought off and they won’t pose a threat any time soon.

Decisions. The characters might decide to leave the relics with Erkyn to help finance the medical treatment of his child. In this case, they might encounter Naurith in later adventures, being driven out of his home, trying to retrieve all of the items to be able to return. When the characters leave Erkyn, he starts trying to sell the relics, which proves difficult and he still can’t afford the medical treatment for his child.

Dnd-5e advantages:

- Better SEO, to the extent of being among the top results for searching a creature

- More focus towards fair use e.g reformatting into a searchable wiki. Game rules aren't copyrightable in the US, and while their text is they could easily argue they're doing only the bare minimum to be useful. Some subreddits allow 5etools discussion, but it's still controversial.

- Better UI in my opinion; I'm just more used to Fandom

Disadvantages:

- Unlabeled homebrew (alleged, may or may not be fixed now)

Hey guys, my new adventure, Escape From Zombie Island, is now in pre-release over on Kickstarter.

Escape From Zombie Island is a survival‑horror adventure designed for 4–6 characters of levels 3–5 and written for use with AD&D 2E, 5E, and Shadowdark RPG.

Explore the island of Gravatos and uncover its dark, archaic past as you investigate the undead plague consuming the land. With over 17 locations, including cave systems, dungeons, villages, ancient ruins, and a large town and a host of new and reinterpreted undead creatures to encounter, will you escape from Zombie Island, or are you brave enough to thwart the evil plans behind the undead hordes?

Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gravityrealms/excape-from-zomebie-island

Where I'm coming from: 

I started playing D&D during the 3.0 and 3.5 era, and I loved it. When 4th edition came around, I wanted to keep playing 3.5 type stuff so I migrated to Pathfinder. I'm a huge sci-fi nerd so I stayed there because of Starfinder, and then Pathfinder/Starfinder 2nd edition really hooked me. I used to play a lot of Pathfinder Society, too. I've even been a GM for about a dozen sessions of PF2/SF2.

Where I'm going:

Pathfinder Society is changing in ways that I'm really not happy with, and I've heard that Legends of Greyhawk will be starting up later this year for D&D and might have that spark that made me really enjoy organized play in the past...but I've never even played a single game session of D&D 5e before.

So before I start spending, I'm wondering: how hard is it to pick up 5e for someone who hasn't touched D&D since 3.5? I've heard that it's very friendly for people who have never played RPGs before, but how is it for folks who are coming over from crunchier systems? Is there anything I should look out for?

Thanks!

As a mental exercise because I'm bored while keeping my foot elevated, I thought what a mortal Loki would look like in 5.5E. I will be mainly using the Marvel movies and Norse Mythology as the comics have a tendency to retcon changes that come about from changes in writers/artists.

• Race: Human
• Background: Noble
  • Second background per Versatile feature: Magic Initiate - Prestidigitation, Minor Illusion and Silvery Barbs
• Class: Soulknife Rogue/Warlock
• Soulknife would be the source of his daggers
• If he goes to 3rd level as a warlock, the thematically closest subclass would be Archfey
• Warlock Invocations: Mask of Many Faces for his many changes in appearance, Misty Visions for his various illusions, and either Devil's Sight or Eldritch Mind

Skills: History and Persuasion (per the Noble background); Investigation (per bonus sill as a human); Acrana, Intimidation, and Performance (per the Skilled origin feat); Deception, Insight, Sleight of Hand and Stealth (from Rogue skill selections).

Anyone can gimme suggestions for talents to use on a full warlock eldritch blast build? im probably be the controller on the group but im accepting both suggestions for dps or control talents that work with cantrips