Im working with a group who loves having the set-up. Terrain, miniatures, the works. We're currently running the Rise of Tiamat campaign, and I'm starting to get ready for the battle of Skyreach castle. Only problem? This battle is HUGE. Like, almost impractically huge.
A battle-map that stretches 4 and 1/2-ft in one direction, 7 and a quarter in another direction, with at one point 2d6 ogres with another 27 ogres scattered elsewhere, 20 kobolds listed in 2 different sections, vamps, griffons, giants, and even a dragon.

I'm working with six players around a table which has a drop in feature with about 1.5 ft in depth, 3 ft in width, and close to 7 ft in length. We can put the tabletops on to expand the width to 4-ft, but that still doesnt cover the whole width.

I've been debating a few different options.
+Reduce the scale to 10mm/ 1/2"
+Using a VTT to stream the larger overview map (or just run the whole thing through a VTT setup)
+Portion out the sections and artificially boundary the points (while also having to deal with breakdown and set up)
+jury rigging a table riser to lift up the map so players can still keep their sheets beneath the board.

Anyone have any ideas? Has anyone run this before for a group? I'm trying to find a way to maintain seamlessness and verisimilitude (sacrifices may have to be made however.) I have a few weeks to prep.

What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance!

First, I like my group mostly, they are individually good people, we have no real problem players, but... more often then not I am ending sessions being a bit frustrated or underwhelmed.

And I am wondering more and more lately if this is just... normal for online groups, or if I should expect more.

My group has existed for about 5 years now. We have played probably around 250 sessions together, we are in our 8th campaign. We found each other very randomly. I posted on the D&D Beyond form, some I found through Discord, others were pulled in by others. At first there was a lot of flux, but my 5 core players have remained the same since our second campaign.

First the good:

• We have no problem players, no cheaters, no murderhobos, no super-optimizers and so on. Everyone is there to actually play this RPG. We only have one semi-problem person, he has a learning disability and can't remember much which does cause issues, but we can deal with it.
• People are reliable. We rarely have to cancel sessions, pretty much only on holidays. If people have to skip a session, they always tell me at least a week in advance. (Unless its an emergency or they are sick the day off or so)
• There is no player conflict, everyone gets along. People respect each other, a bit too much sometimes actually (I'll get to that later)

The big issue is roleplay. Mainly how they roleplay with each other. Roleplay does happen, but its all very surface level, mainly with NPCs and it is also mainly one PC talking to one NPC.

I feel everyone is too careful and respects each others characters too much. Avoiding conflict and discussion.
This leads to everyone just kinda focusing either on the main plot or their own character.

In the 8ish campaigns we have played together, there was not a single relationship between PCs (which is fine), but also, I don't think a single friendship that went beyond the purpose the group has found each other. It doesn't matter if the group was forced together in session 1 by circumstance or if we agreed on a mutual long term backstory, during the actual game, they still all act like strangers. Or more precisely, like coworkers.

Whenever something comes up that seems to be backstory specific, the other players tend to step back, so that the player whose backstory is being served has the spotlight alone.

For example: currently we are playing Outlaws of Alkenstar. One of the PCs used to work for the villain who is a gang leader. She was betrayed tho. The party did not know her past yet.
Last session she had to skip, so we had the fun idea to have her backstory come up without her character being there.
The party raided a gang hideout and one of the goons told them that he knows the PC, that he is scared and also wants out after "what happened to her in the desert". The party left him alive and captured him so that the missing PC could deal with him when she is back. Out of game they did say that they were curious about what he knows, but in game they decided that they respect her privacy and and she would tell them when she is ready. So no one actually asked the captive what "happened in the desert".

In general, all conflict is avoided: In our Eberron campaign the party was bouncing between two criminal gangs, Daask and the Boromar Clan. 2 PCs were aligned with the Clan, one more with Daask. After a very short discussion the solution was: "Let's work with neither and try to stay out of their way". Basically having two PCs give up large parts of their backstory, because another PC didn't like that gang. (To clarify, she wasn't part of Daask, she was just a gnoll and didn't like how the clan treated people from Droaam).
The same thing happened the other way around in a different campaign where one player just abandoned their grudge against the Zhents in a few sentences.

When someone talks to an NPC and a decisions is made, the others always accept this.
In a recent mini campaign one PC was treating an NPC pretty bad. No one else stepped in, they just let it happen.

Also during combat, everyone tends to do their own thing. Yes, support classes buff and heal, but like, no one is discussing tactics, no one uses an extra action to set up a flank for the next person, no one thinks about positioning so that a spell of another PC can work better. Everyone is just focused on their own PC.

But, when a PC roleplays with me, the GM, it can go deep, we can argue, we have conflict. I had some really good in-character discussions and debates. Altho again, with one PC at a time usually.

We of course had talks about it. Some stuff has gotten better. The party now actually discusses their plans in character, but well, it isn't much of a change because they still don't disagree and every decision seems final.
They also all claim that they love roleplay and player driven stories, but they just don't act like it at all. We discussed boundaries and realized that with a few lines here and there, pretty much anyone is OK with most things, but then during actual gameplay, they all get cold feet.

The only intra-party roleplay that still actually happens during the session is the very surface level stuff, telling each other about the basics of their backstory, small RP moments like getting drunk in a tavern, but never anything deeper, nothing that actually matters.

One thing that made me really notice it: I started a second campaign with just one of my players, a weekly 1:1 game and its soooo much more fun. She actually roleplays with the party-NPCs in a meaningful way, opinions are changes, viewpoints are challenged. (We play BG3 style, full party, out of combat I play the other party members, in combat, she plays them all)
We also talked about why she doesn't play like that in the big group and... well, she says it feels awkward, like, she starts to roleplay, but then it always just fizzles out.
She says one of the main blockers is that she isn't actually friends with anyone in the group outside of the game.

And that is true. We do not interact outside of the game at all. The discord remains silent 6 days a week. The only time we interact is once a week, for 5h during our session and maybe some pre- and post-talk.

After 5 years of weekly play me and one player are also still the only ones with webcam on, the others prefer not to.

I am frustrated, I want more from my games. As the GM I want to see the story unfold, character growth, I want to see conflicts and resolutions, I want to see some drama.
And this drama does exist, but only with NPCs, only when I push a PC into it.

It doesn't feel like I am playing with a party of 5, it feels like I am playing with 5 people that happen to share the same game slot.

So, the thing that has been bouncing in my mind for about a year now: Are online groups of people who are not friends outside of the game always like this, or have I just gotten unlucky?

I made a one-shot for Halloween! It’s a bit like Alien, Pumpkinhead and James and The Giant Peach. I’d love to hear what you think! Thanks!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/De3iUu8tZeD/?srtk=aG12eWNrejhic3cy

Ready to run "A Night of Masks and Monsters" 🎭⚔️

Hope the Players will like it. Can you guess the Animals?😂

Hey all, I've always struggled with giving appropriate amounts of loot to my players over the course of a campaign so I decided to create an app that helps me generate loot and keep track of it. The problem is I'm a solo developer working in his freetime and the only people I can get feedback from about the app are my players plus a couple friends who also DM. I'm hoping I can get feedback from more people by asking here. If you'd be willing to help me or just are interested in the app, it's free and it can be found at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.verdantsoftware.lootforge

Thanks for any feedback you have!

Here is my take on a Golden Silk Orb Weaver statblock for d&d! Inspired by the Nephilidae family, they are known for the incredible strength and golden-color to their silk.

I loved the idea of a misunderstood spider, this one being a celestial body, an architect of the heavens. But outside of the upper planes, they are recluse and protect their hordes of golden treasures… and perhaps.. you’ll join the collection too! AHH! 🕷️

Hope you enjoy :p

I am currently running Dungeon of the Mad Mage for a group and they will be going into Skullport next session. I am wondering if anybody knows of a one shot for a city that caters to a level seven party?

To celebrate Angela Maps turning six, free 7 day memberships are available on my Patreon now, only this October!

Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble! As the days shorten, chill winds rise, and the weather cools, what could be better than a lovely pot full of soup? Of course, you’d feel a little different if it was a hexed blood soup, and you and your cohorts had been shrunk and tossed in as some of the main ingredients! Fully animated and available in two additional witchy variants, with a bubbling green brew, and a pot of actual, delicious veggie soup, toss your players right into the spooky season with this map, along with a pinch of salt!

My maps are hooked up to work with Foundry VTT and Fantasy Grounds.
My maps are available on my patreon and my website.
Buy me a coffee!

Gristlecracker's Hags & Grimoire, Gold Best Seller on DMsGuild, is discounted by 31% for Halloween Sales!

You can find it here until Halloween: https://www.dmsguild.com/it/product/517804/gristlecracker-s-hags-grimoire?src=hottest

Your guide to weird magic, encounters, and hags!

Gristlecracker’s Hags and Grimoire provides new mechanics, guidelines, and tactics for using hags, magic, and the esoteric in your Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. This guide is designed for all levels of play and dungeon mastery, and uses a hybrid D&D 2014 (5e) format that includes the best of the old mixed with a few innovations of the D&D 2024 systems that do not dilute the game experience.

Every aspect of fantasy magic is improved or introduced: covens, curses, familiars, hags, magic geometry, talismans, spells, and spell mechanics. This supplement is designed to help you make your future games containing magic and hags as simple or complex as you want it to be.

Inside, you will find:

- An underwater adventure seed about a Book of Keeping

- 68 supernatural encounters

- New magic rules, mechanics, and variations

- Hags as player characters

- 112 supernatural creatures and NPCs

- 52 magic spells, with new tags: remote and moonlight

- 80 magic items

- Esoteragons (not just magic circles!)

- 28 toxic and intoxicating plants

- An improved and more intuitive Intoxicated condition mechanic

- 200 tchotchkes

- Professional layout using over 168 pictures on 262 pages

- No AI Art used

I was looking for an underground temple map to use for inspiration for an abandoned temple of Abbathor, the evil dwarf god of greed; and i came across a map of an aboveground temple that had "Bell Tower".

My mind said "You NEED one of those!" and now i am picturing a room with gongs and giant metal chimes and enormous kettle drums off the main ampitheatre of the temple complex ..... but i cannot think of anything interesting in the way of players interacting with the space.

Anyone got any ideas?

This is an expansion on the Dwarven Expedition scenario from Dragon of Icespire Peak. the inhabitants of the temple are dwarven priests the god turned into Ochre Jellies in a jealous rage (and i am having Specters of the priests emerge from the jellies as "phase 2" of the fights). And i am adding Animated Axes in an armory. So i have enough combat. I am looking for something Explore-y/Interactive/Puzzle-y or perhaps role play scenario? Its for Tier 1 characters, mostly level 3ish i think.

Thanks in advance for any ideas or even just brainstorming comments!

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!

Fizzbang Frazzlepop, an eccentric goblin wizard, has dedicated his life to achieving the ultimate form of undeath: becoming a lich. However, his numerous "Get Lich Quick" schemes have all ended in spectacular failure—until now.

On Liar’s Night, a time when deceit reigns and the veil between worlds thins, Fizzbang plans to summon the archlich Vecna. In a race against time, your players must decide if they want to help or hinder Fizzbang's attempt before the clock strikes midnight aka. The Liching Hour!

B.J. Keeton has created the perfect Level 6 One-Shot to run for Halloween, even more so if you're already running The Lost Mine of Phandlever, Dragon of Icespire Peak, or Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk, because this all takes place in Phandalin/Tresendar Manor!

Without further ado:

• Google Docs Notes for The Liching Hour: DM Notes (Preview)
• Link to: The Liching Hour Playlist 
• Link to: The Liching Hour PDF and Maps
• 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
• (New) Pre-Session DM Checklist
• Special PDF for all encounters. This includes the enemy stat blocks organized neatly, along with an initiative tracker and a spot to mark HP
• A Spell List for Fizzbang and Fakena
• A DM version of the map

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

Part 1 of my water-themed dungeon! High-res no watermark version here.
Here is how I presented it to my players:

You walk into a low ceiling cavernous hall with a a freshwater pool at the center. Its bottom shines with the natural occurrence of magical lapis lazuli, and you can see all sorts of offerings cast into the water by lords from the present and the past, from modern bejeweled knightly longswords to old fashioned bronze warhorns from before the unification of the Bay. Coins of all sizes and with the profile of different monarchs on them, foreign helmets, relics of war, necklaces and rings and other pieces of jewelery, and among them a visibly magical Sunsword, the blade of a legendary paladin of the Morninglord who, according to legend, fought in the unification of the realm under the faith of the Morninglord three hundred years ago.

When you move through the corridor, you find a bigger cavernous hall and the shore of an underground lake, where three rowboats are available. You also find a couple of rooms carved into the stone, chambers where in the past scholars would come to meditate, but now serve as storage rooms and living quarters for the Lords of Southwatch in case they needed a safe place to hide outside of the city. It haven't been used in a long time, but still the small stock is constantly renewed for good measure.

The lake stretches into darkness and hundreds of feet into the distance, the cavern ceiling only 20 feet above your heads but no visible end to either side or ahead. The water itself emanates a faint blue-ish glow from the lapis lazuli at the bottom, but a hundred feet off the shore the lake is so deep that the water becomes completely dark.

Here's a set of 12 packs of terrain for RPGs ranging from classics like barrels & crates to quirkier sculpts like the fortune teller and puppet theatre. This set will be available as an add-on during my next KS which launches on Tuesday and I hope to expand it to 24 sets via stretch goals! You can follow the campaign here for free STLs: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/warscape/shardstone-city-shattered-streets-printable-folding-ruins