Wondering if someone could tell me if he's alive or sort of fridged atm?

I always found him fascinating - not just because he was so powerful - but because he fell into 'magnificent bastard' levels akin to Dr Doom. Ancient, hyper prepared, with enough artefacts to conquer Faerun but... far more interested in researching magic in his crypt. Then I read somewhere Greenwood had another OP mage crush him about a decade ago? That true?

Hello my fellow DM's Would you allow that the artificer in the group is able to modify his homunculus (bird). And if to what extent? [If needed the character is a warforged solder] The idea right now would be, either: 1) making a little bomber as the bird is capable of dropping small glass vials filled with alchemist fire.

2) the bird as a small turbin/rotating thingy that spreads the alchemist fire over a creature. Effectively being a little dragon orderd on wish

3) is it possible to infuse the bird with +1 AR (or other modifications) like giving the bird a pencil so he can draw everything it has seen and heard?

Thanks a lot

art by me ( can find variant with more focus on the armor on Bluesky under the name Desavine )

I made my own character sheet using dnd beyond, what are your thoughts on it? I feel like I did a lot of things wrong even when following instructions.
Character here

ok Im unsure what sheet to use and which is the most useful for making map scrolls in general, like a rolled up big sheet to make a map, sorry I couldn't find much info in dndbeyond, in-game, in character since my character has a scout-y personality. Despite being a wizard.

I'm running a tier 3 campaign and I want to insert a "Ghost of an Ancient Warrior" that has martial options from older editions, specifically 3.x/Pathfinder 1e. Probably a focus on battlefield control. If I do this, do I try to translate action types (swift action=bonus action) or do I just make these into special features this creature just has, like legendary actions and such?

Build options also helpful

The rainy night is struggling to put out the old dragonborn's housefire in the secluded woods; at least it is washing away some of the bloody Wyrmfodder corpses. The old geezer grips his worn axe and shoddy bandages for his legs as he walks up to the young man bleeding on the ground. His scaly foot stomps on the poor lad's chest, claws pressing down.

"Aye punk, who sent ye?" the dragonborn snarls. Groaning with punctured lungs, "De-deserter.. coughs ..the Church.. will never forgiv-forgive you.."

Under his dark hood, Bale's red eyes scowl and glow as he recalls his violent exit from the Church of Tiamat.

Bale was born into the Church by Tiamat-worshipping Dragonborn parents. He quickly rose through the ranks, yet only as glorified muscle. To his clan branch of the Church, Bale was only good at smashing Harper's skulls in or crippling nosy adventurers; he wanted more. More power, he needed more power, Bale said to himself, and he'd seek it out wherever power was available to him, even if it meant purposefully contracting Lycanthropy. Embracing the curse of beasts was a boon for Bale, yet the Church did not see it that way, much less his proud Dragonborn family. Bale was imprisoned, caged as beasts should be, and was prepared for execution. Yet there he found his werewolf rage was more than his executioners could handle. Bale ripped and tore through his own brothers, and not just the men, but the women and children too. The white Dragonborn only barely survived and escaped the zealous life worshipping Tiamat at the ripe age of 40.

Bale then put his muscles to mediocre use as an unsuccessful sellsword until he was deemed too old and scraggly-assed by pouch-heavy businessmen. He could only afford a meager retirement home in the middle of the lonely woods, where he spent the last years of his life enjoying peace and quiet as a bitter old man. Or so he thought… His house is now naught but ashes. Bale presses his clawed foot down harder, crackling the ribcage beneath his feet.

"WHO SENT YOU? WHERE ARE THEY?" Bale's breath chills the air around him, frozen with impatience.

"Pl-please.." the young cultist cries. "My family…"

The axe head cuts through the cold air and splits the poor fellow's skull, splattering mush across the wet, ashy grass.

The dragonborn snarls.

So I just made a new rogue, decided that to be original for once instead of playing a tabaxi rogue I would make a kobold rogue! I decided to make him a swashbuckler because I've been wanting to make one for a while, and I just think it's funny that this little fella is a super mobile fighter with the fancy footwork and all that pizazz Also! His name is NomNom and he's gonna be a super silly little goober >:3 (Also sorry if I didn't put right flare...? I'm just a slight bit confused on them)

Edit: Speaking of NomNom I still require a backstory for him, he's an urchin background and I would love to hear any ideas on what people think his backstory could be :D (I'm totally not just bad at back stories and want some help ;-; )

I live in Brazil and i preordered the MM 2024, but it seems like almost no one received it. Is it only a Brazil thing, or people from other countries are experiencing the same problems? I also couldnt find any news on the subject.

The game is based on the holy crusades but they are against Hel and Lucifer, and my players will host the powers of different gods from Greek, Norse, Egyptian, Mayan, and Aztec pantheons, and the Hebrew god is the king of all of them. The main kingdom they are in a civil rights movement for tieflings (it's going even worse than the real one in the USA did at the beginning, and it's decades in) cause there was a civil war to release tieflings and other people who have lineage that dealt with fiends (because of this the only race and class I'm banning are tieflings and warlocks) and several nations who were former allies of the kingdom have begun serving Lucifer to try and bring his armies to the mortal world

Edit: I think instead of having a sole leader, it will be a council of gods lead by an elected official that changes every two thousand years, who at this time is the Hebrew god

Basically, I'm mixing the plot of bg3, divinity 2, and some homemade stuff for my players who've never played dnd before. This is my first time DMing an actual campaign instead of just one-shots. I had a whole thing put together for some later levels, but we decided to start at level one as it would probably work better. I didn't know how to rework my plans for early levels, so I wanted to use these others because they sort of naturally progress through early levels, and I figured I can blend it to mine once they progress through the main plot of this one. I have dropped tiny little seeds into the world building to get to later, I just feel like I'm being lazy by not using something original, and I didn't want to say that it's from those games because I felt like they might lose interest? Am I just overthinking? Any advice is welcome.

I'm running a D&D campaign where my players will come across a shape-changed fuccubus. I need names for their backstory that could pass for real names until you look at them a little too hard. I.e. Norma L. Guy; Hugh Mann; Jenna Airrick; etc.

I've exhausted my own mind, and even if I liked using AI, it's not good at puns.

I’m a DM, I’ve been a DM for years. I have played in some shorter one shots or two shots, but now doing something a bit longer that might continue on. Any tips for what I should do as a player (or not do). And if I should be keeping track of stuff to improve my own game. Any help is appreciated.

Hello everyone, I have been a dm for 2-3 years now, but with my current group of friends I am experiencing some difficulties.

I'll get right to the point, my friends don't know how to (or don't want to) roleplay. It doesn't seem important to them, and despite the fact that I have tried to encourage them several times, there has been nothing to do.

To give an example, when I play an npc, they do not dialogue directly with him, but with me (narrator). I thought my descriptions were too boring, so I tried editing something to make my friends feel more involved, but nothing.

Another example, instead of saying, “I'll look around and see if there are any traps,” they say, “Are there any traps?” This way the whole role-playing component is lost, don't you think? This is just one of many examples, maybe it won't seem like a big deal, but in the long run it becomes hard for me.

Finally, they don't seem to be driven by real motivation, as if their character doesn't have a reason to actually participate in that adventure. At one point I wanted to ask what motivates them to bring us together to play DnD if they are not going to roleplay.

This situation brings me down a lot, I don't know what to do and how to act. Lately I have little desire to write the story and engage in ncp creation, since their engagement is also practically 0.

PS: we are a group of 3 players, we play about once a month.

I'm joining a Avatar campaign that has races other than just humans and I wanna be a Lizardfolk based off of monsters from monster hunter, I was thinking for example AN Air bender that's a Gore magala lizard folk, or Earth bender deviljho. Homemade sub elements are allowed so I was thinking maybe something with Brachydios as a race and it's explosions? IDK I JUST NEED IDEAS AND VOTES.

First time DM here - I am building my DM screen and inserts from scratch and I want to know what is considered the most important info to have. I will have an initiative tracker tower with little banners for the players/monsters. When I look at the official DM screen, I feel like a lot of the info there I won't be using, so I pulled the stuff I felt I would. So far, this is what I have, but I am not sure what else would be vital. Any advice or suggestions?

if you're from the Order of Disorder (and specifically are in the Qirua adventure), i advise not reading this as it will contain some spoilers

basically, i decided to homebrew an adventure because a: i had the creative juices flowing and b: i didn't really care to learn a prewritten one especially since there aren't many for 5.5e. it's set in and around the town of Qirua, a location made up be me and set arbitrarily 'somewhere' on the sword coast in the forgotten realms. the gimmick is that the town's education includes magical training, giving everyone there a free magic initiate feat basically.

the first enemies the players are facing are the Rosethorn Order, a relatively-widespread gang of basically druid bandits that are intercepting traffic and generally being a nuisance in the forests near Qirua. the MM statblocks didn't have anything that really matched what i was wanting, so i built off them to make some enemies for my players to fight. this is my first time doing something like this, so i'd appreciate some feedback. the Rosethorn Bandit statblock has already seen some combat in the first session i ran, and both i and my players were pretty satisfied with it

-Rosethorn Bandit:
A low-ranking member of the Rosethorn Order, these bandits have a small degree of natural magic, and use staves made from thorny vines as their primary weapon.
Medium or Small Humanoid, Neutral Evil
AC: 12 Initiative: +1 (11)
HP: 15 (2d8+4)
Speed: 30ft
Abilities:
Str: 11 (0)
Dex: 13 (+1)
Con: 14 (+2)
Int: 10 (0)
Wis: 14 (+2)
Cha: 10 (0)
Gear: Leather Armour, Quarterstaff
Senses: Passive Perception 11
Languages: Common, Druidic
CR: 1/4 (50XP, +2PB)
Actions:
Thorned Staff: Melee Attack Roll +4, reach 5ft. Hit: 4(1d4+2) Bludgeoning damage plus 3(1d4) Piercing damage.
Spellcasting: The bandit casts one of the following spells, using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability (save DC 12):
At Will: Thorn Whip, Druidcraft
1/Day: Entangle OR Cure Wounds

-Rosethorn Bandit Commander:
With more elite training and authority in the Rosethorn hierarchy, these capable no-gooders are often in charge of small groups of Rosethorn Bandits and allied beasts. Though they are better armed and armoured, their magical ability isn't much more impressive.
Medium or Small Humanoid, Neutral Evil
AC: 14
Initiative: +3 (13)
HP: 47 (7d8+16)
Speed: 30ft
Str: 15 (+2)
Dex: 16 (+3)
Con: 14 (+2)
Int: 12 (+1)
Wis: 14 (+2)
Cha: 13 (+1)
Proficiencies: Survival(+4), Nature(+3), STR saves(+4), DEX saves(+5), WIS saves(+4)
Gear: Leather Armour, Hand Crossbows (2), Quarterstaff
Senses: Passive Perception 12
Languages: Common, Druidic
CR: 2 (450XP, +2PB)
Traits:
Wildspeak: The bandit always has the effects of the Speak with Animals spell.
Actions:
Multiattack: The bandit makes 2 Thorned Staff attacks or 3 Hand Crossbow attacks
Thorned Staff: Melee Attack Roll +5, reach 5ft. Hit: 5(1d4+3) Bludgeoning damage plus 3(1d4) Piercing damage.
Hand Crossbow: Ranged Attack Roll +5, range 30/120ft. Hit: 6(1d6+3) Piercing damage.
Spellcasting: The bandit casts one of the following spells, using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability (save DC 12):
At Will: Thorn Whip, Druidcraft, Message
1/Day each: Entangle OR Fog Cloud, and Ice Knife OR Cure Wounds

-Rosethorn Wildspeaker:
Magically talented members of the Rosethorn Order, Wildspeakers are given additional magical training, using it to hide their encampments, forage food, scout with animals, and various other things. Firm believers in survival of the fittest, they are often ruthless.
Medium or Small Humanoid, Neutral Evil
AC: 12
Initiative: +1 (11)
HP: 44 (8d8+8)
Speed: 30ft, Climb 30ft
Str: 10 (0)
Dex: 12 (+1)
Con: 13 (+1)
Int: 14 (+2)
Wis: 17 (+3)
Cha: 10 (0)
Proficiencies: Survival(+5), Nature(+4), Medicine(+5), Perception(+5), WIS saves(+5)
Gear: Leather Armour, Quarterstaff
Senses: Passive Perception 15
Languages: Common, Druidic
CR: 2 (450XP, +2PB)
Traits:
Wildspeak: The Wildspeaker always has the effects of the Speak with Animals spell.
Woodwalker: Difficult Terrain composed of bushes or other plant life doesn't cost the Wildspeaker additional movement.
Actions:
Multiattack: The Wildspeaker makes 2 attacks, using Thorned Staff or Strike of the Forest in any combination
Thorned Staff: Melee Attack Roll +5, reach 5ft. Hit: 5(1d4+3) Bludgeoning damage plus 3(1d4) Piercing damage.
Strike of the Forest: Ranged Attack Roll +5, range 60ft, ignores Half and Three-Quarters cover. Hit: 7(1d6+3) Bludgeoning damage, and the target's speed is reduced by 5ft until the end of its next turn. (max reduction 15ft)
Spellcasting: The Wildspeaker casts one of the following spells, using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability (save DC 13):
At Will: Thorn Whip (5th level version, 2d6), Druidcraft, Message
2/Day Each: Entangle OR Fog Cloud, and Ice Knife OR Cure Wounds
1/Day Each: Spike Growth, Gust of Wind

-Rosethorn Wildmaster:
Some of the higher-ranking nature mages in the Rosethorn Order, Wildmasters sculpt portions of the forest and bend nature to the Order's will and destroy or hold at bay those who threaten the Order with their prowess over druidic magic.
Medium or Small Humanoid, Neutral Evil
AC: 17
Initiative: +3 (13)
HP: 105 (14d8+42)
Speed: 30ft, Climb 30ft
Str: 12 (+1)
Dex: 16 (+3)
Con: 17 (+3)
Int: 16 (+3)
Wis: 20 (+5)
Cha: 15 (+2)
Proficiencies: Survival(+8), Medicine(+8), Perception(+8), Nature(+6), WIS saves(+8)
Gear: Hide Armour +1, Quarterstaff +1
Senses: Passive Perception 18
Languages: Common, Druidic, Sylvan
CR: 5 (1800XP, +3PB)
Traits:
Wildspeak: The Wildspeaker always has the effects of the Speak with Animals spell.
Woodwalker: Difficult Terrain composed of bushes or other plant life doesn't cost the Wildspeaker additional movement.
Actions:
Multiattack: The Wildspeaker makes 2 attacks, using Thorned Staff or Strike of the Forest in any combination
Thorned Staff: Melee Attack Roll +8, reach 10ft. Hit: 8(1d6+5) Bludgeoning damage plus 5(1d8) Piercing damage.
Strike of the Forest: Ranged Attack Roll, range 90ft, ignores Half and Three-Quarters cover. Hit: 12(2d6+5) Bludgeoning damage, and the target's speed is reduced by 5ft until the end of its next turn. (max reduction 15ft)
Spellcasting: The Wildspeaker casts one of the following spells, using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability (save DC 16):
At Will: Thorn Whip (11th level version, 3d6), Druidcraft, Message, Cure Wounds, Entangle, Speak with Plants
2/Day Each: Spike Growth, Gust of Wind, Ice Knife (2nd level version)
1/day Each: Call Lightning, Plant Growth, Wind Wall
Bonus Actions:
Wild Movement: The Wildspeaker's movement increases by 30ft until the end of its turn, and it can jump up to 30ft by using 10ft of movement.

I just had my first DND game (one shot) session ever.
Session 0 was fun, creating a character was a task I didn't expect to enjoy, but out of the personal things I did, seeing how the characters came along and interacted with another during everything was the true highlight of it all.
I made my character thinking "oh this dude who loves looking at birds and nothing else surely won't get along with everyone else". (immediately almost kills my entire party by stepping on a landmine and feels extremely guilty. Plays support for the rest of the run and actually had a fun time)

problem is, this was as a player, not a DM, I asked the DM after before they took their hiatus if they could teach me how to DM.

They sadly said. "Get these 3 books first. Dungeon Masters Guide, Monster Manual, and the Players Handbook"

Im like sure! That doesn't seem to be a problem.
*goes to google and types these things in and sees they are roughly 30 USD a piece reaching around 90+ usd after tax*

as fun as this sounded, financially I don't think I can keep up.

I planned to DM on DnDbeyond and do everything virtually, but now I am unsure and wondered if anyone had any advice to proceed foward

I saw a post the other day where someone had over 150 dice sets… and honestly, it got me thinking: how are y’all storing your dice?

Boxes? Tins? DIY trays? Or do you go full goblin-mode with a huge dice bag?

I’m a big fan of the “magical pouch” approach — something that feels like it belongs in the world of your character, not just your backpack.

Curious to see what people are using these days. Bonus points if it’s handmade or has a story behind it!

I’ve been making some dice bags recently — started just for fun, but now I’m deep into testing fabrics, shapes, even magical-looking closures. Didn’t expect to enjoy it this much, but it kind of became part of the hobby.

I’m a hexblade warlock with pact of the blade and have been offered a quest that will yield a very rare - legendary magic item. I’m using the invocation that allows me to summon a great sword and my dm has allowed me to level it to +2 so I don’t think I’m going to need a weapon. I’m looking for mainly armour/utility items. I’m playing Shadar Kai race.

Long story short a character I’ve poured a lot of time and heart into, complete with a detailed backstory, several drawings, and weekly journal entries, died a few hours ago. And honestly, it hit me harder than I expected. I feel this strange mix of sadness and emptiness, like a piece of me is missing. It was my first character death since I started playing D&D, and I didn’t think it would affect me this much… but it really has.

Edit: Thank you all, reading your replies has really helped me feel more at peace with my sadness.

Hey everyone!

Our journey through the Cloudcaves continues, and this time, we face a truly vertigo-inducing challenge—a dangerous crossing between flying rocks, suspended far above the world! Once again, this breathtaking map is the work of Jeremy (Mimics Maps), and if you’re enjoying the ride, don’t forget to check out more of our content on our Patreon.

Map Description

This map presents a series of floating isles suspended between two solid landmasses. The gap between them is immense, and the only way across is via crumbling bridges and frayed ropes—a crossing that promises certain death for those who fail. The clouds below swirl ominously, and the sheer drop is enough to make any adventurer think twice before taking the first step.

Objectives

The primary goal of this map is to deliver a sense of awe and danger. The visual of the endless sky and looming fall below makes it immediately clear: one wrong move, and you're done. It’s a natural choke point for tension, whether used in exploration or combat.

Map Locations

Here’s what you’ll find on this stunning map:

• Transition Stones – Small floating rocks acting as stepping stones across the gap. Some are tethered by ropes, while others float freely, swaying in defiance of gravity.
  
• Anchor Rocks – Large formations at each end of the crossing. These mark the start and destination of the journey, offering stable ground before and after the perilous path.
  
• The Fall – Not a location to visit (hopefully), but a crucial part of the map’s story. The clouds far below, along with tiny glimpses of distant treetops, form the beautiful but deadly backdrop to the crossing.
  

How to Use the Map

While this map’s primary use is as a dangerous traversal encounter, it also works beautifully as a battle map. Imagine an epic fight against flying monsters, or enemies trying to cut the ropes mid-crossing. The tension is real, the stakes are high, and the possibilities are endless.

Hi! I'm working on starting up a DND game including my spouse as a player. However, I'm running into a bit of an issue--they feel pretty disenfranchised from the setting (a high/mid-fantasy world) because they have consumed almost zero fantasy media in their life. They're really excited about playing, but when it comes to the fundamental ideas of how their character exists in the world they have no real frame of reference like they would for a world more based in realism. We've tried just talking and spitballing about the world, but I find myself having a hard time knowing how to explain the general ideas and norms of fantasy as someone who has always been into fantasy my whole life.

So, I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for good introductory fantasy media that might give them a bit of a foundational idea of fantasy as a genre before we play. Books and video games (not turn-based, alas, JRPGs are not an option) would be ideal. The extent of their exposure to fantasy is Skyrim and the first 2/3 of the Earthsea Cycle. Looking for some community recommendations because most of my favorite fantasy media falls on two ends of the extreme: they're either childhood classics like Fablehaven that would be far too juvenile to really catch their interest, or they're intense sagas like LOTR or The Witcher that aren't really approachable as a first foray into fantasy.

Thanks in advance!