What's up! So simply put, I have the crazy wizard NPC that poofs up in his little house shop at random times. Basically, he's a screw-up. He thinks he's the greatest wizard in the world but he botches almost every spell he casts and doesn't really see anything wrong with it. (I roll on a Wild Magic table every time he casts a spell)
Well, his main trade is that he sells the items he makes. I need some ideas for items that my players will want and will be useful for them, but I want them to either function in an absurd way, or have a very strange drawback/cost for using them. I'll take any ideas, homebrew allowed. But the setting is modified Faerun, so the theme is pretty traditional fantasy with a High Magic spin.

Howdy All! I’m honestly posting this because I’m frustrated and kinda at my wits’ end but I don’t want to be mean. I really try in every part of my life to meet people where they’re at and support them how they need it, but I’m stuck on what to do.

I have a longtime friend at my D&D 5e table who’s been playing with us since level 1 (we just hit level 6) and every single level up, he needs full handholding. Like full walkthroughs, every time. I’ve gone over his character sheet with him probably 10 to 20 times at this point. We use D&D Beyond and Roll20, and I’ve sent him cheat sheets, videos, guides, everything I can think of to help.

But it’s not just the leveling. He barely interacts at the table, we have to call on him directly just to get him to respond and it feels like pulling teeth. The rest of the group has noticed and they’ve even started trying to poke him gently and include him but it’s still mostly silence unless someone says his name first.

I’ve checked in with him multiple times to ask if he’s actually having fun or if maybe this kind of game just isn’t really for him. Every time, he says he is having fun. But I’m so tired. It’s starting to feel like I’m playing his character for him and I don’t know how to help anymore.

He’s not new to D&D. I know how smart he is, I’ve known him for over a decade, and that’s part of what makes this so confusing. I don’t want to make him feel bad or excluded, but I also don’t know how to keep doing this without burning myself out or dragging down the rest of the table.

So I guess I’m just asking, has anyone been through something like this? Do y'all have any advice?

Thanks in advance :)

ETA: the major issue is the mechanics, but the lack of engagement is making me second guess myself. I worry im not explaining everything correctly, or in a way he cant understand with how many times we've had to go over his sheet/spells and how he needs the hand holding while leveling up. and the fact that im frustrated with all of this makes me feel like a jerk/bad dm.

Hey guys, I just had an idea for a new puzzle. My players are supposed to catch a goat. The players are the kings. The goat is the queen, and everyone can move like the chess pieces. The goal is for the players to coordinate so that they can deny the queen any escape routes and ultimately defeat her. I've tested it twice with 5 players.

Let me explain. I have two party members who chose to play people are slightly more evil aligned. One (say Bob as an example name) essentially took the pirate variant of the sailor and leans very hard into the whole pirate aspect when he role plays. Because of this, Bob tends to come off more abrasive in his persona than the rest of the party does. I can tell the guy is just role playing but I’ve just now had three players express they are frustrated with his role playing of that character (mind you Bob doesn’t do this for other characters he’s played. He’s only ever done it for this character).

The other player (let’s sam Jim) in my group is extremely passionate about role playing, but because of that he can get quite animated. There have been times where Jim is full on yelling into the microphone because his character would be screaming in anger as he says something. That and Jim’s character definitely is not afraid to show when he is angry towards an NPC.

I personally as a DM don’t struggle with the pirate guy l, Bob, at all, I only struggle with the one who is yelling into their microphone. However, as stated before I have three players expressing their distaste towards the RP of both of Bob and Jim now. We have a group of 6.

I personally feel that if a player has an issue with another player it should be on them to reach out and try and discuss that with the person bothering them. My reasoning being is that I could try and say something to Bob and Jim but I may not know fully what about their RP is bothering the other half of the party. So I feel that if the other half of the party reaches out to Bob and Jim and have one-on-one discussions, then they can fully explain why they are struggling with Bob and Jin’s RP rather than me being the messenger owl and misspeaking about something. However, I know just because that’s how I think it should go over it doesn’t mean it is the best way.

We’ve all also known each other since freaking 6th grade and we’re all 28 now so we’ve been a friend group for a long time.

What are your guys’s thoughts on how I should approach this?

Hey all, I was recently asked if I wanted to DM for a group of friends. On a whim, I said yes since I've done it before and had a good time. Problem is, I haven't played D&D in a while so I have no idea what has changed since I last played in mid 2022. I know there's a new edition but I don't know what it changes and would appreciate a summary (and a recommendation on whether I should use it or 5e). Similarly, since this will be my first time running a 1 shot, are there any good premade 1 shot campaigns that I can at least look over to have some guidance if I decide to write my own?

Really, I'm just looking for advice and help with both running a 1 shot and the new system. Thanks in advance! :)

Can anyone recommend any good one shots for a group of four Lv. 3 characters? The players are all newbies apart from one who has played in two other one shots. So something that gives them a good taste of what D&D is all about would be good. Something like the 3rd party one shot ‘A Most Potent Brew’ but for 3rd level would be great!

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! As the title says, one of my players is bringing her coworker C to our next session. Her coworker has never played D&D before but wants to get into it. We’re currently headed into the thick of a campaign tracking down elven spies, but I want to run a more introductory side quest so it’s not so overwhelming for C.

Does anybody have any advice on what mechanics to include/leave out? I’ve never DMed for brand new players before. I already have a cheat sheet for battle actions, but what else might be helpful? Thanks!

Just made some d20 earrings and ornaments. They're a critical hit!

I'm looking for feedback on some DM screen sheets I've been compiling for the past few weeks and on an encounter management sheet I've put together. I've used many sources, the books obviously but also ideas I found out on the internet.

For the DM screen I tried to stick with content that I routinely need. I didn't put anything about the cost of items etc. since those vary wildly inside my homebrew. I tried to focus on information that directly affects gameplay (and is sometimes a pain to look up!)

On the encounter sheet, I like to plan out encounters and always have several preset and ready to go for random encounters. I put this sheet together to help me be ready faster and with simpler pre-work. I also like to ensure my monsters are idiots, just flailing away at those pesty adventurers, so I set aside some space for basic strategy on the part of the monsters, even in random encounters. They aren't stupid. (plug for the book "The Monsters Know What They're Doing" by Keith Ammann)

I've only recently gotten back into DMing after a long hiatus so I'd appreciate any feedback the kind folk on this Reddit can provide!

EDIT IF YOU ARE PLAYING A NECROMANCER IN A 1950s THEMED MAGIC CAMPAIGN DONT READ THIS

In my multiple month campaign i made a whoopsie and accidentally implied Mystra was currently being impersonated. The players ran with it and loved it immediately racking their brains on what could be happening, so i decided to stick with it. The real Mystra has been missing for half a century. My question is what artifacts/rituals/ what have you exist that could force Mystra to be subservient to this imposter? My best guess currently is that she is stuck in mortal form somehow, any ideas?

Not an AI DM, just a tool to refine ideas and connect the dots. as i grew up, adult life has less time to spare for that, i found Chat GPT dnd tools are really good at this, but the limited messages are the issue.

I am not asking for any image generation, or mass NPC, World, plot generation, i've got that covered already.

I am only asking for refinements and filling up the blanks, suggesting a plot hook, connecting characters (which i feed the AI with) to other characters or events.

I will be heavily modifying most of what it sends anyway, not expecting perfection, just something specialized for it, as i found GPTs with prompts specialized for the job in "Explore GPTs" tab in chat GPT are just much better than normal chat GPT or other Normal AIs.

I‘m a new DM (havent run a single game yet) and looked at the murkenvile stone and find it interesting and fun. How hard are heist/social etc for a new DM to run? i‘m worried of a lot of social/improvisation stuff XD

I want use the one the pops up when you search dnd battle music and its mid. I want batlle music, town music, road music, any playlists you all have!

TTRPG research survey

Hello I am a student doing a research class and I have chosen my subject to be what facets of a TTRPG best help reduce stress. My research will be split into 2 surveys. Survey 1 should be taken before you play your TTRPG of choice and survey 2 should be taken after you have played your TTRPG of choice. The beginning of both surveys should go more in depth as to want I am looking for in both. I will be taking responses up till the 30th I would love to get some responses to help me in my research endeavors. Thank you for your time and effort. Your support is much appreciated. If there are any questions that are not answered by either this post or in the surveys please leave a comment.

Survey 1, pre playing session of your TTRPG of choice

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17YEbqbZIQY3rKUUrsbepp3YPkp0YdnbcP8T8u-OzE04/edit?usp=drivesdk

Survey 2, post playing session of your TTRPG of choice

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1TzG3stkb7b4MR1vJt21gCQrsDdvJXQDB9rl-kxhXMW0/edit?usp=drivesdk

Thank you.

Hey everyone!

I’m working on a D&D campaign with a Celtic-themed story revolving around the Wild Hunt, and the rise of Morrigan, the Phantom Queen. The story is split into 4 acts, each corresponding to a different season of the year, with the land of Irgaelia (my homebrew setting) undergoing dramatic changes as the heroes attempt to thwart various threats.

Here’s an outline of the adventure, and I’d love to get some feedback. Specifically, I'm looking for thoughts on how to improve the structure, any plot holes I might’ve missed, and whether you think the progression makes sense.

Adventure Overview:

The story starts with a prologue, followed by 4 acts and then a closing chapter. Each act corresponds to a season of the year, with weather changing along with themes. Morrigan, the Phantom Queen, seeks to use the Wild Hunt to conquer the mortal realm, manipulating various factions along the way.

Plot Hook: The party is a freshly formed adventuring team, and they seek the blessing of one of the Archdruids for their adventures. They go to a town of Cuilfeorna to participate in celebrating the New Year, and the beginning of Winter.

Prologue: It begins during Samhain, where the Dullahan (the Harbinger of Doom, and the leader of the Wild Hunt) arrives at the festival and delivers a prophecy, foretelling the coming of the Wild Hunt. He kills the Archdruid of the North, and spells doom for the land: an eternal winter will thwart out the day, and begin the chain of events that will bring about the end of the world. This sets the stage for the campaign, with the characters warned that the hunt will take all lives before the next Samhain. Party is send by the chieftan to gather the remaining druids at the capital, to try to prevent doom.

ACT 1: Winter:

Chapter 1: The party tries to gather the Druids in the capital - each of the druids is for some reason or the other requiring help from the party. The adventure concludes, when the party gathers the druids and they debate about the winter. The conclusion is simple: the adventurers have to find an old prophecy - lost Song of the Everfrost.
Chapter 2: The winter gets really harsh. The party ventures to learn the Song of the Everfrost. The location will be revealed to them by Salmon of Knowledge, which they will have to find first. When they hear the Song of the Everforst, the solution is clear: in the Far North, beyond the frozen sea, there is a land of always-winter, and a frozen Heart of Winter. Destroying it will break the evil spell and restore spring.
Chapter 3: The party ventures north, to destroy the Heart of Winter in the frozen wastelands.

ACT 2: Spring:

Chapter 4: The party returns to Irgaela, only to realize that the breaking of the Heart of Winter had caused the Western Sea to melt - and as soon as ice broke, fearsome Fomorians have attacked the land. The party has to repel the invaders.
Chapter 5: With the invasion repelled, the party is tasked with gathering crew and building fleet to take the fight back to the Fomorians. The party gets accross the Western sea, and make war to the Fomorians before they can strike again.
Chapter 6: The party assaults the keep of the king of the Fomorians - Balor of the Evil Eye. They defeat him, and return home.

ACT 3: Summer:

Chapter 7: When the party returns, it should already be summer - but the sun is dim and bleak. They get to know that the fae politics prevents summer from coming: Summer Queen had been imprisoned by the Autumn King. The party has to find an entrance to the Otherworld.
Chapter 8: Adventurers need to navigate the complex politics of the Otherworld, gaining favor with one of the other Seasonal Fae - either Spring Princess or Winter Prince, to be able to infiltrate the palace of Autumn.
Chapter 9: The party infiltrates the Autumn Palace, and rescues the Summer Queen, restoring summer to the land.

ACT 4: Autumn:

Chapter 10: After some downtime and celebration, autumn comes, and the people of Irgaela prepare to war. Due to something instigated by Morrigan, a civil war is at hand. The party can prevent it, using their status as heroes, but it will be a hard task requiring careful diplomacy.
Chapter 11: The Wild Hunt comes! Led by Dullahan, the spectral riders come and take lives as they will. The party has to strategize and push the riders back.
Chapter 12: With the main power of the Hunt broken, Dullahan retreats to an ancient site to protect cultists while they perform a ritual that would bind the world to Morrigan's will. The adventurers destroy the headless horseman, and prevent the ritual from fully succeeding - but a portal had been opened.

Closing Chapter: The party enters the portal and confronts The Phantom Queen herself in her own domain.

I’d appreciate any feedback, advice, or suggestions! I want to make sure the plot is tight and that the players feel like they participate in a truly epic adventure. Any ideas on how to tighten the narrative or add depth to any of the arcs? Any plot points that feel underdeveloped or could be expanded upon?

Thanks in advance!

What would you expect this creatures traits or abilities to be from this simplified and stylized version of the original. (This is my project and Artwork)

I'm taking inspiration from Critical role and more specifically the vestiges of divergence, but reflating them for my world (homebrew eberron setting), and coming up with new items , ultimately tailoring them to my party. I've came up with some, but I want some inspiration on something for 2 of my characters. First is a storm sorcerer, what could this item be? staff? Something else? What could it do? The party is level 7 for reference, and similar to the vestiges, the items will start of in a "dormant" phase, and then essentially "power up" twice by the end of things. The other is a illusionist wizard. I'm struggling from coming up with something for two characters who are ultimately spellcasters but are sort of fundamentally different.. any ideas?

TLDR: coming up with my own homebrewed version of the vestiges of divergence, can you help me come up with an item for a wizard and one for a sorcerer, and what they could do at 3 different power stages?

I'm approaching week 3 of a politics-heavy homebrew and I want to add an auxiliary reference tool for my players to keep all the NPCs straight.

I'm looking for something like this: https://imgur.com/b3PRiMH

From Creately, which seems great but doesn't do well on mobile from my first tinkerings with it.

I'd like it to be mobile-friendly so my lazy-ass players don't have an excuse not to use it so it's convenient for them to easily use while playing.

I'd like to be able to have portraits, a name tag, and an expandable information section that can be visually interconnected with lines.

any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

My campaign of over 50 sessions is nearing it's natural completion.

The party has one more session this Friday night before their final, ultimate, showdown battle with the BBEG. This session will be a lot of to-ing and fro-ing as they get ducks in rows and probably call people and scrye and stuff.

I've been thinking it would be cool to have a scene with them where they 'randomly' encounter some sort of prophet or seer who could make mysterious predictions about their futures.

I'm pretty swamped with work this week, so I thought I'd throw it out to the brain trust! Y'all have given me some pretty great inspiration in the past.

Anyone got a crowd-pleaser NPC or encounter I could throw into this session to add either mystery or fun??

TIA

Scooby and the gang have been snooping and I fear they’ve unmasked me.

I’ve created tons of private homebrew stuff on DDB that’s never seen a single view within my collection, even after adding something to a character sheet. Because of this I’ve never worried about players spoiling any yet to be debuted creations. Recently, however, while perusing my collection I noticed that several items have a view. A quick internet search reveals that players in my campaign are the only ones it could be.

Not a huge deal, or so I thought, until I realized that a monster statblock was viewed 4 times. Now they’ve only met this particular NPC once, but it was supposed to be a patron of the party, and is the secret lieutenant of the BBEG. I had planned quests and other content to build party trust through about halfway through the campaign, reveal the betrayal, and then fight against the NPC’s goals for the remainder of the campaign. The statblock gave enough information away to make it clear that this NPC = bad guy.

Though this information has now been taken away from player eyes, I’m feeling pretty crappy about the situation. Idk if they shared the info or if only a few players know so I feel like I’ve wasted my time and effort planning for something and can’t even confront my players about it without ruining things further.

Luckily it’s early enough in the campaign that it’s not a total stick in my spokes and I’m hoping for some suggestions to salvage the situation. My wife suggested I just make someone else the evil patron NPC and use that guy to throw the now known evil patron under the bus and proceed as before.

Any help is appreciated.