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Random mansion generator
The Procgen Mansion Generator produces large three-dee dwellings to toy with your imagination, offering various architectural styles and other options. Each mansion even comes with floorplans:
https://boingboing.net/2019/07/12/random-mansion-generator.html
Old Herb Names
Raven and Crone
Adders Tongue: Dogstooth, Violet, Plantain Ass Foot or Bulls Foot: Coltsfoot
Bats Wings: Holly Leaf Bats wool: Moss Bears Foot: Ladys Mantle Birds Eye: Germander Speedwell Black Sampson: Echinacea Blood: Elder sap or another tree sap Blood of Hephaistos: Wormwood Blood from a Head: Lupine Blood of Ares: Purslane Blood of a Goose: A Mulberry Trees Milk Blood of Hestia: Chamomile Blood of an Eye: Tamarisk Gall Blood from a Shoulder: Bears Breach Bloody fingers: Foxglove Bloodwort: Yarrow Bodily Fluids: Houseleek Bone of an Ibis: Buckthorn Brains: Congealed gum from a cherry tree Bread and Cheese Tree: Hawthorne Bulls Blood or Seed of Horus: Horehound Burning Bush: White Dittany
Calfs Snout: Snapdragon Candelmas Maiden: Snowdrop. Capons Tail: Valerian Cats Foot: Canada Snake Root and or Ground Ivy Cheeses: Marsh Mallow Chocolate Flower: Wild Geranium Christs Ladder: Centaury Christs Eye: Vervain, Sage Clear-eye: Clary Sage Click: Goosegrass Clot: Great Mullein Corpse candles: Mullein Corpse Plant: Indian Pipe. Crocodile dung: Black earth Crowdy Kit: Figwort Crows Foot: Cranesbill, Wild Geranium Cuckoos Bread: Common Plantain Cucumber Tree: Magnolia Cuddys Lungs: Great Mullein
Daphne: Laurel/Bay Dead Man: Ash or Mandrake root carved in a crude human shape or poppet Devils Dung: Asafoetida Devils Plaything: Yarrow Dew of the Sea: Rosemary Dogs Mouth: Snap Dragon Doves Foot: Wild Geranium Dragons Blood: Calamus Dragons Scales: Bistort Leaves Dragon Wort: Bistort
Eagle: Wild Garlic Ear of an Ass: Comfrey Ear of a Goat: St. Johns Wort Earth Smoke: Fumitory Elfs Wort: Elecampane Enchanters Plant: Vervain Englishmans Foot: Common Plantain Erba Santa Maria: Spearmint Everlasting Friendship: Goosegrass Eye of Christ: Germander Speedwell Eye of the Day: Common Daisy Eye of the Star: Horehound Eye Root: Goldenseal Eyes: Aster, Daisy, Eyebright
Fairy Smoke: Indian Pipe Fat from a Head: Spurge Felon Herb: Mugwort Fingers: Cinquefoil Five Fingers: Cinquefoil Foxs Clote: Burdock Frogs Foot: Bulbous Buttercup From the Belly: Earth-apple From the Foot: Houseleek From the Loins: Chamomile
Goats Foot: Ash Weed Gods Hair: Hart’s Tongue Fern Golden Star: Avens Gosling Wing: Goosegrass Graveyard Dust: Mullein Great Ox-eye: Ox-eye Daisy
Hags Taper: Great Mullein Hagthorn: Hawthorn Hair: Maidenhair fern Hairs of a Hamadryas Baboon: Dill Seed Hair of Venus: Maidenhair Fern Hand: The expanded frond from a male fern used to make the true hand of glory, which is nothing more than a candle made of wax mixed with fern Hares Beard: Great Mullein Hawks Heart: Heart of Wormwood Heart: Walnut Herb of Grace: Vervain Hinds Tongue: Hart’s Tongue Fern Holy Herb: Yerba Santa Holy Rope: Hemp Agrimony Hook and Arn: Yerba Santa Horse Hoof: Coltsfoot Horse Tongue: Hart’s Tongue Fern Hundred Eyes: Periwinkle
Innocense: Bluets
Jacobs Staff: Great Mullein Joy of the Mountain: Marjoram Jupiters Staff: Great Mullein
Kings Crown: Black Haw Knight’s Milfoil: Yarrow Kronos’ Blood: of Cedar
Lads Love: Southernwood Ladys Glove: Foxglove aka Witches’ Gloves Lambs Ears: Betony Lions Hairs: Tongue of a Turnip [i.e., the leaves of the taproot] Lions Tooth: Dandelion aka Priest’s Crown Little Dragon: Tarragon Love in Idleness: Pansy Love Leaves: Burdock Love Lies Bleeding: Amaranth or Anemone Love Man: Goosegrass Love Parsley: Lovage Love Root: Orris Root
Maidens Ruin: Southernwood Mans Bile: Turnip Sap Mans Health: Ginseng Master of the Woods: Woodruff May: Black Haw May Lily: Lily of the Valley May Rose: Black Haw Maypops: Passion Flower Mistress of the Night: Tuberose Mutton Chops: Goosegrass
Nose Bleed: Yarrow
Old-Maids-Nightcap: Wild Geranium Old Mans Flannel: Great Mullein Old Mans Pepper: Yarrow Oliver: Olive
Password: Primrose Peters Staff: Great Mullein Pigs Tail: Leopard’s Bane Poor Man’s Treacle: Garlic Priests Crown: Dandelion leaves Pucha-Pat: Patchouli
Queen of the Meadow: Meadowsweet Queen of the Meadow Root: Gravelroot Queen of the Night: Vanilla Cactus
Rams Head: American Valerian Red Cockscomb: Amaranth Ring-o-Bells: Bluebells Robin-Run-in-the-Grass: Goosegrass
Scaldhead: Blackberry See Bright: Clary Sage Seed of Horus: Horehound Semen of Ammon: Houseleek Semen of Ares: Clover Semen of Helios: White Hellebore Semen of Hephaistos: This is Fleabane Semen of Hermes: Dill Semen of Herakles: Mustard-rocket Seven Year’s Love: Yarrow Shameface: Wild Geranium Shepherds Heart: Shepherds Purse Silver Bells: Black Haw Skin of a Man: Fern Skull: Skullcap Snake: Bistort Snakes Blood: Hematite stone Soapwort: Comfrey or Daisy Sorcerer’s Violet: Periwinkle Sparrows Tongue: Knotweed St. Johns Herb: Hemp Agrimony.(this is not St. John’s Wort) St. Johns Plant: Mugwort Star of the Earth: Avens Star Flower: Borage Starweed: Chickweed Sweethearts: Goosegrass Swines Snout: Dandelion leaves
Tanners Bark: Common Oak Tarragon: Mugwort Tartar Root: Ginseng Tears of a Hamadryas Baboon: Dill Juice Thousand Weed: Yarrow Thunder Plant: House Leek Titans Blood: Wild Lettuce Toad: Toadflax Tongue of dog: hounds tongue Tooth or Teeth: Pinecones Torches: Great Mullein
Unicorns Horn: False Unicorn:Helonias Dioica Unicorn Horn: True Unicorn Root Unicorn Root: Ague Root
Wax Dolls: Fumitory Weasel Snout: Yellow Archangel Weazel Snout: Yellow Dead Nettles/Yellow Archangel Weed: Ox-Eye Daisy White: Ox-eye Daisy White Mans Foot: Common Plantain White Wood: White Cinnamon Witch’s Asprin: White Willow/Willow Bark Witch’s Brier: Brier Hips Wolf Claw: Club Moss Wolf Foot: Bugle Weed Wolfs Milk: Euphorbia Worms: Gnarled, thin roots of a local tree
Make sure the system you use matches the kind of players you have, for an optimal experience
Admin Note: This is part of the ongoing series called “D&D isn’t the only TTRPG if you don’t want fantasy play another goddamn game!”
I already reblogged this once but this is important:
Like I run a D&D blog. I understand that D&D is the most well-known and popular RPG in the world. But a lot of the time I see people going like “Hey I want to run a D&D campaign and throw out all the D&Disms and here’s all the notes I have for running a campaign about courtly romance and chivalry in a historical setting” and I’m just like STOP YOU DON’T NEED TO RUN THIS USING D&D
There’s a sort of a mistaken assumption that because D&D is the biggest game on the market and that it’s fantasy that it should be the go-to fantasy game but look it’s not D&D isn’t a generic fantasy game it’s a very specific kind of fantasy all of its own, one that steals liberally from swords & sorcery and high fantasy and adds fucking extradimensional cube robots for good measure
So next time you’re thinking about a fantasy campaign in a decidedly non-D&Dish setting consider instead of jamming the square peg that is D&D into a round hole trying to find a system that actually supports what you’re trying to do
And this is not to say that you shouldn’t play D&D: D&D is hella fun. But there’s a lot of genres and styles that D&D does a piss-poor job of doing, and because of that it’s so good we’ve got other games
*cracks knuckles*
All right then. I’ve been meaning to dust off my own D&D sideblog for a while, so here we go with providing some examples. I’m limiting this specifically to other types of fantasy outside of the standard high fantasy and sword & sorcery millieu.
Courtly Romance and Chivalry
There are a number of options for this, and they range from standard secondary world fantasy to more historical and mythological settings. My list here shouldn’t be treated as fully extensive.
Blue Rose - based on the romantic fantasy subgenre, specifically as seen in the works of Tamora Pierce and Mercedes Lackey. A lot of courtly drama and intrigue and swashbuckling, based in a fictional world.
Pendragon - naturally based off of Arthurian mythology, and having a lot of stuff given over to the court of Camelot and the chivalric adventures of the various knights. The same company also has a kickstarter for a spin-off called Paladin: Warriors of Charlemagne that might be worth checking out.
Historical Fantasy
This one’s a bit more prominent as historical settings serve as an inspiration for a variety of fantasy worlds and games, and this of course invariably extends to settings that actually use historical settings with a degree of fantasy elements thrown in. Note that I’m going to emphasise Europe here simply due to greater familiarity with games in that millieu, and as a European myself I’m ill-equipped to judge how accurate or respectful games using other settings actually are.
Because of this, feel free to add other examples in reblogs
Chivalry & Sorcery - one of the early tabletop games inspired by D&D, taking a more pseudo-historical approach. It’s based on 12th century France and strives for a degree of historical accuracy and medieval politics.
World of Darkness, Dark Ages (including Vampire and Mage) - while the World of Darkness has earned some negative attention lately (and for good reason), the dark ages RPGs are still an old favourite of mine. Also worth checking out is Mage: The Sorcerer’s Crusade, set during the Renaissance. The Mage stuff has a really cool open-ended magic system worth checking out.
Ars Magica - this exists along very similar lines to the dark age material above, based around mages and magic-users in a ‘Mythic Europe’ setting. It also has a really cool open-ended magic system, and one of my personal favourites.
Awwww shit heck yes I might want to add to this list but this is a really good starting point
ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO FIND THE SYSTEM FOR YOU
13th Age RPG
A Song of Ice and Fire RPG
AEG (A Legend of the Five Rings)
Anima; Beyond Fantasy
Apocalypse World
Basic Fantasy System
Blades in the Dark
Burn Bryte
Burning Wheel
Call of Cthulhu
Castles & Crusaders
Chroniques Oubliées
City of Mist
Cortex
Cyberpunk 2020
Cypher System
D&D (All Editions)
Das Schwarze Auge
Dragon Age RPG
Dungeon Crawl Classics
Dungeon World
Exalted
FATE System
Fallout
Fantasy AGE
Fiasco
GUMSHOE
GURPS
Gamma World
Hero Games (Champions)
Hackmaster
Hârn
Iron Kingdoms
King Arthur Pendragon
Labyrinth Lord
Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk
Maid RPG
Marvel Heroic RPG
Mouse Guard RPG
Munchkin
Mutants and Masterminds
Open Legend
Palladium Games
Paranoia
Pathfinder
Pokemon Tabletop
Rolemaster
Runequest
Savage Worlds
Shadowrun
Star Trek Adventures
Star Wars
Starfinder
Stars Without Number
Swords and Wizardry
Tavern Tales
The One Ring
The Quiet Year
Tormenta
Traveller RPG
Unisystem
Warhammer
World of Darkness
COMPLETE TABLETOP RPG ARCHIVE
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5/7/2018: Hey, aspiring fantasy writers!
Having trouble deciding what role is best to give your character(s)? Well then, here is a collection of medieval-fantasy type jobs (both historical and fictional) in alphabetical order that can help you choose the right one.
Abbot; Abbess
Academic/Professor
Actor
Adventurer
Adviser
Alchemist
Alienist
Almoner
Animal trainer
Antiquarian
Apothecary
Arbalest
Arcanist
Archer
Architect
Armorer
Artificer
Artist
Assassin
Astrologer
Auctioneer
Author, Nonfiction
Bailiff
Baker; Baxter
Bandit (Outlaw, Thug, Highwayman, Plunderer, Marauder)
Banker
Barbarian
Barber
Bard
Barkeeper
Bathhouse Attendant
Beast Tamer
Beastmaster
Beggar
Berserker
Bishop
Blacksmith
Bladesmith
Bodyguard
Bookbinder
Bounty Hunter
Brewer; Brewster
Broker
Butcher
Butler
Candlemaker
Captain
Cardinal
Caregiver
Carpenter
Carriage driver
Carter (Carrier)
Cataphract
Chainsmith
Chamberlain
Chandler
Chaplain
Chariot racer
Cheesemaker
Chimneysweep
City guard
Cleric
Clerk
Cobbler
Confectioner
Constable; Marshal
Convict
Cook; Pastry chef
Cooper (barrels/buckets)
Copyist/Scribe
Cordwainer (Shoemaker)
Crusader
Dancer
Deacon
Dentist
Deprived
Detective
Diplomat
Diva
Dockworker
Doctor
Dog trainer
Domestic Servants
Dragonrider
Dressmaker
Druid
Duelist
Dyer
Embroiderer
Emperor/Empress
Enforcer of Laws against Rich Clothes
Engineer
Escapist
Explorer
Falconer
Farmer
Farrier (horse shoes)
Fighter
Fighting Clerics
Fisherman
Fishmonger
Flagellant
Fletcher
Florist
Footman
Friar
Furniture maker
Gardener
Gladiator/arena fighter
Glazier
Goldsmith
Gong Farmer
Grave Robber
Gravedigger
Guardian
Guru
Hack driver
Harbormaster
Hatter
Hay seller
Headsman; Hangman
Healer; Midwife
Hellion
Herald
Herbalist
Hermit
Hero
Houndmaster
Housewife
Hunter
Illuminator
Illusionist
Importer; Exporter
Innkeeper
Inquisitor
Interpreter
Inventor
Investigator
Jester or Fool
Jeweler
Judge
King
Knife thrower
Knight
Lady’s maid
Lawyer
Leper
Locksmith
Logger
Loremaster
Mage
Magician
Maid
Man-at-Arms
Mapmaker (Cartographer)
Mason
Master of Ceremonies
Mayor
Medium
Mercenary
Merchant
Messenger
Miller
Miner
Minstrel; Jongleur
Money Changer
Monk, Nun
Musician
Necromancer
Noble
Noblewoman
Nurse
Nursemaid/wetnurse
Occultist
Official
Oracle
Page
Painter
Paladin
Papermaker
Parchment and Ink Seller
Pardoner
Parson
Peasant
Peddler
Philosopher
Pilgrim
Pirate
Playwright
Poet
Polymath
Pontiff
Pope
Porter
Potioneer
Potter
Priest
Prince
Princess
Prisoner (hard labor)
Produce vendor
Prophet
Prostitute; Courtesan
Provost
Pyromancer
Queen
Ranger
Rat catcher
Ringmaster
Rogue
Ropemaker
Saddler (Yo mama!)
Sage
Sailor
Salt seller
Salter or Daysalter
Schoolmaster; Teacher
Sculptor
Sentinel
Seraph
Serf
Servant (laundry, kitchen, cleaner)
Shaman
Sheriff
Shieldmaiden
Shipwright
Shopowner
Silversmith
Skald
Slave
Slave trader
Smelter
Smuggler
Sniper
Soldier
Sorcerer/Sorceress
Spinster; Spinner
Spy
Squire
Stable hand
Stablemaster
Stained-Glass Artist
Steward
Stonemason
Street Cleaner
Strongman (or woman)
Summoner
Surgeon
Swashbuckler
Sweet maker
Tailor
Tanner (leather)
Taxman
Templar
Thatcher (thatched roofs)
Thief
Thrall
Torturer
Town Crier
Toymaker
Trapper
Traveling Merchant
Treasure hunter
Trickster
Troubadour
Tutor
Undertaker
Vestal
Viking
Wagoneer
Walker or Fuller
Wanderer
Warlock
Warlord
Warrior
Weapons instructor
Weaver; Webster (fabric, rugs, baskets)
Wheelwright
Wisewoman
Witch/Wizard
Witch Hunter
Wood-carver
Wool-carder
Yeoman
If there are more you want to add to the list, feel free to reblog and share your suggestions. The more the merrier!
(Note: Some jobs listed here are probably the same as certain others but with a different title.)
List of resources for dnd
roll20: Make an account to play the game
Orcpub: For hosting and editing your character sheet
DND Wiki: Homebrew things, races, classes, misc
Players Handbook: Rules how to play how to make a character, all basic information for playing a game
Discord: to talk during and about the game
Mythweavers: another character sheet editor
Homebrewery: homebrew creation tool. Uses basic coding language to great effect.
If anyone wants to join just join the discord server and post your character
http://autorolltables.github.io/#
can randomly generate just about ANYTHING. awesome for dms
Tabletop Audio: background music and sound effects for the ambience.
PCGen - a character creation program that handles all the tricky and tedious parts of building characters, including NPCs.
d20pfsrd.com - all the free information you would ever need to play Pathfinder, an alternative to D&D
DiceCloud: Interactive character sheet that can be edit and shared with yourself or others easily. Pulled up anywhere with internet connection on PC, Mac, or mobile device. Use it to also mark down health, death saving throws, spell slots, experience, and more on the fly.
DnDMagic: List all spells currently available from Player’s Handbook and Elemental Evil.
5th Edition Spellbook app: Make spellbooks for all your characters, manage spells, prepare spells. Keep track of Spell Save DC, and Spell Attack bonus on your mobile device.
Squire - Another character creation and management app. Contains most of the basic info and spells already, with options to create spells, items, classes/subclasses, etc. This is the free version, but pro has more options for DMs, including initiative order control.
RPG Generator - An app that randomly generates things from NPC appearances to criminal gangs. It’s free and a great on the fly DM tool.
just adding on that orcpub is shutting down so be aware !
26 playable Forgotten Realms friends and their average heights!
I hadn’t yet seen a height chart on here that went by the book, so I decided to make one myself and to include a ton of different races. :3 I based their heights on what the average was said to be in the books, when such information was available. For “well over 6 feet” and “[vague range]” races I just did my best.
Post with 26289 views. Magic Tattoos 5e (v 1.0)
Filibusterfrog Worldbuilding etc. Masterpost
some links for you folks, easy access
General worldbuilding
Half elves’ Home Made Families
The Orc Smear Campaign
Chameleon Dragonborn
Elf Hair
Albinism pt 1/ pt 2
Halflings and Adoption
Hybrids
Tieflings
Dragonborn
Orcs
Wood Elves
Drow
Dwarves
Tabaxi
Living Islands
Eggs
Islands pt 1
Desert Biome
Islands part 2
Bestiary
Packs
Explorers Pack
Priests Pack
Burglars Pack
Entertainers Pack
Dungeoneers Pack
Diplomats Pack
Monster hunters pack
Spell Scars
Cantrips
1st level
2nd level
3rd level
4th level
5th level
6th level
7th level
8th level
9th level
commissioned
Catalogues for toe-in-the-water furries and monsterfuckers
Cats
Metallic Dragons
Chromatic Dragons
Harpies
Cervitaurs (deer-centaur)
½ Minotaur/ quarter bulls
Seasonal Fae
Dream fae
HEADSHOT COMMISSIONS OPEN! I’ll be only opening a few slots for now.
full payment in advance
only PayPal
only for personal use
if you don’t have all references now that’s ok, you can send me some brief info and couple of references first, and send the rest later.
more info here
contact: [email protected] ♥
The Random Monster Generator (5e)
I made this thing a while back, but I’m working on it again and it’s looking very good these days!
Downloading and Running:
You can get the current version of the generator HERE. Just unzip into a folder, and run main.exe. All it does is run main.lua though, so if you’re not on a PC, you can use any Lua interpreter and just run main.lua yourself.
You can change a lot of parameters in the Config.lua file. Just open it up in any text editor, and it includes instructions on what each parameter does.
When you run the program, it will generate an HTML file. It won’t overwrite previous results.
Some things that are awesome about it: - Generates a whole Monster Manual worth of monsters. More, even. You could run a whole campaign, and probably more, by running this thing ONCE. Wow! - Includes raceless NPCs like in the MM Appendix! - Includes Legendary monsters and Lair actions! - These monsters aren’t just hacked together nonsense. They fit into themes, they prefer to cast appropriate spells, they can share species with other monsters, and they tend to have abilities appropriate to their climate, all while still being random enough to be interesting. - Did I say SPELLS? I did. Monsters could have innate spells, or straight up spellcasting, chosen from among every PHB and Xanathar’s Guide spell. All those spells are tagged, so monsters know which kinds they want to take. Does that ice fairy have mostly ENCHANTMENT and ILLUSION spells, with a few FROST spells thrown in? You bet your sweet ass it does! - Monster can SUMMON other monsters that have ALREADY BEEN GENERATED. - Monsters are usually KIND OF BALANCED. They might be off by a CR here and there, but most of them are usable WITHOUT ANY MANUAL MODIFICATION. Rad. - Monsters are generated in sets, each with an intended PC level. For example, a high level set might have low-CR monsters, but those monsters will be simple and easy to use as minions, while a lower level set might have similar CR monsters that are more complex. - All of this is FORMATTED NEATLY for your viewing pleasure, with stat blocks that resemble those found in the Monster Manual. - Pokemon mode: Originally designed for my Pocket Summoner class, you can have this thing generate stats for a monster at every level, and it will even evolve. Perfect for companion monsters, summons, reoccurring enemies that get tougher each time, or anything else you can think to do with levelable monsters. - It makes stuff that looks like this:
Still to come: - MORE CONTENT. You might see some abilities repeat a lot, as I still have tons of content to add. If you have an ability you think would be cool to have in there, LET ME KNOW. - MORE LEGENDARY STUFF. Legendary and Lair actions are still a new thing in the generator, so they’re a bit limited. - LAIR REGIONAL EFFECTS Maybe to come: - Weapon damage is not consistent with the PBH. It may never be. - Save DCs for special abilities are not based on ability scores. They also may never be. Spells are, however. - I might make an encounter generator that uses output from the monster generator. Examples: You can take a look at some example output I just generated. Example 1 Example 2 Known Bugs: The generator can stall sometimes and I’m not sure why. It doesn’t happen very often, though, and you just need to restart it. There may be other rare cases where it crashes, but again, just restart it.
Unfortunately Google removed the API I was using to add images to the results, which was a pretty cool thing that now doesn’t work. Feedback: Let me know what you think, if you encounter any errors, or have any suggestions.
About Me: I’m Chris “Goober” Ramsley, and I’ve been homebrewing since forever, and doing it at a professional level for a little while. You can find some of my stuff on the DMs Guild these days.
Dungeon Narrative Checklist
Partly for myself but also for you guys, here’s a list of 15 questions to ask while you are designing a dungeon.
Narrative Impact
1) How does the dungeon impact the campaign narrative?
As the players make progress in the dungeon, what new information do they learn about the overarching story? Will this dungeon lead them to the next one somehow?
2) What is the players’ agency for going through the dungeon?
What reason do the players have to enter the dungeon other than XP and loot? What are the stakes and how important are they?
3) What moral questions are brought up in the dungeon?
How will the dungeon affect the players themselves? What choices must they make in order to succeed? Will the players be changed by these choices?
4) How are expectations subverted in the dungeon?
What makes dungeons exciting is turning things on their head. Whether it’s what you normally expect a certain creature to do or look like or where you expect traps to be placed, changing it can make the dungeon memorable, fun, and challenging for the players.
History of the Dungeon
5) Why was the dungeon created?
Who built the dungeon? Was it a fortress? Temple? Prison? Mine? What groups originally inhabited it? No one (except maybe Acererak) makes a dungeon for just giggles. It either serves defensive, offensive, religious, residential, or commercial use. Maybe the reason isn’t immediately apparent from its complexity.
6) How is the dungeon being used now?
Part of what makes a good dungeon is the passage of time. How are its latest inhabitants using it? Maybe a castle is being mined for materials, or maybe a mine has been turned into a defensive castle. Keep in mind the original purpose of the dungeon and reflect upon that. Both purposes should be obvious to the players after some time in the dungeon.
7) What rumors have spread about the dungeon? How did they spread?
Players need a way to be drawn to the dungeon, and this happens through rumors. How has the dungeon’s presence affected nearby areas? What creatures are known to inhabit it? What treasures were lost inside? What evils must be slain within? Furthermore, think about how rumors get out. Did some adventuring parties fail before you? Did something escape the dungeon?
Dungeon Denizens
8) What cultures exist in the dungeon?
Who or what lives in the dungeon and how do they cope with their environment? Do they have a structured society? Do they practice a religion? What art items do they create? What are they famous/infamous for?
9) What factions exist in the dungeon and what motives do they have?
Do those that live in the dungeon interact with each other? How do they get along? Why do they or don’t they get along? Some groups might not be on good terms with others, which can let the players take sides. A good example is the Sunless Citadel where the kobolds and goblins are enemies in the same dungeon.
10) What is day-to-day life like in the dungeon?
On a daily basis, what do its inhabitants do? Do the orcs have a patrol route? When do the kobolds reset traps? What time of day does the basilisk search for food? You don’t have to go into great detail, but it will help you when figuring out how the players meet the denizens. Except for maybe undead/oozes/plants, monsters don’t tend to sit in a room and wait for intruders. They have better things to be doing!
Dungeon Design
11) What is the story arc of the dungeon?
What is the beginning, middle, climax, and resolution of your dungeon? How does the dungeon change as the players progress? Things that change could include the environment, terrain, creatures, setting, or mood. Even the players and their goals can change midway through a dungeon. Maybe the dungeon denizens that were initially friendly hide an unforgivable evil in the dungeon. Now the players have to stop their initial allies.
12) What are the story beats of the dungeon?
Break down the individual story elements into one-sentence beats. Make sure they vary in drama, intensity, comedy, and length. In a dungeon setting, an easy way to do this is with the dungeon’s rooms. You can control everything the players encounter when separated into sections like that. And never underestimate the importance of empty rooms.
13) What is the expected path for the players to take?
How do you expect your players to traverse the dungeon? Where do they enter and exit? Which rooms do you believe they will investigate first? If you know their path, you can create more interesting encounters through a controlled setting. That being said, make multiple paths to get around the dungeon. Let some be secret and some out in the open. Let players thoroughly explore the space. But manufacture important story moments at “funnels” in the dungeon map where the player can only come from one direction.
14) Which rooms are optional and which are mandatory?
Players don’t have to explore every room or find every secret, but reward them with promising loot (potentially guarded by unique threats) if they do explore them. Know which rooms are absolutely necessary for completion or progression and make those rooms enticing to help ensure the players explore them.
15) Is each room and encounter unique?
Make sure the players have a decent variety of enemies to fight, or at least something that makes each fight unique. Equip similar enemies with different weapons, make one into a spellcaster, or include an environmental feature. Alter the shapes of rooms and pathways to add variety. Give each room a unique purpose, when applicable. The only times I might make rooms look the same is for dormitories or cells, in which case I would treat an entire hall as a “room.”
Dungeon Crafting Master Post
image credit: Noah Bradley
Here is a list of links to my recent (and one less recent) posts on mapping dungeons! I hope these help you when brewing your own adventures. I will hopefully update this post whenever I write more articles on dungeon design.
The Three-Act Dungeon
Environmental Factors
Mechanic-Driven Design
Puzzle Dungeons
Dungeon Tempo
If you ever have ideas on dungeon design or want me to write about something in particular, feel free to submit a post or leave an ask!
Dwarves out of the Mountains
A long-term friend of mine had been lamenting that while there seems to be a lot of push to diversify elves and ‘get them out of the forest’ but everybody seems content to leave the dwarves in their mountains. In my campaign world I do have dwarves still in the mountains, but I have a particular reason.
Dwarves, as a fantasy or rpg race typically have the following traits:
Short, stocky or round with a low center of gravity
Facial hair and plenty of it, sometimes on females as well
The Axe. If there’s no axe, there will be a hammer
Smiths, craftsmen and great builders
Beer, mead, ale… it’s all good as long as it’s not wine
Underground. Not just a little hole, but deep underground.
That’s a phenotype you can pick up and move anywhere, provided you can grow something you can then ferment and make into booze. So let’s see how they might fit in different environments.
Desert. If you’re going to live in the desert you have to worry about water and maintaining your body temperature, as it can get both unreasonably hot and cold in the desert, often switching from one extreme to another from day to night. Lots of animals have figured out that the temperature is much more stable underground and burrow, and the trees that survive find the water table. There are two very good reasons to build your home underground, and from there you expand your home into a city with networks etc. You can ferment the cacti. Darkvision would be handy as you’re not going to come up in the day if you can avoid it. I imagine they’d build large ventilation columns, a bit like termite mounds, reaching above the dunes, the only evidence of the city below.
Sea edge. I’m thinking cliffs, harsh and windswept towering above the churning waters. The windchill can be lethal, and the saltwater of the ocean is all but undrinkable without specialized processing. (Maybe they have that technology, maybe salt is a major export. Everybody needs salt before refrigeration.) Not much lives on sea cliffs aside from some agile birds that nest there, far out of reach of predators. Building your fortress into the side of the sea cliffs is a very defensible position, and there’s a huge amount of energy to be potentially harnessed in the wind and waves. Branching out into ships is difficult from cliffs, it may be easier to use underwater channels, if such a clever dwarf could devise a vessel to travel entirely beneath the waves. The lower tunnels of an sea cliff fortress are prone to flooding, so these dwarves are likely to be better at balancing and swimming than their inland brethren.
Ice. Where do you expect to find a phenotype that has a reduced body surface area to volume ratio (approaching spherical), comfortable insulating body fat and extra hair? Somewhere very cold. You can dig down into solid ice, which will be relatively more comfortable out of the wind chill, but if you build up with the excavated ice it will likely end up with snow accumulating on at least one side, eventually looking like a hill. Fireballs obviously strongly discouraged, and layered furs prefered over open flame for heat to preserve structural integrity.
Old forest. Nobody ever said anything about getting the dwarves out of the forest. I don’t mean your standard, idyllic, meadow filled forest. I mean the dark, overgrown, ancient, creaking forest with trees so old, massive and twisted that you can’t be certain they don’t have faces. The sort of forest where you can barely see the sky, and the hairs stand up on the back of your neck for no clear reason, but you can’t help but trust your instinct that something, somewhere is patiently waiting to eat you. Here it’s probably much safer underground, where you can at least establish a defensible position. I imagine large halls, edged with the passive roots of the still living trees, and probably a significant mushroom proportion in the diet. Elves above may not even know they’re there.
Really they can make themselves at home anywhere you need a defensible position. Break some stereotypes, throw some dwarves around.
(But you cannot toss them)
I made some enamel pins!
…Or well, just the designs. I thought it’d be cool to have these for my next con, but pins are super expensive, and I don’t want to order a bunch and then have them lying at home for forever.
SO
Do you guys like these?
Spellcasting Combat Narration for D&D
image credit: Ben Wootten
So I was gonna include this in my other article on narrating combat, but it proved far too lengthy, so I made this into part 2!
Combat is easy to describe compared to narrating spell attacks. I ran into this problem last session when I was getting into detail telling the barbarian how they tore off an ogre’s head but then the druid just kept using Fire Bolt and I kept defaulting to “you shoot a bolt of fire at his face.” I’m going to try and vary things up with these lists and help everyone else in the process! I am organizing them by energy type.
Mode of Attack
Half of a spell’s attack is how the caster shapes their spell. The same spell can look very different with every casting if you have a creative DM. Feel free to switch it up each time it’s cast, or vary the same spell when cast by different characters of different classes.
Attack Words
Generic shapes and terms that will launch from the caster’s hand.
Helix, Spiral, Beam, Erratic, Mote, Bolt, Stream, Blast, Burst, Blade, Arc, Miasma, Cloud, Eruption, Wave, Cone, Missile, Rune, Glyph
Class-Based Ideas
Bard
Energy manifests from thin air a foot in front of their instrument as they play
Energy is shaped like ribbons of written music that ripples towards enemies
Several tiny motes of energy appear with each note sung or played. Each point of damage comes from a mote hitting the opponent (rolls a 4 out of a d6, 4 of the 6 note-motes hit)
Cleric
Energy falls from the sky or emerges from the ground as the cleric prays
Beam of energy originates from holy symbol
Spell attack should highlight that the cleric is granted their powers from a greater power, don’t have the energy come from their hand/finger. Have the energy come TO them, and then be thrown at the enemy.
Druid
Energy is shaped like an animal.
Energy rushes forth from the surrounding wilderness and zooms past the druid and toward the foe.
Much like Cleric, energy shouldn’t come from the caster. It should come from elsewhere before being thrown at the enemy.
Fighter (Eldritch Knight)
Energy blasts from their bound weapon pointed at the enemy.
Energy fires from their mouth as they yell.
Energy surrounds their weapon and is used in tandem with it (if close enough)
Monk (Way of Four Elements)
Literally just watch Avatar: the Last Airbender and do that.
Paladin
Most Paladin spells are smite-based, so they usually happen when an attack hits. Otherwise, let the energy come from a higher power like the Cleric.
Energy bursts forth from within the creature hit
Energy surrounds weapon right as the strike lands
Energy falls from the sky or erupts from the ground
Ranger
Honestly, most Ranger spells often seem a lot like man-made traps like Cordon of Arrows (arrow traps), Fog Cloud (smoke grenade), or Grasping Vine (slipknot trap). But otherwise, Play it like the Cleric where the energy comes from a higher power.
Energy takes the form of the Ranger’s animal companion or an animal they associate with.
Spells seem to cast automatically whenever the Ranger is in a tight spot, almost as if nature itself is protecting them. The Ranger gives an approving nod whenever this happens in thanks.
Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
Energy is always accompanied by a shimmer of glitter
The Rogue plays with the energy over their fingertips as they whistle before casting the spell.
Energy enchants one of the Rogue’s daggers and casts the spell by tossing the dagger at the intended location or target.
Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline)
Energy takes the shape of a dragon of your bloodline.
Energy surges forth from your breath
All energy takes the shape of your bloodline dragon’s energy type, regardless of the actual energy type. For instance, a sorcerer of a blue dragon’s bloodline that casts Burning Hands or Cone of Cold keeps the energy type but shapes the fire and cold damage into the form of a bolt of lightning.
Sorcerer (Wild Magic)
Energy takes on many random forms, never under the full command of the Sorcerer.
Energy erupts from random places in the environment when the Sorcerer calls upon them.
Energy bubbles and fizzes with all energy types (but mostly the one called upon), as if a piece of Limbo was thrown at the enemy.
Warlock (Archfey)
Your energy shimmers with iridescent colors and showers enemies with sparks of glitter.
Warlock (Great Old One)
Your magic corrupts and twists the flesh of the target of your spell, regardless of the energy type.
Warlock (Fiend)
Energy takes the shape of the unholy symbol of your patron.
Wizard (Abjuration)
Energy shoots forth from your magical wards, arcing towards your enemies.
Wizard (Conjuration)
You conjure a short-lived elemental of the energy type you need. It soars at the enemy.
Wizard (Divination)
You weave the glowing threads of fate in the palms of your hands, tweaking reality to cast your spell.
Wizard (Enchantment)
You enchant an object to exude the energy and toss it at the enemy.
Wizard (Evocation)
I mean, you just sorta blast them. That’s what this school’s about.
Wizard (Illusion)
Your spell usually spawns two or three illusory copies. When the attack misses, the enemy simply managed to dodge the right duplicate.
Wizard (Necromancy)
Your energy takes the shape of a skull screaming as it flies toward the enemy
Wizard (Transmutation)
You transmute the energy out of the surrounding environment and fire it at the enemy
On-Hit
So if half of a spell’s attack is the shape and travel of the spell, the other half is when the spell hits. I organized this list by energy type, as different energies will do different sorts of things when they hit a creature. This is mostly a collection of interesting effects, colorful language, and examples.
Fire
Your bolt of fire singes their armor (burning cloth, blackening leather, discoloring metal)
A tiny bead of fire explodes on contact
Showers them with red sparks
Your attack leaves behind a billowing trail of smoke
A fast-travelling meteor of flame soars from the sky towards the enemy.
Your flames leave blisters and cracked skin in its wake.
Your fire blackens the enemy’s flesh
Cold
You freeze the moisture in the air into icy daggers that fall onto your enemy
You freeze the water in their blood to damage them
Their skin turns blue and numb
You literally hurl a snowball at them.
Your spell leaves them covered in a layer of frost
A buildup of ice covers where your spell hit. (it’s easily shattered once they move, though)
A blast of icy wind and rain leaves them shivering.
Thunder
A crack of thunder pummels your foe
A high-pitched, deafening shriek focuses itself on the target
A thin trail of blood races from the foe’s ears from a sound no one else can hear
The enemy falls to their knees cupping their hands over their ears, gritting their teeth
You buffet the target with waves of thunderous sound
The ground shakes with the force of your spell. Brittle glass objects nearby shatter.
Lightning
Lightning comes from the sky to smite your foe
You all smell the faint odor of ozone before a bright bolt of lightning streaks toward the target of your spell
Before your enemy can blink they are showered in electrical sparks followed by crippling pain
The enemy’s back stiffens as the powerful current of lightning surges through them
Your attack leaves a permanent web of lightning shaped burns all over one side of their body
Your blast of lightning causes their skin to rupture as it travels through their body
Acid
Your acid sizzles as it burns a new, unnatural color into their skin
The attack melts their flesh, leaving them permanently disfigured at the site of the spell
Your spell’s acid causes blue fire to burn where it hit their skin, and bleaches their armor and belongings
A rancid smell fills the foe’s nostrils as the acid bubbles on their bare skin, burning through the simple cloth of their shirt.
Poison
You spew a poisonous cloud from your mouth at your opponent
A spectral viper or insect is flung at the opponent, biting them and filling them with magical venom
Your index and middle finger each grow a poisonous fang which you sink into your opponent’s arm (melee range spell attacks only)
The enemy’s mouth fills with a foul tasting liquid which forces its way down their throat
Necrotic
Your target’s flesh bubbles and boils as a black ichor sputters from the spell’s origin
The foe’s flesh festers with magical disease as boils and wounds quickly cover the affected area
A skeletal hand wriggles free from beneath the earth, flying towards the target
An incorporeal undead shrieks as it flies from your finger toward the enemy to deliver the spell’s effect
Black energy swirls around your arm before launching towards the enemy as if it had a life of its own
Your iridescent blue magic enters the target’s body and afflicts their soul, making them momentarily dazed as their eyes glaze over.
Radiant
A holy light shines from the skies to harm your target, regardless of time of day or obstructions
A halo of radiant energy surrounds your head and blinds the target as they gaze upon it
Enemies that aren’t of your alignment hear the whispers of your deity moments before being enveloped in a blinding white light
The foe’s eyes and mouth emit warm light and they howl in pain
A blade of radiant energy slashes through the victim, leaving a trail of blinking motes of light in its wake
The enemy’s skin blisters from the raw positive energy surging through them
So essentially this whole post was a creative writing assignment for myself, but I hope that it gives you guys new creative ideas for new spells or new ways to describe existing spells! They don’t much affect the mechanics of the spell at all, so most DMs I suspect will be fine with most of these descriptions if you want your character to cast spells a certain way.
this post is so great. i’ve been struggling with these things myself, knowing that my players would enjoy this level of creativity. now, i have a huge head start.
thanks for playing
(Cantrip scars)
(1st level spell scars)
(2nd level spell scars)
(3rd level spell scars)
(4th level spell scars)
(5th level spell scars)
(6th level spell scars)
(7th level spell scars)
(8th level spell scars)
>9th lv spell scars
