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Made a very quick D&D NPC generator for when you need to find a quick answer to "so who's this merchant/librarian/blacksmith/tavernkeep".
The fantasy races in the list and the stats there are based on 5th edition D&D, but since this is just for inspiration, just replace with something analogous to your setting or ignore entirely. Ta-dah!
Check it out here
Blade Ward is an awful spell. Just look at it
You sacrifice your whole action to do nothing. This is a "holding on for dear life" spell, which is not fun, because when you cast it it means you've committed to either running away (at regular speed, because most characters now can't dash this turn) or just - standing around and getting clobbered. Which doesn't feel fun.
I think you could either
Make it a much higher level spell but then change the casting time to a bonus action
Or keep it as a cantrip (maybe 1st level?), but change the target to "an ally within x feet" and not allow you to cast it on yourself, meaning now your spell caster can help the melee tank stay alive a little easier
Thoughts??
Book Titles for Your D&D Bookshop
Players exploring a bookstore, library, or snooping in the shelves of someone's house? Need a quick bit of flavor to describe their findings? Roll as many d10 as you like!
The content of these books is totally up to the individual, of course. Take them as a bit of inspiration if you're put on the spot!
Children's
Francis the Flumph Finds a Friend
Trees of Green, Red Roses Blue
The ABCs of Elvish (or any other language as you prefer!)
The Tower That Struck the Clouds
Collected Fairy Tales of the Sisters Cheer
A Dance of Fairy Dragons
The Tale of the Witchwood
Fair Prince Elim
I Wish, I Wish
Roundleaf and Redbark
Horror/Mystery
Tenth Hell
The Day the Sky Moved Closer
The Puppetmaster
The Bell Signals Death
End of the Road
Drums in the Deep
The Flightless Dark
The Bloodless Dagger
The Shadow Behind the Sun
Trap Door Vampire
Instructional books
Turnips Twenty Ways
Mushrooms: Should You Eat Those, and if Yes, Would It Be Funny?
Field Guide to Cool Rocks
Tinker, Tailor, Cobbler, Smith
Understanding the Pauper's Gambit
Sand, Mud, Ice: Tracking Animals Through the Seasons (with illustrations)
Healing Cuts & Curing Pains
Accords: Music as a Tool for Diplomacy
Angling for Success
Donning and Doffing Armor on Your Own
Magic
Basic Principles of Transmutation
Mirrors, Puddles, and Archways: Gates to the Unknown
Warding Your Home
Magical Properties of Common Herbs
The Perils of Force
Ethical Concerns about Coercive Magic
Cosmology of the Inner Planes
Identifying Enchantments
Magical Venom & Poisons
Cautionary Tales of Magical Experimentation
Non-fiction
The Golden Reign of [ruler]
Tales of the [name of ocean]
Memoir of the Dragonborn
The Road to [famous city]
Visitable Inns, Taverns, & Holes-In-the-Walls of [country]
Exploring the [cardinal direction] Wilds
Conversations with the [people] of [location]
Inventions of [name of person]
A History of Gnomish Cuisine
Fallout of the [descriptor] War
Pardon the lack of specifics here, but I feel that non-fiction titles should be tailored to each individual setting, otherwise they might seem very out of place! See similar entries for the 'Spirituality/Religion' category at the bottom.
Poetry
The Collected Works of Troels F. Treebor
Dark Side of the Stars
The Final Waltz
Featherlight
Hammersong
Impatience of the Hungering Soul
Tell Me No More Stories And I'll Tell You No Lies
Eighty Kinds of Gold
Foundling
The Epic of the Alabaster Queen
Romance
Winter's Night, Summer's Morn
Sleepless Among the Fair Folk
Sweet Little Lies
Fathomless Passion: Captured by the Drow
Fly Me to the Fourth Moon
Perky Peaks
Desperate Measures
Frigid Touches: Melting the Heart of the Ice Maiden
Blessed Curse
Rose Red
Spirituality/Religion
The Moon's Love
Houses of Healing
Temples of [location or divinity]
Night Embrace You
Channeling the Divine
Symbology of [popular deity]
Three Times Are A Sign
A Treatise on Good & Evil
Communion with [deity]
Principles of the [group descriptor] Belief System
ID in alt text. Direct link to the original artwork in the source of this post.
One of the things I appreciate most as a dungeon master is when my players not only RP (I love you for it), but immerse themselves to the degree where they try to avoid mechanical terms like "short rest" or "skill check". So here are some ways I've found that can be done, if you really want to treat your game master/storyteller/person who runs the game to some immersion they don't have to be responsible for!
Skill Checks
Instead of saying "I want to roll [skill] to..." (because, you don't get to choose your skill check - the game master does), instead explain what it is that you want to achieve:
"Do I believe what she's saying about her family?"
"I want to look for signs of hidden doors in this room."
"I am going to take the device apart to see if I can figure out how it was made."
"Does the painting look like anything I can recognize?"
Doing it like this means you hand your game master a springboard on a silver platter (unsure if that combination of metaphors work, but whatever) from which they can easily jump into a description of your efforts.
Resting
If you work with a system like D&D where you are encouraged to take frequent in-game rests, it's a lot more immersive to talk to your fellow players about your needs for rest if you do it in character, instead of saying "I'm out of spell slots" or "I want to take a short rest". Here are some suggestions:
"I really need a moment to sit down."
"Don't know about the rest of you, but I have some wounds I have to tend to."
"I can't go on like this, we need to find somewhere to sleep for the night soon."
"My head hurts from casting spells all day, I think we should try to avoid fighting until we've rested. Is there an inn nearby?"
After you've discussed it in character, either wait for your game master to ask whether you're taking a break, or tell them outright. You should always confirm that you're on the same page, but just a bit of in-character buildup is something I personally really appreciate. It also adds to the feeling that your characters are real people experiencing exhaustion, not just (video) game people.
Healing/Hit Point Loss
You can't see hit points! They're an arbitration for us as players to keep track of how well a character is doing physically, but asking in the middle of combat "who's low on hit points?" when that is not something the characters know what is kinda wrecks it for me. Instead, consider:
"I saw [character] was struck earlier, how badly hurt do they look?"
"You see how blood is pouring from a deep cut in my arm, it looks really painful."
"[Character] is a little woozy from the blow to the head he just suffered, but he'll be fine."
"I want to spend some time examining the burns [other character] suffered during our last fight - how bad is it?"
Basically, treat your player characters' hitpoints the same you do the hitpoints of an enemy: With zero idea of what the actual number is.
Melee Combat
Not gonna lie, unless you are into martial arts and such, you probably run out of ways to describe "I hit the monster with my sword/fist" fast. However, just going "I roll to hit; that's [x] points of damage" again gives that very video game-y feel that I think should really be avoided as much as possible when you sit with a TTRPG. Try one of these on occasion to shake things up:
"I take a running leap and bring my axe down hard on its arm!"
"With my legs around her throat, I slam my elbow into her face!"
"I do a series of somersaults toward the mafia don and try to kick him right in the gut!"
Just because you can't cast spells doesn't mean you can't pull some theatrical moves!
Ranged Combat
A lot of what I said about melee combat above also applies to ranged combat, I feel - and can be solved similarly.
"I point my gun and aim for the tiny gap in their visor."
"Nocking one of my enchanted arrows, I shoot at their feet and try to ignite the ground around them."
"I aim for the rope holding the chandelier in an attempt to shoot it down."
"Bracing for the recoil, I aim my rifle at the hand she has her sword in, and pull the trigger."
Maybe look up some videos of people using the weapon(s) your character uses to get a feel for how to describe the movements involved? It's certainly something I need to do more!
Spellcasting
Spellcasting is a special beast, not only good for combat but also in many utility situations. And there are a lot of ways to talk about it without referring to spell slots or class spell lists. Here are some:
"Can you cast [spell] today?" "No, I'd have to meditate on it/consult some books first."
"I bring out my magical orb, and you see how it starts to spin rapidly over my hand until it's just a blur, and I cast [spell]."
"I'm sorry, that sort of thing is beyond my capabilities. We should try to find a powerful wizard, they might know how to do that."
"Five lightning bolts shoot from each of my fingertips, right at the enemy!"
Take advantage of the spell descriptions that come with the spell to explain what it looks like when you use the various components, and when the spell takes effect - and maybe also what happens when it fizzles out for whatever reason.
If you're not super comfortable with roleplaying, but want to try doing it more, I hope you take this as positive encouragement and as an example that it doesn't have to be all that hard or elaborate all the time to increase your feelings of being immersed in the game. We can do this!
Disclaimer: 95% of my experience with TTRPGs are in fantasy settings. I'm sure someone else has much better examples of roleplaying for Sci-Fi and other genres. Please do add to this post if you have any thoughts!
Within the Warren of Chaos, Quick Ben knew of the innumerable shifting pathways that led to doors. Though he called them doors they were in fact barriers created where Warrens touched, a calcretion of energy as solid as basalt. Chaos touched on all realms with gnarled fingertips bleeding power, the doors hardened wounds in the flesh of other worlds, other avenues of magic.
This is from 'Gardens of the Moon' by Steven Erikson, and it tickles so many parts of my brain re: teleportation and danger in D&D.
I feel like once a party is high-level enough, traveling ceases to be a risk, and while I kinda like that this contributes to the feeling of being powerful and having acquired more rare magic, I also kind of think it's boring.
So what if, instead of travel dangers being bandits and kobolds, it were aberrant beings? It's already canon that you can travel to other planes of existence via the Astral Plane, but I'm thinking instead of going there, teleporting opens a sort of rabbit hole you can pass through physically.
Instead of being instant, teleportation now cuts down travel time from weeks to an hour or two. You have to be quiet about it, because the Things That Live Here definitely don't like you. Teleportation mishaps could lead you to being trapped here, or items could be lost.
Idk, I just want teleportation to be a little more exciting than "and then we stood in a circle and we were whisked away".
Link to artist found in the source of this post.
Here is a list of 10 relatively quickly resolved encounters, not necessarily combat, that your group can stumble upon. Some may spawn adventures of their own, others may simply serve as flavor for a particular location in your world.
While walking along an otherwise deserted street, the party spots a hulking wolf. Its muzzle and front paws are covered in blood, and it's limping slightly. This is a werewolf. She will not attack on sight, as she's wounded. If the party approaches her, she will try to scare them off. If they can discern her true nature, she will transform into her hybrid form and confess to having just killed someone in a fit of rage. She claims that she's trying to leave the city before she harms anyone else. The werewolf is clearly trying to suppress the urge to lash out at the party. Will they help her, or slay her? ー　Suggested ability checks: Animal Handling, Insight, Persuasion
One evening in the tavern, citizens complain that the water in the local well has lost its (alleged) healing powers. They speculate that the "gentle soul", which they believe is a spirit who lives in the well, is unhappy with them. If the party takes a sample of the water, they can discover some impurities, provided they have the right know-how or tools. The well ends in a flooded, subterranean cave. If accessed, the party can discover a water weird living in the cave. It seems friendly, but unhappy. What (or who?) is the cause of the impurities in the water, and why is the water weird so displeased? ー　Suggested ability checks: Alchemist's tools, Arcana, Brewer's supplies, Herbalism kit, History, Nature
While shopping, you hear a sudden racket down the street. A very angry merchant is chasing two small children - you hear the jangling of coins as they race past you, around the corner and out of sight. If the party chooses to proceed down the street to find the children, they'll see a sewer grate that isn't quite in place. If they enter the sewer, they'll have to be careful, as noise might attract the gang of bugbears who have their home there. If the players are perceptive, they'll be able to follow a combined trail of dropped coins and subtle markings in the sewer walls to discover the children's hideout. Turns out a group of about a dozen kids live down here, stealing to survive. One kid is "the face", and uses the money the rest of them steal to buy food. They are afraid to come up, because the city guard is likely to punish them, but live in beyond squalid conditions here. How will the party deal with this situation? ー　Suggested ability checks: Investigation, Mason's tools, Persuasion, Stealth
While exploring the city's underbelly, the party discovers (whether by accident or not) a secret passageway that has been improperly sealed. Behind it are two nothics, evidently in an argument. If anyone in the party speaks Undercommon, they'll be able to learn that one is upset with the other for not sharing the secrets of the Lady of Rot and Decay, while the other claims to have no such knowledge. What can the party learn from this conversation, and how will the nothics react if they find out their hiding place as been discovered? Do the nothics keep something interesting in there? ー　Suggested ability checks: Arcana, Calligrapher's tools, Investigation, Religion
A young mage with grand ambitions for urban improvement contacts our fearless adventurers. They had the bright idea to summon and use magma and steam mephits for luxurious and cheap heating of the city - no more firewood necessary, and the streets will always be free of snow in the winter! Unfortunately, the mephits proved unwilling to be helpful, and immediately escaped to a nearby bath house. The city guard is unwilling to go into the by now extremely hot building, and is more interested in finding the source of the problem. The mage is terrified that the guards won't understand they had the best of intentions, even more so because they aren't sure how to banish the mephits again. How will the party handle the mephits, and will they expose the careless mage to the guards? ー　Suggested ability checks: Charisma, Constitution, Deception, Persuasion
A local inn advertises a new, special brew: "A fun night guaranteed, or your money back!" After indulging, the party lose themselves to fits of laughter and don't remember much of the evening otherwise. However, the next morning they awaken to find that a nilbog followed them to their sleeping spot. Inspired by their chaotic merriment last night (and perhaps the amount of gold they carry around), the nilbog has approached them to ask for help with disposing of a particularly cruel goblin captain, who abuses the goblin tribe that resides in the nearby hills. Will the adventurers trust the nilbog and help the goblins, and what will happen if they do? What happens if they refuse? Is there something more to the drink they had last night? ー　Suggested ability checks: Constitution, Insight, Intimidation
An elderly beggar catches the hem of a party member's cloak and asks for "a little kindness". If the party helps them in a satisfactory way (DM's discretion), the beggar will give them a blunt dagger as thanks, saying only to use it at the uttermost end of need. The dagger seems ordinary. If the party can unveil its secrets, they'll learn it's an instrument of a blood-sacrifice happy cult. If two people use the dagger to make a blood pact, they'll be able to share in the other's suffering (if character A takes X points of damage, character B can choose to sacrifice themselves and take the damage instead. If this kills them, character A regains an amount of HP. DM's discretion; go ham!). How did the beggar get the sacrificial dagger, why did they get rid of it, and will the cult want it back? ー　Suggested ability checks: Arcana, History, Religion
The party takes a wrong turn and find themselves in a part of town none of them recognize. The people here seem suspicious of the party and don't believe they got here by accident. After meandering for a while, an elf with severe facial scarring stops them and offers to show the way out, if they'll take a little wooden doll with them and give it to someone in town. Will the party accept the deal? How will the elf react if they don't? Who is the intended recipient of the doll? What happens if they don't deliver it? And where exactly did the party end up? ー　Suggested ability checks: Insight, Survival, Woodcarver's tools
The party overhears a shouted exchange between a group of stone masons and their foreman. They're working on restoring a cathedral, but according to two masons, monstrous statues have appeared overnight. The masons are too spooked to go back to work, but the foreman is dismissive of their "superstitions". Should the party investigate, they'll find that three gargoyles have taken up residence in the cathedral, and they're not exactly planning to leave, as they have nowhere else to go. How will the party deal with the gargoyles? What happens if they stay? Will the foreman believe their story? ー　Suggested ability checks: Mason's tools, Persuasion
One day, the party witnesses a sudden, very bright explosion as they pass an alley. Upon investigating, part of the street has been blown to pieces, and there's now a massive hole leading into the city's sewer system. Wait - is someone crying down there? If the party goes into the sewer, they'll find a band of distressed darklings. They are fearful of the party and will attempt to flee. If the party can calm one (or more) of them down, they'll explain that their friend died as a result of a ritual to turn them into an elder. The darklings are afraid the explosion will attract the attention of less friendly characters. They ask the characters to distract anyone who comes this way so that they can gather their (stolen) possessions and flee through the sewers and hopefully hide somewhere until it becomes dark. Will the party help the darklings, and will the darklings manage to escape? What sort of treasures do the darklings keep? ー　Suggested ability checks: Deception, Glassblower's tools, Navigator's tools, Painter's supplies, Performance, Persuasion
Link to the artist in the source of this post. Image description in the alt text.
A special episode of the podcast 'Monster Man' was centered on monsters that are associated with a season - winter, specifically. And I thought the idea of having seasonal monsters would be genuinely interesting. We associate plenty of flora, fauna, and nebulous concepts with particular seasons, so condensing these to traits we can apply to creatures in a TTRPG world seems to me like a way to support these assumptions and your world's inherent folklore. So here are my ideas for spring. Entries marked with * are traits or actions that already exist in 5e, and which I thought were thematically appropriate.
Below the cut is a list of things I associate with spring, and thus what I've based the traits on this list on. I should also note that this is meant for D&D 5e, but please adapt and change anything you like for your game.
Spring Monster Traits
Breezy. The creature can cast the Blur spell without having to maintain concentration on it. Definitely should be a (1/day) or otherwise restricted.
Chameleon Skin. The creature can change the color of its skin at will, giving it advantage on Stealth checks.
Early Frost. The creature is vulnerable to cold damage.
Dancer. When engaged in melee combat with only one other creature (a dance partner, if you will), this creature can use its reaction to attempt to "dance" out of the way of an incoming attack by rolling 1d6 and adding its to its AC for that turn only. The creature then moves 5 ft in any direction, provoking attacks of opportunity as normal.
Fickle. The creature can cast Mirror Image as a reaction. Use with caution - you may want to make this a rechargeable ability, similar to a dragon's breath weapon.
Intoxicating Touch. When your bare skin makes contact with this creature, you must roll a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned (or charmed, DM's discretion!). You can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of your turns, ending the effect on a successful save.
Jokester. The creature can cast Tasha's Hideous Laughter as a bonus action. Perhaps make this a (3/day) thing, or otherwise restrict your use of it.
*Magic Resistance. The creature has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Naïve. This creature is not yet wise in the ways of the world. Unless you are openly hostile to it, it has disadvantage on Insight checks against and Wisdom saving throws it is made to do by you or your companions.
Nesting. The creature has young nearby. It will try to lure attackers away from them, and fight to the death if necessary.
Powdery. When this creature is hit with an attack that deals bludgeoning damage, other creatures within 10 ft. must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or spend their next turn violently sneezing (= unable to take actions or speak/cast spells with verbal components). Any creature that also has the Powdery trait, or doesn't need to breathe, is immune to this effect.
*Regeneration. The creature regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the creature takes acid or fire damage, this trait doesn't function until the end of its next turn. The creature dies only if its starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.
Secretive. The area around the creature's lair or nest is changed to suit its whims, as per the Hallucinatory Terrain spell. This effect cannot be dispelled. It ends a week after the creature has moved away from the area, or is slain.
*Split. When a creature that is medium or larger is subjected to lightning or slashing damage, it splits into two new creatures if it has at least 10 hit points. Each new creature has hit points equal to half the original creature's. Each of them are a size smaller than the original creature.
One of the single most important pieces of DM knowledge I have is that a natural 20 on an ability check does not necessarily equal success. It simply equals the best possible outcome.
Say, for example, hypothetically, you have a horny player whose first course of action is always "I try to seduce them". You present them with the queen of the realm; the player rolls. They get a natural 20 and now expect to become the queen's consort.
However, the player's desired outcome doesn't have to be in the realm of possibilities. The best possible outcome here might be that the queen doesn't get the player arrested for insulting her, but instead finds their behavior amusing and lets them off scot-free.
You could tell your player "no, that's not going to happen" up front, but if you think a random roll could lead to an interesting or funny development in the story, give them the chance to try something a little offbeat.
