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TIL in second edition there was a dedicated “Drizzt guidebook to the underdark”. A book for DMs to help build Underdark campaigns with Drizzt as the guide.
It features maps of different cities and stuff and it’s on internet archive (prob not published)
Forgotten Realms
Ched nesad
Menzo map
Jarlaxle mentioned
Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark is a 2nd-edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons accessory for the Forgotten Realms. Drizzt Do'Urden's
DM Guide: What Does a DM Do?
The DM gets to play many fun roles:
Actor: The DM plays the monsters choosing their actions and rolling dice for their attacks. The DM also plays all the people the characters meet.
Director: Like the director of a movie the DM decides (and describes) what the players characters encounter in the course of an adventure. The DM is also responsible for the pace of a play session and for creating situations that facilitate fun.
Improviser: A big part of being the DM is deciding how to apply the rules as you go and imagining the consequences of the characters actions in a way that will make the game fun for everyone.
Referee: When it's not clear what ought to happen next the DM decides how to apply the rules.
Storyteller: The DM crafts adventures setting situations in front of the characters that entice them to explore and interact with the game world.
Teacher: It's often the DM's job to teach new players how to play the game.
Worldbuilder: The DM creates the world where the game's adventures take place. Even if you're using a published setting you get to make it yours.
DM TIPS
The most important part of being a good DM is facilitating the fun of everyone at the table. Keep these tips in mind to help things go smoothly.
Embrace The Shared Story: DND is about telling a story as a group so let the other players contribute through the words and deeds of their characters. Encourage players to engage by asking them what their characters are doing.
It's Not a Competition: The DM isn't competing against the other players. It's your job to provide fun challenges and keep the story moving.
Be Fair and Flexible: Treat your players in a fair impartial manner. The rules help you do this but when you need to act as referee try to make decisions that ensure everyone is having fun.
Communicate with your Players: Open communication is essential to a successful DND game. Many problems can be solved or even prevented with honest conversation. Ask questions and solicit feedback after or between sessions.
It's OK to Make Mistakes: If you overlook or misrepresent something correct yourself and move on. No one expects you to memorize every rule or detail. Even if you don't realize your mistake until after a game session is over it's OK to acknowledge the mistake at the start of the next session and make adjustments moving forward
Did i just spend the past three weeks turning all of the spells in the Player’s Handbook into a spreadsheet to make it easier to sift through?
Fucking perhaps
Ever needed to go through just a list of druid spells to see which ones fit your character the best? Ever needed a cantrip bc pack of the tome lets you choose any three? Just dont feel like paying for the players handbook? Then boy do i have the document that i spent way too fucking long on like literally weeks of horshit for you!
Contains
- all of the hardware/ basics/ watever you wanna call it of each spell (how long it takes to cast, components etc)
- a basic and a little manic description of each spell
- filters based on class, spell level, school of magic, and casting time
Warning:
There are probably a decent amount of mistakes. Im a little dyslexic and a little synesthetic. If u find smth, let me know. Also, if u want a particular filter, lemme know. I dont know wat else i could have put but if my list doesnt suit ur fancy ill add another. Fuck it.
Pass this shit along to ur DM friends. Your DND friends. Just please. I spent way too long on this to keep it for myself. Please. I just started working on the monster manual. I finished this one 20 minutes ago and im already working on the monster manual. Why am i doing this
Dungeon Crafting: Tempo
When building a dungeon, one of the most important aspects is the pacing and flow of it; the tempo.
Why Tempo?
Tempo is a fundamental of level design in video games, and as such applies perfectly when crafting a dungeon delve for your players. Tweaking the tempo as your players progress can help you tell a story as opposed to just filling up rooms on a map. It also helps emotionally invest players with proper buildup or contrasting tempos. If you have good tempo, you can make a more dense dungeon instead of just making the dungeon bigger. Your players will be enjoying the dungeon without it feeling monotonous.
A high tempo is the feeling or impression of action or else how quick the players are progressing. A low tempo is when players feel less action or even relaxation, or when the game players are progressing slowly.
Impetus
Impetus is the reason that the players are moving. Most often, this falls back on the party’s main goals or agency. Sometimes little, mini impetuses (impeti?) will influence the players’ minor choices during the delve. Little things like which door to take, when to keep moving, when to stop and rest or investigate, or when to fight monsters vs. when to sneak by them. A strong, overarching impetus, on the other hand, will push your players to act in a more predictable way. Its good to understand that.
image credit: Dan Scott
Increasing Tempo
When your players are progressing too slowly or if the game itself is slogging, find a way to increase the in-game action or heighten the energy of your players.
How to get your players to move or act:
Add a threat from behind the players
Add an objective ahead of the players that is readily seen or known
Add a time factor (you must save the gnome before they kill ‘im!)
Limit the space for the players to move and explore, forcing them to move on. Most commonly: a hallway
Draw the eye to a distant landmark or other obvious dropped hint
Steal something from the players, giving the players the goal of retrieving it
Add an NPC to urge the players onward
image credit: Michael Komarck
Decreasing Tempo
Consider decreasing the tempo when the game is moving a little too quickly, when you need time to consider or improvise the next area, or when the players are moving too quickly to the next area. For instance, when players are travelling over long distances, it might seem off-tempo to arrive at their destination with a few sentences.
How to get your players to slow down or investigate:
Add a “wow” moment. A really descriptive landscape or moment (epic/sublime or beautiful/peaceful) that will make players pause to react or to roleplay with one another. Useful for drawing out the climax of a dungeon or a dungeon intro.
Add obstacles. Easy enough. Unlike video games, every platform or climbable wall will require a check, or require players to find another way around.
Alter the players’ movement. When players can’t move normally, they need to be more cautious to progress.
Add an encounter, slowing the game down to an incredible crawl where 6 seconds can take up to 10 minutes.
Increase paranoia and tension. This will cause players to investigate every nook and cranny for traps or hidden threats, even when there are none.
Add multiple routes. Whether they all lead to the same place or one is just a pit stop, it will slow the players down to make a decision.
Give the players a new NPC to meet and roleplay with.
Insert a puzzle or riddle for the players to ponder. This can backfire if solved too quickly.
Looting dead creatures or a bunch of crates will slow players’ movement
Add story exposition.
Using It
When building the dungeon, consider all of these factors that influence tempo and each player’s impetus. Understand where in your dungeon that play will crawl and where it will speed up again. Try to anticipate which fights your players will take. Maybe after facing one monster they will better understand how easy or difficult it is to take it down, so if they see it again they will act accordingly.
For instance, my players are about to go into a frost giant lair. It’s a big cave system with multiple paths and plenty of corners and objects to hide behind. They are quite underleveled and had difficulty taking down just one giant before, so they will likely avoid direct confrontation until they find their real goal: a hero’s tomb that’s hidden somewhere in the lair. Their impetus is the tomb, which will keep them moving. There are plenty of crates and barrels to loot, branching paths, and obstacles (hiding from giants and navigating giant architecture) to slow the players’ tempo even without any encounters. That said, when the tension of hiding from giants comes to a height or when the action is dragging, they can always get spotted by a giant or a couple of ogres to force a fight (lest they alert the other giants). That will increase the in-game tempo with some action.
Just be sure to vary the tempo as you build the dungeon. If a dungeon is all action and speed all the time, the players won’t have time to relax and think and their attention will drop, not to mention their characters won’t have time to rest. If the dungeon is low tempo all the time your players will get bored and once again lose focus or else get off-topic. Their characters will have no opportunity to show off their abilities or just hit stuff really hard with their magic weapons. Variety is the key to balancing monotony and stress.
DND Magic Items: Talisman of Ultimate Evil
Type: Wondrous Item
Rarity: Legendary
Type of Item: Relics
Attunement: Yes
This item symbolizes unrepentant evil. A creature that isn't a Fiend or Undead that touches the talisman takes 8d6 Necrotic damage and takes it again each time it ends its turn holding or carrying the talisman.
You can use the talisman as a holy symbol, and you gain a +2 bonus to spell attack rolls while you wear or hold it.
The talisman has 6 charges. If you are wearing or holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 charge from the talisman and choose one creature you can see on the ground within 120 feet of you. A flaming fissure opens under it the target must succeed on a DC20 Dexterity saving throw. A Celestial makes the saving throw with Disadvantage. On a fail the target falls into the fissure and is destroyed, leaving no remains. On a successful save the target isn't cast into the fissure but takes 4d6 Psychic damage from the ordeal. In either case the fissure then closes, leaving no trace of its existence. When you expend the last charge, the talisman dissolves into foul-smelling slime and is destroyed.
DND Magic Items: Talisman of Pure Good
Type: Wondrous Item
Rarity: Legendary
Type of Item: Relics
Attunement: Yes
Requirement: You must be a Cleric or Paladin to attune to this item.
This talisman is a mighty symbol of goodness. A Fiend or Undead that touches the talisman takes 8d6 Radiant damage again each time it ends its turn holding or carrying the talisman.
You can use the talisman as a Holy Symbol. You gain a +2 bonus to spell attack rolls while you wear or hold it.
The talisman has 7 charges. If you are wearing or holding it, you can use a Magic action to expend 1 charge from it and choose one creature you can see on the ground within 120 feet of you. A flaming fissure opens under the target and it makes a DC20 Dexterity Saving Throw. If the target is a Fiend or Undead it makes the save with Disadvantage. On a failed save the target falls into the fissure and is destroyed leaving no remains. On a successful save the target isn't cast into the fissure but takes 4d6 Psychic damage from the ordeal. In either case the fissure then closes leaving no trace of its existence. When you expend the last charge, the talisman disperses into motes of golden light and is destroyed.
DND Magic Items: Scarab of Protection
Type: Wondrous Item
Rarity: Legendary
Type of Item: Relics
Attunement: Yes
This beetle-shaped medallion provides 3 benefits while it is on your person.
You gain a +1 bonus to AC.
You have advantage on saving throws against spells.
The scarab has 12 charges. If you fail a saving throw against a Necromancy spell or a harmful effect originating from an Undead you can use your reaction to expend 1 charge and turn the failed save into a successful one. The scarab crumbles into powder and is destroyed when its last charge is expended.
DND Magic Items: Rod of Resurrection
Type: Rod
Rarity: Legendary
Type of Item: Relics
Attunement: No
This rod has 5 charges. While you hold it, you can use an action to cast one of the following spells from it: Heal (expends 1 charge) or Resurrection (expends 5 charges.
The rod regains 1 expended charge daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the rod disappears in a harmless burst of radiance.
