Jan 24
Which goddess do you think is more evil?
Lolth
Shar
Voting ended onJan 31
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Which goddess do you think is more evil?
Lolth
Shar
Question, when determining hight of a demon, tiefling, or fiendling; do we count the horns?
Do horns count to hight
Yes, they are a part of them so they count
No, it’s like hair or standing on tippy toes so they don’t count.
d100 D&D Warm-up Questions
What would your character say to the party with their dying breath?
What is the best meal your character has ever eaten?
What is the best gift your character has ever received?
What is your character’s retirement plan?
With which school of magic does your character most identify?
What is your character’s favorite thing about adventuring?
For what would your character sell their soul?
What did your character last dream about?
When is the last time your character failed?
What does your character do on their day off?
How would the other party members describe your character?
Describe one of your character’s childhood friends.
If your character was an animal, which one would they be?
Where was your character educated? If they didn’t have a formal education, how were they taught?
What is one secret the rest of the party doesn’t know about your character?
When was the last time your character said, “I love you,” if ever?
What is your character’s catch phrase?
What is one thing your character admires about someone else in the party?
How does your character relax after a hard day’s work?
Describe your character’s personal hell.
What’s one thing that always makes your character smile?
What is one way that someone can earn your character’s trust?
What is something your character does every morning?
What does your character look like when they get angry?
If your character were to start a business, what would it be? What would make it special?
Describe your character’s perfect afternoon.
Who does your character look up to?
What’s the most valuable thing your character has lost? When did they lose it?
What place would you want to visit again? Why?
Describe your favorite childhood toy.
What is/was your relationship with your parents like?
What’s the weirdest thing you have done while drunk?
What memory keeps you awake at night?
What place have you only heard of and would like to visit?
What one thing do you really want but can’t afford?
Describe a moment when you felt triumphant.
Describe a moment when you felt bewildered.
What’s something that gets under your skin?
What’s something that reminds you of home?
When was a moment when you felt safe?
When was a moment when you felt truly afraid?
What makes you feel like a member of the team?
Describe a time that someone did something altruistic for you.
What is one food that you simply will not eat?
What’s something that makes you feel alive?
What are some of your short term/long term goals?
How do you feel about [an NPC the party met]?
What’s something that grosses you out?
What’s something that has sentimental value to you?
Who’s’ somebody that looks up to you?
Describe your favorite festival/holiday? Why?
What’s something you do to unwind? Why does that relax you?
Describe a vice you have. Is it a secret?
If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?
If you were granted a wish, what would you ask for?
Do you have a birthmark? What does it look like?
How important is the approval of others to you?
Using only four words, how would you describe your outlook on life?
When was the last time you cried? What happened?
What do you consider to be an overrated virtue?
What is the most offensive thing you have ever said?
What is the worst thing you have done to someone you loved?
When did you last break a promise?
What is your favorite vegetable?
What event can you not forget?
What do you not understand about society?
What do you view as the ultimate sacrifice?
What bores you?
What would you want to be remembered for?
What do you view as pitiful?
What makes you respect others?
What are you looking forward to at your next stop?
What scares you about the direction you’re taking?
What does your present circumstance remind you of?
What disturbs you about your past actions?
What did you always want to tell one of your companions?
What is something you seek in a future journey?
What friend do you miss?
What location does your current location remind you of?
What loved one do you miss?
What was the most morally questionable choice you made?
What villain do you remember?
What location did you best enjoy?
Where do you wish you were right now?
Who did you leave behind?
What villain is still out there?
What happened with your last adventuring party?
What is your fondest memory?
What was your darkest moment?
What was your favorite meal?
Which other player character does your character find themselves having the most in common with?
When they were a child, what did your character want to be, or think they were going to be, when they grew up?
What kind of magic item would your character like to find? A weapon? Armor? A wand or staff?
Describe your character’s current appearance: clothes, armor, scars they’ve picked up along the journey, etc.
What advice would your character give to a younger version of themselves?
Describe the campaign in one word.
What would most people think when they first see your character?
What is your character’s favorite spell? If they don’t use spells: what is their favorite personal weapon/combat maneuver/skill/etc.?
What does your character hope for the afterlife?
Where does your character feel the most at home?
Find 100 Warm-Up Questions for your D&D Game in this post! Build your world and your characters' backstories with these...
I really really think the story-telling aspects of DND are cool. I have wishlists for character like backstory and occupation. How do I translate that into a proper playable character? Let's assume the 5e rulebook is being used.
This is a very vague and broad question, but I'll see what I can do to help. The biggest issue is that I don't know what occupation or backstory you're trying to use so I don't know what coaching I can offer. So, since I cannot provide personalized help, let me see if I can provide broader help by building by example. For this question, I'm going to walk through how I built a character I am actually actively playing at a table right now.
It's very subtle, but observant people may notice that I have a fondness for Sune, the Faerunian Goddess of Love and Beauty. The first character I ever played was a Light Domain Cleric of Sune way back before I knew anything about the lore. Or what spells were in the game. Or what the classes were like. But although that little Cleric will never see the light of day again, my fondness for Sune still prevails. So, I knew I wanted to make a character in some way connected to Sune.
The obvious choice would be a Cleric. It is the default class for characters tied to the divine. But it's not mandatory. Driz'zt is a Ranger and is still devout to Mielikki. You don't have to play a Cleric to have a god. There's two major problems with playing as a Cleric for me with this particular character. Firstly, if I'm serving a love and beauty themed goddess, I'm going to want access to charm spells to debuff and stall enemies, but Clerics don't really get these kinds of spells, and there is no Cleric Domain that scratches that itch. Trickery comes the closest which is why when I DM, Trickery is one of Sune's domains. The other problem is that as a player, I'm a yappy little roleplayer. I want to talk a lot, and Cleric is not a good face class. They do get proficiency in Insight and Persuasion, but if there's any Charisma-based character in your party, that Cleric is not doing the social skill check rolls for the table.
Thus, there were two subclasses I really looked at when building this new version of a Sunite character: College of Glamour Bard and Divine Soul Sorcerer. Bard for its part does a lot of what I want a love goddess worshipping character to do. Inspiring allies, debuffing enemies, has a lot of charm spells, gets skill expertise, and relies on its Charisma score. It's a very good yappy face class. The College of Glamour really focuses on charm magic and beauty as key elements. The Bard's 2024 updated rules for Magical Secrets also means that from level 10 onward, a Bard can take as many spells as they want from the Cleric spell list, meaning that from level 10 onward, the bard is going to give you a really good mix of bard charm and crowd control magic, and the cleric's holy divine light of heaven flavor, really allowing a Sunite to get the best of both worlds.
The other option was equally alluring. The Divine Soul Sorcerer marks you as somehow divinely ordained, blessed with a spark of divine magic. Right from level 3, you have access to both the Sorcerer and Cleric spell lists, but through metamagic, you can also do things with your spells that a Bard can't. You can Twinned Spell a Revivify (well, you could in 2014, 2024 nerfed Twinned Spell), you can throw down a Hypnotic Pattern or a Faerie Fire and use Careful Spell to not hit your allies in the Area of Effect. You can Subtle Spell your charm magic so no one can tell you're casting a spell. And unlike 2014 rules, Sorcerers in 2024 are no longer limited to 15 spells known across their entire 20 levels of character building, which was a major reason why I never played Sorcerer before then. A boy has to have options.
So, both Divine Soul Sorcerer and Glamour Bard offered what I was looking for with this character. A mix of holy cleric magic and crowd control through charm magic, charisma-focused builds, and proficiency with yapping skills. Ultimately, I chose Divine Soul Sorcerer because I got holy magic right away, rather than having to wait until 10th level to get divine magic, allowing my character to be tied to Sune much faster.
As for the backstory, I ended up merging two prior Sunite concepts into a single character, one that had been a Cleric and one that had been a Divine Soul Sorcerer. The Cleric was raised in a very religious household because his mother's business was greatly aided by the church, and she owes all of her success to the priestesses showing her charity. The Divine Soul Sorcerer was a total nobody who was on a pilgrimage to take their clerical vows in a temple only to find herself in a dire situation she had no chance of surviving unless Sune intervened, receiving a single spark of divine magic to arm herself with to survive this perilous ordeal.
ERYSTAN FIREHAIR DIVINE SOUL SORCERER
Erystan Firehair is the son of Deirdre Wheatley, a Commoner living in the hamlet of Longsaddle in the Sword Coast, where she worked as a bar maid at the Golden Horseshoe tavern. One day, a strange man came to town and wooed Deirdre with his charms and flirtations. Deirdre disappeared for three days before showing up with no memory of the lost time, only recalling that she was never once afraid and felt like she was in a state of blissful euphoria. But, when asked about the gentleman, could only recall the name he'd given her and that he'd claimed to be a nobleman from Waterdeep, and nothing else. Deirdre soon realized she was pregnant with the stranger's child. Not long after, a band of Gnolls raided Longsaddle, and although the Harpell family defended the settlement, enough homes were destroyed that some decided it was safer to leave Longsaddle. Recalling the father was from Waterdeep, Deirdre packed up her belongings and joined the caravan of refugees heading for the City of Splendors.
Once in Waterdeep, Deirdre found it hard to get herself on her feet financially. Deirdre asked if anyone knew where to find the noble family the father of her child belonged to, but she quickly learned that no family by that name lived in Waterdeep, and there was no one who could help her raise this child. With her entire life uprooted and her funds sparse, she was ill-prepared for the louder, busier, more expensive lifestyle of finding work in the big city. She had to take odd jobs where she could get them, often relying on the charity of temples to feed and house herself. Then, one day, a passing priestess of Sune took notice of the dress Deirdre was wearing while working and praised the craftsmanship. Deirdre admitted to making the dress herself, as sewing was a hobby of hers. The priestess asked Deirdre to design something for the church, and when she brought the design in, the many priests and priestesses at the Temple of Beauty marveled at her craftsmanship, asking her to make things for them as well. At the next Grand Revel, a noblewoman took notice of the new vestments and accessories the clerics of Sune were wearing, and asked to be introduced to Deirdre, comissioning her to design her a ballgown for an upcoming masquerade ball that would make her the envy of every other noble lady in the city. Deirdre complied, and when the noble woman debuted the couture design at the masquerade ball, her envious friends demanded to know who'd styled such an exquisite gown. Through the church's sponsorship and the income of noble commissions, Deirdre eventually opened her own high-end boutique in the Sea Ward of Waterdeep: The Preening Peacock. When Erystan was conceived, Deirdre was at the lowest point in her life. By the time he was born, she was a moderately wealthy and successful entrepreneur.
Except Deirdre had brown hair and brown eyes, while her son was born with flaming red hair and bright green eyes. Deirdre took Erystan to the Temple of Beauty, wondering why he looked so different from her, as neither of her parents nor grandparents had red hair or green eyes either. The high priestess asked about the boy's father, to which Deirdre sheepishly admitted she could remember nothing of the father's appearance and suspected he'd used a fake name as well. The priestess informed Deirdre that when people are Chosen by Sune, their hair turns flaming red. Red hair is a sign of the goddess' divine favor. Thus, the priestess gave Erystan the surname of Firehair in reverence to Lady Firehair, ever assured that the boy had the goddess' protection and favor.
Growing up, Erystan worked in his mother's clothing store, becoming a Merchant. Having the divine favor of Sune made Erystan a rather Lucky child, as if protected by divine providence. Being a Human, Erystan was both Skillful, showing an aptitude for Perception, and Versatile. His years of working in his mother's shop made him something of a Crafter, learning how to sew with Weaver's Tools, tan hides with Leatherworker's Tools, and craft jewelry with Jeweler's Tools.
Erystan never intended to become an adventurer. He was content with the successful yet quiet life of living with his mother and running their business together. Despite his mother telling him the story of his father, Erystan was just grateful for the family he had in his mother and his step-father, an elven jewel smith who'd taught Erystan the art of jewelry making.
But everything changed the day Erystan was attacked in the streets of Waterdeep. While making an ordinary dress delivery, Erystan was assailed by a Cultist of Bhaal intent on ending his existence. In a rush of panic, Erystan cast the first spell he'd ever used in his entire life, searing his assailant with a Guiding Bolt.
Suddenly, Erystan had a ton of questions and very few answers: Why was he attacked by a cultist? Did his magic just suddenly awaken or had he always had that gift and just never used it until now? Why had Sune blessed him with this magic? Did Sune have plans for him? Did he have some grand destiny she needed him for? Or was she just trying to keep him from dying in the middle of the street on a random weekday afternoon? And did Erystan's missing father have anything to do with any of this? The only thing he knew for certain was that he wasn't going to find it by staying in Waterdeep. So, he packed up a travel chest of samples of his mother's goods to sell while traveling, bid his mother farewell, and set off in search of answers.
***
I'm rather proud of this backstory because it's extremely flexible. Because a lot of it is built upon unanswered questions, I could bring Erystan to 4 different tables and have each DM provide a completely different interpretation. Was the father a god like Bhaal trying to make more Bhaalspawn? A vampire luring prey? An Archfey that took Deirdre to the Feywild, explaining why her memories were so fuzzy? Did Deirdre beg a hag to make her forget the horrible man who fathered Erystan? Or was it just a redheaded deadbeat human and the reason Deirdre can't remember anything is that she just had a really hard bender, and didn't sober up for three days? Why was Erystan born with red hair and green eyes? Why DID Sune grant him magic? Did she need him for something? Or was it all just coincidental? Did Erystan even have Sune's divine favor or was he just a naturally born redhead?
I don't know if all of that answered your initial question. Your question was rather vague. I did my best. If that wasn't helpful, reach out to me again with a more specific question, and I'd be willing to take another shot at helping you. If this did help though, then I'd be glad to hear it. I'm kind of taking a shot in the dark here and hoping I hit something.
Do you think dragons ever slut-shame each other for being seduced by the bard?
Does anyone know how to make a gnoll centric campaign a little bit more interesting? Especially regarding combat?
Ive got some Druids and Warlocks aligned with yeenoghu to try and spice it up, but I don't want to just rely on humanoid enemies to toughen up the fights or stop gnoll fatigue.
Please adviseeee😁
by dnd standards was jesus a Cleric or a Sorcerer
Cleric
Sorcerer
rouge with a very high deception stat (other)
Technical question here for DMs, so when the players roll initiative do I as the DM roll for the monsters individually or just collectively. Meaning let's say there are four goblins, do I roll four times, one for each? Or do I roll once and let them all go based on that turn? What I understood is both ways are used but I’m not sure what are the rules as written or which of the two is widely acceptable and used more often. I personally feel like it might be overwhelming for them all to go in one turn but I want to hear about your experiences and which one of those two methods work best for new timers!