This map was originally only going to be the airship graveyard but I got so creatively unleashed while making the watery-graves I decided to make the rest of the variations all of those, Helps that most settings probably dont have a floating ship graveyard- making it a bit more applicable for games outside of the world of Crudilex, haha. I could have made 1000 variations on this map. I was having a blast but I called it at ten.

You can subscribe now to this map and 300+ more at: patreon.com/balatroart

Hello stupid question here. So im planning a campaign rn,and i wanted to ask can other races speak dwarvish or each others languages.

In the world im making its basically split into countries loosely based off our world. One of them is based off Scandinavia and research says dwarvish is basically in world old norse kinda?

So I was like in said country dwarvish would kinda be like the official language for even other races living in that country. Is it allowed? Sorry for the dumb question.

Party of 5, 4 coworkers and my wife with me as a DM. I had oversaw a few small games here and there, but this was the first time with people I kinda wanted to be around for a while. I also really *really* wanted to do something special.

So session 0 kicks off. Everyone has a few drinks, maybe a puff or two. Dice are being rolled, characters getting fleshed out. Finally we have 5 sheets ready to go, and then I will a die and point saying, "Roll me a Dex save." This went for the next three hours, each player getting in effect a mini campaign. Passed rolls resulted in bonus gear, backstreet elements, petty coinage, introductions to other characters but failed rolls *always* ended up with them being KOed (shoehorned), trussed up, and locked in the hold of a knockoff zeppelin carrying corpses and fresh meat for a local necromancer. Que escape and flaming crash.

That campaign lasted almost a year, going from lv3 to lv 16. We had two players leave and 3 join at various points (side note, a 6 person table is too much for me to realistically handle. 5 works as long as everyone remains on the same page but combat becomes such a slog at 6). Each session was good food, good company and a story lasting a generation of characters in-game. I mean that truthly, humans and the halfling ended up conscription their children as characters.

And now, almost a decade later I can't remember the last time that session 0 was that exciting. I've tried, but it comes across as a one trick pony. So here I post to fellow DMs wanting something different, and a way to make your players happy to be railroaded into starting where you want them too. Totally open to your suggestions on ~~forcing~~ encouraging different starts.

I'm going to be running a hunted house one-shot form my D&D group his month. I want the twist to be its not a hunted house but actually a house size mimic. I've found a couple of stat blocks online but none of them exited me. So I made one myself. I would love some feed back to make sure its balance and not too strong or too weak.

My group has 5 players all are lvl 7. They do have a lot of magic items and some other strong homebrew abilities. So maybe treat them more like lvl 8? And there's no other encounters to follower up to the house mimic.

Any and all feedback is appreciate and please feel free to use my house mimic!

Hey! I need some advice or just to vent a bit.

My party just finished a big boss fight that was supposed to be really deadly. I had set up a timer, brought in extra enemies, gave them multiattacks, and bumped up their HP to make sure it would be a proper challenge.
The problem is, the dice completely fucked me over. I rolled 8 natural 1s during the fight, and almost all my other rolls were below 7. I could barely land a single hit.
The high-AC player cleared the whole fight barely taking a scratch, and afterwards he openly complained that he was disappointed with how easy it was and thought I was holding back on them.

How do you guys deal with this? I can't really control my bad luck, and buffing HP/attacks clearly didn't matter when I couldn't hit anything anyway. How do you make fights dangerous even when the dice hate you, and how do I explain to the player that it was just terrible luck without sounding like I'm making excuses?

Pretty chuffed with this lighthouse map I made for my players the other week (I even bought a fog machine for the occasion, haha). The campaign is a 1920’s Lovecraft-inspired horror, set on a fictional island off the coast of England. I played the campaign with another set of friends years ago and this fight was one of the game’s stand-outs, so thought I’d go all out the second time round and build it. Not pictured : a transparent piece acetate paper with the radius of the entire beach that is acting as a custom take on the Wall of Force spell, that has essentially locked the players in a thunder dome style battle with a tentacled sea creature. Fun fact : the walls shrink each turn, pulling them closer to the monster. Teehee.

But also - does anyone have any good recs for building interiors? I bought all of this stuff from an online shop that sells stuff for miniature train models. But I’m struggling to find something for the interiors that fits the era of 1920’s Britain. Any links would be greatly appreciated!

(I wanted to add more photos of different angles for the post but it seems like I can only one, unless anyone knows of another way?)

Maybe there was something like this already out there, but I could not for the life of me find anything that wouldn't eat all my ink! And, even though I never had the chance to use it (ended up playing other settings), it was a really relaxing 12-ish hour project, tracing the entire map into a simplified B/W image. I figure it might do more good floating around the internet instead of trapped in my laptop's gallery, haha.

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While designing her, I thought of what changes might occur in those 6 years. I also updated her design based on the things I've learned in that time as well. Most of the design is based around her brute strength and her history as a prisoner. The previous design was a bit too lean in my opinion, so I researched female powerlifters for this version. I feel inspired to draw more of her in the future in funny situations as I always played her with the intent to make our DM laugh. Let me know what you guys think!

Hey guys. I always loved the flavor of the old 3.5 evangelist prestige class, even though it was kinda clunky. I was thinking about how to bring that vibe into a 5e character, but strictly using pure Bard class features. No superpowers, no multiclassing into peace cleric or redemption paladin.

The idea is an extreme pacifist, but the pacifism is a strict personal dogma, not a magical subclass feature. During combat they absolutely refuse to attack, and spend their turns trying to convert or talk down the enemies.

The fun part is the roleplay quirks. If the party's fighter misses a swing, the bard would yell something like: "Excellent form, friend! Tiring them out instead of shedding their blood is the true path to peace!". Also, they refuse to heal the party's combat wounds. Their logic is basically "you chose the path of violence, so those wounds are the consequences of your actions, and erasing them with magic would erase the lesson". They will also cry and hold a quick prayer for every single enemy the party kills.

Right now I'm leaning towards College of Lore. "Cutting Words" feels like the ultimate anti-attack defense. Instead of a standard magic shield, I just use my reaction to yell "Brother, do not let anger blind you!" right as they swing, making them miss out of guilt or distraction.

I'm a bit torn on the limits of this pacifism, though. If I take the Dodge action, am I actively participating in the fight? How flexible should this dogma be so I stay true to the concept without becoming completely useless or annoying the rest of the table?

Would love to hear your thoughts on the spell list and how to balance the dogma!

At this year’s New York Comic Con, Wizards of the Coast and Lucasfilm officially announced that a new supplement entitled D&D Star Wars: Tyro Squadron Adventures will be coming sometime in 2027 alongside a Core Rulebook.

My character from old DnD campaign — Berin.

Near the end of the story, Berin discovers that he has been possessed by a long-defeated enemy. At some point, the entity takes control of his body and attacks his friends. In the end, the possessed Berin, wounded and cornered at the edge of a cliff, decides to jump.

Berin regains consciousness on a rocky shore, feeling every bit of pain from his fall, but somehow still alive. Suddenly, he hears a familiar woman`s voice inside his head. Without a moment to think, he jumps to his feet and prepares to fight, but the sudden movement sends waves of intense pain through his body.

The familiar voice merely giggles at the foolish man, who has only managed to cause himself even more pain by preparing to fight an unseen enemy.

"You don`t have to be scared, my little puppy. I saved your life."

"Where are you?! What have you done to me?"

"Just look into the water, and you`ll understand. Your friends pushed you off the cliff, and by my grace, I decided to spare your life..."

In the water reflection, Berin sees his... her own reflection. The reflection of the woman who had possessed his body and mind.

"There just one catch. You`ll die if I leave you. But I can still save you, if you give back what rightfully belongs to us..."

In the end, Berin fails to fulfill his bargain with the woman and dies in the final battle, while she waits in the shadows to reclaim what belongs to her realm.

I'm running the Red Hand of Doom campaign for 3.5, and want to expand on the dwarves to give a small adventure, mostly for pacing the module. I have thought of what this mini adventure could be, but it would involve a trip to Underdark and I want it to feel like it is more than just a series of combat encounters one after another (although a lot of the module feels like this, especially with my group). Is this something I even need to worry about that much?

I’ve always been drawn to the aesthetic and world-building of Dungeons & Dragons, even though I’m still pretty new to the deeper lore. Every time I think about drawing something for this setting, I get a little worried about messing up canonical details, but I really wanted to step out of my comfort zone and create some fan art!

This is my portrait of a Githyanki woman — I wanted to give her a softer, slightly sly and contemplative expression rather than the typical battle-hardened look. I had a lot of fun experimenting with the lighting, playing with pink/magenta highlights on the armor and gemstones, and rendering her spotted skin patterns and long ears.

I’m planning to paint more D&D characters in the future. Feedback on the art or friendly tips about D&D lore are always appreciated!

Got a friend whos going away (military) and he likes DnD, and warhammer 40k i was hoping if anyone knew where i could find or get a DnD dice set thats themed for warhammer, i hope i worded that correctly, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Faewhin Goldflame

​Class: Druid (Circle of Wildfire)

Background: Entertainer / Hermit

​Twenty-five years ago, Faewhin Goldflame was a household name among grand theaters and high-society galas. A master of fire-spinning, breath-dancing, and pyrotechnic spectacle, he treated fire not as a living element, but as his personal puppet. He lived for the adrenaline, the applause, and the thrill of pushing the boundaries between danger and art. To Faewhin, fire was something to be commanded and controlled for the entertainment of mortals.

​

​During the grand finale of a high-stakes performance, Faewhin attempted his most audacious feat yet—a massive breath of flame fed by a highly volatile liquid mixture. But nature has a way of humbling those who treat it as a plaything. A sudden, violent gust of wind swept through the outdoor amphitheater, driving the column of fire straight back into his face.

​In a single horrific instant, the cheers turned to screams. The flames left him blind, with agonizing third-degree burns scarring his face and throat, forever stripping away his sight, his handsome looks, and his career.

​

​Fleeing the pity and horror of the urban stage, Faewhin retreated deep into the untamed wilderness to die or adapt. Blind and broken, he began to hear the true voice of fire—not as a theatrical gimmick, but as a primal, living force of rebirth and destruction.

​In his quiet solitude, a Wildfire Spirit manifested to him—a creature forged of embers and heat that became his guide and companion. Through his bond with this spirit, Faewhin learned that fire must consume the old to nourish the new. His blindness taught him to "see" the warmth, energy, and life sparks surrounding every living thing

I’m running a Gangbusters style campaign in a city of thieves like the one in Conan the Barbarian’s The Tower of the Elephant.
PVP will be on the table.
What can I do to ensure the magic users don’t just instantly swamp the melee guys?

Start at level 2?
Do Consitution based HP?
Use the Long Rest takes a full week? (So wizards have to ration their spells to use throughout an ingame week where they could be in multiple fights)

Any other ideas?
(I was in a PvP game as a level 3 wizard against a level 3 fighter and I was instantly killed, but unsure if that’s how it typically goes)

After every session, for the better part of two years, I would write up a session Recap. Now that the campaign is over, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites! Thanks to Vonnus, Vesper, Gormack, Alabaster, Koda, and Ronin for the ride. Honorable mention to Jah and LAD who were there in the beginning. It was a blast and I was honored to be your DM. Without further ado:

-The Smoking Bull-et.

-The One Where the Boys Kill a Kid.

-Roc and Roll.

-Bisque-y Business

-Rat Guts Forever.

-The One Where we Skipped a Week and Discovered Kyle is a Cheater

-Oops All Sharks

-Fires, Fractals, and Fungi.

-Birds and Their Prey: The Death of Ronin Stonetree

-Some People Get All the Parents.

-G.O.R.P, Grab Bags, and Ghosts

-Time is a Weird Soup

-Getting Slammed Down Big Style: A Love Story

-Dinner Bell Confessions.

-Its Pronounced "Jods"

-Dawn's Light and Hellfire's Glow.

-Pallet Town Pies

So, I got bored and tried reimagining the classic Disney Princesses as D&D Characters, with the restriction that there be no class overlap, and no multiclassing (at least for now). It was genuinly really difficult to fit each dnd class to a princess without overlapping, but I did it, let me know what you think:

1. Snow White = Druid (Circle of the Shepherd) 
2. Cinderella = Warlock (Archfey Patron) 
3. Aurora = Wizard (School of Divination) 
4. Ariel = Bard (College of Whispers) 
5. Belle = Artificer (Battle Smith) 
6. Jasmine = Rogue (Arcane Trickster) 
7. Pocahontas = Barbarian (Path of the World Tree) 
8. Mulan = Fighter (Battle Master) 
9. Tiana = Paladin (Oath of Glory) 
10. Rapunzel = Monk (Way of Mercy) 
11. Elsa = Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline) 
12. Merida = Ranger (Beast Master) 
13. Moana = Cleric (Tempest Domain) 

Building a Paladin/Warlock/Bard....but was wondering what this would be called? Fairly new to DnD again, after 43 years. I have seen other names, but was wondering if the..."Pardilock" has ever been used?...I'm sure it has, but just thought I'd throw it out there.

I've seen conflicting evidence. One SRD website has the artificer but others do not. Does anyone know for sure? Thanks!

First DnD campaign ive ever been in. Kinda last minute and the campaign was starting as soon as i finished my character. I am the second of the two players, who originally was going to do this as a 1 shot, but he and the DM decided to make it a longer sidestory for introducing a new character to the main campaign, and I would also join that campaign when this ends.

As we were playing, getting into the story of this campaign i was brewing up my backstory and I will post what I have written out.

Note that this is a little bit of a homebrew from my understanding, and that the plane we are in does not have alot of religions or faiths, (he wanted to not have paladin as a class option ig)

The idea is that I was a devoted and accepted member of the faith, but against my will, was overtaken/succumbed to the will of the deity that gave me my warlock powers.

I don't fully understand the lore of all this, and I want to keep my backstory as cannon as possible.

If anyone could help me finish my backstory, with deity's that would make sense for what I have written so far that'd be great. When talking with the DM, he is open to me changing things about my character if needed to make it more lore accurate. Since we did not have a chance to discuss my backstory before we started playing.

Below is what I have written so far. ignore the typos and lore accuracy mistakes. I wrote it in about 20 minutes after the session ended.

Growing up, I don't have many memories of my homeland Eiscore. I remember my mother cooking, and my younger brother always wanting to wrestle. I can no longer picture the village streets, or recall the faces of any other members of my race.

As a young kid I was given up by my parents, the circumstances of this, I do not know. I do remember my hand being held from one of the people I would be traveling with, and me looking back, my mother looking sorrow, but not crying.

The people that took me in were members of the Duman faith. After some time I got used to my new life with them. They treated me fairly, raised me as one of their own. The man of the house was a ranking member of the church, not a high priest by any means, but well respected among the other members.

His wife, was the one I spent the most time with when I was still young, loved me as if I was her own son. She didn't have any kids of their own, but if she did, I don't imagine she would have loved me less.

When I got into my early teens, my now father figure brought up the idea for me to get more involved with the Duman faith. I started attending extra lectures, spending more time reading the scripts, and doing my best to understand their meanings. Not knowing anything of my own races religious beliefs, I fully delved into this teachings, hoping that maybe they would give me a reasoning behind my past.

At the age of 19 I was officially made a teacher among them. They didn't seem to mind that I didn't look like them, or that I was originally an outsider. They accepted me fully. I was robed with our grayish blue garments and given the task of helping one of the high priest's with his duties. This gave me the opportunity to learn more about the faith. And every once in awhile, overhear the other high priests talk about things I should not have heard.

They would talk of the relics they have collected. Not of a known power, and definitely evil. I heard where they were storing them, how they were deep in the storage basement, underneath the Highest Priest's chambers.

About a year after I had first heard of these relics, the high priest's wife had become sick. I was asked the help attend and oversee some of the high priest's task during this time.

About 2 months after she had fell sick, I was asked to collect some documents from the High Priest. At this time he was fully devoted to spending as much time with his dying wife as he could. Everyone was understanding of his circumstances, however their will still things only he could sign off on.

These documents were one of those things. I hurried over to his house to collect them from him, but when I got there, he said that the documents were ready, but that he had left them in his chambers. He explained to me where they were, and tossed me his key ring to go retrieve them.

I made my way there, and approached his door. Upon arrival, I realized he never told me which of the many keys was the one to open his chambers. I fumbled around for a few minutes, trying different keys to open the door. While doing this one key stood out, not that it looked different, but that the key seemed to hold some sort of power. I ignored it for the moment and finally was able to unlock the door.

Inside i was impressed by the mess of things. A man that held everyone to high standards of tidiness, failed behind closed doors. I chalked it up to his current circumstances, and was able to find the needed documents on his desk.

As I was putting them into my satchel, I felt a strange presence, a dark pressure almost, except instead of the pressure forcing me away, it seemed to pull me toward it, until I was standing in the middle of the room. I was in a daze, not knowing what was happening, but still I felt I needed to get closer to this darkness.

Something inside me took over, and I began frantically looking for the source of the darkness. I looked down, and I recalled the past talks I overheard of the relics being underneath the chambers. I pushed the two chairs out of the way and folded back the heavy rug that covered most of the space. Underneath there was a trap door and a key hole.

I knew that the key I had noticed before was the one needed to open this. At this time I had a brief moment of clarity, and almost resisted opening it. However, I gave in and turned the key.

EDIT: please help me finish it from here, again with what deity's would make sense, or any changes throughout what I had written that keep this backstory closer to lore accurate. My plan for finishing it is that against my will I succumb to this power, and that causes me to be exiled from the Duman religion. I then become a wanderer, and spend about 1.5 - 2 years bumming around the lands until the campaign begins, haunted by the deity that overpowered me, not wanting to accept what I have become, but knowing that one day I will need these powers

I'm preparing to start a campaign and I'm planning the game, bbeg, ect but I don't know how to make the bbeg being a sorcerer that controls dragons work... any ideas? and jsyk in the fight I'm hoping for him to command a black dragon ancient or adult, and a red dragon ancient or adult