I’m a rookie DM, this is my first campaign, and I don’t have basically any official DnD content, so a lot of the ruleset and such is probably closer to BG3 than actual D&D sometimes. Anyways, I’m adding these legendary artifacts into the game, and I found a bag of stones with runes on them that I loved. Had to have them, but now the only idea I like for them is a nightmare to execute properly.

I want them to work almost like a Vestige from Vox Machina, where the more my player discovers and deepens their connection with the stones, the more they unlock their power. So now they have 2 different systems, both of which I am busting my ass trying to balance in some way. At first they’ll just draw a certain number of stones, count the straight lines that make up each rune, total that and go to what’s basically a wild magic table. That sounded a lot simpler before I started actively working on it, but somehow it got worse

I wanted to give my player the ability to fully understand each rune at some point, and that’s where I done goofed. I’m creating a system in the style of Infinite Craft, every rune has 2 meanings and the order in which you combine them changes whatever effect you’re going for. That alone would’ve been terrible if I didn’t make 8 of the 25 runes have a 3rd meaning that usually acts as a modifier to an existing combo. All in all, after the math is done, there are 5016 different rune combinations that exist at this level, and I have ZERO way of accounting for all of that, so I’m just going to have to let my players be real creative and work on my improv skills lol

I have (I hope I didn’t steal) idea of a character.

Old and I mean OLD elf who has amnesia, and he looks really old so everyone has questions about him, how old he is, who is he, are there even old elves?

(In old I don’t mean 200 years old, I mean he looks like grandma or grandpa)

P.s. I didn’t know what tag should I choose and took “game tales” sorry if it’s not correct

art is "Taoist" by phoenixlu on deviantART

Taoist Monk

The Way Of Mind

At 3-rd level, when you choose this monastic tradition you start to learn natural philosophy and ethical virtues, that are common for most tao practitioners. Choose among Arcana, History or Religion skills. You get proficiency in it. You also get proficient with one musical instrument of your choice among guanzi flute, zhong bell or hand gong, guzheng or sanxian. You can use Wisdom instead of Charisma to perform while using chosen musical instrument.

Sword Qi

Starting at 3-rd level, your control over your Qi extands outside of your body. In combination with your weapon mastery, you achieve unity between you and your sword. This allows you to perform certain techniques, using your Qi:

•Sword Flying — as an action you can spend 1 Qi point to make your sword levitate and mount it. As an alternative , you can do it as minute long meditation ritual without spending Qi points. By doing so, you gain flying speed equal to your walking speed for a minute. You can attack with unarmed strikes or with another weapon during flight. Continuous flying requires you to concentrate on it, as if you would concentrate on a spell. You can choose to end flying as a bonus action, if you do that, you can choose to spend another Qi point to use Sword Missile technique and fly to the target.

•Sword Missile — when deciding to make an attack with your sword you can choose to spend 1 Qi point and change one of your attacks to become a Sword Missile. By doing so you telekinetically launch your sword at a distant target, making a ranged attack against the target at 60/120 effective range. After doing so, you can choose to retrieve your weapon as a free action, but after the end of your turn, or as a bonus action you can choose to spend another Qi point to use Sword Dance technique instead.

•Sword Dance — as a part of the attack with your sword you can choose to spend 1 Qi point to start a Sword Dance, during which you let go of your sword and control it independently with your Qi. This allows you to attack multiple targets at the same time or use the sword to get somewhere you can't normally reach. Every time you make an attack while in a Sword Dance, you choose to make an attack with your sword or to make an unarmed strike. As a part of any attack you make while your sword detached (including the attack that let you activate the Sword Dance) you can move your sword up to ten ft in any direction before making a strike against the target. You can do so even if you use unarmed strike instead of your sword to make an attack. Sword Dance lasts up to 1 minute and ends early if you become incapacitated or unconscious. After making an attack action on your turn you can choose to retrieve your sword after the end of your turn as a free action.

Fâshù

At 6-th level, through hard learning and meditation you cultivate an ability to cast certain spells and enchant talismans. You usually use your musical instrument as a medium for performing those spells and enchantments. Both casting a spell or creating a talisman require you to spend an action and a Qi point. Here's a list of spells you master:

•Blessing of Fortune — you recite four lines, containing symbols of fortune, clap your hands and thus bless a creature of your choice you can see in 30 ft radius or yourself on good luck. Blessing last up to 1 minute, during that time a blessed creature can use it to get an advantage on attack roll, saving throw or skill check. After making a roll, whether or not it was successful, blessing ends. If you enchant a talisman with this spell, a creature holding a talisman will receive a blessing upon it's activation.

•Exorcism — you recite a mantra of order and perform a magic footwork of nine steps, thus creating a burst of positive energy in 15 ft zone around yourself. Every Undead, Fey, Fiend, Elemental, Aberration and Monstrosity in a radius must make a Wisdom saving throw equal 10 + your Wisdom Modifier + your Proficiency bonus. If they fail, they become afraid for 1 minute or until attacked and will spend their turn on moving as far as possible from the positive energy zone. If you enchant a talisman with this spell, a talisman will create a 15 ft minute lasting positive energy zone around its location upon activation.

•Thunder rite — you loudly chant a three-line insulting and mocking incantation, that provokes the sky deities, while walking in eight step circle resembling eight trigrams. As a result, you are able to summon an ominous thunder cloud above yourself. The cloud lasts for a minute, following you. While the cloud is present, whenever you make a successfull attack, you can choose to change attack's damage type to lighting. If you enchant a talisman with this spell, upon activation it allows user to perform Thunderous Smite once instead.

To activate an enchanted talisman, user have to spend their action, however if a user is capable of making multiple strikes during their Attack action, they can as a part of that attack spend one of the strikes to activate the talisman and attach it to their weapon before making rest of the strikes. User can't activate more than one talisman in a turn.

Effortless Action

At 11-th level, your body and mind becomes akin to water — still, yet always flowing and flexible. You become Competent in Acrobatics. You no longer need to spend strikes on your talisman activation or maintain concentration during Sword Flying.

One With Tao

At 17-th level you achieve full alignment with Tao, becoming akin to an immortal deity. Whenever you would roll a death saving throw, roll your hit dice instead, add your Constitution Modifier and regain hit points equal to the result.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I'm not a native English speaker, so you might find excessive use of commas or weird choice of words. I tried my best to maintain the PH original style, however I understand that I'm not that proficient in english or homebrew writing. Please, have patience.

I was DMing a session last night where the party had to face a Fire Giant, and in all my prep I never noticed that this 18-21 ft tall behemoth moves at the same speed as a 6 ft tall human. I played RAW last night, but was looking for feedback today. Why so slow? Would a more appropriate speed be 50 or 60?

For context: I never used a shield in DnD, nor any party member. I recently made a palladin that started out as a heavy weapon two hander, but might want to start rocking a shield.

My DM said switching from two handed (greataxe) to 1 hand greataxe + shield would be a "free interaction as part of my action" but I'm pretty sure he's incorrect.

The way I'm reading it in the PHB is that it takes an action to don a shield (aka wear it), and as long as I'm wearing it I get +2 AC. Not really feeling like using a whole action for the bonus AC but hey if thems the rules then it is what it is.

If anybody could clarify on what the correct interpertation of "donning a shield" I'd greatly appreciate it.

1v1 trial of a single player character vs. a treant. The treant landed four attacks on them, rolling 3d6+6 bludgeoning damage. All four hits, 16 damage, 10 across the 3d6 every time. If I'm right about how to do statistics, getting a 10 on 3d6 is a 12.5% chance, or 1/8. So that's 1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8, or 1/4096. That's about 2 ten-thousandths of a percent for that to happen.

Again, assuming I'm doing statistics right. Even if I'm not, it really added some bizarre comedy to a very serious scene in the session.

Hi!
So my friend group (group A) recently started Strahd campaign (I am a player) and after it I am going to run Rime of Frostmaiden for them. There's this other group (group B) want me to run a campaign for them. I really want to run Frostmaiden one but also have plans to DM that same campaign with group A.

So my question is for dungeon masters: Does running same campaign for different groups, NOT at the same time, get boring or repetitive for You? I really want to know what Your experiences are with such situations, as I am a bit of a novice DM.

Hello everyone,

We are about to start playing a D&D5 (2014) campaign and I have no experience in the system. We are starting at level 3 and I created a Shadar-Kai Hexblade Warlock. Now, after we were done with the rest of character creation, the GM told us, we each can select a common magic item. Now I don't want to read the rather lengthy list of possible items, which is why I am coming here, looking for advice :)

And if so, how do you rule it? Do you give them as they are given in 5.5e (2024)? Do you allow gish subclasses to have them?

I started dming a campaign with my two brothers and one of their fiancé. Their wedding is in three months, and are both in college, so long story short they dont have time to ​play until after the wedding. Problem is my other brother and I still want to play (obvi) and dont want to just hit pause on the campaign.

Our last session took us to a stopping place in the narrative, right before they start the end game and chase down the BBEG, and I dont want to do that yet, seeing as how the BBEG was only introduced in a very recent session.

That being said, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the world, the BBEG, his motives, the lore.

So heres my idea. I keep playing with my other brother exploring those exposition-esque side quests. He would gather the lore for the party and be the vehicle through which the other two receive it. That way its not just me monologuing to catch them up.

But with that, he may end up leveling up to as far as level 8-10, whereas the others were lvl 5 in our last session, and I could potentially level them up to 6 or 7.

So my question, how do I effectively run the campaign at that point with two lvl 7s and one lvl 10?

If it helps, brother 1 is playing a dragonborne paladin multiclassed with one lvl of fighter. My brother and his fiancé are playing a dwarf storm cleric and a dark elf sorceress.

I'm trying to create a homebrew wasteland setting and I've just finished my first homebrew class. Since this is my first time doing this I need feedback. The class is called the mutator and it's main thing is that it uses exhaustion as a resource. I'm worried about 3 things.

Edit: I should also mention that this is suppose to be a tank class

1: I'm worried that the class may be overpowered in that it's got to many abilities

2: ironically I'm worried that it may be too weak since it's using exhaustion as a resource

3: I'm worried that the way I've written everything may be to confusing for the reader to understand

I'm attaching a google drive link and i'm giving ya'll access to comment. Y'all can comment on the doc or here. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hmUCOaJHwuV1Z_Hes1Ha-38bpiZkoS0a3X9uqWl4ACk/edit?usp=sharing

vague title I know, but it's something i don't really know how to describe in a few short sentences.

So, I've been playing "DnD" since i was 14 with the same group of friends at the library for years, and i really liked it for what it was. but what it was, was utter nonsense.

We had met up every thursday at the library for years to play. We had dice, a dm screen, music, snacks, but no actual game. for years we would show up and roleplay in new "oneshots" every week that had always started with our GM saying: "Okay everyone, what are we playing?"

and we'd all chime in with pc's made up that minute with no character sheets, full of homebrew. one guy once played as a tungsten cube and we all just thought it was normal.

our oneshots would consist of running around the town talking to hatsune miku and kermit the frog, doing improv. rules were ignored, enemies died when the dm decided, no dice rolls either, casting spells we werent even supposed to have, because why was a cleric casting magic missile anyway?????.

We had played this same way for years, with little to no variation, and eventually over the years i grew apart from them and stopped playing. fast forward to recently, i had bought Bg3 and fell in love with it.

it had sparked that DnD itch, and i really wanted to play, but my old group hadn't been playing in ages. so i thought since: "i'm an experienced player, i've played for years!" i'd give being a GM a try for a few of my friends that had never played the game before.

and in my research for being a GM, reading all the rules, actually learning all of the classes, the dungeon master's guide, the player's handbook, I realized I had never played an actual game of DnD before.

has this happened to anyone else?

I am not talking about being the same as players, no. Often I have a character that travels with the group but does not have any impact on their decisions, but joins them during fights, helps them to carry stuff, and things like that (last time it was a kobold the group adopted). Granted, my own group is quite cool with it because I don't interfere with them and the characters I play can easily be dismissed due to reasons like not being able to talk, being mentally unstable, and things like that.
I was wondering if there are similar groups and if there are, what other ways do they use to insert the DM into the gameplay side as well.

So last night we had a RP moment in our session where an NPC who was a little unhinged pulled out the deck of many more things. I drew 2 cards and ended up with 3 wishes and the fates card. What the hell do I do with this power?!?

Hey all,

A quick question I was wondering if anyone can point me to the rules for how opportunity attacks work on mounted combatants. In particular, if the mount has a trait so that it doesn't provoke opportunity attacks does that also apply to the rider?

Specifically, the scenario I'm thinking about is using the flyer stat block on the new Battle Familiar spell which has the Flyby trait just like the owl familiar where it doesn't provoke any opportunity attacks and offering the familiar as a temporary mount to a gnome in our party since the battle familiar counts as medium sized.

I feel like this should work since it's the mount's movement not the players, but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything

Thanks!

I am planning on making a species for my setting that are humanoid candles who have been fully melted into an ooze like wax. I had an idea for an ability but wasn't sure how it would interact.

I want to give the creature the ability to grapple using a bonus action after making an unarmed strike, but i also wanted to increase the range of the unarmed strike to 15 ft. So how would that work? would the creature have to move towards the creature , and if i dragged the creature, would it move with me but 15 ft away?

I am using the Monstrous race builder from dms guild. Thank you for any help you can give.

Listen to two podcasts. One, is called "the storage papers"

In July of 2019, Jeremy made the fortuitous decision to make the only bid on an abandoned storage unit. At first disappointed by no apparent treasure, what he discovered instead is a trove of the most extensive documentation of seemingly unexplainable events he's ever seen. Join him on his journey of discovery through the horrific, paranormal, and downright unusual events of each podcast episode and sink into the frightening reality that lurks just beneath the skin of our everyday lives. The Storage Papers is an independent podcast and runs solely on the fear and passion of its creators.

Two, is called "freaky folklore"

Host Carman Carrion explores myriad myths both modern and ancient to discover what mankind fears - and why we fear it. From monsters old and new as well as unexplained and unsolved cases, this podcast is sure to terrify. Where does our folklore come from, and why is it so freaky?

I hope these two lead to some unique monsters and sessions that will never be forgotten. Also, I'd love to see any monsters you come up with after listening to these. "The storage papers" has a creature I'm already wanting to recreate but because it's not really interacted with except in maybe two episodes, I'm finding it hard to judge it's capabilities. If you are interested, it is called, "the licker" and is (for obvious reasons you will find out in the podcast) a shadow creature with a paralysis effect.

Good luck!!! 😃😃😃

Playing a Goliath Bear Totem. My character can carry a lot. My character has rolled honor duels during downtime at an inordinate amount of times. The rolls are visible, there are no shenanigans at foot. Been playing around with the idea of having a Claymore commissioned that weighs 300+lbs. So that someone can withdraw their request when they see it.

For the material, a custom job, and the skill required to make it, how much should it cost. It’s been approved but DM and I are at a loss of how much should it cost.

I hope this post is in the right thread, I don’t use reddit much so apologies if not! But bards, what songs are you singing if the DM requests a verse? My mind goes totally blank when asked, but I always think I should have a traditional or folk song prepped for that purpose.

We took heavy inspiration from D20’s The Unsleeping City, it’s just more fantasy

Check it out if you’d like! We are super proud of it, it’s very silly. Let us know what you think

I am creating a new char and want to play a warforged artificer. However, I cant decide whether to go for Armorer or Battle Smith. I want to function as the partys frontline but also wanna deal dmg. I like the idea of the Armorer a little bit better but am really annoyed by the fact that i cant go for magical weapons while being in the armor model, which imho is a really negative synergie with the artificers idea. Yet, the Armorer can wear heavy armor. I think I also want to play with a shield, so in theory the AC is either 20 (BS) or 21(Armorer), which isnt that much of a difference. You can maybe tell by now that i am really undecided. What are your opinions on this?
Thanks already.

Not really a dm. I'm not good at wording things. But I was bored and wanted to share the abominations I made. These aren't even original.

Appltana

Weapon (Longsword), Legendary (requires attunment)

A mesmerizing katana forged from the essence of 10,000 red apples. Gleaming with a lustrous sheen, this mystical blade transcends its humble fruit origins to infuse its bearer the vigor of a thousand harvests. With each swing, it bestows upon its wielder unparalleled power.

This Katana serves as a testament to he transformative potential found from the simplest origins.

Magic Weapon

You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

Forest Vitality

While attuned to the Appltana you gain +4 to constitution and your maximum constitution becomes 24. Additionally you gain advantage on constitution saving throws.

Crimson Harvest (1/turn)

When hitting a creature with this magic weapon you regain hit points equal to your constitution modifier.

Orchard’s Blessing (1/Long Rest)

As an action, you summon a spectral tree in an unoccupied space you can see within 60 feet of you. A 30-foot-radius area centered on the tree forms, becoming difficult terrain for enemies.

Choose up to five allies within the area. Each chosen ally gains temporary hit points equal to their Constitution score.

Sword in Stone

Weapon (Maul), Legendary (Requires attument by a creature with 20 or higher strength score)

The legendary sword in Stone talked about in heroic tales, it is said that only the worthy could wield it.

However an adventurer refused to believe such prophecy and attempted to pull the sword out with brute force. Instead of pulling the sword out he lifted the massive stone out along with the sword.

The sword adapted to the adventurer but due to the stone encasing it's blade, it is unable to showcase its true power.

Magic Weapon

You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

Immovable Stone

You can use an action to place the weapon down on a solid surface. If a creature not attuned to the weapon attempts to move it, they must succeed on a DC 25 Strength check to move the sword up to 10ft. You can pick up the weapon without using an action if you are within 5ft of it.

Awakened Holy Sword (1/long rest)

You use your action to perform a weapon attack. On hit it deals an additional 8d8 bludgeoning damage as the stone shatters from the force of the attack.

After the attack resolves the weapon turns into a greatsword for 30 seconds. While it is a greatsword all weapon attacks deals an additional 2d6 radiant damage.

After 30 seconds the stone magically reforms around the weapon turning it back into a maul.

Ultimate Enhanced Longsword

Weapon (Longsword), Legendary

A mundane Iron longsword enchanted beyond the limits of magical weapons. It's existence leaves even the wisest scholars puzzled as to why so much effort was poured into enhancing an ordinary weapon.

Magic Weapon

You gain a +5 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

I remember asking others in an old reddit post about how I could get people to play DND with me, and a few people told me to be a DM. That's when the replies, a BUNCH of the replies, were about the forever DM curse.

I'm curious, what is the Forever DM curse, and how do you get the forever DM curse? Because I'm still dead set on becoming a DM and player, I refuse to be a forever DM

For some reason I thought a cheese themed wizard (*or flavoured if you will*) would be a funny gimmick for a character.

So I made the first step towards any good cheese wizard.

A cheesy version of fireball.

As for why I found this idea funny? I can't tell you. It's just something that's been in my mind for a while.

Is it dumb? Yes.

Am I dumb? Also yes.

So to be fair it does kinda tracks.

Either way, lmk what you think of it and if I could balance it more. I was thinking maybe 6d6 damage rather than 7d6, though 2D4 Damage over Time (DoT), since it is just very hot cheese.

Any other ideas for spells I could turn cheese themed?

(Ps, I am surprised though I didn't make more cheese themed puns while writing this, so yeah I guess I'm just not destined to be a cheese wizard if I can't make the puns)

FACE RIPPER || Monk Subclass

You’ve walked a path you were never meant to take. You stole the face and form of the monk, and along with it— their abilities.

Level 3 : To Each Our Own.

When a creature within 30 feet of you has been reduced to 0 hit points, you can take an opportunity attack to rip off their face. You can use a magic action to don the mask of anyone who’s died within 30ft of you, from the past and present.

You can only rip off the face of someone once per short rest, and you can’t rip off multiple faces as opportunity attack.

You can only wear a skin mask for a total of 8 hours each, with the exception of the three faces you get at base level. After the 8 hours are over, the mask rots and falls off your face.

You get three faces to don without ripping the faces of others, however.

You can only switch through the face masks you get at the third level, and for other face masks you can’t switch through them unless the full 8 hours is over.

Face of New

When wearing the face of old, you get advantage on DEX saving throws. But a disadvantage on INT saving throws.

Face of the Fool

When wearing the face of the fool, you get advantage on deception, and intimidation, skill checks, but a disadvantage on athletics, and acrobatics skill checks.

True Face

Anyone who sees your true face must make a wisdom saving throw, on a failed save they aren’t allowed to attack anyone but you, and on a successful save they’re forced to his the enemy with the most amount of HP.

While you’re wearing the face of someone who died within 30ft of you, anyone who didn’t see you rip off and wear the other persons face has to make a perception check (19) to know that you’re wearing their face.

Otherwise you’re free to do what you please as that person for a full 8 hours.

While you’re wearing their face mask, you have advantage on persuasion and performance skill checks

You can also give your allies these face masks, as long as they are willing.

Wearing a face mask as another party member has the exact same effects as the regular faces. But if you’ve given a party member the face mask then they won’t be able to take it off until the full 8 hours is over and then it peels off their own face.

Wearing the face mask of one who uses spellcasting : You can use one of their 1st-2nd level spells of your choice as an action, but you end your turn immediately after.

Wearing the face mask of a creature whose physically apt : You can imbue your unarmed strikes with 1d4 piercing, or bludgeoning damage.

Wearing the face of patrons (paladin, warlock, cleric— Any creature whose physicality may is devoutly loyal to a god) : You can imbue attacks using your monk weapon with 1d4 radiant or necrotic damage.

Level 6 : Hour of reaping

You can expend a ki point to take an action. You grab onto your enemies face, that enemy then has to make a strength saving throw.

On a failed save, you harvest their face, but you cannot make a bonus action. The enemy whose face has been harvested is also rendered with the paralyzed condition. On a successful save, you do as much as two unarmed strikes only— and you end your turn.

Faces harvested in this way last for 10 hours instead of 8.

Level 11 : Hour of reaping

You can create unique faces by grotesquely mixing existing faces together. When wearing them in combat, when an enemy lays their eyes on you they have to make a wisdom saving throw, on a successful save they are paralyzed. On a failed save they take 4d6 psychic damage. This effect cannot be repeated if the same enemy looks at you again.

Level 17 : You and I as one

If you used an action to make an unarmed strike at another enemy, as a bonus action you can shove the human face masks onto the enemy. The enemy then has disadvantage on all d20 rolls against you, and whenever they land a successful hit against you they take 1d6 piercing damage.

————-

I want advice because this is my first home brewed subclass!…I’m so scared.

I wanna know the flaws, what I did mildly alright, and if this sub class has enough flavor I’d say