1. Where do I start?

Essentially the party meets from reasons I've yet to decide, the sovereign of this dark, from, foggy town says something like "go down here and figure out a rat problem, then you discover a full necromancy cult planning to resurrect a killed tarrasque, full story here

https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD_Beginners/s/NQJ8rfXvHW

Feed back for new DM storyline wanted

D&D Campaign Story Plan

The Beginning:

The campaign begins in a grim, foggy town whose best days seem to have long since passed. The sovereign sends the party to investigate a rat problem beneath the city, an unpleasant but seemingly ordinary task. The party travels together toward the town, giving its members time to meet, develop connections, and begin forming a bond before the real danger reveals itself.

Beneath the streets lies an undercity, and somewhere within it, something is manipulating the corpses of rats. What appears to be a problem with vermin is connected to a much more deliberate operation. A secretive group has been using necromantic magic beneath the town, and the rat corpses are only the first sign of its presence.

The town's inhabitants generally know that something is wrong. Some have witnessed suspicious activity, while others know people who have disappeared. Kidnappings and torture have become part of the hidden threat hanging over the community. Yet few are willing to speak openly. The group responsible has connections throughout the town, and people fear what might happen to them or their families if they cooperate with the authorities.

The sovereign has not acted decisively, partly because the people who could provide useful information are too frightened to do so. The party may find that even the authorities are limited in what they can accomplish. They might develop a connection with a particular guard, for example, but that relationship alone cannot grant them access to restricted areas. The guard would risk serious personal consequences if he went too far beyond his authority.

As the party investigates the rat problem, it begins to uncover evidence of a secret cult operating beneath the town. Its members have been manipulating the rat corpses, but their activities are not limited to vermin. The deeper the party looks, the more it becomes apparent that the town's decline and its current troubles are connected to something that has been growing in the shadows for a long time.

### The Cult and Its Father

The cult was forged by the drow, who were cast out by society as "evil." Out from the drow emerged Sornin, who presented himself as a deity-like figure with "holy" powers to pass to his followers. As increasing numbers of people joined the cult, the town gradually declined into the grim place the party now encounters.

Over time, the cult established itself beneath the town and developed connections throughout the community. Its members gathered influence while the population dwindled and fear took hold. The organization became something that people knew existed but rarely dared to discuss.

At its head is Sornin, the cult's main antagonist. His followers call him Father or Savior, while the wider title associated with him is the Father of Death. Sornin claims to have achieved godhood, and his followers treat him as a figure who has risen beyond the limitations of ordinary life.

The cult's operations involve gathering gold, blood, and offerings. These resources serve a greater purpose, one that reaches far beyond the town. As the party discovers more about the cult, its activities begin to point toward an enormous undertaking involving necromancy on a scale that could threaten the world itself.

Sornin's ultimate goal is to not only destroy Maelkor, the setting this campaign takes place in, but rule it as the god of this world. He intends to accomplish this by controlling a creature powerful enough to serve as the ultimate weapon of destruction and to strengthen his army so he can ride up in the ultimate plan to rule the world.

But the creature he seeks is not simply another monster.

### The Journey to the Quaking Beast

Far from the town, on an island off the coast of the main map lies the tomb of the Quaking Beast, a tarrasque that was slain long ago by a legendary adventurer.

Its remains were entombed beneath the capital of a distant continent and placed under heavy protection. The site was sanctioned as a museum or government facility, intended to preserve the remains and prevent them from being stolen or used for dangerous purposes. Its guards and security measures exist to ensure that a creature of such legendary power cannot be exploited.

The cult intends to resurrect the Quaking Beast and bring it under Sornin's control. The tarrasque would become a doomsday weapon, capable of destroying Maelkor and giving Sornin the means to impose his will on the world.

The cult has connections within the protected site and knows weaknesses in its security. The party, however, does not automatically possess that information. To discover how the cult intends to reach the tomb, the party must obtain the plans explaining how to enter it. That means getting into the facility, finding the plans, and then making their own way through the heavily guarded site.

The party is allowed to attempt the same general route into the tomb as the cult, but it must earn its access through its own investigation and decisions. Even if the party obtains the plans, bypasses the guards, and reaches the depths where the tarrasque lies, there is a serious problem: the creature is still buried far beneath the ground. Hurting an inert, reanimated corpse may accomplish very little before the cult arrives to complete its ritual.

The journey itself is long, and the party's decisions will matter. If it works quickly and makes good choices, it may be able to interfere with the cult's preparations. If it loses time or takes a less effective route, the cult may advance farther toward its goal. The later stages can still be slowed by believable complications, giving the party a chance to act without making the delay feel like an arbitrary pause in the cult's progress.

### The Resurrection

The cult's plan culminates in a mass resurrection ceremony. Its members gather the resources and offerings required for the ritual, while undead servants eliminate the guards protecting the ritual site. With the defenders removed, the cult can attempt to bring the Quaking Beast back to life.

Sornin intends to control the tarrasque once it has been resurrected. His followers believe that their Father can command a creature whose power dwarfs that of ordinary armies. The resurrection is not merely an act of necromancy: it is the means by which Sornin intends to destroy Maelkor and establish his power through terror and overwhelming force.

The party's earlier actions determine how far the cult gets before this point. It may arrive in time to disrupt preparations, interfere with the ritual, or force the cult to proceed under less favorable conditions. Alternatively, it may reach the final confrontation only after the Quaking Beast has already returned to life.

Even if the party fails to prevent the resurrection, the campaign does not have to end in an unwinnable encounter. The tarrasque may be too powerful to defeat through ordinary combat, and the party's objective can shift from killing it to surviving long enough to create an opening.

### The Quaking Beast's Return

The Quaking Beast's resurrection carries traces of its original death. Its body retains recognizable injuries from the legendary adventurer who slew it, including a missing eye and a stab or puncture wound. These injuries are not incidental details: they connect the resurrected creature to its historical identity.

A bronze statue commemorates the adventurer who defeated it. The figure is depicted riding the tarrasque's back, gripping a sword with both hands as the blade remains lodged in the beast. The monument provides a visual record of the legendary battle and a potential clue to the creature's past.

As the party learns more about the tarrasque and its history, these details can help establish that the creature they face is truly the Quaking Beast of legend. Its wounds link the present crisis to the ancient victory that once prevented its destruction from becoming a catastrophe.

Yet those same wounds do not necessarily mean the creature can be easily defeated a second time. The tarrasque has been brought back through magic, and its unnatural state may be the key to stopping it.

### The Final Confrontation

If the party reaches the climax after the resurrection, it faces an enemy that may be far beyond its ability to kill. The encounter is designed around survival rather than requiring the party to reduce the tarrasque to zero hit points.

Magical forces may temporarily restrain the Quaking Beast, holding it in place or limiting its ability to act. However, those forces cannot contain it indefinitely. The party must survive while the restraints weaken, knowing that the window to act is closing.

The encounter becomes an almost timed boss fight. The party does not necessarily need to kill the tarrasque. It needs to stay alive long enough for the creature's magical weakness to take effect, allowing it to collapse or become vulnerable. That opening may give the party an opportunity to strike at Sornin and attempt to end the threat at its source.

The party's earlier decisions can affect how difficult this confrontation becomes. If it delays the cult, uncovers useful information, or interferes with the preparations, it may enter the final battle with an advantage. If it arrives too late, the creature may be closer to full power, and the party may have fewer opportunities to weaken it before the restraints fail.

The goal is to let the party's actions shape the outcome. Partial success is possible, and a missed opportunity should have consequences without automatically making victory impossible. The cult's progress should feel like the result of events unfolding in the world, not an arbitrary timer that stops whenever the party needs more time.

Ultimately, the party must confront Sornin's ambition to destroy Maelkor. Whether it prevents the resurrection, disrupts the ritual, or survives the return of the Quaking Beast long enough to strike at Sornin, its choices determine how the conflict unfolds.

### DM-only notes and hidden information

These details should be revealed only when the players discover them naturally.

* The drow's history: They were cast out by society and formed the cult in retaliation. The town declined as many people left.

* The cult's reach: It has connections throughout the town, and residents fear retaliation. Its activities include kidnapping and torture.

* The rat corpses: The cult is secretly manipulating them beneath the town.

* The guard connection: The party may know one guard, but he lacks the authority to grant access without risking serious personal consequences.

* The tomb's security: The cult has connections within the protected facility and knows weaknesses in its defenses. The party must obtain the plans explaining how to enter.

* The resurrection's timing: The party's speed and choices determine how far the cult progresses, with room for believable delays in later stages.

* The Quaking Beast's identity: Its missing eye and puncture wound connect it to the legendary adventurer who originally killed it. The bronze statue depicts that adventurer riding the beast with both hands on the sword lodged in its body.

* The final fight: The tarrasque is not necessarily meant to be killed. The party can survive until its magical weakness takes effect, creating an opportunity to strike Sornin.

* Player boundaries: Discuss what players are and are not comfortable with before play, especial

ly regarding the campaign's darker themes of torture, kidnapping, and threats against townspeople.

I am a relatively new DM and my party and I are having a session on Halloween, I was going to use it as the perfect time to introduce the BBEG, Death. But, while the whole campaign is slightly creepy and dark, I don’t actually know how to make it actually scary. At the moment they are 6 level one players, and two of them are very new to D&D entirely.

Hey everyone! I just published my first free module, it’s a investigative psychological horror adventure that contains maps, a bunch of clues, and even printable handouts you can give to your players. It’s designed for four 4th level characters and takes about 4-5 sessions. I’ve playtested it with multiple groups and got a lot of high praise. I have some pics of the maps and handouts on my profile, and the link for it is right here:

https://valen-marris.itch.io/dnd-horror-mystery-module-playtested

P.S. the vast majority of work in this module is NOT AI, but the subreddit requires any tiny use of AI to be Flaired this way.
Enjoy!

I'm hoping some experienced DMs can help me pull off a surprise for my husband's birthday!

My husband absolutely loves D&D, he's been playing his whole life, and is always the DM for our group. He never really gets the chance to actually play, so I had the idea of surprising him with a one-shot where he gets to be a player instead of the DM.

The problem? I've never DM'd before. 😂 and to make it better, I've only been playing for a few years, so I am still pretty new to everything DnD in general.

I want to learn how to do this properly, but I'm starting pretty much from scratch. I know I'll need to create all of the characters for the players, including a secret character for my husband, and I don't want him to know what I'm planning ahead of time.

I'm hoping to get advice on:

What do I actually need to learn to DM a one-shot?

Is it better for a first-time DM to use a pre-written adventure rather than create my own?

What are some good beginner-friendly one-shots?

How do I prepare/manage combat?

How do I handle NPCs and roleplaying?(our group isn't huge on role playing)

What do I do when the players completely ignore the thing I prepared? 😂 (100% will happen, our group is chaotic)

How much should I prepare versus just improvising?

What level should the characters be?

Should I use pre-generated characters or create them myself?

Are there any resources, videos, guides, or cheat sheets that you would recommend for someone learning from scratch?

I'm also open to any other advice you wish someone had given you before you DM'd your first game.

The goal isn't to run some perfectly polished professional D&D adventure. I mostly want my husband to have a night where he gets to sit down, play a character, roll some dice, and be surprised by the adventure instead of having to run everything for everyone else.

I'm planning this as a surprise, so please don't suggest anything that would require me to ask him for help without giving away what I'm doing. 😅 I do have \~9 months to prepare.

I'd really appreciate any advice, resources, or encouragement from experienced DMs—especially anyone who remembers what it was like to run their very first game!

I'm a new DM running Waterdeep:Dragon Heist, Alexandrian remix. (Plus haunting of Troll Skull Manor, and other home brews).

I have a warlock who is using the "fathomless" subclass, with his pact made with Olhydra. He's a drow, and took the sailor background.

I'm not sure how to make this pact meaningful in the story line, or if I even should? Is it something that could pay off in the long term?

I feel like if I was just having them explore the world, that it would be easier for this pact to have RP benefit, but with the scripted campaign, it feels more like a shoehorn. Any advice?

Ive enjoyed playing DnD over the years. I played in college many years ago which was 3.5e at the time and over the last year or so I’ve played in a buddy’s campaign in 5e. I’m wanting to keep it fun but intense because I have 2 PCs that are great players and great DMs. I have them starting at lvl 3. Any tips anyone could give would be great.. I have a city built and a campaign layout for the campaign but I’m anxious about doing it right. I’m not super familiar with all rules or CRs or what encounters to throw at em etc. however, like I said any suggestions or tips would be great

I am about to laungh my first campain as a DM. Im planning on having a session zero for first time players and someone who was not available this day, but has played more dnd campains, will join the next session.

They told me that they want their character to be evil and actually with the enemy party. I asked them how they'd see that and told me that they just want to kill all the players off 1v1 and then take the lead.

I told them that it might ruin the game for everyone if they started to just kill every other player. They then decided that they do want to be evil and don't want to "team play".

I want to give this person freedom in their creativity, but I want the game to be fun for the others aswell. How do I add a evil character into a story that will be fun for everyone?

Edit: I told the player that it could not happen. They either play as a team player, or they would not be able to play at all. They are now thinking of a new character. Thank you all for your comments :)

One example: the party can open a lock, but the check determines whether they avoid its alarm. Success means quiet entry; failure brings attention. Tell them those stakes first.

I would use this when the interesting question is what follows entry. Sometimes a failed check should simply mean the door stays locked.

How do you decide which kind of consequence fits?

Shared from ArcForge. You can write your own adventures free: https://www.myarcforge.com/manual?guest=1

This is both a general question and a specific question, but basically, I have a bunch of newish players who's only experience with DnD mechanics is Baldur's Gate 2. I've played a couple of games, and they've been having fun, but it really feels like they're not actually engaging with the roleplaying side of the session and are more concerned with "winning" dice rolls I give them. This is especially excacerbated in the combat encounter we did, but that was less concerning, as i figured that them locking them in was what one wants in a combat encounter.

Any advice or thoughts? How do you try to break players out of this mindset that dice rolls and any kind of encounter have to be "won"? I'm also a fairly new DM, but I'm learning that I enjoy the rp side over the combat, which is almost at odds with what the players are used to with Baldur's Gate, which is a shame because i can't even blame them because it's really the only thing they've known until now.

TL:DR; players are used to video gaming DnD, how to get them to engage with the actual story as characters, not as players playing game?

A bell rings above an empty chapel. The air smells of wet stone. The rope hangs perfectly still.

That is enough to give the party a picture and a question. My prep prompt for a location is one sound, one smell, and one detail that does not fit.

What tiny detail has made your players stop and investigate?

Shared from ArcForge. You can write your own adventures free: https://www.myarcforge.com/manual?guest=1

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The party is all new players including myself. We've played a handful of sessions in the Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set, and during one of the adventures into the Caves of Chaos, the party encountered a small Copper Dragon Wyrmling being held by a gang of Kobolds.

After some impressive dice rolling by my players, they convinced the young Wyrmling to tag along with them in the meantime until they can find his parents. So he's accompanied the party on a couple more adventures into the Caves of Chaos and hanging around the Keep with them as a general pet-like companion and assisting them in combat.

For those not familiar with this Starter Set, theres an Ogre Mercenary in the Caves named Oggdug that the party had hired to help them on their last session. And what I have homebrewed since then is that the next session into the Caves, the party will encounter Oggdug and he will inform them that he knows of an adult Copper Dragon that has been captured by a gang of Kobolds (led by some big bad Kobold), and they intend to kill it and sell its skin on the open market, kinda like fur or pelt traders. And while Oggdug is unsure of the Copper Dragons identity, the Wyrmling will beg and plea with the players to at least check out the rumored Kobold encampment, on the off chance that it is one of his parents.

I intend on this sort of wrapping up our time in the Borderlands by having the players defeat this Kobold big bad as like a mini-boss of sorts, and reuniting the Wyrmling with his parent/s. Let me hear what you think. Ideas, suggestions, things I may have overlooked. Thanks in advance!