Hi all, I've created a spreadsheet that can create fully speced out characters that (mostly) follow RAW. It includes the following: -Random Character Creator -Initiative/damage tracker -Monster Search -Item Search
-All items, spells, and abilities will show their description of you mouse over them. -Spell list for classes that need one -buttons to import chose creatures or characters to the combat Tracker -an option to save a generated character. You can find all the details here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T_twcv00jzVjMKzm8wNdo3oc8PmQL3f030vfr3mFsNs/edit?usp=drivesdk

Hello there!

Me and my husband have created a short adventure set in Eberron. It's a heist/rescue mission that requires players to attend a noble ball and infiltrate a mansion at night.

>>> Link to grab it <<<

It's a D&D 5e adventure for characters of levels 3 to 4 that will take 6 - 12 hours to complete and features:
• 15 pages full of intrigue and moral ambiguity
• Rich narrative and captivating characters with developed backstories
• Beautiful custom heist maps (VTT, DM version, Player version) and art made by humans
• Unique traps, puzzles, and monsters

Moreover, though it has Eberron flavor/ties, it is easily convertible to any other setting where you would like to run this kind of heist.

Welcome back to Advent's Amazing Advice! The series where I take popular One-Shots, Adventures, Campaigns, etc. and fully prep them for both New and Busy DMs. This prep includes music, ambiance, encounter sheets, handouts, battle maps, tweaks, and more so you can run the best sessions possible with the least stress possible!

White Plume Mountain is an absolute classic Adventure for level 8 players; one that has been talked about for years and has been redone time and again. Heck, it was even ranked the 9th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon magazine in 2004. This is the perfect Adventure for those of you who are looking for a bit of combat and a whole lot of puzzle!

Three magical weapons have been stolen recently. Clues in the form of a poem lead those in power to believe the weapons have been brought to a volcano which was once the hideout of a powerful wizard named Keraptis. These are no mere magical weapons, but sentient artifacts. Can your players survive the perils of White Plume Mountain and retrieve them!?

Without further ado:

• Google Docs Notes for White Plume Mountain Part 1: DM Notes
• Link to: White Plume Mountain Playlist
• Link to: The AAA Collection

Included in The AAA Collection is:

• A Word document with all my notes including links to music tracks for ambiance and fights
• Special PDF for all encounters. This includes the enemy stat blocks organized neatly along with an initiative tracker and a spot to mark HP
• Spellsheets for all relevant encounters
• Note from Krepatis and Hiring Letter Handouts
• Custom Battle Maps

Over 5 dozen other Fully Prepped One-Shots, Adventures, and Campaigns: Click Here

As always, if you see something you think I can improve, add, change, etc. please let me know. I want this to be an amazing resource for all DMs and plan to keep it constantly updated! If you'd like to support me, shape future releases, and get content early feel free to check out my Patreon!

Cheers,
Advent

Hi Folks,

I end up printing a lot of large-scale maps for my in-person D&D games. I don't have access to a large format printer, so I've used various tools to slice the map into page-sized pieces for printing. But I wasn't really happy with how any of them worked, so I decided to make my own.

The Battle Map Tiler & Printer lets you choose a map image, set the print dimensions you want, the type of paper you have, etc. and will automatically slice it into an appropriately paginated PDF that you can print on an ordinary home printer for assembly into a full-sized map.

I've been using it myself a lot, and hope you find it useful as well!

[5e] [Homebrew]

So I wrote some alternate DC-based magic rules for Dnd. If you are curious, these are available on dmsguild as "Magic is Chaos" and "Winds of Chaos" bundles, but I will not be linking these here as that's not allowed in Reddit.

However part of these rules split Magic into 5 Types of Magic (not 3), (aka The Winds of Chaos) rules which are largely inspired from Golden Age / Tides of Magic rules, where infrequent Chaos Winds / Chaos Storms will favor or disfavor one of the Types of Chaos (instead of 1 school of magic). There are also Rules for opposing Signs, and Ascendant/Descendant signs, as well as optional rules for the Schools of Magic, where each of the Chaos Signs has 3 of the 12 schools within its "Decan", or sphere of influence.

Anyway this post isn't about the rules per se, it's about my split of Magic into 5 Types, and my very pretty pentacle (aka The Wheel of Chaos). Main idea is I lumped Bards and Rogues together into their own magic type - Bardic Magic, and I also split out Pact Magic as its own thing. To me it just felt that Bards as a primary caster deserved their own magic type, and I made Rogues into their Half-Casters, similar to how Artificers are a 1/2 caster of Arcane. I am also splitting out Warlocks, and putting the Eldritch back into the Knight (as their 1/2 caster), and Sorcerers end-up using one of the 5 existing types depending on their source of sorcery.

I spent countless iterations of what that wheel of Chaos should look like, both for opposing signs, and ascendant/descendant relations (clockwise or anticlockwise), and in the end I settled for the below. Note that there are some intentional design decicions inherent to this final version:

• Keep the "original 3" types of magic (Arcane, Primal, Divine) in opposition (to keep it "closer" to RAW).
• Do not use a "cross" icon to represent Divine. I ended-up with a sort of cross elsewhere, but that's fine.
• Pact Magic is opposed to Divine. In some versions I had Divine winning out, I feel it's best with Pact on top.
• Bardic Magic deals with probability and alternate futures, and is an arguable opposite to Pact.
• All the other relationships should be obvious - Divine (New gods) destroy Primal (Old Gods), etc.
• Arcane magic gives rise to Divine, Divine to Bardic, Bardic to Primal, Primal to Pact, and Pact to Arcane.

All art original by me BTW - done in Windows paintbrush using various fonts and wingdings XD

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2F5-types-of-magic-in-dnd-aka-magic-is-chaos-the-winds-of-v0-f5o311so0wid1.png

Our community's TTRPG group is considering organizing a massive Battle Royale and PvP event at a game store soon, and I've been tasked with setting up the gameplay format.

We're probably 45 days or so from when we want to do it.

Are there any established guides or advice for setting up a PvP event that I could reference? How to handle balance, advice for maps and ways to mix things up, etc.

We were thinking we could do Solos, Duos, and Teams of five, spending an afternoon doing several rounds of fights.

Does anyone have experience playing in or running an event like this? How was it organized? What resources did you use to set it up in a way that isn't totally broken?

Does anyone know of a good app that not only uses DnD 5e rules, but will continue to have the ability to wholly stay in the 5e ruleset when the 2024 rules come out? I'm not excited to have to fight with DnD Beyond or cross-check everything it says to see if they made invisible changes just to stay in 5e.

I tried Googling this, but no company is going to declare: "Don't worry! We won't push you into 2024 rules like DnD Beyond!" So I'm hoping someone anecdotally uses something they know will retain the same rules going forward.

Of course, I'm fully prepared that the answer is the usual licensing problem.

Anyone know of any decent combat management programs that can be used without the internet? I'm looking to manage a few combat encounters for a d&d game that I'm running for some friends out in the middle of a state park. I will have access to electricity and can plug in my laptop, but won't have internet access. Cell phone service will be limited, so I can't rely on using a hotspot.

Thanks!

Hello! I recently developed a tool specifically designed to smooth out the flow of combat during your players turns. It's in early access with an active developer.

No more riffling through stacks of papers to find your creatures saving throw modifiers and armor class.
No more forgetting about conditions affecting you creatures.
No more bogged down math of your wizards fireball on 10 different creatures.

TableTopCreatureTracker.com

Here's a demo: https://x.com/sjmog1/status/1820604425909530855

Let me know if you want to use it, it's free here: https://github.com/sjmog/dnd-copilot

Hey, i like to use quite realistic stuff for my campaign, and my party is gonna be going through some mountains on the next few sessions. I was wandering if anyone knows where i could find some real world maps, especially of mountainy terrain, with trails etc so i could use them as environment for the session. Bonus points if i can somehow change the names of peaks and other stuff on it.

I can't find much of anything. I'm looking for maps as well as monster/NPC/PC assets. If you don't know anything specific, a good resource for isometric assets in general would be helpful.

Thank you.

Welcome back to Advent's Amazing Advice! The series where I take popular One-Shots, Adventures, Campaigns, etc. and fully prep them for both New and Busy DMs. This prep includes fully fleshed-out notes, music, ambiance, encounter sheets, handouts, battle maps, tweaks, and more so you can run the best sessions possible with the least stress possible!

We're back at it again with another Fully Prepped Mini-Campaign; Dragon of Icespire Peak, A level 1-6 Adventure that's a bit frosty! This is part of the Essentials Kit; released between Dragon of Stormwreck Isle and The Lost Mine of Phandelver all created by WoTC.

Dragon of Icespire Peak is a bit different from the other two I've prepped; not only is it more of a sandbox, but it also has the ability to be run with just one player which is a huge plus for those of you who can't get larger groups together! I'll be incorporating the recommendations from both Bob the World Builder and Sly Flourish along with my own tweaks to make this one of the best experiences you can have running this Mini-Campaign!

If you've used my previous notes you'll know that I take adventures such as these and do all the difficult and time-consuming book-to-session conversions so you don't have to! I do my best to include ambiance for every scene, custom battle maps, handouts when needed, spell sheets, encounter sheets, and more!

This may all sound familiar, but seeing as this is a Starter/Essentials Kit, I think it's important to reiterate:

• Read the Adventure: I know surprising, but it can be extremely confusing when you don't know where everything leads to.
• Consider the needs of your group: As you've heard or are about to hear a million times, every table is different. If you plan on combining this with a campaign, you'll have to make tweaks here and there.
• These notes aren't meant to be the end-all-be-all: Tweak to your heart's content, and don't consider any of what's written to be set in stone. For me having notes like this helps give me the confidence to go off the rails and follow along with what my players want. It helps me understand where things are meant to go and why. Having that understanding allows me to guide the players and create other new and interesting stories. These are all things that will come with experience, though, so don't freak out and enjoy the journey!

Without further ado:

• Google Docs Notes for Part 1 Phandalin: DM Notes
• Link to: Phandalin Playlist
• Link to: The AAA Collection

Included in The AAA Collection is:

• A Word document with all my notes including links to music tracks for ambiance and fights
• Custom Map of Phandalin

Over 5 dozen other Fully Prepped One-Shots, Adventures, and Campaigns: Click Here

As always, if you see something you think I can improve, add, change, etc. please let me know. I want this to be an amazing resource for all DMs and plan to keep it constantly updated! If you'd like to support me, shape future releases, and get content early feel free to check out my Patreon!

Cheers,
Advent

Hello folks. I'm looking to give a riddle full of homophones that should be pretty simple to solve if the party were to speak it out loud but be very difficult if just read.

My idea is that the answer will be lion and include words such as pause, main, raw etc but I'm not clever enough to put it into a coherent riddle. Has anybody here got any good ideas and if there's any other words that would lead to similar themed riddles I'd love to hear them. Thanks

I write a "weekly" blogletter substack. This week's entry is reviewing Knave 2E, Spoiler alert, it's quite good. If you want any insight in consideration of getting it or not - check it out:

https://open.substack.com/pub/glyphngrok/p/game-review-knave-2e?r=34m03&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Even if you never run the game, the D100 tables are phenomenal for game ideas and prep.

I'm currently on the look out for a light weight map manager.

All I want from such a software is

• the ability to import an image to use as a map
• the ability to add tokens to the field >!(ideally with custom art i can import)!<
• the ability to scale the size of those tokens
• the ability to move around those tokens which snap to a grid

If anyone knows of a good light weight software that can do this, that'd be amazing! >!(side note, my budget is $0)!<

I've been DMing a few sessions for my friends and unfortunately none of them are of the rare avid notetaker variety. I always have to do a debrief of what happened last time each time we play or we just have to go off our collective scattered memory. We sometimes even go a couple of weeks or more between sessions because of scheduling conflicts and it makes it hard to pick up exactly where we left off.

What do you guys do/use to remember what happened last time you played? As DMs do you always recap for your group or do you get the players to? I've heard some DMs award an inspiration point to any player who does a little recap which I thought was a neat idea.

I started recording our sessions on my phone and then fed the text transcriptions into ChatGPT to get a summary and take notes. It's been super helpful and works really well! I made a post a while ago detailing how to do this here.

The process is a bit cumbersome, so it got me thinking and I've been working on a website called Scrybe that auto generates a short narrated recap from a recording (like I was doing manually). The idea is you record the session as you play on your phone (or your PC audio if playing virtually) and then upload the recording to Scrybe. You then get to choose the narrator and background music and it will spit out a narrated recap video with scrolling text. I can't describe how happy the recaps make my players. They're always excited at the beginning of the next session to hear the recap. It makes it "official" if that makes sense.

It's still a WIP, but I'd love it if you guys checked it out. For now, all new accounts get a free recap, but if you're willing to give a bit of feedback I'll load you up with more free credits:

https://www.scrybe.ca/

I'm starting my first homebrew campaign in a few months after playing through a module. I've been using Notion.com to keep all my records for the module but wonder if there's a better way.

I enjoy notion, but it does require a bit of work up front to get "right".

Is there a more plug & play option out there? Or do you more experienced DMs have clever solutions out there

I am DMing a level 1-3 game for a SPCA (animal shelter) fundraiser. And I have a module I selected but it is about elephants, and I would rather do something about cats or dogs or the sort of animals in a shelter. Any recommendations?
I don't mean where players are playing animals, but more where npc animals are involved. Thanks for any help :)

I've just released a new free mobile app, Dnd Character Journal, designed to help your players engage with their characters and larger campaign world. There are downtime activities, backstory prompts, fun role play questions, and journal areas for organized note taking. The app is free to download:

• iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/dnd-character-journal/id6469010732
• Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.michaelwu.dndcharacterjournal

There's also a video if you want to see a preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWSY4c5gZPo

If this seems useful I hope you will share it with your players! Happy gaming.

I'm just curious if anyone knows of a DnD beyond Alternative that would let me import PDFs I already own and run with those, as opposed to paying for the content again, just to use it with their service?

[PWYW] Assault on Nocturne Keep (a level 5 one-shot)

Plot Twists:

1. The Client's True Identity: The enigmatic sorcerer Morag, who hires the PCs to steal the Heart of Shadows from the powerful tyrant’s impenetrable fortress, is actually Valtor, said tyrant himself in disguise. He is using the players to “red team” his new security measures.
2. Secret Motivations: The players are all only pretending to be evil — each has a secret good motivation. The players will be aware of this, but their characters will not be.

Includes:

• Solo or Faction Motivation
• Individual boons or items to help with the final confrontation
• Roleplay/Moral Choice scenarios
• Optional potions with powerful abilities and fun drawbacks.
• A dungeon crawl
• An epic showdown with a custom Action-Oriented final boss
• Helpful DM tips that will make prep and running a breeze
• A large dungeon map (Player and DM versions)

Art attributions:

• https://opengameart.org/content/crystal (Aeynit - CC-BY 3.0; color corrected)
• https://opengameart.org/content/necromancer (kirill777 - CC-BY 3.0)
• https://opengameart.org/content/cold-scene (Ironthunder - CC-BY 3.0; trimmed)
• https://game-icons.net/tags/trap.html (CC BY 3.0)
• https://www.freepik.com/free-psd/ui-ancient-paper-parchment-scrolls_51007387.htm (Image by vector_corp on Freepik)
• Map created in One Page Dungeon by watabou

Created in homebrewery

Previous Work:

• Red Mask Inn: a scalable horror one-shot (levels 1-10)
• The Library - Level 3 one-shot (Easy for New DMs and New Players to learn)
• Project: Fragmentation (Rogue-like, PWYW)

Preview

Adding what I could fit into this post - had to cut some info to fit into the limit:

• Player map
• DM map

Assault on Nocturne Keep

A Heist One-Shot With a Twist

Valtor looked at the dead body of the thief. "Got almost half way - that's further than anyone in the past two decades." Turning to Radnor, his captain of the guard, he growled, "This is not acceptable. I want a plan for revamped security measures in my hands by morning. And it better be airtight." Radnor, his face drained of blood, simply nodded in acknowledgment. "Go get the Master of Secrets... I have an idea..."

Module Intro

Assault on Nocturne Keep is a level 5 adventure billed as an all-evil one-shot heist. However, there are two twists:

1. The client, the enigmatic sorcerer Morag, who hires the PCs to steal the Heart of Shadows from the powerful tyrant's impenetrable fortress, is actually Valtor, said tyrant himself in disguise. He is using the players to "red team" his new security measures.

2. The players are all only pretending to be evil — each has a secret good motivation. The players will be aware of this, but their characters will not be.

Adventure Summary

Valtor's Rise to Power

Valtor, once a cunning and ambitious sorcerer, began his ascent to power through ruthless manipulation and strategic alliances. His thirst for power was insatiable, and he quickly realized that brute strength alone would not be enough to dominate the land. He delved into forbidden magics and sought out powerful artifacts to augment his abilities.

The Heart of Noctis

The most significant find was the Heart of Noctis, a relic of immense power. It granted Valtor unparalleled magical abilities, allowing him to control and manipulate reality, instill fear in his enemies, and fortify his stronghold, Nocturne Keep, with nearly impenetrable defenses.

With the Heart of Noctis, Valtor quickly overpowered rival factions and brought the region under his iron-fisted rule. His enemies were either crushed or forced into submission, and those who opposed him faced a grim fate. Valtor's reign of terror was bolstered by the artifact, which not only enhanced his personal power but also spread a pervasive aura of dread throughout Eldoria. This was 70 years ago...

The Mission

Power can breed complacency, which leads to catastrophe. To avoid this, Valtor continually seeks ways to strengthen his defenses and anticipate threats. Recognizing that even the most formidable fortresses can have vulnerabilities, he devises a cunning plan to test and improve his security measures.

Disguising himself as an enigmatic sorcerer named Morag, he hires groups of mercenaries and adventurers to infiltrate Nocturne Keep. His goal is to use these unwitting operatives to "red team" his defenses, exposing any weaknesses and allowing him to refine his security protocols.

Band of Scum and Villainy

Valtor sets his Master of Secrets to gather the most tough, no-good, vicious, conniving, ruthless, devious, merciless, and cunning villains around. Unfortunately for him they are not as evil as they appear to be. They all have their own secret motivations (see Secret Motivation Section) - though they don't know about each other, and assume they have to keep their cover.

Gathering them together as Morag, he lays out the plan: they will each be paid 10k gold if they can get him the Heart of Noctis.

Sample Advertising Message

Assault on Nocturne Keep - a Level 5 one/two-shot adventure.

The Setting

The evil sorcerer Valtor has ruled Eldoria with an iron fist for 70 years. He was able to achieve this through the power afforded to him by the Heart of Noctis, a powerful artifact stored in the bowels of Nocturne Keep, Valtor's stronghold - located in the capital city of Tenebris.

The Mission

A mysterious figure named Morag is putting together a squad of the most notorious criminals, thugs, and villains to heist the Heart. Think Suicide Squad meets Assault on Precinct 13.

The Twist

Each of your characters is not actually evil - they will all have secret motivations assigned to them. Your characters will not know the motivations of the others in the party.

Character Creation

Ask the players to share their ancestry, class, and subclass ideas before creating their characters. Once you have this information, choose a secret motivation and boon/item for each player. As the game progresses, your characters may start guessing at the motivations of others, which should provide some fun roleplaying opportunities.

Characters should be level 5. It's highly recommended to let each character have one uncommon item and a healing potion.

Character Motivations

Choose (or roll for) motivations for your players. If you prefer, you can choose multiple motivations (or one from the factions and one solo) and present each player with a choice.

Faction Secret Motivations

Solo Secret Motivations

Special Boons and Items

Along with the motivations, choose an appropriate boon or item to grant to each player (or create your own).

Recruitment

The Pitch

Whether you heard from your underground contact, overheard someone talking in a tavern, or received a mysterious note, you find yourself in a private room in one of the finest dining establishments, surrounded by unfamiliar faces. The hooded figure before you makes a few movements with their hands while muttering under their breath—you feel something change in the room. Lowering their hood, they finally speak, "Now we can speak freely—we cannot be listened in on, nor scried upon—not even by Valtor himself."

"Thank you all for coming. My name is Morag—though I'd appreciate it if my name never leaves your lips outside this room. Each of you is the best at what you do—whether it's thievery, deception, or sheer ruthlessness, your skills are unmatched. That's precisely why I've summoned you here."

Morag, assuming that's his real name, is a fairly nondescript human man. He paces, looking at each of you in turn.

"I'm going to get straight to it—I need you all to get into Nocturne Keep and retrieve the Heart of Noctis. Succeed, and you will each be rewarded with ten thousand gold pieces. Questions?"

DM Note: Players may try getting fresh with Morag - he ignores any insults. If they try to get physical, you can try casting hold person, or have him teleport, avoiding the attacks.

Q & A

If the following questions are not asked, Morag will volunteer this information:

• How do we get in? "There is a secret entrance to bypass the guards—after that, I have no knowledge of the defenses. But there will be defenses. The entrance is through a cellar of an abandoned house next to the keep."

• What do you need the Heart for? "That's my business. If the ten thousand gold pieces are not enough for you, or if you're scared, you can back out now."

• Can we use teleportation to get in or out? "No, teleportation is forbidden into and out of the keep. You'll have to rely on more conventional means."

• How do we contact you once we have the Heart? "I will know when you have succeeded. Return to this location, and I will find you."

Other questions and answers:

• What if we are caught? "Don't..."
• Who else knows about this mission? "Only those in this room. Discretion is key."
• What kind of defenses can we expect? "The usual for a fortress of this nature—traps, guards, possibly magical wards. Be prepared for anything."
• What happens if we fail? "Let's just say failure is not an option if you value your lives."
• Can we trust you to pay us? "I have more to lose by crossing you than you do by crossing me. You will be paid. I am advancing each of you one hundred platinum pieces now." The players are handed coin purses with platinum coins bearing the visage of Valtor.
• Is there a time limit? "The sooner, the better, but there is no strict deadline. Speed is in your best interest."
• What resources will we have? "You have your skills and what you can carry. Plan accordingly."
• What does the Heart look like? "A dark crystal, pulsing with an eerie glow. You will know it when you see it."
• What if someone else tries to take the Heart? "Eliminate any competition. The Heart must come to me."
• Is there any additional information we should know? "Stay sharp and trust no one outside this room. Good luck."
• Is the Heart dangerous? "Not on its own, it must be wielded."
• What if we find other valuable items? "The Heart is your priority. Anything else you find is yours to keep, as long as it doesn't compromise the mission."
• What if we need to retreat? "Failure is not an option. Plan your escape routes, but remember, success is the only acceptable outcome."

Off you go...

If the party continues talking, and the DM decides they have all the needed information, Morag simply says, "You have your mission..." and teleports out of the room. The party will need to head through the city to get to the keep. They may choose to shop—there are regular merchants, and if they want anything illicit, use the "Thieves’ Market" encounter below.

City Encounters (several cut for space - see PDF)

Choose one or more of these encounters as the party moves through the city to get to the keep. The players may decide how to react and whether to keep their cover. Provided are some possible NPC names in case the players ask. Feel free to adjust/add/remove NPCs.

Thieves' Market

While exploring a maze of narrow alleyways, the players come across a hidden entrance leading to an underground market. Inside, the Thieves' Market is a bustling hub of activity where stolen goods, contraband, and illicit items are sold. Vendors hawk their wares in hushed tones, and shadowy figures lurk in the corners, keeping an eye out for potential threats or opportunities. The air is thick with the scent of exotic spices and the sound of whispered deals.

• Market Leader: Shade
• Vendor: Malik
• Informant: Whisper

Street Duel

In the heart of the city, the players come upon a crowd gathered around two hot-headed individuals, weapons drawn and eyes locked in a deadly stare. The tension is palpable as the duelists prepare to engage in combat, each believing they have been grievously wronged. The crowd murmurs in anticipation, placing bets on who will emerge victorious. The duelists, oblivious to the onlookers, are moments away from clashing steel.

• Duelists: Hector and Alaric
• Betting Leader: Rook

Merchant Scam

At a bustling market stall, a shady merchant loudly advertises "rare and powerful magical items" at suspiciously low prices. As the players approach, they witness a customer growing increasingly agitated, claiming that the item they purchased is a counterfeit. The merchant, slick and evasive, denies any wrongdoing and insists that the customer simply doesn't know how to use the item properly. The tension escalates as more onlookers gather, curious about the commotion.

• Shady Merchant: Tobias
• Agitated Customer: Felicity

Fleeing Spy

A disheveled man or woman suddenly dashes into the players' path, pursued by several heavily armed guards. The spy, panting and desperate, begs the players for help, claiming to have vital information that could change the fate of the city. The guards shout for the players to stand aside, declaring the spy a dangerous criminal. The spy's eyes dart around, seeking any possible escape route as the guards close in.

• Spy: Lyra
• Guards: Sergeant Davos, Private Lyn, Private Garth

Runaway Slave Couple

In a shadowy alley, the players come across a frightened couple hiding from patrols. The two runaway slaves beg for help to escape the city and gain their freedom. They are being pursued by ruthless slave catchers, who are not officially part of the city guard but are authorized to capture escaped slaves. Helping the couple would be a morally right action, but it also risks exposing the players to the slave catchers and jeopardizing their own mission.

• Runaway Slaves: Jorin and Leena
• Slave Catchers: Cormac, Darius, and Hram

If your players get into combat use Guard (MM p347) or Bandit (MM p343) statblocks

Nocturne Keep

Secret Entrance

The secret entrance to Nocturne Keep is hidden in the cellar of an abandoned house on the outskirts of Tenebris. Inside, a dusty staircase leads to a trapdoor beneath rotting crates, revealing a narrow, stone tunnel. The air is damp, with moss-covered bricks and the occasional drip of water. Flickering torches provide dim light, and the tunnels are eerily silent except for distant skittering. After navigating twists and turns, the tunnel opens into a larger, fortified passage, signaling the approach to Nocturne Keep's inner defenses.

DM Note: If you have a character that understands Thieves' Cant, this would be a perfect place to leave a clue about one of the early traps or enemies. Even if this trivializes that encounter, it will make them feel great, and there is plenty of danger left.

If there is no one who understands it, you can describe that there are mysterious symbols scratched on the wall. Don't let the players spent too much time on them.

The passage leads to a set of stairs leading down...

General Features

Unless otherwise specified:

• The walls, floor, and ceiling are made of stone.
• The ceilings are 10 feet tall.
• Doors are reinforced wood, locked, and open inward. DC14 Thieves' tools check or DC18 Strength check (may alert guards).
• Everburning torches provide illumination.

1 - Entrance

The stairs descend into a circular room. The room is empty, save for a few loose bricks and an empty rotting crate. An alcove to the west quickly reveals a secret door (no check necessary).

2 - Pillared Hall

The secret door opens into another circular room, this one much larger and filled with evenly spaced stone pillars. The ceiling here rises to 20 feet, giving the room an imposing atmosphere. Each pillar has carvings of various monstrous creatures (feel free to forshadow enemies). The eyes of these carvings seem to follow the players as they move through the room, creating a sense of being watched.

DM Note: This room is designed to lull the players into a false sense of security after they realize that nothing harmful happens here, making them more vulnerable to real threats later on.

Let the players spend a few minutes here, but don't let them waste too much time.

Red Herrings:

• Faint Whispering: Characters with a high perception may hear faint whispering coming from the pillars. This is merely an enchantment meant to unsettle intruders.
• Arcane Symbols: The runes and symbols on the pillars seem to hint at traps or magical defenses, but they are purely decorative and inactive.
• Pressure Plates: Several floor tiles appear to be pressure plates, but stepping on them produces no effect. They are decoys meant to waste the party's time.

3 - Foyer

A large square room with several exits.

• To the west: Stairs lead up, with flickering light and faint sounds of talking guards (MM p347).
• To the south: A door leading to area 5.
• To the east: A portcullis leading to a corridor. A lever is mounted on the wall near the portcullis.

Dangers:

• The Lever: Pulling the lever does not open the portcullis; it activates an alarm instead. The portcullis can be opened simply by pulling it up, no check needed. A DC14 Investigation check will reveal the true nature of the lever.
• Noise: Making any noise in this room will attract the four guards. If the alarm has not been sounded yet, one of the guards will attempt to flip the lever. This includes rooms 4 & 5 to a lesser degree. Keep an eye out on players using particularly loud spells.
• Shift Change: If the guards are killed or disabled without triggering the alarm, a shift change will occur roughly midway through the adventure or at the end of the first short rest, during which the alarm will be sounded.
• Alarm Consequences: If the alarm is triggered, roll a 1d4 in every subsequent room. On a 1, 1d6+2 guards will attack the party. This will also preclude the party from taking any short rests.

4 - Shadowy Sanctum

Past the portcullis, the corridor turns the corner and opens up into a square room, with another corridor leading north. Unlike the other rooms, this one is not lit by torches, though there are some torches further down the corridor.

Danger: When anyone reaches the middle of the room, four Shadows (MM p269) coalesce from the corners and attack.

4A - Pit Trap

The intersection of corridors in front of Room 6 contains a pit trap.

Trap Details:

• Detection: DC16 Perception check to notice.
• Avoidance: DC20 Dexterity check to avoid.
• Damage: Falling into the spiked pit deals 2d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall and 1d6 piercing damage from the spikes at the bottom.
• Poison: Players must pass a DC12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for one hour.

5 - Animated Armor Assault

This rectangular room is lined with pillars, and a set of double doors leads to the north. Each corner contains a decorative suit of armor, with the set in the southeast corner being particularly ornate.

Danger: If the players attack the suits of armor or attempt to open the doors, the suits animate. The Animated Armor (MM p19) fights in a straightforward manner, while the Helmed Horror (MM p183) is more cunning, targeting weaker characters and spellcasters first.

6 / 6A - Obvious Secret?

This square room features three visible doors: one to the north, one to the east, and one to the south. The walls are adorned with faded tapestries depicting scenes of long-forgotten battles.

Secret Door:

There is a subtle hint that a secret door exists on the west wall. Players can notice a tapestry on the west wall hangs slightly differently compared to the others.

Detection:

• Perception Check: DC10 Perception check to notice the oddly hanging tapestry, revealing the secret door to the west.

Beyond the Secret Door:

Upon opening the secret door, the players will see a plinth with what appears to be the Heart of Noctis resting on it. The Heart is a dark crystal, pulsing with an eerie glow, giving off a faint sense of dread. However, the heart and the plinth is actually a Mimic (MM p220) and will attack the players if they get within 5 feet. The first attack should be made with Advantage, assuming the players have not figured out the trap.

7 - More Red Herrings

This long rectangular room has doors to the south and west.

Distractions:

• Perception Check: A DC10 Perception check reveals slightly different colored tiles on the floor. The tiles themselves are inert, serving only as a distraction and time waster.

Trap:

• The open entrance into Room 8 is trapped with a scythe trap. A DC18 Perception check is required to notice the trap. Triggering the trap deals 2d10+5 slashing damage, halved on a successful DC14 Dexterity saving throw.

8 - Hidden Pressure Traps

This room has more of the discolored tiles seen in the previous room.

Distractions:

• Perception Check: A DC10 Perception check reveals more of the slightly different colored tiles on the floor, serving as a distraction.

Real Traps:

• Detection: The real pressure traps can only be detected with a DC18 Perception check. Barring someone finding them, anyone who makes it 15 feet into the room must make a DC14 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6+3 piercing damage from an arrow trap.
• Trigger Mechanism: The traps trigger every 15 feet of movement unless the characters find them with a DC14 Investigation check.
• Avoidance: Characters can also avoid the traps by falling prone and crawling, as the arrows fly at roughly 3 feet in height.

9 - Poisonous Passage

This room has small tubes roughly every 5 feet on the ceiling which can be noticed with a DC14 Perception check

Trap Activation:

• The tubes are inert until someone passes the middle of the room (marked on the map). At that point, the room starts filling with gas, starting from the south, west, and east, driving the players toward the north (toward the pit trap in Room 11).
• The gas advances at a rate of 10 feet per turn.
• Anyone in the gas takes 1d6 poison damage per turn, unless they don't breathe. Covering their mouth and nose halves the damage.

10 - Gruesome Gaze

This large rectangular room has doors to the west and north.

Trap Activation:

• Opening the north door and crossing the threshold activates a spiked log trap. The players make a DC14 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the trap deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage and 1d8 piercing damage, with no damage dealt on success. The trap is then rendered inert.

Additional Danger:

• Once at least two people are in the room, a part of the ceiling in the center opens up, and a very pissed off Basilisk (MM p24) drops into the room.

11 - Pitfall Peril

This rectangular room has a door to the east, and openings to the north and west.

Pit Trap:

• The opening to the west conceals a pit trap. A DC14 Perception check to detect, rolled with disadvantage if running from the gas in Room 9. Falling into the pit deals 2d6 bludgeoning damage.

Nasty Surprise

At the bottom of the pit is a Specter (MM p279).

Additional Danger:

• The room also contains a Wight (MM p300) who floats in from Room 12.

12 - The Final Confrontation

A large circular room ringed by pillars. In the middle of the room is a large conference table. Seated at the table is Morag. There are also chairs for each of the players, with what appear to be coin purses on the table by each chair. The door to the south is made out of dark reinforced wood with glowing arcane symbols and chains crisscrossing it.

Morag/Valtor's Monologue:

Morag claps slowly. "Good job... very good job. I honestly was not sure you would be able to do it, but here we are." He nods for you all to sit down. "The money is right there."

He fixes each of you with a gaze. "You all now work for me. We start now - these defenses all need to be revamped and you will help me do this."

It's likely the players will start popping off at this point or asking what's going on.

Morag's face and figure change into the face you have seen on the coins you were paid with. Valtor growls out "You should be grateful I'm not flaying you all right now - but I am a magnanimous ruler. And I appreciate talent. I wanted to test the defenses of my Keep and found them lacking. You will join my guard and help me fortify this place."

Unless the players agree (unlikely), combat begins.

Valtor gets up and seems to gather energy from some external source - the Heart of Noctis, you would assume. His eyes flash a deep red.

Roll initiative...

Valtor, the Tyrant

Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil

Armor Class 20 (Arcane Plate Armor) | 17 if Shattered

Hit Points 199 (22d8 + 100)

Speed 30 ft.

Skills Arcana +5, Intimidation +8, Perception +6

Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning

Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened

Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16

Languages Common, Draconic, Infernal

Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Magic Resistance. Valtor has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Arcane Resilience. At the start of his turn, Valtor can choose to end one effect on himself. This can include one spell or condition currently affecting him.

Actions

Multiattack. Valtor makes two attacks either with Arcane Blast or his Greatsword.

Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) cold, fire, or lightning damage (Valtor’s choice).

Arcane Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) force damage.

Arcane Smite (Recharge 6). When Valtor hits a creature with a melee weapon attack, he can deal an extra 13 (3d8) force damage to the target, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Reactions

Shield (1/Day). Valtor can cast Shield in response to being hit by an attack or targeted by the magic missile spell.

Misty Step (1/Day). When Valtor is targeted by an attack, he can use his reaction to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.

Counterspell (1/Day). When a creature within 60 feet of Valtor casts a spell, Valtor can use his reaction to attempt to interrupt the creature's spellcasting.

Absorb Elements (1/Day). When Valtor takes acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, he can use his reaction to halve the damage and store the energy in his greatsword. The next time he hits with a melee attack, the stored energy is released, dealing an extra 2d6 damage of the absorbed type.

Villain Actions

Villain actions occur on initiative count 20 (losing ties). Each round, Valtor can use the following actions:

Round 1: Elemental Burst. Valtor releases a burst of elemental energy. Each creature within 20 feet of him must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) cold, fire, or lightning damage (Valtor’s choice) on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Round 2: Dark Empowerment. Valtor draws power from the Heart of Noctis, gaining 30 temporary hit points. He also gains advantage on all attack rolls until the start of his next turn.

Round 3: Arcane Overload. Valtor releases a surge of magical energy. Each creature within 20 feet of him must make a DC 16 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 22 (4d10) force damage and is pushed 10 feet away from Valtor. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't pushed.

DM Note: If your party is particularly strong and/or lucky, you can have a few Veteran (MM p. 350) guards join the fray. You can also tweak Valtor's HP on the fly. HP should be around 100+25 per character.

Tactics

Initially, Valtor fights multiple PCs, still hoping to cow them into submission. When it becomes clear there is real danger to him (especially once some of the boons or items are used), he will try to take down the most dangerous-seeming foe.

Running the Fight

• Add Villain Actions to the Initiative Tracker. If Valtor and Villain Actions don't have any PCs between them in the initiative, move the Villain Actions to below the next PC in order.
• Make sure to track the usage of your reactions as you only get one of each.
• At the start of each round for Valtor:
  1. Use Arcane Resistance to remove the most dangerous condition or spell.
  2. Roll a d6 to recharge Arcane Smite if applicable.

After the Fight

Assuming the players win, let them roleplay what they want to do with the Heart of Noctis.

• If they decide to destroy it:
  • "As the Heart shatters, you feel a tension around you dissipate, a tension you never even noticed. You breathe a little easier..."
• If they decide to cleanse it and use it:
  • "A slow but clear feeling starts emanating from the Heart, counteracting Valtor's influence and cleansing the world around you..."
• If they decide to use it as is:
  • "You hear a whisper in your mind, telling you that you can have whatever you desire; you just need to give in to it..."
• If they can't decide, fade to black:
  • "We leave our heroes as they try to decide what should be done..."

If there is a TPK (Total Party Kill), describe them being sucked into the Heart of Noctis. Then give a brief cutaway to the various factions the players were a part of, showing them coming up with a new plan to take Valtor down.

There's a deal going on now for Tabletopy, 50% off in June (JUNE50), so pulled the trigger and got it. It's great! Unfortunately, the display is tiny AF and I'm having a hard time reading it. There's no way to maximize the program, I cannot drag the borders to make it larger.

Has anyone else had this issue? If so, how did you fix it?

I like to make my own maps, and when I play digitally, I've been using Photoshop to make my maps. Considering that the recent changes to Photoshop's terms of service pose a potential security risk (as well as how my license was through a university I'll no longer be a part of relatively soon), I'm wondering what alternatives to Photoshop people would suggest.

Here's the latest release of DMHelper, and it's packed with amazing new features and vital fixes that will take your tabletop RPG sessions to new heights!

New Major Features:

• Video Effects: Building on our previous animated layers, you can now add and move videos as local effects on your maps. Imagine those Spirit Guardians swirling around your cleric in real-time!
• Cloud Effects: Add a layer of animated clouds with customizable settings to create dynamic, ever-changing environments on your maps. Your players will be mesmerized!
• Rotatable Tokens: You asked, we listened! Now you can right-click on a token during combat and rotate it to any angle, giving you even more control over your encounters.
• Improved Character Actions: Character and NPC actions can now be imported from D&D Beyond, edited, and inherited from creatures. Plus, they show up in a detailed, expandable mouse-over pop-up during battles, so you no longer need to jump back to character pages. Stay in the action and keep your game flowing smoothly!

Essential Fixes:

• Audio Playback: We've fixed the sound playback issues—thank you to everyone who flagged this!
• "Apply Effect...": Enjoy casting spells like fireball without a hitch, thanks to our fix.
• Initiative Order: Saving initiative order now works flawlessly, ensuring your combats remain organized.
• Campaign File Crashes: We've addressed the crash-bug when opening older campaign files from v2.5.

These enhancements build on our key features like video layers, bringing even more versatility and excitement to your campaigns. Update to v3.2 now and experience the next level of immersive gameplay!

For all the details, check out our official website or join our enthusiastic community on Discord.

Official website: www.dm-helper.com/
Discord: discord.gg/Uzum3mCeDG

Happy adventuring!

Hi folks. I often end up making letters as handouts for my game, but found that it was time consuming to make it look reasonably appealing. So I built a tool to make it easier.

The RPG Letter Handout Creator lets you create a nice looking letter handout with minimal effort. It lets you choose from four different styles: aristocratic, commoner, dwarvish/medieval, and scrawl. And for sharing with your players you can print it directly or save it as an image. Hope you find it useful!

[PWYW] Red Mask Inn: a scalable horror one-shot (levels 1-10)

This is my favorite thing I've written so far. My players who play-tested the adventure had a blast so I hope you all will enjoy it as well.

Upon entering a seemingly innocuous tavern, players quickly realize it’s not the refuge they expected. The innkeeper and his ‘daughter,’ the serving girl, are not what they seem. Beneath their facades lie malevolent beings with a taste for their guests. Facing both mental and physical trials, the players must outwit these monsters before they become the evening’s special.

The players will start their ordeal facing terrifying nightmares. Upon awakening, they must navigate a series of horror-themed rooms intended to weaken them before the ultimate showdown with the “hosts.” Victory over them will not be the end, as they must then escape the crumbling pocket dimension in which they’re trapped.

This module can serve as a standalone one-shot adventure or seamlessly integrate into an ongoing campaign. It’s adaptable to any location or setting and offers scalability for various levels. While the default tone leans toward the darker side, feel free to adjust it to suit your campaign’s ambiance.

This adventure may last between 3 to 6 hours, varying based on the extent to which you utilize the module’s content and your players’ decisions.

Includes:

• 10 nightmares for your PCs
• 10 horrifying rooms
• An epic showdown with an action-oriented final boss "Red Mask" as well as his companion "The Hunger".
• Instructions for scaling the adventure.
• Helpful DM tips that will make prep and running a breeze
• 3 battle maps created in Inkarnate
• Custom Monster stat blocks and tokens

Art attribution:

• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mask_(Tragedy_comedy)_(2768529820).jpg
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Dunwich_Horror_-_Wilbur_Whateley%27s_twin_by_Reuben_C._Dodd.jpg
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potions_Classroom_(47307949392).jpg
• https://www.deviantart.com/abandonedfalcon/art/Meet-me-at-the-bar-888760727
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cincinnati_-_Spring_Grove_Cemetery_%26_Arboretum_-_Weeping_Angel_statue.jpg
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fortezza_Verrucole_Archeopark_interno.jpg
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eastern_state_peniteniary,_13_(14107969638).jpg
• https://www.flickr.com/photos/shando_/9875265043/
• https://www.flickr.com/photos/diegopianarosa/16339757676/
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ghost_reveries_-_Flickr_-_kr428.jpg
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WeirdTalesv42n04pg006_Tell_Your_Fortune.png
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WeirdTalesv42n4pg075_At_the_End_of_the_Corridor.png

Created in homebrewery

Previous Work:

• The Library - Level 3 one-shot (Easy for New DMs and New Players to learn)
• Project: Fragmentation (Rogue-like, PWYW)

What other DM's have said:

• Tossed this lil adventure in our D&D world and the players had a blast with all the twists and turns. As a DM I enjoyed the fact that it was well written and easy to run, I didn't have to flip through a lot of mess to run it like I've had to do on some other adventures. Highly recommended. -Jason T via DMsGuild

• Incorporated this last night into our campaign and had a blast. Biggest hits were the dream sequences, the library lore, bar potions, and the dynamic of having a family of commoners to protect. Players were also impressed with the lair and villain actions. I would recommend this to other DMs as it was easy to prep for, fairly simple to run, and the party had fun! -Ty R via DMsGuild

• I gave my party trauma and trust issues with this one! It was great time! /u/Chibi_Disaster

Preview

Adding what I could fit into this post - had to cut some info to fit into the limit:

NPCs

• Redd Traskin - At first glance: The welcoming face behind the bar, always ready with a drink and a story about his culinary adventures. Lurking beneath is a creature known as Red Mask: a malevolent being who ensnares victims with harrowing dreams, rendering them helpless before he claims and cooks them.

• Nara Traskin - On the surface a seemingly aloof barmaid, introduced as Redd's "daughter", with a penchant for keeping to herself and often notably reserved. But beneath that exterior she is The Hunger, a fearsome entity with a singular, overpowering mission: to satiate her eternal appetite.

• (Optional) Other guests - a young couple with a child

  • Brent Haskill (26) - Husband of the young couple, blacksmith, friendly, introverted
  • Raida Haskill (25) - Wife of the young couple, leatherworker, gregarious, warm
  • Breeni Haskill (7) - Daughter

Scaling the Adventure

Effect & Trap Damage

DCs

The Inn at the Cross Roads

At the crossroads, a quaint inn catches your eye. Its simple two-story structure, with walls of weathered wood and a stone base, exudes a rustic charm. A single horse is tethered to a wagon nearby, hinting at the presence of other travelers.

A wooden sign, hand-carved and swinging in the evening breeze, reads "Red Mask Inn" in neatly scrolled letters. Below the name are two theatrical masks, the smiling Comedy and crying Tragedy.

DM Notes

For a one-shot adventure, consider giving the one-shot a different name than "Red Mask Inn" to serve as a red herring. Whether you're running a campaign or a one-shot, you can utilize the classic trope of the characters either meeting at the inn or using it as a place to rest and gather information.

Describe the inn as an unassuming, typical roadside establishment, creating an atmosphere of a routine stop for travelers. In a campaign, it's ideal to introduce this inn after the group has already faced some encounters in the days before. This timing helps to set the stage for what follows, making the inn seem like a normal, much-needed, resting point in their journey.

Inside the inn

As you push open the creaky door of the Red Mask Inn, you're greeted by the comforting warmth of a crackling fireplace and the rich aroma of hearty stew. The inn's interior is cozy, with wooden beams and a few round tables scattered across the room.

Behind the bar stands Redd Traskin, the owner and bartender of the inn. He's a robust man with a warm smile, busy polishing glasses but always ready to strike up a conversation. As you approach, he greets you with a jovial voice, "Welcome, travelers! You must be famished. Our stew today is particularly good, made with fresh herbs from the garden!"

Moving between the tables with a tray in hand is Nara, Redd’s daughter. She seems to be in her own world, efficiently serving patrons but with a distant look in her eyes. If players attempt to interact with her, she responds politely but briefly, maintaining a professional distance.

Seated at a corner table is a young couple with their child. The man, Brent Haskill, has the sturdy build of a blacksmith, while his wife, Raida, radiates warmth and friendliness. Their daughter, Breeni, is a bundle of energy, her eyes wide with curiosity as she looks around the inn. Breeni seems particularly interested in the adventurers, especially if there's a female-presenting member or someone who looks like a seasoned adventurer in the group. This presents a great opportunity for roleplaying and helps to engage the players with these NPCs.

Going to bed

Each room costs 3 sp per night. If your players are cautious, they may decide to set a watch. Ask for the watch order. For the first person on watch: if they ate or drank at the inn, they must make a CON saving throw against the HARD DC ___. Failure results in them falling asleep during their watch.

After some time if a player is not asleep because they (1) did not eat or drink at the inn, (2) succeeded on their Constitution saving throw, or (3) are immune to magical sleep (e.g. due to a feature like Fey Ancestry), they notice something peculiar. The lights in the tavern, if any were lit, suddenly dim, and the normal nighttime sounds from outside the tavern abruptly stop.

This player may try to help wake up the other players as they have their nightmares (see next section). This gives the players advantage on their saving throws.

Dreadful Reveries

Party members who fall asleep will experience nightmares. You can create unique nightmares (plumb your player's back stories or campaign events for ideas) or use the provided list for inspiration. Each dream culminates in a save attempt, allowing players to choose between a WIS, INT, or CHA saving throw, depending on their character's mental strengths. End each nightmare description with "Roll a mental save using your preferred stat." If they fail to wake up, they suffer LIGHT, or MEDIUM if they fail the check by more than 5, non-lethal psychic damage. If they roll a Natural 1 on their save, they gain one level of exhaustion. Either way on a failed save they slip into another dream. The initial save DC is set at HARD and should decrease by one level for each subsequent attempt. It is recommended to do not more than 3 nightmares. If another character is attempting to wake them or if they have abilities that aid in resisting mental effects, they may make the save with advantage.

Nightmares

1. It's night. You are running through the woods. Brambles and thorns rip at your skin. Something is chasing you, and it's gaining. You hear it coming closer and closer. You stumble, fall, and it's on your back, ready to strike…
2. You are on a ledge of a narrow cliff. The wind howls, and the rain buffets you. Lightning briefly illuminates the world, revealing jagged rocks hundreds of feet below. Your foot slips, your fingers lose their grip. You begin to fall…
3. [Not for characters with water breathing] You are underwater. Seaweed tangles around your legs and feet as you try to orient yourself. There is no up, no down. Your lungs burn, and when you can no longer hold your breath, brackish, dirty water rushes down your throat…
4. You are in a coffin. You don't know how long you've been here. You push up on the lid but the weight of the dirt above renders your effort futile. Your fingers bleed as you scratch through the wood, trying to reach the freshly dug earth. The air grows heavier, and you feel yourself slipping away…
5. The stars above are beautiful. You try to keep fear at bay, hoping your ship will return. But deep down, you know they won't find you in the vast, uncaring ocean. As you hear a splash to your right, you turn to glimpse a notched fin that was heading in your direction submerge under the water...
6. The reflection in the mirror isn't you. You chant this mantra, yet the creature in the glass tilts its head mockingly and whispers, “No, not you. Not yet!” Its gnarled hands creep forward, attempting to breach the barrier of the silvered glass...
7. The cave-in is a minor setback. You've found an exit after an hour. A set of hand-holds lead up towards the surface. In your haste, you squeeze through a narrow ledge. Suddenly, you're stuck, the pressure on your chest blurring your vision and clouding your mind, fresh air just out of reach…
8. You walk through city streets, unnoticed by the teeming crowd. A growing sense of wrongness intensifies as the figures turn toward you. You only have a moment to dread as you see their faceless heads, when they all then converge on you as one…
9. After leaving the warm tent, the cold seemed bearable. But a stinging wind and swirling snow soon disorient you. It feels warmer; you shed layers, mistaking deadly cold for heat. You stumble into the soft snow, deciding to rest, just for a minute…
10. It's twilight in the woods. A dead tree in a clearing, covered in birds, crows or ravens, hard to tell. More cawing, flapping wings, and suddenly, the birds take flight, sharp beaks and claws going for your eyes…

Players Awaken

Once all the players awaken, they will likely attempt to figure out their situation. Should they look out the window, they will see the outside world; however, this view is merely an illusion. Efforts to break through walls, floors, and ceilings will prove futile. Furthermore, utilizing teleportation magic, such as dimension door and plane shift, appears ineffective, except for local effects like misty step or dimension door to a visible location.

Upon opening the door, the players will discover themselves in a long corridor, extending hundreds of feet. The only doors in this corridor are those leading to the PCs' rooms, the room of a young couple, and a black door at the far end of the hallway. Horrified moans and screams emanate from the young couple’s room. If the players choose to intervene and break in, they will find the couple and their daughter inside, all of whom are also experiencing nightmares and can be awakened by the players.

As the PCs make their way down the hallway, they come across a collection of strikingly realistic portraits. Each one captures a different being - humans, dragonborn, gnomes, and more - from a wide spectrum of ages, genders, and races. The subjects are dressed in everything from opulent clothes to plain rags, and some are even armored, weapons in hand. But there's one unsettling similarity across all these portraits: every face is frozen in an expression of sheer terror.

At the end of the hallway, they find the black door, which is unlocked.

Rooms

Upon entering, the PCs have a series of rooms you will guide them through. You can either craft your own rooms or use those included in this adventure. Players might attempt to take a Short Rest in some rooms, and it's up to you whether to allow it or not. You want the PCs battered, but not spent for the final confrontation. If you choose to deny them the rest, narrate psychic pressure to move out of the room - leading to psychic damage on refusal.

The Library

As the party steps into a dimly lit room, they're surrounded by towering bookshelves. The books around them seem to be whispering secrets of forbidden knowledge. Each player needs to make a MEDIUM WIS saving throw to avoid taking MEDIUM non-lethal psychic damage from the eldritch knowledge trying to worm into their brain, with the damage halved if they succeed. Those players naturally drawn to knowledge, like Wizards and Bards, will find this more challenging and must make the throw at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, those less inclined towards books, like Barbarians or Fighters, will have advantage. It's up to you as the DM to decide these advantages and disadvantages based on your characters' proclivities.

DM Notes

• Use this section as a chance to weave in some of your world's lore. It's a perfect opportunity for players to uncover hidden aspects of your campaign's universe.
• While the books in this room can be physically taken, to avoid players hoarding countless volumes, consider describing how some books disintegrate into ash as soon as they're opened.

The Memory Gallery

In this sparsely furnished room, the walls are adorned with striking paintings of landscapes, ranging from mountain vistas to sunsets over the ocean, and serene forest clearings. As the PCs explore these paintings, focus on one PC and bring a distressing memory from their backstory to life, using the painting they are viewing as the backdrop. This scene then animates before the players. The PC at the center of this memory is faced with a HARD WIS saving throw, with the risk of taking SERIOUS non-lethal psychic damage upon failure, or half the damage if they succeed. Meanwhile, other PCs witnessing this scene must make an EASY WIS save to avoid LIGHT non-lethal psychic damage, suffering no damage on a successful save. Breeni’s past interactions with the affected PC could play a role here. Breeni may hug the PC, granting them advantage on their saving throw.

The Mirror Chamber

In the mirror chamber, walls lined with ornate, grimy mirrors reflect distorted and grotesque images of the adventurers. The air is thick, filled with the unsettling scent of iron and decay. Suddenly, their reflections lunge out of the glass, materializing into tangible, malevolent doppelgängers that attack, forcing the party to confront twisted versions of themselves.

Choose a character's favorite or iconic attack or spell and use it against each player. A single hit on the mirror version or the mirror itself is enough to destroy it.

The Dining Hall

The long wooden table is laden with rotting food: fruit covered in mold, meat moving with maggots, and bread so stale it looks fossilized, all set among goblets filled with a murky, clotting liquid that might have once been wine. Nearby, a platter holds what appears to be a human hand, its skin cooked to a crisp and its fingernails garnished with sprigs of wilted herbs. The foul stench of decay and spoiled meat permeates the room, mingling with the unsettling, almost palpable aura of dread. Players must make a MEDIUM CON saving throw. On a failure, gain the poisoned condition, lasting for 1d4 rooms.

The Hospital Room

Several linen-covered beds on the far side of the room are splattered with dried blood. Bone saws with jagged teeth and other cruel implements are neatly arranged on a side table, gleaming ominously in the torchlight. Drawers with various medical supplies are left half-closed. Several vials labeled as "Healing Potions" sit on a nearby shelf. A MEDIUM Arcana or Medicine check will determine these are actually poison (1d4+1 poison damage). The party may choose to remain here and use some of the supplies to heal up - can be used as a Short Rest opportunity.

The Bathroom

A decrepit wooden bathtub sits in the corner, filled with a stagnant, dark liquid that occasionally bubbles as if something lurks beneath the surface. Next to the bathtub, a stone toilet fixture stands as if hewn directly from the chamber's walls, its bowl filled with an unidentifiable, viscous substance that seems to churn of its own accord. Faint, grotesque sketches are etched into the stone around the toilet, depicting unsettling scenes that make you question the sanity of previous occupants. Blood spatters mar the cracked tiles, leading to a cracked tarnished mirror that reflects a distorted image of anyone who dares to look.

If anyone gets within 5 ft of the bathtub, tentacles will try to grapple them (MEDIUM Escape DC). The tentacles will also deal MEDIUM amount of bludgeoning damage on a successful grapple. Any damage to the tentacles (AC 12) will release the PC.

The Greenhouse

The greenhouse is a labyrinth of overgrown, twisted plants, their leaves unnaturally dark and thorns menacingly sharp. A misty, almost phosphorescent fog hangs low, casting a sickly green glow over everything, and making it hard to see what lurks in the corners. Amongst the flora, the party can spot several cages containing withered remains of animals and, disturbingly, a few humanoid shapes — all twisted in expressions of agony, as if the plants themselves had consumed them.

Monster encounter, balance for your party:

To make things more difficult for the players, you can also add an additional MEDIUM CON saving throw against the fog's effects, with the players taking LIGHT poison damage on failure. Altering the number of monsters is another effective method for adjusting the challenge level. Additionally, if you're looking to incorporate different types of monsters, don't hesitate to use homebrew or reflavored monsters.

The Bar

The barroom is dimly lit by tarnished chandeliers that cast ghostly flickers across worn wooden floorboards. A long, decaying bar counter dominates one side of the room. Its surface is stained and pockmarked, lined with bottles containing strange, discolored liquids. The stools around the bar are unsteady, emitting ominous creaks under the slightest pressure. Notably, one stool bears an unsettling stain, reminiscent of dried blood.

If players choose to consume any of the bottles, roll on the table below to determine the effects. Generally, it's not recommended to allow more than one potion per player (drinking more than one results in vomiting). If an effect doesn't apply to a character, or another player already drank the potion rolled, roll again. The effects last until the end of the adventure. A MEDIUM DC Alchemist Tools, Herbalist Kit or Arcana Check will reveal the properties of the potions. An EASY DC check may reveal partial properties.

The Stalking Statues

The room is a vast, dimly-lit chamber with four stone statues positioned in various states of distress; their faces contorted in silent screams or buried in their hands as if weeping. The flickering light from a dying chandelier dances across their features, casting ominous shadows that seem to move. Describe the chandelier as flickering in and out. In the darkness, the statues seem to move closer and closer.

You can treat this room narratively to unsettle the players, or turn it into an encounter. For an encounter, roll initiative (the statues always act at the end of the initiative order, and only on rounds when the lights are out). Every other round, either cover the map if playing in person, switch to a blank map on a VTT, or, if using theater of the mind, simply narrate the lights going out. The statues can only move in darkness, which is magical. Some players may have the ability to see through magical darkness. In such cases, the movement of the statues is visible to those players. Players who cannot see in the darkness can move but must declare their directions and distances. The door at the end of the room is unlocked when all statues are destroyed or by using the Knock spell.

Stalking Statues

Medium Construct, neutral evil

Armor Class :: 18 (natural armor) Hit Points :: 3 MEDIUM hits Speed :: 20 ft (can move only in darkness)

Antimagic Susceptibility. The statue is incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the statue must succeed on a CON saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute. : False Appearance. While the statue remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal statue. : Dark Step. The statue can only move in darkness. It moves silently. It may not take the dash action. All attacks automatically hit.

Actions

Multiattack. The statue makes two melee attacks if the APL is 4+, and three melee attacks if the APL is 7+. : Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: automatically hits, reach 5ft., one target. Hit MEDIUM bludgeoning damage. : Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: automatically hits, reach 5ft., one target. Hit MEDIUM piercing damage. : Grapple. Roll Contested Athletics vs Atheltics or Acrobatics. The statue rolls with Advantage. Reach 5ft., one target. MEDIUM escape DC to break free.

Final Confrontation

Suggested flavor text - read in your own voice / tone: : You walk through the door to find yourself in a vast, open kitchen. The air is heavy with the scent of pots boiling over low flames, their contents a mystery. Shadows flicker and stretch across the walls, animated by the dim firelight.

Above, cured meats hang from hooks, swaying slightly in the draft. The countertops are littered with a variety of sinister-looking knives and butchery tools, their edges catching the light with an ominous glint.

At the center of this daunting scene stand Redd and Nara. Redd greets you with a malicious smile. “Now that you’ve been properly tenderized, it’s time for the main course!” he says. In a chilling display, he reaches for his face and peels it away as if it were a mask, revealing the ghastly sight of raw muscles, pulsing veins, and exposed nerves.

Next to him, Nara stands with an unsettling calm. Her hands begin to unnaturally stretch and contort, transforming into deadly claws. As she grins, her mouth widens unnervingly, unveiling a row of sharp, predatory teeth.

Monstrous Hosts

Redd Traskin, also known as Red Mask, and Nara Traskin, known as The Hunger, have hidden their monstrous nature for years by disguising themselves as the friendly innkeepers of the Red Mask Inn. They lure travelers with warmth and hospitality, only to ensnare them in a nightmarish trap. Through their powers of perception and emotion manipulation, they torment their victims in an alternate dimension, relishing the fear and suffering they create. All the while, they maintain their facade as ordinary innkeepers, continuing their sinister feast on unsuspecting guests.

Lair Actions

Initiative :: At initiative order 20, use one of the lair action options

Scalding Water: Boiling water erupts from pots in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a MEDIUM DEX saving throw, taking MEDIUM fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. : Slippery Floors: The floor becomes slick with oil and grease. For the next round, any creature moving across the floor must make a MEDIUM DEX saving throw or fall prone. You can avoid this by moving at half speed, but you must declare this before moving. : Whirling Blades: Blades whirl in a line 50 feet long and 5 feet wide. Each creature in the line must make a MEDIUM DEX saving throw, taking MEDIUM piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. : Flour Explosion: A cloud of flour ignites in a 30-foot radius centered on a point within the lair. Each creature in that area must make a MEDIUM DEX saving throw, taking MEDIUM fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

DM Notes

HP: The HP listed in the stat blocks are simply a guideline. Balance to your party, making sure that the combat lasts some time, but doesn't drag on too long. : Villain Actions: Red Mask utilizes villain actions. This is an action he can take at any point after a PCs action, but limited to one per round.

Red Mask

Medium monstrosity, chaotic evil

Speed :: 30 ft

Reactions

I think not! (3/day) As a reaction, Red Mask can choose to succeed on a failed check. However, this requires mental fortitude, so he takes MEDIUM non-lethal psychic damage to do so.

Actions

Multiattack. The Red Mask makes two melee attacks if the APL is 4+, and three melee attacks if the APL is 7+. : Misty Step. Red Mask can cast Misty Step at will as a bonus action. : Butcher’s Knife. Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5ft., one target.

Villain Actions

How's My Cooking? Any creature that ate food in the tavern must make a MEDIUM CON saving throw or be incapacitated with retching as rotten, maggoty food comes back up. The effect lasts until the end of the affected creature's turn. : Time to Eat! Nara can move up to her speed towards a target and make a bite attack as part of the same action. : See What Awaits You! Red Mask unleashes a wave of mental horror, showing the victims horrific images of previous guests being butchered and eaten. Each creature within sight must succeed on an EASY WIS saving throw or take MEDIUM non-lethal psychic damage.

Tactics

The Hunger prefers hit-and-run tactics, targeting the least armored or most injured characters. If the characters try to focus fire on Red Mask, narrate The Hunger turning it's attention to the Haskill family.

She will try to Bite as at least one of her attacks to keep regenerating hit points.

Nara, The Hunger

Medium monstrosity, chaotic evil

Speed :: 50 ft

Reactions

Bloodthirsty Pursuit. If a creature within 30 feet of The Hunger uses a teleportation ability or spell to escape, The Hunger can use its reaction to immediately teleport to a space adjacent to the escaping creature.

Actions

Multiattack. The The Hunger makes two melee attacks if the APL is 4+, and three melee attacks if the APL is 7+. : Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: reach 10ft., one target. If target not armored, or on a critical hit, add bleed damage for 1d3 rounds. This damage does not stack on multiple hits, instead use the highest rolled value for damage and rounds rolled. This effect can only be removed by magical healing. : Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5ft., one target. On a successful hit, deal damage as normal, and The Hunger regenerates half of the damage dealt as hit points.

The Collapse

With the death of its hosts, the reality of this pocket dimension begins to unravel. This is a perfect time to deploy a Skill Challenge. Choose any of the following room descriptions, and let the players decide which skills they want to employ to navigate through the room. The focus here is on the Rule of Cool.

Ideally, these should be rooms the party have already encountered, but you can also introduce new rooms they haven't seen yet. The players can to select any Skill for their roll, as long as it fits the narrative context. Set the DC based on what they're attempting to achieve and its level of feasibility. Spells and other actions taken by the players should also have an impact, provided they logically align with the situation at hand.

Achieving one or two successful outcomes should be sufficient to pass through a room. In case of failure, introduce a complication, such as a character sustaining an injury, acquiring a level of exhaustion, or suffering a temporary condition like being frightened, poisoned, or even blinded. In such scenarios, other party members may need to assist the affected player.

DM Notes

Here you should aim to instill a sense of urgency and desperation. Monitor your players closely. As they approach their limits, consider making that room the final challenge. Remember, they don't need to complete every room you've planned.

Time to Run

Suggested flavor text - read in your own voice / tone:

As you land the final blow, a momentary stillness ensues, briefly allowing you to reflect on your victory. But there's no time for celebration. A low hum begins to resonate through the space, growing louder with each passing second. Around you, the walls and ceiling start to crack and splinter. Suddenly, a wall in front of you collapses, revealing one of the rooms you passed through earlier. Behind you, the ceiling is collapsing. The way forward is through...

[Note, I had to cut the descriptions of rooms on the way back to fit into char limit - see PDF]

Conclusion

As you burst through the door, you're back in the long corridor you first encountered as you woke up. At the far end, you glimpse the outside world. You sprint towards freedom as the corridor crumbles behind you, the destruction nipping at your heels. In a desperate leap at the last possible moment, you escape... and the sudden tranquility of the night envelops you. The quiet, so starkly contrasted with the preceding chaos, strikes you with its intensity. Surrounded by the serene sounds of the forest, the peace feels almost otherworldly, a surreal end to your harrowing journey.

You stand at a crossroads, where an old structure looms, clearly long abandoned. It leans precariously, a silhouette against the night sky. Moonlight filters through its collapsed roof, casting ghostly shadows across the crumbling walls. The scene, bathed in a silver glow, is both haunting and strangely serene.

Loot

Tucked away behind the inn, the adventurers might notice something peculiar about the compost heap — it seems to occasionally sparkle with the glint of metal and the shimmer of gemstones. Upon closer inspection and a bit of rummaging, they'll discover that this isn't just any old pile of refuse; it's a resting place for treasures that once belonged to the inn's unfortunate previous visitors.

You can use the rules for Treasure Hoard Tables from DMG p133 to see what the players can find.

I'm trying to figure out if I should spring for a ton of books in DnD beyond and the master subscription, or for the world anvil yearly or something else? I play in person once a week, and honestly, I hate math. I would really like a simple way to just have for example... a lot of the basics of character sheets do the math for me, hit points auto-deduct from monsters and stuff like that. Is that a thing? What is the right thing?

Hello all, I'm posting to inquire about a gift for my DM. We have an excellent DM whos done a great job of building our world, using proper research to balance the game and creating an overall excellent experience. We've gotten him books, a nice bag and DM screen, dice, you know, all of the regular stuff. I have a 3D printer so I can print him terrain and whatnot when necessary too. I'm wondering what would be a nice gift/useful tool that I can get him to make either story planning easier, possibly an easy digital maps interface, initiative keeper. Something that will show appreciation and that will also be useful either in game or while he's planning. Thanks everyone.