The advice I give towards marshalling your players is geared towards getting players to the table in a West Marches styled game. What is West Marches? It is akin to pick-up basketball but it's about your favourite RPG of choice getting played instead. It's getting any number of peeps excited to play.

While some of this wouldn't apply to your home games, it may give you ideas of why a campaign failed to fire. You can impliment these ideas for your next attempt to sate the RPG fiend that lurks in our brains.

If you're lucky enough to have regulars, this is a way to also make it less daunting for new players to join up. The fact is unless New Blood shows up, the Old Guard will die out. You need fresh recruits when it comes to any hobby as peoples interests and priorities shift. Keep the ideas in your back pocket.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I'll gladly chat your ear off in the comments down below.

A soap opera and wrestling both do over the top emotions, making it easy for your players to read the room and know what's going on. Roleplay like a roided out gorilla in spandex.

Chris Perkins wrote an article back in 2012 about what he called Map-fu. In it he teaches a few tips and tricks to people who struggle with drawing battlemaps (like me)

I made a video outlining his tools along with some of my own.

If you're interested, please give it a look!

Header Note: I was recently watching a Crit-Crab video when I came across an interesting concept, a complete rework of the combat system and the implementation of the V.A.T.S system from the Fallout games into the core combat mechanics of DND, though an intriguing concept, I found several problems with it, as players clearly felt shoe-horned into a particular play style, and constantly incapable of completing normal actions. With that in mind, I wanted to outline a system that could incorporate an *optional* attack action with melee/ranged weapons which increases risk, and in-turn, reward.

**Though this premise is conceptualized through the tech-savvy fallout universe, I see this as a kitchen-sink concept that can take shape through many different flavors. This system can take shape through an experimental artificer who's designed advanced targeting technology, or nothing more than a risk-taking fighter with comprehensive experience in wielding Marshall weapons. Implementation is entirely up to you.

The Premise:

Like DM's and Players alike, I often want combat to feel thrilling, engaging, and dangerous, though I feel with the current DND 5e combat system, the potential for combat as a melee/ranged combat user is severely limited. With this system my goal is to create DYNAMIC combat encounters, increase Player & DM interaction, cultivate more enticing and dramatic RP opportunities in combat, and to implement more variety to the outcomes as a result of choices in combat.

So here it is, here's the fateful CHANGE,

- All Melee/Ranged attacks can (if they choose) target a specific limb.

How is this possible? With the implementation of a very simple concept known as the "Attack Challenge DC", The ACDC (lol) is derived from the DC system that already exists in and out of combat in DND 5e with modifications to create risk.

Attack Challenge DC:

The Attack Challenge DC is primarily established through the description and creativity of a players attack action. This system is meant to outline a loose guideline and define a solid rule system with enough malleability that a DM feels they can create a sense of risk and tension out of a players creativity. If a DM feels as though the ACDC is too low or too high, they can adjust it accordingly! The status effects and damage bonuses of the the ACDC modifiers are left entirely to DMs ruling, these are just my initial concepts. The modifiers themselves are pretty low in my opinion, as they haven't been play tested. Modifiers should be left to DM discretion, this just serves as a guideline for consistency.

Each limb has an ACDC modifier.

Left/Right Arms: ACDC +2

- On a success, with DMs discretion, until the next turn an enemy could:

- Suffer disadvantage on non spell melee/ranged attacks or certain skill checks until the start of their next turn.

Left/Right Legs: ACDC +2

- On a success, with DMs discretion, until the next turn an enemy could:

- Be left prone

- Suffer shortened speed

- Experience disadvantage on physical skill checks until the start of their next turn.

Head: +3

- On a success, with DMs discretion, until the next turn an enemy could:

- Be left incapacitated, unconscious, deafened, blind, or even paralyzed until the start of their

next turn.

- Suffer an additional (1D6 damage)

Neck +3

- On a success, with DMs discretion, until the next turn an enemy could:

- Suffer an additional (1D6 damage)

As an example, I'll use a standard Goblin's stats to explain how an ACDC would effect it's DC.

" A fighter describes themselves flanking their enemy, sword unsheathed and at the ready, the goblin spins around to face them, they meet the goblins intense and unsettling gaze, the fighter, experienced in the dance of sword fighting, quickly looks to the right beyond the goblin, the goblin follows their eyes, and with haste the fighter takes advantage of this moment to slice through its left shoulder."

With DMs discretion, the DC could be raised from 15 to 17 given the +2 of the ACDC, on a success, the fighter will have sliced through the goblins left shoulder leaving them potentially at disadvantage on their attack or related skill checks until the start of their next turn.

Action Points:

You might be the kind of DM that goes, hey, this sounds awesome but also gives the impression players who now engage in melee/ranged combat suddenly have the ability to deal a barrage of status effects/conditions on enemies, that doesn't seem very balanced, then i'd say to you that's totally fair! Not to worry, Introducing: Action Points!

Action Points, derived directly from the Fallout games and mirroring Ki Points, a player is able to expend an Action Point during combat to take more specific high-risk high-reward attack actions. The amount of Action Points per long rest could be derived directly from the Ki Points table:

Lvl1: +1AP

Lvl2: +2AP

Lvl3 +3AP

etc....

the Drunk Scale

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

My party and I have been using this tool that I came up with for several years now, and it has always brought a lot of fun to our table! Today, I wanted to share it with you. Whether you're running a tavern crawl, a drinking competition, or just letting your PCs relax after a grueling adventure, the Drunk Scale is what you ordered.

If you like the idea of the Drunk Scale, you can download the PDF for free on my website, Center Ring Productions

If you enjoy this tool and would like to see more, please consider subscribing on YouTube or following on Instagram and Threads.

From one DM to another, have an intoxicating session!

Hey r/DMToolkit!

I'm excited to introduce The Alerian Sourcebook, a comprehensive fantasy setting filled with unique lore, character options, and worldbuilding that’s been nearly fifteen years in the making. I've poured a ton of love and creativity into crafting the world of Aleria, and now, with the help of Kickstarter, I'm working to bring it to life for DMs and players alike.

What’s Inside the Sourcebook? The Alerian Sourcebook includes everything you need to make Aleria your next campaign setting or to pick and choose elements for your own world. Here’s a bit of what you’ll find:

• Unique Classes and Backgrounds – From Frostweavers and Soul Stealers to Milani Nobles and Lashaari Refugees, Aleria has new character options ready for you to explore.
• Diverse Regions and Factions – With distinct landscapes and powerful factions, each region in Aleria is rich with opportunities for intrigue and adventure.
• Expansive Lore and Monsters – Populate your campaigns with new creatures, NPCs, and ancient artifacts inspired by Aleria’s magical and mythological history.

Why Kickstarter? I’m using Kickstarter to fund high-quality artwork, print copies, and to bring Aleria to a larger audience. This project is about more than just a sourcebook – it’s about creating a fully-realized world that’s easy to integrate into any TTRPG campaign.

If you’re interested in exploring a new world with your players or want to see what we’ve been working on, check out The Alerian Sourcebook at https://thealeriansourcebook.com

Thanks for taking a look, and happy adventuring!

It's important to keep a fast clip so that your players enter a flow state faster, which naturally causes them to enjoy things. There's a reason why work can feel like a torturous slog while play zips by despite being the same amount of time.

https://www.kontentpunch.com/kontent/save-time-to-maintain-tempo

As the title says i need help, i stop for a while and i dont save the link i was using to make spell and items cards for dnd, and now cannot find it anywhere (i was using it in my other work pc in my freetime and forgot save it).

I remember allows to write, add symbols, upload images, portrait and margens, if i remember correctly allows to make magic cards too. Someone could help me to find it pls.

So i'm looking for either a deck or a guidebook to incorporating a tarot deck into my game. My players will meet a fortune teller, and I'd like the cards to potentially point to future events that may impact them. I looked at the D&D deck, but the guide is more tied to creating specific encounters which I'm not looking for. On the other extreme, I don't want to expend the time and effort to master Tarot reading. Looking for something in between, so I can lay the cards down and say for example, oh this card indicates you are destined for royalty...etc. Or, maybe I should just wing it and make it up as I go. Anyway, appreciate the input. Thanks.

I made my own adventure based off of the Magic the Gathering faction the Cult of Rakdos. It's a performing troupe that caters to entertaining a bored demon. The party went to an amusement park that included a play with mandatory audience participation. I go over the problem I had when I ran it so you can avoid the same pitfalls.

https://www.kontentpunch.com/kontent/note-failure-rakdos-carnival

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!

It's October, the month of Halloween, so of course I had to prep a spine-chilling One-Shot! The Haunt is one of the highest-rated 5th-Level Horror-Themed One-Shots around by Phil Beckwith. In it, your players will have to survive, solve puzzles, and uncover the mysteries of Montarthas Manor.

In ages past, an ancient town was lost and destroyed by a siege of orcs. Only one building survived and to this day, the manor is the only still standing building to be seen for miles around. Some say it is haunted, a few whisper of great treasures within, whilst others whisper that it is the manor itself that lives! No one knows for sure, only that a great evil haunts its halls. Do you dare enter Montarthas Manor?!

Without further ado:

• Google Docs Notes for The Haunt: DM Notes (Preview)
• Link to: The Haunt PDF
• Link to: The Haunt 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
• Handout for The Scroll of Invisibility
• Custom Maps of the Manor

Over 6 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!

P.S. As a special Halloween treat anyone who enters the code Halloween2024 when signing up will get 25% off their first month!

Cheers,
Advent

Hi, my name is Khan and I am the person behind Devabhumi. I am of Indian origin, and I have always been interested in non-European D&D settings. There is such a treasure trove of untapped stories, monsters, and legends in Indian Culture, which can provide fresh and unique content for your campaigns.

Devabhumi is a high fantasy 5e and Pathfinder 2e setting inspired by the history and epics of Ancient India. This setting features:

• 100+ pages of lore
• A karma mechanic
• 8 new races
• 20+ backgrounds and feats
• And much more!

Download the campaign setting here.

Hey everyone,

I recently made an online app that can generate D&D one-shot adventures and I am looking for some feedback.

To use the app, you just need to put in a prompt and after about 5-10 minutes it will produce a fully formatted adventure ready to run. It is still in the early stages right now and still needs some work. I was hoping to get a few people to try it out and send me some feedback (via inbox here on reddit). You automatically get a token to create an adventure when you sign up, but if you are keen to try out a few different adventure styles to test it out, then I will add some additional tokens to your account.

Sorry for the current jankiness of the apps interface. If people like it, I will continue to improve the interface and adventure generation engine.

You can find it here: https://www.adventure-generator.com/

Those who write about how awesome and detailed their lore is and how frustrating it is that no one reads your genius are overlooking that your players are looking to play instead of join a Book Club. I go over some ways to sneak some lore past the goalie.

https://www.kontentpunch.com/kontent/play-within-the-medium

I've been thinking about a campaign set in George RR Martin's World of Ice and Fire and it made me wonder: How many widely recognizable fictional worlds exist in the contemporary Speculative Fiction canon, including both Science Fiction and Fantasy? I think the answer is surprisingly few. This list of 120 worlds is really starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel with inclusions like Herculoids world or Bionicle's setting. If we really work at it we may be able to get it up to 200, but that would be about it.

While the criteria I am using is admittedly somewhat fuzzy, including some mildly obscure worlds like Jack Vance's Dying Earth or Moorcock's Melnibone which may not be recognizable to the general public or post Critical Role/Strager Things DnD players, but I think they are sufficiently well known among an older DnD crowd due to their association with the founding of DnD. Mazalan is another borderline case included for its association with TTRPGs (the setting of GURPS which is also a series of successful novels). A borderline case I excluded was the Sookie Stackhouse world, which I feel is extremely similar to a point of redundancy to the World of Darkness. This would be a case where they would be the same world were it not for copyright issues. Ann Rice's world is a iffy inclusion on this basis as well.

These worlds are intended to be examples where there are a diversity of settings and with room for more than a single plot-thread running through them. I am specifically trying to avoid the unrealistic "Frozen World" or "Forest Moon" trope where an entire world is written like it has the characteristics of a small region or is entirely based around a single gimmick (The Undead world! The Giant world!). I want worlds with depth, particularly depth that a DM can easily look up online and perhaps spend an afternoon listening to lore videos on YouTube to get inspiration for a very distinct setting for an adventure.

This can be used as a table of random Prime Material worlds all of which have very distinct flavor. A portal opens up and dumps the party in a random world? Just roll on the table for a rich and well-thought out world your players may already recognize. You could make an entire campaign like the Jerry O'Connell '90s show "Sliders" with this table, setting each new adventure in a different rolled world before a magic item regains enough charge to "slide" them to the next world.

Of course, please suggest any exclusions you think are appropriate and discuss the appropriateness of my inclusions in the comments!

Classic Fantasy Worlds:

\1. Wonderland (Lewis Carroll)
2. Never Neverland (James Matthew Barrie)
3. Oz (L. Frank Baum)
4. Middle-earth (J.R.R. Tolkien's works)
5. Narnia (C.S. Lewis)
6. Westeros/Essos (World of Ice and Fire)
7. Discworld (Terry Pratchett)
8. The Wheel of Time world (Robert Jordan)
9. Wizarding World (Harry Potter by JK Rowling)
10. Percy Jackson world
11. Interview with a Vampire world (Ann Rice)
12. Amber multiverse (Roger Zelazny)
13. Cosmere universe (Brandon Sanderson)
14. Ursula K. Le Guin's worlds (Earthsea, Hainish Cycle)
15. Dragonriders of Pern (Anne McCaffrey)
16. Xanth (Piers Anthony)
17. The Dark Tower multiverse (Stephen King)
18. The Dying Earth (Jack Vance)
19. Conan the Barbarian world (Robert E. Howard)
20. His Dark Materials multiverse (Philip Pullman)
21. The Dresden Files universe (Jim Butcher)
22. The Laundry Files universe (Charles Stross)
23. The Magicians trilogy world (Lev Grossman)
24. The Gormenghast world (Mervyn Peake)
25. The Mortal Engines world (Philip Reeve)
26. Eternal Champion multiverse (Michael Moorcock, including Elric)
27. Lankhmar (Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series)
28. Malazan (Steve Erikson)

Science Fiction Universes:

\29. Star Wars galaxy (George Lucas)
30. Star Trek universe (Gene Roddenberry)
31. Alien/ Predator world
32. Dune universe (Frank Herbert)
33. Foundation universe (Isaac Asimov)
34. Hyperion Cantos universe (Dan Simmons)
35. Ringworld and Known Space (Larry Niven)
36. The Culture (Iain M. Banks)
37. Hunger Games world
38. Running Man world
39. Divergent world
40. Farscape world
41. Stargate world
42. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy universe (Douglas Adams)
43. Blade Runner universe
44. The Matrix universe
45. Firefly/Serenity universe
46. Battlestar Galactica universe
47. Doctor Who universe
48. Ender's Game universe (Orson Scott Card)
49. Neuromancer/Sprawl trilogy universe (William Gibson)
50. The Handmaid's Tale world (Margaret Atwood)
51. The Solarpunk universe (various authors)
52. Mad Max future
53. Logan's Run future
54. The Time Machine's far future Earth (H.G. Wells)
55. Barsoom/ Heavy Metal
56. Metropolis (Fritz Lang's film)
57. Buck Rogers world

Comic Book Universes:

\58. Marvel Comics universe
59. DC Comics Multiverse
60. Hellboy universe (Mike Mignola)

Tabletop RPG Settings:

\61. Warhammer 40,000 universe
62. Forgotten Realms (D&D setting)
63. Dragonlance (D&D setting). 64. Greyhawk (D&D setting)
65. Dark Sun (D&D setting)
66. Ravenloft (D&D setting)
67. Glorantha (RuneQuest RPG setting)
68. Shadowrun (RPG setting)
69. World of Darkness (Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, etc.)

Mythology-based:

\70. Cthulhu Mythos (H.P. Lovecraft and others)

Anime/Manga Worlds:

\71. Dragon Ball world
72. Gundam universe
73. One Piece world
74. Pokémon world
75. One Punch Man world
76. Neon Genesis Evangelion universe
77. Attack on Titan world
78. Fullmetal Alchemist world
79. Cowboy Bebop universe
80. Ghost in the Shell world
81. Akira Neo-Tokyo
82. My Hero Academia world
83. Naruto world
84. Vampire Hunter D world
85. Berserk world (Kentaro Miura)
86. Bleach universe

Video Game Universes:

\87. The Elder Scrolls universe (including Skyrim)
88. World of Warcraft (Azeroth)
89. The Legend of Zelda universe
90. Final Fantasy multiverse
91. The Witcher world
92. Sosaria (Ultima)
93. Mass Effect universe
94. Fallout universe
95. Cyberpunk 2077 Night City
96. Deus Ex universe
97. BioShock universe (Rapture and Columbia)
98. Half-Life/Portal universe
99. Halo universe
100. Metroid universe
101. Mega Man world
102. Castlevania world
103. Resident Evil world
104. Metal Gear universe
105. Super Mario world (Mushroom Kingdom)
106. Sonic the Hedgehog world

Animated Series/Cartoon Worlds:

\107. Transformers universe
108. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe world
109. Thundercats world
110. G.I. Joe universe
111. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles world
112. Power Rangers universe
113. Robotech universe
114. Gummi Glen (Gummy Bears)
115. Rainbow Brite world
116. Equestria (My Little Pony)
117. Care-a-Lot (Care Bears)
118. Bionicle world (Lego)
119. Snorks world
120. Fraggle Rock world
121. Herculoids world

Ok, dumb questions for you all. I played a session today with my players and in a fit of panic said that the players came across an undead that basically used frightening visage with the effect thAt it petrified them. My players were talking about how boring the campaign was with all the monsters they knew so I wanted to throw them a curve ball. Has anyone used an undead monster that can do this, or is this something I will need to homebrew.

Frankly, I'm a little embarassed after learning what went wrong with my initial entry. I like the One Page Dungeon Contest entries because it fills the game world with nooks and crannies for your players to explore. I managed to talk to one of the judges over what I did wrong:

https://www.kontentpunch.com/kontent/learning-from-one-page-dungeon-contest

Hi folks. I've been doing a lot of work tuning homebrewed stat blocks over the past couple of months and often needed to compare the relative strength of different die rolls. But all the tools I found for that felt pretty clunky.

So I built the RPG Dice Analyzer. It lets you enter a dice roll expression (like 4d6+3) and gives you the minimum, maximum and average results. It also gives you a chart showing how likely any given result is.

Hope you find this helpful!

Weapon Mastery Cards

Inspired by the Essentials Kit, these handy cards offer a quick and easy reference for all the Weapon Mastery abilities in the 5e Player's Handbook. Each card features a clear and concise description of the ability, making it easy for players to understand and use during gameplay. Perfect for DMs and players alike, these cards streamline the game and ensure everyone is on the same page.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive coverage of all Weapon Mastery abilities
• Clear and concise descriptions
• Ideal for both DMs and players
• Streamlines gameplay and reduces downtime

Add these cards to your game today and enhance your 5e experience!

Weapon Mastery Cards - Google Drive

Edit: fixed Link

I want DM tools that doesn't distract me from running the game more than necessary, so I made this tiny monster finding webapp https://dnd-monster-lookup.vercel.app/

I try to focus more on telling great stories with my players, so getting access to the information I need quickly without to much fluff is important. I also want the tools to "stay in character" so I want them to look and feel a bit like a magic item.

Hope you find it useful.

Hello,

I'm looking for some guidance on an issue I'm encountering. I want to start using digital maps on my TV for my games because I love how vivid the colors are, and I've noticed some maps even feature slight motion to add depth to the environment. Currently, my party is exploring a city buried in sand, and I’d like the ability to hide areas of the map they haven’t yet discovered as they explore. Is there software that can help me achieve this?

Thank you!

Basically I have been playing too much Slay the Spire lately. My party has an upcoming battle and I want the baddie to inflict a status on them where they must play their characters by drawing 5 cards from their deck on each of their turns.

I will custom make them cards for each of their characters that contain action and bonus actions available to their character. Until the end of the fight they are only able to take actions that are in their hand. Once they reach the end of their deck, they shuffle the discard pile back into a main pile and go through it again.

On the one hand, as a player I think it would be a fun challenge to have to use your character in new ways. From a DM standpoint, I think it could be a fun mechanic if it were used in just one fight and not a regular thing.

But where I am torn is it too railroad-y or something? Been playing with these guys for years so I doubt they would be pissed about it, just want to know if it could be fun or if players would hate it.

Thanks team

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!