I’ve been writing a campaign, and potentially a co conspirator to make this “brew” even better. I can tree all more about it in the comments here in a bit

I wrote this little essay on my visit to the D&D Exhibit at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY recently. Hope it's useful or entertaining for someone! I'm not in anyway affiliated with this, I just like D&D and enjoyed my visit to the museum.

Introduction

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the Strong Museum’s new, limited-time Dungeons & Dragons exhibit, which celebrates 50 years of this iconic tabletop role-playing game. The exhibit will be running through January 5, 2025. From interactive quests to nostalgic memorabilia, it’s a celebration for both longtime fans and newcomers to the game. Here’s a journey through the magical realms I explored within the museum’s halls!

Adventurer’s Quest: A Scavenger Hunt with a Twist

For opening weekend, the museum kicked things off with a creative scavenger hunt called the “Adventurer’s Quest.” Participants received clues to locate “keys” hidden around the museum. Each clue was a riddle that led to a different location, encouraging exploration and adding a layer of excitement to the visit. Once all keys were collected, you could take them to the atrium and spin a wheel for a prize. Prizes included fun treasures like a D20, perfect for a D&D enthusiast’s collection. It was a wonderful way to start the adventure and a fantastic activity for kids and adults alike, adding a questing element that mirrored the spirit of the game.

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D&D Inside Out Experience

One of the most unique aspects of the exhibit was a special feature in the atrium: the “Inside Out D&D Experience.” Inspired by the upcoming movie Inside Out 2, this activity blended the emotional themes of Inside Out with Dungeons & Dragons character creation. Visitors could fill out a customized character sheet, giving thought to how their emotions could guide their character traits and decisions. It offered an introspective and creative twist on character creation and was a particularly fun activity for fans of both Pixar and D&D.

D&D: Exploring Mind and Play

In the atrium, young adventurers could dive into hands-on activities, starting with a Dungeon Obstacle Course. This course, designed with younger children in mind, led little ones on a journey through various obstacles to reach a treasure at the end. Alongside this, there was a D&D-inspired nerf blaster zone where kids could test their aim and engage in imaginative play with blasters styled to fit the D&D aesthetic. It was a perfect mix of action and adventure for younger visitors who could experience the thrill of a mini-quest within the safety of the museum.

Dragon Crafts

For visitors with a creative side, the museum offered a craft station filled with rotating D&D-themed crafts. You could get your hands dirty (figuratively!) and channel your inner artificer to make dragons, magical items, or even custom quest items. This was a perfect activity for those who enjoy creating their own little pieces of the D&D world to take home as keepsakes.

The Main Exhibit:

Rolling a D20 to Explore the Exhibit

One of the more playful features was the opportunity to roll a D20 to decide where to begin exploring in the exhibit room. Each display had a number assigned, so a roll of the die guided visitors on a randomized tour through the various sections. This small touch added an element of chance, honoring the game’s iconic gameplay mechanics, and kept things exciting for everyone.

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A Journey Through D&D History and Lore

The heart of the D&D exhibit was in the dedicated room downstairs, where a trove of interactive experiences and historical memorabilia awaited. The exhibit opened with a rich timeline showcasing D&D’s origins, featuring a first-edition game copy and magazine from the early days. This timeline was a nostalgic trip for seasoned players and an informative introduction for newcomers.

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Visitors could get help selecting their perfect character type on a quiz screen, which recommended character archetypes based on personality traits. There were even arcade games inspired by D&D, like Gauntlet, offering a bridge between different types of fantasy gaming. For those wanting a quick taste of tabletop role-play, a brief five-minute campaign was set up where visitors could dive into a mini-adventure.

One of the exhibit’s most immersive experiences involved an interactive bard who set visitors on a mini-quest. As you stepped onto a specific spot, the bard’s voice would guide you through a mission, making you feel as if you’d been dropped into a story right out of a campaign. It was a captivating experience, bringing the world of D&D to life in a way that words alone could never do.

The exhibit also featured a display of cosplay costumes from adventurous characters, offering inspiration for any visitors who might dream of their own D&D-inspired looks. Next to this, a bin of play swords, shields, helmets, and capes awaited young adventurers eager to gear up and immerse themselves in a world of fantasy. For a fun memory, there was even a photo spot where you could step into a real-life character sheet. You could adjust attributes like strength and dexterity before snapping a photo, making for a fantastic keepsake.

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The Permanent D&D Display: Meet Tiamat

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In the museum’s outdoor play area, visitors can find a permanent D&D display featuring a life-sized statue of Tiamat, the multi-headed dragon. Pressing a giant D20 button beside the statue triggers a loud dragon roar, adding an extra thrill to the experience. It’s an excellent photo opportunity and a powerful reminder of the enduring influence of D&D on fantasy and pop culture.

Merchandise and Souvenirs

No visit would be complete without a stop by the gift shop. The museum offered an exclusive line of D&D + Strong Museum merchandise, including unique artwork, cups, books, games, shirts, plush toys, and even D&D-themed Mad Libs! There was something for every type of collector or fan, and it was a great way to bring a piece of the adventure home.

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Conclusion

My visit to the Strong Museum’s Dungeons & Dragons exhibit was an enjoyable experience, blending the timeless charm of D&D with interactive, family-friendly activities. For longtime fans, it’s a beautiful nod to the game’s history; for newcomers, it’s an inviting portal into a world of fantasy and adventure. Whether you’re rolling a D20, solving a riddle, or stepping into a bard’s story, this exhibit captures the essence of D&D in an unforgettable way. If you’re a fan of D&D or simply looking for a whimsical day out, don’t miss this exhibit before it leaves on January 5, 2025!

Chat, I require assistance. Me and some friends are getting ready for a 5E campaign but another player and I have reached a character stalemate where we're both torn ideas that we're not committing to unless the other makes a decision first. We both agreed that I'd be the one who actually makes the first decision, which will help narrow down the other player to their one option.

Unfortunately I am still torn between my two ideas and I'm opting to involve the court of public opinion on this matter. Below this post you will find a poll to vote on. I will also provide more detailed descriptions of the characters I am torn between so that your vote is more informed. For additional context, we start at 2nd level.

OPTION 1 is a variant human Giant barbarian/Lycan blood hunter multiclass. I made this character in the wake of an Attack on Titan hyperfixation, she's been sitting in my character vault for a very long time, and there is a bit of a meta narrative to her progression because it takes so long for the character's fantasy to come online. She's a boyish young woman who dual wields longswords and is looking for the missing members of her former monster hunting party while trying to track down a wizard who experimented on her and her friends. When she activates Rage + Hybrid Transformation, she becomes this freaky half-storm giant thing reminiscent of a titan. Her former party are all NPCs that would each correspond to the other varieties of giant.

OPTION 2 is a newly made character who uses a lot of third party content; a homebrew octopus people race and a witch class. I love making homebrew characters and I instantly fell in love with the concept behind this one. She's this eldritch entity that a cult accidentally summoned when trying to reach some Cthulhu-esque thing. The cult, dissatisfied, is trying to send her back to her realm of unfathomable agony and entropy but she quite likes the Material Plane and is on this E.T. adjacent journey to avoid being taken away while seeing the world and experiencing what are--to her--new things, this would include some kind of reverse enlightenment arc where she as an entity who has only known the unimaginable learns to ground herself in a mundane and enjoyable reality.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for helping me out.

View Poll

Hey folks, we’re looking for a couple people to join an online game we do every other Wednesday at 7pm EST but are willing to start a little later if need be. We’d like someone communicative and committed as we’ve had problems with that in the past. Pm me if you’re interested!

My friend is DMing a halloween one-shot tomorrow but I feel sorta mean for assuming immediately that its not gonna be great. But the last time they DMed two people killed themselves due to boredom and feeling limited, and due to a lack of combat. For the one-shot tomorrow apparently its going to be story driven again and small amount of combat (they said 5-10 enemies when questioned but it could’ve changed maybe), limited props (declined to borrow mine). I recognise that I should keep an open mind but it’s just bothering me abit. What do yous think?

I'm going to play D&D for the first time with some friends (until now I had only played bg3), and I'm going to be the master. We will play a one shot for level one, any advice?

When I first started playing the DM would tell us exactly what we found (eg +2 short sword). I talked to another DM who makes their players go to an expert (NPC) who will inspect the item and tell the player what they "think it is". Like, there's a chance they don't discover it's cursed.

So, you'll find something and the DM will say something like, "you think it's magical, but you don't know how." I know Intelligence/wisdom checks, but are most people just straight up revealing this stuff?

What are you doing?

I spent about 100 hours making all of these presentations, let me know what you think, and feel free to use them! Help me share my happiness with the world!

Session 1_ The Gateway to Adventure

Session 2_ Words, Delicious Words

Session 3_ The Royal Banquet or The Curious Case of Alec Bings

Session 4_ The Giant, The Midget, and A Symphony

Session 5_ Discord, Dynne, and The Silent Valley

Session 6_ Unfortunate Conclusions

Session 7_ This Way to Infinity

Session 8_ The Mountain of Ignorance

Session 9_ The Unwelcoming Commitee

Session 10_ The Castle in The Air

I also referenced the book here throughout: Book Here

I also made a playlist that was used throughout each 2 hour session here.

I want my character to be less of a fighter and more of a talker, and the Dragonborn race looks cool. I'm really open to any suggestions, and if there is a better 'furry' character for persuasion, I'm open.

She was born as a boy but she knew she so was a girl and her godmother give her a deal live in the feywild for 20 normal years and she could be a girl during and after it was hard at first to stay sane but than she embrace the choas and fun and she find her new home with a chaotic good Hag named auntie Lilly she was accepted and she made friends in the feywild and she find her like of music there.

I am looking for a player-facing Bastion handout but haven't been able to find one. Does anyone know if there is one out there? I can't expect players to remember the entire list of facilities, what they do, how much they cost, and what actions they can take during a bastion turn. I'm honestly surprised an official printout didn't come with the new DMG.

Oh well, I'll likely start making my own unless someone can share a good one. If people are interested I'll share it when I'm done but it will definitely have homebrew options, mainly because I don't like the forced mechanic of waiting until a certain level to get a facility. If my players somehow have the gold laying around at level 6,7, or 8 and want a facility that technically is unavailable until level 9...i'm going to let them spend the gold to get the facility. In my games, bastions will be based solely on player's funds and ingenuity to get it done.

I had my level 3 players fighting a couple of hellhounds last night. One of the players harvested a pelt after and is asking about making it into a cloak.

The cloak he's referencing would essentially allow them six free polymorphs into a hellhound, and after that, they'd need to make a DC 15 Charisma save when they transform. On a fail, they're stuck as a hellhound until it is dispelled... or, until they drop to 0hp. (They have six hours to do this before it becomes more dire, but I'm focusing on this part.)

My campaign doesn't have a lot of major combat going on and hellhounds generally have more HP than my players right now. The way I'm understanding it, this sounds like there's an easy loophole for essentially infinite HP because they can just... hit the hellhound-player until he's himself again, with full HP.

I can see how this item wouldn't be busted in a higher level group, but I'm struggling with balancing it here. I would be okay with the HP pool, generally, but at this level, its essentially giving them an entire extra player-- I want the stakes to be high, I don't want them to use it lightly. Any ideas for a change that might at least make it a more risky choice to use?

My thoughts are either letting it function the same and making it way more likely that he gets stuck that way, or not giving him the separate HP pool, but the latter feels sorta lackluster.

How many players in your group are Christian and how much fun do they have? Do you treat them good and are they welcome to talk about their faith?

Please be respectful and chill in the comments. God is Good! ✝️

Hi everyone, quick question especially for Germany based players and DMs. There are old modules, like the B3 Keep on the Borderlands, or X13 Crown of Ancient Glory, that are super difficult to find in paper version. They do exist as free downloads though. Anybody knows the rules and the dos and don'ts when stumbling on one of these useful resources? Are there any official repositories where it is ok to go get the files? (I don't know, maybe a license has expired or something like that)

i don’t know much about dnd but i played it once three years ago and it was really fun. i’m wanting to get a group together but i don’t know where to find players, also i don’t have my own apartment yet but i could make some space to play at. any advice?

*Edit because it seems I did a poor job of explaining in the post. I realize that that isn't a good sign, but to fair I was on a time crunch when I posted it. The overall quest is them following the trail of the pirate who disappeared. They found a letter from her, basically saying that she was going to retire somewhere, but was doing a farewell tour visiting old friends and the like. Each step of the quest involves them receiving a letter that points to a particular person the pirate was acquainted with at a certain place. The players then go to the place and try to pick up the trail, whether it be the person's descendants, their station, things they left behind, etc. It will eventually need them to a magic item and the next letter. They've done this several times by now and seemed to have a pretty good grasp on the format. They also already did a similar clue that led from a dead royal to the current one. I was worried that it might feel too similar, but was hoping that the different circumstances would prevent it from feeling stale. Apparently, it was too much. Also, there were more clues about the world leading to this step. The players generally head straight for a tavern for information, so I had several ready, with various NPCs that they could talk to to give different takes on the situation in the kingdom. Instead they went to a library and did a small amount of research on the old king, which when not giving them the direct answer they wanted, declared the whole thing to have zero leads. I even had them walk past an angry crowd around the palace, and mentioned during their research that there was a vault of treasures that the kings would add to during their reign.

So, my campaign is a treasure hunt where the players are following the trail of a long dead pirate. The way it's been going is that they find a clue that points them to a different place and a person from the pirate's past. The person is usually long dead too. When they get to the place they have to try to find the next one. This time it let to the elf kingdom where the clue was pointing to the king. Of course, that particular king is long dead and they find that when they arrive a new one was just appointed. They find out that the crown is not passed down by lineage, but tather chosen by a mysterious magical process. This new king caused a particular uproar because for the first time in history, the king is not an elf. Needless to say, this is all anyone in the country is talking about. Despite this, and the fact that the clue is pointing to the king, my players didn't even consider that as a possible path, because the unconventional nature of the succession led them to believe it was a dead end. So they just waffles around a bit, unsure of what to do at all, and even telling me that I gave them no leads to go off of. I thought it was pretty clear to start looking at the king, but maybe that's just because I know already. What do you think, eas it clear enough? TL:DR, my players didn't think I gave them enough information to move forward, and I feel I left plenty of hints.

So I was curious and didn't know where to ask but I have a maybe odd question. In a dungeon if your in there for more then a few days how would someone tell the time?

What are people's favourite multi class for warlock. I'm doing a hexblade pact of the tome for armour and spells. Thinking I'll go sorcerer for more spell slots as I quite like playing at range with a shield and scale armour.

But do people prefer. Bard, fighter or paladin instead?

Edit my dm reckons the other more simple option if I want more armour and spell slots. Is to save up for half plate. Giving a 19 ac and take fey touched. So I effectively have 5 spell slots even if 3 of them are fixed. As well the book of shadows EI for ritual spells.