r/AskDND

I've been wanting to run an adventure for my players that is action-packed and time-sensitive (specifically, someone has been kidnapped and they are trying to save them), but I was hitting a wall with player resources. If I slow down time too much, the players will get absolutely wrecked after a few sessions without a long rest. If I don't slow it down, then the timeline becomes unrealistic. If I let them just long-rest whenever, they will be at full health for every encounter and not be challenged. As a solution, I have developed the following:

Crunch Time Resting: For use in high-density, high-intensity scenarios where the players will encounter way more things than usual, and time will pass much more slowly than usual (sessions only cover hours or even minutes instead of days). This allows the recovery of player resources, but imposes consequences later. Players can enter crunch time only at the DM’s prompting/approval.

·      SHORT RESTS: Take 15 minutes. This is the equivalent of just taking a moment to catch your breath, maybe drink a shot of espresso, or perhaps some hard liquor, to liven back up a little.

·      LONG RESTS: Take 1 hour. This is the equivalent of doing basic first aid, eating a meal, drinking a coffee/hard drink or taking a shot of adrenaline, and maybe, maybe, taking a nap.

·      COMING OUT OF CRUNCH TIME: When you come out of Crunch Time, you take on as many levels of exhaustion as you have taken long rests. Example: If you have taken 3 long rests, upon exiting CT, you will have disadvantage on all rolls and your speed will be halved. If you have taken 6 long rests, upon exiting CT, you will die.

Please give me feedback and your thoughts, as I haven't tested it out yet, and I think this would be a good solution. Thank you!

I am running my first ever campaign starting this sunday.

I have never played dnd I am playing in a star wars ttrpg.

Anyone got any dm tips and tricks:

What to add to dm screen, what to note things to bring ext.

The more help the better.

Hi, I am in a 5-player 2014 Rules Curse of Strahd Campaign (NO SPOILERS PLEASE).

I play a Twilight Cleric 5 (Twilight sanctuary nerfed to only apply to one creature per round)

The others are:

A Samurai Fighter 5

A Bloodhunter 3 /Mage 2

A Shadow Monk 5 (Warforged, nerfed to not be able to receive any healing from magic like cure wounds or potions, but mending would work)

A Vengeance Paladin 3/Hexblade 2

P.S. This is definitely not related to any previous posts where op is also a vengeance paladin.

The DM allowed homebrew, evident with the bloodhunter, but I feel that bloodhunter is a good well-balanced class. The Paladin had previously consulted with the DM, and by his character borrowing a blacksmith's forge, the DM permitted him to add the following homebrew buffs to his hexblade weapons:

WEAPON FORMS

You can transform the weapon between its forms as a bonus action, switching between Grace (greatsword) and the paired Mercy and Judgment (longswords). You must be holding the weapon(s) to transform them. Regardless of form, the weapon grants a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls and counts as magical.

Grace (Greatsword)

Damage: 2d6 slashing

Properties: Heavy, two-handed

When you hit a creature with Grace, you can choose for the attack to deal any of the following elemental damage (radiant, necrotic, fire, force). You can choose per attack. On a hit, you may choose to deal half damage to two adjacent enemies as part of the same action.

Heavy Arc (Bonus Action).

Immediately after taking the Attack action with Grace, you may use a bonus action to make one additional attack with Grace. This attack deals 2d6 bludgeoning force damage on a hit, instead of the weapon’s normal damage. You may use Heavy Arc a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses when you finish a long rest.

Mercy (Longsword)

Damage: 1d8 radiant (Versatile 1d10)

Properties: Versatile

Once per turn when you hit a creature with Mercy, it deals an additional 2 radiant damage.

Judgement (Longsword)

Damage: 1d8 necrotic (Versatile 1d10)

Properties: Versatile

Once per turn when you hit a creature with Judgment, it deals an additional 2 necrotic damage.

To Summarize, he buffed his hexblade weapons with:

1. Feature that gets you a free +2 to hit and for damage

2. Feature that lets you pick and choose between four different magical damage types. (radiant, necrotic, fire, force)

3. Feature on longswords that lets you do extra 2 magic damage when you hit with 2 attacks

4. Feature that lets you bonus attack with a greatsword

Putting things into perspective, a normal Paladin 3/ Hexblade 2 with his stats using a greatsword and divine smiting would deal:

2d6 + 2d8 + 4 = 20 average dmg in one round with a +7 to hit

VS

His Lockadin with bonus action greatsword and divine smiting on every hit lets him deal:

4d6 + 4d8 + 12 = 44 average damage in one round with a +9 to hit on each attack, (The extra damage comes from feature 1 and 4, +2 bonus damage each hit). This will get even crazier once he gets extra attack to make three attacks with his greatsword in one turn.

If he were to use normal hexblade longswords and hit twice with bonus attack, he would deal:

2d8 + 8 = 17 average damage in one round

VS

If he were to use his homebrewed longswords, he would deal:

2d8 + 16 = 25 average damage (With extra damage from both Feature 1 and 3)

The DM initially told him that the buffs should be no better than what a rare magic weapon would have. I believe that even just giving the hexblade weapons ta rare magic weapon's attributes for free is too strong already. I also think these buffs all make the weapons very rare to legendary. He has no drawbacks to any of these, just the limits like a 3 times bonus attack per long rest or a once per round bonus damage with the longswords if he hit twice. I personally feel that Lockadin is already very good, and that these buffs are way too strong, even individually, especially considering that the rest of the party gets no buffs like this and some of our official features have even been nerfed. If he could do crazy amounts of damage but in a fairer way like official/third-party rules, I wouldn't complain.

We are currently debating on this. Are these buffs too strong and if yes, what should we do?

So it's my first time playing as a Paladin. My character is a oath of vengeance paladin and his background is Faction Agent. I love his pathetic ass and he's like a son to me. The DM gives us a chance to multiclass. But idk what's the good pick for it. I know paladin-Warlock combo is popular, but for some lore reason i can't do that. So what should i pick? Any other suggestions?

How much impact would it have were it possible to add 5 minutes to a Ritual Casting of a Ritual Spell to cast it one level higher, able to add 5's of minutes up to a level 9 casting?

Too powerful? Not even worth bothering with? Somewhere between?

I’m semi new to dming but nobody else will dm so it’s up to me. my campaign is a semi gritty semi dark fantasy setting that mainly takes place in the forest of deadwood a forest cures with life where nobody can truly die(their is still consequences to death) and it’s up to my players to stop the spread of the curse( I have a whole story written but I don’t have time i can answer any questions tho) but my problem is I want the equivalent of dark souls level combats where although you can survive death is expected

sorry if this is vaguely written this is my first time posting on Reddit

This October, I am running one shots for a convention. I want to do horror/halloween based games. Any ideas on horror movies that would make good one shots in 5e?

I already have a from dusk til dawn and the thing one shots ready to go.

Hello all! I’m starting my first campaign soon as an actual player, going with a Drow bard and I plan on sub classing into college of creation. Now here’s my question:

What level do I need to reach to cosplay green goblin🤣 I know it sounds crazy, but Ik I need at least level 6 for animating performance to get my “Metal glider” to fly. The problem lies in me also needing to create elemental bombs while also having the glider active. What level would it be possible to have all this working in tandem? Sorry if it’s a dumb question, my mind is literally just overloaded with info at this point.

Hi! First time DM here, looking for background music for my campaign. The campaign takes place in a desert, a pyramid, and a mysterious house. The monsters are mostly undead. I am looking for 2 songs for each of these settings: Calm (roleplay, out of battle), Battle, mysterious/spooky, and dramatic (one tense, very dramatic). Those are the situations. Sound effects are also useful for each of these. I'm mostly looking for video games music. Almost entirely hollow knight and maybe some Toby Fox too. I already know most of these, but it's always easier if I know where to start. Also I need some other props and ways to set the mood. Right now I only have a chess board and some violence.Thanks and good luck!

Edit: Sorry, when I said was mostly looking for video games music, I meant I was only looking for video game music lol. I will try other things out though.

So, i had an idea for a character, where basically they like, adapt to attacks and stuff

Ex: get hit with fire once, it works, second time, the character adapted to it and it doesnt work (or at least not as well)

And i just have no idea what species or classes or feats would make such a character

This is an edit: I realise i posed this as if im doing it, its mostly a hypothetical

ok so im wondering how do i plot/write a dnd campaign whats the point where i should just let the story play along and go from there how do i just let the story play along people just say follow where the story takes you idk what that means it feels unplanned? just tell me what do people mean by follow where it leads you also how should i go about writing my campaign where do i start what should i do first

Hi guys! This has been something I’ve been mulling over for a few months now, and I’ve really been stumped. I thought I’d ask for some help here.

I’m a player in a western themed campaign with 4 of my friends, we’ve been playing since this past January and it’s been going fantastic :), we’re about 12 sessions in. We’re all in college, so we took a break from playing over the summer, and are already planning when to pick it back up again in a week or so when we’re all back on campus.

There’s just one issue… my character (fiend pack warlock) has been using powers from her patron (the goddess of pain, homemade for our world’s lore) to get revenge for her husband, who was murdered.

In our last session before summer, we got to the climax of some character development with her. Sort of a “this isn’t what he would have wanted, revenge just continues the cycle, etc.” that type of thing. It’s a great character beat, and exactly the direction both me and my DM wanted her to go.

Except I have no idea what to do with her patron now… all of her spells have been picked and flavored to be based off that goddess. They’re all gory, painful, and kinda edgy lol.

My question is: How the heck am I supposed to participate in combat anymore? I love the character growth and it’s fantastic for role play, but it now makes zero sense character-wise for her to use any of those spells… what should I do?

(I can give more info if needed, but that’s the gist)

Thanks for your help!

TLDR: In-game character development made my warlock effectively a pacifist, her patron is the goddess of pain, and all her spells surround this fact. How can I make her useful in combat without betraying her character development?

Edit: for those wondering, she’s lvl. 5!
Edit 2: thank you everyone for all your replies! I’m finally taking the time to read through all of them, and everyone’s input is really appreciated!
Edit 3: One clarification, I should not have said “pacifist” in the TLDR lol, I meant less violent, not 100% pacifist… sorry guys!

Hi! I just started my first campaign as a DM having never played DnD before. Right now there is a major NPC/Villain that needs stats. The campaign takes place in a desert with large, Giza-style pyramid and a house. Long story short, the party went to the house, met this NPC, and discovered that he is insane. He says he has been in the desert for a long time with no memory of how he got there. He is obsessed with a strange book that puts an unbreakable lock spell on the door. He turns out to be evil, having tied someone up in the basement luring one character in and locking the others out. The book possesses one of the people outside, dragging them into the house and making them fight the other player. After the fight the possessed one breaks free, gaining residual book powers, but the NPC escapes. Later, they find out he was following them Gollum-style, and then he defeats some of there enemies. After that, they can't shake him, so he follows them around the pyramid. Eventually there is a mini-boss (a wight vs. 4 level 3 players. Feedback on that would also be useful since I haven't gotten even close to there yet.) which ultimately ends up with the evil book being stolen and the NPC becoming their guide through the pyramid as he hunts for the book. I have no clue when this will happen, but eventually he'll find the book and turn on the party. I don't really know how boss fights work so I'm just looking for stats and I'm gonna treat it like a normal fight. If it helps, some of the other enemies are reflavored zombies, ghouls, and wights, and possibly even a revenant (I got these from another reddit question I had, so feel free to look at that). I think that the final boss is going to be some sort of undead pharaoh. The magic book, gives spells such as wall of force, imprisonment, arcane lock, geas, modify memory, erupting earth, thorn growth, among others that follow a similar controlling vibe. I don't know if those help with the aesthetic or not but try your best and good luck! Thank you!

So, love these discussions: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDND/s/NwmhrMJxhg

My question is, is there a problem using an accent derived from a culture that could be construed as racist even if it's not attached to a stereotypical looking character? I played in a SWRPG game as a Hutt and used a Jamaican-based accent when they were speaking in Common (or whatever) and with Quechuan vowels/consonants when speaking Huttese (the made up language was developed using Quechuan vocabulary for better or worse).

How does the community feel about that?

So, I have a question. Can you carry a body when you use Teleportation Circle to jump from one place to another? I know a corpse is not a creature, it is an object, and Teleportation Circle does not specify anything about objects, but you do cross with things when teleporting. So can you carry anything? THe spell doesn't say anything about carrying capacity so, would it be just what you can wear?

I have no idea if this is the right place to do this post but i wanted to ask if anyone has ever had a campaign where the party was secretly evil like they thought they were doing the right thing and they weren't. The idea that sparked this was a character like Undyne the Undying in Undertale and wondered if there was ever a character made like that for your party to fight thank you

So, I don't know what I'm supposed to do and any help given here is much appreciated. English isn't my first language so I excuse any grammar problems.

First paragraph is kinda important,

skip the second paragraph for the backstory,

Third paragraph is more in depth about the problems

Fourth and last paragraph is the basic problems (just scroll)

I (16) started a DND group with my friends about like almost a year ago, we all go to the same school and are around the same age. We are 8 people, so I dm for 7 people most of the time, I know, a lot, but we agreed we would all try to work together and have a fun time, we also want this campaign to take several years if possible or just as long as possible, which is also why after about maybe 10ish months and like 12 sessions (hard to get sessions together with 8 people all in school, starting work and learning to drive) they are level 4.

I haven't given them a clear goal or anything they need to do, however, I know I railroaded the start a bit but everyone said that was okay. Overall, I made the world myself, the problem is that in short, the gods have lost access to the world which is why the world gets corrupted more and more. My players have multiple strings which they can play out, like the forest that surrounds them growing more aggressive, another adventurers group trying to sabotage them all the time, a bigger city gaining control and being a threat to the village they are in, the mayor not caring for the village and hating adventurers, his cousin creating a secret adventurers guild to tackle the problems in the village and make a better image for the village. And a few more but you get the jist, hopefully. Of course all of those problems and the characters personal backstory would lead to the bbeg, the person that took position of the gods.

Now, I went a bit wild and I'm sorry for this long block, but I think it's important for you to understand the problem that I have with the player. The player in question is the oldest one of us, being 18. Personally, I feel like I am a bit biased because the guy is two years older than me and has tried to hit on me several times, last a few days ago when he was drunk saying he would f me if I wasn't this young, little bit problematic but I mean, alright. He has often times said he doesn't like the way I dm, especially since he is a tiefling warlock, pact of the chain with a great old one, being a demon prince, and that I don't bring in his pact often enough (note, we have only had a few sessions when this started and he has been cutting himself every session, sacrificing his blood and asking for help from his patron for almost everything). We talked about this with one of the teachers at our school, since he's an experienced player and DM as he's played for 40 and Dm'd for 30 years. (Note, he went to the teacher and talked to him about all this and asking him to talk with me behind my back, before even mentioning it to me in person) We got to the conclusion that since he's only level 3, he's basically dust to a demon prince. After that in the next session, he jumped of the boat they were on for unfair treatment by the whole group (he wanted to blow up the reactor powering the ship). We solved that by saying he put on his boots of hovering earlier than everyone else. (Note, his idea was that I would make an arc all about him by making his patron save him dramatically and the next three sessions being all about him, idk how he wanted that to work out). His latest idea was in today's session, they found out another party was sacking in their glory and lying about having attacked and kidnapped them. One player attacked the leader of the rival party, which is "fine" since the leader was a rabbit and the player has always hated rabbits and he has been making up lies. He later said himself that he maybe shouldn't have done that and apologized to the rest of the players, which is why he didn't get any negative feedback from the others. However, this of course lowered the groups reputation. Later that day, the player this post is about asked a granny (the one who cared for the rabbit as he got hit by the players attack) where the other party lived, so he could visit them. After the granny made a rude remark about his group and that she knows that tieflings are always up to no good he dug his claws into her throat and started strangling her. The tavernkeeper and others saw this, he got promptly beat up, while that happened, the other players were trying to save their reputation and just looked dumfounded as he ruined all of their work. After that, a little time passed and while I played out another situation with another player, I heard him saying that it's just so unrealistic and that everyone in this village is overpowered since he was just beat up like that (note, remember, he's a pact of the chain 4th level warlock, the tavernkeeper grabbed him and beat him up, they know he's a half orc with an adventurers background , also something they could play out) literally everyone else is scared of the adventurers. I then stopped talking to the other person and turned to him, asking how TF he got that impression, he literally fought a half orc (note, the half orc grabbed him and pulled him away from the granny with a hit to the face, he then kept attacking the guy too) he said it was just a joke and I should chill out and I said "he should keep it down and if he's got problems to please talk to me about it after the session, as I've asked him multiple times to since he's always talking to others if he isn't on his phone, which is also something that we have told him to cut out cuz it's distracting us, as he isn't even quiet when he watches Instagram reels and always disturbs us too" he asked what else he is supposed to do when he isn't talked to. We talked a bit more and he then said that my campaign is just so railroaded and nothing they do has any impact on the story and they have nothing to do in the campaign. Another player got mad at him and told him that he quite literally just completely threw all their work in the trash, the others didn't say anything.

So, in general, my problem is that he is always disturbing and on his phone when he isn't entertained and that he keeps saying I don't care enough about his backstory, that all enemies he engages with are overpowered, that my story doesn't make any sense, nothing they do has any impact. Even in my friends campaign (the same player group, just her as a DM and me as a player) he has been a pretty hard player to work with. However, in the campaign we played with our teachers in school he seemed to be a good player, which is why when I asked my teachers for advice, they were pretty surprised when I told them about this. I just think I can't always run to them when I got a problem.

Any help is good and appreciated