r/DungeonsAndDragons

Soo, I love building characters, looking at how various classes combinations mesh together and how much damage/healing/etc. I can dish out with a character. I will not be a hypocrite and pretend that's not the case. But I reckon that comes at least in part from the fact that I arrived at TTRPGs after growing up with video games, with MMOs and other such things, where character builds where quite central.

I would also make the argument that, TTRPGs shouldn't necessarily be about that. Or at least that the primary focus shouldn't maybe be on that. That the character's story should take precedence to its build. It's identity tied more to his story and the world it is part of then to the combination of race, class, background and feats. Of course, speaking now mainly from the perspective of trad games, like D&D and Pathfinder. I also don't want to present this as if this should not exist, but rather a slight change regarding focus.

I also wanted to look into D&D's history and see how this trend evolved over the years, from the first editions to the current day. And I have to say, this look into the past has been quite interesting. Might do a more in depth article about AD&D's kits in the near future, I found them quite an interesting design space. I hope you will also enjoy it, find it interesting and that you see the perspective of this argument. I know there are other TTRPGs where this issue is not as prevalent, but D&D is usually the first point of contact with this hobby and for many it remains the only point of contact, so I thought offering this perspective might be desirable.

I'm going to be a first time DM and im writing my own story and im not the wealthiest person in the world and I have reached out to artist for drawings but the prices I've gotten are a little out of my budget. The work they do is deserving no one is arguing that, but I want my first time to be good, and being my first time, I may not be the greatest at painting full images with my words so I felt like I wanted images to help me out with that.

(All online btw)

I don't plan on selling my story or anything so I was curious what people's thoughts on using AI to make images for my campaign with my friends? I'd much prefer art drawn by people but like I said I am not too wealthy. I don't plan on making their characters for them or anything, just spacific characters in my campaign unique to my story. It feels weird considering AI when I wqs so against it before but I wqs just looking for other people's thoughts.

Thanks in advance!

I've DMed all my life but I've gotten criticism a couple times for having scientific/high IQ handouts that are badly written or are to stupidly written to make sense for a high IQ person. Is it wrong to come up with all the ideas and have ai rewrite it to keep my players immersed. One of my players who has 3 kids used AI to rewrite his backstory to make it readable and told me I could try it but I don't know.

I'm asking to give Warlock PC's more options if they want a Celestial or Fiend patron.

I am new to dungeons and dragons what class should i use

i am energetic love company and dont like riddles puzzles and thinking in general

Last week we were gaming, I was playing my paladin (2)/ warlock (5) and we were in combat with Strahd. I landed a critical hit on him with my greatsword and got really excited. However, my excitement deflated a little when the DM said, I couldn’t roll again on the divine smite or the thunderous smite damage I used in tandem with the hit. He did however let me roll again for the divine favor and weapon damage. (Which looking back on it, the divine favor should have dropped once I cast thunderous smite due to both spells being concentration spells, an oversight by both myself and the DM.) I should also mention he has a house rule for crits; If you crit you max the damage dice and THEN you get to roll again on your damage. Which is very generous, except he wouldn’t allow it for divine or thunderous smite. A few players at the table side eyed him on this ruling and felt like I got cheated. Seeing as how he only applies this rule for smites. AFAIK he doesn’t institute this ruling for other classes that also do burst damage. While I did agree with my table mates, it felt unfair and a little anticlimactic, I accepted the ruling and went on. I did ask why, and his response was kind of dismissive. Something along the lines of, it’s not fair to Crit and then add on a smite to make it beefier. I’m paraphrasing of course, but that’s pretty close to what I remember him saying.

Mind you this is not a complaint post, I am ok with the ruling it just got me thinking. I’m interested in seeing what the rest of the community thinks and what house rules you all have to reel in insane damage modifiers that can break over double digits? Do you have house rules for that? Do you just beef up the enemies? I personally think a better reasoning for scaling back burst damage would be less about fairness, and more about making success still attainable, but just enough out of player reach, making the end result more satisfying and challenging. Or just stick to RAW at that point.

D&D is something I’ve been interested in and wanting to get into for a while. I’m not the best roleplayer out there but I have been doing it for a couple years on other apps and I write fics, so D&D is right up my alley.

The problem is I’m selective mute, so I have a hard time speaking to people I don’t know and none of my friends are into stuff like this, so talking with people I don’t know is kind of all I can do now. I was just wondering if there were any big discords or stuff I could maybe join and lurk in while I learn more about D&D and eventually build up the confidence to join a campaign. Or maybe find other people who prefer typing stuff out rather than speaking in a vc.

I’m completely new to D&D and have been putting together my first character using the 2024 Core 5e rules. I’d love some feedback on whether Alston works mechanically and as a character.

Alston Folkor is a 295-year-old Forest Gnome Cleric, with the Noble background and Neutral Good alignment. He’s a Cleric of Oghma, the god of knowledge.

Mechanically, he’s built around high Wisdom and Constitution. His ability scores are STR 10, DEX 14, CON 16, INT 13, WIS 19, CHA 12. He’s got 11 HP, AC 17 with his chain shirt and shield, and +4 Initiative from Alert.

His main spells are Sacred Flame, Mending, Minor Illusion and Spare the Dying, with Cure Wounds and Speak with Animals as his 1st-level spells. He also has Divine Order: Thaumaturge.

Personality-wise, he’s a very polite and eloquent noble who genuinely believes that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity. However, he secretly believes that everyone is beneath him. His family has an important alliance with another noble family that he feels obligated to maintain.

The idea is basically a well-mannered, knowledgeable little aristocrat who will happily help ordinary people, but internally thinks he’s the smartest and most important person in the room.

I’m mainly looking for feedback on whether the character makes sense for the 2024 rules, whether anything looks mechanically wrong or unnecessarily complicated, and whether the personality/backstory gives enough to work with as a first-time player.

I’m also wondering whether Cleric is a reasonable class for a complete beginner, or whether I’m making things unnecessarily difficult for myself.

**TL;DR:** Vampire character (secretly a melee but plays up a frail/shy persona) gets a “true form” ability (extremely costly but extremely powerful) need ideas for what it should actually be.

Context: I am playing a vampire, homebrew-ish species (making it player playable) and a large part of my story is getting in contact, bargaining, and working for my ‘Sire’ (my vampire master). When he sees it fit, i will be allowed to drink from his blood and be ascended to ‘True Vampirism.’

Now, I’ve asked and been granted to gain a “true form” ability when I ascend, which basically is a costly but powerful trump card that ties into a few other themes I’ve been reaching for with my character. But I’m unsure of what this ‘true form’ will properly… be.

I was considering a few different things, maybe I grow extra limbs/eyes/mouths etc. Maybe I go full blown domain-expansion type. But nothing feels quite right.

For reference, my character Osyrion is (to others) a frail, hobbling, sniffing, shy, stuttering assumed-spellcaster/support. This is untrue, he is heavily melee/stealth focused beast of 120HP (at level 10). The reason behind the way he acts is he felt a dreadful bout of embarrassment and shame for a multitude of reasons (if you’d like to know, ask) when he was turned, and as vampires are immortal, unchanging, and undead beings, that stuck with him. He despises that these Lower-life forms (basically anyone who doesn’t have extreme power or isn’t a vampire) perceive him at all, and he isn’t powerful enough to change that. His actions are not deceit, but the assumed intention behind them are. If that makes sense.

I was wondering if any of you folks had any ideas on what this deus ex machina ability could be ?

Hi! I’m looking for inspiration pics for my upcoming wedding. I’m looking for decor more than anything. So far all I have in mind is using dice in a vase for a center piece at each table.