Question for people here. In the deck of many things, the talons card reads "Every magic item you wear or carry disintegrates. Artifacts in your possession vanish instead." Based on the wording of that, here is the question: Is that a one and done effect, or a continuous one?

See, the obvious answer to me is it takes effect once, then is done. But, reading that again, its written in such a way that implies to me that it might not be the case. It doesn’t say “you are wearing or carrying”, which would indicate it only effects the ones you have one you at the time. It says “you wear or carry”, which, to me, indicates that this might be an ongoing thing.

First time player, wondering what would be a good way to play a aarokocra character?

I'm planning to run a campaign with the gameplay of Shin Megami Tensei. Anyone who has played SMT knows how brutally unforgiving the series is, so I want to allow players to come back to life after party wipes. The two things I need are a lore explanation and a punishment. I'm thinking I could take inspiration from Charon in SMT4, so that's a lore explanation, but I'll need ideas for what the cost will be.

This is a text I’ll be sending out. I just wanted to get the opinions of other players and dms before I send this out. Thank you for looking at this.

Slight change on D&D house rules.

1) Crits: We will no longer be using Perkins crits and will be going back to the standard method. This eliminates the damage inflation which can be incredibly lethal to player characters.

2) HP: On level you must roll your hit die. The DM will also roll and make note. Without knowing the DM’s roll you may forgo your own roll to take the latter. The edit to the rule is all 1’s are rolled again. Because let’s be honest, who likes rolling 1’s for hp?

3) Flanking: Flanking will now be a static +2 bonus instead of granting advantage. This is to make flanking not be the default method of gaining advantage and undermining class abilities, spells, and creativity.

4) Death saves: Death saves will now be rolled by the DM. This is mostly to add tension, but also to get rid of meta gaming based solely on how many deaths saves have succeeded or failed.

5) Death: The first time a character dies in Ravenloft they may be greeted by a dark power. The dark power will offer to resurrect them, but for a price of course. Each price is to be tied to each individual character. And if agreed to a lineage is added on top of your race. That lineage being the Reborn.

Hello everyone, I’m playing Out of the Abyss campaign atm, we’re only a few sessions in atm so no spoilers. However my PC is a High Elf inquisitive rogue. She’s an acolyte of Shevarash (the drow hating elf god). Kinda a religious zealot in a way. Was just wondering some Roleplaying tips to add some more flair and flavor. Thanks a bunch

Hey, I used to make dice a couple of years ago with resin but I ended up stopping because they didn’t look right. My main issue was that the molds I had had hard edges and for me were sharp especially at the points so I didn’t want to play with them. My solution was to sand down those edges to try to make it less painful but it just made the dice all ugly instead. So, I’m just curious if there’s molds out there that have soft edges so I avoid that problem altogether. I’d love to revisit making dice sets based off of my characters but I want to be able to actually use them. Any advice is helpful, thanks!

Hey everyone!!

Ive joined a campaign and we’re starting in a week. I finished building my character and I have her whole backstory done, I’m super excited.

Now I’m wondering if anyone would have tips or things I must know before my first game? Even if it’s random, anything helps!

(For those interested, it’s a homebrew in the Forgotten Realms setting. I’m playing a Half-Elf Sorcer Spellfire Sage who’s looking for answers about her magic and where she comes from. My friend who’s playing with me is a Ranger Dragonborn elemental (he’s been playing for about 15years) and we also have a Druid and Paladin in the party)

Hello

I am DMing a group that is at level 15. The next leg of their adventure is going to lead them to an underwater dungeon to retrieve (without going into too much detail) the phylactery of a lich. here is where i need some help. I’m looking for a one-shot (or something similar) that i can scavenge to use as said underwear dungeon (to be clear the dungeon is going to be like in Zelda or something where they can breathe). Can anyone recommend an adventure like that? If so, where can i find it? 

Thanks in advance 

Rewatching Dodgeball. Random ass DnD lingo I never caught before in the announcer dialogue before the finals match.

Hi, I'm new to DMing. My group literally only had one session 0 and it was chaos because I didn't learn how all the spells worked xd

Okay, putting my DM problems aside, I spent a lot of time designing important characters, like companions who will cross paths with him on his adventures. And they appear in all the one-shots.

I did this because within the lore all the characters are students (16-year-old characters in a world where anything can kill you) and it bothered me that there weren't any adults. So I decided they should have something like multiple mentors, especially since it's our first time playing D&D. They won't affect the one-shots themselves, but they'll be there to support them. Like, heal them, make sure they're okay. A tavern, but not really a tavern, more like an inn because of the characters' ages.

How much development do you usually give your NPCs? Do you develop them as you go along, or do they already have a defined base? I'm asking to find out how to approach this.

Hi! I’m currently working on DMing a small mini campaign/oneshot for a group of friends who’ve mostly never played DND before, one of those friends however doesn’t have the time to commit to playing dnd for such long periods of time (this is taking place over discord, not irl) and asked if there was any way they’d be able to play with me and our friends without having to put in the commitment of potentially multiple 2-4 hour long sessions. They said they’d probably be able to commit to 20 minutes to an hour each session but they do not want to be a one time NPC but also don’t want to be involved in combat since combat does take a long time and they would prefer to spend it on their character interacting with the party. I have suggested an NPC in stores in the town and they do not like these ideas but also don’t have any ideas of their own and also doesn’t want to spend more than 20 minutes making a character for it.

For story context, the whole story will take place in a city, one larger section taking place in the city doing small quests and such, and the final dungeon type portion requiring them to take a boat from the docks to an island to get to the dungeon area.

Any ideas for this would be really appreciated, I was stumped from the moment they said they didn’t want to work in a building in the town and also aren’t able to even put much time into making the whole character and more so develop their story while playing for those short bursts.

Update - I have got back in contact with them, saying if they can’t put enough time into the game, they unfortunately can’t play, especially if they were declining all my suggestions and not adding any of their own.. anyway now they magically have the time to play with everyone. How convenient.

So i gotta a bit of a funny predicament for yall. I plan on playing a campaign as a Kalashter Rogue, with an alightment of Chaotic Lawful (i have a strict internal set of moral laws that I refuse to break, but no one can figure them out) and I have no idea how I should do this. Do ya'll have any suggestions?

edit: im looking just for help on the personality, I have the background and stuff figured out, im more so confused on how role-playing would look/sound like​

Hopping between fighter & rogue at mid levels now. For fun, thinking about sneaking in a cleric dip in the future? We play combat-light

Currently:

• Conc proficiency

• Can avoid Conc checks from melee (Swashbuckler + permanent 50 fly speed + whip for OAs)

• Only +2 WIS

• 1 free Detect Magic from background

Dip gives:

• 2 slots for Detect

• Concentration (Bless? SoF?)

• Healing Word (casters don't have)

• Sanctuary or Guiding Bolt

• Mage Hand

• Minor Illusion

Fighter 13 instead:

• 2nd Indomitable

Rogue 8 instead:

• Feat (Dual Wielder? Sentinel?)

cheers

Could only upload one image, the rest are down below.

Took me a bit longer than I first planned but I'm glad I was able to manage to get through everyone. Finally, I can say their designs are finalized (for the time being at least, or until I get another idea). Open to any critiques and/or questions.

Yellow! I'm currently running a very roleplay focused campaign that takes place in an academy where people prove themselves worthy to earn a noble title. Many of the students come from noble families and I plan on having future sessions take place off campus in different territories and while I have plenty of ideas I would really like more. The empire is big and constantly grants talented people noble titles. I made a map and there is over 250 landowning noble families (not including nobles that don't own land)

A little info you might find useful.

The Medi Empire is a meritocracy mixed with Aristocracy. The royal family established this system a nearly a thousand years ago. Essentially people who've proven themselves worthy earn a noble title and land, their children however are not considered noble so when their parents die the land and half of all their property is taken by the Empire. In order to appease Nobles and prevent rebellion it was decided that if your child could earn ANY noble title they would be entitled to all of their parents inheritance including their title.

The Royal family is no exception Everything is earned. The royal family is vast with polygamy being common to ensure the next Emperor/Empress has royal blood.

Ways a noble can lose a noble title include.

Bribery, failing to suppress a rebellion, losing to another noble family in a territory war.

The empire gives nobles plenty of freedom as long as they follow the important laws nobles essentially have free reign in their territory. The empire has a survival of the Fittest/Wisest mentality if you fall to a common uprising they'll give your title to whoever finally suppressed it or if there agreeable they may even give it to whoever led the rebellion.

The empire has expanded and eaten up most of the continent. The empire has the highest cultural diversity among the nation of the world and takes pride in also having the highest quality of life.

All I need is a Name, A rank, And maybe a fun fact or anecdotes but honestly I'd appreciate anything and am happy to answer any questions about the political system.

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!

*New 2026: For 2026, I'm updating all my old work to include a Pre-Session Checklist that will include a list of all miniatures you may need, maps, handouts, possible loot, a link to a playlist, and more to make it even easier to start your session!

The Mountain's Toe Gold Mine has been suffering productivity problems as of late. You've been tasked with escorting a new overseer there. It's a rather simple job that pays well and could certainly be left at that...if your players are none too heroic, but something tells me they crave a bit more, a cave to explore, a mystery to be solved. Should your players be brave enough, they will discover a cave overrun by the Whiskered Gang, a group of wererats who declared this their new home. It will be up to your players to save the miners within. Perhaps they can negotiate and find themselves on an interesting side quest, or maybe they'll choose to eradicate those varmints...only time will tell...

Without further ado:

• Google Docs Notes for Part 3c Mountain's Toe Gold: DM Notes
• Link to: DM Notes for the Visually Impaired
• Link to: Mountain's Toe Gold Playlist
• Link to: The AAA Collection

Included in The AAA Collection is:

• Downloadable copy of DM Notes, including links to music tracks for ambiance and fights
• Custom Maps of Mountain's Toe Gold
• Special PDF for all encounters. This includes the enemy stat blocks organized neatly along with an initiative tracker and spots to mark HP
• DM Notes for the Visually Impaired
• (New) Pre-Session DM Checklist

Index:
Dragons of Icespire Peak:

• Part 1 - Phandalin
• Part 2a - Umbrage Hill
• Part 2b - Dwarven Excavation
• Part 2c - Gnomengarde
• Part 3a - Loggers Camp
• Part 3b - Butterskull Ranch
• Part 3c - Mountain's Toe Gold
• Part 4a - Axeholm (Coming Soon)
• Part 4b - Dragon Barrow (Coming Soon)
• Part 4c - Woodland Manse (Coming Soon)
• Part 5 - Icespire Hold (Coming Soon)
• Side Quest 1 - Shrine of Savras (Coming Soon)
• Side Quest 2 - Circle of Thunder (Coming Soon)
• Side Quest 3 - Tower of Storm (Coming Soon)

Over 8 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

I know that all of the current products use circle bases, and some of the older stuff uses square, which would be more beneficial for not just the maps, but also storage? I am not going to jump and say 'Go SqUaRe NuB' or anything like that, but if your packing a lot of minis for either a trip to Johnsons house or setting up a display, which would be more ideal for gameplay, long term storage, and display, and your reasoning?

The great old one warlocks level 14 ability states the following

When you cast Summon Aberration, you can modify it so that it doesn’t require Concentration. If you do so, the spell’s duration becomes 1 minute for that casting, and when summoned, the Aberration has a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to your Warlock level plus your Charisma modifier.

In addition, the first time each turn the Aberration hits a creature under the effect of your Hex, the Aberration deals extra Psychic damage to the target equal to the bonus damage of that spell.

My question is this: If I cast summon aberration without modification does it still get the extra damage on hexed creatures?

Right now im playing as a lvl 3 drakewarden ranger who uses a short sword and a scimitar as their main weapons and I took the two weapon fighting feat.

Now im just trying to figure out what feat I should take, at first I thought dual wielding since it would give me an extra attack using my bonus action, but then realized I have that feature already from my subclass by using my bonus action to command my drake to attack.

Its my first time playing a martial class so im just trying to see if anyone has some advice for a good feat to pick up!

So me and my Friends want to start playing dnd but we dont have any prior experience nor money for a kit. How can we start playing?

In a recent session the party rescued a magic item merchant from a villain. This merchant is largely a con man, selling magical items such as the Cowbell of Invisibility and such, and has been a recurring character.

He does, however, have legitimate magical items to offer for those who can pay and he trusts. Bearing that in mind, what kind of gift or boon might the merchant offer to the party in thanks?

I want to come up with something more interesting than a discount at his shop or a free item or something. Anyone have any fun ideas? The more zany and bizarre the better.

Edit: Loving a lot of the ideas! I was however thinking something the party could really use, not just another joke item. I should have been more clear. An idea I've been kicking around is that Leif (the merchant) is himself owed a favor by some powerful being that the party can call on for aid. Or something.

Took a long break from dnd cause of the random dice chance and collaborative storytelling aspects.

Yes i know that should be the entire appeal to the game, but it ends up making tedious fights and messing up possible epic moments.

I want to make memorable moments that don't get sabotaged by other players or lady luck.
So what about in session 0 people agreeing on what kind of a story the campaign will become or even scripting out the ending scenes. And have a resource that allows auto-success against the upcoming check?

Either everyone gets a one-time token or it's a resource you can get every few levels.

Thoughts?

EDIT: Let me rephrase after some constructive conversation with people in the comments.

A one-time use buffed up Inspiration that gives you a guaranteed Nat-20 on the next check.
Combat: Only can do so much damage on a Nat-20 -> Can't one-shot bosses
Skillchecks: If it's too impossible the raw rules are you don't get to roll, meaning you can't use the Nat-20.

And the thing about pre-scripting the ending can be done away with good communication among players really.

The great old one warlock lost Sending, Evards black tentacles, Dominate beast and Dominate person in the transition from 5 to 5.5

These spells are perfect for the class fantasy so I was confused and disappointed when they didn't remove in 5.5

Any speculation as to why they were removed?

What would be the potential downsides of bringing them back at my table?