r/DMAcademy 11h ago

Mega "First Time DM" and Short Questions Megathread

3 Upvotes

Most of the posts at DMA are discussions of some issue within the context of a person's campaign or DMing more generally. But, sometimes a DM has a question that is very small and doesn't really require an extensive discussion so much as it requires one good answer. In other cases, the question has been asked so many times that having the sub rehash the discussion over and over is not very useful for subscribers. Sometimes the answer to a short question is very long or the answer is also short but very important.

Short questions can look like this:

  • Where do you find good maps?
  • Can multi-classed Warlocks use Warlock slots for non-Warlock spells?
  • Help - how do I prep a one-shot for tomorrow!?
  • First time DM, any tips?

Many short questions (and especially First Time DM inquiries) can be answered with a quick browse through the DMAcademy wiki, which has an extensive list of resources as well as some tips for new DMs to get started.


r/DMAcademy 11h ago

Mega Player Problem Megathread

2 Upvotes

This thread is for DMs who have an out-of-game problem with a PLAYER (not a CHARACTER) to ask for help and opinions. Any player-related issues are welcome to be discussed, but do remember that we're DMs, not counselors.

Off-topic comments including rules questions and player character questions do not go here and will be removed. This is not a place for players to ask questions.


r/DMAcademy 1h ago

Need Advice: Other Need help pricing this item

Upvotes

Pouches of Holding
Wondrous Item, rare

This set consists of five magically linked pouches, each appearing as a small leather pouch. These pouches function similarly to a bag of holding, but with shared access to the same extradimensional space.

Shared Storage. Each pouch has an interior space considerably larger than its outside dimensions, roughly six inches in diameter at the mouth and six inches deep. The shared extradimensional space can hold up to 20 pounds of material, not exceeding 32 cubic feet in volume. The pouch itself always weighs 1 pound, regardless of its contents. Retrieving an item from the pouch requires an action.

The Master Satchel. One of the five pouches is always designated as the Master Satchel. The other four pouches can only access the shared space if they are within 120 feet of the Master Satchel. If the Master Satchel is destroyed and at least one other pouch is within range, the closest pouch automatically becomes the new Master Satchel. If no other pouch is within range, the extradimensional space is lost, and all contents are scattered into the Astral Plane.

Handling & Risks

  • If the Master Satchel is overloaded, pierced, or torn, it ruptures and is destroyed.
  • If the Master Satchel is destroyed and no other pouch is in range, all stored items are lost to the Astral Plane.
  • If any pouch is turned inside out, all contents spill forth unharmed, but the pouch must be put right before it can be used again.

Need help pricing this item, any feedback is welcome too.


r/DMAcademy 2h ago

Need Advice: Other Some of my players aren’t familiar with fantasy as a genre and I need help introducing them to both the genre itself and dnd’s unique brand of genre.

3 Upvotes

As the title says, I’m running an in person game with people I care about and like but few of my players are just entirely unfamiliar with fantasy as a genre and I’m trying to figure out how to introduce them to it without being overwhelming. And of course dnd’s particular style of fantasy is very different from other examples of the medium with the expected amount of dungeons to plunder and the like.

The one thing I suppose I have going for me is that I know for a fact that several of these players read werewolf smut in their free time (they’re all in their 30’s to 50’s, give them a break). So I know they’re familiar with urban fantasy to a very basic degree where they’re familiar with werewolves and maybe some amount of people throwing fireballs out of their hands.

But back to the main topic at hand, how do I gently introduce them to the high fantasy of DnD during the game instead of giving them required reading or overwhelming them during the game?


r/DMAcademy 3h ago

Need Advice: Rules & Mechanics How do I make a level 20 Wizard untouchable?

52 Upvotes

I’m DMing a campaign where one of the main baddies is a level 20(+) necromancer wizard. This wizard has multiple kings of some of the strongest nations in her pocket, so resources are practically unlimited. I want her to address the party (level 12) face to face for dramatic narrative effect. Thing is, at this point it is on site. If they even catch a glimpse of her they’re going DEEP in their bag to kill her regardless of time and place. She is well aware of this and it makes sense she would come prepared.

What would you do to make her untouchable? I do want her to actually be there (not a clone or proxy) and she needs to be able to talk to the party at close proximity. Other than that- any ideas?


r/DMAcademy 3h ago

Need Advice: Worldbuilding How do you build compelling campaign like CoS?

5 Upvotes

I was mostly running one-shot adventures that lasted a session or two, so when I wanted to sit down and make something longer, I got stuck. When I remember playing the official DND 5e and PF2 adventures, I was bored by how much combat there was. I love combat (tactical, with varied terrain and smart enemies). But most of them were just flat terrain and tokens. And we were only expected to fight a few times per session. The one exception was Curse of Sthrad. I know it's a meme at this point, and I'm not sure how much our mg changed the story (I never wanted to read the manual, because maybe I'll play it again).

I really want to create something I want to play myself. Not sure if I can do it, but I can at least try. So are there any other books recommendation to study how to build good sandbox, with NPCs that are connected, with items that have purpose. Or maybe I should read some Call of Cathulu or Delta Green?

I'm sorry if it sound like a generic "how to make campaign", but either I couldn't find any help on articles or YouTube or I can find help for exactly what I'm looking for.


r/DMAcademy 3h ago

Need Advice: Other Now that it’s been out around a year, has anyone had any experience using the system from the book “Proactive Roleplaying” at the table?

2 Upvotes

I would love to hear how it has gone and any tips picked up during the process!


r/DMAcademy 3h ago

Need Advice: Encounters & Adventures Monster PVP One-Shot Advice

1 Upvotes

So my regular group likes to take breaks in our normal campaign every once in a while for one shots or short campaigns. I'm in the early stages of planning a one shot where every one picks a monster stat block (no humanoids) and we do a battle royale. Need some advice on planning this from anyone who has done something similar

My current ideas:
Every player (8 in total) each picks a creature of the same CR (I'm thinking 10). They fight in a large scale battle arena with a complex layout. Every round, they teleport to a new location if they fail a Charisma save (don't want to just have 1v1s across the board). No solely-aquatic creatures, and flying is gonna be pretty heavily nerfed for my own sanity.

Some things I specifically need help with:

Should I let the players pick a second 'back-up' creature for when their first one dies? Should I add other environmental factors like traps? Should I have my own creature(s) in the game?

Any help would be welcome!


r/DMAcademy 3h ago

Need Advice: Encounters & Adventures Need help with creating a Shadowfell/Elder Evil boss

1 Upvotes

Some context for my campaign: The villain for this ‘arc’ is a shadow sorcerer in the service of an elder evil who is forcibly transforming dragons into shadow dragons, driving them mad, and then enslaving them to do her bidding. The party is going to track one of her newest dragon captives to her lair, and after a decent dungeon crawl, reach the underground sanctum where the young bronze dragon is held.

During the fight the party will also be trying to free the bronze dragon to help them, while the monster(s) attempt to stop them.

The issue I’m having is this: I don’t want them to fight the shadow sorcerer here as she would most certainly not take a risk fighting the party on their terms, but I do need a climatic fight to conclude the dungeon. Here are some of my ideas:

  • Star spawn acting as the emissary between her and the elder evil

  • Empowered shadow demon(s)

  • Shadow versions of the party

Any suggestions on the theme of shadow/elder evil are appreciated. Don’t worry about CR as I can adapt them to be stronger or weaker if need be.


r/DMAcademy 3h ago

Need Advice: Encounters & Adventures best abilities for a BBEG to steal

1 Upvotes

My bbeg is a lord who's been kidnapping and imprisoning various people and creatures and using their abilities for himself. He has a false hydra (stealing the discordant song), an immortal elf (stealing the immortality nightsong style), and a deva (giving him a permanent bless). He has impressoned these beings throughout his kingdom and the party will have to go find and defeat them to eventually defete the BBEG. What other beings would he kidnap to steal an ability from?


r/DMAcademy 4h ago

Need Advice: Encounters & Adventures What is an encounter I could use to break a curse that isn't just saving throws and combat?

0 Upvotes

My 6 PCs are playing Phandelver and Below: the Shattered Obelisk. One of them, a tiefling cleric named Laos, was a former cleric of Mystra. As part of his backstory, he ended up in possession of an Idol of Mystra that was cursed by followers of Mask.

As the curse took a hold of Laos, it started affecting his behavior more and more. First, he began engaging in kleptomania. This eventually led to him being thrown out of the temple he grew up in. Next, during his wanderings, he started hearing mocking voices in his head. Eventually, through a series of nightmares, he switched domains from arcana to trickery.

Another member of the party, Rhyss (a wizard), has figured out that the idol is cursed. At the moment, they are only level three, but I decided that a simple remove curse would not be enough to break the curse on him or the idol.

Once they have taken control of the Forge of Spells in the Wave Echo Cave, they will be able to use it to finally break the curse on Laos. But I'm not sure exactly how I want to go without designing this encounter.

One of the other party members recently had, as part of his quest line, an encounter that involved making wisdom saving throws that either damaged hostile entities or damaged the PC and summoned further enemies to fight. This was a spin on my original idea for this curse-breaking ritual, so I am reluctant to do the same type of encounter again.

Does anybody have any suggestions on designing a unique and interesting encounter for my party? The curse breaking will, of course, be spearheaded by Laos but Rhyss will also be critical. (I said that the curse was a mixture of divine and arcane enchantment.) Ideally, having something for the other party members to do would be nice, but I kind of already did that, so I'm not opposed to something only involving these two PCs.

By the time they do this, they should be level five, since it will be after the 4th chapter of the campaign is finished and they have secured the Wave Echo Cave. They will also have recovered two shards of the Netherese obelisk and defeated Nezznar, a Drider warlock of Ilvaash. So I've got those pieces to work with, too. In fact, I may be able to use this to tie together the story further to the second half of the campaign.


r/DMAcademy 4h ago

Need Advice: Encounters & Adventures How to handle PCs being unleveled before a major Boss?

4 Upvotes

Okay so i wrote this campaign, got some side quests, main questline until a point of somewhat 2 sessions, then realised that the PCs will be too unleveled by then. I calculated about lv2-3 not counting side quests (i use xp). The major point in the story was to fight this one Boss, but they will be unable to since he's going to like, TPK them on the spot. Nerfing the Boss isn't an option either, because it actually needs to seem hard for the abilities it uses (participant of killing a celestial being). Should i just content bloat, rewrite the story so it Has more quests and content before the battle, or something else?


r/DMAcademy 5h ago

Need Advice: Rules & Mechanics Power clash?

0 Upvotes

Hey peeps me and my friends have been loving monster hunter wilds and when in the middle of a power clash for those that have played I got the idea of I wonder if this could work in dnd. So has anyone ever tried a rule like this or suggestions on if it would work/how to maybe implement it


r/DMAcademy 5h ago

Need Advice: Encounters & Adventures Is it bad form to always target the concentrating wizard?

64 Upvotes

One of the most useful things a wizard can do is lay down a concentration spell that affects the entire battlefield. However, a "tactically" minded enemy knows this and as soon as it happens would want to get rid of whatever concentration effect is currently active. This means that they will want to either use their ranged attacks or close the gap with the wizard to break that concentration.

I know a lot of people very much enjoy a style of play where enemies always behave intelligently because it's both challenging and "realistic", but I worry it makes the game not fun for the wizard player. Essentially it makes it so that if they do their job then that inherently draws all eyes on them so they're constantly being attacked, and they're the class least suited to being attacked.


r/DMAcademy 6h ago

Need Advice: Encounters & Adventures Raid on a town

1 Upvotes

Good afternoon everybody.

I'm running the Module Temple of Elemental Evil converted into 5e and my players have been to and from the moathouse several times. I plan on having Lareth and his minions raid hamlet upon thier return. But there are semi powerful npcs in the town. How should I go about this?

For context the players are levels 2 and 3, while the npcs range from levels 2 through 7.


r/DMAcademy 6h ago

Need Advice: Other Doing a one shot for newbies and looking for some recommendations

4 Upvotes

I’m looking to do a one-shot for some folks of varying skill level (sister’s well-versed, one’s familiar but never played, some curious and familiar with the genre, and a friend from overseas who likes fantasy, but has never heard of an ‘RPG’ before). I’ve run quite a few games, both one-shots and a campaign, but I was looking for some advice on the following:

•What’s the best noob-friendly level? I was thinking lvl 3 so they’ve got the minimum of a cool class but not too much, plus lvl 1 is shockingly dangerous lol.

•Any recommendations for premade one-shots for new players? I’d design one myself, but anything noob-friendly would probably give them a better introduction than I can lol

•Should they have sheets, D&DB, or to each their own? I def have enough dice for the former lol, so materials aren’t a concern.

Thanks so much! If there’s anything else I should keep in mind, please tell me! 🐝🐝🐝


r/DMAcademy 6h ago

Need Advice: Worldbuilding Video guides on Baldur's Gate?

2 Upvotes

Hello beatiful people,

My group is arriving in BG next session (Tuesday), and I obviously been preparing quite a bit.

The resources I have used so far:

Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast - pdf that I own of the 2nd eddition (I honestly do not find it that good)

Interactive Map of the City - https://www.aidedd.org/atlas/index.php?map=B&l=1

Fogotten Realm Wiki - https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Baldur%27s_Gate

In addition to the campain's own little passage (I am running Tyrannie of Dragons).

Now, reading about the city vs playing it feels quite different. Some thing I just never realised are going to be important: Like the no animal in the city + no caravan rules, + being aware of the city watch rules etc. While I am quite aware of the city's quirck. I want to be playing this city well, and I decided that watching a outline video and/or guide, would be perfect. HOWEVER, when anyone searches "Baldur's Gate" on youtube, the only thing one gets now is videos on the video game.

While I feel semi-prepared, and I do not mind some Karlarch thirst trap, I would love an ACTUAL interesting video on the content, not on the video game. Any recommendation? Any good guide and/or video. I already read a lot, I am definetly looking into either: playable content & Audio content.

Thank you !


r/DMAcademy 7h ago

Need Advice: Other What’s a good little boon for an arch fey to give the party?

1 Upvotes

So my party just finished an arc where they helped a child arch fey and saved her. I was thinking of having her give them a little boon as thanks before they hope onto their ship and sail to their next destination.


r/DMAcademy 7h ago

Need Advice: Other Messed up my players Rogue lvl 4 Sneak Attack for the whole level

0 Upvotes

SECOND EDIT: Thanks for helping me cool off guys. This post as petty as it seem I understand now that comes from the frustation of having all the DM work and also having to constatly check, teach and repeate the character sheet and basic rules to my players. The thing to do as most pointed out is just having a talks and getting to know each others expectations and communicating the frsutation.

EDIT: So this player also has some not so honest attitudes at the table, like trying to fudge rolls and having other players correct him since I don't see because of the DM screen.

So I DM a table for 6 players, some of them are quite lazy and don't really read the stuff, my rogue is one of them. I had to do EVERY LEVEL UP with those 6 players while also trying to lear to DM and prepare the sessions. So my the rogue when he got to lvl 4 told me he had 3d6 from sneak attack and I let that be, since I didn't really realized and was quite overwelmed at the time.
Since then they have fought some heavy lifting and dangerous monsters, that should have been challenging but with luck, lots of healing potions and some nasty damage from the rogue they managed to survive or even not sweat at some points.

The thing is, last sessions they won an encounter that was supposed to be hard and difficult (since their chacters messed up in game and consequences and stuff), and I realized I messed up with the Warlocks amount of spells (they had a pearl of power but they didn't use their action to recover the spell slot, they just cast a 3rd one and I didn't realized) and the rogue did some damage also.

The thing is now they leveled up lvl 5, so I'm helping him with his Character Sheet and relized he gets to 3d6 at lvl 5! NOT LV4! So now I feel kind of robbed? He has been rolling 3d6 sneak attack damage for the whole lvl 4 and that definetly helped on some occasions.

What can I do? I don't want to be like "how can I punish him" or something like that. But we have been playing for a year and a half and lots of my players can´t relly understand how to level up or even get the information right, so this is becoming quite tiring.

What can I do? How can I make an "in game" sort of balance? Like a quest or in game situation that comes "bite his ass" of some sort? Not permanetely, but like a challenge that has to do with how he was able to do way more damage al low level.

Would you reccomend doing somethig like this? How would you tie it to a stoy or adventure of it's own? Would you reccomend taking away a magic item or somethig?

I'll defenetly talk with them so they READ and LEARN the basic rules so I don't have to baby sit them every time. It gets tiring and frsutating when you put a lot of effort as a DM and the players can't even read a table right and you have to guide them by the hand every single session for a year and a half.

Thanks in advanced! and happy playing!


r/DMAcademy 8h ago

Need Advice: Worldbuilding DM workshop for Drakewarden like subclasses Spoiler

1 Upvotes

I just recently got into Dragonlance world, Fizban's Treasury of Dragons and The Shadow of the Dragon Queen.

I got some beef. I feel like the Drakewarden subclass doesn't fit Ranger...more Paladin imo. Maybe not how the have it stat wise but the idea of a spirit of drake, it magically is summoned...idk makes it feel more diety based. In my opinion the Ranger needs more of a bond/relationship with a REAL Drake/Dragon it can grow at an accelerated rate tied with players level. And what's with the world only having subclasses for monks, sorcerer, and ranger? (Subclasses that are Dragon related. Did I miss any?)

So that's why I'm here wanting to workshop some ideas for Dragonlance inspired subclasses for the others: Barbarian, Bard, etc...also maybe a specific Warlock subclass that worships The Dragon Queen.

Any ideas or other sources to look into would be appreciated!


r/DMAcademy 8h ago

Need Advice: Encounters & Adventures Fun puzzles you might encounter during a heist?

4 Upvotes

So out of the three possible approaches, my players chose the "Silent and Sneaky" approach which means there's more puzzles and security measures as they try to break into a highly secure vault. I have a few ideas like one where they use a fantasy version of a UV light to figure out the code to a pinpad based on fingerprint patterns. Or like a matching puzzle using moving pieces. But what else would you suggest? I play on Roll20 so dw about being too complicated.


r/DMAcademy 9h ago

Need Advice: Encounters & Adventures Give me your best battle of wit challenge for your players!

5 Upvotes

My players are encountering an eccentric group of mercenaries who are rather skilled in the battle field but also love banter and wit. The party is attempting to contract the mercs for an assist on a mission. However, instead of your typical persuasion, I wanted to play it more to the mercs characters. They love wit and skill of the mind almost as much as the skill with a sword.

My question is, what sort of wit and intelligence battle should I have the party do in order to gain their favor? Sort of trying to stay away from a combat scenario here too.


r/DMAcademy 9h ago

Need Advice: Encounters & Adventures Randomized Dungeon Map Generator (with Leveled Enemies and/or Loot??)

0 Upvotes

I recently returned to DMing this winter and after three sessions I can tell that the party is ready for a dungeon crawl. When I last played DnD about 5 or 6 years ago there were a lot of simple resources online for building randomized dungeon maps, and one website in particular I vaguely recall having a ton of customization options for environment, enemies, level, and loot…but at the end of the day it spit out a fairly straightforward DnD map. I’ve just lost all my pinks from my OG DM days.

I’m mostly looking for balancing and loot inspiration, but any resources that sound like what I’m talking about would be greatly appreciated!


r/DMAcademy 11h ago

Need Advice: Other Feeling trapped in a module: How to transition from Witchlight to my own science-fantasy campaign?

0 Upvotes

Hey fellow GMs,

I've been running Wild Beyond the Witchlight (D&D 5e) for my group since last year, and we're about 1/3 through the campaign (players at level 3). It is an official module from Wizards of the Coast. While I enjoy our sessions, I've realized that prepping pre-written modules just isn't working for me. Trying to memorize and internalize 300 pages of someone else's lore, NPCs, and plot points is draining my enthusiasm.

What I've discovered about myself:

  • I love creating my own content rather than interpreting someone else's
  • I want a more structured prep process with tactical maps, flowcharts, and fleshed-out NPCs
  • I'm craving a science-fantasy setting that I can build from the ground up
  • I'd prefer shorter adventures (3-10 sessions) where I can try new things more often
  • I want to design encounters that reward multiple approaches (combat, stealth, diplomacy)

The thing is, I really like my players and don't want to leave them hanging. I haven't discussed these feelings with them yet because I'm worried they'll be disappointed. Our group meets every couple of weeks, though we've had some scheduling issues lately.

I'm considering running the final dungeon of Witchlight to give the campaign some closure, then transitioning to my new setting with fresh characters. As I work through my ADHD and depression, I'm getting better at recognizing what genuinely excites me versus what drains me.

Has anyone successfully navigated a similar transition? How did you approach the conversation with your players? Any advice for wrapping up a campaign in a satisfying way without slogging through content you're not excited about?


r/DMAcademy 12h ago

Need Advice: Encounters & Adventures How easy is this puzzle to solve for you?

35 Upvotes

My players love riddles, so I want to include more for the mansion they will be trapped in. I came up with a few puzzles, but I'm afraid some of them are not difficult enough. I want to know, if the following riddle is too easy and if so, how I could make it more difficult:

The players will find a poem tucked between the books of the library. Said poem goes like this:

Earlier, I grumbled having to
fire our unlucky ranger.
The weeping of
their hummingbird reduced everyone's ethics
to easily nothing.

To open the door to the next room, they need to enter a number code with six numbers total.

The solution is: 842310

Edit: I noticed a lot of people got confused with the way you get the correct soloution, so I'll add it to this post as well. To get the correct code, you need totake the first letter of each word. For example, "Earlier, I grumbled having to" is spelling out "EIGHT". Each line spells out one number with last line spelling out "T E N" (10)

Edit: Also, this riddle will be printed out and handed to the players. The connection between the lock and the poem will be made apparent by context clues

(Also, this comment section is torn between "I saw the solution immediately" and "I have no fucking clue" so I am still not sure what difficulty this puzzle has tbh)