#dnd guide

[thatsgeeky]

Bringing Your NPCs to Life: Tips for Creating A Believable Character Backstory in D&D

As a dungeon master, one of the most important parts of your job is creating believable and interesting NPCs (non-player characters) for your players to interact with. These NPCs can range from shopkeepers and guards to quest givers and powerful villains, and they play a crucial role in bringing your campaign world to life.

However, creating NPCs that feel real and relatable can be a challenging task. In this blog post, we'll be discussing some tips and tricks for creating believable NPCs in D&D. From giving NPCs a backstory to making them react realistically to the players, we'll show you how to make your NPCs feel like real, living people. So whether you're a seasoned dungeon master or just starting out, read on to learn how to create NPCs that will keep your players engaged and invested in your game.

Family and Relationships

Family and relationships are an essential element of an NPCs backstory and can give insight into their personality and motivations. For example, an NPC who has lost a loved one might be more likely to be driven by grief and a desire for revenge.

Family and relationships can also provide hooks for the players to interact with the NPCs, creating interesting and dynamic interactions. It can also create conflicts for the NPCs and the players, and the NPCs can have different types of relationship with the player characters like friends, enemies, mentors, allies, and more.

Additionally, NPCs can have complex relationships, for example, an NPC who has a love-hate relationship with one of the player characters. Knowing the NPCs family and relationships can also help the DM to create a believable dialogue, as NPCs can have different roles in the family or society and it can affect their actions and motivations.

Childhood Experiences

Another crucial component of an NPCs biography is their early life, which has the power to influence their personality, worldview, and moral principles. An NPC who was raised in poverty, for instance, might be more motivated by a desire for money and status. Childhood memories can also serve as springboards for the players to engage with the non-player characters (NPCs), resulting in engaging and dynamic interactions. The early experiences of the NPCs might influence their beliefs, values, and worldview, and it can also lead to disputes between them and the players.

In addition, NPCs early life experiences can affect their talents and aptitudes; for instance, an NPC who grew up in a conflict zone may be better at surviving and engaging in warfare. Additionally, it can affect how they feel and think. For instance, an NPC who experienced abuse as a youngster may struggle with trust or develop PTSD. As NPCs can have diverse perspectives on life and the world based on their experiences, knowing the NPCs early experiences can also aid the DM in crafting believable dialogue.

Education or Training

An NPCs education and training can give meaning to their talents and abilities and are a significant part of their narrative. Knowing what an NPC has studied or received training in might help determine their level of skill and knowledge. A skilled wizard NPC, for instance, may be more motivated by a quest for power and knowledge.

The players' interactions with the NPCs may be made more fascinating and dynamic by means of education and training. As the education and training of the NPCs may impact their views, values, and worldview, it can also lead to disputes between the NPCs and the players.

Additionally, NPCs education and training can shape their career and occupation, for example, an NPC who is a trained engineer might be more likely to be a successful inventor or architect. It can also shape their social status, for example, an NPC who has received a noble education might be more likely to be a member of the upper class. Knowing the NPCs education and training can also help the DM to create a believable dialogue, as NPCs can have different perspectives on life and the world based on their education and training.

Career or Occupation

An NPCs career or occupation can also play a role in shaping their backstory and provide context for their skills and abilities. Knowing what an NPC does for a living can give insight into their skills, abilities, and motivations. For example, an NPC who is a shopkeeper might be more likely to be driven by a desire for wealth and success. A career or occupation can also provide hooks for the players to interact with the NPCs, creating interesting and dynamic interactions. It can also create conflicts for the NPCs and the players, as the NPCs career or occupation can shape their beliefs, values, and how they perceive the world.

The NPCs career or occupation can shape their social status, for example, an NPC who is a noble might be more likely to be a member of the upper class. It can also shape their reputation, for example, an NPC who is a notorious thief might be feared or respected by other NPCs. Knowing the NPCs career or occupation can also help the DM to create a believable dialogue, as NPCs can have different perspectives on life and the world based on their career or occupation.

Life Events

Life events that shape an NPCs personality are also an important element of an NPCs backstory and can give insight into their personality, beliefs, and values. For example, an NPC who has experienced a traumatic event, like a war, might be more likely to be driven by a desire for peace and safety. Life events can also provide hooks for the players to interact with the NPCs, creating interesting and dynamic interactions. It can also create conflicts for the NPCs and the players, as the NPCs life events can shape their beliefs, values and how they perceive the world.

Additionally, NPCs life events can shape their skills and abilities, for example, an NPC who has been through a shipwreck might be more skilled in survival and navigation. It can also shape their emotional and mental state, for example, an NPC who has suffered a great loss might have trust issues or PTSD. Knowing the NPCs life events can also help the DM to create a believable dialogue, as NPCs can have different perspectives on life and the world based on their experiences.

In Summary

Giving your NPCs a backstory is an essential step in making them feel like real and relatable characters

A backstory provides context for an NPC's actions and motivations, making them more believable and interesting to the players

Family and relationships are an essential element of an NPC's backstory and can give insight into their personality and motivations

Childhood experiences are another important element of an NPC's backstory and can shape their personality, beliefs, and values

Education and training are an important element of an NPC's backstory and can provide context for their skills and abilities

An NPC's career or occupation can also play a role in shaping their backstory and provide context for their skills and abilities

Life events that shape an NPC's personality are also an important element of an NPC's backstory and can give insight into their personality, beliefs, and values

By including these elements in an NPC's backstory, you can create characters that feel real and relatable to your players

Additionally, it will help you to understand the motivations and actions of NPCs, making the game more interesting and dynamic

#geeklife #geeky stuff #geek culture #rpg ressources #rpg character #roleplaying ideas #dnd guide #dnd tips #dnd memes #dnd character #dungeons and dragons #dungeoncore #dungeon and dragons guide #dungeons and dragons tips and tricks #help guide #geek games #tabletop #dnd community #dungeon master #roleplaying games

[thecatslug]

So your players really like Strahd: A Guide to Evil Aligned Ravenloft 😈

Whether you’re going into a Ravenloft or a homebrew CoS game, or are one of the many CoS DMs that’s found their players successfully romancing Strahd and now wanting to work with him? This little post is here to help. So without further ado, let’s look at my tips for running Strahd for the more morally ambiguous party.

The most divisive part of running any evil aligned game in DnD, regardless of setting is running the “villain” NPC as an ally. This is largely because even in 2022, DnD is still in a very “good versus evil” mindset. Sure, we kind of have a more nuanced version with the greater acceptance of antiheroes, but rarely do you see DMs chatting about how their party has sold their souls and work for a canon big bad they’re supposed to kill. As someone with experience running “evil aligned” TTRPGS like Vampire: The Masquerade, I’d like to shatter that mindset. The only differences with an evil aligned game are 1.) Insuring your party fully OOC understands that this is fucked up, and 2.) Running the “villain” protagonist.

Running Strahd as an ally/boss/lover/etc. can be daunting because DMs are usually scared of whitewashing how horrible he is, or somehow inadvertently “praising” his actions. If you are running Strahd only with the as-written 5e instructions for playing this villain, you will not get far- because 5e has only prepped you for running him as an antagonist! 5e is as guilty as its DMs when it comes to only jotting down the notes you NEED to run things as written. 5e is the equivalent of me jotting down how Sam Snorkel the goblin likes shanking people without taking the time to write up his tragic backstory, because the PCs will kill him in one shot any ways. When running Strahd as an ally/boss/lover, players are going to be getting to know him- meaning you’ve got to flesh out more nuance in your game. None of his past is clear cut good and evil- and the players will eventually grow to see that. The trick is maintaining the balance of players understanding his past actions without condoning them.

A perfect example of how to maintain this balance as a writer is to look at Billy Butcher from the Amazon prime series The Boys. Butcher is a sadistic, mildly psychopathic, man with anger issues and severe childhood trauma. In any other story he would likely be the villain, but our titular audience POV character, Hugh, is allied with him and never befriends this monster throughout the course of the show. The show walks the line of making Butcher sympathetic, yet not excusable, by drip feeding information about his past to the audience to explain his horrible actions. You don’t get the trauma dump in episode one, something that might make the audience ignore his faults. Instead you watch him take two steps forward and one step back. For every small glimpse into his tragic past you see the horrendously unhealthy repercussions of that past in the form of yet another sadistic or downright evil act. This, my friends, is the gold standard for running Strahd; Drip feeding his past as the party gets to know him, subtly showing how truly horrible his life was (something even he represses to an extent) through nuanced trauma responses or offhand stories about childhood abuse (you know, the ones every depressed person tells and suddenly the room goes quiet because apparently knowing someone’s mood by their footsteps isn’t normal). For every sorrowful revelation, there should be a horrifying realization, a sadistic action, a show of how corrupted he’s become. But more than just blandly info dumping or having some evil exposition, the trick is to make players UNDERSTAND how fucked up an action is/was. As I tell my party, it’s one thing to know Strahd killed Sergei, but it’s another to UNDERSTAND how horrible that is.

As an example from my game, my parties honestly were kinda on Strahd’s side when they found out he killed his little brother. All the PCs are older siblings or have had to deal with snotty little clerics and were sympathetic towards the desire to shank said snotty siblings or clerics. However, this callous mindset changed as they began to UNDERSTAND Strahd’s actions, as their simple knowledge of the event connected to the emotional gravity. I did this through several encounters with Sergei’s ghost and with several small encounters with Strahd himself. Knowing Strahd killed sergei was one thing, physically watching the light in Sergei’s ghost’s eyes die as his trust in his brother shattered- or seeing Strahd callously lash out at the disoriented and sobbing apparition- made them UNDERSTAND the emotional nuance and gravity to his actions. When is was said and done, the evil PCs are still in Strahd’s corner- but they recognize how horrible the situation is, and their relationship with Strahd has an added layer of tense nuance.

Billy Butcher from The Boys is a great guide for keeping your Strahd sympathetically inexcusable, but let’s look at how to actually PLAY Strahd as an ally. Because knowing and understanding his past is something even a traditional “good” party can do. It’s another thing entirely to play Strahd in the context of an ally. This, my dears, is where the mafia comes in. Shows like Peaky Blinders or Boardwalk Empire are great templates for playing Strahd as an allied villain. These shows teach us how to play villains that will torture, murder, and torment anyone who crosses them- while still making dinner for the family after a long day of crime. Players who go above and beyond to show their loyalty to Barovia and their competence as underlings will quickly find themselves in Strahd’s good graces. Keep this up, and they will find themselves gaining one of the most terrifying gifts in Ravenloft: Strahd’s loyalty. Like any outsider to gain standing with any crime family in the history of crime dramas, sometimes the adoration and loyalty of one’s benefactor is more of a curse than a blessing. Because once Strahd likes you, suddenly the person who stole your wallet has been exploded in front of you (out of love, of course). Strahd’s show of loyalty and care is twisted, sadistic, horrifying, and utterly untameable by the party. But scarier still is the prospect of shattering that loyalty. Because Strahd does not give his affection or loyalty easily, and sees it (rightly so) as one of the biggest boons in Ravenloft. Squandering that, double crossing him, or letting him down are great ways to make Strahd your party’s worst nightmare.

…But not their worst nightmare in the respects or a traditional game. No no no, Strahd is a very practical lawful evil villain who isn’t going to wholly throw away or kill a useful PC unless he absolutely has to. No, there’s fates worse than death when you’re Strahd’s friend or underling. Letting Strahd down, failing him on a mission, will result in a “we all make mistakes, don’t repeat them” and then a “this isn’t personal, just business” punishment. I’d like to think even Rahadin isn’t wholly exempt from Strahd’s military esque mindset when it comes to “business”. He loves his family and his friends, but it’s unfair to exempt them from repercussions when they fuck up on the job. While the severity may be toned down for people he cares about more, you’ll still see him strip privileges, remove “distractions”, or temporarily handicap or maim those who let him down. People who repeat a mistake, who “take advantage” of leniency, will quickly find themselves on his shit list- a position they’ll have to work hard to recover from. Of course, if someone’s usefulness begins to be outweighed by their mistakes… aha- then they’re fucked, though at least he might still give the mercy of a swift disposal.

Now that we’ve seen how he deals with the business side of a relationship- let’s take a look at how he deals with genuine betrayal. TL;dr: not well. Going behind his back or disobeying orders for a perceived “greater good” will result in a breaking of trust and pretty severe repercussions, but it’s something you can recover from- depending on the severity. The ONLY thing that’ll likely give an immediate ejection from “the family” is to backstab him. Now this can be anything from actually trying to fuck him over, to defecting to an enemy domain, to trying to use him to escape Barovia. Anything in this vein will result in the most drawn out and personal of torments, such as being buried alive or slowly peeled apart! Fun times.

Alright my dears, for the last bit of this rambling post, I want to give some tips for how to use these tools to make play exciting and tense. In a “normal” game, the tension is generally just in fighting the villain. In an evil aligned game, however, players are under far more pressure- and this is especially true when it comes to Strahd. Because not only do they have to worry about fighting off the game’s antagonistic forces (I.e. Strahd’s enemies), they have to worry about maintaining their relationship with Strahd. Because being Strahd’s friend is like being a warlock or even a cleric, in some respects. When it’s good? It’s amazing. When it’s bad? It’s really REALLY bad. Players are making the exchange of moral stability and relying on “good” for fanatical devotion, protection, power, and volatility when Strahd becomes a benefactor or ally. This duality and tension is the bread and butter of any Vampire: The Masquerade game, especially games focusing on the more brutal factions like the cultish found family of The Sabbat, or the mafia esque Giovanni. I HIGHLY recommend looking at the VtM 20th edition or Revised Edition (not V5, V5 is trash) rulebooks* or guides to either faction for some excellent ideas on running Strahd in the context of an evil game and/or as an ally.

(As always, thank you for reading this far! Feel free to comment, steal, disagree, etc. I’d like to note once again that EVERY rendition of CoS/Ravenloft and Strahd is valid! This is just my take on things, and a guide for more evil aligned games- so I’d ask for the same respect to be extended if you’re a more traditional black-and-white morality DM.)

*Note: If you’d like help “finding” these books, PM me. I’ll “point you” in the right direction.

#Catslug’s Guides #It’s ok to be evil (in DnD) #strahd #strahd von zarovich #ravenloft #curse of strahd #dungeons and dungeons #dungeon master #dnd guide

[haven-of-trash]

When I finish writing/setting up my call of cthulhu fear and hunger stuff, would it be appreciated if I left a link to the work so others who want to also run something similar can?

I've seen a few people talk about running their own campaign/one shot of F&H in DND. Hopefully this helps those who are planning on doing this.

And since I know tumblr likes polls, have a poll! <3

#i want this to reach many opinions as possible so the tags are gonna be a lot... maybe. #fear and hunger #funger #fear and hunger termina #funger 2 #cahara #d'arce #ragnvaldr #enki ankarian #enki #dnd #coc #call of cthulhu #dungeons and dragons #dming #dnd guide #dnd one shot #dnd campaign #coc one shot #call of cthulhu one shot #coc campaign #call of cthulhu campaign #sorry for all the tags luv ya ( ˘ ³˘) #F&H DnD CoC Doc

[tigerkirby215]

"Tumblr is a toxic platform full of shippers and SJWs!"

Meanwhile Tumblr:

#normal #I feel weird #being #a #Tumblr #user #like I usually just post #dnd #dnd 5e #dnd build #dnd guide #and nothing else

[medieval-collectibles]

Getting Started: A Beginner's Guide to D&D | Medieval Collectibles

Dungeons & Dragons is a popular roleplaying game all over the nation. Let’s look at things you need to know when getting started with a beginner’s guide to D&D.

What Is Dungeons & Dragons?

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. It was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. It was since published by Wizards of the Coast in 1997. Originally derived from miniature wargames, a variation of the 1971 game Chainmail served as the initial rule system. However, D&D departs from traditional wargaming by allowing each player to create their own character to play instead of a military formation.

The goal is for the characters to embark on imaginary adventures in a fantasy realm. They form a party and interact with the realm’s inhabitants and each other. They resolve issues, engage in battles, explore the world, and gather treasure and knowledge from everything and everyone around them. Through this process, the characters earn experience points (XP) to level up. They continue to gain powers and strength over several gaming sessions.

How to Play

D&D is normally played indoors with the participants seated around a tabletop. However, nowadays many people also use online resources like Discord, Roll20, and D&D Beyond to play together across great distances.

One player takes on the role of Dungeon Master (DM). The others each control a single character, representing an individual in a fictional setting. This group of individuals, when working together, is described as a “party” of adventurers. Each character often has their own area of specialty which contributes to the success of the whole group. Throughout the game, each player directs the actions of their character. They choose how to interact with other characters in the game. This is performed through verbal impersonation of the characters by the players, also known as role-playing. Many players also use miniature figures on a grid map as a visual aid, particularly for combat.



Keep reading the full article below or click here to read it on our website.

What Do You Need to Play?

If playing D&D in the general tabletop setting, players will need the following:

A character sheet – To keep track of their stats, weapons, abilities, and their character background information.

A rule book – Players can check out the Dungeons and Dragons: 5th Edition Rule Book. The official Dungeons and Dragons website also provides a free PDF version of the Basic Rules. It’s their version of a beginner’s guide to D&D.

One set of polyhedral dice – A set of these dice typically comes with 7 different dice. These include d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, and d100. The “d” refers to the die itself, while the number refers to the number of sides on the die. This excludes the d100 as it has 10 sides. It is generally used as a percentile die by the DM rather than the players. Different polyhedral dice coincide with different actions. A d20 is used to see whether a hit was made in combat. However, a d8 is used to determine how much damage was dealt.

A pen or pencil – To keep track of their character’s information, and any important notes from the storyline.

Equipment for playing will be a little bit different if using online resources for gameplay. Sites like Roll20 and D&D Beyond allow players to have virtual character sheets, so there’s no reason to use pen and paper. If playing online, some DMs would rather their players use virtual dice as well to maintain honest gameplay. However, others may be lenient and allow players to roll their own physical dice. It’s still a good idea to have a copy of the rules on hand, whether physical or virtual.

Joining a Campaign or a One-Shot

Some D&D groups prefer short one-shots, while others prefer much longer campaigns. Most groups play a combination of both. A one-shot is a single-run adventure. These sessions are usually unconnected from a storyline or game world and can be finished in only a few hours. There is no connected plot, and the players can play different characters in each session. A campaign is a series of adventures that take place over multiple sessions. The player’s characters often remain as elements of the continuing story arc unless they meet an unfortunate demise. The DM can either use one of the many pre-made adventures that have been published throughout the history of D&D, or they can design their own original adventure. These are typically referred to as homebrew.

Should I Be a DM or a PC?

The Dungeon Master (DM) is the storyteller and host of the campaign or one-shot. They act as every NPC or BBEG that the party will encounter on their adventure. NPC stands for non-player character. BBEG stands for Big Bad Evil Guy. Their job is to set the scene for the party. They describe what other players perceive in this imaginary world, and how their actions affect the world around them. Typically, the Dungeon Master is someone who has a bit more experience playing D&D than the rest of the players, but don’t let that discourage you from giving it a try.

Player Characters (PCs) are the members who make up the party. Their job is to explore the imaginary world, traverse dungeons and forests, and unravel the stories around them. They make the decisions that will drive the story along, whether it be good or bad. Anyone can be a player character, no matter if they are new to the game or well-versed.

Character Creation

Players record the details of their character on a Character Sheet. A player will determine their character’s ability scores by rolling a d20 for each ability. Afterward players decide on a race for their character and their character’s class or occupation. They choose an alignment of morality and many other features to round out a character’s abilities and background. Some races give characters different advantages, like dark-vision, hereditary spells, or speaking other languages. Classes add to what characters can do on all fronts; stat improvements, proficiency in weapons or languages, or whether a character is able to use spells. For example, a cleric is well-versed in magic that comes from an in-game deity. A monk is more proficient in unarmed combat and can harness ki’s mystic energy. These two characters would have very different abilities.

The difficult part of character creation is usually coming up with a detailed background. Creating a background for a character allows the other party members to get to know the character better. It also helps the DM to weave a character’s story into the narrative more thoroughly. Most players will go into an adventurer without knowing a lot of the backstory if any at all. Depending on what kind of character the player created, the background could cause a character to act a certain way. This could be around friendly NPCs or foes, which in turn affects the rest of the party. For tips on creating your first D&D backstory, check out Crispy’s Tavern’s guide on Youtube, 6 Tips for Your First D&D Backstory – Tabletop Tavern Tips.

Abilities and Proficiencies

A character’s abilities include strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma. The stats for these abilities are initially rolled during character creation. Each ability score will determine an ability modifier that characters can apply when rolling an ability check. Let’s say a player rolls a d20 for an ability score. If they were to get a 14 or 15, their ability modifier would be +2. Proficiency bonuses are also determined by character creation. However, these depend on race or class and are only applied when rolling for specific skill checks.

Role-Playing My Character

Once the characters are made and the first session is decided, it’s time to prepare to become the character. Depending on the background and character, different players will roleplay in different ways. A Lawful Good Wizard and a Chaotic Evil Paladin would not act the same. And if one was an elf and one was a paladin, they would have different accents. But getting into character can be hard for a first-time player. Keeping the same accent for an entire campaign can be difficult. Some people recommend recording the character’s “voice” to listen to before the session to get into character. For other tips on role-playing in D&D, check out Crispy’s Taverns guide on Youtube, How to Start Roleplaying in D&D (Making RP Easier) – Tabletop Tavern Tips.

Actions and Combat In-Game

Depending on what actions a character takes, they will have to make a roll to see how their action prevails. Certain actions a character chooses to do are automatically successful. This could be picking ale up at the tavern or opening an unlocked door. Other actions, liking attacking an opponent or picking a lock, must be discussed with the DM. The player will then roll a dice to see if it is successful or not. This is where ability modifiers and proficiencies come into play. Before combat the DM will ask the player to roll initiative, which is a d20 plus your dexterity modifier. Initiative is how players decide what order the characters will go in during combat.

Let’s say during combat, an opponent has an Armour Class (AC) of 17. The player rolls a 15 on a Strength attack. They will have to add their ability modifier to their roll to successfully hit the opponent. After a successful hit, the player will roll for damage. The dice they roll for damage depends on the weapon they use to attack. For example, a quarterstaff causes a d6 of bludgeoning damage.

In this article, we looked at the things you need to know when getting started with a beginner’s guide to D&D. We explored how to play, the tools needed for play, character creation, and other important topics when deciding to join a session of Dungeons & Dragons.

#guide to dnd #dnd5e #dnd #d&d #dungeons and dragons #intro to dnd #dnd guide #what is dnd #how to play dnd #how to play dungeons and dragons #beginner's guide to dnd #dnd stuff #dnd class #medieval collectibles #blog #article

[dungeons-plus-dumbasses]

Welcome!

Welcome Dungeon & Dragons enthusiasts, Game Masters, Role-Players, Min-Maxers, Murder Hobos, and Nerds of all kind

I'm Bee! A seasoned player and DM of Dungeons and Dragons and Dice Goblin here to share my love for the game and help out anyone who's new or just wants to chill!

This blog will be filled with D&D stories from the campaigns that I take part in, art of my own characters and parties, tips and advices for any new gamers!

Feel free to send in an ask about any questions you may have about the game, me, the campaigns and characters that I share! 🥰

#b talks #🐝 talks #dungeons and dragons #d&d #dnd 5e #dnd #d&d 5e #dnd campaign #d&d campaign #dnd character #d&d character #d&d tips #d&d advice #d&d guide #dnd tips #dnd advice #dnd guide

[cl0wn---cat]

Hi so I'm extremely fucking stupid

And my dumbass wants to know how dnd works bc I've been looking into it

So I'm basically asking if there's any like good beginner guides that are fairly simple/easy to understand

Keep in mind I know barely anything about how dnd works.

#dnd #dungeons and dragons #im a dumb fuck #please #dnd guide

[lackadaisycats]

Varasta - a luck deity. Some artwork I did for The Delver’s Guide last year!

#delver's guide #beastworld #dnd #5e #anthro #art #fox #character art #lackadaisy #furry #roleplaying #tabletop

[eliotbaum]

Guiding Bolt 🏹

painting practice with Lydia & Kasper

#illustration #artists on tumblr #art #dnd art #dnd 5e #curse of strahd #curse of strahd art #digital painting #lydia petrovna #kasper dunant #cleric #guiding bolt

[sbeep]

I was approved for inprnt and these are now available as prints!

#personal project: forgotten realms travel guide #sb-art #D&D #dnd #dungeons and dragons #forgotten realms

[thatsgeeky]

Bringing Your D&D Character to Life: A Guide to Roleplaying

As any seasoned D&D player knows, the key to an immersive and engaging game is strong roleplaying. The characters we create for our campaigns are more than just collections of stats and abilities; they are fully-fledged individuals with their own personalities, backgrounds, and goals. By bringing these characters to life through roleplay, we can add depth and richness to the game world and make our adventures all the more memorable.

In this guide, we’ll go over the steps you can take to create a well-rounded and believable D&D character, and provide tips and techniques for enhancing your roleplay. Whether you’re a seasoned role-player or new to the game, we hope you’ll find something here to help bring your D&D character to life.

Before we begin:

Have a pen and paper handy to jot down your ideas.

Consider creating a character sheet or journal to keep track of your character’s stats, abilities, and other important details.

Step 1: Developing Your Character’s Personality and Motivations

One of the most important aspects of roleplaying a D&D character is understanding their personality and motivations. This will inform how your character behaves in different situations and how they interact with other characters in the game world.

To get started, think about what makes your character unique. What are their quirks, flaws, and strengths? What are their goals and aspirations? What do they value most in life? Answering these questions can help you get a sense of your character’s personality and give you a foundation for building their backstory and shaping their actions in the game.

It can also be helpful to consider your character’s alignment, which refers to their moral and ethical outlook. Are they lawful good, chaotic evil, or something in between? This can give you a sense of how your character might approach different dilemmas and conflicts in the game.

Finally, consider your character’s motivations. What drives them to adventure? Are they seeking wealth, power, revenge, redemption, or something else? Understanding your character’s motivations can help you make more informed decisions about their actions in the game and give your roleplay more depth and purpose.

Step 2: Building a Backstory for Your D&D Character

In addition to your character’s personality and motivations, their backstory can play a major role in shaping their identity and informing their actions in the game. A well-crafted backstory can add depth and complexity to your character, as well as provide opportunities for roleplay and character development.

To begin building your character’s backstory, consider their family and cultural background, as well as any significant events or experiences that have shaped their worldview and personality. You might also think about their education and training, any notable relationships or allies they have, and any enemies or rivalries they might have.

It’s important to strike a balance between providing enough detail to give your character depth and complexity, while still leaving room for flexibility and growth. Your character’s backstory should be a starting point, not a definitive roadmap for their actions in the game. As you develop your character’s backstory, try to think about how it might inform their behavior and decisions in the present. For example, if your character comes from a wealthy and privileged background, they might approach problems and conflicts differently than a character who has had to struggle and fend for themselves.

Don’t be afraid to collaborate with your DM and fellow players to incorporate your character’s backstory into the game. This can add an extra layer of immersion and help bring your character to life in the game world.

Step 3: Physical Characterization and Mannerisms

Together with your character’s personality and backstory, their physical appearance and mannerisms can play a significant role in bringing them to life in your D&D campaign. Consider your character’s physical characteristics, such as their height, weight, facial features, and any distinguishing marks or scars. You might also think about their style of dress and any unique items or accessories they might wear.

Next, consider your character’s mannerisms, or the way they carry themselves and interact with others. Do they speak loudly or softly? Do they make frequent hand gestures when they talk? Do they have a particular way of moving or standing that is distinctive to them? Adding these small details can help bring your character to life and make them more believable to your fellow players.

It can also be helpful to consider your character’s posture and body language, as these can convey a lot about their personality and state of mind. For example, a character who is confident and assertive might stand up straight with their shoulders back, while a character who is anxious or nervous might fidget or avoid eye contact.

If you're stuck then try to draw inspiration from real people or fictional characters you admire. Just be sure to make your character your own and avoid simply copying someone else’s mannerisms or appearance.

Step 4: Voice and Dialogue for Your D&D Character:

An important part of bringing your D&D character to life is establishing their voice and dialogue. This includes the way they speak, their choice of words, and their tone and inflection. To begin, consider your character’s age, education level, and cultural background, as these can all influence the way they speak. You might also think about their personality and any quirks or mannerisms that might affect their speech patterns.

It can be helpful to practice speaking as your character out loud to get a feel for their voice and how they might naturally phrase things. You might also consider using a voice recording app or software to help you fine-tune your character’s voice and speech patterns. In addition to your character’s voice, pay attention to their choice of words and the way they speak. Do they use formal or informal language? Do they have a particular dialect or accent? Do they use slang or colloquialisms that are specific to their background or profession?

Consider your character’s tone and inflection. How do they sound when they are happy, angry, sarcastic, or serious? By paying attention to these details, you can add depth and believability to your character’s dialogue and help bring them to life in the game. As you work on your character’s voice and dialogue, don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. Just be sure to communicate with your DM and fellow players so that you can all work together to create an immersive and engaging game world.

Step 5: Consistency and Continuity in Roleplaying Your D&D Character

One of the challenges of roleplaying a D&D character over an extended period of time is maintaining consistency and continuity in their behavior and actions. It’s important to stay true to your character’s personality and motivations, while still allowing for growth and development over the course of the game.

To help ensure consistency in your roleplay, it can be helpful to refer back to your character’s backstory and personality traits as you make decisions for them in the game. This can help you stay true to their character and avoid sudden, unexplained changes in behavior. It can also be helpful to keep track of your character’s actions and decisions in a character journal or log. This can serve as a reference for you and your DM and help you stay on track with your character’s development.

In addition to consistency, it’s important to consider continuity in your roleplay. This means keeping track of your character’s past experiences and how they might impact their present actions and decisions. For example, if your character has a history of being betrayed by friends, they might be more hesitant to trust new companions in the future. Paying attention to consistency and continuity in your roleplay, you can help bring your D&D character to life and make them feel like a fully-realized individual in the game world.

Conclusion: Bringing Your D&D Character to Life through Roleplay

In this guide, we’ve covered the steps you can take to bring your D&D character to life through roleplay. By developing your character’s personality and motivations, building a believable backstory, considering their physical characteristics and mannerisms, and establishing their voice and dialogue, you can create a well-rounded and believable character that will enhance your gaming experience. Remember, roleplaying is a collaborative process, and it’s important to communicate with your DM and fellow players to ensure a seamless and immersive game. Don’t be afraid to try new things and take risks with your character, and always be open to feedback and constructive criticism. With a little practice and attention to detail, you’ll be well on your way to bringing your D&D character to life in your next campaign.

#dungeoncore #dungeons and dragons #dnd #dungeons and dragons guide #dnd memes #dnd character #character development #character building #character sheet #fantasy character #rpg character #roleplaying #dnd tips #dnd guide #d&d #story development #storytelling #writing tips #geeky stuff #roleplaying ideas

[thecatslug]

Let’s Flesh-Out Barovia: Part 2 💎

This week on LFOB we’re once again delving into the weirdly specific niche of Barovian society. We’re going to be focusing on one extremely important (somewhat homebrew) element, which brings with it some new game mechanics and spicy items for your players to hoard! Without further ado, let’s get into Barovia’s most coveted resource: Bloodstone

Bloodstone is a very niche resource that has some mentions in Faerun lore, which we’re partially thefting for Barovia because it fits SO well. So here’s our Barovian bloodstone, kids:

Bloodstone is a dark crimson (almost black) stone which grows to a reddish color when blood is spilled over its surface. When “fed” bloodstone grows warm and staves off the effects of frostbite to those holding even the smallest scraps of stone. The larger the stone, the more protection against this notorious barovian danger it can bring. Furthermore, bloodstone has the unusual ability to close gaping wounds.

Mechanics: Bloodstone can be fed 1 point of blood (~1 piercing damage to a player if you wanna be gritty) to activate its warming property. This property lasts until the following sunrise and stave off the effects of frostbite. The larger the bloodstone, the more regions of the body it protects. Otherwise a small shard might only protect one hand or foot from frostbite. Bloodstone can be run along open wounds (e.g. sword gashes, shrapnel wounds, anything open and bleeding like crazy) to magically close the wound. This does NOT heal hitpoints, but it prevents the further loss of HP. As an optional homebrew effect, bloodstone in this context can be used to end the homebrew BLEED condition (see below).

Bleed Condition: When an attack or ability deals bleed damage, a creature gains the bleeding condition. While a creature has the bleeding condition, it is subject to the following effects;

At the start of each of its turns, the creature takes bleed damage again (I.e. damage from the attack which caused the bleed).

Unless otherwise stated, the bleed damage the creature takes is reduced by 1 for each subsequent turn that the creature remains under the condition.

Unless otherwise stated, the condition ends when the amount of bleed damage the creature would take becomes 0, the creature receives magical healing of an appropriate level (restoration or better), or a creature uses their action to make a Wisdom (medicine check) with a DC equal to the bleeding condition’s current damage, or 15 (whichever is lower).

The bleeding condition cannot be stacked, but instead when a new bleeding effect is applied, the bleeding condition’s damage number becomes the higher of the two.

A creature at 0hp that is bleeding makes their death saving throws with disadvantage. On a natural 20, the bleeding stops and the creature gains 1hp

Creatures with regenerative h although abilities are resistant to bleed damage in some cases (DM discretion) and can more readily combat the effects of a bleed.

As one would expect, bloodstone is a big deal, and it’s coveted. It’s expensive, handed down from generation to generation, and it’s something every barovian strives to have even a scrap of.

The Barovian military, and any Barovian blacksmith worth their salt, readily uses bloodstone in weapons and armor. Small bloodstones are imbedded into the pommels and hilts of all standard issue swords and similar weaponry, as it staves off the effects of frostbite in the hands, and acts as a quick way to close massive wounds. Bloodstone can also be found imbedded in some plate armor to combat the effects of frostbite and make it viable for winter combat.

Medics and healers worth their salt will have at least a small bloodstone pendant.

Bloodstone jewelry is almost standard in marriage or any gifts (for those who can afford it) and is handed down through the generations as heirlooms.

The biggest flex any Barovian or Vistani can make is to have a shit ton of bloodstone jewelry.

Obviously, in the context of this homebrew, Strahd’s giant “ruby” necklace thing, is bloodstone- and a massive flex over adventurers. It can be used in combat to end any bleed conditions he may have, and to add a semblance of body temperature if he’s not fed recently.

Another, kinda obvious, reason Bloodstone is coveted is because it combats vampire bites. While themselves vampires can semi-close some wounds (I’ll do a post on Barovian vampires later) if you suffer a brutal claw or bite attack in combat, you’re going to be hit with the bleed condition. DMs can decide if they wanna use the bleed mechanic (I personally do) and what vampire attacks may cause it (crit attacks, bite attacks, etc.) but even just thematically- vampires can make a victim bleed out in minutes, making bloodstone invaluable.

A small note for those using the homebrew bleed mechanic: use the effect sparingly! Not every sword strike causes bleed. However, some blood spells (I’ll elaborate in another post), monster attacks (vampires), and enchanted or mundane weapons can cause the effect. I personally pair this mechanic with the Bloodborne Armory homebrew book. Any weapon with the serrated property causes bleed! Granted, I use the bloodborne armory mostly for Van Richten’s murder toys or some of Strahd’s enchanted weapons. However, it’s a good thing to keep in mind! Highly recommend the resource (link below)

(As always, thanks for reading! And have fun giving your players a new resource to fanatically hoard and flex with! I had a player buy a pickaxe to try and mine bloodstone when they found out what it was and how pricy it gets 😂)

(Tagged Readers: @keegansakura )

(Just comment/@ me if you’d like to be tagged to easily stay up to date!)

#Bloodstone #New Shiny Clink Clank #Can I mine the bloodstone? #curse of strahd #ravenloft #dnd #dungeons and dungeons #barovia #dungeon master #Dnd guide #LFOB #dm resources

[aluhnim]

Guidance

#guidance #guiding light #art #artists on tumblr #original character #dnd

[tigerkirby215]

5e Udyr, the Spirit Walker build (League of Legends)

(Artwork made for Riot Games.)

I had “make Udyr after his VGU” in my notes so I guess that’s what I’m doing now. Also I guess I’m just going to be making Monks for the foreseeable future.

Udyr’s rework is a cool update to a simple character that keeps him simple while rejuvenating his gameplay and visuals to make him more playable in modern League. I actually think that Udyr’s rework is impressive in how it managed to change so little about Udyr’s general controls but still greatly increase the feeling of skill-expression with the character. Helps that Udyr gets to fill a character identity that isn’t really explored in League; finally a fat hairy man for the average League player to identify with!

GOALS

Udyr has 4 stances so I may as well list 4 goals:

Lightning is not a single bolt, but a storm - We need to strike fast in a storm of blows.

No attack can bend our iron resolve - We’ll need defensive shields and heals to keep in the fight.

You cannot escape our inferno! - Udyr is still a jungler, so some form of CC would be appreciated.

Frost and fury; our perfect storm - When dealing with a crowd an AoE ice storm can help cut them down.

RACE

Udyr is a human and it’s his humanity that keeps the voices of the old gods out of his head. Still: invoking godly powers gives you a bit of variance so Variant Human works well enough. Increase your Dexterity by 1 and your Constitution as well, take the Survival skill (because there isn’t much else that makes sense) and whatever language you fancy.

For your feat you need some mobility to gank and you also need to be able to hit-and-run so take the Mobile feat for 10 extra feet of movement, the ability to Dash over difficult terrain, and the ability to run away after hitting someone.

ABILITY SCORES

15; DEXTERITY - I’d love to use those muscles but Dexterity is unfortunately kinda better for... everything?

14; WISDOM - To master the spirits one must master themselves. Lee Sin said that, and he knows a little more about spirits than you do pall because he invented them!

13; CONSTITUTION - Udyr isn’t exactly a tank but he can take a hit in a fight. A little bit of bulk goes a long way.

12; STRENGTH - You do still have big muscles.

10; CHARISMA - You’re not the social sort, but you are a good father figure for Sejuani... sorta.

8; INTELLIGENCE - The Freljord is a nation of war, and even your spiritual journey to Ionia didn’t end with you becoming a particle physicist.

BACKGROUND

I mean, the Hermit background was basically made for a character like Udyr, right? With proficiency in Medicine, Religion, a Herbalism Kit, and a language of your choice (pick your fancy) you have all the tools you could need to survive as you travel around the world to find yourself.

Your background feature is what let you make an important Discovery during your travels. Maybe it was the fact that lunatic cultists were bringing back the ancient god of war? Maybe it was the self-enlightenment that allows you to fight against that godly spirit trying to control you? Whatever it is you can talk to your DM about what you found on your journey and bring that information to the Winter’s Claw, or whoever else you may be aligned with.

(Artwork made for Riot Games.)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - FIGHTER 1

Starting off as a Fighter because a d10 hit die is nice, more starting equipment is nice, but Constitution saving throw proficiency is ideal, along with proficiency in Athletics and Perception.

But what we’re really here for is a Fighting Style: Unarmed Fighting makes your Unarmed Strikes deal a d6 + Strength damage, and if you don’t have anything in either of your hands you’ll do a d8 + STR instead! Additionally if you grapple someone you can deal a d4 of damage to them every turn, but that’s just an added bonus.

Speaking of added bonuses: take Boar stance first to heal when needed thanks to Second Wind. As a Bonus Action you can heal for a d10 plus your Fighter level for a bit of sustain while jungling.

LEVEL 2 - MONK 1

I hope you weren’t expecting Barbarian or something along those lines. We need to go Monk for the simple fact that it’s the best class if you want to punch things. For a start you can take off your shirt now that you have Unarmored Defense equal to 10 plus your Dexterity and Wisdom (which is currently 15 and better than anything you’d be getting with Medium armor.)

More importantly however you get Martial Arts: You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for your punches, and you can make a punch as a bonus action after punching the first time! Now your punches are meant to do a d4 damage, but because we took Unarmed Fighting at level 1 they instead deal a whole d8! (Assuming you fight with empty hands.)

LEVEL 3 - MONK 2

2nd level Monks get Ki points to invoke the spirits in various ways: Flurry of Blows will let you punch twice with your bonus action instead of once, for quite a bit of damage curtesy of the Thousand Pierced Bear. To invoke the Iron Boar’s defense Patient Defense will let you take the Dodge action as a Bonus Action. And finally Step of the Wind will let you Dash or Disengage as a Bonus Action with the speed of the Great Horned Ram. Additionally you gain some Unarmored Movement for 10 extra feet of movement if you’re not weighed down by armor or a funny looking pajama onesie.

Point of advice: since you have Mobile there’s hardly ever an instance where you’re going to want to Disengage over just punching and running past your foe. Dashing is still good though.

I’m also obligated to mention the Dedicated Weapon feature from Tasha’s but... don’t use a weapon. Just punch people.

LEVEL 4 - MONK 3

3rd level Monks get to choose their Monastic Tradition and under the tutorage of Lee Sin I’m sure you picked up some of the techniques of the Way of the Open Hand. If you perform a Fury of Blows then you can use the Open Hand Technique on any of your punches. You can either force a Dexterity save or risk being knocked prone, a Strength save or risk being pushed back, or simply remove their reactions as they’re distracted by the stupid bear man dancing around them.

Additionally you can use the Iron Boar’s strength to Deflect Missiles; if you see a projectile coming you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by a d10 + your Dexterity + your Monk level. If you reduce that damage to 0 you can even fling it back for 1 Ki point. That’s right you can have Bonus Action attacks as Udyr!

And finally I’m obligated to mention Ki-Fueled Attack, if you decide to use your Ki for any main action that doesn’t involve punching. Speaking of Ki if you’re going to be playing this subclass / character “as intended” you’re going to be using a lot of Ki, so borrowing Lee Sin’s Headband to help you focus would be helpful, or more specifically a Dragonhide Belt from Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons for harder saves against your Ki attacks and more Ki points in a pinch.

LEVEL 5 - MONK 4

4th level Monks get their first Ability Score Improvement, and Dexterity is still your main source of damage so increase it for harder hits, more precise hits, and more AC to boot.

And because the Monk class is extra you get one two more features! Slow Fall lets you... fall slowly as a reaction to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your Monk level. Additionally if you want even more healing Quickened Healing from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything will let you spend 2 Ki points as an action to heal equal to your Martial Arts die plus your proficiency bonus. This is almost never worth it tbh with Second Wind as an option, but if you have some Ki points left over before a Short Rest this isn’t a bad way to regain some extra health.

LEVEL 6 - MONK 5

5th level Monks finally get Extra Attack to attack once instead of twice with their main action. This means that you can get 3 punches with Martials Arts, or 4 punches with Flurry of Blows. All of which can knock enemies prone thanks to the Open Hand Technique!

But if knocking enemies prone isn’t a good option to “stun” foes how about you actually stun foes with Stunning Strike? For 1 Ki point you can force an enemy to make a Constitution saving throw or be... well, stunned!

And because Tasha just really likes Monks you have Focused Aim if you ever miss. You can spend up to 3 Ki points to increase your precision at a 1:2 conversion rate (IE 1 Ki point = +2 to hit.) Again this isn’t really worth it unless you need to deal a finishing blow, but it’s nice to have in a pinch.

(Artwork made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 7 - FIGHTER 2

Quickly hopping back to the 2nd level of Fighter for Action Surge to Awaken the Bear Spirit for 2 more attacks! Or something else, but realistically you should be using Action Surge for 2 more punches.

LEVEL 8 - MONK 6

For a start level 6 Monks have Ki-Empowered Strikes that bypass non-magical resistance and immunity. More importantly however you’ve achieved Wholeness of Body, allowing you to regain hit points equal to three times your Monk level once per Long Rest. Now this will heal more than your Second Wind ever could (18 HP vs d10 + 2 HP) but you can only use it once and it takes your full action to use, so hold onto it in case you’re in a tight pinch and use Second Wind to keep yourself topped off.

And to top it off your Unarmored Movement is now 15 extra feet, meaning your total movement speed is 55 feet which puts you very close to most people’s dashing speed!

LEVEL 9 - MONK 7

Hope Fireballs weren’t bugging you too much, because Evasion will let you dodge skill shots and take no damage on a successful save. And even if you fail your save you’ll still only take half damage!

Alternatively if Valhir is trying to take over your mind again Stillness of Mind will let you remove one charming or fearing effect as an action.

LEVEL 10 - MONK 8

8th level Monks get another Ability Score Improvement and capping off your Dexterity would be the best choice for the best punches you can get, seeing as punching is what you’ll be doing for the most part.

(Artwork made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 11 - CLERIC 1

We got all the punching we could need and three out of Udyr’s available forms. Unfortunately while I could justify “punching fast (and doing lightning but not really)”, “healing”, and “stunning on-hit” without magic, I kinda have to go into a caster if I want to make an ice tornado around myself that also follows other people. So for that we’re going into Cleric, more specifically the Tempest Domain to channel both the Volibear’s storm and Anivia’s icy winds.

You get Bonus Proficiencies with weapons and armor that don’t matter because you already have them but I’m legally obliged to mention them, but more importantly you can actually get some lightning damage in your claws and invoke the Wrath of the Storm. When a creature that’s within 5 feet of you that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to force them to make a Dexterity save, taking 2d8 lightning or thunder damage (your choice) on a fail or half as much damage on a success.

You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest, but I’m going to be honest there’s not much reason to use this over Deflect Missiles or simply going for an attack of opportunity. I mean, if someone’s in melee range of you somehow and isn’t backing off this will let you hopefully overpower them.

But of course a Cleric is also a caster, which means that you get access to Spellcasting! You get three cantrips like Guidance to universally help others find their spirits, Light to see with your dumb human eyes, and Thaumaturgy to invoke the wrath of the primal gods in fairly harmless ways. You also get some leveled spells: as a Tempest Cleric Fog Cloud and Thunderwave are both added to your spell list, and you can prepare spells like Bless for more precise strikes, Healing Word to aid your allies, and Detect Magic to... detect magic... but if you have other casters in the party perhaps a spell like Command, Shield of Faith, or Sanctuary could be more useful.

LEVEL 12 - CLERIC 2

Second level Clerics get access to their Channel Divinity and you have three different options to use: all Clerics get Turn Undead which forces undead to flee at the wrath of your god, and Tasha’s lets you Harness Divine Power to regain a spell slot equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up), although you can only do this once per Long Rest. (For now.)

And finally you can use Destructive Wrath: if you roll a spell that does Thunder or Lightning damage you can use your Channel Divinity to make it do max damage. I mean in all honesty this is kinda... bad? Because you don’t really have nor will you have many Thunder or Lightning spells. Maybe talk to your DM to make this better but for now you’ll sorta just have to accept a fairly mediocre Channel Divinity, because that’s the Cleric way.

At least you can prepare another spell: I already mentioned a few that could be good but I’m going to wait for...

LEVEL 13 - CLERIC 3

Third level Clerics can learn 2nd level spells: Tempest Domain gets access to  Gust of Wind (which is a bad spell) and Shatter (which is a good spell.) But you can also prepare Aid to bolster the Winter’s Claw for battle, and Lesser Restoration to deal with some crowd control effects.

LEVEL 14 - CLERIC 4

Now that you’re a Cleric Ability Score Improvements should probably go towards Wisdom so both your spells and your Monk abilities are harder to resist. You can also learn another cantrip and I suppose a ranged attack would be helpful, so take your choice of either Sacred Flame or Toll the Dead. As for leveled spells the only one I really particularly want is Hold Person but even then by level 14 you might not be fighting many humanoids, so perhaps we should just wait for...

LEVEL 15 - CLERIC 5

5th level Clerics get to Destroy Undead of CR 1/2 or lower when they Turn Undead, which sure will matter by total level 15. More importantly however you get third level spells! Call Lightning will let you summon the wrath of Valhir from range, although it takes your action so I probably wouldn’t opt for it over simply punching people. Sleet Storm however was what I was actually going into Tempest Cleric for, letting you send in Anivia’s icy winds to make it impossible for your foes to approach or concentrate on spells.

But what I’m really here for is Spirit Shroud! Instead of sending an ice tornado out at your foes you can surround yourself with one to give your melee strikes an extra d8 of Cold damage (or Radiant or Necrotic) and also slow anyone who starts their turn within 10 feet of you by 10 feet, keeping them close so you can strike them down. Other than that? I dunno. Revivify is always good in a pinch if you have the diamonds. By this point someone should be able to cast it.

LEVEL 16 - CLERIC 6

6th level Tempest Domain Clerics can deliver a Thunderbolt Strike when dealing Lightning damage (not Thunder damage, I guess) to an enemy that’s Large or smaller, pushing them back 10 feet along with dealing the damage... Yeah it’s not great. I don’t even have a punchline for this: Tempest Domain Cleric is just a sadly underwhelming subclass, but I had to get Sleet Storm somehow.

You can also prepare another spell like... I dunno. Clairvoyance for vision, I guess? Honestly I’m going to unprepare a bunch of dud spells so you can grab better high-level magics soon. Remember that as a Cleric you can swap your spells out at the end of a Long Rest so it’s best to take spells that are useful in the day-to-day.

At least you can use your Channel Divinity twice per Short Rest, and Harness Divine Power twice per Long Rest to recover some 3rd level spell slots, seeing as the ability rounds up and your proficiency bonus is already a +5.

(Artwork made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 17 - CLERIC 7

7th level Clerics get 4th level spells and along with Control Water (idk maybe you’re invoking the powers of the Seal Sister) but more importantly: Ice Storm for more harsh winter winds from Anivia.

Additionally you can prepare Freedom of Movement for some tenacity, Death Ward for a Guardian Angel and... well that’s about it, really. Don’t get me wrong there are other good Cleric spells but these are the only ones we really need that fit the character.

LEVEL 18 - CLERIC 8

8th level Clerics get our last Ability Score Improvement which will let you bump up your Wisdom to a respectable 18, making your spell save and Ki save actually somewhat difficult, assuming that enemies at level 18 are still being challenged by your saves.

More importantly however once per turn you can infuse your fist with a Divine Strike of a d8 Thunder damage, channeling the ultimate strength of the Volibear in the form of... 8 extra damage every turn.

LEVEL 19 - CLERIC 9

Going to tell you right now that if you want max Wisdom then 2 more levels into Fighter (probably Battle Master) is probably the best way to go, however 5th level spells are just too good to pass up.

As a Tempest Domain Cleric you get Destructive Wave which is probably going to be the best spell to use your Channel Divinity on. Insect Plague meanwhile isn’t as strong or as flavorful but it does provide a constant area of damage for foes to deal with. You can also prepare spells like Mass Cure Wounds to save your team in a pinch with a pick-me-up for the whole team and... I dunno. Summon Celestial? Holy Weapon if your DM lets you use it on your fists? By this point you can honestly just pick-and-choose what to prepare as we’re more-or-less stacked on abilities.

LEVEL 20 - CLERIC 10

At long last you are so spiritually in-tune with the world that you can call on the gods themselves to aid you! ...Sometimes. Divine Intervention will let you roll a d100 to call the gods for aids, and if you roll a 10 or (lower? Higher? d100s are weird) the gods will actually hear your call! Do you call on the Iron Boar for protection? The great ram to trample your foes? The cryophoenix to smoother your enemies with icy winds? Or the thousand-pierced bear to... Well, maybe don’t call Voli. You don’t have a good track record with him.

But most importantly than all that you can learn another cantrip, so take Mending so you can finally wear a shirt without risking it ripping on you.

FINAL BUILD

PROS

Lock horns with me! - Udyr’s kinda known for running at you and stunning you in League, and this build is no different. Open Hand Technique will let you push people over and if that doesn’t work Stunning Strike cuts to the point by letting you flat-out stun your target.

No one survives life - You also do a lot more damage than the average Monk, in part because the Unarmed Fighting style gets you good damage output early on, partially because as an Open Hand Monk you’ll be spamming Flurry of Blows and making enemies vulnerable often, and a little bit because Spirit Shroud gives you an extra d8 as a class that can get 4 attacks.

Joy and strength both crackle through me - For a Monk you are fairly tanky what with all your healing techniques, and you’re also incredibly elusive thanks to Mobile keeping you away from foes. If you need to frontline you can certainly frontline but hit-and-run is just as effective.

CONS

Fist of Hirana! - Hey: did you know that Udyr is a melee character? Saying “Udyr is melee” as a downside feels like saying “Lux casts spells” or “Jhin has four shots”, but it’s true. I very specifically went out of my way to avoid every and any good ranged option, and your best bet if an enemy is harassing you from afar is to run at them and push them over.

Demigods can’t be trusted with balance - Ima be real with you chief the only reason I went into Cleric was for Spirit Shroud, and even then it would’ve arguably been better to opt for Warlock to get the spell more consistently. All the ice spells are nice but your Wisdom isn’t good enough to make them truly dangerous.

Peace is not balance here - Perhaps the biggest issue with this build overall is how much Wisdom it needs relative to how much Wisdom you get. You will be forcing a LOT of Ki saves and won’t have Wisdom to make them good. I wasn’t kidding when I said that a Dragonhide Belt is basically mandatory to play this character “optimally.”

But the Freljord is a land of hardships and no warrior nor shaman is built without struggles. Find your challenges, find your allies both at home and across the world, and find yourself before finding true peace. To master yourself in all that you do is to become the ultimate warrior... or you can just run in at mach-5 to stun someone and go from there.

(Artwork made for Riot Games.)

#dnd #dnd 5e #dnd build #dnd guide #League of Legends #League of Legends Udyr #Udyr #Udyr rework #mountain man #Freljord #shaman #spirit walker #spirit #dnd monk #bear #boar #ram #phoenix

[unnerd]

Places you should add to your little town/city in your fantasy world!!

Post offices. Wild, I know. But give me the unhinged kind. Pingeons and little postal dragons all over the place. You enter. The most disgusting smell fucking assaults your nostrils. You know what it is. Letter in hand, you go up to the counter. The postal worker is just a slightly bigger pigeon. You shed a tear.

PLAYGROUNDS!! Create the most dangerous kinds of playgrounds, the ones suburban moms would TRIP if they ever saw one. Monkey bars that are way too tall, swings that go full circle... The metal slide stays the same, it's already painful enough.

PARKS!! MAKE IT ALIVE!! Show people going on walks, reading beneath trees. C'mon most of them are already hundred years old (And are going to die after that CR 15 creature wrecks the town) anyways!! Show couples and picnics, show a family enjoying the sunday, give me someone picking flowers for their loved ones.

A bakery! Do you know how much these places are underrated? And do you know how much plot potential they have? Every good story starts with food poisoning or granny's recipe! Give me a place your players/readers are going to treat like home and, for once, it's not a tavern or a guild.

Government buildings! Give me a town hall that has a kilometric line in front of it. Give me a registry that is as old as this town. Give me police stations! Give me courtrooms! Make one of your players get arrested and now all of the party has to go through burocracy like a bunch of normal people!

(Who am I kidding? You don't need to make them get arrested. They are going to do that for you.)

Touristic attractions! Give me a full-on statue of the country's leader! Give me museums! Give me streets, ruins and whatnot that attract thousands of tourists everyday! Give me an annoying city guide that tries to get the party's attention everytime!

Magazine stands! Magazines don't exist? Newspaper stands! From the Queen's Journal to the most questionable new piece of Fox's Tailtracker, you have it all! Make your players doubt what's actually happening, sprinkle a little fake news... Or is it fake at all?

...Toy stores. OK HEAR ME OUT. Make magic toys; miniature skyships that actually fly, metal toy dragons that expel fire, little wands that make little light spells, wooden creatures that can move and make noises... Make children happy! And your players too because they will waste their money on these stuff.

Instrument store!! Make your bards happy with special instruments or just weird ones! Give me a battle in one of those that is just filled with funny noises and the worst battle soundtrack ever!!

Not exactly a place but... Cleaning carts!!! Show me people cleaning the streets, picking up the trash, cutting trees!! Make the town look clean!! Give me an old man that is really proud of his work!!!

(or ways to make your players feel even worse when the villain destroys the town later on :) )

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To DM or Not to DM? | Medieval Collectibles Blog

Do you consider yourself a storyteller? Maybe you want to play against your friends in an epic of chaos. Or maybe you just want to be a part of the chaos! Either way, you’ll be in for a thrilling adventure. In this article, we’ll discuss what it’s like to be a player character and what it takes to be a Dungeon Master or DM. The goal is to help make the options more enticing and your decision of what to play easier. To be a DM or not to be a DM? That is the question. In order to answer that question, we have to know the difference between the two options.

To Be a Player Character

A player character, or PC, is a character who is controlled solely by one of the players in a group playing Dungeons and Dragons. This player is in charge of every action and decision this character makes, good or bad. While many would consider being a PC easier than being a DM, playing a character still has its’ own difficulties.

Character Creation

The largest difficulty to being a player character is the character creation process itself. Character creation is where the player decides who their character will be. With so many races and classes to choose from, character creation can be overwhelming. But the fun part of D&D is starting new campaigns, so if multiple character-types sound interesting, you can always try something different during the next campaign.

Once the character's race and class are decided, the player must brainstorm a backstory for their character. Is this character’s family still active in their life, or did they lose them in a brutal attack? Maybe the character struck out on their own to find themselves and found their chosen families along the way. The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to a character’s backstory.

Another important facet of character creation is a character’s stats. By rolling a d20, a character’s ability statistics are decided. Abilities are used to determine what a character is good at and how likely they are to pass an ability check when faced with an obstacle.

Roleplay and Combat – PC

When character creation is complete and the party is set up to play, it’s time for players to roleplay their characters in the campaign. Everyone’s roleplay tactic is a little different. Some people will change their voice and their energy to portray a character, while others will play the character as themselves. Most tactics are personal preference. However, if you are new to roleplaying in a TTRPG, check out this video from Crispy’s Tavern.

In the campaign, player characters will change and grow over time. Each decision, encounter, or combat simulation comes together to allow the characters to progress and learn new abilities. It’s important to know that with an increase in level and power comes an increase in combat difficulty and foe power. Player characters can die, but there’s always a chance to bring them back.

Combat is where a character’s abilities will prove themselves most useful. When a combat encounter begins, player characters will roll initiative. The initiative is when each PC rolls a d20 to see what the order of combat will be. The person with the highest roll will go first and the person with the lowest will go last. Initiative order can either really help you or really hurt, depending on who’s attacking first. This is because the Dungeon Master rolls initiative for every foe in the combat encounter as well.

To Be a Dungeon Master

Being a Dungeon Master is not necessarily an easy job by any means. However, anyone can be a DM no matter their skill level. The Dungeon Master is the game organizer, story-teller, and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges given to the party. They act as a referee to the party members while they explore the campaign. They determine the results of a PC’s actions and narrate what the characters experience in their encounters.

Preparing a Story

Before a DM gets into the adventure and storytelling, they must first prepare the story. They might decide to do a premade campaign from an adventure module. Or they might write their own story for their friends to navigate through. Adventure modules give the DM everything they need to know in order to tell a captivating story for their players to explore. This includes monster stats, NPC encounters, maps of the land being adventured in, and the story itself.

Some Dungeon Masters prefer to create their own campaigns. The prep and planning time for this could be a bit longer than what it would take to use a module. However, most times it’s well worth the time to create a fun and compelling campaign. In homebrew, the DM is truly the master of the realm, creating challenges and obstacles for the PCs as they see fit. While a DM should have a story thought out and mostly planned, they shouldn’t expect everything to work out the exact way they want it to. After all, the PCs make the decisions and navigate through the story however they want. The DM is simply the host and narrator.

When deciding to be a Dungeon Master, the first thing most people think is that they need to know all of the rules by heart. The number of rules in the Dungeon Master’s Guide can be a bit overwhelming. It’s better to a have a good general idea of what each player’s character can do. However, this is not a test. DM’s can check through their guidebook at any point in the campaign if they want to be sure of a certain rule or action. There are also plenty of DMs who have house rules specific to their gameplay or campaign that aren’t going to be mentioned in a rulebook.

Roleplay and Combat – DM

A large part of a Dungeon Master’s job is roleplaying NPCs and monsters. If the party decides to explore a town and come across a tavern, the DM will act as any of the non-player characters that the PCs choose to interact with. One of the player characters could see a halfling barmaid and attempt to romance her. In this case, the DM would act as the barmaid and respond to the PC. Most DM’s will have their PCs make a persuasion or charisma check to see if their flirting attempts succeed or fail. Depending on the result of that skill check, the DM will act accordingly.

Roleplaying in combat is probably the most fun a DM can have. While silently rooting for the PCs to defeat the foe and move on to the next encounter, it can be extremely fun to give them a hard time at the very least. A DM can be the creator of chaos, and what’s more chaotic than a party of players surrounded on all sides by an army of the undead? Maybe the army is led by a necromancy Warlock who isn’t all there after years of working with an Eldritch terror. The DM could roleplay a kooky, cackling mess to portray the Warlock.

The most important thing is just for the Dungeon Master and player characters to simply have a good time. While one could be considered more difficult than the other, Dungeons and Dragons is a game meant to tell an enrapturing story. The PCs decide the direction in which the story goes, but there would be no story without the DM. The smallest choice could become a running joke throughout the entirety of the campaign. One of the players could even start their own cult while attempting to recruit the rest of the party members. Whether player or referee, the campaign should be fun for all.

So, are you ready to face a gang of ruffians with your friends? Or are you more apt to roleplay as a blob monster who is using the ruffians as pawns to lead the adventurers to their doom? This article explained both sides of Dungeons and Dragons in hopes of making the decision easier for you. Player Character or Dungeons Master? Whether you play a harrowed adventurer or take on the role of story-teller and referee, you’ll have an enjoyable experience playing Dungeons and Dragons.

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