Everyone knows what's coming with a Green dragon... or do they? Adventurers are heavily prepared to fight dragons. Why? Dragons live for centuries with low-mobility 'lairs' - thousands of stories exist. What with creatures immune / resist poisons, Green dragons are even at more disadvantage. How do you make this creature impressive? Here are three […]
The 2nd level spells Phantasmal Force & Suggestion have a lot of uses and abuses - what can their owner-possessor do with someone who succumbs? Notes: 'RAW / RAI / RAF' --> 'Rules As - Written // Intended // Fun' PhB = Player's Handbook (5e). DMG = Dungeon Master's Guide (5e) Summary of 2nd lvl Suggestion spell (RAW […]
You need monsters and treasure - but what else works? In all forms of D&D, a 'dungeon' (or any set of encounter-spaces) includes a monster and some treasure. This is basic carrot & stick stuff, you want a conflict for the story and you want a treasure as a reward. Sometimes you can get tricky […]
In this room-space you need to know which of the Big Three you want to work with. Groups of humanoids need places to sleep, relax and do family-time. Unlike living creatures, undead, sentient items and golems also need their own kind of spawning rooms. All sentient creatures need some kind of place to connect to […]
Cultural spaces are tricky to explain. You can imagine that some creatures would have many communication-community style chambers and many would have none. Elves, for example (even the drow) would have all of these cultural rooms and more. Giants would have ancient traditions going back as long as their rivals, dragons. Celestials would encourage mortal […]
Randomly Roll What Beasts Do & Where In Seconds Stable - Mountkeep: rideable creatures in water, air or land - or used to propel an object like carriage-chariot-wagon. Owlery - Falconry - Aviary - Roost: Creatures deliver messages - oft stealthy, clever & small. Zoo - Live Menagerie - Showcase: Creatures meant for modelling, display, […]
Garbage, Refuse & Waste Areas Add To Your Game Not only do most games forget about bathrooms, many forget that even golems need a place to toss unwanted, broken and discarded things. Here are some suggestions on how they are shaped and what is in them. Where Does It Go? Recycled: The parts, organic, metallic […]
Making 'stairs' more than just a weird stone ladder. The function of stairs is to enter, leave or just to change one's level in the space. You will need to answer these four questions: Shape O' Stairs Stairs: straight up &/or down, single or dual, Shaft: ladder, elevator-dumbwaiter (cage/room), disk, open Switchback: straight or curved […]
Finding Alignment & Character Backgrounds difficult & unwieldy? Know What Your Monsters Want & It All falls into place. Gary Gygax invented two dimensions of sentient 'alignment' of one's personality: chaotic / lawful tendencies started in Basic and then in, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, there was 'good / evil' spectrum. This was supposed to serve […]
Throw Some Dice At A Sheet Of Paper = Game On! It's time to share the secrets behind making a dungeon in minutes. After reviewing decades of Lore of Yore, I made a 7-Die ultimate guide to share my best tips to help you make amazing dungeons. Ingredients - Game in Minutes, Please (G.i.M.P): Dice: […]
