Category Archives: RPG

One Shot Taster Session Planning #3

D&D, one shot, RPG, session planning

Decided that I really should be starting these posts with a similar warning as my campaign session planning posts. Just on the off chance that one of the folks planning to take part in the taster session wants to not have the twists and turns of whichever adventure we play ruined.

SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming one shot/taster session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.

I decided to create a separate DM folder for running one shots and taster sessions.

Compared to my campaign DM folder it’s very sparse.

The aim obviously is use it when running a one shot or taster session. So there is a lot of stuff in my DM folder that I just don’t need.

Some bits I will have to move between folders, such as the magic spell area of effect template, or the odd monster/NPC card. Plus my laminated DM cheat sheet.

I’ve decided to tweak the Matt Colville The Lost Tomb of the Delian Order! WTF! Who am I to change the great MC’s design? How dare I?

It’s not a big change. In the original if the party discovers the secret room, defeat the skeletons, their reward is a magic sword. And that’s my tweak. Using the notes from the other days post on creating magic items. That magical sword now becomes an ancient divine longsword that allows the barer to cast Word of Radiance (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything) once a day, and gives +1 to attack rolls.

I think that makes the sword seem more special for whoever gets it. I might even give the sword a name.

Btw this should not in anyway be seen as me saying this is the adventure I’m going with.

I’m also liking the idea of running The Goblin Ambush (from Lost Mines of Phandelver) and then have the goblin trail lead up to The Lost Tomb of the Delian Order (by Matt Colville). That’d be a nice little mashup I think.

But I think the Goblin Ambush could also be modified so it’s cultists instead of goblins, and lead into The Obsidian Skull (from the City of Arches).

Either way I think works. Plus they have the advantage of being more player friendly than going into the Cragmaw Hideout.

For better or worse I’ve decided we’ll be using the official WotC Starter Set pregen characters. Mainly because there is less for me to print off and costs me less.

The stats have been copied to the blank player cards from Arcane Library for me to reference during the session and printed out.

D&D Grp 2 Session 10 Planning #7

D&D, D&D Grp2, RPG, session planning

SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.

I now have the Arcane Library Combat Cards Ultimate bundle. For me it’s nice to have the srd item, magic, and monster cards. But it’s the templates I’m more interested in.

I’m going to be using the templates to up my handout game. So these magic items I’m generating using the Lazy DM Companion and Workbook tables such as the ancient gnomish longsword will be on them.

Plus any spells not covered by the srd I’ll copy and paste onto a template so I can reference the details quickly.

Apart from having to print them out this is such a cheap way to get your hands on a large amount of item, magic, and monster cards to use in a game. Plus you are supporting a really great content creator.

Now I have a day or two to create and print out the magic items for the next session.

I’ve also been looking at the spell glyph of warding for use as a trap. It feels appropriate that the magic users of Kartan, Tower of the Arcane would use this spell to protect valuable magical artifacts,objects, etc. They most definitely would of used them to seal the Sealed Vaults to stop the horrors within being released.

I’ve dug out my old Galeforce Nine Spell cards and pulled the ones that I might potentially use with the glyph of warding. I’ll keep these in the folder for easy reference.

I also came across an old note where Kelsey (of Arcane Library) talked about slow adventure pacing. In there was a photo of the “something happens” table from an old D&D DM screen. Basically this is the Mat Colville “orcs attack” table. However Kelsey also shared a d100 table that she created that did the same thing. I’ve printed out the short d20 table. It meets my potential needs (at the moment).

Lazy Magic Items

D&D, DM/GM Tips, RPG

Wow I started this post over a year ago and it’s been sitting in the draft folder ever since.

But considering that this post was intended to be all about something I am currently doing for my next D&D session. It seemed about time to dust off the words, finish the post, and share it with the world.

Last week (well it was when I originally wrote this) Mike aka Sly Flourish put up a short video on building lazy magic items (video embedded below).

These are my notes from watching the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu7M090KkSE

In the video Mike uses four “questions” to come up with a new unique magic item for your campaign, adventure, or one shot (I think that covers everything). They are the following:

  • What is the condition of the item? – Get a list of conditions from Lazy DM Workbook (LDMWB) page 13.
  • What is the origin of the item? – Who made it? Use the list in LDMWB on page 13 or DMG page 142.
  • What type of item is it? – There is a list of mundane items in LDMWB on page 14, or the trinkets table 160 of PHB, if you want to make an object special and move away from the usual weapon/armour.
  • What special power does the item have? – If it’s a weapon consider giving it a spell effect as well as +1 attack/defence bonus. Daily use power, number of charges, or single use more powerful item. You can also use the tables on page 14 of LDMWB or PHB.

Since then Mike has published the Lazy DM Companion which also allows you to create “… powerful single-use magic items generated with the condition, origin, item, and spell tables from the core adventure generator.”

Even if it’s a weapon like a sword with a +1 to attack rolls that you want to give the players, doing the first two and the last question adds so much extra flavour to the sword, all of a sudden it’s grimy gnomish longsword that twice a day allows the spell bane to be cast, and gives +1 to attack rolls. Wait I’m going to use that this Saturday!

I hope you have found these notes helpful. It’s a great way to create unique magic items for your game that will feel fresh to your players.

D&D Grp 2 Session 10 Planning #6

D&D, D&D Grp2, RPG, session planning

SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.

Last night I took my DM bag with me to the Fenland Gamers fortnightly gaming session to show a friend who is just dipping their toes into D&D and being a DM.

Obviously I pointed out that this was built up over time.

I also took the opportunity to “refresh” my DM folder.

I consolidated one or two pages into one. They were only there for their list of names for NPCs. So those names are on a single page now.

I added some pages too. Such as a d100 table for generating NPC names. Along with notes on magic item crafting. Which is one area I want to explore more in the campaign. Visiting Kartan, Tower of the Arcane is the ideal opportunity to start this off.

Some pages got taken out because I have them in the Lazy DM Companion. Although I left a couple in that meet that criteria also because I want them on hand quickly!

I’m still waiting on a couple of character sheets so I can finish the reference cards for me to use during a session. I’ve had to message the players directly to ask for them. Otherwise I’m going to have to waste time at the start of the session getting the info required.

Come payday I plan to purchase the Arcane Library ULTIMATE BUNDLE: COMBAT CARDS FULL SET (5E). Which will give me the following:

  • The Monster Bundle: 357 pre-filled monster cards
  • The Item Cards Expansion Pack: 495 pre-filled magic item cards
  • The Spell Cards Expansion Pack: 319 pre-filled spell cards
  • Seven form-fillable PDFs for making your own items, monsters, legendary creatures, PCs, spells, and spellcasters
  • Print-friendly, black-and-white versions of everything

I do like what the Arcane Library produce. I’m using the character cards templates for recording the character info.

While the party are visiting Kartan, Tower of the Arcane they will bump into Dram, halfling wizard. Well I had to find a way to insert him somehow.

More in the week.

One Shot Taster Session Planning #2

D&D, one shot, RPG, session planning

Time to share some more musings for the upcoming one shot taster session that I’ll be running on the 15th November.

More details are firming up about the session like the number of players. It has grown from an initial three interested people to five that should be coming along.

The plan is that this taster session will be about three hours.

Three hours seems about the ideal length to aim for. Especially considering that this session is a week night, and not starting before 7pm.

I’m still undecided about the adventure to run.

However back when I was preparing my first session for my current D&D group I looked into, and did use aid on the party in that first sessions dungeon.

This is something I plan to do again in this one shot. Along side making sure that if needed healing potions may be discovered. Hopefully this will avoid a tpk.

I’m also going to try out a time tracker to track the use of torches, spell duration, etc.

I have printed out an A4 copy of the dungeon map that is part of the Sly Flourish 1st Level Adventure Generator from his Uncovered Secrets Volume 2. It’s a handy little map to have in a DM folder anyway. But for now it’s ready for if I decide to go down the route of using the generator to create the adventure for the session.

That’s it for now more soon I’m sure.

Dragons Of Stormwreck Isle Starter Set

D&D, first look, RPG

I know this post is pretty late to the party considering US based content creators got a head start on the rest of the world when they were able to buy this starter set and cover it during the Target exclusivity window. Everyone else has had to wait until it was released last month. Even then I’m a little later than others.

But I did only get my copy three days ago.

The big question I had to ask myself is do I have anything worth adding to the conversation about the new starter set?

After all there are some pretty great content creators out there that have shared their thoughts on it already. Some in the time since it has come out have even ran it, and shared more thoughts on it.

So what could I possibly add to the conversation about this new starter set?

You know I haven’t played the adventure. My initial impressions are exactly that. So take them for what they are.

So straight out of the box you get the following when you open it up.

  • Dragons of Stormwreck Isle adventure
  • Basic rules book
  • 6 dice
  • 5 pregenerated character sheets

WotC still don’t give a full set of dice in the box. They should at least provide two d20’s. But they don’t.

The Dragons Of Stormwreck Isle adventure is smaller compared to the original starter adventure Lost Mines of Phandelver.

For starters it takes characters from levels one to three, compared to characters finishing at level five in Lost Mines.

Page count is less 48 pages compared to 64.

But looking at the adventures and the dungeon maps players will explore, the maps are just smaller. Less to them. Having said that I’m already planning to reuse one of the maps for my current campaign.

I’m not sure why they reduced the scope, and size of the dungeons. Maybe the feedback WotC got over the years since Lost Mines was released is that new players and DM’s found the adventure too daunting.

I love the art in the new starter set, especially with the characters depicted being the characters from the 80’s D&D cartoon.

One thing I’d have liked to have seen included in this updated starter set is the inclusion of cardboard standees. Although a dream inclusion would be the Wizkids Idols of the Realm 2D starter set they do for this. Yes the price would go up but it would rake this set to the next level.

A digital code to unlock the adventure on D&D Beyond should have been included. No ifs or buts. This omission is mind boggling.

An A4 wipeable grid sheet to use as a battle map, similar to the ones WotC used in their DM kits would also have been nice. Along with a DM screen like the one in the essentials kit.

Although the fact WotC did create complimentary videos to help players and DMs get started, and provide a link to it in the box was a nice touch.

I don’t think the new starter set is an improvement over the previous one. So I’m unsure why they changed it. If it had some of the things added that I mentioned above. Yeah I can see why it was updated. The changes were needed to compete with similar starter sets from other systems.

But change for change sake? It feels like a money grab to me.

Yeah this will allow a group of friends curious about trying D&D to do exactly that. Which is what it’s intended to do.

D&D Grp 2 Session 10 Planning #5

D&D, D&D Grp2, RPG, session planning

SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.

The planned session had to be cancelled with life getting in the way of the majority of the players. Life happens, it can’t be helped.

Which means I have a bit longer to prep for the next session.

More time is always welcome when it comes to pondering, and getting things straight in my mind.

The main thing I need to concentrate on is the magic items that the party might come across.

I need to get some balance in what is handed out so that the non-magic users of the group don’t feel left out.

I’m thinking single use items, or limited use with a number of charges, maybe even an item that can get charges back. For the non-magic users specifically an item that gives a stat bonus of some sort.

I’ll share what I come up with in another post.

D&D Grp 2 Session 10 Planning #4

D&D, D&D Grp2, RPG, session planning

SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.

It’s been a morning of digging out stat cards for NPCs that the party could run into.

Ideally I’d be able to afford the Ptolus pdf and get the 5e stat blocks for the NPC cards I’m using.

But I don’t so the generic D&D stat blocks will have to suffice.

As the following description shows, the tower should be alive with magic users of all kinds.

“…archmage Savandra Thricecursed and her four mage apprentices administrate the tower, opening it up to sages, historians, wizards, sorcerers, and warlocks who seek knowledge of the world” City of Arches

Naturally the party if they do go to Kartan, Tower of the Arcane will meet at least one of the four mage apprentices, and most definitely Savandra.

Savandra will tell the party about the “Key of Choul” that is hidden deep in the towers vaults. The party will also learn that it’s also possible to “conduct sacrifices required to open the Gate of Choul”.

I think that the party will also find out that in The Endless Warrens is a “forgotten colossal undead cairn” that can be used to open a gateway to the realm of Choul if enough sacrifices are made.

Apart from the magic users, I want to populate the tower and the vaults and laboratories with appropriate creatures to encounter. I’m thinking rats (all sizes and numbers), various spiders, maybe the odd ooze.

Then I remembered that I have the Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. If I treat those vaults and laboratories as some sort of Frankenstein setting I can use the bestiary from that.

I like the idea when they enter that location with the hanging cages that contain skeletons that the threat actually comes from the boneless remains out side the cages. Or in the labs there are brains in a jar. Maybe some Gremishkas are running feral down there, or strigoi.

How cool would it be to have a swarm of zombie limbs come towards the party? These definitely make a change from the crawling claw. Which might make an appearance along with an animated sword.

A magic users lab is not a safe place.

Right time to get ready for work. Tomorrow it’s game day!

One Shot Taster Session Planning #1

D&D, one shot, RPG, session planning, taster

Yesterday my good mate Gavin expressed an interest in trying D&D.

Today along with Diego via messenger we arranged a date to hold a one shot taster session.

Naturally that means along side my regularly D&D planning I now have a second session to prep for (hence this and possibly other posts).

The first thing I have to decide is what to run for a session that ideally is going to run for about three hours.

The options I’m considering are the following:

  • The Lost Tomb of the Delian Order (by Matt Colville)
  • The Obsidian Skull (from the City of Arches)
  • The Goblin Ambush (from Lost Mines of Phandelver)
  • 1st Level Adventure Generator (from Sly Flourish’s Uncovered Secrets Volume 2)

The last option will involve a little bit more work for me, requiring me to roll against tables to come up with something.

The Goblin Ambush might be too short, unless it then runs into the Cragmaw Caves. Which would then be too long.

I will use pre-gen character sheets, most likely the official D&D ones. But which?

I could use the ones intended for Lost Mines of Phandelver, or the new ones intended for Dragons of Stormwreck Isle.

But I am tempted to try the pre-gen characters for Sly Flourish’s Fantastic Adventures, or (iirc) a pack of pre-gen character sheets I got off the DMsGuild that were recommended by Mike Shea in a video or blog post at one time or the other in the past.

These alternatives to the official pre-gens in many ways are better as they have more info on them such as spell details. Which cuts down on the need for a players handbook or having to constantly refer to it.

Along side which ever pre-gen sheets I go with I’ll be using the Wizkids 2D miniatures that just arrived. I should try and match up the character sheets to the minis in advance!

Well that’s my initial thoughts on this upcoming taster session. I’m sure there will be others over the coming days that I’ll feel compelled to share on here.

D&D Grp 2 Session 10 Planning #3

D&D, D&D Grp2, RPG, session planning

SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.

One thing I’m bad it is remembering specific rules, especially when I’m not using them all the time.

One such area is that of magic items, identifying them, and attuning.

So I’ve created these “handy” rules reference cards to have on hand.

I’ve also been searching that amazing blog Dyson Logos for suitable maps to potentially use for Kartan, Tower of the Arcane. I’ve found a couple that I like the look of. Whilst there I found the perfect map for the Temple of Three Sisters.

I’m not sure how the next session will go or where!

Obviously I’m thinking they might visit the wizards. So most of the NPC’s the party will come into contact with will be magical leaning. They might even bump into the legendary wizard Dram!

I’m also preparing for some magic items to go missing or leant to the party. Hence the reference cards above.

I am having a hard time matching up the written description of Kartan, Tower of the Arcane, particularly the following bit:

“An ironbound glyphed door on the first floor stands in front of a stairwell leading deep into the ground below where numerous laboratories and vaults of the dark wizards remain largely untouched.”

With the the side view map (see extract of that below).

It’s the laboratories and vaults. Unless I treat the hanging cages and the area below it as the laboratories and vaults, then I don’t see where they are. I think I need to sleep on this a bit more.

I’m still waiting on updated character sheets to transfer across for my notes.

In the meantime I’ve got some magic items to create!