alex6756

[alex6756]

TTRPG Dungeon Creativity

I am a D&D junkie so I’m calling these dungeons, but really this applies to any environment like a building, city, settlement, region, etc. Anyway here’s methods to encourage making creative dungeons.

Dungeon Creativity

Dual Denizens. Pick two random creatures or species as competing lords or factions within the dungeon, and figure out what they are each doing in the dungeon. They could be working together, or fighting against each other. Each has its own territory, which doubles the number of potential rooms that could exist in the dungeon and offers a tension or conflict to add intrigue to any adventure through it. There could be kobolds and goblins struggling for territory, a lich and a group of drow begrudgingly working together, or a night hag and a young green dragon sharing a lair out of mutual interest.

Build Around Location. Choose a cool natural or supernatural feature to build the dungeon around. You will often find that you can create a bunch of rooms based on the reasoning behind building a structure around a geyser, a magical rift, a gaping chasm, or a petrified kraken. Think of how the dungeon creator’s purpose for building the dungeon here. Think of how the current denizens interact with the location’s features and with the history of the place.

Create a History. Think up several things that happened throughout the dungeon’s history. Besides the dungeon’s inception and its present day use, create a series of various events that took place. Say the dungeon was cave system. Then Hobgoblins moved in to turn it into an underground fortress. During that time, they captured a young Remorhaz and kept it as a siege monster to unleash during raids. Then dwarves invaded the fortress, defeating the hobgoblins and releasing their pet, to mine out the caverns. The dwarves abandoned the project when the mines were found to be barren, and then a cult of Baphomet moved in with a bunch of minotaurs and retrofitted the dungeon into a maze-like temple. With an exciting history like this, we have reason to put an adult Remorhaz, hobgoblin skeletons, minotaurs, cultists, mine carts/elevators, defensible structures, bloody altars, and maybe a lost dwarf NPC that still thinks there’s treasure in the caves. The dungeon becomes a living history with plenty to uncover and more than enough rooms to fill as each new occupant opens new ground.

Random Dungeons. For a bit more methodical process of creativity, you can always create an entirely random dungeon. Randomly decide each aspect for each room’s size, entryways, and contents. For D&D 5e, you can use the tables starting on pg 290 of the DMG. I’ve run a one-shot before where I was the GM only in that I was rolling for dungeon aspects but I was otherwise just about as surprised as everyone as to what each room contained. There are several free dungeon map generators online you can use to help inspire you as well.

[alex6756]

D&D Creating Unique Traps and Puzzles

Here’s a bunch of ways to inspire unique traps and puzzles for your setting, mostly from a D&D perspective.

Trap Creativity

Create Danger. Take something that already exists in a dungeon’s room and imagine how it could be made dangerous. Is there a big snake statue in a room? Perhaps looking into its eyes can petrify you or stepping on a hidden tile releases poison gas from its mouth. Keep in mind that empty rooms can be just as deadly. Imagine ways that the walls, floor, or ceiling could have a trap within it.

Random Object. Add a random thing to a room, perhaps using the Dungeon Furnishing tables in the D&D 5e DMG (pg 299-301). Then imagine how that could be used as a trap. Maybe a sextant on a table stabs those who try to peer through it. You could even use the random noise, odor, and atmosphere tables on those pages to create hints of a trap’s existence. A metallic smell could mean there are a lot of mechanisms in the walls implying a large section of the room may move. A mist-covered floor could be hiding an open pit.

Random Spell. Pick a random D&D 5e spell and think of how to use it for a trap, even if it’s usually a harmless spell. Say you pick magic mouth. What if the spell calls for help to lure creatures into a trap? What about create food and water? Maybe food continues to spawn filling a room with thick peanut butter, trapping victims inside? Magical traps leave a lot more room for creativity than physical mechanisms do. The same could apply to technology in a scifi setting that could perhaps mimic some magical effects.

Roll Randomly. I sometimes forget there’s a set of tables to create traps in the D&D 5e DMG (pg 297). They aren’t particularly creative, but can be a jumping-off point if you wish to push the creativity of the trigger or the trap itself, perhaps adding another layer to it in complexity.

Puzzle Creativity

Copy Existing Puzzles. Look at puzzles from the real world and figure out how to incorporate them into your setting, perhaps by abstracting them or changing the variables. Look in science or toy stores or else find puzzle-filled web sites. You can find that there are many logic and shape and word puzzles that already exist which can prove challenging for players. Remember, most puzzles don’t need to be complicated to fool a group of adventurers. After all, they still need to figure out a puzzle’s goal when the only things they have to go on are the GM’s descriptions and perhaps a hastily-drawn schematic with a riddle for an instruction sheet.

Random Object. Take something in a room and imagine how it could be used part of a puzzle. This works especially well for objects that have moving parts or states that can be toggled. A drawer could be closed or open, for instance. With a series of drawers, you could encourage the players to make sure certain ones are open and closed to unlock a door. Maybe the key is written somewhere in the form of symbols that correspond to the drawers’ handle shapes. Think creatively about where things can hide on objects with secret compartments and such.

Object Series. Take a series of objects and alter some key aspects of them to help create a puzzle. Let’s say for instance that you have a room with a series of humanoid statues. You could change the materials of the statues, have them painted different colors, give them different weapons, give each one a different face, or give each one a different pose. Once you change one of these aspects, you can start to create a puzzle that cares about each particular statue. Maybe they need to be rearranged, or the series needs to be completed, or maybe the statues inform the players what to do if they mimic them.

Relate Two Objects. Take two objects in a room and make them somehow interconnected. Maybe changing the state of one can affect the state of the other. Maybe they need to be used in tandem to solve the puzzle. For instance, you could have a table in an empty room with a locked door that has no handle or keyhole but four 2-inch holes near the corners of it. If you insert the table’s legs into the four holes in the door it will open.

Random Spell. Pick a random D&D 5e spell and think of how to use it as a variable of a puzzle, but try not to just use damaging spells as a trap on failure of the spell. For instance, a continuous scorching ray might project from a gargoyle’s mouth and it needs to be pointed at a red plate to open a door.

[alex6756]

Burrow Root Large plant, unaligned Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 178 (17d10 + 85) Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft. Str 22, Dex 15, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7 Skills Stealth +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, exhaustion Senses tremorsense 60 ft. passive Perception 11 Languages - Challenge 8 (3900 XP) False Appearance. While the burrow root remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a tangle of tree roots. Actions Multiattack. The burrow root makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail spike. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) piercing damage. If the target is a creature that isn’t a construct or undead, it must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or lose an additional 9 (2d8) hit points due to blood loss. The burrow root regains hit points equal to half the hit points lost. Tail Spike. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10+6) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, or its speed is halved until the end of its next turn. Reactions Speed Burrow (Recharge 6). When the burrow root is damaged by a melee attack, it can use its reaction to burrow up to twice its burrow speed. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. Split. When a burrow root that is Medium or larger is reduced to half its hit point maximum or less, it splits into two new burrow roots if it has at least 10 hit points. Each new burrow root has hit points equal to half the original burrow roots, rounded down. New burrow roots are one size smaller than the original burrow root.

Desiccated corpses, drained of blood, mark a burrow root’s territory. They spend much of their time laying completely still, waiting for living prey to drink the blood from. Slithering about underground, they locate their quarry before bursting from the ground to bite and sting their foes. Burrow roots reproduce by splitting, so they do not shy away from injury. They are often alone, but can sometimes be found in groups. They can infest entire forests, making them all but impassable until lack of food causes their population to die out. These creatures are used as guardians by intelligent flying creatures to keep foes on the ground out of cover. Burrow roots range between 12 and 14 feet long.

Originally from the Monster Manual V.  If there is a monster from 3.5 or Pathfinder that you want to see converted to 5e, feel free to send me a message or submit a monster request on the submit page. I have gotten to many requests, many are works in progress and are completed but simply need workshopping before release.

[alex6756]

Steampunk Warforged Factory!

This is our newest map, designed with the world of Eberron in mind!

For gridded and ungridded versions and 6 other variations check out the post here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/steampunk-30247459

Patrons also get access to a music track designed for this map.

[alex6756]

I think you’re really going to like this next temple, but again I have to remind you that it will probably need some redecorating- the previous owners were demon blood cultists. Ok, I see that look on your face, I know what you’re thinking, I know, it’s probably in a bad neighborhood then, right? Wrong, it’s actually just a block away from a Whole Foods and the park across the street has performances of Shakespeare on Saturday evenings! Really, I think the only part you’re not going to like is the standing blood pools out of which branching vein-like tendrils creep outward towards any breathing thing that draws near, their clammy touch leeching the life essence out of your very flesh, but I’m pretty sure you can just put some cement mix in there and it’ll be fine- I’ll get back to you on that.

Download the full resolution image of this map at my Patreon, as well as alternate gridless, night, and outlines-only versions! 

[alex6756]

Into The Lion’s Den - DnD Battlemap

For all those sessions where the players and captive, destined for a life in slavery and the emperor desires them to be ripped to shreds by wild monsters.

Get this map and more here: https://www.patreon.com/czepeku

[alex6756]

The Glowing Crater

*THOOM* – a glowing crater appears! 

Be it an arcane accident or a cosmic crash, please feel free to drop this battle map into your game. 

I’ve put together (free) printable and digital files, plus there’s a bonus encounter written by my brother, Troy! 

Downloads: https://2minutetabletop.com/glowing-crater-battle-map-encounter/ 

How might this crater appear in your particular campaign? BBEG shenanigans, perhaps? Please leave a comment!

[alex6756]

ELVEN HALF-RACES

Homebrew for all of the elven half-races possible with races from the PHB! Time to throw the boring old human half-elf out of the window! This was made for 5e. Open images in new tab for better quality. Have fun playing, and feedback is much appreciated!

If you like what I do, consider buying me a coffee! Also consider checking out my previous half-races (including tiefling and dragonborn versions!).

[alex6756]

The God Wars

In the beginning…

belief and rituals shaped the first gods from the dreams of man.

As the civilizations of man grew, so did the strength and influence of their deities. 

In return for sacrifice, the gods gifted their followers with mystic might.

But the people wanted more than these gifts could provide.

In their souls the people found their own power. They called it “Craft.”

The gods, jealous and afraid,

struck down the firsts of these Craftsmen.

Thus the God Wars began.

But the gods were formed from the faith of man. It was a war they could not win.

And so the Craftsmen took up the mantle of the gods and rule in their stead.

[alex6756]

I like cantrips, so I figured it’d be neat to make a magic item that gives them a tiny boost. Although this was mostly so I could make a group message spell, I’m going to be honest. 

And no, you can’t benefit from more than one of the same ring at once (so you could have a friends ring and a mage hand ring but not two mage hand rings to increase the lifting by 10 lbs).

[alex6756]

Dowloads are here, patrons get access to hi res, ungridded, unwatermarked files.

Deep in the forest, this shaded grove serves as the final resting place of a breathtaking beast, a crown of antlers budding with crimson leaves, a colossal skeleton of Tarrasque-like proportions. How long this old God has rested here is anyone’s guess, but the budding life all around demonstrates its greatest power, and the core tenet that druids and rangers know all too well: Life cannot be destroyed, only changing from one form to another. Perhaps one day, it will return to this one, but until that time, it rests.

Hey all, this is the #2 map chosen on the map poll for this month. I’m quite pleased and eager to use it for my group’s ranger to find a place to commune with the spirit of the forest she loves so dearly, and receive the boon it bestows only on the most worthy, and when its need is most dire.

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[alex6756]

Dragonborn Half-Races

Homebrew for all of the dragonborn half-races possible with races from the PHB! Now you can all play funky dragons to your heart’s content. This was made for 5e. Open images in new tab for better quality. Have fun playing, and feedback is much appreciated!

If you like what I do, consider buying me a coffee! Also consider checking out my previous half-races (and tiefling version!).

[alex6756]

Inspiration is hard lately so, I decided to make smth fun! Here’s a simple character prompt sheet made by me! All you need is some time and a D20. Tag me, if you make a character with this sheet, I’d looove to see the results!!

I rolled and here’s my result: A smug firbolg knight with an otherworldly guardian at his side!

[alex6756]

More nonsense that fits the theme of the last two posts. This is supposed to help round out the lore of the Endless Maze a little bit, explaining a bit more about how and why O’Cun interacts with outsiders and through agents. The idea is that the maze itself is teeming with treasures and dangerous creatures like one giant plane-size dungeon and the warlocks of O’Cun are the reason for that, basically collecting these things at the behest of the outsider for reasons unknown. I wanted to incorporate the warlock’s offerings to their patron in their tool kit, but that seemed a bit too strong to add in too early, so its now a late-game invocation. If you put together the ingredients present in the pact, that means you get to mark a creature as a native of the Endless Maze and then cast banish to send it there for good. Definitely an end-game power spike imo.

As always, questions and comments are welcome. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

(Content PDF) (Patreon)

[alex6756]

Again based off of a character, this spell is designed for the more up close and personal magic user, such as an Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster.

[alex6756]

Happy new year! I’m breaking in 2020 with my first ever rogue subclass: the mad artist archetype. Mad artists are lunatics who see beauty in death and view killing as some kind of sick performance. This character trope is a personal favourite of mine, and has been around for ages and can be seen in all forms of media (think the Phantom of the Opera or the Joker). Mechanically, this subclass works differently to other roguish archetypes. While other rogues will sneak around in order to fight their opponents, mad artists are usually narcissistic performers who love to be seen, and so I designed these features with this in mind. In practice, this subclass should allow you to contribute to a fight and take advantage of your sneak attack without having to skulk around in the shadows. I’m really happy with this subclass, and really excited about the roleplay potential of it.

On an unrelated note, the one year anniversary of my patreon will be this month! I’m going to be doing a little celebratory post on the day, and if you want to help me with it, I’d appreciate you taking a moment to vote in this poll. Remember, if you want to support me and my content and get access to all my homebrew stuff, please consider pledging to my patreon. Hope you all have a great year guys!

[alex6756]

Almost the last one of the classes!

Paladin oath: Santa Claus’ duty

and

Bard College: Word’s voices school