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[cactusdungeonmaster]

So how do I make a homebrew race? The Cactasehn (Part 3)

Hello again adventurers! Today, we’ll be continuing from my last post on my how I make a homebrew race and my thought process behind it when I’m designing said homebrewed race. Once again, I’ll be using a homebrew race that I’ve made in the past, called the Cactasehn as an example. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the stats section part of a homebrew race. The fun part.

Like the first post,  I’ll be showing the two pages of the stats for this race first and then proceed to go explain my though process behind the Cactasehns. (Feel free to play as them if you’d want). Also please keep in mind that the cactasehn race is not play tested much, and maybe in some games the race unbalanced, being overpowered or underpowered. More modifications and changes will be done to the race in the future, but for the sake of this post and future posts, I will be using the current version of the cactasehn race I made in the past.

Alrighty let’s jump right into it! First, let me tell you the traits paragraph, in case the picture is not clear enough. The paragraph goes as follows:

“CACTASEHN TRAITS 

Your Cactasehn character has the following prickly traits to make you a thorn on anybody's side. 

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution scores increases by 2. 

Age. Cactasehns fully reach maturity at the age of 15, and can live up to 200 years. 

Alignment. Cactasehns are generally neutral creatures, focusing mainly on their survival in the deserts, though they may attack travellers for resources, they almost never go out of their way to kill them. Cactasehns that wander the deserts to help travelers lean more towards good. 

Size. Cactasehn are around the same height as humans, averaging from 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is medium. 

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. 

Darkvision. For survival, your eyes have adapted to help you find your way through the desert nights. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern colour in darkness, only shades of gray. 

Photosynthesis. You are able to perform photosynthesis to produce your own food. You need to be exposed to sunlight for 4 to 6 hours, for this to occur. If you decide to photosynthesize, you are considered to have eaten for the day. However, you can choose to eat food normally though as many Cactasehns enjoy eating. 

Spiked Defence. As a bonus action, you can extend the spikes throughout your body or cause them to retract. While your spikes are extended, when you aren't wearing armour, your AC is 11 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your Spiked Defence to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor. In addition, when a creature hits you with a melee attack within 5 feet of you or grapples you while your spikes are extended, you can use a reaction extended your spikes further to deal piercing damage to that creature equal to 1d8 + your Constitution modifier. Once you've used this trait, you can't use this it again until you finish a short or long rest. 

Claw Spikes. Your claw-like spikes are natural weapons which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to ld4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. 

Shooting Spikes. You can make a ranged weapon at to shoot out your spikes at a creature within 60 feet. If you hit with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + Dexterity modifier. The damage increase to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th, and 4d6 at 16th level. Once you've used this trait, you can't use this it again until you finish a short or long rest. 

Root Ingrain. As a bonus action, you sprout roots from your feet and ingrain them into the ground to absorb water deep underground or to uproot yourself. Once rooted, your speed becomes 0 and you have advantage on saving throws that force you to move unwillingly. Failing those saving throws automatically uproot you from the ground. 

Desert Survivalist. You have proficiency in the Perception and Survival skills.

Plant-like. You are considered both plant and humanoid.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Cactan (The Cactasehn language).”

Alright, let’s quickly go over the first three. Every race has a ability score increase, it shows what that race’s best physical or mental trait. And in the case of the cactasehn, it’s constitution, because as stated earlier, they’re a hardy race that has evolved to survive in the desert, it only makes sense for them to be bulkier and sturdier, so a speedier race would have a dexterity increase and smarter races would have an intelligence increase. 

Next, the age of a creature helps players’ roleplaying, providing with ample background and experience for their backstory, depending on their age. In the case of the cactasehn, I pretty much just based them on real life cacti. The age can really be whatever you want it to be. Is the race a race with a short lifespan but does a lot with their time, or is your race a grumpy race with long lifespan, being secluded from everyone else? Its up to you.

Alignment helps a player decide what their characters would do depending on the situation, but remember that alignment is meant for a guideline a character should not be defined by it. The alignment section usually helps build a character when creating one, and the cactasehn can go either way, depending on their nature and beliefs. So I gave a reason for as to why they would lean to a certain alignment over another.

Now for some more involved gameplay traits. First, darkvision. Every player loves darkvision, they can just ignore dark areas that a DM is trying to hide, unless its magical darkness. Its a great, versatile ability, but before you give your race darkvision, understand and know why it has darkvision in the first place. Do they have magic in their blood? Do they evolve that way? As stated for the cactasehn for their survivability. So think about it.

Photosynthesis is a simple trait. Its not really in a rule book, but it really just helps alleviate food issues in dungeons and dragons 5th edition, where I personally struggle to keep up and care about. Cactasehns are also just plant people, so it makes sense why they would have this.

Spiked defence, claw spikes and shooting spikes are combat oriented traits, and all of them are based on a cacti’s spines and spikes. Not all races need traits like these, and some rarely even have a sound reason to have these traits in the first place. Remember combat traits are optional, heck even using them is optional, they’re not really that good, because they’re not supposed to be. they simply act as a substitue and most importantly an option for the player. I gave the cactasehn three of them because it made sense for a race of survivalist cacti people trying to not die in the desert. Ok, I’ll admit, its a it excesive but I like it, shut up!

Now the final few. Let’s start with desert survivalist. I keep ragging on and on about how the cactasehns are survivalists, so why not just give them free profficiencies. Once again, not all races have something like this, and it needs to make sense, why a race would have a proficiency trait in the first place.

Plant-like is a simple trait that simple helps clear up some confusion. Some weapons and spells deal additional damage, or less damage depending on what monster type it hits. This trait essentially clarifies that this race is in fact, still a plant, hence if there’s anything that would do more damage against a plant monster, it would also affect this race. Once again, optional because of precautionary reasons.

Finally languages. Most races talk, and by clarifying what language your race can speak, helps clear the air and once again help with the development and experience of a charcter’s backstory. cactan is just a made up language I made so they can insult other races within themselves. I do strongly recommend that a homebrew race has common as one of its languages; Its the universal language, and it helps for the table and other players, unless the race is super secluded or are super stupid.

That’s the end of this post. I hope these explanations help when deciding what traits to give your homebrew race when you’re making one. Next post I’ll be talking about the subraces of the cactasehn. I’ll say it here first, not every race needs subraces, but it sure does make it unique, and that’s what I’m aiming with the cactasehn, basing their subraces on actual cactus species. Well until next time then, good luck fellow DMs, have fun fellow players, and may your travels be fruitful adventurers, in yor journey through Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.

[cactusdungeonmaster]

So how do I make a homebrew race? The Cactasehn (Part 2)

Hello again fellow DMs and players! Today I’ll be continuing from my last post on my how I make a homebrew race and my thought process behind it when I’m designing said homebrewed race. Once again, I’ll be using a homebrew race that I’ve made in the past, called the Cactasehn as an example. The first two pages for this race are in the last post about my homebrew thought process, so I will proceed to go explain my though process behind the Cactasehns. Don’t worry I’ll add the paragraphs from the homebrew pages here, so I can explain easier. (Feel free to play as the cactasehns if you’d want). Also please keep in mind that the cactasehn race is not play tested much, and maybe in some games the race unbalanced, being overpowered or underpowered. More modifications and changes will be done to the race in the future, but for the sake of this post and future posts, I will be using the current version of the cactasehn race I made in the past.

Now let’s continue where we last left of. Where we last of, I was explaining the physical features of the cactasehn race. We’ll continue talking about the physical traits and apperances of the cactasehn. The lore paragraph is as follows:

PLANT-LIKE BIOLOGY

“The Cactasehn's plant-like appearence isn't just for show. They are capable of performing photosynthesis to produce their own food using sunlight, water and air. They breath and absorb any available sunlight through their skin. Furthermore, by sprouting roots from their feet, they can absorb water deep underground or they could simply drink water by using their mouths. 

They reproduce sexually by pollinating their mate's flower, however the gender of the parents doesn't matter as both genders are able to to pollinate and produce seeds. If the Cactasehn do not wish to seek for a mate, they are also able to reproduce asexually by cutting a piece of themselves and planting it. Some time after pollination, the flower produces one to two seeds which is then planted into the ground by the parents, where they would protect the planted seeds. The seeds take 3 to 4 months to germinate and once they do, Cactasehn seedlings emerge from the ground which will be continued to be protected by their parents until they reach adulthood. This goes for both sexual and asexual parents. The offspring of sexual reproduction will look completely unique, while the offspring of asexual reproduction will look exactly like the parent.

Like actual cacti, the spines on their body help prevent water loss, provide shade, as well as defending them from predators. In additionally, the Cactasehns also grow specialized spikes that are sharper and deadlier than their normal spines. Cactasehn can extend these spikes for protection, shoot them out as projectiles, and even use them like claws. 

When a Cactasehn loses a part of their body such as an arm, it will grow back over a period of time. However, Cactasehns can attach a cactus to the lost body part and the cactus will merge with it, transforming and creating a new body part.”

So once I explain about the physical traits of the cactasehn to aid in roleplaying as them, as well as to help describe scenes better, I really feel like its best to describe how the race uses their physical traits in their day to day life, and maybe even explain their physical traits more in depth. In terms of the cactasehns, because they are essentially humanoid plants, here I explain how they live and how their body works. I even explain how one would reproduce to keep the numbers of their society stable. I even explain their feats here, for example their spines. Usually when thinking of cacti, you’d think of something sturdy and hardy, but here I made them more viscious and combat heavy with their evolved spikes and spines. Living in a desert where dangerous monsters like Basilisks, Behirs, Sphinxs, other scavenger beasts and even Blue Dragons, its only logical for this race to be more ready to fight back, instead of simply taking the hit and run away. The desert environment made them fiercer. Heck a cacti’s natural predator is a camel, just ignoring their spines as they graze them, of course the cactasehn would fight back against these stupid camels. No I don’t hate camels for eating my favourite plants.

Next after explaining a race’s feats of their physical traits and how they would use them, the next logical thing to explain is their society and how they interact with others of their kind. The following lore paragraph is as follows:

WANDERERS OF THE DUNES

“Cactasehns are hardy and resilient, being able to survive in the harsh environments of arid deserts. Resources are scarce in the deserts and the Cactasehns know that.

They wander the sandy dunes scavenging for any resources they can find. Some hunt down animals for food, and some attack travelers, stealing or demanding resources from them. However there are some who wander the deserts searching for travelers in need of help by providing a safe passage through the wastelands as well as supplying them with any spare resources. These differing ideologies often clash with one another in Cactasehn communities.

Cactasehns live in tight nomadic tribes led by an elder, wandering from place to place in the deserts. Once they find a place to settle, some of the Cactasehns will wander into the deserts to look for resources either in groups or individully, and will return before night time. 

This nomadic lifestyle has led some Cactasehns to become adventurers, wandering to places further from the deserts and to see what the world has to offer.”

So like I said earlier, the next thing to talk about the race is their society. It’s best to talk about where they live, or where they are more commonly found, unless the race you’re making can be found almost anywhere, like humans and elves. You can also talk about how their society works, are they smart scholars that build a lot? Or are they hunters of the jungle? Are they craven minions working for a higher power? In the case of the cactasehns, I have them be mostly found in deserts, they’re still cacti after all. And what is their society like? Well because they live in a harsh desert environment scarce of resources, they can’t afford to stay in one place, so I’ve made the cactasehns a nomadic people divided into tribes, though only wandering the desert instead of the whole world. I still need them to be locals of the desert, and they’ve evolved to thrive in deserts, so they would definitely want to stay in deserts. Since they’re hardy and resilient, they don’t feel much remorse from raiding any passer-by, its for their survival after all. But not all of them would attack travelers, and some even help them. By making a race not be defined by one nature, it makes it even more unique, and it helps with when making allies or enemies, not everyone is nice but not everyone is evil, its not black and white after all. And finally I explained why one member of their society would become an adventurer, or in other words a player character. A simple example should help flesh out motivation for a character’s reason to go adventuring. I added a simple reason; The cactasehns are nomads, one of them eventually would want to explore outside the deserts.

Finally, lets talk about the final lore paragrah regarding their names and their naming convention. The lore paragraph is as follows:

CACTASEHN NAMES

“The Cactasehn's naming conventions are similar to most humanoids. They have a given first name and a family name, however some do choose their own names once they reach adulthood.

 Their names sometimes derive from common to fit in with other humanoids or elvish due to their connection with nature as they originated from awakened cacti. They also choose names that derive from flora, whether it be from cacti or other plants. 

Cactasehn's names: Barbary, Barrel, Eve, Saguro, Daisy, Cypress, Ivy, Rowan, Leaf, Root

 Family names: Deeproot, Forney, Hawthorne, Pincushion, Evergreen, Birchwood, Greene”

A player can name their character however they like, though by giving a player examples of a race’s name should help them, and even give them ideas for their backstory. By also providing a naming convention for a race, it will help make that race feel even more alive, making them feel like a unique and exotic society. In case of the cactasehn’s, I’ll admit its not really unique, and I believe this is the weakest part of the race. Their naming convention is similar to humans but they use words that associate with cacti and other plant species, and other cactus attributes. Simple naming convention and servicable as well, though I’ll try to give them a better naming convention for this race.

That’s the end of this post. When making a race, I firmly believe that fleshing out a race’s lore is vital to not just making the race work and making them unique, but it’s integral with how the race would interact with other societies of the world, fleshing out your world further. In the next post, we’ll be tackling the fun stuff, a race’s traits and stats, but until then, good luck fellow DMs, and have fun fellow players, may you enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.

[cactusdungeonmaster]

So how do I make a homebrew race? The Cactasehn (Part 1)

So in this post today, I’ll be going over my thought process when designing a homebrewed race for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition. I’ll be using a homebrew race that I’ve made in the past, called the Cactasehn as an example. I’ll show the first two pages for this race first and then proceed to go explain my though process behind the Cactasehns. (Feel free to play as them if you’d want). Also please keep in mind that the cactasehn race is not play tested much, and maybe in some games the race unbalanced, being overpowered or underpowered. More modifications and changes will be done to the race in the future, but for the sake of this post and future posts, I will be using the current version of the cactasehn race I made in the past.

Let me first inform you all, when I design a race for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, I try my best to make sure said races are generic and lore friendly enough so that it can easily fit in to most Dungeons and Dragon’s canon and in any Dungeons and Dragons game at any table, making them agnostic so it can fit anywhere. But that doesn’t mean I don’t write their own lores for my own games. They’re my babies after all, of course I’m going to give them some love! Alrighty enough about that, let’s start!

Alright let’s start with the first lore paragraph introducing the Cactasehns. In case the pictures is not clear enough, the lore paragraph goes as follows:

CACTASEHNS

“Cactasehn or Cactusfolk are plant-like humanoids that resembles various species of desert cacti. Cactasehns were once awakened cacti in where, after they've gained sentience, decided to continue adapting and evolving to better survive in the harsh environments of the deserts, eventually becoming their own race that can feel pain and emotion. 

They've developed a pair of arms and legs as a form of locomotion, a head that has eyes with pupils and sclera in a variety of colours for sight, and a mouth with specialized spikes that act as teeth that are able to tear and chew food, as well as a long tongue for taste. They've also developed a digestive system similar to humanoids to digest the food they consume. Thanks to these adaptations, the Cactasehn became a race of desert wanderers and hunters focused on surviving and overcoming the deserts they grew up in.”

So, I feel like these is what all races should do; I think even the races in the rule books do this as well; The lore of the race. Usually there’s a total of four lore paragraphs of a race explaining what they are, their physical description, how they would use their abilities and their society. When creating a race, I think it’s super important to introduce the race, showing how the first come into being, and where they are from, or where they live. In the case of the Cactasehns, I explained where they came from, they’re simply evolved sentience cacti that wander the deserts. Simple, and can fit into any setting that has a desert.

The next lore paragraph explaning further features of the cactasehns. In case the pictures is not clear enough, the lore paragraph goes as follows:

PRICKLY DESERT DWELLERS

“Cactasehn bodies are covered in spines and spikes, and some even grow flowers of various colours on them. The common Cactasehn stand around the same height as humans, averaging from 5 to 6 feet tall, however there are other species that are significantly taller or shorter. Their colourations typically range from shades of green, grey and faint blue with their spines and spikes that contrasts the colour of their skin.

 Like most humanoids, Cactasehns are able to distinguish between male and female due to their physical differences. Generally, males are slightly taller and heavier than females, as well as having somewhat thicker and muscular flesh. The females have lump like protrusions on their chests similar to breasts that do not have any function other than to help other races differentiate the females from males. While both genders can grow flowers on their bodies, females typically have larger flowers than males.”

After you introduce the race’s origin and where they live, the next logical step is to describe the race. This will not just help the DM and players describe scenes better, but these physical traits can maybe lead to wacky high jinks, like a race being too high to enter through the door and hitting the top of it on accident, or if a race is too short and gets made fun of because everyone always makes fun of height, no I’m not projecting my personal experiences. You know, situations like that. Describing the race’s physical feature also helps players be more creative and unique from one another at the off chance multiple players play the same race. In the cactasehn’s case, I’ve made them the height of usual humanoids to make things easier with traversal in any environment. And by gving the cactasehns different shades of colour, different players can play as different coloured cactasehns. One could play as a bright green cactasehn paladin, smiting prickly justice, while another can play as a deep blue cactasehn ranger, hiding in the brink of night. I’ve also added other features to the cactasehns like differences between male and female cactasehns and the flowers growing on this race. Ultimately, this paragraph helps describe the race better as well as giving unique differences between each individual of the race.

Okay, this post is getting longer than needed. I’ll continue these explainations on my thought process of desiging a homebrew race in the next post so stay tuned. Until the, good luck fellow DMs, and have fun fellow players! And enjoy Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition to the fullest!

[cactusdungeonmaster]

So what’s the deal with homebrew?

So what is homebrew? It is essentially creating your own content for Dungeons and Dragons 5e. These contents that people would create are typically not found in the usual rule books. Creating and translating something from previous editions to newer editions can also be considered homebrewed content to an extent. Anything that is not found in the rule books can be considered homebrew, like worlds, towns, cities, maps, weapons, races, classes, even mechanics, and so on and so forth. The most common forms of homebrewed contents are weapons, classes and races because most people want to play something from other media but simply cannot due to the limitations of the rule books. 

However keep in mind that dungeons and dragons 5th edition is very flexible and for the most part can easily translate and recreate these weapons, items, races and classes into 5th edition. Imagine playing as an Ewok Barbarian from Star Wars or a Goron Druid from the Legend of Zelda series; those are just races, imagine playing as Devil Hunter from the Devil May Cry series or a Maveric hunter from Megaman X; I think it would be really cool! Some people even just want to make classes and races that suit their worlds, or simply want to flex their creative juices, hence why some people would homebrew their own content into Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, because it’s just fun to do so. So here’s the problem. How the heck do you make it all balanced?! Being able to still give your players a challenge, and maybe not underpowering your other players, or overpowering monsters. Well, discuss with your players. Maybe you can reflavour the fighter or paladin to match the devil hunter from Devil May Cry, reflavour a dwarf to fit a goron. Although I recommend newer DMs and players not trying homebrew immediately. Once you get used to the system, then you can go and try it!

So what do I think about homebrewing in Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition? I think it’s awesome! I get to make these cool unique races and classes that are not in Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, I get to translate some cool classes based on other fiction (I’m still trying my best to balance a Devil May Cry devil hunter!). It’s certainly tough, needing a lot of play testing and feedback, but once everything works, it feels so satisfying! Homebrew is fun, it makes worlds, especially worlds you make on your own feel alive, intricate and unique!

Well that’s all you need to know about homebrew in Dungeons and Dragons, and I’ll be sure to post my thought process on how I make my homebrew content in future posts! Till next time, good luck fellow DMs, and have fun fellow players!

[cactusdungeonmaster]

Tips for Beginner DMs (Part 2)

Hello again DMs old and new, its time to continue on my previous post on tips for beginner DMs. Once again, do keep in mind that these tips are my own personal opinions that I personally use, so please do not feel compelled to use these tips and do not see them as law, after all each DM has their own unique way of running their games.

I personally think that you should always prioritize players over the game. They are more important than the rules of the game. If they are not having fun because there’s a certain rule they really don’t like but you as the DM constantly brings up this rule, either because of spite or because you are trying way too hard to follow the rules of the games. This lack of fun will spread to the table and even to you as the DM. If that happens, nobody will have fun, souring the mood, and future games and sessions might not even happen anymore. Don’t be so selfish with the game of the rules. Usually when it comes to this, I personally discuss with my players and have a vote. If majority does not like the rule, we omit it entirely and replace with something we like. Or if there’s a small minority that does not like the rule, I will simply use the rule sparingly, or just not use it at all, especially if some people are neutral on the rule.The game is what you all are doing at the table and not what is written in the book.

Even after I said all this, remember that the DM is a player too, and all the players are more important than the game, so never do what makes you uncomfotable or do something that you don’t find enjoyment in. This s why I always say, discuss and talk with your players, be honest and transparent, after all everyone who’s playing at the table wants to have fun.

Whenever you are new to DMing, I really recommend running and adventure module first, something like Lost Mines of Phandelver or Horde of the Dragon Queen. Learn from these adventure modules first before you start making your own adventures, dungeons and stories. If you do feel confident enough to try making your own maps and stories for Dungeons and Dragons, I really recommend starting small. Like starting really small, something very simple, don’t be too ambitious. Feel it out first, do short one shots or run a three to five session long games. The biggest mistake a DM could do is bite more than they could chew, creating a game with very intricate lore and branching pathways, deep dungeons, multiple villains, and end up being overwhelmed wanting to show everything they have prepared. I must commend their passion, diligence, creativity and enthusiastic, but I still really recommend understanding the game first. Making a massive world with several kingdoms and pantheons is a massive undertaking and planning all this when most won’t become relevant can make a dnd campaign shaky. Can this still be done? Absolutely, but it will be very very difficult. Heck, when I first started, I had like 3-4 buildings in a village and just a big hole in the centre where all the town’s trouble is coming from.

These are some tips I can give for now and I’ll give more later on in future posts. I belive, this and the previous posts combined would really help DMs that are still starting out. I don’t want to make this post overly long after all. Till then, good luck with DMing!

[cactusdungeonmaster]

Tips for beginner DMs (Part 1)

Hello fellow DMs, new and old. In this post, I will be providing some tips that will hopefully help new DMs run their sessions; Do keep in mind that these tips are my own personal opinions that I personally use, so please do not feel compelled to use these tips and do not see them as law, after all each DM has their own unique way of running their games. 

The first and most important tip I can give is always, and I mean always have a session 0 with your players. Understand what your players want and tell them what kind of story you want to tell and what kind of game you want to run; Come to an understanding before the game truly begins so you don’t end up fighting with your players when you reach a disagreement either from a story telling standpoint or a game mechanic standpoint.

Another tip I can give that many DMs seem to agree on is to be prepared but not overly prepare because any kind of players can be unpredictable. A DM shouldn’t actively railroad the game but it’s completely fine to do it once in a while; maybe the players got curious and want to know what’s inside a dark cave, but its not part of your plan for them to go there. Well, simply playing along with them and winging it might be a better outcome than restricting them from their choice. Maybe have a bloodied and aggresive owlbear waiting for them in the cave, forcing the players to either fight it or cure it, and regardless if the party kills it or not, they find its children cowering in fear in possessions of some jewelery or mundane magic weapons, rewarding your party for their curiosity and giving them a moral dilemma, not being overly harsh on your players but still give them consequences. All this is not planned but definitely makes the game much more interesting if you follow their shenanigans.

These are some tips I can give for now and I’ll give more later on in future posts. I don’t want to make this post overly long after all. Till then, good luck with DMing!

[cactusdungeonmaster]

DMing. What and how?

So what is Dming? DMing essentially means running a game of Dungeons and Dragons deriving from the word DM which means Dungeon Master, the person who runs the game. DMing is also referred as GMing which derives from the word Game Master, a broader term used for other tabletop games, not just for Dungeons and Dragons.

So how do you start DMing? Well first of all, you have to understand that the DM is in charge of running a game for the players and is responsible for their fun and enjoyment as well as to tell a smoooth and enticing narrative, not to mention that you also need to know all the basic rules and mechanics of the game. This may all sound daunting but its a responsibility you have to be prepared to take. But you have to remember, no DM is perfect, something will always go wrong in a session, we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. The tips above are simply a guideline for you to take note of before you start DMing. Best of luck to you future DMs, I believe you’ll do great!

[cactusdungeonmaster]

And this here is the link to D&D Beyond. This should help you understand the basic rules for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition and provide you with the stats of weapons, armour and monsters! And once again, its free!

[cactusdungeonmaster]

The link to Roll20 for those who wanna start making maps for your games. Super helpful, highly recommend, and its free!

[cactusdungeonmaster]

Homepage of D&D Beyond for your rules and tools purposes. Helpful for both beginners and veterans.

[cactusdungeonmaster]

Example battle maps made using Roll20. My party getting ambushed by a pack of winter wolves, whilst traversing the winter wastelands, forcing them to fend themselves.

[cactusdungeonmaster]

Dungeoning and Dragoning

Getting into Dungeons and Dragons seems daunting at first, many believing that you need to buy many books like the Dungeon Master’s Guide, Player’s Handbook and Monster Manual, buy miniature figurines to represent players, monsters and buildings, including tons of paint to paint said figures, recruit a group of people who wants to play the game, and to meticulously plan the proper place, date and time so everyone can show up to even play in the first place. But because the interenet exists, Dungeons and Dragons have become much more accesible and easy to get into. The more streamlined rules of 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons also helps beginners to understand the game better.

Speaking of rules, most of the basic rules of 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons can be found on the website of D&D Beyond, the official digital toolset and game companion, as well as the plethora of youtube tutorials that can teach you virtually everything about the game. Maps, dice rolling and character sheets can be made using Roll20, a website consisting a set of tools to play tabletop role-playing game of any type, not just Dungeons and Dragons, allowing you to play these games online, not needing to meet up. Talking with each other is the easy part, just use any form of voice chat like Skype, Zoom or Discord. As for a group, I recommend playing with your friends, and have one of you read up a bit on how to run a session; experience comes from playing after all, even you’re fumbling about the first few sessions.

I personally prefer playing Dungeons and Dragons online using Roll20 and Discord, because I find it much easier to prepare and for everyone involved to play. Truth be told, I have never actually properly played it with people around a table before. Hopefully one day I’ll get to experience it. Anyways, I hope this helps people who are even remotely interested to try out Dungeons and Dragons and become full fledged adventurers.

[cactusdungeonmaster]

Why Dungeons and Dragons?

So why do I want to make a blog about Dungeons and Dragons? Well, I just really like the game and enjoy running it. By making this blog, I hope to introduce my favourite hobby to others, showing how fun the game is, by showing preparations and stories from the current campaign I’m running, and by doing so I hope to become a better writer and a better Dungeon Master as a result.

[cactusdungeonmaster]

Welcome adventurers!

Hello adventurers! Welcome to my blog, where I’ll be making posts about one of my favourite hobbies, which is Dungeons and Dragons! Specifically the 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons. You don’t need any prior knowledge about the game beforehand to read this blog, so don’t worry. If you don’t know what Dungeons and Dragons is, its a tabletop fantasy roleplaying game where you and your friends tell a fantasy story together by making characters, roll dice, roleplaying and simply having a fun time together. In this blog, I’ll mostly post about writing and preparing sessions and campaigns, homebrew content, stories from a campaign I’m running and overall my personal experiences with this game. So please, rest your weary bones adventurer and enjoy your stay.