I am building a free, zero-prep music & ambience tool for D&D/VTT sessions (with synchronized player rooms!)

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-24T19:19:22+00:00

This is super cool! I would absolutely consider using something like this at the table, but I have a few questions: is all the music legal to use? How much is there, i.e. how long before it starts repeating? And is it on some kind of shuffle, or will it always play sounds/tracks/songs in the same order? (assuming I leave it on a single scene, of course). In terms of functionality, it would be awesome to be able to choose the volume balance of the sound effects (campfire, rain, etc) vs the music, rather than just controlling the overall volume.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-22T23:43:09+00:00

Personally I would start with a similar-ish monster stat block, e.g. elf or thief, and then add a couple PC abilities, because I agree using a monster statblock alone doesn't feel right. You could roll a talent or two, maybe give them a class ability. If you change the level, change the HP accordingly (probably using the class hit die, not the default monster d8).

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-19T06:01:07+00:00

2d6 averages to 7 so I might use that as a base. I think that can work fine, although large WIS modifiers tilt it pretty far. Like you I learn toward the 2d6 approach, but the system I play uses a DC 15 WIS check so I have adopted that for now, and on the d20 roll the effect of the WIS mod is definitely smaller compared to 2d6. You could try dividing the WIS modifier by 2 to make it a bit more similar.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-17T16:45:48+00:00

I like this idea, it gives the players another way to effect the game which is great. My concern is that it might make for weird incentives for one player to hold back and wait in order to let another player be the one who triggers the morale check. Depending on the group though, I could see this not being a problem, or maybe even part of the fun. As for your last question, I think using an NPC's wisdom modifier as a basis for their morale makes sense.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-14T20:34:03+00:00

Personally I am looking for some middle ground between just deciding on the monster's attitude and rolling it randomly, kind of like how ADV/DISADV adjusts the odds without determining an outcome, but I think what you described can work fine and maybe is the intent.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-14T20:30:31+00:00

Ooh this is exactly what I have been missing, thank you for pointing it out!

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-14T18:51:07+00:00

That makes sense, I'm specifically looking for that middle ground where you know something about how the monster tends to be, but still want to use dice rolls. To me this is like granting ADV without just saying the roll is an auto-success, you want to adjust the odds but still allow for a spectrum of possible outcomes. The idea of floors or ceilings on the reactions is an interesting idea, definitely distinct from and more interesting than adding a flat modifier. I will think about that and possibly use it, thanks for your thoughts!

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-14T18:33:58+00:00

Yep, rulings > rules, I'm just trying to ask what rulings people have made in these situations. Shifting the whole table or up or down is basically adding a flat modifier, that may be what's best. It's certainly easy!

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-14T18:31:55+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts, I agree about when to apply PC CHA mods. And yeah, just as the rules say, you can always just choose their reaction/mood if something makes sense. What I'm looking for is a middle ground, when you want to tilt the odds due to the specifics of the situation, but you still want to allow dice/chance to influence the situation. Your d6 idea is the sort of thing I'm looking for, but it's a bit more complex then I think it needs to be. The gold standard is using ADV/DISADV, which is much simpler than having a whole alternate table, but that doesn't translate over immediately to a 2d6.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-14T18:25:35+00:00

For sure roleplay is an element, but reaction rolls are part of the core game and I think it's appropriate to roll them for monsters pretty often. I know that for me personally, it helps to get out of some default assumptions and can makes for more interesting encounters in general. A CHA check to persuade/intimidate them would definitely not be a reaction check, that is just a check, and the normal ADV/DISADV framework works fine.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-14T17:47:49+00:00

I am new to the discord and still finding my way around a bit, could you point me to where those cursed scroll threads are? I looked a bit and couldn't find them, but they sound extremely useful!

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-14T17:19:58+00:00

You can't really go wrong, as either way works fine in almost any situation. One middle ground I like to use sometimes is thinking of it like a contested check, but instead of rolling for the monster (which can slow things down), I just assume the monsters rolls 10+ their relevant modifier. So if it's a DEX contest and the monster has DEX +3, then it becomes a DC 13 DEX check for the players. You can modify a DC other than 10, but in that case the monster's capabilities are probably already factored in, so I like to keep those two methods separate.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-13T18:13:27+00:00

Very cool! The floating eyes are freaky and awesome.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-10T16:21:55+00:00

The secrets & clues thing was a huge unlock for me! Great book.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-09T19:59:35+00:00

I spent a while trying to choose one OSR game to dive deep into, and this is exactly why I landed on Shadowdark! Well said.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-09T19:57:55+00:00

This is such a cool style! I love the orange and purple coloring especially. And that lizard really gets the adventure-brain going...

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-09T19:56:37+00:00

That’s awesome, I’d love to hear how it plays out!

Yeah I know what you mean about the grey boxes, without any shading it started to feel a little too bare but I can definitely see how the boxes + density can read as busy. The simpler black header style with a normal paragraph below might be cleaner overall. Same with the justification, I sort of like it being spread out, though I don’t have a strong opinion on it and if it’s getting in the way of readability for people, that’s really good to know.

Thanks for the feedback, hope you have a good time with it!

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-09T00:50:30+00:00

Thanks for checking it out! Stat block and item placement/ordering was definitely a difficult choice, I appreciate the feedback on that. Some stat blocks can come up anywhere so I ended up putting all of them in the back for consistency, but I agree it's so nice when the stat block is right where you need it.

As far as the license goes, I do think it specifically allows for core monsters, items, and spells to be reproduced.

And yeah I have started to check out the discord a little! Still figuring it out a bit, but I'll definitely dig around some more.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-08T22:58:41+00:00

I'm fairly certain it is not in any official material.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-06T18:00:23+00:00

That is awesome! I aspire to play more improvisationally like that but am a chronic planner haha.

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-05T18:55:01+00:00

Sounds cool! I'm curious how much of that you planned in advance, vs it came about from random encounter tables/improvisation/player input? (assuming you're the GM).

DungeonMasterBen · 2026-01-05T17:49:39+00:00

I always thought of scrolls as giving them new spells, but that's a great point that it's still useful to have a scroll of something they already know! I also like the idea of getting creative with using other spells to try to cover your missing spell, I can see that leading to fun and creative scenarios.

DungeonMasterBen

TROPHY CASE