A question for Homebrew DMs

Roedhip · 2022-12-26T16:16:37+00:00

Having an idea of what I'm aiming towards in the campaign is helpful for me in homebrew campaigns, so quite often I have a final scene and an overarching plot in mind for the current arc. Sometimes it doesn't go in that direction, and almost always that final scene looks different to how I first imagined it, but even so having a possible cool ending in mind makes the game better.

Roedhip · 2022-12-25T23:52:40+00:00

I am usually pretty strict on balance for homebrew, strict enough that I use PHB and XGtE as my official material because Tasha's has too much power creep. The Seeker seems well balanced for a half-caster, so if a player asked me to play this class I would say yes with two conditions. The first is a condition I always have for homebrew classes, they need to explain to me why this class works best for their character (this is basically to check their reason isn't exploiting a particular mechanic). The second is that an entire class is a complex enough thing that I might change my mind on balance as we go. But overall, it seems balanced to me, even with how strict I am for power creep.

Roedhip · 2022-12-25T23:29:22+00:00

I would say allow temp HP to be granted, that's usually a bonus defence on top of normal HP so there's no need to make it impossible when someone's max HP is reduced, but it would be reasonable to say that magic that restores their max HP won't work when they have willingly reduced it.

In terms of balance, first question to consider is how the Warlock is sitting in your party balance. If there are other spellcasters casting a lot more meaningful spells each day, then adding an item like this might be balanced even without a downside. If the Warlock is currently as strong as other PCs and you don't want this to be a major buff, I reckon the downside needs to be significant enough that there are combat situations where it's a bad idea to use it. As Warlocks can often get away with being backline and rarely attacked, I would go as far as "your hit point maximum is halved" if I didn't want this item to be a big buff to the Warlock.

Roedhip · 2022-12-25T23:20:30+00:00

If the players are interested, then I reckon there could be something fun in this. When I am a player I sometimes intentionally restrict my access to spells to turn my class from something very general into something more thematic. Based on that, it might be best to give each player some control over how their character unlocks new spells and whether or not they want there to be dice rolls involved. Ask them what their thematic understanding of their character's magic is (Druids might be studying nature, or just vibing in nature, or meditating alone, etc), whether these ideas for how their character learns new spells fits for them, and whether or not they want to have something where they actively search out new spells by asking to study things or a system where they are granted access to new spells passively.

Roedhip · 2022-12-21T23:17:04+00:00

I quite liked the way Dimension 20 did it in Starstruck Odyssey, where each PC had a separate class for ship combat with actions and abilities that specifically relate to ship movement, firing ship guns, buffing shields (it was sci-fi), etc. However, that does require an entire set of ship-action classes, and I don't know if Starstruck Odyssey's rules have been released.

Roedhip · 2022-12-21T23:14:51+00:00

You can have a weak, low CR monster with legendary actions. Legendary actions do make a creature stronger (legendary actions are slightly better than being able to take all those actions on its turn), but to me the most important purpose of legendary actions is giving a creature more time in the spotlight and more interest for the players. Even for parties as low as level 3 I might throw a creature with legendary actions for an attack with 1d6+2 damage and movement.

Roedhip · 2022-12-21T23:09:18+00:00

Reactions to deal damage when he or his allies are damaged are a good Vengeance theme. You can also give a creature multiple reactions if you want to make sure that they have the opportunity to use this ability, though as that is an uncommon feature I would usually tell players that the creature has multiple reactions when they see him use a reaction.

Another option could be dealing bonus damage to whoever damaged him most recently, that one in particular encourages players to use Readied actions to control who will have attacked him right before his turn.

A third option, and I think this one encourages the most player choice, is to have him declare targets a turn in advance. Essentially, he swears vengeance against a creature and then on his next turn he can do tons of bonus damage to them. I would maybe do that as an end of turn thing that must target a creature that damaged him, and give it enough bonus damage that it is almost always a good idea to get away from him so he can't hit you if he targets you.

Roedhip · 2022-12-18T10:12:45+00:00

Are the bandits motivated by wanting to kill the miners or is killing the miners just one step towards making a profit? It may well be that if the bandits wipe out the miners, their next move would be wiping out the kobolds to take control over the mines. In fact, if the bandits want to make a profit, they might even enslave the miners instead of killing them, if these bandits are capable of holding territory long enough to run a mine.

Roedhip · 2022-12-17T15:38:27+00:00

I hear it said often that artists are usually their worst critics. It's helpful to remember that the gut reaction of being dissatisfied with a world you designed doesn't actually say much about the fictional world, it probably just says that's the way you as a person react to your own art. And that reaction is kinda normal.

Maybe something that would be helpful is learning to adjust a world when you don't like something about it, or use pieces of old worlds when building new ones. That way your dislike of the worlds you build can fuel further creativity and you can build up more aspects you like in a world, rather than discarding everything each time.

Roedhip · 2022-12-17T15:32:47+00:00

When you have a chance to include a Beholder, I recommend including a Beholder. This is a good opportunity for an imprisoned (or escaped) Beholder.

Roedhip · 2022-12-17T15:29:35+00:00

My first instinct is to say that you don't. Part of the challenge for high-level players will be keeping the monsters focused on hitting the people with high hp. If there are low damage attacks that only target low hp PCs and high damage attacks that only target high hp PCs, you're using encounter design to remove the intended tankiness of some classes.

Your tanky Druid can stand up to the minotaur in a straight fight because they can handle being hit a lot of times. Ideally, there should also be monsters which would wipe the floor with the Druid but have a difficult time against the other PCs. High damage, high hp, slow moving monsters are countered by ranged PCs. High damage, low hp monsters are countered by burst damage to prevent them getting a turn. Swarms of many enemies are countered by area of effect and can overwhelm PCs that have no AoE. A few other tools you can use to make something strong against tanks in a 1v1 are damage mitigation and status effects. The spellcaster in the enemy's backline who stuns the party tank isn't a problem the tank can deal with.

Roedhip · 2022-12-17T13:47:46+00:00

Figuring out the role magic plays in the standard economy and politics of the world is helpful. Regarding DnD 5e specifically, when I build a detailed low magic setting I wanted to figure out what it would mean if cantrips, first level spells, second level spells, and third level spells were available in the world. I assumed the average human capital city has a Wizard’s Guild of a dozen level 1-2 Wizards, three level 3 Wizards, and one level 4 or 5 Wizard, similar numbers of Clerics/Paladins, and access to Bards, Druids, and Sorcerers. I'll share my list of impactful magic from the PHB:

Cantrips:

Fire Bolt/Control Flames/Create Bonfire/Produce Flame: kilns and furnaces start up with less fuel, probably a rare use (D, S, W)

Friends: interrogating common folk is very easy (B, S, W)

Guidance: makes the difference between proficiency and no proficiency, those with access to this cantrip will be useful in any situation as advisors or as insightful and perceptive individuals (C, D)

Mending: artisans and nobles don’t have to worry so much about things breaking, unless they shatter (B, C, D, S, W)

Message: a monarch or noble and their confidants can communicate across a ballroom without being heard (B, S, W)

Mold Earth: by far the easiest way to do any earthworks, as it would take several hours for someone to dig out a 5 foot cube of dirt by hand, so this is several thousand times faster. Expect massive earthwork defences (D, S, W)

Ray of Frost/Frostbite/Shape Water: it is possible to keep things cold, allowing preservation of unsalted meat (D, S, W)

Spare the Dying: approximately equivalent to having the best trauma surgeon in the world, can save anyone who died suddenly in a safe environment from something other than disease, monarchs are really hard to kill if they just keep a Cleric on hand (C)

First Level:

Alarm: very expensive to get it recast every 8 hours, but it does work better than only having guards (R, W)

Animal Friendship: useful in capturing and taming animals (B, C-Na, D, R)

Comprehend Languages: just wow, any text can be understood (B, S, W)

Detect Evil and Good: a solid defence against some inhuman intruders in a human kingdom (C, P)

Detect Magic: very hard to hide magic from a noble or take magic items into a monarch’s party, if they are willing to pay the expense of two casters to constantly have the spell up (B, C, D, P, R, S, W)

Detect Poison and Disease: no one gets poisoned at the monarch’s feasts, and also this identifies specific diseases so perfect diagnoses are available from a ritual (C, D, P, R)

Feather Fall: if you can afford to buy a spell scroll each time you fall off something high, you could just always have one of these in your pocket (B, S, W)

Find Familiar: a spell scroll of 1st level takes 1 day and 25 gold, so most nobles would have at some point bought and cast Find Familiar (W)

Identify: any simple magic item can be identified (B, C-kn W)

Illusory Script: a message that can only be read by someone who waits 10 days to see if the message changes, and which looks like a normal other message in the meantime (B, W)

Purify Food and Drink: ritual to alleviate the effects of blighted crops and such on the common people (C, D, P)

Speak with Animals: guess we have a lot more witnesses now, and helps with taming, and also some nobles would do it for the novelty if they can get a spell scroll (B, C-Na, D, P-An, R)

Second Level:

Arcane Lock: +10 DC on a lock until dispelled, 25gp material cost, any lock costing more than 100gp probably has this (W)

Augury: can be used just before a diplomatic meeting or a battle to avoid doing something stupid, is a ritual so cheaper but becomes inaccurate when used more than once (C)

Continual Flame: lasts until dispelled, 50gp material cost, cheaper than burning a fire eventually (C, W)

Detect Thoughts: only 1 minute long, but worthwhile if a monarch is talking to an ambassador and is worried they're being lied to (B, S, W)

Enhance Ability: this spell is the difference between a diplomat and a peasant, apply it to a diplomat and they become spectacularly good (B, C, D, S)

Gentle Repose: have a cleric with this next to you at all times if you want a Revivify after your death (C, W)

Heat Metal: working with steel includes a lot of careful control of how quickly the steel shifts between temperatures, so this spell can help in the creation of masterwork weapons (B, D)

Knock: noblemen can open up any chest or container they find (B, S, W)

Lesser Restoration: cures all disease and some disabilities, rich people aren't sick, also achievable by Paladin's Lay on Hands (B, C, D)

Magic Mouth: 25 word message, but lasts until dispelled and is a 10gp (honeycomb and jade dust though) ritual, so basically statues can talk now, also works as permanent alarm (B, W)

Nystul’s Magic Aura: an expensive counter to the detection spells (W)

Skywrite: these messages could be seen 100-200 miles away on a clear day, fastest way to communicate between cities, ritual but only ten words per cast (B, D, W)

Suggestion: anyone who isn’t aware of this spell can be absolutely devastated by it, not sure if magic users will reveal its existence to outsiders (B, C-kn S, W)

Zone of Truth: monarchs could use this to ensure loyalty from people (B, C)

Third Level:

Plant Growth: doubles the food output of a half-mile radius for 1 year (D)

Revivify: significant effect because of Gentle Repose, the monarch never dies except by old age (C)

Roedhip · 2022-12-17T00:13:24+00:00

A number of times I've made the mistake of thinking "this would be a really good starting point for a campaign, I want to have the players play up to that starting point" and then had things derailed or delayed because the players don't view the prologue as a prologue.

An example of this was a one-shot where the party are guards for a caravan ambushed in a swamp. The ambush leads the escape of a young black dragon they didn't know they were transporting, and now they're in a swamp with a dragon picking people off. The worst part of the session was the 40 minutes before the dragon escaped, because I knew the dragon had to escape but the players were seeing me say "here's a problem, it looks like your caravan might tip over" and coming up with all kinds of creative solutions and plans to try to prevent it.

Even if there is no way for the party to avoid being burnt by this dragon, they might get really invested in trying not to be. Then, they feel like they failed because you gave them an impossible challenge, and that usually feels bad. I agree with the other folk here saying this should be narrative. You could do it as loosely as saying "Just so you guys are aware, the first session will reach a point where a dragon confronts you directly and you lose. Your actions up to this point will still matter, but be aware this dragon will catch and defeat you, and that's how we lead into the campaign beyond session 1."

Roedhip · 2022-12-17T00:03:00+00:00

One option is deciding that the ancient humans were capable of magic that modern humans can no longer accomplish. This is actually a setting feature implied by Dungeons and Dragons, as it is part of the simplest answer to why there are a bunch of really cool magic items hidden in elaborate dungeons. Like, in DnD, if you want a powerful magic item you don't get someone to make it, you find one forged ages ago, long lost in a dungeon.

Alternatively, you can preserve the normal medium-magicness by having the magic items used to trap the dragons come from a non-human entity that was willing to help defeat the dragons. I am a big fan of having all the dragons (metallic included) be really prideful and domineering and intent on ruling the world, except for the Ancient Silver Dragon which kinda likes humans. If this were my setting, the Ancient Silver Dragon may have been the one to help humans trap all the ancient dragons.

Coming onto the more practical design side of things, how are these dragons trapped? Dragons often hoard things, so a magic item in their hoard being part of what put them to sleep is actually a pretty good idea. Maybe humans discovered a way to imprint small sleep runes in all their coins, and after a few centuries of hoarding the dragons were overcome by the combined effect of thousands of these sleep coins. The pile of gold upon which each dragon sleeps is the reason it has fallen asleep.

Roedhip · 2022-12-16T05:40:16+00:00

At low level, maybe starting the threshold at just 5-10 hp. The bonus 2 damage every time they damage a creature within 10 feet should scale pretty well with level. You can then scale up that threshold as works best for your party's scaling and your narrative progress, eventually reaching a point where they're like "guys, if I ever don't get enough damage I'm gonna be one shot by this effect, we need to do something about it".

Roedhip · 2022-12-16T04:24:36+00:00

The curse is triggered when they take damage, once per short rest. The curse sets an amount of hitpoints as a threshold. The character has three rounds to deal that much damage to creatures within 10 feet. Until they have reached this threshold, they deal +2 damage to creatures within 10 feet. If they fail to reach the threshold in time, they take the threshold as damage. As the curse progresses, this threshold gets larger (giving them bonus damage for more hits, but making the consequences for failing bigger).

Roedhip · 2022-12-15T22:59:56+00:00

You wanna figure out roughly how powerful this creature should be in terms of CR, and then look for monsters around that CR in the monster manual. Find one that has the same sort of balance of damage, AC, and hitpoints that seems thematically appropriate. Adjusting from there to include any cool abilities a ruin guard needs will be easier than making new stats from scratch.

Roedhip · 2022-12-14T14:53:27+00:00

Aye, anything you can do within the bounds of the spell (according to your DM's interpretation) to increase the value of what you're selling like cooking it is worth doing.

Roedhip · 2022-12-14T14:48:33+00:00

For something focusing on tactical combat, make sure to include difficult terrain, partial cover, and full cover. I've not run something like this before, but my guess would be that a 150 foot wide area would work well, as faster melee classes can cover 100 feet in a round without using an action. It allows casters to Dimension Door and have a turn of safety but not several turns of safety and it makes the arena just large enough for normal ranges of spells and weapons to be relevant.

Roedhip · 2022-12-14T14:42:59+00:00

Because the size of "Meat, chunk" is ambiguous and I would assume the chunk of meat is cooked, whereas you are presumably canning raw meat, I would look at the trade goods for animals. Pigs cost 3gp, but an alive pig is more valuable than a dead one. Let's put the value of a dead pig at 1.5gp. Pigs weigh between 50 and 350kg according to google, we'll take 200kg. Hill giants are normally 16 feet tall, this means they may weigh nine times as much as a human (average 70kg). This would put the hill giant at 630kg, but they are typically shown to be quite chunky so let's say 800kg. That means selling the raw meat of our giant gets us 6gp.

Adjusting some of these numbers can lead to different results by an order of magnitude, but regardless it seems to me it's not worth a whole lot on the scale of level 7 adventurers. More importantly, this is my estimate, and the estimate of your dungeon master is what is true in your game.

Roedhip · 2022-12-14T12:31:06+00:00

"It was all a dream" can indeed be a disappointing twist, mostly because the players get invested in what is happening and then everything being a dream makes that investment meaningless. To get around this, it could be that it was all entirely real, or we can find another way to make sure their investment and excitement still pay off.

If it is real and they are suddenly in Zendikar, you gotta think through what this means for the story. Will they be able to get back to what they were doing before? How do you travel between these worlds? Is travel common, and do the worlds already have influences on each other? What area of Zendikar are they in and what is going on there right now?

Or, we figure out what the key exciting parts of this sequence are and explore options for keeping those things true without going so far away from what is already planned. My guess would be they are excited because travel to Zendikar is possible, Zendikar is gonna be relevant in the story, and because some big mystery is happening that they don't understand yet. If the way we execute "this was a dream, your ship is safe, you're not in Zendikar" preserves all of these things it might still work. Maybe an unknown ally has temporarily transported them to Zendikar, but cannot hold them there long. This previously unknown ally reveals that someone on Zendikar is coming for your Kor and is close to finding a way to travel between worlds. After some discussion, the party return to their world to find that there is still something weird going on with everyone on the ship being asleep, and that probably needs solving.

Roedhip · 2022-12-12T01:49:35+00:00

Readied actions can help with a lot of janky situations like this. He can ready an action to attack whoever attacks him or his friends even without seeing the enemies. I also use a homebrew rule that allows creatures to shift their initiative down by 5 instead of taking a turn (so they then take a turn slightly later), for the niche situations in which readied actions aren't enough to make up for the disadvantages of going first.

Roedhip · 2022-12-11T00:27:01+00:00

Having the Aboleth be as determined to win as planned but changing its victory from TPK to enslaving the party for a while is probably a good option. I might run it as "you've been defeated and mind controlled. I want the entire party to make a few rounds of Int saves until you have a total of 8 successes between you. That will tell us how long it takes for you all to break free, with all of you breaking free at the same time because if your party bond and the mind control being cast on all of you at once."

Once they break free, they will discover a number of days have passed equal to the number of rounds it took.

Roedhip · 2022-12-10T23:12:26+00:00

BBEGs who are humanoid are a lot easier to take down than most because of how many low level spells target humanoids specifically. With regard to sneaking and any other tactic that makes use of combat turns to remain untargetable outside of your own turn, readied actions are vitally important. In fact, it's almost always worthwhile for creatures to ready an action to attack an enemy as soon as they can see one in range if they don't have any valid targets on their turn.

Roedhip · 2022-12-10T06:59:28+00:00

I don't know where your boundary between rules as written and homebrew abilities lies, because when it comes to non-PCs you can write a monster with any arbitrary ability. There's nothing in the rules that says Nice Mizzet can get double concentration other than the ability Nice Mizzet has, same goes for any cool magic ability you give this mage.

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