#soysaucednd

[soysaucednd]

Story Structure and Character Creation

People have different thoughts and feelings about how to create a d&d character, and I want to preface this with the universal fact that however your group has fun playing d&d is the correct way to play d&d, and what I say here is how I and my group tend to play.

Step one: The World

When I am making a character or starting to review characters during a session zero, I consider how the concepts fit into the world of the game. I consider the setting and the tone of the game before I even start thinking of a concept, let alone a class or race.

Questions to ask your dm:

What pieces of media did you draw inspiration from for this campaign?

What is the tone of this game?

What themes will the game be exploring?

What events in the world of the game could have created an adventurer?

Step two: The Group

The second step I take is considering the group as a whole. What kind of character would fit into the group? Which group members might have a character connected with them in a way? What kind of archetype does the group need?

Questions to ask yourself:

Is my character a team player? If not, how can I justify them being in a group and not hogging attention?

What is the group missing that is integral to the game?

Is there a major theme of the campaign that is missing from the party’s motivation?

Step three: The concept

Before you assign a race and class, make a character. Give them wants, needs, and desires. Motivations for adventuring. Connections within the group. A connection to a main theme of the story and a backstory that fits within the constraints of the world. You can add in the race and class here if that helps you build a concept.

Questions to ask yourself:

What does my character want and need? What desire pushes them forward?

What would they have to achieve to stop adventuring?

What worldview does my character have that relates to a major theme the campaign explores?

Is my character value themselves over others or others over themselves?

Who will my character probably connect with in the party?

Personal freedom or structured rules?

Step four: The Mechanics

Now do all that fun character creation stuff like rolling stats and choosing a class and race.

Conclusion:

In a narrative-focused game like my group plays, having this setup for character creation will allow your DM to easily incorporate your character into major arcs of the game due to how you fit into the setting, your party will appreciate the cohesion from connecting the characters and it will make for fun roleplay encounters, Your character will have driving forces behind their decisions and the choices you make will feel more grounded in reality due to your understanding of your character’s motivations, worldview, and objectives.

P.S. NPCs

For you DMs out there, a condensed form of this formula is also helpful for making memorable NPCs. My process for making any of my NPCs is the “A DOVE” method:

Appearance: What does the character look like? Are they striking or plain? (ex: Arthur Augefort in Fantasy High is a dark skinned, bald wizard with a long white beard. He wears a purple suit that matches his eyes and carries an umbrella. In front of his left eye sits a gold monocle.)

Demeanor: What kind of personality does the character have? Usually a single adjective. (ex: Lucretia in The Adventure Zone being calm and regal.)

Objective: What does the character want from the players? (ex: Mishka in NADDPOD wants the party to rid her town of the Barbarians who have invaded.)

Voice: What sort of voice should the character have? Not necessarily an accent, but deep or high voice? Funny or grounded? How does it connect with the Demeanor? (ex: Ipskix in Escape From the Bloodkeep with his exaggerated screechy voice.)

Eccentricity: What makes this character unique? It can have to do with appearance, it can have to do with their actions, or the environment that they occupy. (ex: Madam Musk in Critical Role *CRITICAL ROLE C2 SPOILERS* being three kobolds in a cloak.)

#player tips #dm tips #d&d #d&d 5e #soysaucednd #character creation #character ideas #player character #d&d character #critical role #the adventure zone #dimension20 #fantasy high #escape from the bloodkeep #cr #NADDPOD #taz #dungeons and dragons

[soysaucednd]

Family in D&D

This topic has definitely been covered before, but I am personally against character concepts where their family was killed (with exceptions, of course). Your character having a family grounds them in the world of the game and keeps them engaged with the narrative.

Engagement:

If your character has a family in the game, then it allows for more character motivation, which will make the character more interesting to play. For instance, your character could be incredibly family oriented, but has been exiled from their community until they can prove themselves. Or, you could be sending a portion of gold from every encounter back to struggling family members. Alternatively, your character could have a family who mistreated them and their story is a revenge quest to destroy their family and their reputation. It will also force your DM to create NPCs for your family, and that will tie you into the narrative and show that the DM cares about your character’s connections.

Grounding:

If your character has real connections in the world that are indirect (outside of the party), it will make them feel more real and more connected to the narrative. Any detail about the character that fits within the setting will help the illusion that this is a place that is living and breathing despite being fictional. If the player knows the name of their character’s mother and the town she is from and a few details of their childhood in the town, the character will be able to roleplay more effectively and might even be excited for when the campaign might bring them home to visit

DM Opportunity:

This should go without saying, but the DM’s opportunities with a living family are endless. I will list possible adventure hooks and concepts off the top of my head below.

The party gets a care package from the rogue’s mother.

The town where the paladin’s family lives is being attacked.

The party passes through a halfling village to visit their bard’s family.

During an encounter with the BBEG, they hold up a crystal ball that shows the homes of the party’s parents.

The party stays at a stuffy noble’s house because the fighter needs to go home for a reunion.

The cleric’s sister tracks down the party to tell them that their father is sick from a mysterious disease.

The party must choose between fighting the BBEG or leaving to save their family.

A party member’s family is working with the BBEG.

A party member has a sibling who is a slightly more successful adventurer.

A party member’s family is very worried about them and checks in magically from time to time.

A party member has to go home once a year to tell their aging father stories about their adventures.

A party member’s grandmother dies and they have to go to the funeral and attend the will reading.

Direwolves are stalking a forest nearby the small village where the rogue’s family lives and they ask the party to bring a basket of sweets through the woods to the rogue’s grandmother’s house, but something seems amiss.

#dm tips #player character #pc tips #family #d&d #dungeons and dragons #d&d 5e #gm tips #soysaucednd #backstory #fantasy high #dimension 20 #sibling rivalry #parents #dungeon master #character backstory #character creation tips #character creation

[soysaucednd]

Music of the PHB races

I saw a wonderful post by @noodledog that was talking about the music of different d&d races, and I wanted to make a post about my own interpretation of what kinds of music the races in the Player’s Handbook would write.

Dwarves:

The race of Dwarves is known for its courageous warriors, miners, and skilled craftsmen. They live for centuries, but not as long as elves, and have an unyielding devotion to culture and tradition. Their music is inspired by the ringing of pickaxes and the drums of ancient battles and heroic deeds that have been recounted through the ages through song. Dwarven music is percussion based and built off of layers of rhythm. Craftsmanship is valued in dwarf society, and that applies to their music as well, resulting in respect from all musical communities for their complex understanding of rhythm. When Dwarves sing, they tend towards classic styles of work songs like shanties and mainly sing in unison. Ships will often hire dwarves to lead their shanties because they are masters of consistent rhythm.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Elves:

Music is of paramount importance to Elven culture, with a series of ancient ballads and choral pieces chronicling their whole recorded history. With their long lives, composers have been known to spend upwards of seventy years perfecting their symphonies. Intricacy of melody and harmony is considered the height of sophistication, and Elven choirs and orchestras are an exciting event when they pass through towns of other races. Many notable Elven composers produced fugues, a style of music with a melody that interlaces with itself as it develops creating echoes through the score.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Halflings:

Halflings value the comfort and support of a community, and while they are not listed among the greatest composers or musical artists, even the stuffiest of guests in a halfling community will find themselves stomping along with a drinking song resounding through a tavern or an impromptu jam session around a campfire. Their love of new experiences has led halflings to combine elements from many different musical cultures, and this variability has led them to develop an eclectic style of music that mirrors how bluegrass developed in our world. The most popular halfling songs are jaunty and can be sung or played in large groups easily, but during times of grief even the most stone faced adventurer will shed a tear to the mournful songs of a halfling funeral.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Humans:

Humans are known as innovators and as an ambitious creative force. The traditions of the other races are more established, so humans will often train with musicians from other races, but will always bring their own spark to the techniques and pieces they create. Human music is a blending of the different styles that other races bring, and has been widely appreciated by all the races. The songs humans write cover any and all themes imaginable. They sing and play songs about love, war, disasters, adventure, and anything else that sparks their inspiration. Human sailors are prized for their ability to bring emotion into the songs they sing to the crew, helping bind the crew together.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Dragonborn:

The strict clan structures of the Dragonborn have specific places for music. Music is the way that the Dragonborn chronicle their clan’s history, and thus it must be protected closely. Individual families in Dragonborn clans are designated lorekeepers and are the only ones allowed to practice traditional music. Songs are passed down through the generations, and the family of lorekeepers is fiercely protected by the rest of the clan. The Chronicle is generally a ballad that outlines the history of the clan and teaches important lessons to the children. When members of other races are allowed into a performance of a Dragonborn Chronicle, the reverence and honor displayed in the music is something they can feel in the air.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Gnomes:

Gnomes and humans share a love of exploration and discovery, and have been known to create new and interesting instruments to experiment with. Their music tends to be instrumental and magically infused (creating a sound similar to the electronic music of today) or performed with an instrument of the gnome’s own making. Seldom will you find a gnome tinkering without music being played in the background either by magic or by a network of clockwork machinery that plays instruments hung from the rafters.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Half-Elves:

Half-elves will generally gravitate towards whichever culture they were raised in. (See Humans and Elves)

Half-Orc / Orc:

Orcs and Half-Orcs tend towards music that has a power behind it. Choruses of voices singing about displays of power or accompanying hard work appeal to them. Orc music is loud and forceful, and can be a force of intimidation in battle. Oddly, the music written by the Orcish races has found its way into popularity among certain groups of Humans, Half-Elves, and Tieflings who feel downtrodden.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Tieflings:

Tieflings exist on the fringes of society, and are often shunned or oppressed for their heritage. Their music is reactive and electric, bolstered by their opposition of the society that hates them and tries to sweep them under the rug and their innate ability to amplify and alter the sounds they make with the Thaumaturgy spell. Tiefling concerts are rare, and when they do happen are a spectacle. Clouds of darkness, flames bursting from the stage, and every instrument and voice amplified to near deafening levels.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

#d&d #d&d 5e #soysaucednd #dm tips #music #d&d races #dungeons and dragons #dnd #critical role #the adventure zone #dimension20 #fantasy high #dungeon master #cr #d20 #taz

[soysaucednd]

Plot structure in d&d

In my d&d games, I use a simple, three step system to maintain a cohesive plot structure. If you as a dm have been having problems with keeping your party on task or on track with your story, I would suggest giving it a try. It is most helpful when you are in the planning stages of the campaign, but you can implement it at any time to try to steer your party back on course.

Step One: The Archplot

The Archplot is your overall story. Decide what themes you want the game to explore. For instance, my game includes themes like patriotism v. idealism, war, democracy, and technological advancement. The archplot helps inform your major villains, the beats of the overall story, and what values you would like your players to hold to make a narratively satisfying game. My steps are usually: decide on a few themes that fit together along with related motifs, create major villains that fit with those themes and motifs, and decide the basic shape of the story including how the party will eventually meet each villain.

Step Two: The Arc

The arc is the next step smaller. This is the current problem that the party is attempting to solve over a series of sessions. The component parts of an arc are: a conflict of some kind, a clear goal, and some form of time limit. For example, let's set up an arc where a region is being overtaxed by corrupt government officials. The conflict is between the people and the officials who are robbing them, the goal for the party is to remove the officials in one way or another or to convince them to stop taxing the citizens so highly, and the time limit could be the law-keepers closing in on the small resistance group the party is working with. This creates a story that will capture the attention of the party (if they are open to your efforts) and give them a clear sense of direction. Usually, at the end of an arc you will give clues to the Archplot, usually in the form of hints towards the major villains.

Step Three: The Session

This is the smallest unit of measurement in the story of a d&d campaign. The session refers to each individual meeting of the party, and is set up similarly to an arc. A good session should inform the arc and be moving towards solving the conflict presented in it, while having its own conflict and problem to solve. Let's build a session in the arc we just used as an example! For the first session in the arc about the corrupt officials, let's say the party arrives at a town and witness law-keepers extorting from a man who appears to be sleeping on the street. This can be resolved by combat or by watching it happen. This will intrigue your players and they will most likely investigate further. Upon investigation, they learn about the corrupt nobles and meet an operative of the resistance. The rebel tells them about a plan they have to break into the castle and capture the noble family to give them a trial in the town, but before that can happen they need to create a major distraction for the guards at the castle so they won't be caught. They ask you to go and give out aid to the poorest citizens of the town in the meantime.

The first session should act mainly as exposition (or lore dumping) and introduces you to the arc's important NPCs and the party's goal. This will hopefully hook the party into a sense of obligation to help the people of the town. To make it feel less like lore dumping, throw in some minor combat and some fun minor NPCs to keep the party entertained.

FAQ:

My party just ignored my plot hook!

If the party ignores your plot hook, move to the next arc in the archplot, but there have to be consequences. For my previous example, if they remain unstopped, the noble family could return as a threat with now inflated wealth and influence. Perhaps gaining a coveted seat on a royal council and proposing anti-adventurer measures.

I didn't do this planning before my game, how do I weave it in?

I find the best way to weave this planning into a game is to introduce a villain with goals dependent on the players' failure. This will, in itself, create an arc where the players feel that they need to defeat the villain, and then you can plan the shape of it. Alternatively, I would also recommend using a "Gandalf" archetype NPC who can inform the party of an arc. Just be careful to make the NPC trustworthy if the integrity of your story depends on it.

How do I start off with this early in the game?

My main piece of advice is to give the players a clear goal for the first arc as soon as possible. For instance, the first major arc in my campaign was the party delivering a message to the king of the country while learning how to survive on the road as they went. The arc transformed them into teenagers from a small village into level 3 adventurers. After that, they will get a new hook for an arc as the first one ends. The other surefire way is to establish a middle to major villain right off the bat and make their goals clear. The party will then realize what they have to oppose.

#d&d #d&d 5e #dm tips #gm tips #dnd #dungeons and dragons #dungeon master #ttrpg #soysaucednd #d&d tips #plot structure

[soysaucednd]

DM Commissions Open

Do you have a group that is interested in playing d&d for the first time? Is your gaming group without a dm at the moment? Are you an avid d&d player who can’t get enough of the game? Then this post is for you.

I have been dming 5e d&d for almost a decade, and in addition I have trained as an actor, director, fight choreographer, storyteller, and improv artist for quite some time. I am opening up commissions for d&d games over Zoom. I have limited availability, so I will be posting when I am full and no longer taking commissions. The different options available are listed below:

Dungeon Crawl: $30 (~$7.50 per player)

A combat heavy session that will last between 2-4 hours.

I will create a custom dungeon for your party to traverse.

I will work with the party on what kind of dungeon theme they would like.

Narrative One-Shot: $40 (~$10.00 per player)

A combat and roleplay balanced session that will last between 2-4 hours.

I will create a single session narrative arc for your party to play through.

I will work with the party on what kind of story they would like.

Short-term Campaign: $150 (~$37.50 per player)

A group of 4-5 sessions, a total of ~15 hours of game time.

I will work with the party on theme, world, and style, and craft a narrative arc.

I will work with the party on combat vs. roleplay balance.

Middle-Length Campaign: $220 (~$55 per player)

A group of 6-7 sessions, a total of ~21 hours of game time.

I will work with the party on theme, world, and style and craft a narrative arc.

I will work with the party on combat vs. roleplay balance.

Long Haul Campaign: $300 (~$75 per player)

A group of 8-10 sessions, a total of about 30 hours of game time.

I will work with the party on theme, world, and style and craft a narrative arc.

I will work with the party on combat vs. roleplay balance.

MORE INFO:

I will be running sessions on zoom with a camera for a battlemat. Not using roll20 is the way I can keep my prices as low as they are, adding on time for creating maps in the program would drive up my prices and I want to keep it accessible.

I will be providing free meetings with the party to determine what kind of adventure they would like to play, along with free session zeroes that include character finalization, world introductions, sample combat encounters, and sample roleplaying encounters. If you do not feel like I am a good fit for your group, you will not be charged for your wasted time.

I am willing to run a module for you, but there is no real way for me to predict how much it will cost until I do research on the module and if I do not own it I will have to add the cost of the book to my fee.

If you are struggling financially due to the coronavirus, but want to commission me, I can work with you on something that will work for your budget, but I do value my time spent preparing, running, and developing a storyline for a d&d game, so I will not provide my services for free.

#dm #dungeon master #dungeon master commissions #dm commisions #d&d 5e #5e #dungeons and dragons #dungeons and dragons 5e #soysaucednd #critical role #the adventure zone #dimension20 #d20 #taz #cr

[soysaucednd]

(3 hand cramps later) Playing a wizard is a true joy.

#d&d #d&d 5e #dm tips #soysaucednd #gm tips #dungeons and dragons #dnd #dungeon master #wizard #player character #player advice #d&d player #player tips #players

[soysaucednd]

Balance in D&D

Let’s start off with a truth universally acknowledged, and an underlying assumption in D&D. It is ridiculously easy to TPK, and the party trusts the DM to not just throw Tiamat at them at level one (That definitely wasn’t a D&D tv show reference).

I often catch myself wondering whether what I am making is balanced when I am a player in a campaign (a rare occurrence). Most recently, I was having a discussion about the Dunamancy classes in the Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount. I love the flavor and the narrative opportunities bursting from the seams of Dunamancy, and I was discussing with a more by-the-book DM who was of the opinion that it was overpowered. I found myself defensive, and that was when I realized I shouldn’t worry about player character balance.

As long as you don’t start at level one with all 20 ability scores, classes and multiclasses are not something you should be worrying about. So what if your character has a +15 to athletics or can cause creatures to re-roll their dice or have a 0.00026% chance of rolling a natural one when you as a DM have access and agency to shape the entire world? It’s my view that balance shouldn’t be an issue because when you feel encounters are getting too easy for the party, there are no rules keeping you from tacking on some more monsters or giving the boss more hit points.

If a party member (or hell all of them) proposes a character build that is minmaxed to hell, just say yes. They’ll be happy that you allowed them to play the character, and you’ll have the chance to throw more at them and put them through more difficult challenges. If they are optimized for combat, put the party in a negotiation situation. If they are a powerful persuader and negotiator, have them be jumped in the street. Let them shine in the areas they excel in, but put in the potential for them to flounder.

Flex your narrative power as a DM and don’t let yourself get bogged down by the fear of keeping everything balanced.

#dm tips #dungeon master #dm #soysaucednd #dungeons and dragons #ttrpg #d&d #dnd #d&d 5e #dnd 5e #roleplaying #balance #critical role #the adventure zone #dimension20 #d20 #fantasy #cr #taz

[soysaucednd]

So, you want to start a D&D Podcast

Awesome! Share your art! This is going to be my little guide of recommendations as someone who used to work in radio and has been involved with a couple of radio plays and online play readings.

Step one: You are good enough.

The first step is to not get discouraged. You may not be the next Critical Role or The Adventure Zone, but you will have a podcast project. The first priority should be a philosophy of sharing rather than ambition of success. Even if you don’t amass a following, you will be sharing a piece of yourself, and that is always something to be admired.

Step two: Set clear expectations with your players.

Making a podcast of a d&d campaign is harder than running a home game. There are a lot of things that you have to take into account during a recording session that aren’t that important in your everyday game.

This is a performance. Players need to be focused on you and the game.

Eating makes sounds that can be picked up by the microphones.

Your levels may be overwhelmed by the dice, consider using dice pads.

You and your players have to be understood, and it has to be clear when they are in character and out of character.

No matter how much you think you won’t, you will have to edit some sections.

If players are talking over each other or having outside of game conversations, it will be picked up by the microphone and it will disturb the flow of the game.

Step three: The equipment and software.

As I said in the previous section, you and your players have to be heard and understood. To that end, you will need to have the right equipment to make that happen. Here is what you will need:

A microphone. Do some research on what microphone to get. It will have to be better than one that is connected on a set of headphones, but you don’t necessarily have to break the bank for a good one.

Audacity open source audio editing software.

This is the program I used to edit all of my pre-recorded radio segments and I still use it when I have to edit any kind of audio. It has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get used to it it has almost unlimited potential.

(it is also super useful for untraceably pirating music)

A room with minimal background noise.

Ideally, you will want a soundproofed room with no windows, but that is not possible for most people. Record some sample audio in different rooms in your house and see what works best. You’ll be able to tell the difference.

A padded dice box or a dice mat.

You do not want to be rolling your dice straight on a table next to a microphone, it will be loud and will be jarring to people listening to the recording.

Step four: Get used to your voice on recording.

We all hate our voices on recording. I had a recurring segment on a local radio station for four years and I deeply hated the way I sounded. It is just something you need to get used to. If you are going to use a character voice, rehearse it. Troubleshoot it in the recording software. See if you can get it to sound the way you want it to. If you are dming, you have your work cut out for you. I would recommend pre-writing introductions and very important pieces of description because once you are on recording, you will forget everything you wanted to say WAY more often.

Step five: Editing

You’ve gotten your first session out of the way! Yay! You might be tempted to just upload it and be done, but that is not going to be the best decision. Here are a few things to do to make the quality just a little bit better.

Get a background noise profile.

Open the audio file in audacity and open the effects tab.

It will ask you to get a noise profile, select a section of the audio where no one is speaking. (Ideally a period of around 10 seconds where everyone is quiet.)

The program will isolate the sounds present in that 10 seconds and do its best to remove those sounds from the whole sound profile.

Normalize.

If a few of your players are slightly quieter than your louder players, there is a tool in the effects window called “Normalize.”

This will take all of the audio in the file and standardize it at a volume you choose (measured in decibels). It will boost quieter voices and bring down the volume of louder voices while keeping things like shouting distinct. Be careful, but it is fairly easy to understand.

Compress.

This effect will reduce clipping (I will explain later). It brings any very loud sounds into a safer range for the ear and brings very quiet sounds up to be audible.

Beware of clipping.

If the spikes on the audio file’s waveform go above a certain point, we call this clipping. It will distort the audio in the final product and be uncomfortable to listen to. You can sometimes fix it by using the amplify tool or the normalization and compression tools, but it is better to set a lower input level on your microphone to avoid it and amplify your volume in the editing process. It is easier to add more volume than to take away too much.

Background music.

If you are using background music, make sure it is licensed for you to use. Royalty free or self-produced music is usually best. If you drag new audio files into audacity, you can create new layers and adjust positioning by adding in silence or by manipulating the start time and end time of your background music. There is also a fade in/fade out function that you can access by selecting a piece of audio in one layer and then going into the effects tab.

Step six: Recaps and Rules

For a produced show, you should start every session with a recap both for anyone tuning in to your podcast and to remind the players of their given circumstances. Take notes during the session if you can, or listen back to the previous episode to study before your next one. This is a good way to get used to your voice, remind yourself of the voices you have given NPCs, and remember where in your story you are.

When you are running a game on stream, you will not have time to stop the game and look up a rule, so get used to problem solving as a dm. Make reminder cards, spell cards, have statblocks ready, and if you do not have a rule in front of you, make a ruling. If you are uploading a prerecorded game, you have a bit more leeway, but it depends on how much time you want to spend editing. My advice would be to get used to making rulings on the fly and confirming them later.

Step seven: General Performance tips

Players:

Stay engaged.

Not paying attention and missing the fact that it is your turn, or not understanding how your sheet works is similar to an actor forgetting their lines and stopping on stage.

Don’t fudge your dice rolls.

I know. It is tempting. No one can see them and if you got a nat 20 here it would be SO POETIC. But seriously, don’t.

Listen to your DM and try to limit off topic conversations.

Make your voice for your character distinct from your own.

DMs:

Be prepared.

Have your statblocks ready, bring any visual aids you need, have your notes opened, have a compendium of spells available, have an initiative tracker, have enough dice, know what the shape of the session will be.

Don’t bring your sourcebooks.

This seems weird, but it is a recommendation I can’t stress enough. If you have it with you, I guarantee you will flip through it to check rules and such. Don’t.

Practice your timing on certain levels of narration.

Try to figure out some fun ways to add tension through how you narrate.

Watch a LOT of liveplay d&d and study what you like about the dms.

I would recommend Dimension 20, Naddpod, Critical Role, The Adventure Zone, or any other piece of media you can find.

Now go out there and get started! Message me and I will try to tune in to whatever you produce!

#d&d #d&d podcast #dm tips #podcaster tips #dungeon master #d&d player #player character #dimension20 #critical role #the adventure zone #naddpod #cr #d20 #taz #soysaucednd #dm advice #player advice #podcasting

[soysaucednd]

Finished the map for my homebrew setting today! I'm very proud of it.

#d&d #d&d 5e #soysaucednd #dungeons and dragons #dungeon master #fantasy map #art #d&d art #my art #traditional art

[soysaucednd]

My D&D Playlists

I am one of those dms that loves using music in the background of their sessions. I grew up reading fantasy and would play music in the background constantly. One of the things I do when I am worldbuilding is decide what type of music fits with the region or city I am writing about. This list is the playlists that accompany different regions of my homebrew setting Atria. This list doesn’t include any of the songs I use for combat, that will be in a separate post.

In terms of how I implement it, I include a soundscape using Tabletopaudio.com and then play light music behind it during specific scenes of narration or to accompany specific characters/situations. I’m going to add a cut here to avoid a “do you like the color of the sky” situation, but there will be a big list of songs below the cut.

Arcia: The Northeast Mining Region

Slinger’s Song - Darren Korb

The Sole Regret - Darren Korb

In Case of Trouble - Darren Korb

Acoustic Traveller - John McEuen

Su Prabhat - The Greencards

Robin and Marian - Nickel Creek

Ashokan Farewell - Jay Ungar

Four Dead Guys Waltz - Chris Thile

Lone Soldier - David Grier

Homeward Bound/The Old Slipper Shoe - Tom Sullivan

The Kiss - Trevor Jones

Ithos: The Great Port Capital

The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe pt1-3 - Alexandre Desplat

If I were the Ocean - Mark Mancina

The Only Way is Down - Thomas Newman

I Feel Alive - Ramin Djawadi

Kingdom Hearts - Yoko Shimomura

Ezio’s Family - Jesper Kyd

Winding it Up - Howard Shore

Cambridge 1963 - Johan Johannsson

Lion Theme - Dustin O’Hallowran

The Oceanwood: Frontier

The Last of Us - Gustavo Santolalla

Defeated Clown - Hildur Guonadottir

Steps - Rhythm Devils (USE WITH CARE)

Lance - Rhythm Devils (USE WITH CARE)

Cave - Rhythm Devils (USE WITH CARE)

Hell’s Bells - Rhythm Devils (USE WITH CARE)

Jyn Erso & Hope Suite - Michael Giacchino

Main Title Theme (Westworld) - Ramin Djawandi

Tenuous Winners / Returning Home - James Newton Howard

The Revenant Main Theme - Ryuchi Sakamoto

Crossing Mars - Harry Gregson-Williams

Norumia: The Farmer’s Region

Concerning Hobbits - Howard Shore

Mr. Fox in the Fields - Alexandre Desplat

Kristofferson’s Theme - Alexandre Desplat

Dance of the Fairy Folk - Derek Fiechter

Coleman’s March / North Carolina Breakdown - Ken Kolodner

La Partida - The Departure - Khenany

Snow Drop - Ken Kolodner

Farrell O’Gara’s - Ken Kolodner

Dances des Foins - Ken Kolodner

Tam Lin - Ken Kolodner

The Road to Lisdoonvarna / Drowsy Maggie - Hank Cramer

Velsia: Cultural Hub

Home in Florence - Jesper Kyd

City of Rome - Jesper Kyd

A Story You Won’t Believe - Marcin Przybytowicz

Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire - The Medieval Music Players

The Medieval Juggler’s Jig - Medieval and Renaissance Music Troupe

Ibelin - Harry Gregson-Williams

Tir-Nan-Og (The Land of Eternal Youth) - Jeff Victor

Morning Frost - Frida Johansson

The Road of Trials - Austin Wintory

Lord of the Isles - BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

The Fox and the Farmer - Justin Bell

BONUS: Sea Shanties

Sally Brown - The Dreadnaughts

South Australia - Statsraad Lehmkuhl

Old Maui - The Dreadnaughts

The Milkmaid - The Longest Johns

Wellermen - The Longest Johns

Mollymauk - Kimber’s Men

#d&d #music #dm tips #soysaucednd #d&d tips #dungeons and dragons #critical role #taz #cr #the adventure zone #dimension20 #dungeon master #background music #homebrew #dm #d&d 5e

[soysaucednd]

Villains v.s Antagonists

A lot of people create a “BBEG” (Big Bad Evil Guy/Gal) for their d&d game with a cool backstory and a set of terrifying powers, and then call it good. In my view, this is a huge mistake. Your work is far from done.

Villains and Antagonists are a good opportunity to guide the party through an arc, and there should be a main antagonist for each arc of the story. Not every single one has to be an apocalyptic force set on destroying the world (you can save this for your BBEG), but every arc needs something for the party to be fighting against.

VILLAINS

Villains as we understand them in D&D are evil and have a nefarious plot that they are working towards. For example, in the Lost Mines of Phandelver, *SPOILER ALERT* the Black Spider is searching for an ancient forge that was used to make magic weapons. *SPOILER ALERT*

This is a good example of the concept behind villains. Their plans conflict with the party’s in such a way that they cannot complete their goal if the villain does. This can be scaled up to “the party wants to save the world and the villain is working to end it,” or down to “this kid is taking people’s lunch money and the party doesn’t want their lunch money taken.” In my d&d vocabulary, a villain is designed for the party to love to hate and to be a force for them to fight against and eventually kill. This is useful for many reasons, and a staple of high fantasy and d&d. A villain, in essence, is the manifestation of the time limit put on the party. If the party doesn’t get to their goal, they will lose their chance and an evil force will succeed.

ANTAGONISTS

Antagonists in d&d on the other hand, are more complex. Their goals still oppose or conflict with the party’s, but they are seldom evil and can be completely non-human. For example, in a game of survival d&d, the antagonist is the environment that the party is attempting to survive in. An antagonist is where a dm or a writer of any kind can have fun with moral ambiguity or making the party wonder what the right decision is. This is the main contrast with villains. Villains should be something that the party knows is bad and can work against guiltlessly (not much nuance in someone who is trying to release the wrath of the Nine Hells). An antagonist, on the other hand, can be someone who tends more towards an anti-hero than a villain. Or a politician that is working against the interests of the party. Or a king that is refusing to act against an imposing threat that the party must convince him to work against. In essence, an antagonist functions as a problem that needs to be solved for the party to reach their goal.

CREATING AN OPPOSING FORCE

When you are writing an arc of the story, you should have created a goal for the party to be working towards. Let’s imagine the goal for the current session is that the party needs to find a powerful magical entity in a community.

To create a villain, you need to find a similar (or the same) goal for them to be working towards. My first instinct would be that the villain would be someone who is looking for the same powerful magical entity to enslave and use as a weapon. If the party doesn’t find them first, then they will not be able to complete their goal because the villain has completed theirs first.

To create an antagonist, you need to take the goal and create a different goal that opposes the players. For this style of opposing force, you could make the powerful magical entity an orphan who is staying in an orphanage, and the antagonist is the person who runs the orphanage, and won’t allow you to take the child. This creates an obstacle that the party must get through before they can get the magical entity. And, in this situation, the villain will surely not be as accommodating to negotiation and cut down anyone in their way.

#dungeons and dragons #d&d #dm tips #writing advice #writing your campaign #villains #antagonists #d&d villains #critical role #the adventure zone #dimension 20 #cr #taz #d20 #soysaucednd

[soysaucednd]

Way of the Grappler Monk Subclass

Please let me know what you think of this subclass I am working on. I would love to hear about whether you think it is balanced and what you think of the general idea!

Truly, I've never felt anything like it. The fight was practically over as soon as this newcomer had a hold of me… I need to start hiring my bruisers from wherever this woman trained.

—The Governer, former Hounds boss, Journal Entry

Way of the Grappler

Monks of the way of the grappler have perfected the art of containing or immobilizing opponents using the limitations of their bodies. Founded on an intimate knowledge of the body and its inner workings, the tradition is widely feared by those who have encountered it.

   A grappler has spent their life studying the body and training to manipulate it, and their knowledge rivals that of doctors. The grappler does not value violence, preferring instead to subdue their opponents and force them to surrender peacefully.

Way of the Grappler Features:

Monk Level:                    Feature:

3rd                                  Path of the Grappler

6th                                  Tactical Mind (1)

11th                                Frightening Efficiency, Tactical Mind (2)

17th                                Master of Mind and Body, Tactical Mind (3)

Path of the Grappler:

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your specialized training allows you to manipulate the bodies of your enemies in combat. This path also includes instruction in the application of medical techniques due to your vast knowledge of the inner workings of the body.

   Quick Diagnosis: You gain proficiency in the Medicine skill and may spend 1 ki point to infuse a dart with 1d6 hit points that can be administered to a single target using an action.

   Way of the Agile Form: You may use Acrobatics or Athletics to make grappling checks.

   Upper Hand: After grappling a creature, you may spend 1 ki point to Restrain them.

   Fleet of Foot: If a creature misses you with a melee attack, you may use your reaction to attempt to grapple them.

Tactical Mind:

At 6th Level, you may use your ki points to gain superior focus and outpace your enemy. After a long rest, choose two of the following techniques to perform in conjunction with an attack on a target grappled by you. (Similar to Battle Master Maneuvers)

   Joint Lock: You can spend 1 ki point to force a target grappled by you to make a dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failure, they take an additional 1d8 force damage and have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of their next turn. (Corresponding bone: elbow, knee, ankle, shoulder, or wrist.)

   Throw: You can spend 1 ki point to force a target grappled by you to make a dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failure, they take 1d6 bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone in their current position. (Corresponding bone: hip or shoulder)

   Sacrifice Throw: You can spend 1 ki point and fall prone to force a target grappled by you to make a dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failure they take 3d6 bludgeoning damage and fall prone in their current position. (Corresponding bone: hip or shoulder)

   Choke: You can spend 2 ki points to force a target to make a dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failure, you put them in a chokehold. The target is restrained, and at the end of each of your turns you may deal 1d6 damage to its constitution score. If the restrained creature's constitution score reaches zero, they fall unconscious. The target may repeat the save at the end of its turn, escaping the restrained and grappled conditions on a success.

   Feint: You can spend 1 ki point to make your next technique more effective. A target grappled by you makes an intelligence saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failure, they have disadvantage on yout next technique.

   When you reach 11th and 17th level in this class, you may choose one additional technique after a long rest.

Frightening Efficiency

At 11th level, your skills become a terror to behold. You gain advantage on grapple checks, and on your first turn in initiative, you may spend 2 ki points to force all hostile creatures within 60ft to make a wisdom save against your ki save DC or be Frightened by you. This ability has no effect on constructs or creatures with intelligence of 6 or below.

Master of Mind and Body

At 17th level, grappled targets have disadvantage on saves against your Tactical Mind techniques, and if a target with a human-like body fails by 8 or more, you may spend 1 ki points to break a bone. The effects of breaking a bone are as follows:

   Shoulder: Whenever the target makes an attack roll, they must make a constitution saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failure, they take 1d6 bludgeoning damage.

   Elbow: The target has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks that use that arm.

   Wrist: The target drops any items they are holding in that hand and makes attack rolls with disadvantage.

   Hip: When the target uses their movement, they must make a constitution saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failure, they take 1d6 bludgeoning damage.

   Knee: The target's movement speed is halved.

   Ankle: The target takes 1 damage for every 5 feet of movement they take.

   The effects of a broken bone reset after a long rest or with a Medicine check against your ki save DC using Healer's Tools. A target may attempt a Medicine check against your ki save DC to set the bone, which will allow the use of magical healing. If the bone is not set before magically healing the target, the effects last for 1d4 long rests.

#d&d 5e #homebrew #monk subclass #subclass #dm tips #gm tips #d&d #dnd #soysaucednd #monk #dnd monk #player character #martial arts

[soysaucednd]

The Dice Gods / Possibly an Unpopular Opinion

One of the best DM tips I’ve ever received was that the DM is not against the players. Instead, the DM acts as a referee in the high stakes boxing match between the players and the dice.

The players are an enormous force in your narrative construction, but arguably even more important are the dice. They are the true deciders of every outcome in your campaign, and you should treat them as such. This is why I am against fudging dice rolls in my campaigns. If the dice are winning against the players’ ingenuity, that is the narrative force of your campaign, and you should honor the decisions the story calls for.

That is not to say that you should kill your party for a bad string of dice rolls, but allow it to take your campaign in a new direction if it has to. For example, in my Sunday night game, the party was breaking hostages out of a powerful villain’s headquarters. The tension was high and the stakes were unimaginable. One wrong move, and the villain would unleash the full brunt of his small militia on the party and surely TPK them. Just as they were about to be out scott free, there was a bad roll and the alarms were sprung while they were inside the dungeon of a ruined castle with no clear way out other than fighting their way out the way they came. In the end, they managed to get away, with their Barbarian lagging behind and almost being knocked unconscious, but this close call forced me to think of how I would deal with the narrative if the Barbarian was knocked down.

The Barbarian had not yet completed his character’s arc, nor had he had a chance to explore a plot hook that had been introduced. I did not want to kill him off without giving him the chance to explore his backstory, but the dice were pointing in that direction. My philosophy that I came up with in that moment is to never change the dice, but change the narrative direction and the objectives of the characters.

Narrative Direction:

Let’s say we are in the same position I was. The Barbarian is running from a small army of enemies and gets grabbed from behind. Only a few party members can see, and they are 150ft away. The villain steps outside and orders the army to drag the barbarian back into the castle. The party knows they can’t possibly escape. Ideally, you have a plan for the next arc, since this is the end of the arc, but never pass up an opportunity to add filler!

Objective shift:

The villain stands over the bound and immobilized Barbarian and an idea forms in his mind. He has been hunting the party and being outsmarted at several turns. Now he has the upper hand. Why would he kill the perfect bait? He meets with a spellcaster in his headquarters and tells them to prepare a spell to contact the party so he can fake a negotiation where he can spring his trap...

The dice have now created a whole new arc for the party to attempt to rescue the Barbarian, and you get to have some fun giving the Barbarian player some inside knowledge of the Villain. Now, a bad dice roll is not the death of a character, but the birth of a new narrative arc in your campaign!

#dm tips #word vomit #dm tip #d&d 5e #d&d #dice #soysaucednd #campaign journal #dice gods

[soysaucednd]

Meet my d&d party!! (Whose minis I have finally finished painting...)

Saoirse the Drow Vengence Paladin

After having her town burned down by a notorious orc, Saoirse escaped with the artifact he was seeking. She pledged to herself that she would not rest until her town was avenged, though she wants nothing more than to be a roving Monster Slayer.

Jellovar the Dragonborn Beast Master Ranger and his animal companion Puff

Having escaped from a town that suffered an attack from a prominent orc, Jellovar is working with the party to gain experience so he can avenge his town and gain the skills required to be a member of the elite Ranger Corps. in the Oceanwood.

Fergus the Aasimar Battle Master Fighter

After an assassination of the king in the capital city, a young serving boy escaped from the palace with a group of adventurers, knowing that what he has overheard will surely get him killed.

Tanj the Tiefling Divination Cleric

Tanj escaped the same town as Jellovar after the attack, having a vision of one of the villains being an innocent hostage. She has recently rescued her, and is trying to put enough away to settle down with her lady love. (Didn't paint this one! My player did!)

Irwin the Aarakocra Bardbarian

With a massive performer personality and a dangerous temper, Irwin escaped from the same town as Jellovar and Tanj. He wants to focus on his music, but before he can he has to help his friends complete their adventure to get material. (Didn't paint this one! My player did!)

Twig the Goblin Wild Magic Sorcerer

Escaping from the same town as Jellovar, Tanj, and Irwin, Twig is trying to avenge his town and investigate the mysterious attacks on his original goblin community that was carried out with mysterious, deafening ranged weapons. Though he is determined to find answers and closure, he will be distracted by anything shiny in front of him.

#long post #d&d #d&d minis #d&d 5e #d&d art #d&d 5th edition #d&d oc #d&d ocs #players #Atria #home game campaign #soysaucednd

[soysaucednd]

Encouraging Engagement in Combat

Recently in my home games, I have had an issue with engagement during combat. Since my other passion is fight direction and choreography, I tried to figure out what the issue was and made some discoveries that I think would be useful information for dms having similar issues in their game.

Firstly, the issues I believe are the root cause of my problem are that players:

1. Feel that combat is repetitive and boring.

2. Feel that there is little risk and so paying attention isn't critical.

3. Feel that their characters aren't useful in the current situation, or they don't understand all their abilities.

This caused me to realize that most of the problems with my combats was in my designs. When it comes to understanding your character's abilities, that's on the player, but all the other things are fixable by just adding a couple things to your normal combat design.

1. Add a time limit.

2. Give them problems they cannot solve just by fighting.

3. Raise the stakes above only the player's lives, but not so high it becomes less relatable.

For example: let's consider a quest where the party has been hired to deal with a group of Necromancers in a nearby cave. The normal process of thought is figuring out the mechanical numbers. How many necromancers, where in the caves, the statblock of the boss, and treasure in the dungeon to be found. This planning becomes a classic dungeon crawl, which is amazing with a group that enjoys it. However, let's reimagine it a little.

Along with all these considerations, let's imagine it is a day where the planets have aligned for a powerful necromantic ritual. The party can learn this by interrogating one of the few necromancers that can be found in the upper dungeon... When they reach the final room they find the necromancers that were missing before, all drawing sigils on the wall, along with five innocent hostages, each with a necromancer pointing a knife at them, waiting for the sigils to be complete...

Now, the fight gains a new level of urgency. The lives of five innocents hang in the balance, and the party not only needs to fight the necromancers, but also stop them from drawing the sigils, erase the ones that are already finished, and make sure the hostages are not in direct danger in case something much worse arrives when the ritual is complete.

The number of things going on will draw in the players, who will most likely be looking for a problem to solve, and will allow for the people who feel like they are useless to think of creative ways of either escaping with the hostages or erasing the sigils until they think of something cool to do against the necromancers. On the other hand, it also punishes letting things fall through the cracks, which forces focus. If the party doesn't deal with everything, then people will die or something powerful and evil will be unleashed in the area.

In essence, as I plan out new combat encounters, I ask myself three questions:

1. How can I apply a time limit to this?

2. What is the underlying goal behind the combat, and if it is achieved by either side, what happens?

3. What happens if the party fails or misses something?

After my first test of this philosophy, engagement went way up in my combat, and I have felt much more confident in my encounter design.

#d&d 5e #dnd 5e #dungeons and dragons #rpg #dm tips #gm tips #d&d combat #combat #combat tips #d&d #dnd #soysaucednd

[soysaucednd]

Update!

I just started a ko-fi account, so if you enjoy my content or use one of my homebrew mechanics, please consider buying me a coffee!

As always, my askbox and messaging is always open if you have questions / problems / ideas you want to talk about or get help developing for your tabletop RPG game!

I also run a groupchat called Dungeon Masters Associated where we post almost daily prompts, discussions, and general help for Dungeon Masters of all skill levels. Message me if you would like an invitation!

#soysaucednd #d&d #d&d5e #dm tips #gm tips #gm #dm #dnd