Author: Dave Clark

  • The Caravanserai – a 5th edition D&D Background

    The Caravanserai – a 5th edition D&D Background

    One gap in the official backgrounds is the trope of innkeeper. So many tales that inspired this game consist of an innkeeper (and we’re keeping that slightly different than barkeep) who exists as an NPC. A related topic, and one I wished to amplify is that version of an innkeeper who plies their trade at a frontier stop or waypoint on a much travelled road. The Caravanserai is meant to capture that individual, and the alternate the urban innkeeper.

    Caravanserai at Dogubayazit, Turkey
    Caravanserai at Dogubayazit, Turkey by Charlie Phillips (CC BY 2.0)

    Caravanserai

    Dyson Logos CC-BY

    Along dusty roads and alpine trails there are forts that operate as a rest stop, place to pickup supplies, maybe an opportunity to trade, and a safe enclosure from the dangers of people and nature. You grew up at one of these caravanserais, or moved there when young, learning the lingua franca and other tongues, picking up on the various cultures that came through the walls to spend a night or a week in your safety.

    When bandits attacked you helped to defend the fort, as did everyone within. Some may focus on those tales. Others would focus on the caravans traveling with spices and fabrics from lands that others only think of fanciful stories, but for you are the real origins of people you’ve met. You are worldly, without travelling the world until now. Gifted a family heirloom you are off on a journey away from safety, ready to explore spaces that are no longer fiction.

    Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Insight
    Tool Proficiencies: None
    Languages: Any two (Thieves Cant included) — as always, using cultures is better
    Equipment: Abacus, Baton (a club with finesse properties), Bell, Blanket (2), Guestbook, Candles (5), Map Case, Traveler’s Clothes, Ink Pen, Heirloom Spyglass, 5 gp

    Feature: Warm Welcome

    When you first meet new people they usually assume you are friendly. Your demeanor is such to put them at ease. Those being chased, followed, or otherwise harassed seek you for protection and comfort. For the most part, thinking peoples want to be on your good side because you are known to accept those in need, especially those who can pay.

    Characteristics: For now, use those from the Folk Hero or pick & choose your favorites. Whenever my background project sees full publication there will be unique characteristics for each of them and feats, because that’s what 2024’s version of the game will have.

    If you’d like the Caravanserai map, head on over to Dyson Logos for the full size image. I back Dyson Logos and you should too.

    Alternate: The Innkeeper

    You either worked at an inn owned by others, once owned your own small inn, or have left the inn owned by your family as you head out into the world of adventure. Whether you come from a small town or a metropolis, your experiences are generally urban. You know the temples, libraries, parks, and other civic buildings of the neighborhood as well as someone who works or lives there.

    People know your inn as a place for visitors and some locals. They know your for your ability to make friends, for your ready weapon to enforce the peace within your building, a willingness to clean up a mess, and that you always have the right key available.

    Changes from Caravanserai

    Replace the Animal Handling skill with Persuasion or Intimidation.

    Replace the equipment of the Caravanserai with the following.

    Equipment: Abacus, Any Simple or Martial Weapon, Bell, Blanket (2), Guestbook, Candles (5), Map Case, Traveler’s Clothes, Towel or Rag, a Key Ring, Ink Pen, 10 gp

    This map from Newbie DM inspired the release of these backgrounds. Every innkeeper should have an inn they left when they started out on their adventure. There are many reasons to leave that life, some by choice and others more sinister. When creating an innkeeper or caravanserai have a map of that location, and a story about why you left.

    Caravanserai Design Goals

    I’ll admit, leading with the Caravanserai is inspired by my studies (Near Eastern Cultures and Civilizations, Arabic), my gaming passion for al-Qadim, and my visits to Palestine, Israel, and Kuwait. Also, there are some unique spaces to fill. The heirloom spyglass is a fun trick of creation. Taking that away from the family adds story. Adding a weapon in which the character may not be proficient is a technique I’ll lean into a bit in the backgrounds project. Certain civilian (aka non-adventuring) roles in a society will have a weapon, but not necessarily be good at using it.

    Whether the Silk Road or ancient mountain pass, travel routes have always, in every culture and geography, needed the safe respite away from brigands, bandits, wild animals, and extreme weather. At this locales the caravanserai and/or innkeeper offers a warm smile, food & board, and information all for just a few coins.

    Custom Backgrounds for 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons

  • Reblogging Alphastream — Assessing the D&D Creator Summit

    I’ve read two recaps of the Creator Summit. This one is from Alphastream and the other is from Daniel Kwan. Read both to learn as much as you can about the event earlier in the week.

    Hallway decorations at Wizards of the Coast On Monday April 3rd, 2023, about 30 community members visited the Wizards offices for a Creator Summit. Another 100 joined virtually. In many ways, it exceeded my expectations. In others, it fell short… while offering great promise. This is part one of a series, with an eye towards…

    Assessing the D&D Creator Summit — Alphastream
  • Best part of D&D Direct? The new player onboarding site

    Best part of D&D Direct? The new player onboarding site

    Earlier this week Dungeons & Dragons held a “direct.” These events are about announcing new product. It was a bit odd to see a D&D Direct already, since the full slate of hardback books for D&D is already known. So what did Wizards of the Coast show the fans?

    A lot, much of it not related to the game of D&D, but to the brand of D&D.

    But for me the winner was about the game — there’s a new onboarding site for players. This is obviously launching because the highly rated movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is out in theaters on March 31.

    • Dungeons & Dragons Comes to Minecraft – read more at Polygon and get new monsters on D&D Beyond.
    • Honor Among Thieves trailer and a Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair.
    • Hasbro March Monster Madness – new toys and stuffed animals with D&D themes are fine. I’ll probably get one or two (Kristin you didn’t read this)
    • New Life-Size D&D Figures from Wizkids – I’ll probably get one of these too.
    • R.A. Salvatore on Drizzt and a Neverwinter Module – The Neverwinter MMO is starting to feel like forever winter. The staying power of the game is impressive
    • D&D Virtual Tabletop – read more at EN World
    • Joe Manganiello’s 50th Anniversary D&D Documentary
    • A Look at Future D&D Sourcebooks and Adventures – there’s a lot to take in, from four more books coming out this year, plus hints at new books over the next two years. Many were thrilled to see Planescape’s coming art.
    • D&D Play Events at Local Game Stores – I like this because FLGS need more support than ever, but also because it helps new people discover the game.

    I love adding new people to D&D.

    It makes me feel good knowing that this once niche hobby where I was constantly mocked and derided is now popular.

    More important than me feeling good is that new players mean new stories.

    More players = more stories

    I can’t tell you all of my stories, let alone tell you everyone else’s story.

    The only route to more stories is more players. By finding new people the original, the mix and the remix at each table is amplified. Playing with the same people all the time is a great way to retell their stories. But the power of life, the power of roleplaying games is story — big, fat, emotionally loaded stories from all the varieties of people in the world.

    Story creep is always better than power creep.

    That’s why Tasha’s was good. That’s why Radiant Citadel is excellent.

    Learning D&D can be hard. There’s no hiding from that. Finding ways to teach new players, especially those not joining a current table is the hardest thing facing any RPG.

    The cover image of PlayDND.com. The words "Welcome to the world of Dungeons & Dragons" and "Begin your adventure" sit over a cavern with burning embers floating through it.

    PlayDnD.com

    This is a brilliant onboarding portal that addresses the most common question I get from the now-hundreds of people who have asked me about Dungeons & Dragons “Where do I start?”

    You start at PlayDnD.com. It starts with an intro video.

    The Starter Set of course!

    But maybe those five characters aren’t right for you. PlayDnD has 11 pregenerated characters. Clicking on those pulls up a fully filled out page on D&D Beyond with a video tour of the character page!

    There’s also three adventures, for free!

    • Lost Mines of Phandelver (which is about to have another sequel, this time in hardback, later this year). This is a mini-campaign
    • Frozen Sick is a first level adventure
    • Prisoner 13 is a multi-session adventure set in the prison Revel’s End. Revel’s End is part of the Honor Among Thieves, part of Rime of the Frostmaiden (and co-developed by John Francis Daley who co-wrote and co-directed Honor Among Thieves) and part of Keys from the Golden Vault

    The first two can be run by people only semi-familiar with D&D and other fantasy tropes. Prisoner 13 is better for a more familiar DM.

    Maybe you need help building a your own character? There’s guide to that.

    There’s the prequel to Dragons of Stormwreck Isle as a pick-your-path adventure with a d20 called Before the Storm. If there’s one negative it’s that Before the Storm is so far down the page.

    After that is a bundle to get the Dragons of Strormwreck Isle in both digital and physical at the same time.

    There’s a final carousel of clickthroughs that includes ads for D&D Beyond, the D&D Discord, and another item that makes me very happy — help finding your local gaming store.

    Play D&D and discover stories of heroism, of diversity, of found family. It just got a lot easier.

  • D&D just released a Starter Set prequel

    D&D just released a Starter Set prequel

    Before your first time player heads to Stormwreck Isle, have them play this pick-your-own path adventure on DnDBeyond.com.

    Similar to the classic books Choose Your Own Adventure, Before the Storm starts a single character on their path to becoming a hero. It uses two to three options at each path, connects those choices to how the game of Dungeons & Dragons runs, and then rolls a d20 to see if you succeed or not.

    There are five different characters, which seem to be the same options as the pre-generated characters for the current Starter Set – Dragons of Stormwreck Isle (at your local game store or DnD Beyond).

    Weaving a familiar and simple pick-your-path story with the D&D mechanics is an excellent introduction to what D&D is. People unfamiliar with role-playing games should catch on fairly quickly. The cycle of the D&D process is pretty simple.

    • Action is described
    • You make a choice
    • Does it succeed?
    • What happens next

    That fits a simple computer program easily.

    What makes role-playing with a real person so much more interesting is that the stopes for Choice and What Next aren’t confined to pre-programmed options. They’re up to the people at the table, together.

    What else makes D&D special is that, unlike Before the Storm, is that it captures that idea that a diverse group is vital to succeeding in life. Everyone has different strengths, different weaknesses. By working together your group is more than the sum of its parts.

    Before the Storm is strongly recommended for people who think – I want to play Dungeons & Dragons but don’t know how.

  • Allies and Adversaries in Uprising and Rebellion

    Allies and Adversaries in Uprising and Rebellion

    My current campaign of episodic adventures is starting to get complicated. These notes are mostly for myself, so that the various threads and multi-session characters do not get out of control as people drop in and drop out. Uprising and Rebellion Campaign Two is crafted for that type of play, but pushes me to track NPCs and threads a bit more than typical D&D campaigns.

    Read: Common knowledge in the World of the Everflow.

    Heroes

    These are the Player Characters, some active, some dormant, and all controlled by not-the-DM.

    Req (dwarf, paladin) — He travelled to Kirtin-on-the-Lake in an early wave of emigration from the Lands of the Ken. Part of the Society, he helped the Dock District get free from the Mayor’s influence. The dwarf has a penchant for ale, often forgets names of his friends, and is responsible for forming the Dock District Militia (mostly other longshoreman with glaives).

    Seymore (halfling, rogue) — One of the constants in the Dock District is Seymore’s proselytizing for freedom for all. Working as a streetsweeper, he provided light in the darkness, now his words try to do more as he joins the Society and pushes back against the Mayor, the Ken, and the Empire of Daoud.

    Gardar (human, warlock/sorcerer) — From the land of Mehmd, this one-time cooper and weaponsmith lost his first animal companion to tragedy, fled his former master and now seeks to rid the influence of the Dragons and their allies.

    Keldrass (black dragonborn, monk) — An early traveler from the Fey Isles, he abandoned the quest of those people to study what makes the Kin special and unique. Still confused by these diverse societies without magic but with a love for animals.

    Skrunk (goliath, wild barbarian) — The former coffee roaster lost control when infected with some kind of dragon-kin magic. He has two giant turkeys, a little bit of magic and a lot of rage. He was once plagued by gnomes and Paiddrois both. The Society have used his giant turkey-cart to help transport things.

    Dormant

    Habergeon (warforged, cleric) — The world’s first, and possibly only, warforged, Habergeon was crafted during the fall of a previous age back when magic was plentiful and those who are now gods walked the world as mortals.

    Nerinmil (half-elf, warlock-rogue) — Also in the early wave of travel from Ken to the Land of the Everflow, Nerinmil stands against his ancestors in their quest to oppress the People of Fellowship.

    Grera (mulgoblin, cleric) — Rescued from the jaculus encampment Grera joined the Society in efforts to learn more about the wide variety of peoples in the world. He is the primary connection between the Kon working in the back of the Rusty Clam and the active agents of the Society.

    Roland (human, rogue-thief) — the former sage was recently fired from his position in local university. His teachings challenged Daoud’s control of Kirtin-on-the-Lake. He has a small cat that avoids all conflict.

    Whym (halfling ranger-gloom stalker) — the former circus member is of noble heart and fights to protect those who are threatened by darkness. She has a huge dog, Kelb.

    Galanodel (elf rogue-propagandist) — the former journalist in Ken has combined techniques learned while working in the lands of magic with the praktikum of the gobkons. Now he publishes broadsheets in Kirtin-on-the-Lake pushing warnings against his own kind as well as building support for an independent KotL.

    Allies

    Auger (goliath, professor) — One of Roland’s friends at the U, Odger is a font of knowledge. His library-classroom is a safe haven outside of the Dock District and reachable via a fountain and the sewers.

    Penzer (human, bar owner) — He is the owner of the Rusty Clam, the impromptu headquarters of the Society. There is a once-secret backroom with a tar-tree powered printing press (the press can also be powered by the sap of the black dragontree). Penzer generally hears rumors around the Docks.

    Gregr and Robare (humans, longshorefolk) — Two of the men armed by Req, they have crewed a boat requisitioned by the Society and helped rid the jaculus from the docks. They aren’t great fighters, and try to avoid conflict. They are willing to support the Society in all non-violent actions.

    Wilkie (human, captain of Dock District guard) — No longer the only “full-time” employee of the Guard, this former Daoudian guardsman felt more familiarity with the Docks than the Mayor’s officials. He can be a source of knowledge about what’s going on in neighboring Districts or the Mayor’s forces.

    He was captain with a unit of four full-time Warriors (2 human attackers, 2 halfling defenders). Their five dogs are one mastiff (Wiklie), two herding dogs, and two guard terriers (can set an Alarm as a ritual with no components). They wear chain shirts, glaives, a ruby dagger, and short bows. Wilkie has a longsword and shield. All but one of these died. Denny is the only remaining guard.

    Lily Evertruse (elf, wizard) — Lily scared off the faerie dragon at the Mayor’s Three Fulls party. She seemed friendly with Habergeon and willing to aid the group in their efforts.

    Thorbolt Moorcok (human, vintner) — The head of Moorcok manor and vineyard was befriended by Req as the dwarf helped the family cleanup and rebuild after a group of Dragonsworn attempted to kill the Professor Rollo Silverfin, a Scholar of Illusions.

    Becca (human, conjurer) — She stole a few slates of conjuration to learn extraordinary magic, to include spreading certain spells (Infestation, Sword Burst, ???) to the general public. She is an ally, but also wants to spread magical knowledge to everyone.

    Jasmyne (human, retired captain of Mayor’s guard) — Jasmyne and her monkey enjoy causing small troubles for the Mayor’s not-quite-allies. She also thinks the current Mayor is a buffoon who doesn’t match the strength of his father.

    Resources

    The Bundle of Illusion (a random number of books) and the Slates of Conjuration are in possession/control of the group. The Slates of Conjuration were accessed by Augr’s students, who eventually spread spells to the general public.

    Req created the Dock District Guard (see Wilkie, above). There is also the ad hoc militia which are longshorefolk with bill hooks (uses glaive stats).

    Seymore expanded his network of sweeps and lighters into Duskside.

    The group also has significant influence over the broadsheet produced by two goblins and a mulgob in a backroom at the Rusty Clam.

    Nerinmil has a significant piece of lore.

    Habergeon holds a divine favor.

    Adversaries

    Qiddrot The Dark and Pathlean The Shadow (black dragons) — These hoarders of fellowship are breaking the companion bonds. Their adolescent companion was killed by the group in an ambush. They have met with the Mayor, who learned that the Blacks do not respect the treaty between the Dragons and the City.

    Gnomes — A small group of bold illusionists that seem to be allied with the Blacks, these illusionists and enchanters willingly broke the Treaty in order to help steal joy and happiness.

    Elmsday Fleet of Daoud — Settled just outside the city, the Elmsday Fleet is not under control of the Mayor. The Society has yet to interact with the Fleet as it looms to insert itself on the side of oppression.

    Proctors of Grace — an Evoker, Abjurer, and Diviner that travel together seeking to remove magic from the Six Kingdoms. They are hunting the Scholars and the Lorebooks.

    Former Mayor-Governor Roreldus Androouet le Riche, Servant of the Queen and Commander of the Northern Fleet and the 3rd Marines (human, banneret) —  a weak man more concerned with power than justice. Will do nearly anything to maintain the place of prominence in Kirtin-on-the-Llake. The Northern Fleet are two boats that roam the lake and are maintained on Androouet Isle in the middle of the lake. The 3rd Marines no longer exist.

    Tanazir the Greaty Wyrm — When alive this blue dragonwas influencing the mayor through promises of wealth. The deceit and corruption made Kirtin-on-the-Lake nearly unlivable as so many leaders and upper class were looking out for themselves.

    Laudra (elf, rogue) — Discovered during the Mayor’s party she uses magic to drift among the Kin. A thief and general troublemaker who seems be ruling Rat Horn. She has two dwarf assistants and some amount of fandom within the working class.

    Jaculus (group, all dead) — Req did capture a jaculus egg. These minor dragons stole fine art and gems from Dock District boots and retreated to an encampment to the north-east of Kirtin-on-the-Lake. The group fought off a few allied Ken.

    Paper Drake (singular, dead) — The folding book drake that once rode in Habergeon’s book pouch escaped during a rest in Odger’s library-classroom. It was quite interested in his most special books on the highest ring of knowledge within the tower.

    Paiddrois The Twilight (dead adolescent black dragon) — First of the Blacks to interact with the Society, Paiddrois was the least powerful and most aggressive of dragons to enter the city. His boldness was a herald of things to come, but also what lead to his death.

    Clues and Portents

    The dragontrees need at least one dragon and 8 other spellcasters to be reawakened. The Red Oak was the first of these and now geysers of flame spew out from it. No new egg has been seen yet. These ceremonies can only happen on when at least two moons are full. The next opportunity is in two days and coincides with a major Daoudian festival in the city.

    Black dragons break the bond of companionship between the Kin and their beasts. At least three dozen of these bonds have been broken. All appearances are that the black dragons hoard these connections. Jaculus hoard gems and fine art. Paper drakes hoard knowledge and appear to want to raid the University of Kirtin. All dragons hoard something and the chromatics seem to hoard emotions. Five of their 11 gnome and dwarf allies have been killed. Four in Winterhome of Shamal and one at the Mayor’s celebration.

  • I sponsored a soccer team

    I sponsored a soccer team

    A bunch of my friends play soccer. They’re not really good at it. Some didn’t start until they were adults. Which is odd, because we’re friends because of soccer. We met because of our shared love of the Seattle Sounders. They read my other blog, Sounder at Heart, and I support many of their endeavors in the Emerald City Supporters.

    One of those endeavors is ECS Pub League. It’s a way for soccer fans to unite around soccer outside of cheering on our professional teams. It’s great! Everyone has a great time just hanging out with each other.

    Pub League keeps growing. As a former sponsor, they reached out if I would sponsor again. Last time I sponsored it was for Sounder at Heart. But that’s unnecessary. Everyone in ECS already knows about Sounder at Heart.

    This year Full Moon Storytelling is sponsoring Our Flag Means Offside FC.

    If you can’t tell from the jerseys, the team is taking a pun-y look at Our Flag Means Death, pirates and soccer. One of the sub jerseys is “Dread Pirate Roberts #6” because there’s always a new Dread Pirate Roberts.

    One reason Full Moon Storytelling is sponsoring a soccer team is because it helps the players have custom jerseys. Another reason is because my inner nerd wants a dozen more people aware of D&D and communal storytelling. Finally, Coach Farley did a great job with a redesign of the Full Moon Storytelling log to simplify it a bit for use on a jersey.

    A thing I’m looking forward to doing is creating a D&D version of the players based on their pseudonyms, their idealized playing style and their favorite real soccer player. Combining all of that and using one of the art apps I love, I’ll make them a playable character for whenever they decide to roll dice and tell stories.

    Who knows, maybe one of the players on the soccer team I sponsor will play Dungeons & Dragons for the first time because of this. Maybe not. That’s not the point. The point is my friends needed a tiny bit of help and I could.

    Support your friends doing things they enjoy.

  • Reblogged: What Do I Know About Books? Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves-The Road to Neverwinter | What Do I Know?

    This is the first side-board movie novel that interests me, predominantly because of Jared’s review. It seems like something that gives a fuller backstory to events that will be talked about in Honor Among Thieves, while not giving away the plot of the movie. Read Jared’s full interview.

    What Do I Know About Books? Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves-The Road to Neverwinter | What Do I Know?
  • That d20 in my pocket

    That d20 in my pocket

    There’s been a d20 in my pocket for quite some time.

    I don’t remember why it started or how.

    The meaning then is probably not the meaning now.

    Maybe by putting a die in my pocket I feel I control chance.

    Maybe it was to remind me that once I hid my nerd and now I don’t. Maybe it was because I want physical reminders of my passions.

    Over time the d20 became part of a routine. One of my many d20s is in my pocket. There are times I pair the die with the day’s planned events — blue and green for Sounders, black for Defiance, gold for weddings, etc.

    There’s also a shield in my pocket. I know why I have the Hope Shield. I have the Shield because it is dangerous to go alone – Take This. The support of Wyrmwood and other gaming accessory companies for Take This is needed. Take This severed ties with Wyrmwood in late February. I support that decision.

    I still carry the Shield in my pocket and will find other ways to support Take This in the future. Everyone needs to know that they are supported.

    My Hope Shield is there to remind myself that there is support when it is needed. Sometimes I’m the one that needs the support and sometimes I am the supporter. We don’t go alone, so I take this shield with me as a physical reminder that life isn’t a solo project.

    This penchant for charms and pocket things almost certainly rose because of my time in the Army and the tradition of challenge coins. Unfortunately my two most important challenge coins are gone (5th Special Forces Group, 1998 DLI Language Olympics). But the tradition and the need for symbols didn’t disappear just because I gave away and lost those coins.

    So now I have a d20 and a shield with me, because I still need symbols of community.

  • Using ‘third places’ to add cultural depth to your D&D campaign or character

    Using ‘third places’ to add cultural depth to your D&D campaign or character

    The trope that starts nearly every Dungeons & Dragons campaign is “So, you meet in a tavern.” Which is fitting. For most campaigns start with a diverse group of characters who don’t have strong connections throughout the group. They are a cross-cultural, cross-class, cross-Class, cross-everything group that wouldn’t meet at most places in the medieval-Renaissance-ish fantasy world that is D&D.

    But the tavern, via the trope, has become a third place. It’s not home (though it often becomes that). It’s not work (though it often becomes that). It’s the place between. And these places between are frequently where subcultures within a society connect.

    Various cultures have had different third places. For modern America it is now the coffeeshop and used to be bowling alleys. In the Ottoman Empire in the classical age had its cafes, where philosophy, music and political debate occurred.

    In New England during the American Revolution public houses were the gathering point, for many at that time the first place was a co-located home with work and the second were churches.

    The Greeks gathered on the steps of temples. Finns and Russians gather in bathhouses.

    Sporting venues have been third places, before they became economically stratified. Travelling carnivals and festivals can be a third place.

    No matter the type of third place, it tells you a bit about the culture.

    Using third places as a character backstory tool

    When creating a PC think about the place where you mingled with peoples unlike you. Where did your dwarf first meet an elf? Where did your farmer first meet a noble? Where did your follower of Lathander meet an unbeliever?

    This decision will help tell you about your own history.

    It will connect them to a place and associated behaviors that aren’t mechanics, but are fuel for the social pillar. Their own stories about a trip to watch a great debate between philosophers, a visit to the library, or the type of ale they enjoyed at the pub are stories that add more depth to the shared story that is D&D.

    Adventurers have the place where they sleep (a cave, a cove, an inn), the place where they work (dungeons), and the places where they spend time meeting strangers with odd quests. Once they start their adventure they have the third place that was cross-cultural communication when they were growing up and now the place between — and that’s up to the whole party of different peoples.

    Using third places as a world building tool

    Dungeon Masters generally are more active in creating the world. There are a few ways they can use third places in that world.

    • Collect each players’ third places in your notes. Give them the opportunity to revisit them in new lands.
    • Start the campaign at the typical third place for the origin culture of the campaign. “So, you meet on the steps of the temple.”
    • When the group comes to a new land and looks for their comfortable third place (the tavern) demonstrate how that locale is different from their expectation and what the unfamiliar culture would use as their non-stratified place that welcomes outsiders.
    • Use maps of abandoned third places to show how different the older ages were from the one in which you campaign.
    • Have an NPC name-drop their favorite third place. This can show how they are familiar to most of the group, or different. Each NPC can have their own place, they should!
    • Have two third places in the same town share similarities but still be unique beyond their name. Maybe the Rusty Clam is a working pub and the Silver Nail is for the merchant class — and yet the players are welcomed at both.

    These are flavor elements, but flavor is story in D&D. And story is what tables build together, usually because Dungeons and Dragons is now our third place.

  • Goltoppa, a Mehmdian sport in the World of the Everflow

    Goltoppa, a Mehmdian sport in the World of the Everflow

    Fantasy sports can be a fun way to add depth and cultural to a campaign world. One of my players in Uprising & Rebellion is playing a character from Mehmd and invented the sport of Goltoppa. He adapted some of the cultural touchpoints from the hidden empire, placing them into the common state of the game and has asked for it to be featured in a session soon. The character in question is not a Goltoppa player or coach.

    Goltoppa

    by JayDubTheGamer

    Playing Surface:

    A goltoppa field created using Dungeon Scrawl

    The game is played on an open, flat, dirt field, generally free of rocks & debris, that is 360 feet  long by 144 feet wide. The field is split lengthwise down the entirety of the center into 72 feet wide halves, and crosswise at 120 feet intervals. These six resulting areas are marked off with white paint borders. Particularly enterprising/wealthy teams have been known to pay to have the sections magicked to different colors. Straddling the centerline at each end of the playing field is a netted goal, 9 feet wide by 3 feet tall. One narrow end of the field is to be facing North, indicating the “head” of the field. Three referees patrol the playing surface to control the action during the run of play.

    Players:

    Goltoppa is played by two opposing teams, consisting of 9 starting players on each side. Teams are permitted to ‘dress’ 3 bench players for each contest, to be subbed into the game in the event of injury. Players may not be subbed into the game for strategic reasons or in the event of a player’s expulsion from the contest. A player’s uniform shall consist of a sleeveless tunic, belted at the waist & extending to mid-thigh, in the primary color of one of the six teams currently representing the league’s six social strata: Noble (violet), Military (red), Religious (white), Artisan (gold), Farmer/Fisher (green), Merchant (blue). Note that players are recruited to represent these strata, and need not be members of them. Additionally, players shall wear sandals that wrap up around their calves, with linen padding over their shins. Each team dresses one Left & Right “Slasher,” designated by a black sash that goes diagonally from either left or right shoulder to opposing hip, with the shoulder covered indicating which side of the field they may patrol. Players may wear short pants as well.

    Play:

     The game is played in two 36 minute halves. At the start of the game, a coin toss determines initial possession, which begins via kicking a ball onto the field from a position to the left of the goal which the possessing team is defending. The ball is traditionally made from a treated cow’s stomach filled with air, or a leather ball of approximately the same size . There are no goalies; all players may attempt to kick the ball toward or away from the goal, or to a teammate. Additionally, each team’s Slashers are allowed to catch the ball on the fly in their hands and run with it to the border of whichever section of the field they currently occupy, at which point they must kick the ball themselves unless trying to place the ball in the opposing goal. A Slasher with possession of the ball may be leg tackled by the opposing team. A successful leg tackle means the Slasher must kick the ball to a teammate (only) from the spot of the tackle. Tackling with one’s arms, striking a Slasher above the waist, or attempting to strip the ball from a Slasher’s hands by a player other than an opposing Slasher is not allowed. A ball that goes out of the field of play results in a change of possession, with the new possessing team kicking the ball into the field of play from the sideline spot where the referees determine the ball crossed out of the field.

    Scoring:

    A score happens whenever the ball is put into the net during the run of play, A ball kicked into the net scores 2 points; a ball placed into the net by hand scores 5 points.

    Penalties:

    Rough Play: Arm tackles; deliberate leg tackles of a non-Slasher; headbutts; intentional hands to the face or back of an opponent – Offending player off the field for 3 minutes.

    Stripping: An attempt to pull the ball from the hands of a Slasher by a non-Slasher – Offending player off the field for 3 minutes.

    Catching: Non-Slasher making deliberate contact with his hands to the ball, especially with an effort to control the ball – Offending player off the field for 2 minutes.

    Scooping: Slasher attempting to pick the ball up off the field, rather than catching it on the fly. This includes a ball that bounces before being caught – Offending player off the field for 1 minute.

    Offsides: Slasher maintaining possession of the ball beyond the area of the field where he caught it, or crossing from his designated half of the field – Change of possession from the spot; no kick to inbound the ball needed.

    Belligerence: Fighting; intentional physical contact/intimidation toward a referee – Offending player ejected.

    Playing Goltoppa at the table

    There will be a series of contested checks to determine scoring. These will use the Tool Sports: Goltoppa and have a few skills that can connect to them.

    My first thought is a way to generate scoring similar to what is described by JayDubTheGamer would be to have five contested checks by half. That’s a lot of rolling, but provides some variety of results and capability of multiple players participating.

    Winning a check by 1-5 results in two points. Winning a check by more than 5 results in 5 points. Winning a check by more than 10 results in seven points and winning by 15 or more is good for nine points.

    Losing a check by less than 5 results in two points for your own team. Any natural 1 means that you have given up a five-pointer or have committed a foul, rolling their next challenge at Disadvantage. Any natural 20 means that you have scored a five-pointer.

    This should generate scores that look a bit like early 20th century American football or current rugby.

    Applying skills

    Acrobatics and Athletics will be the most used skills, most frequently connecting to Dexterity and Strength. It would also make sense for someone in a coaching position to use Intelligence with one of those and for a character playing the captain to use Charisma.

    I would allow up to one role to use Deception in order to get away with a foul. That team would have Advantage on the next check, but if they lose that roll their next roll would be at Disadvantage.

    An example:

    Violet teamBlue teamScore
    137Violet 5: Blue 0
    1620 (natural)Violet 2: Blue 7
    915Violet 0: Blue 5
    1212Violet 2: Blue 2
    415Violet 0: Blue 7
    1st half9 points21 points
    29Violet 0: Blue 5
    20 (natural)7Violet 12: Blue 0
    1411Violet 2: Blue 2
    186Violet 7: Blue 0
    39Violet 0: Blue 5
    2nd half21 points12 points
    FINAL30 points33 points

    Yes, that’s ten rolls for a non-combat encounter. Which feels like a bit, but the descriptions are at most two sentences, show the shifts in momentum, and feel like watching a sport when including those descriptions especially around the nat 20s.

    We’ll see how it runs at the table.