Category: Playing D&D

Custom Backgrounds, classes, advice and more about Dungeons & Dragons

  • Heroes Come From Everywhere

    Heroes Come From Everywhere

    If you didn’t get the clue from Darius Dondermonger, I enjoy heroes with interesting backstories. A cheese maker can become a famed ranger. Your cleric may have just been a mercenary, or a candlemaker. That butcher in the village that was conscripted? They’re now one of the realm’s greatest fighters.

    Photo by Daisa TJ on Pexels.com

    Backgrounds are the D&D rule that best embraces this concept in 5e. Toss in a dose of Xanathar’s Guide to Everything Chapter 1: Section: This Is Your Life and you’re on your way to having a backstory that embraces the pre-hero version of your character.

    Still, it takes a player that is willing to embrace that zero part of your zero-to-hero journey. It’s up to you to embrace the idea that a fence maker can become a powerful sorcerer.

    That’s essentially what the “My Next D&D Character Is…” thought-bombs are over on twitter. They are the embrace that these unconventional Dungeons & Dragons concepts are as valid as the the mercenary, the head of the local thieves guild, the student-wizard, the acolyte-cleric. Normal people get caught up in grand stories. Your adventuring party and character creation should embrace that.

    Make someone who is just exhausted by all the strife, or a town ball hero, the neighborhood helper/do gooder, the chessmaster, or so many more ideas.

    Throw off the yoke of convention and make the story that you want to tell. Make the character that embraces some small aspect of you, your friends, or just that person down the street – amplify that and create. All stories are valid. Everyone can become a hero.

    For the most part, when creating these types of characters with no homebrew rules I start with the Folk Hero Background (the Guild Artisan is #2), and then remove all of the skills, languages, and tools. The mechanics are then built around the profession. Use the tool that makes sense, add two skills that fit the closest to the concept, and then add a language or another tool to round out the idea.

    In DnDBeyond.com this is done in standard character creation during step 4, custom background. There’s then a choice of 2 skills + [options]. You will also be asked which feature to adopt (Rustic Hospitality is likely the best). It’s quick and easy, and part of the core system as 5th edition is designed.

    The more complex way is to partner with your DM to build custom backgrounds from scratch, or connect with me and take one of my 40+ concepts out for a test drive.

    Who is your next zero-to-hero?

  • Darius Dondermonger – inspired by dragons and cheese.

    Darius Dondermonger – inspired by dragons and cheese.

    Character concepts come from all sorts of places. Sometimes they grow over years, tended like a rare flower they sprout and bloom after long care. Then there are those that burst forth from your mind to page (actual or digital) in a flurry.

    Darius Dondermonger came into being when two roads combined. The first road originated some time ago, when the D&D released the Drakewarden. Dragons are quite important in the World of the Everflow, so I knew I would revisit the Drakewarden. The second road came when grocery shopping. We needed cheese, lots of cheeses. Yes, we’re fans of charcuterie. These roads merged when reading about Dragon’s Milk Stout’s web-RPG release. As often happens, flavor started to inspire the story.

    The Chef Feat in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is quite useful for someone who latches onto flavors like this. That pushed towards a Variant Human so that the foods he creates can help heal and/or inspire his companions towards greatness.

    Darius Dondermonger kept growing. From a legacy family in a small village, Darius was to be the head of household and manage the ageing of grana (think Parmesean and similar cheeses). Some of these for decades. They use adjuncts at times. That is what sent him to the forests and hills of the area.

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    He is also flawed. Not only does he prefer the hunt for herbs and the like to management, he also prefers the making of cheese to business. That’s part of why he rejects the full family name. The other part is that he does not feel he’s earned that name, for he has lost something special to them.

    Lastly, he took on Dunder, due to his companion’s, and later his own, connection to thunder & lightning.

    He is more than just a ranger, more than just a cheesemonger specializing in aged cheeses – Darius Dondermonger has a small dragon companion and has discovered that he is also part dragon. The family’s most exclusive grana comes from their age-old connection to drakes, wyverns, and all of dragonkind.

    That same blood compels Darius to travel away from town, for someone with his powers cannot just work the books of Amberhearth and Highwall’s greatest cheese makers. Someone with the blood of dragons must, must, pursue a grander destiny — and also find that which they’ve lost.

  • Accepting Failure in D&D

    Accepting Failure in D&D

    Whether it’s a critical failure (the dreaded 1 in combat) or forgetting your own abilities leading to tactical error every character will have to deal with defeat at some point, likely often if you aren’t into optimization. These losses are an opportunity.

    Not all tales of heroes are about victory. Within pain and failure is the contrast to success.

    Recently, in the final battle within Lost Mine of Phandelver the party was completely overwhelmed. We knew of 14 opponents, to include the adventure’s final boss. There are 7 of us. Awf is overconfident by nature. As a Hill Dwarf Bladesinger he wades into the frontlines accepting damage as part of raison d’être.

    The problem with that became rapidly apparent as he attempted a rear guard action. Eventually four different bugbears were piling on the broadshouldered dwarf. No one was surprised when he fell unconscious and took a death save from another attack.

    Norran, our Half-elf Assassin, slid through the traffic of combat to administer the only healing potion available in that part of combat. With the party split things looked dire for the rear guard group. Bring Awf back up gives Norran and Ambrose, Half-orc Beastmaster, and Awf a bit of hope, when things seem hopeless.

    Our session ended in mid combat – and that’s when I remembered that Awf has a Staff of Defense.

    AFTER taking numerous blows that dropped him. Through poor play as a player, I forgot about Awf’s 8 charges of Shield that he could use as reactions to limit the battering his body took.

    It’s a dumb error.

    Except, upon review it is exactly the type of error that Awf Hornjaw et Loragwyn would make in combat. It’s part of who he is and how he operates. My error was in fact playing to type.

    Personality Traits
    I enjoy being strong and like breaking things.
    I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to success.

    From Awf’s Background

    And this is where embracing the failure becomes an epic tale. In next week’s session Awf’s overconfidence will disappear. Every single turn a Shield spell will be used to protect either himself or his companions that he placed in danger. Rising from his stupor he learned.

    Being in danger is part of the joy of role-playing combats. There will be times that the danger is overwhelming.

    Now, due to failure Awf will have a fireside tale that isn’t just about the failure, but also about the success. The mistake of the player will become the character’s epic song.

  • Turn flavors into the story you wish to tell

    Turn flavors into the story you wish to tell

    In wine, beer, coffee, etc there’s the concept of the perfect pairing. At its simplest, the concept is to find foods that complement that specific flavor notes of the beverage. More completely you can find ways to do this through similar and disparate notes – sometimes hitting opposites on the flavor wheel gives the taster an experience that highlights both the food and the beverage.

    Pairing beverages with gaming in something I just do. When playing Awf I always have a beverage. Sometimes that beverage is inspired by his personality – drinking an earl grey lavender toddy out of a masonry mug to highlight his duel cultures of dwarf and bladesinger. Other times the beverage connects to the adventure that Droop’s Brigade is going – Skookum Caverns, a barrel aged strong ale, as we enter Wave Echo Cave.

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1315839234020798465

    The use of flavor here helps inspire the story being told during that gaming session. The flavors evoke a mental space where Awf’s unique history of annoying elves enough that they taught him bladesong, despite his being a stubby dwarf, is brought to the forefront. Or, the dangers and darkness of a cave are brought to the front of mind through can art and the potency of a strong ale.

    Flavor does wonderful things. Pairings aren’t just about maximizing the flavor experience. The connection between taste-smell and memory is powerful. People buy Kona coffee because it awakens memory, much more than due to its quality. A margarita on a cold winter day can put your headspace back to a nice beach vacation. Hot cocoa in front of a fire, even while home alone by yourself, will send you dreaming back to a Christmas visit to a small town.

    As roleplayers, in Dungeons & Dragons or any other game, we can use the magic of flavor to help us. The foods and beverages of your game night are important. Make those small choices that aid gaming, just like you would a token, art, or cosplay.

    Rather than confine yourself into using flavor as a way to connect your current character, you can also use flavor to inspire new characters.

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1335066277476372481
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    Each of those characters started with the simple prompt related to a beverage and the object out of which it is consumed. From there decisions were made not just regarding the race, class, and background, but also to inform the skills, attributes, spells, and weapons chosen.

    Rum connected to sailors, pirates, merchants, or water genasi. Carbonation was an indication of something light, refreshing. Salt a connection to authority. The mistaken belief that halflings are just old children popped into the head with the root beer.

    What those various prompts did was start internet searches into the techniques used to create certain beverages, into their history, into their cultural significance. Chasing those touchpoints and activating them through D&D and by including others in the process, my character portfolio expanded. These are now new NPCs, or maybe even PCs, that would never exist.

    Food and drink can inform your characters just as art, books, movies, shows, music and media can. Great cooks say that their meals tell stories. Adapt that into your PC and NPCs.

    Empower flavor to empower the stories you tell.

    A replica viking longboat loaded up in charcuterie. From the 4-foot tall mast hangs shaved prosciutto. The base of the boat has cured meats, pickled vegetables, and various cheeses.

    What type of character builds a replica longboat and uses it as a charcuterie table? How does that inform who they are?

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  • Fighter: Conscript, version 1.3

    Fighter: Conscript, version 1.3

    In general I’m fascinated with Tier 1 play. But there’s another trope that I enjoy — the old-timer who retreated from the life of adventure and war, but who for some reason gets called back into it. They’ve done their best to avoid violence. Instead violence seeks them out. The Fighter: Conscript (final name TBD) has seen things. Things no one else should see.

    When they get the call to return to their former life they are no longer concerned with having the best weapon and the best armor. Their wits and experience taught them that any tool can be used for any job.

    Design Goals

    With this subclass the desire was to build a character who attempted to retire from their life of violence. They still know how to fight, they just stopped. Then, for whatever the cause, they re-entered the realm of warfare. Most often this transition occurs when they are on their farm, in their tavern, working their forge.

    They use the weapons at hand and the armor of peasants, and yet fight like the mightiest warriors. The build should support the use of simple weapons and lesser armors with Strength being the primary stat.

    Fighter: Conscript

    You are a light fighter who once served as a conscript in a standing army or militia. While there you learned the horrors of war. You also learned how to survive. You fought with what was available. Then, the war ended.

    Now, you attempt to forget your past. Your neighbors may look at you as a hero or a villain. That depends on your behavior and their opinion of the forces for which you fought. You go about your days, an expert smith, carpenter, vintner, or other artisan.

    Recently you’ve felt the call. You are duty bound to pick up your sickle, spear, gambeson, and those well-worn boots again. Your people need help, and you are called to serve.

    Tough as Nails

    Starting at third level you may choose to use your Strength bonus to Armor Class rather than Dexterity when wearing any light armor or medium armor.

    Plowshares into Swords

    At third level you gain the following abilities as a reflection of your life after service.

    • You are proficient in improvised weapons.
    • When using simple or and improvised weapons you gain +1 to damage on a successful attack.
    • You gain proficiency in an Artisan’s Tool. If you are already proficient in an Artisan’s Tool you may instead choose to have expertise in that Tool.
    • When recovering spent ammunition you recover all of it, rather than half.

    Wise Beyond Years

    At seventh level you gain proficiency in Insight and Intimidation. If you already have one or both of these skills you may take any Wisdom skill instead.

    Heart of the Lion

    At tenth level you are noted for refusal to give up the fight. You have advantage on saving throws that would impose the following conditions: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, or Stunned.

    Rally from Defeat

    At 15th level you inspire your teammates. When an ally within 30 feet fails a saving throw that causes damage you may use a reaction to grant them temporary hit points equal to your Fighter level + your Wisdom bonus and they may reroll the saving throw. They must accept the second result. Your ally must be able to hear you. This ability may be used proficiency bonus number of times per long rest.

    Bones of Steel

    At 18th level your Armor Class is adjusted by both your Strength and your Dexterity Bonus. This bonus is not subjected to a limit based on the armor. When you take damage you may use a reaction to spend a Hit Die to recover Hit Points as if you were taking a short rest.