A short story depicting how my favorite NPC from Phandelver & Below died in a game I DM’d for.
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The caves weren’t as bright as they are now for Sildar. Before, they were dark. Save for the orange light of the campfire and torchlight. But fire always meant trouble here. It meant torture and deprivation. It meant humiliation from Yeemik the goblin.
Sildar roamed the caves with ease now. He was free to leave, but he felt something holding him back. Fated to hide in Cragmaw Cave forevermore. He watches the goblins as they build traps. One stacks stones atop a pond of rising water, a fitting trap to wash out any invaders to the cave. Other goblins patrol the stream towards the entrance of the cave. Yeemik and Klarg are directing other goblins outside to build defensive towers. Out of the few times Sildar looked outside, the construction was ramshackle and falling apart. But given time…
There is no time for the goblins, though. They die now, one by one. A tall and fearsome rabbit man with a powerful punch surprises them from the bushes and slaughters them. The same half-elf who ran away the other night joins him. The night that Sildar died at the hands of Yeemik. Soon, a human fighter and a woman dressed in a green cloak shows to end the rest. Sildar retreats back into the cave. His memory had been vague, but he senses hope for the first time after spawning. –And after the hope, he remembers now.
Sildar claws his way towards his most recent memories. Back to where he spawned. He let his wings unfurl where they could in the trapped cave environ. Behind him, the rushing of water and the sound of fighting resonate through Sildar. But his thoughts were of himself. He used his monstrous strength to jump clear over the large snake roosting at the ridge above him. Sildar was practically flying. Now he stomps his way towards Yeemik’s favorite spot of Cragmaw Hideout. Someplace away from Klarg, where he is free to torture the prisoners. Sildar thought of Iarno. He wondered if his guild companion was okay. Unaware, Sildar let a goblin with a torch run through him as he ran screaming towards Yeemik’s position. This slight angered Sildar. Yet another goblin desecrates his body. Enraged, Sildar let out a roar not unlike that of an eagle. He surprised himself, however. Sildar never roared before.
From Sildar’s experience, he let out the sound of a Griffon. Like the one he rode upon as a part of the Cavalry of Waterdeep. It was Sildar’s service to the city watch that allowed him to join the Lord’s Alliance. The goblin stopped in its tracks and dropped the torch. It turned around slowly, gazing at the horror that was now Sildar Hallwinter. Sildar roared again, and the goblin pissed itself. Then an arrow penetrated its heart, and it died with fear in its eyes.
Sildar feasted upon the soul of the goblin when it emerged. At least he felt some vindication. As he ate the essence of Maglubiyet’s evil, he watched the green-cloaked woman pick up her arrow from the corpse. She didn’t see him. Sildar knew why, and was glad of it. After all, he assumed she was there for him, too. Soon, Shenzi the half-elf and the rest of her party joined the cloaked one towards Yeemik’s cave. Sildar followed. The halfling magic user was in the middle of the pack—the Rabbit Man before him. The human fighter was far behind all, and Sildar was closest to him. The tattooed fighter turned back towards the cave. He looked upon Sildhar’s now massive frame, but turned around and muttered to himself.
“It was nothin’, Maquin”, he said. Sildar still followed.
Perched upon Yeemik’s ledge just above the goblin camp, Sildar watched the party of adventurers confront the murderous clan that killed so many people. His remaining band of goblins snarled. Sildar’s monstrous senses told him many were more fearful of this new fight, but Yeemik remained strong. He told the adventurers just what he’d do to them. And Sildar knew it would be true, if fate allowed.
But it was a pitiful showdown. The halfling with the party named Quinfer let out an icy barrage of death upon a group of Yeemik’s kin. Shenzi and Maquin let loose arrows into the group, too, which decimated their numbers entirely. Sildar learned of the rabbit-man’s name, Travis, after Quinfer praised him for a stunningly brutal show of force. Blood let loose in this cave of torturers, but it wasn’t the tortured blood of prisoners anymore. Some splashed upon Sildar’s ridge above.
Filled with the pride of revenge, Sildar beams when he learns it was Shenzi who would be dealing the final blow. After all, she lost her entire party after an ambush gone wrong. Her previous teammates and the prisoners she tried to save, including Sildar himself, lost their lives after taking a gamble on the sensibility of goblins. Shenzi pierces Yeemik’s heart, and her words echo in the chamber. “I will cut you down, break you apart, splay the gore of your profane form across the stars! I will grind you down until the very heavens cry for mercy! My hands shall relish ending you, here and now!”
And so it happens that Yeemik dies a glorious death. Sildar didn’t let any of their souls go. He hunted them down, especially Yeemik. He wouldn’t be allowed to join Maglubyet in death. Not ever. Sildar chirped, and he found the woman in the cloak gasping in terror from below. They lock eyes while her teammates are distracted. Sildar was surprised to learn that the woman in the green cloak is a fair-faced half-orc. As they looked upon each other, Sildar felt compelled to turn. He found his spawning place. –And he recognized why he came from here. Before Sildar was his old bag. He let out a ghostly coo, beckoning someone to find it.
Behind the half-orc woman, a voice called out. It was Maquin. “Xahri, everything alright?”, he said.
“I’m not sure,” Xahri said. “I think I saw something above us”.
It may have to be Xahri, Sildar thought. He found that he could leave this place. There was nothing left to hold him back from the adventures that lay beyond his horizons. Xahri discovered the contents. Aside from a simple gemstone and a potion of greater healing, inside Sildar Hallwinter’s bag was a peculiar item for a retired adventurer. The heavy leather harness features an emblem of the City of Waterdeep, including an expertly crafted image of a guardsman riding a Griffon. Initials are carved into it. – “S.H.”
The level 5 Warlock Elf eyes the battlefield. Grasslands merge into the plains, and a small squad of orcs are closing in. Having rolled initiative, the Warlock player rolls high and goes first. He grabs his shortsword and hurries to meet the first orc enemy! The Warlock chooses to attack.
A 7 on the dice. No hit, so the Warlock ends his turn.
The players, including the Dungeon Master, look at the Warlock player befuddled. The round continues. The Barbarian rages and prevents the Warlock from getting surrounded. The fighter joins in and uses an extra attack to dispatch the nearest orc, and the Wizard casts webbing to prevent the orcs from surrounding the team.
As the rounds go, and the Warlock takes similar actions, the DM eventually asks him if he plans to use any of his spell slots. But in this scenario, the Warlock player totally knows better. The elf had already used up his spells in the last battle, and they hadn’t finished a long rest yet!
But the DM reminds the Warlock about his Eldritch Invocations, which is another way to cast spells.
“What’s that?” The player asks.
Everyone else facepalms.
In this article, I aim to teach new and experienced players interested in the Warlock class about the features available to them at level 5. For simplicity, I only focus on the ones available to the Warlock from the Player’s Handbook (PHB). Some features and abilities won’t be listed because they are unavailable until higher levels (such as some Pact Features that become available to Warlocks at level 6). Without further ado, let’s get started!
Table of Contents:
The Warlock at Level 5: Features & Abilities
To start, the Warlock is a relatively complicated class to play compared to the Fighter or the Barbarian. The reason for this is the way Warlock spell slots work and the added ability called Eldritch Invocations. At level 5, the basic Warlock has:
Three cantrips they can choose from the Warlock spell list.
Six spells they can learn from the Warlock spell list. (Level 5 warlocks only have access to 1st level through 3rd level spells.)
Two spell slots at level 3 to use. (Again, level 5 warlocks have access to 1st-3rd level spells only.)
3 Eldritch Invocations the Warlock can use. Some invocations Warlocks can choose from have specific requirements related to levels or are pact-specific. Often, these invocations allow Warlocks to use more spells with little or no additional cost or grant particular abilities.
Warlock players can choose from three Otherworldly Patron types to make a pact with, which gives them added features and abilities. These patrons are not usually gods but are extraplanar beings from different realms. Or if they are god-like, they are vastly different from the known gods of the D&D multiverse. The description of these entities can be found in the Player’s Handbook, which I highly recommend getting, but here is a small excerpt:
The Archfey: Usually a lord or lady of the fey, their motivations are as myriad as their intentions are for you. They can be whimsical, but they do strive for great magical power.
The Fiend: Fiends are evil entities desiring the corruption or destruction of everything. – Potentially including you.
The Great Old One: This patron is mysterious and utterly foreign to your world. It could be from the Far Realms or an elder god known only through myth.
The Three Otherworldly Patrons:
Here, I describe the features and abilities the Warlock gains from choosing one of the three available patrons available in the PHB. The Archfey, the Fiend, and the Great Old One. Each patron has several features available to the Warlock. However, at level 5, they only have access to one feature from each patron. The next feature does not appear until level 6, so I won’t be detailing those just yet (perhaps in another article).
The Archfey:
No matter who your Archfey patron is, they will have granted your Warlock a boon of spells and one feature. This feature will have been available to you since level 1.
Expanded Spell List
You know 6 of these specific Warlock spells at level 5:
1st Level: Faerie Fire, Sleep
2nd Level: Calm Emotions, Phantasmal Force
3rd Level: Blink, Plant Growth
Whenever your Warlock levels up, you can choose to replace one spell, which must match your spell slot level. Level 5 Warlocks have access to 3rd-level spell slots.
Spells that take attack actions can have the Warlock Proficiency (3) + Charisma modifier added to them.
Spells requiring saving throws follow this Save DC calculation: 8 + Warlock Proficiency (3) + Charisma Modifier.
You must have an arcane focus to cast these spells.
Fey Presence
This feature gives your Warlock the ability to charm or frighten other creatures!
The choice to charm or frighten creatures is up to the player.
The aura of Fey Presence is a 10 ft. square originating from the player. The effect lasts until the end of your next turn.
Any creature within the aura must make a Spell Save DC: 8 + Warlock Proficiency (3) + Charisma modifier.
Fey Presence recharges after taking a short or long rest.
Cosmetic Reminder:
The PHB encourages players to factor in fey-flavored cosmetic changes to their chosen weapons and patron abilities. For example, Warlocks with the Pact of the Tome may have a leafed book wrapped in shadowy pages. Warlocks with Pact of the Blade may have vines adorning their pact weapon. Food for thought!
The Fiend:
No matter who your Fiend patron is, they will have granted your Warlock a boon of spells and one feature. This feature will have been available to you since level 1.
Expanded Spell List
You know 6 of these specific Warlock spells at level 5:
1st Level: Burning Hands, Command
2nd Level: Blindness / Deafness, Scorching Ray
3rd Level: Fireball, Stinking Cloud
Whenever your Warlock levels up, you can choose to replace one spell, which must match your spell slot level. Level 5 Warlocks have access to 3rd-level spell slots.
Spells that take attack actions can have the Warlock Proficiency (3) + Charisma modifier added to them.
Spells requiring saving throws follow this Save DC calculation: 8 + Warlock Proficiency (3) + Charisma Modifier.
You must have an arcane focus to cast these spells.
Dark One’s Blessing:
You gain temporary hit points when you reduce a hostile creature to 0 HP!
The calculation for the temporary hit points: Charisma Modifier + Warlock Level (5).
Note about Temporary Hitpoints: Temporary hit points disappear after a long rest, and you cannot add temporary hit points cumulatively. To clarify: If your Warlock has 4 temporary hit points, and they recently gained 8 temporary hit points, the player can choose which number to keep, but they cannot add them to a total of 12 temp hit points. They can only choose 4, or 8. The temp hit points they don’t select get removed.
The Great Old One:
No matter who your Great Old One patron is, they will have granted your Warlock a boon of spells and one feature. This feature will have been available to you since level 1.
Expanded Spell List
You know 6 of these specific Warlock spells at level 5:
Whenever your Warlock levels up, you can choose to replace one spell, which must match your spell slot level. Level 5 Warlocks have access to 3rd-level spell slots.
Spells that take attack actions can have the Warlock Proficiency (3) + Charisma modifier added to them.
Spells requiring saving throws follow this Save DC calculation: 8 + Warlock Proficiency (3) + Charisma Modifier.
You must have an arcane focus to cast these spells.
Awakened Mind:
You can communicate telepathically with any creature you see within 30 feet of you!
Note: The creature you communicate with must understand at least one language.
About Warlock Pacts:
Warlock Pacts are the specific gifts granted to your Warlock by their patron. In the PHB, there are 3 Pacts for Warlocks to choose from, which give particular features:
Pact of the Tome
Pact of the Blade
Pact of the Chain
Pact of the Tome
You gain the Book of Shadows Feature! This feature allows you to choose 3 cantrips from any class spell list and add them to the Book of Shadows grimoire that you receive from your patron.
With the book, your Warlock can cast those cantrips at will!
These additional cantrips do not count against the number of cantrips your Warlock already knows.
If the Book of Shadows is lost, your Warlock can perform a 1-hour ceremony to receive a replacement from their patron (Which includes short/long rests). The previous book is destroyed.
The Book of Shadows turns to ash when your Warlock dies.
Pact of the Blade
You can now use an action to create a specific pact weapon in your Warlock’s hand! This weapon takes any form of the Warlock’s choice, and they are proficient with it. This weapon’s damage is magical too!
The weapon will disappear if it is over 5 feet away from your Warlock for over a minute. This weapon also disappears if it is summoned again, if the weapon is dismissed (no action needed), or if the Warlock dies.
A magical weapon can convert to a Warlock’s pact weapon by performing a 1-hour ritual. The PHB says it can be done during a short rest. When the new weapon gets dismissed, it goes to an extra-dimensional space until it gets summoned again. The new weapon ceases being the Warlock’s pact weapon if they die, if they perform the ritual on another weapon, or if they perform a similar ceremony to break their bond to it (Where the weapon will appear at the Warlock’s feet if it’s still in the other dimension).
Artifact and sentient weapons cannot turn into pact weapons (Personally, I’d allow it as a DM. That sounds cool).
Pact of the Chain
You now know the find familiar spell and can cast it as a ritual! Find familiar will not count against the number of spells you already know. Learning about find familiar is essential to understanding Pact of the Chain better, so here it is in detail:
Find Familiar – You gain the service of a spirit animal! They can be any form you choose below:
Bat
Cat
Crab
Frog (Toad)
Hawk
Lizard
Octopus
Owl
Poisonous Snake
Fish
Rat
Raven
Sea Horse
Spider
Weasel
This familiar appears in an unoccupied space in range of the Warlock and has the monster statistics of the chosen form. It will always type as a celestial, fey, or fiend instead of a beast. — Determined by the Warlock.
The familiar is independent, but it will always obey the Warlock’s commands. It has its own initiative in combat and acts on its own. A familiar cannot attack but can take other actions as usual.
If the familiar drops to 0 HP, it disappears and leaves anything it wore or carried behind. It will reappear when casting the find familiar spell again. A warlock can temporarily dismiss the familiar to a pocket dimension (Pokemon style) or even banish it forever. If it is temporarily dismissed, you can take an action to make it reappear anywhere within 30 feet of the Warlock as long as it’s still an unoccupied space.
While your familiar is 100 feet from you, you can talk to it telepathically! Also, as an action, you can see and hear what your familiar can and gain any additional senses the familiar has. However, you are deaf and blind to your own.
Only one summoned familiar can occur at a time. If the Warlock does cast find familiar, the current familiar transforms into another chosen creature of the Warlock’s choosing (from the list above).
Your Warlock can use touch-based spells with their familiar! If the familiar is within 100 feet and it uses a reaction to deliver the spell, they can cast it instead of the Warlock. If this spell requires an attack roll, the Warlock’s attack modifier is used for that roll.
With that out of the way…
Pact of the Chain entails the following:
Instead of the available list of forms from above, your Warlock is entitled to these additional familiar forms:
Imp
Pseudodragon
Quasit
Sprite
The Warlock’s familiar also adopts the stats of the chosen form.
Additionally, if the Warlock chooses to forgo attacking on their turn, the familiar can attack instead! When the familiar attacks, it does so with a reaction.
Your familiar is much more cunning than other familiars and takes on the attributes tied to your patron. If it must default to a particular form, your familiar will always default to your patron’s type (Fiend equals imp, Archfey equals sprite, etc.).
About Eldritch Invocations
A 5th-level Warlock should have 3 Eldritch Invocations they can cast. –Which means your Warlock can do special magic that other magic-wielding classes cannot! Remember that this list pertains only to PHB invocations that a Warlock can do at level 5. There are other invocations from other modules and at higher levels. Here are the basic rules for Eldritch Invocations:
When you gain a level in the Warlock class, you can pick an invocation you learned and replace it with another invocation.
A level requisite in the detailed description of invocations refers to Warlock levels, not character levels. For people who love multi-classing, beware of this fact!
If an invocation has prerequisites, you must reach that threshold to learn it. Invocations can be understood at the same time that you reach that requisite. (Personal note: it reminds me of the videogame Valheim, where your Viking character somehow “knows” what a new item does when you pick it up from the ground… If you don’t have that game, I highly recommend it!)
Here are all the PHB Eldritch Invocations available to the level 5 Warlock. I grouped them up by requisites (or lack thereof) so aspiring Warlocks can choose their invocations easily:
Eldritch Blast & Eldritch Invocations that enhance it:
Before we can dive into the eldritch invocations for Eldritch Blast, it’s important to note what the cantrip can do at the base level for Level 5 Warlocks because it’s pretty important:
As an action, you can create up to 2 beams of energy at a range of 120 ft to attack a creature.
If this spell hits, the creature takes 1d10 force damage.
Each beam attack from eldritch blast requires its own attack roll (3 + CHA).
You can choose to attack different enemies with different beams!
This base cantrip is powerful! The fact that you can do two attacks instead of one makes the Warlock on par with the Barbarian in terms of attacking power. It’s fascinating, considering you can attack at range. The fact that you can augment eldritch blast to do additional things makes this a must-have for Warlocks looking to deal damage or control the battle, which we will get into below.
The following invocations require the eldritch blast cantrip, which your Warlock must learn to use:
Agonizing Blast – When casting eldritch blast, you can add your Charisma modifier to your damage when it hits!
Eldritch Spear – When casting eldritch blast, you can extend its range to 300 feet!
Repelling Blast – When you hit a creature with eldritch blast, you can choose to push it 10 feet away!
Pact Invocations:
These invocations have requisites involving the PHB available pacts, such as:
Pact of the Tome
Pact of the Blade
Pact of the Chain
Pact of the Tome:
Book of Ancient Secrets – This invocation grants many boons. You can add two 1st-level spell rituals from any class spell list to your Book of Shadows!
These ritual spells do not count against the spells your Warlock knows.
As long as the book is in your hand, you can cast those spells only as rituals unless your Warlock learned them another way.
This allows you to cast a Warlock spell that you already know as a ritual (as long as that spell has a ritual tag).
You are free to add additional ritual spells to the Book of Shadows. When added, the spell level must be equal to or less than half your Warlock’s level rounded up (so a level 5 Warlock can inscribe a level 2 ritual spell, but not a level 3 spell). The time and cost it takes to transcribe the spell is 2 hours and 50 gold pieces for rare inks to write them down.
Pact of the Blade:
Thirsting Blade – You can now attack with your pact weapon twice when taking the attack action on your turn!
Pact of the Chain:
Voice of the Chain Master – You can now communicate with your familiar telepathically!
You can also perceive through your familiar’s senses as long as they are on the same plane.
You are also able to speak through your familiar in your own voice, even if that familiar isn’t capable of speaking.
Eldritch Invocations With No Requisites:
These Eldritch Invocations for level 5 Warlocks are accessible without any requisites (Some may require Warlocks to be level 5, but no higher). Some of these eldritch invocations allow you to cast spells for free, while others will enable you to expend a Warlock spell slot to cast spells instead. Some of these are very useful:
Armor of Shadows – You can cast the mage armor spell at will without using a spell slot or materials!
Beast Speech – You can cast the speak with animals spell at will without using a spell slot!
Beguiling Influence – You are now proficient with Deception and Persuasion!
Devil’s Sight – You can see in darkness, magical or otherwise, up to 120 feet!
Eldritch Sight – You can cast the detect magic spell at will without using a spell slot!
Eyes of the Rune Keeper – You can read any form of writing!
Fiendish Vigor – You can cast a level 1 false life spell on yourself without using a spell slot or materials!
Gaze of Two Minds – As an action, you can touch a willing humanoid and perceive its senses until the end of your next turn!
You can extend the effect’s duration for subsequent turns as long as the humanoid is on the same plane of existence as you.
You gain any special senses the humanoid may have.
You are blinded and deafened to your own senses.
Mask of Many Faces – You can cast the disguise self spell at will without using a spell slot!
Mire the Mind – You can cast the slow spell with a Warlock spell slot!
You can only do this again after you finish a long rest.
Misty Visions – You can cast the silent image spell at will without using a spell slot or materials!
One with Shadows – Whenever you are in dim light or the dark, you can use an action to become invisible!
You become visible again when you move, take an action, or take a reaction.
Sign of Ill Omen – You can use a Warlock spell slot to cast the bestow curse spell!
You can only do this again after you finish a long rest.
Thief of Five Fates – You can use a Warlock spell slot to cast the bane spell!
You can only do this again after you finish a long rest.
After reading and writing through the invocations, my favorite is the One With Shadows invocation.
Remember that a level 5 Warlock can only choose up to 3 Eldritch Invocations at this time. So make sure to choose them wisely! You can only change one invocation once you level up again.
Ability Score Improvement
The ability score improvement to your Warlock’s character sheet will have been achieved by level 4. So your Warlock should have been able to increase their ability score by 2, or instead choose to increase two ability scores by 1. You cannot increase an ability score above 20, or the dragon in the article may try to convince your patron to consume your soul.
Now You Know All About the Warlock at Level 5!
I hope I made it easier for players to understand what the Warlock can be capable of in Dungeons and Dragons 5e. There is so much more content to dive into involving the Warlock. I mean, I haven’t even gotten into the features, pacts, and invocations from other modules! –And already it’s a lot of info!
I can say that the Warlock is one of the most versatile classes in D&D. Choosing to multi-class a warlock with another class, such as Rogue, can turn your character into an excellent assassin. I’m still drooling over the power to remain invisible at will, thanks to the One With Shadows eldritch invocation ability. The next time I get to play D&D as a player character (hah!), I’ll try out that build.
I cannot understate the potential of this class enough. If you want to be all about combat, you can go all in on Pact of the Blade and supplement it with the Eldritch Blast cantrip and invocation abilities.
Or, if you want to go more into RP and to socialize, your Warlock can easily use Beast Speech, Beguiling Influence, and Eyes of the Runekeeper invocations to persuade NPCs and perceive things in-game that other players would have a hard time with. Tie this with Pact of the Chain, where you can manipulate your familiar to places that your Warlock cannot reach, and you can break out and escape any area that may confine you!
Very fun.
Is there anything else I should mention about the Warlock at level 5? Do you have any suggestions, or did I make a mistake anywhere? Please let me know! Thank you so much for reading.
When I started playing Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition a few years ago, I played at a table with a good friend of mine who I think is excellent at the role of Dungeon Master (DM). His main strengths were in how he planned his games. –I would later learn that how he introduced his games to his players would be paramount to getting his sessions started right. Turns out, after searching, Session 0 was a thing to focus on when DMing games. So, I copied those methods and added my own personal flair. I must tell you that following Session 0 best practices is probably the main reason my games keep going. Other than that my players are frikken awesome, of course.
One game turned into two throughout the year, and some new players joined in the middle of those games. I can safely say that the only time I’ve had a player drop out of my games entirely was due to personal reasons (like school or work). So, I want to share a bit of my process for getting my games going, recruiting players, and conducting my games on my Discord server.
It’s About Prepping for Session 0
Many experienced D&D players and Dungeon Masters know about Session 0, where the game doesn’t start just yet. It’s more about meeting everyone officially at the table, building player characters, and establishing the world that they’ll be playing in. –Whether it’s in Discord, on the phone, or at the physical table in your home.
It’s also about getting player expectations and introducing your Code of Conduct.
My Code of Conduct Rules and How I Enforce Them
Just writing the title above me has me feeling all Stalin-esque like I’m a dictator in my own world. Well, sorry to say to players who want less structured games, but I am the dictator of my Discord world! –At least when it comes to ensuring that my server is inclusive while fostering good teamwork and mutual respect.
Personally, I’ve found that enforcing these rules is so easy to do, especially when you read them out to everybody during Session 0. When everyone knows what to expect and respects each other despite disagreements, it could save many headaches for the future. So, how do you foster that?
I must take each player aside to ask them what they want from my game. I set up the world, but how do my players want to have fun in it? Do they want to focus on their character’s roleplaying? Do they like combat? Are they prepared to face the dragon in the article? Ask them these clarifying questions and take note of what their needs are for your games. This act does more than help you prep your games; it’s respecting your players.
The rules are written my way, but they borrow from an Adventurer’s League Code of Conduct ruleset that I saw online. It’s a resource I’m afraid I can’t quite find anymore:
In general, I plan to run my games with “the rule of cool” rule basis. Keep it nice, civil, & friendly. If you have a question, ask me. Here’s some specific rules to keep in mind:
**Harassment & Behavior: **
All members of the server, players, DMs, and otherwise, are expected to respect the other members and players, and all people are welcomed here. This includes treating each other with respect regarding, race, age, sexuality, gender, religion (or lack thereof), and other physiological or ideological characteristics/beliefs. Every person is entitled to this respect; call and address every person & their characters by the name and pronouns they’ve given you.
**General Conversation:**
Do not engage in inappropriate conversation, mean-spirited insults (if you are asked to stop, stop immediately), forcefully telling others how they should play or act, or other intentional behavior that is hurtful. If you have an issue with another person, settle it privately or message me.
**No #NSFW Content**
While this is an adult server, I want to keep it safe for work. This means no posting of nudity, sexual images, real life gore/violence, promotion of hateful speech or behavior). Foul language is allowed, but it should be kept to a minimum and be respectful of all participants in chat.
**In-Game Courtesy**
While in Voice Chat during a game or session, it is expected that all players give others a chance to speak, not interrupting them, discouraging them from talking, or from participating. It is reasonable to expect that some players will be more experienced and/or more comfortable when speaking and playing, and tend to “lead” the conversation, which is perfectly fine. But all players should try to be respectful of everyone else in their session while some of us are learning the game (Myself included). I will be doing my best to keep everyone involved and make sure ALL players are heard.
**Welcoming New Players**
Bringing in new players and welcoming people to the server is what I will strive to do to keep the ongoing game running. Everyone is welcome, including people of all race & creeds, and all levels of experience to D&D. Please be sure to encourage inexperienced players along, never put them down or discount them based on lack of experience as some people may have had bad experiences before.
**Keep Content In Appropriate Channels**
This will help keep the server organized. If you think a conversation may derail into another discord topic, please move it to that particular thread on the server.
**Rulings & Disagreements:**
There will be times when a player may disagree with another player or myself about how something is supposed to be done or the way things are handled. In those situations, I have the right to make a judgment call. If you disagree with the call, you can message me about it later out of game. I recognize that mistakes happen, especially when I’m learning, but it’s usually better to have fun than deliberate over the rules, which could be learned from during study later.
• DO NOT continue to argue mid-session.
• DO NOT complain about the situation in a public channel.
**Consequences: ** I’ll always attempt to resolve issues in a way that corrective behavior can be followed and allow all to continue playing and participating. However, failure to comply with these rules will result in the following:
• Verbal or Written warnings.
• Permanent banning from the server and game you are involved in.
There is zero tolerance for harassment here, consider this your only warning if you are found violating this rule.
**Reporting Problems, Harassment, Rules, General Questions:**
If there is ever any issue where you feel someone is breaking one of the server rules, is being disruptive, or harassing you or other players, even just for clarification of rules or general questions, please contact me.
Feel free to copy my code of conduct rules for your games! It’s my aim to help people create a fantastic environment for their D&D campaigns without having to stress about how to get started. Some of what was written above is very specific to my campaigns, but this could easily be converted to serve your needs. Ain’t the internet grand?
What if a New Player Joins in the Middle of the D&D Game?
I would hold a D&D Session 0 for that player specifically. At the very least, setting aside a few minutes to read your Code of Conduct to the newbie is easy. After that, you should be able to resume your game.
How Do You Enforce Your Rules?
Very carefully.
I remember a situation involving a homebrew mini-campaign that I played with my gaming group. –And one player understandably thought that this campaign was more adult in nature. So much so that they posted a nude picture of their character on my Discord server. Now, this wasn’t entirely my player’s fault. After all, the theme in my campaign was about a cult involving Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. And my theme of love in this campaign was heavily laden with all sorts of innuendos and meanings.
I advise clarifying that breaking the server’s rules isn’t allowed. Because if they can do it, others can, too. It was immediately addressed as soon as it occurred, and the player involved was so respectful about it that it didn’t even cause an issue at the table. All I had to do was point out the server’s rules, which they agreed to earlier, and that was that.
I’d also like to say that getting to know the players you’ll be playing with is essential. The best thing you can do for yourself is to vouch for a player who will respect your table rules. That said, that expectation and curation demands something from you, too. Which is transparency. If you aren’t transparent about your intentions of the game with your players, then miscommunication happens, and mistrust is sowed. Even if that doesn’t happen, you could get players with entirely different intentions trying to apply to your games.
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How to Seek Players for Your Online DND Games
When I got interested in starting my own games, I was fortunate to have many of my players coming in from my real-life circle of friends. However, I also knew I would have to get new players into my games. People I didn’t even know yet. And I’m expected to just…buddy-buddy?
I ended up on dndbeyond.com, a robust forum full of interested players. In my original forum post one year ago, I laid out exactly what I was doing, how I was playing, and the kind of players I wanted to play with (beginners like myself). Here’s an excerpt of that exact post:
Schedule: 5 PM weekly on Tuesday (Time is tentatively set, but will usually be TUE, WED, THU starting 4,5, or 6 PM.
Roles sought: Players. I’m only looking for 1 player, but may add more depending on circumstances.
Game style: Casual and RP focused. Learning.
About Me:
My name is Ryan. I have played DND before, but never a full campaign. –That said, I’ve been enamored with the game and have found myself with more than enough time to get a game setup. My goal is to learn how to DM on Fantasy Grounds and learn how to make the game as fun for players as it will be for me.
I’m a former news reporter (working at a hotel now lol) and I’m currently writing my own fiction novel. In general, I love telling stories. I just like the idea of eventually making a world that a small group of people could enjoy and participate in together. This will be my first dive into it.
About my game:
This will be set with the Lost Mines of Phandelver starting campaign. Session 0.
I have a full discord community set up, and the game is ready to run on Fantasy Grounds. Everything provided to my players, including FGU and the DND modules that come with it, are free and only need to be installed for your use.
This means that the first games may run slow. -_Because we’re all learning Fantasy Grounds and DND 5E combined. So patience is required. The game I’m running may be perfect for beginners.
My rules generally follow the code of conduct set forth by The Adventurer League’s rules. More details will be in the discord server that I’ll provide to you should you be chosen to join my campaign. The people in my game currently are friends and co-workers of mine, but should they fall out, I want to continue learning how to play. Thus, I’ll have need to invite players to fill the gaps. On this occasion, I want a random player to join the game from session 0 too. Nothing is expected of my players other than that they enjoy themselves and follow the rules of conduct. This means that this game will be privately played.
If you are interested, please respond back about yourself and your experience playing DND. Any other details you want to add, go for it!
This post attracted four interested people to play in my game. I invited 2 of them to play with me, and we have been having great adventures since August 2022. We still play together today once a week at generally the same time that I wrote in my post.
I think players interested in D&D will also want to know what to expect from their potential DM. Keeping this in mind, I sought to define my game specifications to the players I was seeking:
What game I’m playing (D&D 5e).
How I’m playing it (Online using a virtual tabletop called Fantasy Grounds).
How many people I’m looking for (1-2 players).
When will the game start, and include a tentative game schedule (5 PM TUE, WED, or THU).
How I plan to run the table (Adventure League table rules, RP focused, learning).
Introducing myself, and adding details about what my players could expect from me.
Feel free to use this method for yourself.
The Rest Lies With You, DM
Remember that to properly apply the Code of Conduct, you must follow it as best as possible. No one likes a hypocrite… It’s essential to keep consistent with your players. This means that your promises are kept as best as possible. I still feel like I have to work on that, DMing-wise. That said, the role of the DM is not to be perfect. It’s to be practiced.
Now, you have a reliable Code of Conduct for your players to adhere to and a working template for contacting new players should you seek them. After that, I hope you enjoy the finer points of DMing your own games. Like how to set up your Discord server, for example! Or organizing snacks at the table. Oh, and prepping your game, of course.
What game are you preparing? Do you have your own code of conduct or suggestions? Please share and help the D&D community!
The Warforged Monk is faced with a dilemma. A wraith desperately wants to rid the dungeon of a spectator who is holding precious magic at the building next door. –However, the adventurers are already aware of the spectator, having already dealt with the planar monster. And now they are looking at the ghostly treasures the wraith keeps but can’t use. Greedy bastard. A trap is sprung, and it’s time to take the fight to the solo spirit.
Luckily, you, the Monk, go first.
As the Monk, you announce that you attack the wraith and end your turn.
“With your fists? Just the once?” The DM asks.
“Yes, and yes,” you say.
“Okay then…”
The wraith takes 1d6, which is then halved due to being resistant to bludgeoning. Some of the more seasoned players take psychological damage, too. Meanwhile, the Monk smiles, pleased with themselves that they did…something?
The rest of the players swiftly take care of the wraith before it can react, so the fight doesn’t end terribly. However, the party members eye their Monk teammate sideways. What about the next battle?
In this article, I aim to highlight the many features available to the Monk. –Particularly at the 5th level. I chose level 5 to give beginning players an idea of what to expect at that specific level of play and also provide a general baseline for other players to compare to. For simplicity, I’ll only touch on Monk features in the Player’s Handbook (PHB). If you don’t already have it, I recommend getting one so you know what’s what.
The features will be described from the 1st level up to the 5th level. I plan to explain some possible combos as we go down the list.
The Monk’s Features at Level 5:
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Unarmored Defense
A level 5 monk should know they do not need to wear armor to gain a significant advantage to their Armor Class (AC).
Your Monk’s AC is 10 + Dexterity modifier.
Remember that you cannot wear armor or shields for this effect to apply.
Martial Arts
This feature is the bread and butter for Monks, and it gets stronger as you achieve higher levels. Particularly at the 5th level, Monks can enjoy dishing out 1d6 worth of damage for the first time (Earlier levels have the Monk dishing out 1d4 damage). There are other benefits:
You benefit from the Martial Arts Feature only if you are unarmed or have monk weapons (short swords, simple melee weapons that do not have the two-handed or heavy properties).
Instead of Strength, you use the Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls.
You can roll 1d6 to damage enemies with an unarmed strike or monk weapon (as mentioned above).
On your turn, attacking with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon grants you the right to do another unarmed strike as a bonus action (Make sure you haven’t expended a bonus action already).
Ki (Including Ki Features)
If Martial Arts is the bread and butter of Monks, then the Ki Feature is the pizza and french fries of Monks, too. A 5th-level monk will have access to 5 Ki Features:
Flurry of Blows
Remember the part of the martial arts feature that gives you the chance to take an unarmed strike as a bonus action? With Flurry of Blows, spending one ki point will allow two unarmed strikes instead of one on that bonus action.
This move is excellent for adding damage. Thanks to your Martial Arts dice, it only gets more potent at higher levels.
Patient Defense
When you spend one ki point on your turn, you can take the Dodge Action on your turn.
This is great for mitigating the worst attacks you have to endure.
About Dodge
Enemies that attack you get disadvantage on their attack rolls against you.
You receive advantage for all Dexterity saving throws.
When you spend one Ki point, you can choose two abilities as a bonus action: Disengage, or Dash.
Your jump distance is also doubled.
Out of combat, I see Step of the Wind as handy for climbing buildings and making it easier to traverse rooftop environments.
About Disengage
You can move out of range of enemies without provoking Opportunity Attacks.
It’s beneficial for moving out of the way of crowds or getting away from the Big Bad Evil Guy (BBEG).
About Dash
You can move double your movement speed (plus any qualifying modifiers, if available).
This is excellent for getting in battles quickly if you are too far, and you can still attack on your same turn.
Deflect Missiles
This one is one of the coolest Ki features available. Great for defending and attacking against ranged opponents!
As a reaction, you can deflect a missile (or projectile) when hit by a ranged weapon attack.
The damage is reduced by 1d10 + DEX modifier + Monk level (5).
If the damage is reduced to 0, you can spend one ki point to catch the missile if you have a free hand that can hold it.
What happens when you catch a Missile using Deflect Missiles?
During the reaction, you can make a ranged attack with the projectile you caught (including thrown weapons like Javelins).
This reaction attack is made with proficiency, and the weapon will have the same damaging effects as a monk weapon. So cool!
Stunning Strike
This move is excellent for stopping a creature in its tracks! Great for ending chases, stopping rituals, and fighting the BBEG.
When hitting a creature with a melee weapon, you can spend one ki point to do a Stunning Strike.
The creature you hit must make a Constitution saving throw (8 + Monk proficiency + Monk Wisdom modifier).
The creature is stunned until the end of your next turn if it fails the saving throw.
About Ki Points
The five features above require at least one Ki point to be spent to use. At level 5, a monk will have 5 ki points (You gain 1 ki point per level). This means a lot of versatility, especially with the Monk’s Monastic Tradition (This will be introduced shortly).
How do you Recharge Ki Points?
Ki points are recharged by meditating for at least 30 minutes. This can be done by using a short rest or long rest.
This makes the Monk really useful for getting back into fights quickly, whereas spellcasters would have to wait much longer. Specifically, monks should have their ki points charged and ready between watches during a long rest.
Monastic Tradition (Specialization Abilities for Ki)
In the PHB, there are three Monastic Traditions that Monks can choose to specialize in their classes and differentiate themselves from other Monks. At level 5, Monks can only access one ability from their Monastic Tradition tree. Remember that there are more abilities in these specializations in the PHB, so I recommend reading up on that if you are curious.
As the famous Ugandan Knuckles from VRChat would say…
Do you know the Way?
Way of the Open Hand
If you choose this tradition, you can access the Open Hand Technique, which further improves the Flurry of Blows Ki ability. When a creature is successfully attacked by a Flurry of Blows Unarmed Strike, you can choose to impose additional effects the target must save for:
Open Hand Technique:
Trip them!
Your target must make a Dexterity saving throw (8 + Monk Proficiency Bonus + Monk WIS modifier). If they fail, they are knocked prone!
2. Push them!
Your target must make a Strength saving throw (8 + Monk Proficiency Bonus + Monk WIS modifier). If they fail, they are pushed 15 feet away!
3. Suppress them!
Your target cannot take reactions until your next turn ends!
Way of Shadow
Way of Shadow gives you several stealth-related spells by expending Ki points! This tradition is an excellent pick for players who want a stealthy build. –Perhaps a multiclass with Rogue? It sounds like a good combo for preventing the dragon in this article from eating you.
You can spend 2 Ki points to cast one of the following spells, which have simplified explanations:
Darkness: You can create a 15 ft. radius of magical darkness. Even darkvisioned creatures are affected, and the darkness can spread around corners. It can be used on objects!
Darkvision: You can touch a willing creature to give it Darkvision for 8 hours. –But only if they are within 60 ft. of you.
Pass Without Trace: You and your companions get a bonus on Stealth checks (+10 DEX)! They cannot be tracked except through magic, and any creature with this bonus leaves no tracks or traces.
Silence: You can create a 20 ft. radius sphere on a chosen point. Any creature inside is immune to thunder damage, and creatures inside are deafened. Casting verbal spells inside is impossible.
You attain the minor illusion cantrip.
Way of the Four Elements
This one is quite a complicated tradition! If you wanted your Monk to have elemental spellcasting ability, why not give them the powers of Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender through the Way of the Four Elements? A level 5 Monk will be able to choose two novel abilities that either augment Monk abilities or give the ability to cast an elemental spell using Ki. Remember, the options listed below are for level 5 monks. Still, there are many more at higher levels, with the added ability to switch between disciplines at certain levels.
You learn the Elemental Attunement discipline:
You can use an action to move the elements, causing one of the following effects:
Create a harmless sensory effect related to the elements, like sparks, wind, mist, or rumbling stones.
Light and extinguish fire.
Chill or warm objects (nonliving) for up to an hour.
Form any element within a 1 ft. cube to any crude shape you wish for one minute.
You also learn one of the following disciplines of your choice:
Fangs of the Fire Snake:
Using 1 ki point, your range of unarmed strikes increases by 10 ft on your turn. They also deal fire damage.
If you spend an additional ki point on an attack that hits, you deal another 1d10 fire damage.
Fist of Four Thunders:
Using 2 Ki points, you can cast Thunderwave!
Every creature in a 15 ft. cube must make a CON save or take 2d8 thunder damage. They are also pushed 10 ft away.
If they succeed in the save, they take half as much damage and aren’t pushed.
Loose objects are pushed 10 ft. away.
A thunderous boom emits from 300 ft. outwards.
Fist of Unbroken Air:
Using 2 Ki points, you can take an action to choose a creature 30 ft. away. They must make a STR save. If they fail, they take 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus 1d10 for each additional ki point you may want to spend.
They are also pushed 20 ft. away and knocked prone.
If they save, they take half the damage and aren’t pushed.
Rush of the Gale Spirits:
Using 2 Ki points, you can cast Gust of Wind!
For up to 1 minute, you can cast a line of strong wind (60 ft. long, 10 ft. wide), and you can use a bonus action on each turn to change the direction of the ability!
A creature caught in the line must make a STR saving throw or be pushed 15 ft. away.
The ability can disperse gas or vapor and extinguish unprotected flames (lanterns have a 50% chance of extinguishing).
Shape the Flowing River:
Using 1 Ki point, you can choose a 30 ft. wide space of ice or water within 120 ft. of you as an action.
You can change the water to ice (and vice-versa) and reshape ice in any manner you choose (Raising elevation, creating trenches, making walls, pillars). The max range is half the dimension of the water you have affected (30 ft. cube area water = 15 ft. high walls).
Ice cannot be shaped to trap or injure a creature.
Sweeping Cinder Strike:
Using 2 Ki points, you can cast burning hands!
Flames shoot from your fingertips in a 15 ft. cone!
Every creature in the cone must make a DEX save or take 3d6 fire damage.
If they save, they take half damage.
Any loose and flammable objects in the cone will ignite (except worn/carried items).
Water Whip:
Using 2 Ki points, you can create a whip made of water that can shove or pull creatures!
A seen creature within 30 ft. must make a DEX save or take 3d10 bludgeoning damage.
If you spend an additional ki point, you can deal another 1d10 damage, knock them prone, and push/pull them 25 ft.
If they make the save, the creature takes half damage and cannot be knocked around.
Monks at 5th level can only spend 3 Ki points to use a discipline (This max doesn’t increase until level 9).
Any spells in a chosen discipline follow general spell rules. — but do not require any components to cast. Only Ki points.
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Ability Score Improvement
Your Monk should have been able to increase their ability scores!
Choose one of the following:
2 points for one ability score,
1 point for two ability scores.
You cannot move an ability score past 20.
Slow Fall
You can use a reaction to reduce fall damage equal to 5 times your Monk level. Thus, Level 5 Monks will be able to mitigate 25 fall damage.
Extra Attack
You can attack twice for an action on your turn!
Combining extra attack with your Ki abilities is paramount to combo moves that would make a Fighter jealous. At the 5th level, the Monk’s capabilities start to shine bright.
For example, one excellent combo for a Monk to deploy against a single enemy would be to attack twice (Thanks to Extra Attack) and commit Flurry of Blows as a bonus action to do two unarmed strikes. A total of four potential hits to the enemy! –And if they have Way of the Four Elements tradition, you can take it even further to hit enemies from 10 ft. and deal 1d10 fire damage with the Fangs of the Fire Snake discipline!
Now You Know the Basics of the Level 5 Monk!
I learned much more about the Monk just by writing this article. The crazy thing is that this article only covers what’s offered in the PHB. One player for my Lost Mines of Phandelver campaign currently uses the Way of Mercy Specialization offered in the Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything module. This subclass of Monk is healing-based. I might do an article on it later.
I hope this helped you with whatever you were looking for regarding abilities that the Monk class generally enjoys! My favorite subclass from the PHB version is definitely the Way of the Four Elements. There’s so much versatility that you can give your Monk. The Way of the Shadow is my second favorite because I immensely like subterfuge characters. What’s your favorite Monk subclass? Did I miss anything in particular in this article? Please let me know!
Rolling initiative in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition determines the order of the combat round. Players and the Dungeon Master (DM) roll Dexterity Ability checks to assess the combat order in which they’ll take turns. Players roll these DEX checks for their characters, and the DM rolls DEX checks for their monsters.
The highest roll gets to play first, followed by the next until the round of combat ends. –When the round restarts, the order follows the same format (unless abilities or spells affect it) until combat ceases. Every new round of combat means everyone must “Roll Initiative!”
Here’s what the Player’s Handbook (PHB) says about initiative:
Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. When combat starts, every participant makes a Dexterity check to determine their place in the initiative order.”
-pg. 190, Player’s Handbook (PHB)
Also, remember that when creatures are surprised at the start of combat, it doesn’t matter what their initiative roll ends up being. –That creature must wait until the next turn to move or commit an action. Fun tip: Stealth, which determines moments of surprise, relies on the DEX modifier too.
What Happens When Initiative Is Tied?
Player Character Ties:
There are many ways to decide the initiative roll. My method for player vs. player ties is to look at the individual Dexterity (DEX) Modifier on their character sheets. If there is a difference in DEX modifiers (Like +3 vs. +2), the higher modifier will go first (+3).
If the modifiers are also tied (+1 vs. +1), have them roll a d20 until there is a winner for that slot in the combat round.
Now, the above ruling is more to my liking. However, the more official rule set in the PHB is straightforward:
“If a tie occurs, the DM decides the order among tied DM-controlled creatures, and the players decide the order among their tied characters. The DM can decide the order if a tie is between a monster and a player character. Optionally, the DM can have the tied characters and monsters each roll a d20 to determine the order, highest roll goes first.”
-Pg. 190, PHB
Allowing players to decide amongst themselves can work. Still, sometimes gridlock can occur, so I like to use the character DEX modifiers to settle initiative.
I’m curious if there are other DMs out there with different ways to figure out ties? Please comment below if so!
Player vs. Monster Ties:
In the case of player vs. monster, I usually let the player win the tie so the game can continue. After all, the players are generally the main characters in this collaborative story setting. That said, if they are fighting against a formidable enemy, like a BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy), it should be treated like a player vs. player tie. Don’t overcomplicate matters, though, especially if it’s holding up the game!
Alternatively, The PHB lets the DM decide who wins a tie regarding player vs. monster initiative rolls, which I find interesting. I can’t entirely agree with this, but it might align with DMs wanting more authority in their games.
When Multiple Enemies Are Involved In Combat
One mistake I consistently made as a starting DM would be to roll each similar monster individually, which would sometimes halt combat. I vividly remember sweating, trying to roll for each Redbrand Ruffian enemy in my Lost Mines of Phandelver campaign – as my players patiently waited. We slogged through it, but my lesson was to make one initiative roll for large groups of the same enemy.
That way, when there are inevitably too many enemies on screen, your players aren’t forced to watch you roll initiative for every. Single. One. The PHB touches on this specifically:
“The DM makes one roll for an entire group of identical creatures, so each member of the group acts at the same time.”
-Pg. 190, PHB
Try This! Tying Charisma With Initiative For Roleplay Purposes
You know what grinds my gears? Determining who gets to go first at the start of sessions. In my games, instead of asking the heavy-leaded question of: “So, uh…who wants to go first?” –and waiting for the players to hem and haw and oh my Gods 5 minutes just passed by, I have them roll a new kind of initiative:
“Roll for Roleplay Initiative!”
-Me, Ryan
My idea is that roleplay initiative is a Charisma (CHA) check that lets players determine who goes first in an imaginary “combat round.” It’s an ice-breaker round meant to get the story going.
I use CHA instead of DEX due to the circumstances of roleplay often attached to beginning a session (Unless that session starts during a combat round). It also gives roleplay-focused characters a chance to shine and act out their characters during quiet scenes.
Remember when I mentioned the imaginary combat round? In my games, once the ice is broken, players will begin to intercede and interact organically. –Which is just what you want in the first place as the DM. I drop the roleplay initiative round entirely to run the game as usual.
The rules for Roleplay Initiative generally follow standard combat initiative rules. I wanted to add this here for DMs struggling to start their games or prod players to act mid game. While I haven’t done this midgame before, enacting a roleplay initiative can be an excellent idea for revving a “dead” table, where players may just be standing around. If anyone does this, please let me know the results! I imagine it depends on the players you have. I certainly feel lucky that I don’t need to do this.
Now You Know How Rolling Initiative Works In DND 5e!
Saying “Roll Initiative” is probably one of the best moments for me as a DM. Setting up the scene before saying it is excellent. Still, it’s even better when initiative starts due to a player’s inopportune action.
What are some of your favorite moments when you had to roll initiative? Is there anything that I missed or should expand upon? Please let me know!
When I first noticed the disclaimer in my copy of D&D: Curse Of Strahd by Wizards of the Coast, I laughed. It was extremely funny, and I highly enjoyed that this company was having fun placing such a disclaimer in a book that’s supposed to be “spooky scary”. I then discovered that they placed disclaimers in other fifth-edition books.
I decided to research and list the disclaimers from all the D&D 5th edition (And future edition) books for your enjoyment. I aim for this list of disclaimers to be the most recent and up-to-date version. So you don’t miss out on any new disclaimer gaffs from the geniuses at Wizards of the Coast. If you want to read more about Dungeons With Dragons, my blog, feel free to subscribe to my email newsletter located on my homepage.
Specifically, I will list out the disclaimers by the book type released. There are many good ones in there. Believe it or not, some of these disclaimers can hold light spoilers for certain players, especially ones that are adventuring in Waterdeep. You have been warned.
Disclaimer: Wizards of the Coast is not responsible for the consequences of splitting up the party, sticking appendages in the mouth of a leering green devil face, accepting a dinner invitation from bugbears, storming the feast hall of a hill giant steading, angering a dragon of any variety, or saying yes when the DM asks, “Are you really sure?”
Disclaimer: Wizards of the Coast does not officially endorse the following tactics, which are guaranteed to maximize your enjoyment as a Dungeon Master. First, always keep a straight face and say OK no matter how ludicrous or doomed the player’s plan of action is. Second, no matter what happens, pretend that you intended all along for everything to unfold the way it did. Third, if you’re not sure what to do next, feign illness, end the session early, and plot your next move. When all else fails, roll a bunch of dice behind your screen, study them for a moment with a look of deep concern mixed with regret, let loose a heavy sigh, and announce that Tiamat swoops from the sky and attacks.
Disclaimer: Any similarities between monsters depicted in this book and monsters that actually exist are purely coincidental. That goes double for mind flayers, which absolutely, utterly, and completely do not exist, nor do they secretly run the D&D team. Do we really need a disclaimer to tell you that? You shouldn’t use your brain to consider such irrational thoughts. They only make the mind cluttered, confused, and unpleasantly chewy. A good brain is nice, tender, and barely used. Go ahead, put down this book and watch some reality TV or Internet cat videos. They’re really funny these days. You won’t regret it. We say this only because we love you and your juicy, succulent gamer brain.
Disclaimer: Wizards of the Coast does not vouch for, guarantee, or provide any promise regarding the validity of the information provided in this volume by Volothamp Geddarm. Do not trust Volo. Do not go on quests offered by Volo. Do not listen to Volo. Avoid being seen with him for the risk of guilt by association. If Volo appears in your campaign, your DM is undoubtedly trying to kill your character in a manner that can be blamed on your own actions. The DM is probably trying to do that anyway, but with Volo’s appearance, you know for sure. We’re not convinced that Elminster’s commentary is all that trustworthy either, but he turned us into flumphs the last time we mentioned him in one of these disclaimers.
Disclaimer: No goldfish were harmed in the making of this book. Especially not Sylgar. Sylgar definitely did not die because we forgot to change his water. If you see Xanathar, make sure it knows that. Be perfectly clear Sylgar was not harmed. And we had nothing to do with it. Better yet, don’t bring it up, and don’t mention us.
Disclaimer: We asked Mordenkainen to write a humorous disclaimer for this book, and we got this response: “The day I start writing frivolous disclaimers for game manuals –particularly one riddled with text stolen from my notes – is the day I retire from wizardry and abandon all self-respect.”
Disclaimer: Contained herein are the observations of the archmage Tasha. Later known as the Witch Queen and then Iggwilv, she is one of the greatest wizards in the history of the multiverse. We fear this is an incantation hidden within these notes and have therefore bound this tome with powerful wards. If you are reading this, the first ward has already been broken! If you dare read any further, we cannot guarantee the safety of your soul or that you won’t open a portal to another plane of existence. If a portal does appear, pray that nothing worse than Tasha’s mother Baba Yaga appears. And if the mother of hags arrives, be sure to offer only praises of her daughter. Or offer muffins. She loves muffins.
Disclaimer: No guarantee is made that this book was or was not removed from the hoard of a dragon. Be aware that items taken from a dragon’s hoard might carry traces of the dragon’s inherent magic even long after they are removed from said hoard. Exposure to another dragon’s hoard can reawaken that magic, with unpredictable results.
Disclaimer: We asked the wizard Mordenkainen to write a humorous disclaimer for this book. We received this response: “The day I start writing frivolous disclaimers for game manuals is the day I retire from wizardry and abandon all self-respect.” Mordenkainen’s rival wizard Tasha apparently intercepted our request and sent us this note: “Mordenkainen lost his sense of humor somewhere between the City of Greyhawk and the Astral Plane. Keep your chins up, my dearest ones. The multiverse is filled with horrors, many of which are detailed in this book. Marshal your laughter and a few good spells. If we’re going to be devoured, better to face the darkness with a smile.”
Disclaimer: Bigby accepts no responsibility for injuries sustained by adventurers who seek out the glory of the giants without proper preparation, including but not limited to lightning strikes, falls from cloud castles, incineration, hypothermia, crushing boulders, or being sat upon.
Disclaimer: Wizards of the Coast cannot be held responsible for any actions undertaken by entities native to or currently inhabiting the Forgotten Realms, including necromancer lords of distant magocracies, resident mages of any or all Dales but especially Shadowdale, drow rangers wielding one or more scimitars and accompanied by one or more panthers, mad wizards inhabiting sprawling dungeons accessible via a well in the middle of a tavern, beholders who head up criminal cartels, and anyone with the word Many-Arrows in their name. In the event of a catastrophic encounter with any or all such entities, blame your Dungeon Master. If that doesn’t work, blame Ed Greenwood, but don’t tell him we told you that. He knows more archmages than we do.
Disclaimer: The Living Guildpact is not responsible for the fate of those who are arrested by the Azorius, beaten by the Boros, dodged by the Dimir, grossed out by the Golgari, gored by the Gruul, imploded by the Izzet, outwitted by the Orzhov, rousted by the Rakdos, subsumed by the Selesnya, or sickened by the Simic. Join or leave a guild at your own risk, and get caught up in guild politics at your peril.
Disclaimer: Acquisitions Incorporated has made every legal, moral, and arcane attempt to ensure the safety of the information contained herein. That being said, should an employee meet their end in the service of Acquisitions Incorporated, we do reserve the right to reanimate you to perform light office tasks. Maybe you should read these contracts more carefully, eh?
Disclaimer: Published by the brilliant gnomes of House Sivis, this illustrious volume exposes truths you won’t believe about the Last War! You might think that’s enough to satisfy you, dear reader, but there’s more! The book also contains dice-fueled rules for reenacting thrilling events in the world of Eberron (dice not included). Also, don’t forget to recharge this book’s magic with a dragonshard about once a week. If you don’t, the book will turn back into a potato.
Disclaimer: The continent of Wildemount and all peoples within are fictional and primarily exist to invite you and your friends into a world of exploration, imagination, and deep emotional catharsis through epic struggles and victories. We advise you to embrace failure as much as success, sadness as much as joy, and to remain vigilant when taking care of pets or animals you acquire on your adventures. Wizards of the Coast and Critical Role are not responsible for any mental trauma suffered by animal companions or domesticated fey creatures resulting from persistent danger and deadly challenges, nor are we responsible for whatever lack of passive Perception might lead to a failure to notice the animals’ rapid escape.
Disclaimer: By the sole act of opening this book, you acknowledge your complicity in the domains-spanning conspiracy that denied me, Azalin Rex, Wizard-King of Darkon, my rightful place as both author and cover model for what could have been so much more than this doubtful collection of lies and slanders. Fortunately, as I’ve recently found my immortality unburdened by the trivialities of rule, I have endless opportunity to pursue thorough vengeances for even the pettiest affronts. Please prepare for my coming. I expect to be quartered in the utmost comfort while we personalize your redefinition of the word “horror.”
Disclaimer: A degree from Strixhaven University does not provide protection from magic missiles, fireballs, freezing spheres, or any other deleterious effects spellcasters might generate. If you create deleterious effects, Strixhaven kindly requests you refrain from invoking any names, symbols, or other references to the university should you find yourself in a confrontation. Strixhaven University does not take responsibility for any injury of any nature sustained in the course of anything, magical or otherwise.
Disclaimer: Space sickness is a common malady that primarily affects world-huggers. Before embarking on a Wildspace voyage, consult your local apothecary for a suitable remedy, such as a box of crackers, a perfume-soaked handkerchief, or a mop.
Disclaimer: The following adventure contains chromatic dragons. Wizards of the Coast cannot be held liable for characters who are incinerated, dissolved, frozen, poisoned, or electrocuted.
Disclaimer: Wizards of the Coast urges adventurers to remember that not all rock creatures are earth elementals. A talking rock that controls boulders is a galeb duhr, A talking rock wearing jewelry is a dao. A silent rock that’s resistant to non-adamantine weapons is a stone golem. A rock with wings is a gargoyle. A rock without a K is a giant bird. A rock that sits there and does nothing could be just a rock or a balor disguised by an illusion. In all cases, proceed with caution.
Disclaimer: Before you take on demon lords, consult a physician. Do not drink alcohol while taking on demon lords. Taking alcohol and demon lords may increase your risk of death. Other side effects of demon lords may include hallucinations, mindless rage, gluttony, greed, paranoia, self-delusion, bestial urges, nihilism, hedonism, megalomania, a messiah complex, cannibalism, multiple personalities, and homicidal psychosis.
Disclaimer: Wizards of the Coast cannot be held liable for any long term side effects of venturing into the dread realm of Ravenloft, such as lycanthropy, vampirism, a fear of dead things, a fear of living things, an inability to sleep without a nightlight on and a +5 holy avenger under your pillow, and the unsettling suspicion that Strahd is too clever to be so easily defeated and that this is all just part of some grand scheme of his to extend his power beyond Barovia. You didn’t think you could escape unless he wanted you to, did you?
Disclaimer: Creatures and objects in this adventure are bigger than they appear. No giant beanstalks were damaged and no golden geese were harmed in the making of this book.
Disclaimer: Do we really need a disclaimer to tell you that it’s not our fault that your character died because you decided to climb down into a monster- and trap-filled hole in the ground?
Apart from the disclaimer above, this book also features a fun and unique “Name That Face” Quiz:
As proprietor of the Yawning Portal, Durnan has heard amazing tales from adventurers of all sorts from across the multiverse, as seen in this array of characters by Tyler Jacobson.
See if you can identify the face and the adventure found in Tales from the Yawning Portal.
*(An upside-down list revealing the answers to the faces from the cover of the book is revealed below.)
Disclaimer: This adventure will make your players hate you – the kind of simmering hatred that eats away at their souls until all that remains are dark little spheres of annihilation where their hearts used to be. PS Don’t forget to tear up their character sheets.
Disclaimer: The Lords of Waterdeep cannot be held responsible for the flogging, banishment, incarceration, or execution of adventurers who violate the Code Legal, nor are the Lords responsible for the actions of beholder crime lords, unscrupulous nobles, drow swashbucklers, and evil clones. Also, don’t be alarmed by the colossal statues scattered throughout the city. They’re quite safe and haven’t gone berserk in years.
Disclaimer: The Mad Mage of Undermountain is not seeing visitors right now. Don’t come down because, uh, we’re renovating and everything is a mess. You won’t find any treasure, and the buffet is closed until further notice. Ye gods, where did all these githyanki come from? As if the mind flayers weren’t bad enough. What’s that? You think you can plunder my home and get away with it? Ha! You don’t have the experience points.
After battling dragons, elemental cultists, vampires, demons, and giants, you deserve a relaxing ocean cruise. Please keep all vital limbs well within the ship’s confines. We are not responsible for valuables, hit points, or lives lost during your voyage. In fact, perhaps you’d prefer a more relaxing vacation option. Can we suggest a trip to the Nine Hells? They’re quite balmy this time of the year.
Disclaimer: This adventure is a work of fiction aimed at providing you and your friends with many hours of fantastic entertainment. Although devils and the Nine Hells play prominent roles in this story, the evil they represent is meant to be fought and overcome. Wizards of the Coast fully endorses the kicking of evil’s butt. Let darkness fall and light prevail! We strongly advise that you do not play this adventure backward, lest Asmodius appear in a puff of smoke to talk politics, as archfiends are wont to do.
Disclaimer: We at Wizards of the Coast here on Earth C-132 do not agree with our mirror selves on Earth C-141. Rick Sanchez is not and never will be considered the “greatest f***ing DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designer of all time,” even if he does have that very quote tattooed across his entire back –which is evidently how you qualify for jobs in C-141.
Disclaimer: The windswept tundra of Icewind Dale is the true test of one’s mettle. Here, it’s survival of the fittest! Don’t be fooled by the reindeer with glow-in-the-dark antlers and the tasty knucklehead trout (including the friendlier, more northerly Canucklehead variety). Icewind Dale is the frostbitten end of the world. You can’t spell dice without ice, my friend, and the Frostmaiden is not some demon prince, vampire, lich, beholder crime lord, or arch-devil. She’s a god – and a cold-hearted one at that.
Disclaimer: This book has been compiled by the Avowed of Candlekeep, in accordance with the wishes of the late Alaundo the Seer, whose prophecies foreshadow all events of consequence in the Forgotten Realms. Alaundo warned that anyone who unravels all the mysteries of this tome will be hunted down by the Time Dragons of Chronepsis, tossed into the gaping maw of Dendar the Night Serpent, and cast into the Vortex of Ineffable Damnation. Ha ha. What a sense of humor, that Alaundo!
Disclaimer: Dare to take a step into the dark backward and abysm of time? Know that Wizards of the Coast cannot be held responsible for those who enter the Feywild of their own accord. In the faerie realm, time gets twisted in knots. It might be months or years before you return to the real world. Enjoy the adventure while it lasts, and don’t be surprised if you encounter a few friends and foes from old editions lurking among the fey.
Disclaimer: The Netherdeep contains magical elements known to cause life-changing discoveries of ancient artifacts, red crystals growing out of your skin, long swims in dark places, aberrant fish, and enemies-to-friends-to-enemies plots. Consult a cleric or Matthew Mercer to see if the path to the Netherdeep is right for you.
Disclaimer: There is no guarantee that the light of the Radiant Citadel will be visible to the naked eye on your plane of existence, but know that it is there, whether seen or not.
Disclaimer: Wizards of the Coast is not responsible for the consequences of any failed saving throws, including but not limited to petrification, poison, death magic, dragon breath, spells, or vorpal sword-related decapitations.
Disclaimer: The Dragon Armies cannot ensure that owners of this book will not have their lives repurposed in the service of the Dragon Queen’s glorious will. Promises to the contrary should be considered best-case scenarios, not statements of certainty. Thank you for supporting the Dragon Armies and a cataclysmically bright future for all of Krynn.
Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall the Cult of the Dragon or its adherents, affiliates, partners, licensors, or thralls (enchanted or otherwise) be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or cataclysmic damages to the Material Plane, its features, denizens, geographies, spheres, or natural laws, arising from the acts, incarnations, servants, and ruinous whims of Tiamat, Queen of Dragons. Those seeking to avoid abject draconic annihilation should relocate to the nearest convenient afterlife or just try and stop us.
Disclaimer: The Golden Vault cannot be held responsible for the infiltration of any property by burglars or any other acquisition experts, or for the purloinment of any belongings, regardless of their worth of current ownership status. The Golden Vault disavows any individuals who claim association with the organization, which is legally nonexistent. Any individuals who swindle, manipulate, take advantage of, or otherwise harm innocents are subject to the Golden Vault’s legally imaginary scrutiny.
Disclaimer: The fanatics of Ilvaash can neither confirm nor deny whether they plot to incorporate this book’s owners into a mighty new Illithid Empire. Any transformations incurred, up to and including face tentacles, are strictly coincidental.
Did You Know There Are Disclaimers for the Older Editions too?
These disclaimers are actual disclaimers, unlike what you would find in the 5th edition books. Any and all D&D books from older editions will have this disclaimer attached to them on other websites courtesy of Wizards of the Coast:
We recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website, does not reflect the values of the Dungeon & Dragons franchise today. Some older content may reflect ethnic, racial and gender prejudice that were commonplace in American society at that time. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. This content is presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and we strive to make our D&D products as welcoming and inclusive as possible. This part of our work will never end.
Today I Learned That There Are 42+ Disclaimers For D&D
And almost every single one of them are funny. The only serious one is the one for the legacy editions, which makes sense considering the ever-changing times.
Reading through these all at once, I get the impression that the aim of the disclaimers for the 5th edition books is more to encapsulate the theme of that book. –But only in a funny way. For example, the theme of Tomb of Annihilation is simply that the players are guaranteed to have a bad time, and that it will be a hard adventure. The disclaimers are highly referential to famous characters in the D&D multiverse, real-life people like Matt Mercer, or in some cases, heavily influenced by the entertainment it’s derived from, like in Dungeons & Dragons vs Rick and Morty.
Talking about the referencing of characters in the D&D Multiverse specifically, I noticed that Wizards of the Coast loves to mention Xanathar and Mordenkainen the most. Xanathar, however, takes the cake. Wizards of the Coast routinely references him as the beholder crime lord in many different books. For those who don’t know, Xanathar is a crime lord in Waterdeep who operates a thieves guild. I just thought this was interesting, especially when reading everything together.
Which disclaimer was your favorite to read? Did I miss any disclaimers from other books or make a mistake somewhere? Let me know! Thank you for reading.
The Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG) for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (5e) is a pillar resource for DMs looking to create their own world with players willing to tell their stories in it. The focus of the DMG is primarily on world-building. It consists of three main sections which are meant to guide the DM throughout their game:
How to build the places your players will inhabit.
How to build the adventures and NPCs for players to do quests.
The adjudication of rules for specific player scenarios.
Let me start by saying this whole article is a matter of opinion. Whether you choose to read going forward is up to you. My main aim is to get fellow DMs thinking about what it really means to run a game. While this focuses on the DMG for 5e, this should translate well enough for Game Masters adjudicating other TTRPGs. The DMG is a vital resource, so why shouldn’t DMs and players take it literally? We’ll answer that question and then dive into those three sections of the DMG I mentioned above to talk about how I think people should interpret them.
The Role of The DM In The Dungeon Master’s Guide:
What makes a Dungeon Master stems from the introduction of the DMG (Pg4). In the intro, it explains the many roles of the DM:
Campaign Architect
Inventor
Storyteller
Writer
Actor
Referee
Essentially, the Dungeon Master is the one to take charge of their games. After all, they created the world the players participate in. It can be a heavy burden for certain people, especially when implementing the game’s rules. That said…
The DMG Helps You Improvise Your Games
Without rules, you don’t have a reliable game. Yet the DMG states it isn’t some law book for DMs to clutch to. –It turns out that breaking the rules of the Players Hand Book (PHB), modifying the creatures in The Monster Manual, and rebelling against ideas in the DMG for your own is encouraged. The DMs at Wizards of the Coast understand that various people will have different playstyles and worlds. No DM will play the same as the other, and that’s okay.
Here, I’ll summarize some of the critical points in the DMG’s three sections that allow the DM to change rules as they see fit:
Part 1: Master Of Worlds
To quote the very first sentence:
“Every DM is the creator of his or her own campaign world. Whether you invent a world, adapt a world from a favorite movie or novel, or use a published setting for the D&D game, you make that world your own over the course of a campaign.”
(DMG, Pg.4)
From the beginning, it tells us that you can adapt D&D to whatever you want to build your world upon. The DMG also introduces the idea that D&D is a multiverse where many planes and worlds coincidentally occur. It’s a fancy way of saying to DMs: “Do what you want!”
While this is a freeing thought, the guide also makes a point to say that consistency is a massive part of world-building.
“Consistency is a key to a believable fictional world. When the adventurers go back into town for supplies, they should encounter the same nonplayer characters (NPCs) they met before…Once you have achieved this degree of consistency, you can provide an occasional change…one that has nothing to do with the adventures directly, but one that they’ll notice –makes the players feel as though their characters are part of a living world that changes and grows along with them.”
(DMG, Pg.4)
Further, the DMG suggests that by using the PHB in conjunction with your world-building plans, you can merge them to serve your campaign’s needs.
Part 2: Master of Adventures
Part 2: Master of Adventures merely suggests that you’ll need to prepare beyond the hours you spend at the table with your players in a session.
That said, Part 2’s introduction states plainly how it will help you craft your own NPCs, including any motives and ambitions. This includes how to make up clever encounters in your story. It also says how you’ll create treasure, magic items, and special rewards so your players stay invested in your world.
The above are excellent hallmarks of consistent planning and improvisation on the DM’s part.
Part 3: Master Of Rules:
It is crucial to remember that the DMG states how important it is to have a referee who guarantees that everyone at the table plays by the rules. That said, eventually, a player’s actions would stump the most studious DM wanting to run their games Rules As Written (RAW) Style.
The DMG encourages DMs to faithfully determine what their player’s action requires or if it is even possible. Such scenarios include:
Mentally determining the Difficulty Check (DC) for an action the player may want to take.
Whether a unique action (Like throwing hot coals in an enemy’s face) imposes extra penalties or advantages for players.
Referencing the rules of the PHB to determine success or failure for player actions (Like how far a player can move to a target).
While the DMG mentions the above scenarios, there are no rules for these scenarios. –Just the suggestion that you, as a DM, must make that call yourself.
Interestingly, the DMG makes a hypocritical statement implying that you should know the rules to appropriately make the calls you need to make in the game while also saying that you don’t need to know everything. However, It closes that loophole with this beautiful quote:
“You don’t have to memorize this book or the Player’s Handbook, but you should have a clear idea of their contents so that, when a situation requires a ruling, you know where to find the proper reference.”
DMG (Pg. 5)
As long as you know where the rules reside in the PHB and the DMG, you will be doing okay as the DM. I believe this statement gives certain DMs leeway to bend the rules, but do so at your own risk and make sure that you are communicating with your players should you choose to do so. Or, like the dragon inside this article, they will eat you alive.
Taking Your Players Into Account
Believe it or not, the success of your world does not depend on how well you craft the environment, the people in it, the adventures, or the encounters.
It depends on if the players enjoy the experience you’re giving them.
“The success of a D&D game hinges on your ability to entertain the other players at the game table. Whereas their role is to create characters (the protagonists of the campaign), breathe life into them, and help steer the campaign through their characters’ actions, your role is to keep the players (and yourself) interested and immersed in the world you’ve created, and to let their characters do awesome things.” (DMG, Pg. 6)
(DMG, Pg.6)
The beauty of D&D is that it is a collaborative storytelling game. Suppose you plan to implement a novel complete with fully fleshed NPCs into your D&D game, complete with detailed revelations just waiting for your players to discover. In that case, you may encounter some serious issues.
Your NPCs are not the protagonists of the D&D world. Your players are.
The nuance of story writing for novels and short stories vastly differs from the writing required for D&D.
The arc of your story world will be trampled on and changed by the players in your D&D campaign based on the choices they are free to make.
I’ve moderated communities invested in storytelling and novels, and the one thing that stands out to me when reading for aspiring writers? They dump lore, backgrounds, and settings into their story without respecting the reader. Paragraph after paragraph of…just get to the action already! Similarly, for D&D, your players want to play the game and get to the action. I’m not saying you shouldn’t design a detailed world. But you have to go about it with the idea that D&D is more a game than a story. Leaving loopholes open and questions unanswered for your players to latch onto is the best thing you can do to introduce your custom-made world to the game.
Moving away from that tangent, I want to highlight some of the things the DMG recommends for DMs to consider when it comes to their players:
Acting: Similar to the requirement of DMs, players can act out their character. Let them!
Exploring: Understand how much your players enjoy exploring in the game. Providing them with something to uncover the mystery of your world is as easy as giving them monsters or scenes with peculiar details to start investigating.
Instigating: Instigators should be allowed to start trouble in your world. It’s up to you to give them the appropriate consequences for getting into encounters that are fun for everybody. Don’t be afraid to let the instigator’s actions change the world around them.
Fighting: Similarly, players who like to fight should have you focused on how combat proceeds, thanks to their actions, with vivid detail if at all possible.
Optimizing: Players who like to optimize their characters should be rewarded with new abilities and items. It’s wise to give these players encounters that let them shine.
Problem-Solving: Problem solvers would likely love encounters that reward planning and tactics and challenging them with NPCs that have complex motives.
Storytelling: Players who love to tell stories are at home when they know they can participate in the DM’s overarching plot. –Using their character background, ensuring encounters advance the story, and making their actions known in future events is recommended.
Implementing a portion of these suggestions from the DMG will help you craft a world that collaborates and compromises with the player’s needs and the DM’s. Having a Session 0 will help you determine your player’s needs as the story progresses. You need to ask them what they want out of the game.
An Argument for RAW (Rules As Written):
My article describes many snippets that I’ve found that support the idea of flexibility when it comes down to the rules of D&D. After all, it is a free-form game where game decisions, consequences, and player reactions will always put the DM to task when it comes down to wayward rulings. It makes sense when it comes down to consistency and reliance when playing D&D RAW style.
You will always have the PHB, the DMG, and the other supporting books behind you when you make your rulings at the table.
Players will be at ease knowing they will be treated equally at the table. Favoritism is a hard accusation to point at a DM who plays their games RAW.
Again, consistency is key for playing D&D regularly. Following the rules by the book is guaranteed to allow everybody to have fun at your sessions.
However, when it comes to making calls on the fly, RAW-style gameplay falters when:
You can’t find the specific rule in an official manual.
There is no particular rule in the official manual.
I say you shouldn’t overthink it. Sometimes, when a ruling needs to be made, it’s time to let go of RAW Style when it doesn’t work and exercise the most potent D&D rule. Just make sure not to abuse it:
Whatever you say goes. –Or the Rule of Cool.
If a really extraordinary circumstance pops up, and you are unsure if it’s allowed in the rules…why not let it happen?
If there is an action that makes sense to play, but there’s no official rule for conducting it faithfully, why not make something up and move along?
I am not the best DM in the world, but some of my best moments in the game were when I bent the rules to allow the player to do something unique. –And it ensured everyone had a blast, too.
After all, you are the Dungeon Master.
I hope that this article helps anyone thinking about running their own game, or currently doing so think about the impacts of how they choose to implement rulings for their players.
When I first started playing D&D a few years ago, I was enthralled with the idea of seeing how my friends would react to situations I would come up with on the fly. I remember that after a game of D&D, my friends and roommates would sit around, just talking. Seemingly, we still wanted to play, but the DM wasn’t around anymore. So we played pretend instead. –I wasn’t even really DMing with the rules of D&D…we were just rolling a d20 and having a blast through a scenario involving breaking into a castle.
Fun times.
My point is that the soul of D&D is in the mutual storytelling itself. The make-believe encounters we put ourselves in so we can socialize, laugh, and talk through together. No rules are required for that. Just willing sacrifices. Err, players.
You are a half-orc Barbarian that has the Berserker Specialization. As a new player, you are enthralled to finally reach level 3 after intense fighting with bandits in the forest. As the party rests for the night, you all make the mistake of keeping the fire lit, where the bandits continue to creep, and a raid comes.
It’s showtime.
Imagine this, but it’s in a forest lol
You rage as soon as possible, and on your next turn, you try out your new ability, Frenzy. –Which allows the Barbarian class to attack an enemy as a bonus action while you are enraged!
This raid lasts more than six rounds, requiring the Barbarian to use up 2 total rages. –Which means two Frenzy abilities.
Ugh. According to the Dungeon Master, you get two levels of exhaustion. Your speed is halved now, and you have a disadvantage on every ability check. Suddenly, you find yourself in hot water. Literally.
A volcano explodes around the forest, sending geysers of hot and steaming water out of the forest ground! Turns out you’re fighting in an ancient volcanic crater. And it chose now of all times to blow! The DM purses their lips before asking you to make a Constitution saving throw.
Nat 1.
The geysers are too hot to take over a prolonged period, and you get another level of exhaustion due to the heat. The raiders are still coming, though, and the poor Barbarian now has a disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws. What an unlucky scenario!
After the session, the Barbarian player has questions about the exact function of the exhaustion condition…
What is Exhaustion?
Exhaustion is a condition that has long-term effects on creatures, including monsters and player characters. There are six levels:
Level 1: Disadvantage on ability checks.
Level 2: Speed halved.
Level 3: Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws.
Level 4: Hit Point maximum halved.
Level 5: Speed reduced to 0.
Level 6: Death.
As you can see, each level of exhaustion has a compounding effect. Each level above is more detrimental than those below, and each level persists until that particular exhaustion level is lowered.
Every level is quite self-explanatory, aside from Level 6. So I’ll explain that one in detail.
More About Level 6: Death
I personally like to think level 6 exhaustion is like a heart attack from over-exertion. Your heart stops. While every DM could adjudicate this differently, I treat level 6 exhaustion deaths as simple as it can be:
The affected player character dies.
There is no chance for saving throws.
There are no death saves to roll.
The only way to reverse level 6 exhaustion would be to revive the player from death.
Conveniently, the specific rules related to the exhaustion condition state that players raised from the dead will automatically have a point of exhaustion removed. This defeats the inevitable loophole that would have otherwise been created. (Raised from the dead, with level 6 exhaustion still!?! Death to you!)
How To Properly Play With Exhaustion In The Game
The main point of exhaustion is to play around with detrimental effects that your players can get into, either through their character abilities (like Frenzy), sleeplessness, starvation and thirst, how they interact with extreme environmental temperatures, from strenuous exercises, or from specific monsters. To help people looking to find the save DC (Difficulty Challenge) for determining exhaustion, I highlighted those DCs and other important information about that subject in bold.
Exhaustion Involving Abilities:
Class Features like Frenzy and spells like Sickening Radiance(4th level Evocation) can cause exhaustion, either for the player or their target. Make sure to read the ability and apply the effect correctly.
For quick reference, I noted any ability or spell that I’ve found and noted how exhaustion triggers from their use:
After Frenzy is used, one level of exhaustion is applied when the Barbarian’s Rage ability ends. There is no saving throw.
Sickening Radiance (4th level Evocation) Spell:
This ability affects all creatures in a 30-foot radius. If they fail a Constitution saving throw, one level of exhaustion applies. However, this effect is removed as soon as the spell ends, so it is temporary.
The Wizard must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw when this spell ends. If they fail, they suffer one point of exhaustion.
Exhaustion Involving Sleeplessness:
While going without sleep is rare in my games of D&D, it is vital to know the consequences if players don’t want to sleep through a long rest.
Creatures that endure a whole day without finishing a long rest must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If they fail, they suffer one level of exhaustion.
Going multiple days without sleeping increases the Difficulty Challenge. The DC increases by 5 for each consecutive 24-hour period that the creature goes without rest.
The DC resets back to 10 after they finish a long rest.
Exhaustion Involving Starvation And Thirst:
Similarly to sleep, eating and drinking are also required to prevent exhaustion.
Food:
According to the Player’s Handbook (PHB), Players must eat one ration per day (one pound of food). Eating half a ration can count as half a day without food. Duh!
Anyway, exhaustion takes effect when a character goes without food for several days.
This is the exact calculation before exhaustion can take effect: 3 days + Constitution Modifier (minimum 1). Each day beyond this limit gives that creature one level of exhaustion.
This resets after eating a complete ration.
Water:
A creature needs one gallon of water per day. If they drink about half that amount by the end of that day, they must roll a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. Should they fail, they gain one level of exhaustion.
There is no saving throw if they drink no water that day. Straight to exhaustion jail! Players must drink two gallons of water daily if the weather is hot. Drink up.
Exhaustion Involving Extreme Temperatures:
Extreme Cold:
In environments with frigid temperatures, anyone exposed must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throwfor every hour they remain in that environment. If they fail, they gain one level of exhaustion.
The DC curiously does not evolve to more challenging levels.
You do not need to make a saving throw if:
You are adapted to cold climates.
You have resistance or immunity to cold damage.
You are wearing warm clothing.
Extreme Heat:
In environments with a very high temperature, anyone exposed without access to drinkable water must make a DC 5 Constitution saving throw in the first hour they remain in that environment. If they fail, they suffer one level of exhaustion.
Unlike for the extreme cold, the Constitution saving throw DC is set to increase by 1 for each additional hour (So 3 total hours in a hot environment means a DC 7 CON save).
Any creature with heavy clothing, medium armor, or heavy armor must roll with a disadvantage on the Constitution saving throw.
You do not need to make a saving throw if:
You are adapted to hot climates.
You have resistance or immunity to heat damage.
Exhaustion Involving Strenuous Exercises:
As far as I could research on exhaustion when it comes to strenuous activity, I can only find two such exercises that factor in exhaustion as a possible penalty:
Chases:
Sometimes, you must chase a target, like a thief or a running enemy. The Dungeon’s Master Guide (DMG) has specific rules for the Dash ability during chase scenes, which can end with players suffering multiple levels of exhaustion.
Participants in the chase must use this calculation to determine how many consequence-free Dashes they can take: 3 + their Constitution Modifier.
For any Dashes taken after that, the player must take a DC 10 Constitution check at the end of their turn. Any failure means they gain a level of exhaustion. Suppose a creature reaches exhaustion level 5 in the chase. In that case, they automatically have to drop out, as their speed is effectively at 0.
Strangely, the DMG is forgiving with players who suffer exhaustion after chase scenes. They can complete a short or long rest to remove all levels of exhaustion, no matter how many levels they reached. Very interesting!
Swimming:
Concerning prolonged swimming activity, exhaustion matters a lot. The specific rules from the DMG vary depending on the depth you are swimming. This only affects creatures that do not have a swimming speed:
Surface Level: For each hour you swim, you must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion.
Swimming under 100 feet of water: Each hour counts as two hours instead, which means you gain two levels of exhaustion should you fail the above saving throw.
Swimming under 200 feet of water: Each hour counts as four hours instead, which means four levels of exhaustion should you fail the saving throw. Very dangerous!
The DC 10 Constitution saving throw for the creature can be ignored if they use a magical item that aids in swimming.
Monsters That Cause Exhaustion:
For players wary of spoilers, you have been warned. The list of monsters that cause exhaustion is rare and far in between. Here is a list of some that I’ve found:
Soul Monger (CR11, Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes):
This elf abomination from the Shadowfell has an Area of Effect ability that can cause exhaustion. If you are caught in their weariness aura (60 ft. cube), you must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or suffer damage and one point of exhaustion.
Accursed Defiler (CR4, Tome of Beasts):
This undead creature features a slam attack. If they make a critical hit, the target gets one level of exhaustion on top of the damage rolled.
Atropal (CR30 , Tomb of Annihilation):
Again, beware of spoilers. I am horrified to learn of the Atropal… This undead god-baby can take a legendary action to wail. Any creature within 120 feet of it must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. Good luck.
Now You Know What Exhaustion Does In D&D 5e!
Upon researching the subject, I got into it thinking that the simple set of rules for exhaustion would be an easy writing exercise. However, after some exhaustive research (hah), I quickly discovered some specific nuances involving the condition that I had never considered. This was a wonderful learning experience for me, and I hope you found this useful for you, too. –Whether you are a player or a fellow Dungeon Master like myself, I hope you enjoyed the read.
While I took a lot of time reading and researching, I may have missed some official exhaustion rules. I suspect I’ve missed some monsters in the D&D universe, but I don’t know. Please leave a comment if I missed anything that I should add so I can help others look up this unique feature of the game.
Lightning strikes the sky over Barovia, the country of Strahd Von Zarovich. Blue light flashes, revealing the thick, creeping woods. An illuminated river from a local lake curves through this patch of land. Five adventurers tasked with saving a lost child decide to cross this river. They don’t want to go around. Thankfully, a large old tree serves as a natural bridge for crossing.
So they crossed it. They regretted it.
The tree crumbled, and one failed dexterity check meant one player was in the water. They were swept away! And the worst news? The lightning flashes again, revealing the vampire overlord, Strahd, calling to slaughter the undead party member who managed to escape his grasp. –And he brought his wolves and bats too!
Oh, Gods! Chaos was afoot, and initiative was rolled.
One of my players had the brilliant idea to throw a rope to save the river-swept team member. But a question was raised when I, the DM, asked the player to roll a strength check to see how far they could throw it.
Should throwing a rope require a strength check or a dexterity check?
I could feel this question’s pausing effect on the game, like a Twix commercial that lasted more than the 30-second time slot allowed. I had opted to research the question later instead of just that moment. I enforced the strength check. After all, there were many more important things happening at that moment. River player drowning! Vampire attack! A question about a rope thrown just wasn’t that high of a priority.
But now it is.
So what is the specific correct answer right now? Here:
There is none! At least nothing related to throwing a rope directly in the description of any rulesets I own. The only descriptor for a standard piece of Adventuring Gear rope, whether silk or hempen made, is posted below:
“Rope. Rope, whether made of hemp or silk, has 2 hit points and can be burst with a DC 17 Strength check.”
In his post, The mad genius even calculated the physical properties of actual rope and effectively proved what a 17 DC strength check allegedly looks like in real life. Hey, good job breaking that 1-inch rope with ~8,500 lbs of force! Do not slap my back. It’s fragile.
Right, right. We’re not tearing rope apart. We’re throwing it. Hey, remember we’re having a Twix here.
So, seeing the rope description lacking what you could do RAW (Rules As Written), I decided to focus on the next set of rules that would clear this question.
If throwing is an action taken by the player, then what is an action?
“When you describe an action not detailed elsewhere in the rules, such as throwing, the GM tells you whether that action is possible and what kind of roll you need to take, if any, to determine success or failure.”
SRD, pg. 93 “Actions in Combat”
It’s certainly possible to throw a rope. So what kind of roll do we need to play? It circles back around to either Strength or Dexterity. So, let’s talk about those!
Strength:
It is an Ability check.
It is used for physical force or athleticism.
It is used for weapons such as melee.
It is used for weapons using a thrown property, even when they have finesse properties.
Dexterity:
It is an Ability check.
It is used for agility, reflexes, and balance.
It is used for thrown weapons with finesse properties.
Here, the answer for what to use to throw the rope is clear. I was right to assume my player needed to use a Strength check to throw their rope and save their friend. The rope in 5e does not come with the finesse property attached to its description. And no, I’m not ignoring the whip, a martial weapon with the finesse property attached to it. In my opinion, a whip is not a rope until it’s turned into that weapon through crafting.
But there is something I never really cared to implement in my past games faithfully. What would be the DC (Dice Check) for the throw? Having thought about it, I discovered it depends on the type of rope they use!
In my opinion, the DC should vary between the type of rope used in the attempt:
Hemp rope should have a DC 10 Strength check depending on game difficulty.
Silk rope should have a DC 5 Strength check depending on game difficulty.
This course of action rewards players who invested their gold into the lighter silk rope, while a stiff but fair penalty exists for players considering cheap hempen rope, which is much heavier.
Regarding a Dexterity check, I’d reserve that action for catching the rope if it’s vital.
But before we get to overdoing things, let’s unpause the scene.
The way the players handled the situation was outstanding overall. The player was saved, another player fell in the water, and they were saved while Strahd’s wolves were impaling themselves on an unseen Spike Growth spell. Thanks, child Sorcerer player.
It was just a slaughter on the side of the monsters. The bats rolled a 1 to attack. Twice. They dove into the river like suicidal things, never to fly again. The wolves and dire wolves got their asses kicked by the river and the players. It was great. Strahd, disgusted with how the fight turned out, dispelled from the scene, leaving only mist in his wake. Now with an opportunity for some muted peace, the players still have to find the missing child.
What do you think? Have I missed something in my research of everything tying up your game pace involving tossing rope?
Either way, I hope this helps you throw a rope in a similar tabletop role-playing game… or that you enjoyed this strange piece. Thanks for reading.
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