So, to share my love of hags and hopefully convince you of their potential as allies and antagonists, here are 3 side quests for the wicked and the wonderful.

Think Happy Thoughts

The Hook

An Archfey has lost their shadow and needs the party’s help to reattach it.

The Line

To truly restore the shadow it must be sewn onto the archfey’s feet with thread made from the hair of a shadow demon and a needle made from a hag’s tooth.

The Sinker

The archfey knows of a hag (Mother Weyndii) who might help, but she was once their lover and may still harbor some ill will… But if the party performs 3 tasks for her she will give them a tooth, and tell them where they might find a shadow demon.

To Sleep: Perchance

The Hook

A town is plagued with horrible nightmares causing them to forsake sleep.

The Line

Lack of sleep is causing irritation and accidents amongst the populous. This all started a week ago when several children saw a hag sneaking out of the town early in the morning.

The Sinker

3 days walk from town lives a hag atop a dark hill surrounded by pricking briars and vicious beasts. The hut is warded with magical traps. The hag however, is very kind. She has been eating the nightmares of the town for the past 100 years so that they may sleep well, but a week ago she fell very ill after eating a particularly bad dream and barely made it home. She needs the party to fetch a bundle of Violet Fungus so that she can make a potion to heal herself.

Poor Unfortunate Soul

The Hook

The party’s bard meets a beautiful, but mute, stranger in a tavern and awakes the next day without a voice.

The Line

A coven of sea hags learned of the beauty of the bard’s voice and hated it. Disguising one of their number as a creature of beauty they slipped powdered chokeweed into the bard’s drink, allowing them to steal the bard’s voice in the night.

The Sinker

The party must track the hags back to their lair, a grotto beneath an island in the nearby bay, and reclaim the bard’s voice by trade, wit, or violence.

What stories do you like to tell with or about hags? What terrifying or terrific encounters have your players (or you!) had with hags? What other creatures would you like us to shine some focus on? Let us know!

The post 3 Wicked and Wonderful Side Quests appeared first on The Arcanery.

“LET ME SPEAK TO YOUR MANAGER“

Do you have a Karen in your shop, town or campaign?

This potion is a shopkeeper’s dream!

Add this to your campaign to give characters, NPCs or Karen-like creatures a calming effect by suppressing their emotions for 1d4 hours.

Also calms down angry monsters too! 

 Get this and more in our pdf of 20 Magical Potions in the June subscription of our Patreon!

Our new Patreon is uniquely designed to support you, the game master, with the very best, the most creative and the most quality content we can muster. That’s our pact.

What’s the Deal?

For as little as $1.00 USD per month, you can be an integral member of our adventuring party as we create quality content, dream up fantastical one-shots and publish our exclusive, Patreon-only podcast.

What’s Included?

We have 7 tiers to choose from. Get monthly maps, exclusive voting power, access to our discord, one-shot adventures, join in on our monster night, and more! You could even join our Pact of Playtester and get credited as a playtester in our published adventures! Make the pact with us, and you’ll receive gobs and heaps of support that make your games slash and sizzle.

Where Do I Go?

Check out the new Patreon here.

Wishing you nat 20s,

The Arcanery

The post The Potion Of Calm Karen appeared first on The Arcanery.

Here I will try and give you the definitive definition of what railroading is and how to know when to use it.

What the hell is Railroading really?

Railroading in the “bad” sense means taking away agency from your players. Waiting for them to pick the right story hook for “your” story to continue and not the collaborative story of the table. The reason why I say in the “bad” sense is because there is a good way to railroad and here is where I will implement a new term coined by our very own they/them Sean which is “Carpooling”.

Carpooling is the good form of railroading. You, the Game Master, are the driver and all your players are in the same car and are headed to a location you all agreed on. You might deviate from the path because one person might need to use the restroom or want some coffee but ultimately you’re the driver and will get to the destination eventually.

When should I carpool?

Now that we’ve defined what railroading is as well as coin a new term, let’s figure out when to use it!

The short answer is to never ever railroad your players. Don’t ever take agency away from your them. That is not what these games are about.

But when it comes to carpooling I would suggest using this when your players are unsure of where to go. I like remind my parties of what they wanted to accomplish and give them options along the way. If we’re still using the carpool analogy its as if someone wanted coffee but the only shops are 20 minutes away or maybe they forgot they wanted coffee so before we get going you’ll pull into your local coffee shop and then head back on the road!

I hope this clears things up for you and you start using the term carpooling! If you want to listen more in depth stay tuned for our podcast episode on this very subject.

Happy Adventuring!

The post What Does Railroading Actually Mean? appeared first on The Arcanery.

So what do you need?

We all love to collect things and Wizards of the Coast makes that pretty easy with all of their special edition books and amazing minis. Hell, I’ve got over 10 of their books ranging from the core three (Players Handbook, Dungeon Masters Guild and Monster Manual) to campaign settings and supplemental content. But if I had a fireball aimed at me and I had to tell the truth as to what you actually needed to run a game digitally I’d say a Discord server, some players and a Players Handbook. Truly you can run an amazing game with just that. I’d like to go into a little more detail on the Discord server real quick.

You may have noticed that I didn’t say you needed dice. I’m what you might call a Dice Goblin and it hurts to say this but you don’t actually need a physical set of dice. Discord has a ton of tools to help your campaign and one of them is a dice roller! I use Avrae for dice rolling but that bot can do so much more and I’d suggest following the link at the end of this post to see all of the features. I’d also recommend a bot to schedule your games. You can set up the game and it will send a notification to your players when it gets close to game time! I’ve had a lot of luck with Apollo and once again I’ll link it in the end. Past bots you can create channels within your server to help organize the campaign. Some channels I recommend are dice rolling to keep the clutter down in the general chat, player notes if your players want some common knowledge area, schedule channel, magic items channel to keep descriptions in one place, and a quotes channel for funny things your friends say throughout the campaign.

Kamm’s Tips for a Digital Campaign

1. If you aren’t using maps or only breaking them out when its a huge combat you’re going to need to be on point with your descriptions. Make sure to include the dimensions of the space your players are in as well as any interesting details and know you’re going to say those details 10 times before then end of the fight.
2. Send personal info in a private DM to your players. Just like handing your players a note at the table, sending a message to them during the session with some private info of something they only see adds so much to the session and its so simple.
3. USE 5E TOOLS! If you have a hard time organizing all of the tabs you need open with monster stat blocks, conditions and what they do and your google docs of notes then using this site will help a ton. You can easily create a GM screen with stat blocks and conditions as well as so much more.
4. Stay hydrated! This was a thing before we had to go digital but you’re going to be talking a lot more which means its even more important to stay hydrated. I like to keep a large water bottle next to my computer as well as some tea with honey.

I truly hope this helps your adventures. It was trial and error for all of my games but eventually we got the hang of it and looking back I wish I had something like this to read while figuring it all out. Happy adventuring!

Kamm’s Recommended Online Tools:

• https://5e.tools/
  https://avrae.io/
  https://apollo.fyi/

The post What do you need to run Dungeons and Dragons online? appeared first on The Arcanery.

1) Keep it secret, keep it safe

The drive, and fun, of horror is that it allows us to explore those dark areas of the world and our own minds in a safe way. The thrill of the adrenaline rush, the ability to detach and think about how we would survive or cope with the terror, these things can be incredibly exciting to watch or read about, but given the chance to put those thoughts in practice – have them happen not to us, but to someone who we are determining the actions and fate of, can be even more thrilling. However, with that added thrill comes an added risk of vulnerability. When we are living, even vicariously, through horrifying experiences there is always a danger of it hitting too close to home.

Because it is so much easier for us to get sucked into these dark places when role playing, the absolute most important part of running a horror campaign, or adding elements of horror to an existing one, is making sure that everyone at the table (metaphorical or not) is safe and comfortable. This also includes you as the GM. Remember that your players are not in your head (unless…are they? What was that sound? Is the call coming from inside the house!?) so it is important that you make your boundaries clear as well.

If you are starting off a fresh campaign this should happen leading up to and/or a part of your session zero, but if you are thinking of adding horror into an existing campaign you need to make sure and check in with the group and set some ground rules before jumping into those dark places where things can jump out at (and into) you. Chapter 4 of Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft has some excellent tips and guidelines for making intentions, themes, and boundaries clear and Monte Cook Games has put out an incredible resource, Consent in Gaming, which is free on their site. Both of these are fantastic resources, and I highly recommend looking them over before starting any campaign, but especially if you are planning on using horror themes.

Even once you have established ground rules, remember that people can change and that things may come up that you or a player hadn’t thought of before that hit a nerve. To ensure everyone’s enjoyment at the table, we all need to be flexible and accept that boundaries can shift. Something we didn’t think would bother us may turn out to be harmful or uncomfortable and that needs to be respected no matter when it comes up. If you’re running a horror game make sure that you have safety measures in place so that you or anyone else at the table can comfortably express any concern or discomfort if that situation arises.

2) Setting the mood

As people who have listened to our podcast may know, I am canonically one of those darker queers, and one of my absolute favourite parts of using horror elements in ttrpgs is creating an atmosphere of horror.

The brilliant game Ten Candles has a mechanic where the whole game is played by candle light. As the game progresses the lights of the titular ten candles are snuffed out one by one, till the last one is snuffed out and the game comes to an end. The tension and dread that this creates adds a layer to the collective storytelling that elevates each game and keeps it fresh every time you play. Ten Candles is designed to help you create an atmosphere of despair and tension, but even if you are using a different system there are easy things you can do to amplify your game.

If you are lucky enough to be able to play in person, utilizing lighting can be an amazing way to drop your players deeper into the darker recesses of their imagination. Whether by creating a dim atmosphere with candlelight, or grabbing some coloured LEDs or stained light bulbs, adjusting the lighting can instantly drop your players further into the world. 

Is your party walking into a den of vampires? Switch over to 2 or 3 red light bulbs and cut the rest of the lights. You walk into a large chamber, everything is dim but for a dull red light that suffuses the room. You hear a strange pulsing beat and you are uncertain if it is music or the dull rapid thudding of terrified hearts beating in sync. Before you are a group of impossibly attractive humanoids, but as you watch their faces pull back in terrible sneers revealing monstrous visages and empty eyes as they sink hideously long teeth into the necks of the townsfolk, sitting slack mouthed with vacant looks of rapture on their faces.

Sound is an even easier way to emphasize atmosphere. What would ALIEN be without it’s amazing score and sound design? The screeching violins of Psycho are a comedic trope these days, but the tension of that scene would have been so much less without them. Tabletop Audio is a fantastic free resource (and not just for horror) of music and sound effects to add a layer to your game, and movie or video game scores can be easily found on youtube, spotify, or – if you are like me – your personal music collection. Going for creepy? Try carnival music or children singing literally anything. Few things are as creepy as children singing slowly.

A highly important caveat to all of this is that you must take player needs into account, and that goes back to session zero. Many people have difficulty with, or sensitivity to, audio and visual stimuli. Your goal should always be to enhance the experience, not make it difficult or unenjoyable to participate in. Be respectful of your players’ needs and requirements when it comes to adjusting lighting or adding in sound.

3) Look for the light

An important, and often overlooked, aspect of horror is knowing when to ease off, or break, the tension. If you consume as much horror media as I do you might have noticed that a key component to the genre is knowing when to back away from the dark. This can be done with comedy, adding moments of levity to the story can let the next scare, tragedy, or twist hit that much harder, romance, which can lead to dramatic scenes and terrible choices, or simply returning to more traditional scenes or sessions, where everything feels normal for a while so that the creeping horror slips into the background til the players feel like everything is finally safe and you can pull the rug out from under them again.

There are a myriad of ways to break the tension in a game, and doing so serves a dual purpose. It allows you and the players some breathing room, time to regroup (especially if you’ve been riding the line of what is comfortable) and also gives you the ability to heighten the impact of the next terror you unleash upon your world.

Out of game, make sure you are checking in with your players. If your session has ended in a dark place, make sure you leave time at the end to spend some time together out of game. This doesn’t need to be long, but allow yourself and your players the space to let the session go and relax. Even if the characters are in a horrible place, don’t leave the people in that place. Give space or everyone to talk about the session so that when you all head off to the real world you aren’t dwelling in those dark places. Leave that for the recap next session.

4) Remember why you’ve chosen horror

As I said earlier, I love horror. I’m going to take a hard stance and say that horror has been an integral part of the human experience as long as we’ve been telling stories, and it can be a fantastic addition to your campaign or one shot. However, when you consider using it you must focus on the reasons why you want to use it. Don’t be cruel or unkind to your players. Remember that this is a game, and while being scared and uncomfortable can be fun for some people, there is always a limit. For some people that limit is any at all. This is a collaborative and social genre of games. Know your limits, know your players’ limits, and if you cross a line – stop. Don’t double down. There’s no need to make excuses. Just stop, adjust, and move forward in a way that ensures everyone is still having fun. We all make mistakes. We’re all human.

Well, I’m an ancient horror from beyond time and space – spawned in the darkness of a dying universe and sent here to consume the minds and happiness of mortal beings. But even I make mistakes.

So go forth. Conjure the dark. Find those quiet places where unknown things lurk, and twist the folds of reality to discover the deep places in yourself where even devils fear to tread.

The post 4 Tips for Running Horror TTRPG Games appeared first on The Arcanery.

Pacts .

Without them, we’re all just lonely wandering monsters  in a kobold eat kobold world.

To keep us together while we traverse the unknown, we’re asking our loyal friends to join us in a pact as we launch our newest feature –

Our new Patreon is uniquely designed to support you, the game master, with the very best, the most creative and the most quality content we can muster. That’s our pact.

What’s the Deal?

For as little as $1.00 USD per month, you can be an integral member of our adventuring party as we create quality content, dream up fantastical one-shots and publish our exclusive, Patreon-only podcast.

What’s Included?

We have 7 tiers to choose from. Get monthly maps, exclusive voting power, access to our discord, one-shot adventures, join in on our monster night, and more! You could even join our Pact of Playtester and get credited as a playtester in our published adventures! Make the pact with us, and you’ll receive gobs and heaps of support that make your games slash and sizzle.

Where Do I Go?

Check out the new Patreon here.

Make the pact today and let’s begin our journey together!

The post Support Us On Patreon appeared first on The Arcanery.

1. Where are your players?This is a simple question but it truly helps with the beginning of this process. We don’t just wanna drop another random human in the mix. So where are your players? Are they in a tavern in the Underdark? Why not use one of the many Underdark races? Maybe your players are traveling therefore there are so many things you can create. In that case I’d ask myself…
2. Where are your players going?You can create NPCs that foreshadow what they’re going to see in the next city or within the dungeon they’re headed to.
3. What personality does this NPC have?A lot of the time we make NPCs that want to help guide our players to the next adventure, sell them supplies or aid them in their quest. Lets not forget there are more emotions out there. Why not have a strict shopkeeper that has a large sign that says “NO HAGGLING”? Or maybe an overly nice NPC that has a dark secret?
4. Where does the NPC land in character building?After you figure out all of the above you then ask yourself where they land. By which I mean, do you need a stat block for this NPC or not. If this NPC is gonna go with your players on the adventure then you might need a to build out a sheet for them. If they are a shopkeeper you might just need the bare minimum which to me is Health, AC, and a few special abilities.

   And that’s it! Of course there can be so much more to building an NPC but these tips will certainly help you start creating more diverse and interesting NPCs for your campaigns. Check out A GMs Toolbox where we discuss in length about building NPCs with my friend Pat!

The post Tips on How to Build an NPC appeared first on The Arcanery.

However, maybe it feels like there are a few things standing in your way of actually getting a game going. Maybe you don’t know what to do with miniatures, grid or hex maps, and a 5 foot free step. Maybe your group has had to go digital due to the ongoing pandemic and none of the VTTs out there have really worked for you. Maybe you just really don’t want to make a map for tonight’s encounter. You’ve got your group, you’ve got your game, but for whatever reason detailed maps and minis just aren’t your thing. This is where Theatre of the Mind becomes your best friend.

But Sean, WTF is Theatre of the Mind?

Well, I am so glad you asked! At its core, theatre of the mind is just a fancy phrase for utilizing group imagination and collaborative suspension of disbelief. Moving through the sequence of events (the scenes) of the game without physical representations of the people or locations you are interacting with. If you’ve ever played a TTRPG before, you’ve almost certainly participated in theatre of the mind. Lemme give you an example.

“Your party has recently arrived in town and you wish to offload some loot and pick up some improved equipment so you head to the nearest blacksmith. Amidst the sweltering heat of the forge and the thick smell of blade oil you strike up a conversation with the thick muscled owner of the shop. You sell off some of your goods, haggle over the price of a silvered sword (you talk her down by 5 gold with the promise that you’ll use the blade to investigate a series of rumours about werebadgers in the area) and head out to meet the rest of the party.”

See? While reading that I hope conjured a scene in your mind, you’ve probably had a similar interaction in one of your games. Maybe it was a bar not a smithy, maybe you were doing a backroom deal selling some documents you found while hacking into The Corporation’s database, but whatever it was – did your GM draw out a map for the encounter or did you just play out the scene? If you just played out the scene you’ve engaged in theatre of the mind. You performed an improvised “scene” without the aid of a map or mini. And that’s what we are talking about when we speak of theatre of the mind in TTRPGs. Creating scenes in our imaginations without the aid of a map.

Okay. Sure. But what about COMBAT?

Wow, you’re really on it with the questions today! Combat is where many people feel like they need maps. A lot of this is due to the fact that TTRPGs are the spiritual offspring of war gaming. Games like Little War, Axis and Allies, and Chainmail informed the basis of early D&D and as such TTRPGs as a whole owe a lot to the battles fought on those tables, and the maps and minis that made them possible. But I’m here to tell you that you can have just as dynamic, exciting, and tense combat encounters in your imagination as you can on a map. Perhaps even more so (but your mileage may vary on that one).

GM: “You all watch as this horrific mass of flesh and limbs comes flowing out of the hole and swipes several arms forward at Brem. Brem, does an 18 hit your AC?”

Brem: “…yeah”

GM: “You are grappled as a mass of hands and arms wrap around you. As you are pulled closer to the creature you feel the horrifying sensation of being pulled INTO the mass of bodies. You take *rolls dice* 11 points of bludgeoning damage and it begins to engulf you as it crawls further into the cave. You aren’t inside yet, but on the creatures next turn you’ll be fully engulfed. Alaric, it’s your turn. What do you do?”

Alaric: “How far away is the creature?”

GM: “You’re at the mouth of the cave? So it’s only about 15 feet away from you, but it’ll cost you an extra 5 feet of movement to get through the opening since it’s so small.”

Alaric: “That’s fine, I’ll climb into the cave and then stay 5 feet to the side so that I’m keeping my distance but can go after it if it moves further down. And then I’d like to cast firebolt at the arms that are holding Brem, to see if I can get it to drop him.”

GM: “Sure thing! So you’ve used 15 feet of movement to get there but you’re in the cave while maintaining distance. If you’re specifically going for the arms to get that effect I’m going to give you disadvantage on the roll, but if you hit I’ll let Brem use his reaction to try and break free.”

Alaric: “Awesome! *rolls* uhhh 14 to hit?”

GM: “That hits! Go ahead and roll damage, Brem you can make an Athletics or Acrobatics check to try and break free if you want to use your reaction.”

And it proceeds from there! I thought that was a pretty exciting encounter and we did it all without a single map or token.

Ok. I think I get it, but which do you like better?

Well, that’s my secret Cap, I love both. And more than that? I enjoy a mix of the two. Cop-out answer, I know. But, there are pros and cons to any method of playing, and there are definitely some games more suited to theatre of the mind than others (I’m not going to bother with maps for a Cypher System game just like I’m probably not going to run a Dungeon Crawl Classics game without them), but I hope this article has given you a good idea of what theatre of the mind is, and how it can work (and probably already does) in your games. At the end of the night, what method is best for your game is going to depend of your table.

Do you have a preference? Are you a theatre of the mind purist, or do you crave the minis and maps? What are some of your favorite theatre of the mind moments? Let me know in the comments!

The post What is Theatre of the Mind? appeared first on The Arcanery.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF AND JPG MAPS HERE

The Hook

 A member of the party (or a beloved NPC) is trapped by the house and everyone else needs to journey through it, survive it’s malicious traps and abilities, and rescue their missing friend!

The Line

As the party moves through the house it does everything it can to trap and murder them. The party can destroy power nodes in each room to reveal the hidden door to the Safe Room where the house’s brain can then be destroyed (or reprogrammed). 

Whenever the party enters a room the house takes an action (as detailed in the room description). If combat breaks out (such as in the kitchen or dining room) you can either have the house roll initiative, or treat it as a sentient lair and have it take actions on initiative 20. 

The person who is trapped by the house can search the bedroom at which point they will find a floorplan to the house with the nodes outlined (see player handout) which can be used to help the party access the Safe Room.

The Sinker

If the party survives and manages to disable the house they have a sweet new base of operations! If you allow the party to reprogram (or charm) the House’s brain it could even be an ally, both defending itself and the party, as well as offering advice and comfort. You can also easily populate the house with valuable or magic items (whatever you deem appropriate for the party).

DOWNLOAD THE PDF AND JPG MAPS HERE

And that’s our Smart House! Check out Episode 8 of A GM’s Toolbox to see how we came up with the idea, and if you decide to run it let us know how it goes! 

The post Free One-Page Adventure – The Smart House Dungeon appeared first on The Arcanery.

The tavern is an RPG staple. Whether it’s a roadside inn and restaurant in a medieval fantasy setting, a seedy industrial revolution pub, or a futuristic bar where they serve synth ale and you can jack in to download digital opium, at some point in time your party is probably going to end up at a tavern. Now, I LOVE a tavern. Yes they’re a trope but they’re just so useful; especially if you can twist something to surprise your players and break their expectations. And so, here are 3 unusual 5e tavern encounters you can use the next time your players head out to the bar.

It’s A Dead Man’s Party

The Hook

The owner of the beloved local watering hole has sadly died and their daughter has returned to town to take over the business. She seems very friendly. So friendly in fact, that the employees of the tavern have moved in and are now living in rooms above the bar.

The Line

With a DC 12 Perception check the party will notice a scent of marigolds lingering on all of the employees. If they beat a DC 15 they will notice that many of the employees seem to move jerkily, and if they beat a DC 17 they’ll notice that there does not seem to be any life behind their eyes. The employees are all the resurrected dead! The daughter is a necromancer and has raised an army of undead to…run a bar? Roll for Initiative!

The Sinker

If you decide the daughter is an eeeeevil necromancer then perhaps she escapes to lick her wounds and build a larger army. A new nemesis for the party and a power in the world that is working against them. But maybe she just felt bad about the fact that the employees had died (maybe it was an accident, or had nothing to do with her) and brought them back in the only way she could. A powerful friend or a powerful enemy, which will she be?

Don’t Order The Special

The Hook

All over town people have been turning up dead with large holes in their chests. The only thing they seem to have in common is that they all frequent Nostromo’s Mother, the local tavern.

The Line

A Nature or Survival check (DC 12) will tell the PC that the wounds on the bodies were caused by something bursting forth from inside, and a DC 14 Investigation of the bar will reveal that the food stores have been tampered with. A slaadi in disguise had infected the food with chaos phage, and anyone who has eaten the food there is in danger! A Greater Restoration or Remove Disease spell will cure anyone who hasn’t yet popped.

The Sinker

For saving the lives of anyone who had not yet died the town will undoubtedly reward the players highly. But…who is the slaad?

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

The Hook

As the party is traveling down the road they come upon an inn they had not seen before. The patrons of the tavern all seem listless and dour. The bartender offers food, drink, and rooms for no coin. Nothing has a price, but everything has its cost.

The Line

If the players eat or drink anything they must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed into staying the night. Anyone who stays the night must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take one point of Exhaustion. When the PCs wake up they are lying in a field and the inn is gone. 

The Sinker

A full day has passed that the party has no memory of, but anyone who passed the saving throw now knows the answer to a question or a clue to their quest. If you want to add further complications, maybe more than a day has passed. What has that done to the world? What did the party do during that time that they don’t remember? What else might the inn have taken from them?

Hopefully these can offer some inspiration for the next time your player’s head straight for the tavern, or a way to spice up their next bar crawl. What are some memorable moments you’ve had in a tavern?

The post 3 Unusual 5e Tavern Encounters appeared first on The Arcanery.