Questions tagged [dungeons-and-dragons]
For questions relating to Dungeons & Dragons as a whole, or to multiple versions of Dungeons & Dragons. If your question is about a specific version of D&D, you probably should tag it with the corresponding tag instead (see the full tag info for this tag if you're unsure which tag is appropriate).
1,115
questions
15
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Have different types of normal clothes ever done anything in DND?
In 5e there are common clothes, travellers clothes and fine clothes, but I don't think they actually have any rules around them.
I have found there isn't much in the way of clothing materials on older ...
- 29.6k
-1
votes
0
answers
124
views
Is there any way to make a spell deal damage to the caster [closed]
Is there a way to make a spell have backlash in the form of damage taken by the caster? For example, a user cuts their hand to place a curse, but it drains hp from the user upon casting.
As I am ...
3
votes
1
answer
434
views
Am I allowed to use the name Greyhawk in a group name and website name?
I have been running a 5e D&D group for several years with the tentative title "Spoils of Greyhawk" since the main campaigns have been placed in the World of Greyhawk.
I am now looking to ...
2
votes
0
answers
91
views
Is there any lore about faerzress being used for portals?
The 1st edition of D&D introduced the Underdark with the Adventure D1, D2, and D3, later compiled into the Queen of Spiders supermodule. One characteristic feature of the Underdark was that long-...
- 95.7k
3
votes
1
answer
180
views
Are there published encounters that send you into an illusion or dream state?
Our DM in a recent adventure had us transported into a matrix like illusion when we used a portal. We thought we were traveling back to Undermountain from an orbiting satellite that was occupied by ...
- 95.7k
25
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Through various editions of D&D, why would you use a shortbow rather than a longbow?
Since my beginnings with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons until now (playing Wrath of the Righteous, having played 2e and Pathfinder in between), I'm still asking myself:
Is there, in term of D&D ...
- 393
14
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What is the origin of the Beholder?
The Beholder is one of the games most iconic monsters. It is on the title of the fifth edition monster manual. It has spawned a whole collection of creatures, including undead Death Tyrants, Gazers, ...
- 95.7k
5
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Does being in the Shadowfell (5E) in any way affect spells that players cast?
The 5E DMG mentions only that the plane has a hatred of light and lacks color, mentions the Domains of Dread, and then gives an optional rule for despair. Does the Plane of Shadow cause radiant damage ...
- 53
16
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Where did the term cantrip originate?
Forogtten realms wiki contains information about the history of cantrips in DnD, going back to first edition.
Cantrips first appeared in print in Dragon magazine and were then reprinted in the First ...
- 637
7
votes
2
answers
143
views
What are known portals to the Abyss in Greyhawk?
In the 2nd Edition Module WGR6, The City of Skulls, the players are to infiltrate Doraaka, Iuz' capital, to rescue a prisoner. They however cannot teleport there because, as the Master Elementalist ...
- 95.7k
5
votes
1
answer
762
views
What are known portals to the Hells in the Forgotten Realms?
I know that there is (or at least, used to be) one portal in the dungeons under Dragonspear Castle that linked the castle to Avernus, the first level of the Nine Hells. Are there other such fixed ...
- 95.7k
2
votes
0
answers
58
views
What is the best way to learn 5E coming from 3.5E? [duplicate]
I have been playing 3.5E for the past 7 years. My group wants to try 5th edition. What is the best way to get started for me and my group? What are the major differences between 5E and 3.5E that we ...
- 1,044
11
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What is the etymology of Mind Blank?
The spell mind blank protects you from divinations.
For most spells, I can figure out how their name reflects what they do: mind fog produces fog that makes your mind foggy; meteor swarm creates a ...
- 3,399
9
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Are there consistent rules or lore guidelines about what creatures cannot be magically put to sleep?
I've recently become unreasonably annoyed by sleep effects and how the game seems to handle them. There is a story tied to this:
I play a level 11 bard in our bi-weekly 5e game. Our party was recently ...
- 5,757
3
votes
2
answers
548
views
Can half-Elves interbreed with half-Orcs?
Can half-elves and half-Orcs interbreed with each other and who will be born in this case?
- 55
12
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How to reconcile Planescape's multiversal gods with the Time of Troubles?
The Forgotten Realms setting's cosmology famously clashes with the Great Wheel cosmology, but large parts of it, for example the tree placement of their Outer Planes, can be easily dismissed as "...
- 34.6k
3
votes
0
answers
137
views
DND while travelling [closed]
Me and My friends every weekend travel for about 3 hours (each saturday and sunday). I was wondering if there was a way to play dungeons and dragons with them while travelling in the cab (for free) , ...
- 39
5
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Can I make a entirely homebrew D&D campaign? [closed]
Can I make a entirely homebrew D&D campaign? Or do I have to follow the books for D&D?
- 99
10
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Are there any monsters in D&D lore that focus on devouring memories?
Are there any monsters in D&D that would feed on memories/emotions?
I know about illithid and intellect devourers, but I was hoping there might be another type of monster that is known for that ...
- 3,291
5
votes
1
answer
403
views
Is there an AI that is capable of DMing using the 1983 Mentzer Basic DnD rules? [closed]
I'd like to solo play using the 1983 Mentzer Basic DnD rules (red box). Is there an AI that can deploy the rule set if I provide dice rolls and do the record keeping? Either published modules or ...
- 97
2
votes
0
answers
107
views
What reason could a Mind Flayer colony get involved with lycanthropy? [closed]
Recently I ended a campaign centered around lycanthropy where a few lycantropes were acidentally let loose and wild, in the same world with other players I hinted towards mindfalyers starting to make ...
- 21
5
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Would The Map Of The Sword Coast In The Front Of Tyranny Of Dragons Be Considered A Province, Kingdom, Or Continent Scale?
I need an answer to this because I'm trying to figure out the distance between some of the towns for chapter 4. Now, I'm not running this chapter as it is because...well...if it's boring to read it's ...
2
votes
2
answers
155
views
Is speed or momentum preserved if a moving object is shrunken or if the shrinking is dispelled? [closed]
Shrinking a projectile and then removing the effect after launching it (for example, shooting it across an anti-magic field) raises the question whether the now restored (and larger) projectile ...
- 907
24
votes
1
answer
5k
views
What is the origin of the Vorpal Sword?
This question reminded me of the peculiar "vorpal" swords. Vorpal blades are great flavor, but in many editions of the game, they also have been quite overpowered -- in 1e, it really was not ...
- 95.7k
8
votes
1
answer
657
views
Can a Bard restart a Glamour Bard's Enthralling Performance after being interrupted or is the ability used for that day?
I have a friend playing with a Bard and wants to use the class ability, but he is asking me if the person he wants to enchant leaves the place for a moment during the use of the ability he can ...
- 166
9
votes
1
answer
544
views
What loot has the highest value to weight ratio in D&D?
Reading "What are Astral Diamonds Made of?" made me wonder: what is the most valuable treasure in the game per pound? I mean, treasure that actually does have a price, have a weight, and is ...
- 95.7k
10
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What are Astral Diamonds made of?
In any edition of Dungeons and Dragons, or in any related fiction in any campaign setting, is there official word for what Astral Diamonds actually are? Lacking that, any hints or clues in any ...
- 1,644
4
votes
2
answers
563
views
How would a Grung Cleric work?
I am a major Grung appreciator, so I'd like to play one. My idea is for a Grung cleric, but I have worries about how this would work. Mainly because most healing spells are contact-based. Because of ...
4
votes
1
answer
246
views
What are the dimensions of a Red Great Wyrm's leg bone?
I'm trying to figure out the cross sectional area of the smallest part of a Red Great Wyrm's leg bones to mathematically determine how much force it has to be able to withstand in order for said Great ...
- 1,644
11
votes
0
answers
159
views
Looking for a product with a specific inn in a drow city
Our last play session with me as rotating DM ended with the party about to enter the (classic Greyhawk version) Vault of the Drow. Currently, I am a player in another DM's game, but when it cycles ...
- 43k
11
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Should Tiamat's cold breath target the ability score indicated in its save?
The party is looking at facing Tiamat as the 20th-level epic boss fight that will end the campaign. The evoker has only four spell slots that can directly affect her, due to her limited magic ...
- 43k
4
votes
2
answers
334
views
Can a human who has had their body stolen by an intellect devourer undergo Ceremorphosis?
As the question asks: Can a human who has had their body stolen by an intellect devourer undergo Ceremorphosis?
More importantly - would they allow such a transformation? I have taken a read through ...
- 879
22
votes
1
answer
12k
views
When was the Hither-Thither Staff introduced in D&D?
In the movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, one of the magic items the characters come across over the course of the film is a Hither-Thither Staff. This wasn't invented for the film; ...
- 833
18
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How should I handle an unidentified deck of many things?
I know some people hate and fear the deck of many things, but as a GM running a high-lethality sandbox campaign, there's many things I like about it - and I'd like to deploy one for my players to find....
- 22.2k
8
votes
1
answer
336
views
Which source gave the option for a spellcaster to use wishes as verbal component?
I vaguely remember that I have seen a Dungeons and Dragons subclass, variant or feat that allowed a spellcaster who studied Genies or was related to them to cast spells by using spoken wishes as ...
- 23.5k
5
votes
1
answer
206
views
Which editions of D&D had Initiative rules like 5E's Speed Factor Initiative?
D&D 5E has a variant Initiative rule called Speed Factor Initiative which has two differences compared to the standard Initiative rule:
Initiative is rolled every combat round
In addition to ...
- 16.2k
5
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Can I use the name Vecna for a different character in my own work?
I am creating my own ttrpg and have reached the pantheon section. I was wondering whether or not I could use the name Vecna (not necessarily the same character) without receiving a lawsuit. Is it ...
- 51
3
votes
1
answer
334
views
Why would Ahmaergo have a giant stone slab with a Maze trap in his room?
In the adventure "Waterdeep: Dragon Heist", part of the adventure takes place in
One of the two things the location contains is a:
But why? Why the hell does the owner have such a random ...
- 661
11
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Why are all monasteries human?
In "Hero builders guidebook" a recurring theme is that all monasteries are in human lands only, with the book not even mentioning the idea of other races founding them. This makes it ...
- 3,461
16
votes
2
answers
782
views
What is the origin of the name Yan-C-Bin?
I'm planning a story arc for my D&D campaign that will heavily involve the elemental plane of air, with Yan-C-Bin being the BBEG at the end.
The name Yan-C-Bin is very strange, and I'm wondering ...
- 3,991
10
votes
3
answers
902
views
Is there any canon support for Sympathy and Contagion in Greyhawk?
I am going to be playing a GURPS Fantasy game set in Greyhawk using some of the rules from the Thaumotology book, which include Contagion:
two things that have been in close contact are magically ...
- 6,245
28
votes
7
answers
4k
views
I'm new to D&D: where to begin?
I'm extremely new to Dungeons and Dragons and I have no idea where to start. I currently do not own any of the books or materials but really would like to get into the game.
How does one start ...
user80578
24
votes
2
answers
5k
views
What is Dungeons & Dragons' unique intellectual property?
With the recent OGL discussions and the probability of people moving out of D&D and making their own games and systems, it got me thinking...
What does Dungeons & Dragons own in terms of races,...
- 1,099
9
votes
5
answers
2k
views
I need a 'standard array' for a D&D-like homebrew game, but anydice chokes - how to proceed?
So, I'm working on a homebrew RPG that is similar to several FRPs that use 3d6 sorts of starting values for attributes/characteristics.
I know how to calculate the standard D&D (5E or other) '...
- 433
70
votes
5
answers
6k
views
What was going on with D&D's leaked OGL 1.1 in January 2023? How does it affect me?
Most of the communities I participate in are currently ablaze with rumours and speculations about Wizards of the Coast's OGL 1.1 stemming from a leaked document.
As someone that is on the brink of ...
- 16k
4
votes
1
answer
150
views
Are there any published maps of Rhymanthiin and also 'The Path of Light' linking it to the Misty Forest?
I have found a fair amount of info and lore about Rhymanthiin, particularly its creation and even some descriptions of parts of it, including information about The Path of Light, but no maps or even ...
6
votes
1
answer
280
views
Is there any in game explanation from any edition of D&D for why Greyhawk Powers/Outsiders lost their psionics?
In the original edition of D&D (white box plus supplements version), Outsiders (meaning those who are not from the Prime Material plane, and more specifically Powers; I'm aware that this is ...
- 11.4k
13
votes
4
answers
4k
views
DM is taking too much time in my opinion on side missions - should I leave?
I'm a first time player so maybe I'm not getting it but I originally had fun with D&D. However, the DM began having a habit of making side quests go off the rails and then us not being able to ...
- 147
29
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Where does the idea of selling dragon parts come from?
I recently played in an adventure with a new group, and after killing a dragon, the rest of the group started talking about butchering the dragon, harvesting its scales, blood, eyes, fangs, etc., ...
- 48.5k
2
votes
0
answers
109
views
Where do I publish an article about DnD? [closed]
I am currently writing an essay/article about TTRPGs (primarily Dungeons and Dragons) and theatre for my university, but I'm thinking about publishing it for others to see if they're interested and to ...
- 21