I’ve been hard at work since Spring with some awesome semi-secret projects! Now a fifth edition D&D adventure I wrote is available and it’s completely free!
What is it?
The Master’s Vault is a fifth edition adventure for 1st-level characters from Roll20, my favorite virtual table. It is designed to introduce new players to D&D and Roll20. If you’re never played a tabletop RPG or never used a virtual table or both, this is the adventure for you. A $0 price tag on the adventure and the fact that you can use Roll20 for free means this product is meant to bring new players into the hobby. Share it with your soon-to-be gamer friends!
If you’re a fifth edition vet who plays every game on Roll20, you’ll still get a lot out of the adventure so give it a shot! I mean, c’mon! It’s free!
Here’s a brief description of the adventure’s story:
For more than a century Elaria Feywing, known to many as The Master, mentored young adventurers in combat, exploration, and magic. Little is known about the elf woman’s past and her days as a wandering wizard, but her status as a teacher is legendary.
I designed the adventure but so many others have their fingerprints on this thing. There’s art and maps from Russ Hapke and Gabriel Pickard. There’s tokens from Phillip Wright. There’s a special puzzle designed by Stephen Shomo. Liz Courts did the layout. Roll20 co-founders Nolan T. Jones and Riley Dutton produced the dang thing. It is a beautiful, lovely product of which we should all be proud.
I also need to give an extra special shoutout to Andrew Kane, who went through the manuscript and fixed all my typos and to Richard Zayas for encouraging me to take this project on.
So get out there and adventure.
And if you want a preview of some of my other upcoming projects… check here, here, and here.
If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!
Behold! The exciting conclusion to our second story arc. Thanks for listening, and we hope you keep tuning in for more! And why not do us a solid and tell a friend about the show if you’ve enjoyed it!
Tweet your Levels Question of the Week at us or #levelsq on Twitter!
If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!
If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!
WORLD BUILDER BLOG IS NOMINATED FOR AN ENNIE AWARD! You can vote for it right now along with a bunch of other awesome RPG products. The booth closes on TODAY so go vote right now. Good luck to all the awesome nominees.
It is time to put on your acting hat. Roleplaying NPC Mannerisms Part I revealed the importance of distinct, specific non-player character mannerisms. When a great game master inhabits an NPC, the character’s physical and verbal mannerisms help set it apart from the rest, reveal motivations, hint at history, and create a richer story.
This article builds upon the first by providing four NPC archetypes with corresponding physical and verbal mannerisms. Use the advice from that first article combined with the archetypes found here to roleplay NPCs to perfection.
How to Use These Archetypes
The descriptions and examples in this article are meant to be used as a base for creating NPCs. If you are a beginner GM or uncomfortable with acting, you can just follow the bullet points given at the end of each archetype and you will play a great character.
If you are an experienced GM who has been playing NPCs for years, use the bullet points but add one or more mannerisms each time you roleplay an NPC of that archetype. Make it a different mannerism each time to set Town Guard #1 apart from Town Guard #2. The players will definitely remember that #1 is a nose picker and #2 stutters.
Accents are always optional, but you are encouraged to give them a shot. Who cares if they are not perfect? You’re doing this for fun. If you do not quite nail the Ks of a Russian accent, no one is going to fire you. No one can even question your accent if you’re playing in a fantasy world. So what if your Spanish accent sounds like a combination of Bulgarian and Australian? Those countries do not exist in the world you create. That is just the accent of a person from Breland! Accents get better with practice, so feel free to go all out.
The most important guideline of all is to have fun with NPC mannerisms. The more you enjoy playing an NPC, the more the players will enjoy interacting with you. If you are having a blast playing your characters, your players will be more enthusiastic about playing theirs. As the GM, you set the tone for the game. If you appear awkward and forced, the entire game will feel that way. So relax – you are among friends and playing a tabletop roleplaying game. That is the best. Enjoy it!
Ancient Evil
Gods, demons, aliens, and other ancient evils often appear in our games. These superpowers should make your players quake with awe and fall to their knees…or at least convince them these are forces to be reckoned with.
Matt Mercer, professional voice actor and the GM of the hit web series Critical Role, did an amazing job playing the shadow demon Orthax. Mercer enters, leans quite far over the screen, and sticks his neck out with his head forward and up. This gives him a strange, unsettling appearance. While he is physically lower than the players, the position of his head suggests utter confidence. This unnatural posture immediately translates to otherworldly. The confidence of his tilted head suggests a powerful being who knows its capabilities.
Then Mercer speaks as Orthax. He brings his voice into a low register, which screams power. He adds a growl to his voice and some heavy breathing at the end of his sentences. These vocal qualities inform the players of the danger Orthax poses and his evil nature. They also give anyone hearing the voice the impression this being is just at the edge of its control. It could snap at any moment and unleash its otherworldly fury on the PCs.
When playing an ancient evil:
Lean far forward
Stick out your neck and raise your head
Speak in a very low register
Add a growl and heavy breathing to your voice
Law Enforcement
Law enforcement personnel are police officers, space marines, and town guards. They are in gatehouses, towers, streets, prisons, bars, and more, keeping the peace, taking a bribe, and chasing after thieves. These NPCs are often among the first a party of adventurers meets in a settlement. They provide information and directions.
Roleplaying them can be a pretty uninteresting encounter, but only if you play them as uninteresting people.
Let’s take another look at Matt Mercer. In this clip he’s playing a town guard in episode 1 of Critical Role. He first describes a pair of city watch dwarves observing the PCs. Immediately after describing them, Mercer takes on the physical posture of one guard. He mimes holding a spear comfortably, with a relaxed bent arm, and leans back. The NPC’s posture indicates he is comfortable with his weapon and at ease in his own city. Law enforcement should feel comfortable within the walls of cities where they wield authority.
When he opens his mouth to speak as one of the guards, the real magic begins. He leans back even further to show how relaxed the guard is even when talking to a group of well-armed strangers. His volume is a bit louder than normal, and his voice is steady and confident. It is a clear display of authority without being threatening. After all, the guard has no reason to distrust the adventurers at the moment.
As the guard speaks, he uses big arm movements. Mercer extends his arms fully to point to various landmarks and tilts his head in the opposite direction of his hand to give the impression his arms are even longer than they are. This action is another indicator of the guard being in his comfort zone. He has no fear that the adventurers or anyone else will accost him, so he feels fine leaving his arms wide open.
When playing law enforcement….
Lean back in a relaxed posture
Use big arm movements
Raise the volume of your voice
Keep your voice steady
Mercer sets his guard apart from the rest by making him a rather jovial fellow. He cocks his head to the side, indicating interest in the person he is speaking with, and lets the register of his voice get higher when the guard cracks a joke or gets excited. If you want a jovial town guard, add these mannerisms:
Tilt your head slightly to one side
Raise the register of your voice when you are excited
One final note on this scene. At the beginning of the encounter, Mercer briefly portrays both guards speaking to one another. You can tell them apart become he leans one way and speaks with a high voice before turning around to face the opposite direct and lowering his vocal register to be the other guard. It is simple and genius. A quick turn and a deeper voice make all the difference between the two.
Seducer
Seducers are manipulators who exude sex appeal. They are the kind of people who are attractive to everyone in some way. They are great performers, con artists, politicians, and business people. These NPCs can wrap anyone around their little fingers, and use their good looks and beguiling wit to make others do their dirty work.
We turn to the GM of GMs, Chris Perkins. In this clip from a 2012 Pax Acquisitions Inc. game, Perkins plays a seductress dark elf who convinces the plucky band of adventurers to steal gems for her. We hear her voice before we see any of her physical mannerisms, as she’s sneaking up on the PCs in the dark. It is husky and breathless, vocal qualities scientifically proven to be attractive. She speaks with a sultry lower tone, and to make things extra sexy, Perkins gives her a French accent (which is largely considered one of the world’s most romantic languages).
When she comes out of the shadows, Perkins displays the woman’s physical mannerisms. He tilts his head down slightly and looks up at the person he is talking to, which gives him a submissive air. When he speaks, he picks a specific individual to focus his attention on and keeps constant eye contact while leaning toward that person. This behavior makes a player feel singled out and special. An attractive person empowers them by giving undivided attention.
When playing a seducer….
Tilt your head down slightly
Focus your attention on each player one at a time
Lean toward the focus of your attention and maintain eye contact
Lower the tone of your voice
Make your voice husky and breathy
Use a French accent (optional)
Superior Intellectuals
Haughty wizards, know-it-all telepaths, and pedantic scientists are just a few of the people who fall into the superior intellectual archetype. They are the smartest people in the room and know it. Because of their smarts, these NPCs think themselves above every other living being. Odds are the players will cross paths with someone like as they seek an intelligent being to help them unravel some mystery.
Watch again as Chris Perkins portrays Flabbergast in the latest PAX Acquisitions, Inc. game. Like Mercer, he begins by describing the NPC. Then Perkins sticks out his neck just a bit so the rest his body is led by his head. This indicates he is intellectually focused. He then raises his chin and looks down his nose at the players, signaling Flabbergast’s belief that he is far more intelligent than the group. These physical mannerisms suggest a smart, conceited individual. They are enhanced by the fact that Perkins has chosen to stand. It literally puts him above the players.
Perkins then produces a voice which can only be described as nasally Alan Rickman. The nasal quality sells Flabbergast as an intellectual, and the low tone of voice mixed with disdain and condescension leaves no question that this wizard believes he is the smartest guy in the room.
The superior intellectual keeps his movements small and close. In general, these people are untrusting of others because everyone else is too stupid to do anything right. Perkins keeps his wrists loose and close to his body as he pets a phantom cat, or keeps his hands folded in front of him. These movements suggest the wizard is guarded, untrusting, and physically unimpressive.
When playing superior intellectuals…
Lead with your head
Tilt your chin up
Lower your voice
Use a nasally voice with condescension and disdain
Use small, weak movements
Stand (optional)
Flabbergast’s cat is a nice touch. It demonstrates the wizard prefers the company of animals to people and makes him an instantly distinct and memorable NPC.
If you like what you’re reading, please check out my podcasts, follow me on Twitter, tell your friends and share this blog post, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!
Rudy and James interview Dave Breidenstine, one half of the writing/composing team behind the Clam Song and Thoven’s Song from Episode 2-2. In addition to being a talented musician, Dave voices the Clam himself, along with a number of other memorable characters. Then we’re joined by the other half of the team – John Fischer- to learn more about the song writing/composing process. An incredibly fascinating listen – enjoy!
If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!
If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!
Quick note here: WORLD BUILDER BLOG IS NOMINATED FOR AN ENNIE AWARD! You can vote for it right now along with a bunch of other awesome RPG products. The booth closes on July 21st so go vote right now. Good luck to all the awesome nominees.
My players are always looking to buy potions. I’m not sure what drives them go into town and ask the local apothecary to list every single item in stock, but it inevitably happens with both of my regular groups whenever they get back to town. Here’s the thing: I let them buy these things.
Why? For one thing it seems the default assumption of fifth edition Dungeons and Dragons is that player characters should at least be able to buy healing potions in many places. They are in the Player’s Handbook. In my own game I’ve taken this further and all (four) common rarity consumable magic items in the Dungeon Master’s Guide are available for sale in most of Exploration Age’s major settlements. (I even allow my players to often buy rarer consumables, but that’s another blog post).
Another reason I let my players buy potions and scrolls: they have a lot of gold. So much that it’s difficult for them to find ways to spend it (though here are some suggested purchases). One way to get them to spend that money is to buy potions. They earned that gold and they deserve to spend it. It makes the gold they find in the game after traveling hundreds of miles to dive into a cramped space full of monsters worth something
With these points in mind I’m present to you a bunch of new common rarity consumables for your game based on the idea that they should be about as powerful as the potion of climbing or potion of healing (the two common rarity potions in the Dungeon Master’s Guide) and less powerful than the oil of slipperiness, philter of love,potion of animal friendship, potion of greater healing, potion of growth, and potion of resistance (the uncommon rarity potions in the Dungeon Master’s Guide).
Common Rarity Potions
All the following items are available for purchase at the DM’s discretion and normally cost 50 gp.
Oil of Buoyancy
Potion, common
This murky oil reeks of the sea and can be poured over the body of one Medium or smaller creature. Applying the oil takes 1 minute. Once applied, the creature gains a swimming speed equal to its walking speed for 1 hour. During this time, the creature has advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to swim.
Oil of Elements
Potion, common
This oil can be used to coat one melee weapon or up to 5 pieces of ammunition. Applying the oil takes 1 minute. For 1 hour, the coated item has a +1 bonus to damage rolls. The GM chooses this damage type or determines it randomly from the options below.
d6
Damage Type
1
Acid
2
Cold
3
Fire
4
Lightning
5
Poison
6
Thunder
Oil of Phasing
Potion, common
This clear oil reeks of vanilla and can be poured over the body of one Medium or smaller creature. Applying the oil takes 1 minute. Once applied, the creature can phase through one wall or object up to 5 feet thick provided it does so within 1 hour of applying the oil. If the creature ends its turn in an object, it takes 5 (1d10) force damage and is pushed out of the object in a direction of the GMs choosing. Once the creature phases through one object, the oil has no further effect.
Potion of Beige Cow
Potion, common
When you drink this potion, you remove one level of exhaustion for 1 hour. At the end of that hour, your exhaustion level increases by two. This potion is yellow-green and tastes like citrus and sugar.
Potion of Bless
Potion, common
When you drink this potion you gain the effect of the bless spell for 1 minute (no concentration required, only targets you). This potion is a dark blue liquid with floating flecks of gold inside.
Potion of Bolstering
Potion, common
For 1 minute after drinking it, you gain 10 temporary hit points that last for 1 minute. This brown potion tastes and smells like a hard whiskey.
Potion of Drunk Muscles
Potion, common
When you drink this potion and are poisoned, you gain a +2 bonus to your Strength score to a maximum of 20. This increase lasts for 1 hour or until the poisoned condition ends, whichever comes first. When the effect wears off, you gain one level of exhaustion. This potion is a pure yellow liquid that tastes like raw eggs.
Potion of Half Invisibility
Potion, common
This potion’s container looks half empty (of half full if you’re optimistic) but feels as though it is full of the purple liquid within. When you drink it, roll any die. If you roll an even number, you become invisible above the waist. If you roll an odd number, you become invisible below the waist for 1 hour. Anything you wear or carry on that part of your body is invisible also invisible. While half invisible like this, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide. The effect ends early if you attack or cast a spell.
Potion of Keen Ears
Potion, common
When you drink this potion, your ears turn blue for 1 hour. During this time you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. Ear wax sits at the bottom of this light blue liquid that tastes like mud.
Potion of Keen Eyes
Potion, common
When you drink this potion, your eyes turn orange for 1 hour. During this time you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. Eye lashes float in this orange liquid that tastes like salty water.
Potion of Keen Nostrils
Potion, common
When you drink this potion, your nose turns green for 1 hour. During this time you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and (Survival) checks that rely on smell. Nose hairs float in this thick, green liquid that tastes like mucus.
Potion of Liar’s Tongue
Potion, common
When you drink this potion, you have advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks made to tell lies for the next hour. During this time you cannot speak or write any truths. This black liquid tastes like anise.
Potion of Minute Resistance
Potion, common
When you drink this potion, you gain resistance to one type of damage for 1 minute. The GM chooses the type or determines it randomly from the options below.
d10
Damage Type
1
Acid
2
Cold
3
Fire
4
Force
5
Lightning
6
Necrotic
7
Poison
8
Psychic
9
Radiant
10
Thunder
Potion of Sniper’s Brew
Potion, common
When you drink this potion, you have advantage on the next ranged weapon attack you make as long as it is made within 1 minute of drinking the potion. The liquid in this vial is clear and tastes like peppermint and ginger.
Potion of Sustaining Stuff
Potion, common
When you drink this potion, you do not need to eat or drink water for 48 hours. A floating bean sits inside a thick, green mush.
While Supplies Last!
These are fun potions, but you (probably) don’t want your level 17 party with tons of gold to buy an unlimited supply of potions of keen ears and never fail a Wisdom (Perception) check again. As a rule I roll a d10 for each type of potion available and that’s all the store has in stock when the characters come to visit.
50 New Magic Items (DMs Guild – Pay What You Want… includes 50 new magic items plus 100 common weapon properties, 100 common wondrous items, and 100 cursed item properties)
All of these items live on the Free Game Resources section of this site, so come grab them anytime!
If you like what you’re reading, please check out my podcasts, follow me on Twitter, tell your friends and share this blog post, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!
If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!
If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!
Hey there! Just a quick update to let you know it’s time to vote for the ENnie Awards. This very site is nominated for Best Blog! You can only vote until July 21st so click this link to vote! It takes only five minutes of your time.
I’m wishing all the blogs and other category nominees out there good luck. It’s honestly an honor and surprise to be in such talented, hardworking company. I also have to thank Greg Blair for proofreading this blog all the time. He is amazing! Most of all a huge thanks to readers like you who make this blog a success.
If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!
World Builder Blog 