dmdave

Lair of the Ice Wraith | New 6th Level Adventure for Fifth Edition (The DM Tool Chest)

A mist-shrouded isle in the frozen north holds an ancient and malevolent secret

Lair of the Ice Wraith is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to six characters of 5th to 7th level and is optimized for a party of four characters with an average party level (APL) of 6. Characters who complete this adventure should earn enough experience to reach a quarter of the way to level 7. A mist-shrouded island off the coa...

Lair of the Ice Wraith Maps and Token Packs

Here are the maps and tokens for The DM Tool Chest's Lair of the Ice Wraith adventure. Enjoy!

[Poll] Fifth Edition Horror Roleplaying System Classes

Hey all!

In the background, we're working on a few projects with the DMDave writing team. Recently, I did a poll asking what sort of resource using the 5e ruleset you all would like to see, and horror/Lovecraft stuff won by a landslide.

It should be relatively easy to adapt the 5e rules to a modern/horror setting using the 5e SRD, but I'm wondering about classes and what you prefer. Do you like classless systems a la Call of Cthulhu, or do you enjoy the class system of Fi...

[Urban Monsters 1] #13-18/60 - Gir'gen to Hematite Dragons

Another big chunk of monsters for you today. This includes:

• Gir'gen
• Gibborimbra
• Hematite Dragon (Ancient)
• Hematite Dragon (Adult)
• Hematite Dragon (Young)
• Hematite Dragon (Wyrmling)

[Urban Monsters 1] #05-12/60 - Dogs to Gaarghas

Another big chunk of monsters for you today. This includes:

• Dog (Small and Tiny)
• Dragon Cat
• Drezzaneth
• Earth Mite (Individual and Swarms)
• Erkydu
• Ethereal Eel
• Forgetmenot
• Gaargha
• Gaarghan Ooze

Speak with Dead Asset Pack

This asset pack goes with the adventure Speak with Dead. It includes:

• All of the maps that appear in the adventure
• Player handouts in JPG format
• Speak with Dead monster supplement
• The complete adventure PDF

Map sizes:

• Azmar - [22 x 31] 140dpi
• The Mirror Coast - [25 x 25] 140 dpi
• HMS Boxer - [34 x 22] 140 dpi
• L...
  2021-02-15 16:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post

Speak with Dead | A New 7th-Level Mystery Adventure by DMDave

Speak with Dead is a Fifth Edition mystery adventure for three to five characters of 6th to 8th level and is optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 7. This is a mystery adventure where the characters will need to look carefully for clues, take downtime to research, and travel to multiple locations. Although there are plenty of combat opportunities, players looking just to bop things may not find the story to their liking.<...

[Monsters 2021] Days 30-33 - Monsters of Speak with Dead Supplement

These monsters are featured in this week's big adventure release, Speak with Dead. It includes:

• The Bloody Rift
• Grisweld (NPC)
• Vrivok Fester (NPC)
• Jasper Wright (NPC)

BroadSword Monthly #12 (Archived)

Hey all!

Here's BroadSword Monthly #12, one of our first books that contain predominantly our new writing staff's content! A huge thanks to these peeps for getting this big ol' monster put together. They include: Corvid's Emporium/Torchlight Press, Adventures Await, Humperdink's Wares, JKW, Alex from Tavern Tales, and The DM Tool Chest.

This is a huge milestone, too, as we've officially created 12 issues of BroadSword! That's a whole lotta words about dungeons and also dragons. 2021-02-12 23:36:03 +0000 UTC View Post

[Urban Monsters 1] 01-04/60 - Airle, The Goddess in Light; City Child; Corruption Hag; Desperon

It appears that I jumped the gun with arctic monsters. So I had to catch up a bit with the actual winner of the poll, Urban Monsters.

Here's the first three in the batch:

• Airle, The Goddess in Light
• City Child
• Corruption Hag
• Desperon

DMDave Big Project Progress Sheet

Hey all!

Today, I'm introducing another tool which you can use to track my progress. I'll be adding stuff to this that's currently in production. That way, you can get a sense of when certain things will be done. I've still got to add a few links, but this mostly has everything that's currently open.

Let me know what you think!

[Arctic Monsters 1] #01-03/60 - Bagonurn, Crochnoa, Dire Polar Bear

As shown in the last poll, arctic seems to be en vogue (although urban is pretty close still). Therefore, I'm kicking off this monster book with the first three entries: bagonurns, crochnoas, and dire polar bears.

Enjoy! 

The Caves of Silence Map Pack

This map pack goes along with the new adventure, The Caves of Silence, by The DM Tool Chest. 

Enjoy!

The Caves of Silence | New 3rd-Level Adventure for Fifth Edition

The Caves of Silence is a Fifth Edition adventure intended for three to five characters and is optimized for four characters with an average party level (APL) of 3. Characters who complete this adventure should earn enough experience to reach two-thirds of the way to level 4. An abandoned mine needs to be cleared of a nest of monsters so the town can reopen it and the miners can get back to work. This adventure takes place in the Omeria campaign setting but is design...

Monthly Monster Themes

Our latest monster book was a smash hit (and for those of you who have BroadSword Subscriptions owed, you'll be getting a copy soon!). Since I've got more writers helping me these days, I figured I'd put out a few more monsters each day 2-3, for a grand total of 60 per month. Then, at the end of the month, in addition to collecting them in Buckler, I can release them in a book.

Having said all that, what should our first theme be? I've included a bunch of options below. Keep in mind, th...

Dedicated Class Books

Hey all!

Since we've got a larger writing staff now, I thought I'd start venturing out into some other areas I feel are lacking in 5e, namely, books dedicated to classes. Much like the ones in 2e and 3.0/5e, these books will detail just one class offering new subs, magic items, quest hooks, backgrounds, you-name-it for a class.

I'll be supervising a lot of it and cleaning up older material, but mostly I'll stay focused on adventure writing—so don't worry, you won't see me divide...

[Monsters 2021] Monster 029 - Rinser

A rinser is a gruesome, vaguely humanoid creature whose entire chest consists of a plethora of sharp, yellowish teeth. This abomination grabs its prey with its regenerative tentacles which it then uses to feed itself. Foul creatures, rinsers emit multiple diseases from their foul mouths as well as a vile poison from the tips of their tentacles.

Pexian aberrationists believe that rinsers were the result of humanoid corpses coming into contact with powerful chaotic energy. The energy chan...

New Sign-up Link for DMDave's Class

Hey all!

We had a CRAZY response for our "How to Write Tabletop RPG Adventures" class (over 1,000 as of this writing), which means we had to invest in some new technology to make sure we could all of you. As such, we've divvied  up the class into three days: 

• Monday at 8:00pm CST
• Wednesday at 8:00pm CST
• Saturday at 1:00pm CST

These three days will all cover the same material (Introduction to Adventure Creation hosted by DMDave). <...

Nightmares in the Puppet Shop | New 5th-Level Adventure by Torchlight Press

Nightmares in the Puppet Shop is a Fifth Edition adventure for 3 to 7 characters of 5th level, and is optimized for 5 characters with an average party level (APL) of 5. A cult is preparing a dark ritual to summon their eldritch masters into the world. One of the town’s guards infiltrated their ranks to learn about the ritual’s location. The characters need to rescue the undercover operative and stop the ritual before it’s too late. 

This adventure is structured into ...

Nightmare in the Puppet Shop Map Pack

This map pack includes the art images for the adventure as well as the maps featured in this adventure both in numbered and unnumbered formats.

Get the rest of the adventure here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/47311554

[Monsters 2021] Day 028/365 - Sahuagin Champion

Sahuagin are tall, amphibious humanoids common in the southwestern waters of the Omerian Ocean. They have wide, pitch-black eyes like a shark's and thick, colorful scales that range from emerald green to royal blue.

The sahuagin of Omeria are both well-organized and extremely intelligent. Although they have signed treaties with the nations of southwestern Omeria to avoid conflict, they aggressively defend their territory and offer no quarter to trespassers.

Sahuagin Champion

BroadSword Status

Hey folks!

I know some folks have been asking about BroadSword Monthly and its shipping status, so here's what's up. 

• #11 just shipped, so you *should* all be getting those. 
• The Monster Book (essentially #11.5 which counts as an issue) is about 4-5 days from shipping. Jen's about to place the order from the printers now. 
• #12 is in proofing and should be out soon in PDF form.
• #13 is mostly drafted, just waiting on a few bits from me...
  2021-02-08 16:12:50 +0000 UTC View Post

[Monsters 2021] 027/365 - Ice Scream

These small oozes look exactly like scoops of ice cream. In fact, it's not uncommon for these malicious creatures to haunt carnivals, festivals, and even restaurants. From these strategic locations, they wait for creatures to approach them, then launch their attack.

Ice screams have two natural modes of attack. First, it leads with a terrifying scream sound that temporarily stuns its victims. Then, its second attack involves "globbing" itself against a creature's flesh. From there, it's...

What type of adventures do you prefer?

Hey all!

Interested in seeing you guys' opinion on adventure length and synergy. 

What type of adventures do you prefer? Do you prefer one-shots that you can throw into any setting? Or do you like longer, interconnected adventures?

This may help me decide where to focus my energies here on Patreon. I know one-shots are popular, but I also know people really like the longer stuff (like Hot8 and USNT).

Pick as many as you like.

[Monsters 2021] 026/365 - Giant Arctic Spider

Horrors of the great northern tundras, giant arctic spiders are massive ten-legged beasts that lurk in the crevices of glaciers, frosty tunnels, and even on the cold-blasted plains themselves. These creatures are much more aggressive than the smaller, warm climate counterparts. Although they use many of the same catch-and-kill tactics seen throughout the rest of the arachnid kingdom, they will also chase their prey to exhaustion for miles.

A single arctic spider's clutch contains up to ...

[Monsters 2021] 025/366 - Prismatic Elemental

Prismatic elementals are created from the raw, chaotic energies of the multiverse. Instead of focusing on a single element, they are combinations of the four major inner planes as well as the paraelemental and pseudoelemental planes.

Prismatic elementals have no true home plane. Like the other elementals, however, they are bodiless life forces within the inner planes. When called upon, its consciousness assumes a bright, vaguely humanoid form.

Prismatic elementals make excellent g...

Buckler January 2021 (ARCHIVED)

Here's January's Buckler!

Within, ye shall find:

New Adventures

• Strange Lights by Adventures Await
• Stonehill Blues by Adventures Await
• The Tomb of Tzentak by Adventures Await
• Harpy Murder by Alex of Tavern Tales
• Tomb of the Drake by Alex of Tavern Tales
• Tower of Gnolls by Alex of Tavern Tales
• Wyvern Wrangling by Torchlight Press (previously Corvid's Em...
  2021-02-04 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post

Pirate Class | New Player Option for Fifth Edition

Avast, matey, and lend here yer ears. Pirates are lords and ladies of the skies and sea, simultaneously capable fighters, noble wanderers, and plucky socialites. At home away from land, pirates care more for the cool breeze of the sea or thunder of cloud cover than a busy street or quiet farmstead.

Pirates are imbued with magic that lets them navigate the world via boat or airship. As veritable jacks and jills of all trades, no two pirates are alike. Some are dashing buccaneers as quick...

[Monsters 2021] 023-024/365 - Manta Rays

A manta ray is a large fish with a diamond-shaped body. They grow to incredible lengths, the largest of their kind growing as long as 15 to 20 feet. Most manta rays are found in tropical and sub-tropical waters.

Manta rays are macropredators, meaning they only eat krill, shrimp, and other small species of marine life, through which they consume with their filter feeder mouths. Unaggressive, rays use their large size and speed to defend themselves. If pressed, however, they will whip cre...

Theme for BroadSword #15

Hey all!

Had an impromptu writers meeting today and we're trying to decide on the theme for #15 (yep, we're that far ahead on content ... too bad the USPS isn't lol).

Here's some of the crazy ideas we came up with: