While my players were wandering around my world, I began to notice that all my villages and city were the same. Sure, they had different names, but they all had the same races of people, the same shops, even the same basic description. Players weren’t excited to enter new villages because, well, they had seen it all before. If you find this to be a problem in your campaign, here is a guide I created to help give your villages and cities distinction and character.

How do you create realistic villages and cities in Dungeons & Dragons 5e? You will need to consider the following:

• Location
• Age of the city
• Population
• Dominant Race
• Deities of the Region/Race
• Economy
• Primary Trade
• Crime Rate
• Building Style
• Political Atmosphere

All of these factors contribute to the everyday life and atmosphere of a village or city. Two cities may share a trait or two, but no two should be exactly alike. Just like in the real world, cities are defined by these traits. If you bring them to your campaign villages, they will feel much more lifelike.

Location

The location of a city is, perhaps, its most defining feature. If you look at major city locations on a real map, you will notice one thing they all share in common, nearly all of them are built next to a major natural resource. Especially before quick and cheap transportation of goods was invented, cities needed a way to send and receive goods. This is why most major cities are built next to rivers, ports, and even large lakes.

Water is a hugely important resource. Not only does it supply the town with drinking water, but it can also be a source of food and industry as well. The first step to planning where you will put your towns, villages, and cities is to look at (or create) a map of your world and find all the water sources. These are prime locations for cities. Put major cities next to the best ports and north and south on major river systems. These will specialize primarily in receiving and transferring goods.

Next, put towns next to lakes and on major trade routes. These are slightly larger than villages mostly because they see more visitors (they are more accessible) and have more resources.

Finally, put villages in more remote locations, but still near some natural resources. All collections of people will continue to grow until they either, run out of resources to support more people, or are too difficult/inconvenient to get to. The villages you create should have limited resources or be in a location that is not easily found.

Age

The age of a city, town, or village has a large impact on the overall “feel” of the place. Ancient villages nestled in at the foot of a little traversed mountain will have a proud population whose families have been there for centuries. The building style, pace of life, and economy may all be impacted by the age of the city. Choose one:

• Ancient: (over 3000 years old) These cities are marked by structures from another age. They may have residual magic effects or even systems people no longer understand. Ancient villages and towns need a reason to have survived so long. Either a sacred grove that has protected them, a deity that has watched over them or a magic source perhaps even the locals don’t know about. These are rare. Even in a world filled with Elves, ancient cities most often are destroyed by raiders or fall into disuse and become ancient ruins. To have one still in use is incredibly rare and you can bet it will be an ancient city will be filled with Elves and scholars.
• Old: (2000-1000 years) These cities and villages are very well established. They have been operating as hubs for trade for as long as anyone can remember. Though they are old, and the population will certainly be proud of that, they do not have the same “otherworldly” feel that ancient cities evoke. These cities are clearly within the present age and while they may have aspects of old technology or buildings, it is more in the background of life. These cities and towns have reached their peak population and are unlikely to grow more.
• Up and Coming: (1 century or a little less) A city that has reached 100 years is in its prime. This is long enough to be established, but not nearly long enough to be considered a fixture on the landscape. These cities will be growing and rapidly expanding because they are finally old enough to offer steady employment or a respectable school. Up and Coming cities may be a target for many folks looking to start a new life or seeking new opportunities (think New York City in the 1800s). These cities are marked by construction, new shops, new enterprises new everything! Business is booming in an Up and Coming city.
• Young: (Less than 100 years) Young cities are still getting their footing. They don’t yet have established businesses or schools (though many are trying) and they aren’t yet a destination for travelers. Young cities have newly constructed buildings, but are not building rapidly yet. There should be some reason or draw for a new city to pop up, such as a newly discovered resource (gold, gems, etc.) or a war that has displaced thousands of people. 
• New/Temporary: (Less than 50 years) These can include refugee towns, shanties built just outside of major cities, and gypsy or Tortal moving towns. These have just popped up, and it is likely the locals are not happy about it. The towns or villages (they won’t have enough people to be considered a city) are filled with temporary or thrown together structures. Most often villages come out of necessity, not desire to build something new.

Population

Population determines if a collection of people is a city, town, or village. But more than that, it also contributes to living conditions, available resources, and luxuries, and visitor accommodations.  

City: (12,001 and 25,000) Here is everything your heart desires and more. Cities are likely to have large libraries holding ancient knowledge, shops containing magical and enchanted items, blacksmiths, armorers, stables, food and so much more. Inns will be plentiful and likely cheap, food and drink will abound in great variety and, given enough time, adventurers can find whatever it is they are looking for.

Large Town: (2,001-12,000) You won’t find all the luxuries of a city here, but they certainly aren’t lacking. Inns, shops, food, and drink will be plentiful still, though you may have a harder time finding magical or enchanted items.

Small Town: (901 and 2,000) Here is where we transition from a visitor mindset to an agricultural or resource-driven mindset. There are far fewer choices of Inns, maybe one or two, shops are mostly dedicated to daily needs and you likely won’t find a blacksmith who knows how to mend a blade (but he can fit your horse with new shoes!) Life is much more simple, though there are a few luxuries. You will still be able to buy some necessities and find a room to rent, but don’t expect the nightlife offered by the above-mentioned places.

Village: (401-900) You are looking at the bare bones to meet travelers’ needs. Likely the one Inn in town is delighted to have guests (though everything will be pricey). Few shops, other than a bakery, feed store, blacksmith for making tools and horseshoes, and a trading post of some kind for supplies. That’s it. You are getting off the beaten path now.

Hamlet: (81-400) There likely isn’t even an Inn here, though the Hamlet Elder would likely be happy to put up the guests (they haven’t had any in so long!) Same basic set up as a Village, just with fewer options. Where they might have been two bakeries to choose from in the village, there is just Edith who sells fresh loaves from her house here.

Thorp: (20-80) Why are you here?? That’s what all the locals will be thinking when your party wanders up. This is a tiny community of close-knit people living on the outskirts of the civilized world. They work together and share everything they make. No shops here, just straight barter, and good luck finding someone with the room to put you up for the night. You had better just keep moving along.

Dominant Race

Each race in Dungeons & Dragons has a different view of the world and different values they would bring to a city. A city of Dwarves, for example, might be more focused on metal and stonework. The buildings may be carved out of the side of a mountain and their craftsmen will likely specialize in heavy marshal armor and weapons. This city will have a rough-hewn feel to it.

On the contrary, a city primarily populated with Elves will focus more on aesthetic beauty and form. Buildings will be works of art in and of themselves and the craftsmen will bring exacting detail to the detail of light armor and bows.

To determine which race should be the dominant race in your city, town, or village, you need to look at the region and the history. What races are likely to inhabit this area? Were any races not originally from this area pushed here due to natural or man-made causes?

Once you have decided on the race, do some research on that culture. You don’t have to be an expert, but try to find the primary values, styles, and ambitions of whatever race you are using, then build these things into the city itself. What would a city primarily composed of Dragonborn look like compared to one dominated by Gnomes? How would their food differ? What about recreational activities? When considering how a race would influence a city or town, consider the following:

• Food
• Religion
• Building design
• City layout
• Attitude to Visitors
• Shops
• Recreational Activities
• Connection to Nature
• Primary materials used in craft (stone vs. wood vs. metal)

Deities of the Region/Race

The primary god or gods worshiped by the dominant race will have a major impact on the town or city you create. Is a temple the center of the city or is there no place of worship at all? Often times, temples are the places where clerics and other healers reside. The type of healing and care they provide to outsiders could largely depend on that god or goddess. Not all deities are kind and caring. Some demand acts in kind.

So if the party is looking to heal one member of a deadly disease (see this great post of 5 Deadly Diseases if you need some ideas) a cleric of Kord might demand the rest of the party complete an act of valor and kill a cockatrice first. The deities of the city will determine the general feel and willingness of villagers to help others in need.

Economy

Is it a feast or famine in the neighborhood? This has a large impact on shops, prices, and attitudes in your city or village. Cities that are seeing a huge decline in sales may try to squeeze every penny they can from wandering adventurers loaded with gold, or perhaps even steal it from them when they aren’t looking. Cities with bad economies will likely have many shops that have closed their doors and see many people leave seeking greener pastures or otherwise homeless and hungry, begging for spare coin. The overall tone is sad and gloomy.

On the other hand, cities, where the economy is booming, will be looking to expand. Likely merchants and shopkeepers will be fighting over territory as their businesses expand. These places will have plenty of work and be willing to pay for it. The feeling of this city is joyful, full of life, and hope for the future.

Primary Trade

What is the city or town known for? Are they the Salmon Capital of the World? The Home of Healing Potions? Each city and town should have a primary export that defines the economy. A town on a lake will likely deal mostly in fish while a city on a huge port will import and export spices, textiles, and grains.

To decide what the export for your town is, look at the topography. If there are mountains nearby, perhaps they are a rock quarry or they specialize in collecting rare mountain herbs for medicines. If it is near an extensive forest, they might sell lumber or leather and meat. The primary trade will also determine the types of shops the town has and the majority of job types.

Crime Rate

How safe is your city or village? Do people lock their doors at night, or is it a close-knit community of share-and-share-alike? This factor should determine how trusting the locals are of a new face and how friendly people are in general. A city controlled by a violent secret society will have a completely different feel from one run by an open and honest elder.

Not only does the crime rate determine interactions with locals, but it will also determine the kinds of goods and side quests available to the party. Perhaps that secret society forbids the selling of certain items, or come to collect a “membership due” from shopkeepers each month, limiting the amount they can spend on goods. This can also lead to side quests to either help the shopkeepers or join the underground criminal world (depending on your party).

Building Style

We touched on this above, but the building style of the city does a lot to set it apart in the minds of your players. However, the building style will depend on many of the factors I have already listed, such as location, age, economy, and dominant race.

Now that you know all these things about your city, it is time to put it together. Your buildings should all have a design that weaves them together as part of a larger structure. Some design elements could be:

• Large stone pillars and columns
• Intricately carved wooden beams
• Trees or other nature elements
• Metal elements
• Open-air markets and structures
• Large, multi-level buildings
• Small, mostly thatch roof or lend-to type buildings
• Very organized or very chaotic

Choose your elements and then make sure to describe them and mention them often. Even if your players don’t remember the name of the city, they will remember what it looked like if you use this method.

Political Atmosphere

The final element to consider is the political atmosphere of a location. How do the locals free about the ruling authority, current wars, or other affairs of state and how much do they talk about it? Large cities with political connections who rely on trade may be up in arms about a new embargo while a small fishing village could know nothing of what is happening outside their village.

The political temperature of a location will affect how that city’s citizens view certain members of the party, how much fame and clout the party holds in the area, and potential interactions.

Knowing the political connections of the upper echelon in your cities and town (sometimes even villages!) can also provide role-play opportunities, side quests, and connections for the party later. On the other hand, unknowingly committing a social faux pas to the city’s most influential noble could have dire consequences for the party in that city.

Keep It Simple

Although you can do deep into the history and lore of a city, most of the time it is best to keep it simple. If you consider each of these categories and come up with a simple answer for each, you will be able to create realistic and exciting villages and towns quickly and even on the spot!

Fill these realistic towns with realistic NPCs and your party will be scouring the landscape searching for them! If you aren’t sure how to do this, check out my post on Creating Unforgettable NPCs.

Until next time,

May your game have advantage, my friends!

-Halfling Hannah

Occasionally, sessions just don’t turn out the way you envisioned. The players seem bored or distracted, combat is more tedious than exciting, and everything just feels…off. When this happens to me, it can be very tempting to start thinking I am a terrible DM, and I should just stop altogether. Don’t give up just yet! Chances are if your sessions are falling flat, one or more of these 10 things might be happening. Fixing these common mistakes will have a huge impact on the energy of your game! It did on mine!

Why do your sessions keep falling flat? Some reasons might include:

• Lack of Planning
• Lack of Descriptions
• Uninteresting NPCs
• Too Much Mystery or Not Enough
• Player Distractions
• Little Player Interactions
• Lack of Player Choice
• Lack of Visuals
• Misunderstanding Player Values & Expectations
• Party Dynamics

Each of these can lead to a flat session, but a combination of any of them is a recipe for disaster. It isn’t enough to simply know your group is struggling in one area, you also need to know how you can fix it. Don’t worry. I won’t leave you hanging. Just keep reading.

Lack of Planning

I just like to go with the flow, ya know? I don’t like to have too much planned, it isn’t as much fun that way. This mentality is the main reason many sessions fall flat. A lack of planning leads to long pauses while you try to figure out what is in a room, filled with “umm, you know, it’s like a, umm..” That’s not fun. As a player, I always get uncomfortable when a DM does this and it hurts my role play and makes me want to just look at my phone while he gets his act together.

If you are running a pre-written adventure or campaign, you need to read the material at least twice. This will help to solidify the information in your mind so you can be freed, at least a little, from the book. If you are running a homebrew campaign, you need to do a lot of homework.

You need to know the world your players are in, specifically, you need to know as much as you can about the region they are currently in. Some points you need to know are:

• Monsters are they  most likely to encounter
• How are the locals likely to treat the group
• What races are common in this area? Which are uncommon?
• Nearby cities and towns
• The history of the area
• Possible side quests
• Any dungeons, ruins, lairs, or castles in the area the party could stumble across

Knowing these things does not limit the freedom of your party to do what they want, but it gives you quick options. You don’t even need to have all the side quests and dungeons mapped out, it is likely they will never get to them, simply having a list of possibilities will keep your session from falling flat because you were not prepared.

To ensure I am prepared for a session, I always have the following at hand:

• A list of possible NPCs the party could meet (including their shops or homes)
• A list of possible side quests based on the area
• Monsters specific to the region they could encounter
• At least one pre-generated dungeon I can use anywhere. Once I use it, I make another to keep on hand for the same purpose.

If I don’t end up using the NPCs or Monsters, then I keep them for the next session. Once I use them, I put them in my folder, making a note where NPCs were located. This makes it look like I have planned everything the players are doing, but really, I have I still have flexibility as the prepared options can be used pretty much anywhere the party goes.

Lack of Descriptions

Descriptions are King in Dungeons & Dragons. Much of the world exists in the collective imagination of the players, only sometimes are there visuals like maps and miniatures. This means that your description is really all that is tying the players to the world they are exploring. If you aren’t describing that world, then there is no connection.

Combat Descriptions

Combat should be exciting! You should be describing monsters, player attacks, and enemy deaths, and spell effects. Just feel the difference between these two examples of a player casting a spell.

Player: “I cast Chromatic Orb. 17 to hit.”

DM: “Yep. That hits. Roll damage.”

Player: “8 points of damage.”

DM: “He is dead. Jason, your turn.”

VS.

Player: “I cast Magic Missile. 17 to hit”

DM: “As you weave your arcane symbol into the air and focus your aura, a blast of green energy shoots from your hand, crisscrossing its way through the battlefield and smashing into the Orc, causing him to stagger backward. Roll damage.”

Players: “8 damage.”

DM: “You watch as the Orc’s armor is blasted away and goes tumbling through the air, leaving a huge, gaping wound in his chest. He stands there for a moment, looking at the wound, then he falls forward, smashing into the ground, dead.”

The first example is, sadly, very common. Battles become tedious and boring as players just wait for their turn to roll dice and spout numbers. It isn’t alive. It isn’t epic. It doesn’t make them feel like heroes.  The second example doesn’t take much more time than the first, yet it leaves the player feeling awesome. And that description makes other players take notice. It is likely to lead to role play where players talk about how awesome their kills were.

Here is a quick list of phrases you should memorize to use in combat:

• Crackling arcane energy
• Your weapon finds the gap in the armor, just below the armpit
• The sword slides across the armor, skidding off to one side
• The arrow embeds itself into the wood of the shield, the metal tip just poking through the other side
• You clutch your weapon tightly, raising it above your head for a crushing blow, bringing all your weight into the attack as you bring it crashing down (works well for critical melee attacks)

Make your own list of phrases based on your party that you can pull from during combat and watch the difference it makes!

Describing NPCs

In much the same way, you want to describe your NPCs in as much detail as you can. Not only their physical appearance but their personality and defining characteristics as well. If someone asked your party to describe an NPC, could they?

Describing the World

In much the same way, your players should be able to describe what the world around them looks like, smells like, and sounds like. Use as many of the senses as possible when describing new areas. Don’t just give generic descriptions of a forest, be as specific as possible. Some of this can happen on the fly, and random generators are great for when players catch you off guard. But planning out descriptions for large cities and specific areas ahead of time is a must.

Read my article on this topic for more on how to give descriptions that keep your players engaged.

Uninteresting NPCs

Oftentimes, the party will need to interact with NPCs to buy supplies, complete quests, or progress the story. These bits of the game can really fall flat if these NPCs are not interesting. Your NPCs need to be interesting in some way. Make sure you are considering the following when building NPCs:

• Flaws
• Bonds
• Ticks (such as talking too fast or too slowly)
• Values
• World View (innocent vs jaded and such)

Just by considering these aspects of NPCs, they will become much more interesting to your party.

If you are looking for more tips on creating interesting NPCs, check out this post on Creating Unforgettable NPCs which goes into detail on the whole NPC creation process.

Too Much Mystery or Not Enough

You don’t want to spoil the twist, so you play your cards close to the vest. Then, slowly, you notice your players don’t really care about your mysterious plotline.

Alternatively, the players are looking for something to discover, and all they find are Gnolls. Both extremes can cause sessions to fall flat.

If your campaign has an amazing twist, obviously you don’t want to give it away too soon. However, if you don’t give hints of what is coming and reward players for finding them, they simply won’t care about the plot.

Mysteries are only good if an answer is in sight. Great mysteries leave clues for players to find, even if they don’t immediately understand the clue itself.

Need some help on how to do this? Read any Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle is a master at putting out seemingly unconnected clues then explaining them all in the end.

You should be dropping hints all along the way, keeping the true answer just out of reach of the players, but close enough to keep them chasing the carrot, as the proverb goes.

Remember, clues and puzzles are often much MUCH more difficult for players to understand than we think. So if they still aren’t getting it, make it even more obvious.

On the other hand, campaigns without any element of mystery at all are just as frustrating and boring. Even the most hack-and-slash groups like a good mystery to hack through! If you aren’t good at coming up with them yourself, that’s no problem. There are plenty of resources and books that have pre-written mysterious adventures you can throw into pretty much any campaign.

My personal favorite is “Tales from the Yawning Portal.” You can check out my review and buy your own copy on my DM Must Haves page.

Lack of Player Choice

If you are railroading your players, they will know it. People don’t like to be told what to do. It is in our nature to rebel against it. So if you are obviously or too often railroading your players, it will cause the session to fall flat. Players won’t always make it where you want them to. Heck, sometimes they won’t even make it there at all! You need to be okay with that as a DM.

Your job is to make sure the players are having fun. If the group wants to spend 4 hours exploring the city and shopping, then you put on your NPC face and give them fun, interesting people with whom they can interact. Don’t push them to leave or insert an encounter that doesn’t make sense just because it’s what you want to do. If the players are having fun, then just let them have fun.

It can be tempting as a DM to push players in the direction of your plot or storyline. While there are ways to do this and still give the players an illusion of choice (which I will talk more about here) for the most part, players should have a genuine choice in what they do and these choices should have consequences. 

When players know their choices have no impact on the world around them or the story as a whole, they are likely to not care as much about the story, and the session is likely to fall flat.

Lack of Visuals

I said above that much of Dungeons & Dragons is played in what’s called the “Theater of the Mind.” The collective imagination of the group. However, there are times when visuals are not only useful, they are necessary. If you don’t include visuals, at least occasionally, it can cause sessions to fall flat.

Combat where there are multiple enemies is an example of a time when visuals are needed. Not only do combat visuals help the players decide what to do during combat, but they will also help you as the DM know the positioning and number of monsters in the encounter. Trying to keep track of multiple monsters in combat is a headache for everyone without visuals.

You also might try giving your party a world map, treasure map, healing potions, or inspiration tokens, if you feel like the sessions are continually falling flat. These items can infuse some excitement into the party and give them something to pull out at later times to examine or use.

If you are looking to start painting your own miniatures for your campaign, be sure to check out my Recommended Paints & Tools page!

Little Player to Player Interactions

Dungeons & Dragons is a role-playing game. This means the majority of the game should be about characters and relationships, not combat and NPCs. If you are throwing too many encounters at players without giving them downtime to interact with one another, your sessions are certain to fall flat.

Camping, tavern meals, shopping trips, and even nights on the town are critical times for role-playing and bonding between players. If you are not providing these opportunities, then you need to slow down and let the players talk. Trust me. The best memories come from conversations, not combat.

Misunderstanding Player Values & Expectations

If you did not clearly communicate what your campaign was going to be like, or what aspects of the game you were going to focus on, then it is possible your sessions are falling flat because your players had a different expectation. Player expectations can lead to disappointment. If players were expecting a game to be heavy on the role-play and you are running it like they are all murder-hobos, (or vs-versa) then this could be leading to flat sessions.

Before starting a campaign, make your expectations crystal clear. Tell the players what the world will be like, (such as if magic is common or uncommon; if there are lots of race or primarily one) so they can make characters that are viable. Also, talk to them about what aspects of the game they like the most and which they dislike, and then plan your campaign around that. Make sure you are including something for everyone and keeping a balance, but you should know what your group leans towards.

My group is all about the role-play, preferring it to combat, so many plot points in my campaign are more about talking than fighting. I play in another group that if there isn’t combat every session, the natives start to get very restless. Each group is different, make sure you know what makes yours tick or you could be in for a whole lot of flat sessions.

Player Distractions to Avoid

Of course, it is possible that you are doing everything right and your players are just getting distracted. If this is consistently the case, then you need to have a group talk about rules. But there are some rules for a group rules talk!

1. You are not the imposer of rules.

A group rules talk should NOT be you telling everyone what the rules are from now on. You should begin the talk by pointing out the issue. Trust me, the players know it is an issue, it is possible they are just as upset as you are about it! Your job is to facilitate the discussion about what the table rules should be. This will depend on your group and may end up being stricter or looser than you would have made them, but, regardless, the group has to own the rules and self enforce them or they won’t work.

               2.  Don’t call people out

Calling people out will only make them defensive. Nothing good comes out of that situation. You will want to address the issue without pointing fingers, whenever possible, take the blame! I know, this might make some of you cringe, but if you take the blame, others will follow suit and start owing their own mistakes (it’s a weird human psychological thing that really works!) The goal is to work together to create a fun experience, not single people out and make them feel bad.

                 3. Be specific

When making rules, push people to be as specific as possible. Humans are good at finding loopholes, eliminate as many as possible right out the gate. You will also want to set ground rules and guidelines for enforcing the rules your group makes.

Some common distractions you may want to talk about are:

• Phones
• Food
• Side Conversations (in character and out of character)
• Rules Arguing
• Talking Over Each Other
• Reading
• Knitting/Crocheting  
• Telling Stories about Other Campaigns

Party Dynamics

Last of all, if you have done everything you can as a DM and had a group rules talk and the problem persists, then it may be time to take a hard look at your party’s dynamics. Is there a issue you don’t know about? Is there one or two people who are constant distractions? Is there a bully or someone who is making everyone else uncomfortable?

If you can pinpoint the source of the problem to one or two individuals, it may be time to ask them to leave. This is hard and uncomfortable, but also the responsibility of the DM. Your job is to make sure the group is having fun, if one person is ruining that for everyone, then you need to remove the tumor.

Do not do this by simply killing off his/her character and hoping they leave!

As uncomfortable as it is, you need to have a conversation with them, preferably with only one or two other people present. Tell them what the issues are, what you have tried to do to solve these issues and that you simply have to ask them to leave. This is awkward and painful at the time, but I promise, the freedom you and your players will feel at the start of the next session will make it worth it!

You Are Doing a Great Job!!

Being the Dungeon Master is a constant learning experience. It doesn’t come with a job description and it is a labor of love that is often overlooked. As long as you are doing your best, you are a great Dungeon Master! Keep learning, keep trying and please don’t stop! There are very few people willing to put themselves out there like Dungeon Masters are. You are a rare breed and we need more people like you!

Dungeon & Dragons wouldn’t happen without you. Flat session happen, its true, but don’t let that dampen your love of the game and your love for your friends. Keep on striving to be better, and those flat sessions will be fewer and farther between.

Until next time,

May your game have advantage, my friends!

-Halfling Hannah

In the heat of battle, it can become difficult for even the most experienced Dungeon Master to keep track of all the spells and spell effects that are flying around the battlefield. Here are some table tested, practical ways you can keep track of spells and spell effects during your Dungeons & Dragons 5e encounter.

How can you quickly and effectively keep track of spells and spell effects in a Dungeons & Dragons 5e encounter? The best tools for keeping track of spells are:

• Spell Cards
• Trello
• Spell Rulers
• Pipe Cleaners
• Effect Trackers

Some of the items on this list might leave you scratching your head, but I promise, once you use them, you will never go back! Although tracking spells can be difficult, utilizing these resources can make it much simpler. All of these can even be created for FREE, which is every Dungeon Master’s favorite number!

Spell Cards

Each class in Dungeons & Dragons has their own list of spells they can cast and spell casting characters often have a whole arsenal of spells they know. Many of these spells are listed in the Player’s Handbook, but with all the recent expansions, such as Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, it is possible your players might have one or two spells not found in the Player’s Handbook.

Most often, what ends up happening is the player says they want to cast a spell, then they, you, or both search through the Player’s Handbook, or other books trying to find the spell to remember what it does. Is it a ranged spell attack? What’s the range on that? How many creatures can you effect? Most often you have no idea offhand what these spells do. There are just too many to remember. This is why Wizards of the Coast created Spell Cards.

Buying Spell Cards

For each class, you can purchase spell cards that include all the possible spells a player in that class could take. These cards list all the spell effects such as casting time, duration, range, components and spell effect description. Instead of flipping through a book each time a player wants to cast a spell, they can have the spell in front of them on a nice little card that doesn’t take up nearly as much room.

The only problem with buying these cards as a DM is the price tag. Though each set itself is very reasonably priced (between $10-$20 on Amazon) If you have a party of 5 players that are all different spellcasting classes, that can really add up. However, on the flip side, if you buy these once, then you have them forever!

If the price isn’t an issue for you, then I would highly suggest buying these spell cards. They are a really wonderful resource for both you and your players. I have even found these cards speed up the pace of combat because players can quickly see what the spell does and if it is an option as opposed to flipping frantically through a book or saying I cast this spell, then realizing what that spell actually does, saying, “Oh wait, nevermind.” Then repeating that whole process three times before deciding to just hit the enemy with a melee weapon. (Anyone know what I’m talking about?? Yeah. You do.)

If you hate how long it takes players to figure out which spell they want to use, or you are a new DM who isn’t sure if they can memorize all those spells, then these cards are the way to go! Buy them yourself or encourage your players to buy their own.

Creating Your Own Spell Cards

If the price tag is just a little out of your range, then there some (mostly) free options.

I say mostly free because you will need access to the spells in whatever book they are from. This either means you need to purchase a physical copy or purchase a digital copy on a platform such as DnD Beyond. If you can’t do this either, then I suggest becoming really good friends with a seasoned Dungeon Master and borrowing theirs.

If you have access to the books containing the spells you will need to know, then you can make your own FREE spell cards with nothing but the effort and these resources.

Old School: Index Cards

Nearly everyone has index cards laying around somewhere. Whether you bought them for school, work, or a presentation, index cards always seem to appear out of nowhere and you never use them all. If you don’t have any laying around, you can pick up a pack of 200 for less than a dollar at any Walmart, Dollar Tree, or Dollar General. If they aren’t free, they are as close as you can get.

Now you just need to copy down all the spells your players or NPCs will use so you can have them at your fingertips whenever you need them. Because you are making the cards, you can put the most pertinent information where you will see it quickly. You can also highlight info you will need quickly, like range and damage. This allows for a high amount of customization to your cards that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to get.

Although this is a big-time investment upfront, the spells do not change, meaning you can reuse them over and over, only adding spells as you need them for your group. I would suggest having your players send you the spells they take at each level and creating card sets for each character.

New School: Trello

Trello is a FREE online, collaborative list maker that lets multiple people access the same list at the same time. If you have never heard of or used Trello before, it can be difficult to comprehend without looking at it yourself. Just go to Trello.com and sign up for a free account and start playing with the features. You will quickly realize just how powerful a tool this can be for your campaign!

Creating Campaign Boards

The first thing you will want to do in Trello is to create a campaign board. To do this, simply add a new board and give it a title. Next, begin adding “Lists.”

Trello is designed to be used as a work management tool to create To-Do Lists, but it works just as well to manage players and party funds. For each character in your party, make a list and title that list with the character’s name. In my example, I have “Harris” as the list title. Within that list, you can add “Cards.” These are what we will be using for Spells.

Title each card the spell name, then add all the information for the spell into the description. Now you have a complete spell card that both you and your players can see at the same time!

My favorite part about this resource is that I can have the players add their own spells, cutting my workload down and saving me lots of time!

To each of the cards, you can also add pictures, labels and even checklists. Meaning there is a whole lot of customization options for whatever you want to add!

Of course, adding spell lists is just one use of Trello. You can also create a list of the Party Funds where your players can track their shared resources or keep track of NPCs you have used in the past, locations, monsters, or even collaborative note taking.

Tracking Spell Ranges

Figuring out which creatures are within the area of effect or range of a spell can be annoying. Some spell effects are a cube, others are a cone, and others still are a sphere with a radius. I haven’t had to figure out a radius since high school geometry, and I wasn’t even good at it then! Luckily, there are some tools that can make this process quick and easy! (No more googling “radius” every time. What? Am I the only one that does that?)

Using Spell Rulers

The quickest solution to this problem is often the quickest solution to any problem. Throw some money at it. Buy a Spell Damage Marker for 11.99 on Amazon (or at your local game shop) and your instant spell effects problems will be solved. 

When a spell is cast that affects an area, just pull out this marker, measure your map, and keep on rolling. I recommend this one on Amazon. It clearly marks all sizes of radius, cubes, and cones.

Using Pipe Cleaners to Mark Area Effects

As great as damage markers are for figuring out what creatures take instantaneous damage, it is much more difficult to track a spell’s area of effect that is centered around a player. While you can draw out which areas are affected by spells that have hard guidelines, some spells, like Spiritual Guardians affect the areas around the player.

This is much more difficult to track because if you draw the area and the player moves, then you have to take the time to erase and then redraw the area around them. This can be very time consuming and, quite frankly, annoying. If you don’t mark the spell’s effect in some way, you and your players will forget during combat, making for arguments, back dealing damage (which I try to avoid at all costs), and overall complications.

A cheap and easy solution to this is to up pipe cleaners. Simply twist the pipe cleaner into a circle that marks whatever radius you need and place it around the player’s miniature. Now, whenever a creature moves into that circle or starts a turn inside that circle, you clearly know they need to take damage. This will also help both your and your player’s strategies because you can both clearly see the area of damage.

Because pipe cleaners are so cheap and come in a large variety of colors, you can even use different colors to make different damage types or use them to make spell effects.

Tracking Spell Effects

Many spells not only do damage, but they put the targeted creatures under some kind of an effect as well. Such as stunned, grappled, or charmed. To easily track which players or monsters are under which effect, I would suggest picking up a token set like this one.

When a player or monster is under an effect, place the token under the miniature to easily track which condition is affecting each combatant. I really recommend having at least one set of these, as they cost under $15 and are one of the most useful encounter tools I have ever used.

If you can’t afford these right now, simply use the pipe cleaner trick I told you about above, or use the rings off of milk cartons. Really anything works, you just need something to remind you that player is suffering from a condition.

Keeping Track of Concentration

Some spells require the caster to “concentrate” on that spell. If the caster takes damage, they must make a concentration check to see if they maintain the spell or if it drops. The spell caster cannot use two spells requiring concentration at the same time. The difficult part of this is remembering which players are maintaining concentration. I have run many encounters where I have completely forgotten about concentration, but this can have a huge effect on combat!

Here is an example: If a player has cast Polymorph on an enemy, and another enemy hits the spell caster, they must succeed on a concentration check, or the other enemy poofs back to normal. You can see how this could greatly impact an encounter. But how do you keep track of that?

There are a couple of ways to keep track of concentration. The first is by using Player Cards.

Using Player Cards to Track Concentration

While this isn’t the cheapest solution, it certainly works well. When a player casts a spell that requires concentration, you can simply write that in the notes section of the card. This is also great for tracking all spell and damage effects, such as stunned or poisoned. Because they are dry/wet erase, you can use them over and over again, making these worth the price.

If you are looking for a cheaper and more fun option, try using candles.

Using Candles to Track Concentration

Personally, I prefer the fake LED candles, like the ones picture above. You can get them on Amazon for about a dollar apiece, making them a really affordable option. Give one to each of your players and when they are concentration on a spell, have them turn on their candle. When they are no longer concentrating on a spell, they turn it off.

Now, you can look around the table and quickly see who is concentrating on a spell. Not only does this give the players a physical action they need to do when they are concentrating (which is a link to memory, meaning just the act of turning on the candle will help them remember) lit candles add a cool element to the table! It just feels more natural somehow, and it really is a great memory tool.

The Spell Master

Not even the greatest of DM’s can remember every spell and track every effect perfectly. We all need a little help (in my case, a LOT of help). By using even one or two of the resources I outlined above, you will free up your mind to focus on other aspects of the game and impress your players with your organization. Just a few tools go a long way in helping you become a Spell Master!

Have a specific resource or trick you use to keep track of spells and spell effects that I didn’t mention here? Cast Sending and let me know what I missed!

Until next time,

May your game have advantage, my friends!

-Halfling Hannah

If you are thinking of sending your party into the depths of the earth, (or if they just happened to wind up there) there are a whole new set of concerns for you as the Dungeon Master.

The Underdark is like an alien world lying just below the surface, if your party is going there, you are going to want to be sure you aren’t making these mistakes.

How do you run an adventure in the Underdark? You need to make sure you are considering these features of the Underdark:

• Ecosystems
• Terrain
• Light
• Creatures
• Civilizations and Communities
• Gods and goddesses
• Unexpected Refugees
• Equipment

Each of these features has an impact on an Underdark adventure. Keep reading for full explanations on what Dungeon Master’s often miss in each of these key areas.

A Whole New World

Underdark Ecosystems

The ecosystems of the Underdark are vastly different from that of the surface world. Because there is no sun, there are no plants that perform photosynthesis and, therefore, no typical plant-eaters. This means the Underdark ecosystems mostly consists of fungi and carnivorous creatures (which explains why all the monsters that inhabit the Underdark have teeth and want to eat you.)

Why does this matter? Well, different ecosystems mean that your Druid that normally could tell if something is poisonous or not, due to their high nature check, should have disadvantage on nature checks while in the Underdark (unless they have spent time there before) because of how different it is from the surface world.

This also means the party could be exposed to a whole new world of diseases and poisons that Underdark creatures have immunity to, but surface dwellers do not. Clouds of poisonous fungi spores that weaken the surface adventurers have no effect on the creatures they fight. Or perhaps a party member develops a persistent cough caused by the perpetually damp air.

There are a number of ways you could play this out. Have some fun with it, just don’t forget, this ecosystem is, most likely, completely foreign to your party and that should come with some dangers.

Weather

While not necessarily common, some caverns are large enough to have their own weather systems (for real!). Rain is not uncommon in such caverns, and while it isn’t necessary, it could be a fun twist for flavoring that many DM don’t even consider.

Underdark Terrain

Underground terrain is vastly different from surface world terrain, and many DMs forget this when they send their party underground. Here are some features of underground terrain which you need to remember when playing out encounters or descriptions of areas.

Ceiling

You are underground, which means there is always a ceiling to be mindful of. Whether that ceiling is hundreds of feet high, or so low the party must crawl through a space, always beware of the ceiling. Having a ceiling also gives a whole new area to hide creatures or clues, so make sure not to neglect it.

Space Description

There is always a limited amount of space underground. You need to make sure you are clear with how large caverns, tunnels and other areas are. The amount of room available makes a difference for spells and movement, so to avoid confusion and frustration, always be clear. If you aren’t sure how big caverns should be, you can roll a d20 or a d100 (depending on how large of an option you want) for the length and height of the room (in feet), then add some features, like crumbling ruins or stalagmites, to it.

Rivers & Lakes

The Underdark is filled with water. From vast lakes, to subterranean rivers, most of the water on Earth finds it way underground. Including rivers and lakes into your Underdark adventure adds elements of surprise and wonder. What will your adventurers do when they face a vast, endless, inky lake? Wouldn’t it be fun to find out?

Echoes

Most Underdark rooms and tunnels are carved through rock. Rock does not absorb sound, meaning that even the slightest whisper would travel a good distance. Many DMs forget this aspect of the Underdark when creating their adventures. If your players get into combat, or have a particularly noisy dwarf in the party, you can bet the sound will be heard for miles, alerting other enemies and creatures in the area.

Tunnels

The primary way the party will be traveling through the Underdark is via tunnels. There are lots of creatures that make tunnels in the Underdark. Purple Wurms and Kobolds just to name a few. But tunnels don’t always lead where you think they should. They can double back on themselves, open into a sheer drop, or simply come to an end. Tunnels made by creatures often crisscross each other, creating a labyrinth. Tunnels can also be various sizes. Purple Wurms makes tunnels nearly 10 feet in diameter, while kobold tunnels are only 5 feet. Use various types of tunnels in confusing ways to get your party turned around, making your Underdark adventure more challenging.

Lava

Water isn’t the only element found underground. Lake and rivers of lava are also a common sight if adventures go too far down. These can create problems all their own as the party tries to  decide how to cross them.

Crystal Caverns

Diamonds, gold, emeralds and other precious metals and stones are all found underground. While I am not saying these should just be littered about, rolling a percentile dice to see if your party stumbles across a crystal cavern or a gold vein is fun. Especially if you know they didn’t bring a pick axe…

Light Sources and the Underdark

It is called the Underdark for a reason. And while most DMs don’t forget that part and make sure the party has a light source, they do tend to forget how that light source might affect the creatures of the Underdark.

If the party has cast the Daylight spell, or some other light spell, if the spell specifically says it creates bright light then most creatures from the Underdark are going to have disadvantage on attacks while that light is on. The party is also going to draw a lot of attention, and not positive attention. As long as a light is on, the party should all automatically fail stealth checks.

This is a homebrew rule, but I think it makes sense. You are bringing a light source into a completely lightless area. How are you going to hide that? Even the tiniest bit of light can be seen from a LONG way away in a cave. If you find this rule too harsh, then give the party disadvantage on stealth checks.

You also need to decide if the light will draw creatures to it, or chase them away. This will depend mostly on the creature, but more vicious creatures would likely try to destroy the source of light while more timid ones might run.

Underdark Creatures

There are a vast array of Underdark creatures and you should be using them! Many DMs get stuck on bats and Mind Flayers, but there are some crazy cool creatures you can use! Here is a quick list of my favorites from the Basic Rules, which are available for free online. The list is organized by Challenge Rating, lowest to highest.

Be sure to check out Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes if you are looking for even more Underdark Creatures! You see a description of the books and purchase them on my DM Must Haves page.

Black Pudding

Large ooze, unaligned Challenge Rating: 4 (1,100 XP) (see full stats at DndBeyond)

Amorphous. The pudding can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the pudding or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the pudding corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to −5, the weapon is destroyed.

Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the pudding is destroyed after dealing damage.

The pudding can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or metal in 1 round.

Spider Climb. The pudding can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions

Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) acid damage. In addition, nonmagical armor worn by the target is partly dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10.

Reactions

Split. When a pudding that is Medium or larger is subjected to lightning or slashing damage, it splits into two new puddings if it has at least 10 hit points. Each new pudding has hit points equal to half the original pudding’s, rounded down. New puddings are one size smaller than the original pudding.

Cloaker
Large aberration, chaotic neutral Challenge Rating: 8 (3,900 XP) (see full stats at DndBeyond)

Damage Transfer. While attached to a creature, the cloaker takes only half the damage dealt to it (rounded down), and that creature takes the other half.

False Appearance. While the cloaker remains motionless without its underside exposed, it is indistinguishable from a dark leather cloak.

Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the cloaker has disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Actions

Multiattack. The cloaker makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage, and if the target is Large or smaller, the cloaker attaches to it. If the cloaker has advantage against the target, the cloaker attaches to the target’s head, and the target is blinded and unable to breathe while the cloaker is attached. While attached, the cloaker can make this attack only against the target and has advantage on the attack roll. The cloaker can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. A creature, including the target, can take its action to detach the cloaker by succeeding on a DC 16 Strength check.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage.

Moan. Each creature within 60 feet of the cloaker that can hear its moan and that isn’t an aberration must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of the cloaker’s next turn. If a creature’s saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to the cloaker’s moan for the next 24 hours.

Phantasms (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The cloaker magically creates three illusory duplicates of itself if it isn’t in bright light. The duplicates move with it and mimic its actions, shifting position so as to make it impossible to track which cloaker is the real one. If the cloaker is ever in an area of bright light, the duplicates disappear.

Whenever any creature targets the cloaker with an attack or a harmful spell while a duplicate remains, that creature rolls randomly to determine whether it targets the cloaker or one of the duplicates. A creature is unaffected by this magical effect if it can’t see or if it relies on senses other than sight.

A duplicate has the cloaker’s AC and uses its saving throws. If an attack hits a duplicate, or if a duplicate fails a saving throw against an effect that deals damage, the duplicate disappears.

Behir

Huge Monstrosity, neutral evil

 Challenge Rating: 11 (7,200 XP) (see full stats at DndBeyond)Actions

Multiattack. The behir makes two attacks: one with its bite and one to constrict.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) piercing damage.

Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Large or smaller creature. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage plus 17 (2d10 + 6) slashing damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 16) if the behir isn’t already constricting a creature, and the target is restrained until this grapple ends.

Lightning Breath (Recharge 5–6). The behir exhales a line of lightning that is 20 feet long and 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 66 (12d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Swallow. The behir makes one bite attack against a Medium or smaller target it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is also swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the target is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the behir, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the behir’s turns. A behir can have only one creature swallowed at a time.

If the behir takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from the swallowed creature, the behir must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate the creature, which falls prone in a space within 10 feet of the behir. If the behir dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Aboleth

Large aberration, lawful evil

 Challenge Rating: 10 (5,900 XP) See full monster stats and lair actions at DnDBeyond.Aboleths lair in subterranean lakes or the rocky depths of the ocean, often surrounded by the ruins of an ancient, fallen aboleth city. An aboleth spends most of its existence underwater, surfacing occasionally to treat with visitors or deranged worshipers. This terrifying creature can cast spells, such as charm person to enslave creatures it comes across.

Amphibious. The aboleth can breathe air and water.

Mucous Cloud. While underwater, the aboleth is surrounded by transformative mucus. A creature that touches the aboleth or that hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is diseased for 1d4 hours. The diseased creature can breathe only underwater.

Probing Telepathy. If a creature communicates telepathically with the aboleth, the aboleth learns the creature’s greatest desires if the aboleth can see the creature.

Actions

Multiattack. The aboleth makes three tentacle attacks.

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become diseased. The disease has no effect for 1 minute and can be removed by any magic that cures disease. After 1 minute, the diseased creature’s skin becomes translucent and slimy, the creature can’t regain hit points unless it is underwater, and the disease can be removed only by heal or another disease-curing spell of 6th level or higher. When the creature is outside a body of water, it takes 6 (1d12) acid damage every 10 minutes unless moisture is applied to the skin before 10 minutes have passed.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft. one target. Hit: 15 (3d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Enslave (3/Day). The aboleth targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed by the aboleth until the aboleth dies or until it is on a different plane of existence from the target. The charmed target is under the aboleth’s control and can’t take reactions, and the aboleth and the target can communicate telepathically with each other over any distance.

Whenever the charmed target takes damage, the target can repeat the saving throw. On a success, the effect ends. No more than once every 24 hours, the target can also repeat the saving throw when it is at least 1 mile away from the aboleth.

Legendary Actions

The aboleth can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The aboleth regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Detect. The aboleth makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.

Tail Swipe. The aboleth makes one tail attack.

Psychic Drain (Costs 2 Actions). One creature charmed by the aboleth takes 10 (3d6) psychic damage, and the aboleth regains hit points equal to the damage the creature takes.

Underdark Civilizations

Just because it is underground doesn’t mean there isn’t culture. There are whole cities and ports underground about which the surface dwellers have only heard rumors. The Drow are not a rag-tag group of barbarians, and while the Mind Flayer eat brains, they certainly are not devoid of intelligence. DMs often make the mistake of making their Underdark adventures too rough and rustic when their are sophisticated options as well.

Drow Civilizations

While I could not possibly cover all the intricacies of Drow civilization (see the exhaustive Drizzt series), suffice it to say there most certainly is one.

Drow have a very structured society with Matron Mothers at the top, leading families, and constantly fighting for power. These Matron’s are the centers of vast webs of conspiracies and plans to gain Lolth’s (the Spider Queen’s) favor and sabotage other families.

The Drow build incredible cities underground and guard them using spiders, magic, and poisoned weapons. Though they do not easily trust outsiders, they recognize when they may be of use in their traitorous plans.

Myconid Colonies

Unlike many civilizations in the Underdark, Myconids are a peaceful race. They are welcoming of visitors and very hospitable. These humanoid fungi have some unique past times, often enjoying a group hallucination called “the meld.” If you want to know more about these psychedelic little dudes, check out my post on 5 Monsters to Encourage Role Play

Mind Flayer Civilizations

Mind Flayers, while dark and twisted, still have social expectations and strict societal rules. All Mind Flayers are connected to the Elder Brain, which, in turn, connects all Mind Flayers to each other.

If a Mind Flayer violates a societal rule, their connection is severed and they are shunned from the community. This can lead to groups of Mind Flayers living on the outskirts of Mind Flayer civilizations, surviving as best they can.

Mind Flayers enjoy enslaving other races with their psychic abilities. Some notable examples include the Kuo Toa and the Duergar, or Gray Dwaves. The Mind Flayer mind control caused both of these races to go insane, which persists to this day.

Mind Flayers also like to experiment. Some of their experiments include intellect devourers and Oblexes. While they like to experiment, Mind Flayer never deal with magic. They hate magic intensely and any Mind Flayer that practices it is immediately cast out.

Gods of the Underdark

Two of the most common gods of the Underdark are Zuggtmoy and Lolth. You can also see a list of other dark domain gods at the Forgotten Realm Fandom here.

Zuggtmoy: Demon Queen of Fungi

This truly alien goddess seeks to replace all life with fungi. She is known to bring followers to herself with promises of power if they ingest the mushrooms she gives them. The spores of these mushrooms then take control of the person and slowly force them to do the bidding of the Demon Queen. If the party is wandering through the Underdark, they better watch out for the Queen of Fungi.

Lolth: Demon Queen of Spiders

Worshiped by the Drow, Lolth is a betrayer god who delights in falsehood and treason. She encourages deception in her followers and rewards those who are most devious in their plots. But Lolth’s blessing is fickle. One day she bestows power, the next, for no reason, she will take it away.

All of Lolth’s servants are women. She has no use for men and Drow culture reflects this. Drow men are useful only as warriors, the women rule the houses and tend to political affairs. The Matron Mothers are Lolth’s most powerful priestesses, to whom Lolth grants extraordinary powers, though not always consistently. 

Refuge for the Radical

While the surface world may scoff or protest questionable magical practices, the Underdark, while dangerous, is considerably less concerned with such things. This makes it the ideal refuge for the more, let’s say, fanatical of mages. DMs often forget this fact when planning underground adventures. It is entirely possible the group will find something far more disturbing in the tunnels of the Underdark than a Aboleth.

Necromancers

The Underdark provides the perfect hiding place for a necromancer collecting bodies. Perhaps he is building an army of undead to conquer the surface world, or perhaps she is simply looking for a quiet place to complete her research undisturbed. Whether it is creating a new disease or simply an unhealthy fascination with death, necromancers are at home in the Underdark.

Mad Mages

Shunned by the people of the surface world, or perhaps chased away, Mad Mages continue their pursuits in the safety of darkness. Building ever more elaborate mazes to protect an ancient item that made them insane in the first place, or hiding from real or imagined monsters, mad mages often find their way to the Underdark. Just ask the folks at the Yawning Portal.

Cults

Some cults that cannot find safety above may seek shelter below ground until their forces grow strong enough to fulfill the will of their master. One example might be the Cult of Orcus, the Demon Lord of Death. Such cult members are not often welcome by surface dwellers, and such a cult might grow its numbers underground while waiting for the right moment to strike.

Recommended Gear for Exploring the Underdark

If your party is planning to go into the Underdark, there are a few things they should have:

• Rope (over 200 feet)
• Grappling hooks
• Rope Ladder
• Food or a way to make it
• Light source
• Fuel (for campfires or lanterns if that is the light source.)
• Pickaxe, shovel, or means of digging

Neither you nor your players will ever be fully prepared for the adventures that await you in the Underdark. This alien and beautiful world is home to incredible and dangerous creatures, breathtaking views, and deadly terrain. If your party is brave enough to dive into the depth of the earth, then this guide will make sure you are prepared to greet them properly.

Until next time,

May your game have advantage, my friends!

-Halfling Hannah

If you are looking to run a campaign with a Necromancer villain, (click here for a quick guide on how to build one for your campaign) it can be challenging to come up with monsters that aren’t your run-of-the-mill zombies and skeletons. 

While they certainly have their uses, an entire campaign of just these monsters would be incredibly boring.

Lucky for you, there are lots of interesting, terrifying, and challenging undead monsters to choose from!

That’s why I created this list of my top 10 undead monster picks that aren’t zombies, to add a little extra terror to your necromancy campaign!

What are some undead monsters that aren’t zombies or skeletons in Dungeon & Dragons 5e? Here are a few from Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes:

• Alhoon
• Bodak
• Gnoll Witherling
• Spawn of Kyuss
• Eidolon
• Nightwalker
• Skull Lord
• Vampiric Mist
• Boneclaw
• Deathlock

With their own unique abilities and backgrounds, each of these monsters provides both the fear factor and the story factor that you need to up the stakes in your campaign.

If you don’t have a copy of Volo’s Guide to Monsters or Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, you can purchase these resources at your local game shop or through our partners at Noble Knight Games!

Mind Flayer Alhoon (Volo’s Guide to Monsters p 172)

Medium Undead

Challenge Rating: 10 (5,900 XP)

Mind Flayers do not normally have an interest in magic. In fact, it is disdained by the Mind Flayer community and any Flayer caught using it is immediately cast out of the community.

Yet, for some, the allure of the mysteries of magic are too enticing to resist. Those Mind Flayers who give in to the urge must flee their beloved community and seek refuge with other outcasts.

When Mind Flayers die, their consciousness combines with that of the elder brain, ensuring they continue living and are never alone. An excommunicated Mind Flayer, however, has nothing to look forward to in the afterlife but oblivion. This can drive outcast Mind Flayers to seek everlasting life as Liches or as Undead.

Few have the magic or resources to become Liches, a far more obtainable route is to become an Alhoon, one who seeks immortality through becoming undead.

At least 3 Alhoons can cooperate to create a periapt of mind trapping. This fist-sized container made of silver, emerald, and amethyst traps the souls of the Alhoon’s living sacrifices and passes on their life force to the Alhoon. The older the sacrifice, the more years of life the Alhoon gain. The ritual can also be repeated as many times at the Alhoon wish to continue extending their lives.

If an Alhoon is killed, its soul is trapped within the periapt of mind trapping with the souls of the other Alhoon and the souls of the sacrificed victims. Still better than oblivion, I guess? However, if the periapt of mind trapping is ever destroyed, all the souls trapped within it are doomed to oblivion.

Story Ideas for Alhoons

Preventing a Alhoon ritual makes an awesome side quest! Here are some examples:

• Your adventurers wander into a small community of elves and find that 5 of the village elders have gone missing. Following the trail, they stumble upon a periapt of mind trapping ritual, which they must stop.
• The party, unwittingly, stumbles across an Alhoon periapt of mind trapping, hidden deep within a dangerous dungeon.  The party suddenly find themselves attacked at every turn as the clever group of Alhoon try to get it back before their next ritual.

Bodak (Volo’s p 127)

Medium Undead

Challenge Rating: 6 (2,300 XP)

Bodak’s are the twisted, distorted remains of a person who has sacrificed themselves to Orcus, the Demon Lord of death and unlife. Bodak’s are the very extension of Orcus’ will and exist only to bring death and destruction.

When a worshipper of Orcus takes a ritual vow and carves the demon lord’s symbol above their heart, Orcus’ power flays the body, mind, and soul of the individual, leaving them a mindless husk of death and sucks in all life energy around it. The very stare of a Bodak can kill, leaving its victim wearing a mask of horror.

Even nature despises Bodaks. The sun’s light burns its flesh and animals run in fear of an approaching Bodak.

Story Ideas for Bodaks

Because Bodaks are created through willing sacrifice, they lend themselves well to the cult storyline. Here are some examples:

• The party has been hearing unsettling rumors about a Cult of Orcus that is forming on the outskirts of town. The mayor/guild/priest hires the party to investigate. As they do, they discover a plot to destroy the city using a dark ritual.
• Something dark and sinister has been stalking the land at night. Many farmers have been found in the morning, dead, with a look of horror sealed on their faces. The villagers are terrified and beg the adventurers to go and kill these creatures.

Gnoll Witherling (Volo’s p 155)

Medium undead

Challenge Rating: 1/4 (50 XP)

Gnoll’s cannot control their hunger or urge to kill. If they are denied this pleasure for too long, they turn against one another, killing and devouring one another, all except for the bones.

The bones of Gnoll killed in this way are kept and used in a ritual that turns them into undead. These Witherlings do not hunger or eat, but they hunt with the rest of the pack like they did in life. This maintains the pack’s strength while reducing the number of mouths to feed.

Story Ideas for Gnoll Witherlings

While pack creation of Witherling’s is the most common way they come to be, you can change it up for your necromancy campaign. Here are some ideas!

• Your party is hired to take care of a Gnoll pack that keeps terrorizing small villages on the outskirts of the kingdom. No problem! Except, when they get there, they realize these Gnolls are not normal. They are killing, but not for food. They take the bodies into the Underdark where the party finds a Necromancer creating a vast army of undead..

Spawn of Kyuss (Volo’s p 192

Medium undead

Challenge Rating: 5 (1,800 XP)

Zombie worms that infest the body to make more zombie worms and spread exponentially?

Disgusting.

Terrifying.

Perfect for a necromancy campaign!

From a distance, or in poor light, Spawn of Kyuss look like ordinary zombies. It isn’t until a creature gets closer that the observer can see thousands of tiny, green worms crawling in and out of it.

When a Spawn of Kyuss gets close to another humanoid, these worms jump on to it and begin burrowing into the skin. Once inside the body, the worms make their way to the victim’s brain and kill it, animating the body into another Spawn of Kyuss that breeds more worms.

Spawn of Kyuss’ are an extension of the will of Orcus to replace all life with undeath, and they will never stop, reproducing exponentially if nothing stops them.

Story Ideas for Spawn of Kyuss

Spawn of Kyuss provide an extra twist when used in place of or along with zombies. The mere idea that the heroes could become zombies themselves, souls trapped inside an undead body, adds an element of fear not normally present. Here are some ideas:

• A village is under attack from undead. Your party must defeat the enemy, but to let even one escape would mean the spread of evil.
• A necromancer stumbled upon the foul magic of creating Spawn of Kyuss and is now using it to bend nations to his will, releasing Spawn upon those who do not give him what he wants. Your party must stop him before it’s too late.

Eidolon (Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes p 193)

Medium undead

Challenge Rating: 12 (8,400 XP)

Some areas should never be touched by mortals. Temples that house sacred items, vaults that contain legendary artifacts, or sites of miracles are often guarded by Eidolons.

Sacred guardians, Eidolon are the spirits of fanatic, unwaveringly loyal devotees of the gods who, upon death, were granted the honor of protecting a holy site for eternity. Eidolons never leave their posts and do not require air, food, drink or sleep. They are always on duty, always watching.

When a hostile creature tries to invade the temple, the Eidolon possesses sacred statues, which were created for just such a purpose. The Eidolon can then control the statue as if it was its own body, smashing and crushing anything in its path.

Story Ideas for Eidonlon

Any god can have Eidolon servants, so they lend themselves to any adventure with sacred items or holy relics. Here are some ideas!

• The party has been charged with retrieving a legendary item from a long-abandoned temple. They expected to find a few monsters in the place, but they were not prepared for the sight of the statues coming to life.

Nightwalker (Mordenkainen’s p 216)

Huge undead

Challenge Rating: 20 (25,000 XP)

Terrifying, huge, undead creatures, Nightwalkers devour all life they come across. Nightwalkers find their way to the Material Plane when especially ambitious (read stupid) mages enter the Negative Plane via the Shadowfell. This is easy enough to do if the mage can find a place where the barrier between the planes is thin.

However, once inside the Negative Plane, a Nightwalker is released to take the mage’s place and the mage is trapped in the Negative Plane until the Nightwalker returns to take his/her place again (which it never does willingly).

Nightwalkers are forces of death that desire only to extinguish life and will do so as long as they are able, even seeking the places most familiar to the mage it replaced for the sole purpose of destroying them.

If the Nightwalker is killed in the Material Plane, the mage is stuck forever in the Negative Plane with no hope of escape.

Story Ideas for Nightwalkers

The release of a Nightwalker can utterly obliterate an entire region. Use them as side quests for high-level adventurers (level 15-20)! Here are some ideas:

• The party receives news that a wizard friend of theirs conducted an experiment that has gone horribly wrong. They need to lure an undead monstrosity back to the Negative Plane to release the wizard and save the area before it destroys everything.
• A powerful Necromancer has created a portal to the Negative Plane to unleash a Nightwalker on the city. Your party must kill the Nightwalker, trapping the mage in the Negative Plane, before it destroys the city!

Skull Lord (Mordenkainen’s p 230)

Medium undead

Challenge Rating: 15 (13,000 XP)

Created from combining three traitorous warlords, Skull Lords command vast armies of undead in the Shadowfell and constantly war against their rivals there. However, due to its tri-personality, Skull Lords always seem to fail in their plots for conquest as they fight and plot against themselves.

Story Ideas for Skull Lords

Skull Lords are very powerful, but fickle. Due to their split personalities and self fighting, they must uneasy allies. Here are some story ideas for using Skull Lords:

• A necromancer is building a portal to the Shadowfell to unleash a Skull Lord and his vast armies of undead to crush his rival. Your party must stop his plans before the whole country falls under the Skull Lord’s control
• Your party is sent into the Shadowfell to retrieve an item from a Skull Lord which was promised in a bargain. The Skull Lord refuses and captures the party. Can they make it out of the Shadowfell alive?

Vampiric Mist (Mordenkainen’s p 246)

Medium undead

Challenge Rating: 3 (700 XP)

When a vampire is killed, its body turns into a mist that returns to its burial place to be restored. When a vampire cannot return to its burial place, the vampire is stripped of its personality and intelligence and reduced to an unholy, blood hunting cloud.

From a distance, the Vampiric Mist (or Crimson Mist) is indistinguishable from a normal fog cloud, allowing it to approach victims unnoticed. The Vampiric Mist can sense blood up to a mile away and, much like a shark, will track down wounded creatures.

Vampiric Mists will descend on creatures, causing blood to pour out of their pores, nose, and eyes. The blood then evaporates into a crimson smoke that the Mist consumes. When it is full, the mist turns a crimson color and rains drops of blood wherever it goes.

Because the feeding causes no pain or discomfort, the Mist can feed on victims while they sleep, draining them of their blood in the night.

Story Ideas for Vampiric Mists

Use Vampiric Mists pretty much anywhere to add to the creepy feel of your campaign. Here are some ideas:

• The party stops its journey to look out over a valley covered in a full moon’s light. The ranger notices a low, drifting cloud making its way across the valley floor. Only one thing is off. He swears it is crimson. As he stares, he notices raindrops start to fall on his armor. He looks down to discover they aren’t raindrops at all…
• While exploring an abandoned castle, the rogue accidentally springs a trap, taking a few cuts from flying darts. Nothing too serious. But now, the party swears a mist is following them around the castle.

Boneclaw (Mordenkainen’s p 121)

Large undead

Challenge Rating: 12 (8,400 XP)

Many try to become Liches, very few succeed. Some who try might even turn into a Boneclaw.

Immortal slaves to darkness, hatred, and pain, Boneclaws are the souls of those who were too physically or magically weak to force their soul into a prepared phylactery. Instead, the soul seeks out a new master, specifically looking for the strongest source of evil intent in the area. Once it finds a source, it binds itself to it forever, doing whatever it can to fulfill its master’s desires.

Boneclaws love murder and torture. They hide in the shadows, waiting for victims to approach within reach, then they spear them with their long, bony claws and slice them to pieces or teleport them elsewhere to torture them to death.

Masters of Boneclaws may not even be aware one has bound itself to his/her service. While they can appear before their masters to receive orders, sometimes Boneclaws merely go about fulfilling the subconscious desires of their master without their knowledge.

Boneclaws cannot be killed while their master lives. As long as they are alive, the Boneclaw will continually respawn and continue carrying out its master’s will.

Story Ideas for Boneclaws

Get ready for some creepy stuff! Boneclaws are dark creatures, use them to create moral dilemmas and as the henchmen of villains. Check out these ideas:

• Recently, children and adults have been found slaughtered in the woods outside a small village, apparently tortured or ripped to pieces. Your party has been hired to get to the bottom of this atrocious crime. They find the monster, a Boneclaw, but they can’t kill it. Every night it comes back. Finally, they track down its master, a young, abused, and neglected boy. Now they have a choice to make.
• A petty crime lord hadn’t been a problem for the city until she acquired a new henchman. With a Boneclaw doing her bidding, she has quickly spread fear, pain, and death through the criminal underworld. Your party has been hired to take her out, but can they get through her defenses?

Deathlock (Mordenkainen’s p 128)

Medium undead

Challenge Rating: 4 (1,100 XP)

A pact with a patron bring great powers, but also, great consequences. If a warlock fails to live up to their end of the bargain, they run the risk of being raised from the dead as a Deathlock. Alternatively, extremely powerful Necromancers have been known to discover the power to create their own Deathlocks.

Deathlocks are obsessed with serving their patron, be it a god, devil, or necromancer. They will work tirelessly toward their master’s goal, whatever it be.

Deathlocks can be highly intelligent and capable of leading armies, gathering followers, or following complex plans.

Story Ideas for Deathlocks

Faithful followers, Deathlocks make excellent rivals for your party at lower levels, constantly staying one step ahead of them as they try to find the necromancer behind it all. Here are some ideas for using Deathlocks:

• The party is aware that a powerful necromancer is up to no good. They are tasked with preventing him from obtaining 3 pearls of power from 3 holy temples, but twice now the necromancer’s Deathlock servant beat them to it. Can they track down the final pearl before the Deathlock and prevent the necromancer’s evil plot?
• Your party is charged with discovering the intentions of a new cult. As they ask questions, finally infiltrating the ranks (either by force or disguise) they find a Deathlock leader and a conspiracy that goes so much deeper than they could have imagined.

If you are looking to run a dark and creepy necromancy campaign, these monsters are just the thing to give your players nightmares for weeks! Intriguing and menacing, your players will be screaming when you describe these undead monsters.

YOLO? Yeah right.

Until next time,

May your game have advantage, my friends!

-Halfling Hannah