In a high level campaign I ran, I took the design philosophy that the villains were supernatural (e.g, dragon or lich), the average npc was weak (level 3 or less), and the characters were once-in-a-1000-years heros (level 10-20).

Every now and then they would have an obstacle involving regular humanoids or the local government and they had the option of just steamrolling everything (even whole platoons). It provided a great contrast to the magic-boss death matches and let the characters really feel special.

It also drove home that they were the only ones who could save the day.

Gets back up, “also, his name is Jolam.” Lies back down.

“I hurt my friend because I took a dumb idea too far” is a very probable story. The part I can’t believe though is ending the game over a dire bite. We finally got the schedule together, we’re going to use the time, darn it!

Pretty much, only detail missing is that it was the season for fruit. So, there is an added sense that by all natural laws the tree should have had fruit and it’s lack was a particular aberration to a societythat used the fig so much.

Also, thematically, it rounds out God’s domains. Up to this point, there had been miracles showing dominion over weather, matter, human life, animal life, spirits, disease and now there’s plant life.

Okay, but real talk, this looks like the equivalent of having a cutsy cuddle session at the firing range.

Even if you like guns/spells, you don’t want to be kicking back, listening to your man read poetry while Samantha in the background is repeatedly screaming “IGNIS!” *BOOM* “IGNIS!” *BOOM* in her coked up magic voice.

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Another aspect of the puzzle is that not every evil deserves death. A bum who does minor theft almost as a habit, a hateful bitter man who antagonizes everyone but obeys the law, a teenager, a greedy business person who employs half the town but makes everyone’s life a bit worse, and so on.

Good should have the self restraint to not go straight to murder.

Simply ignores it while regurgitating my personal opinion as if reiteration and intuition could trump the cold equations themselves 😎😎😎

Just flee to the Astral plane, bro. They don’t extradite.

17 INT 6 WIS 😎. I’m not here for your society. I want to get rich and delve past the 4th circle of the mind brah. Not work for the man so he can forgive me for the debts he saddled me with in the first place. Or something… Look I didn’t learn how to create energy ex nilho to have to consider my actions.

That beast’s name? Saddam. 😎

This jpg rationing makes me sad for what we used to have. When I was young, the internet was young, and jpg was overflowing. But as we burned through the last of the cheaply minable jpg we had to turn to increasingly cost ineffective means, like jpg rigs to extract deposits from the ocean floor, and accordingly images everywhere became clearer and clearer.

It would all be fine if we could just make a cost effective way of recycling jpg or green jpg technology would be adopted worldwide. But that’s not something you or I can accomplish, we need whole governments embracing the switch to new jpg sources for it work.

The monk isn’t homebrew, they just used the 1d20 in order method of stat generation. They got 18(+2)/20/20/14/20/10 and a CL feat. Honestly, MADness is only thing holding a STRonk back.

Yo dawg, you got that vaporwave wizard template without the text. It’s real, yo.

I’m running my first module campaign ever after being in DnD since my teens. The idea used to seem so foreign to me, but trying it I find that it works well as inspiration. I end up adding a lot and chopping out huge pieces and doing substitutions.

Honestly, I think that’s all modules are good for. Maybe older ones were higher quality, but the one I’m using is mostly fluff and vagaries. Suits me fine though, I know how to tune an encounter, but I’ve burnt through a lot of my major campaign plots already. As this one goes and characters get more involved I may discard the thing altogether.

*Currently seducing goblins

The rest are out chasing dragons, etc.

*pushes glasses even higher* That rule specifically only applies when you use a bonus action to cast a spell. (Rules link). Two leveled spells using your actions are fine. Here’s the relevant sage advice to confirm.

While the sage advice doesn’t address leveled spells in action/reaction (e.g., fireball and counterspell) in the same turn, we can assume it is possible as no bonus action is used.

My favorite DMing style is what I like to call “train line DMing.” The train goes to all the stops but you can do whatever you want at them.

There is a plot, no crazier than any purchased campaign, but it’s structure consists of a chain of open-ended* scenarios. Its a contract: the players are willing to follow the general and well telegraphed line of plot hooks and in return they do whatever they want in the scenarios and I do my best to incorporate their interests and backstories.

And like all contracts it starts with explaining that and seeing who is interested. Example: “I want to run a short campaign where you explore X looking for Y. Be whoever you want, except one key part of your character is they want to find Y.” Then we do it if people want.

*Open-ended here means “no right/pre-planned answer” not “no ending to lead to the next part.” For example, city A has a cult to deal with and the leader has a letter pointing to city B. Whether they kill the leader, join the cult, plan an economic take down to render the cultists penniless and impotent, or something weirder, they get the letter.

Gotcha. In that case, I’d second Arcana cleric. Outside of that, you’re not going to get something that does what a wizard does nearly as well.

However, since I’m throwing stuff out here, Artificer might pique your interest as a wizard-lite with a compromise of flexibility and non-flex. On the one hand, prepared caster, wizard-like list, but only half the amount of spell levels and slots. On the other hand infusions, which can only be swapped on level up, but can be given to anyone.

At lvl 11, spell storing also lets you expand spells with a target of “self” to your allies, or can be used to double-up on concentration by getting a non-magical ally to do it for you. That opens doors for simply doing more with with low spell level buffs. It is also used INT mod times per day.

Battle smith and armorer are technically the “better” classes because they can do frontlining. But for widened support, Alchemist adds healing that the wizard typically can’t do and some random smaller buffs.

I’ll give an honest try.

Your build will rely heavily on magic items and a cooperative DM. That’s 1 uncommon at level 1, a rare at level 5, and a very rare at level 11.

Custom lineage 13/13/8/13/13/14(+2) Feat: Resilient Wisdom (the only feat you’ll get so it should be this)

Magic item: Cloak of Elvenkind (for hiding)

1. Sorcerer, Aberrant mind - Gets CON/CHA saves. Con is good for when people hand you scrolls to concentrate on and CHA is the only thing you’re good at. Has mind sliver (to support your allies’ actually useful spells) and dissonant wispers to chase things away. Can telepathically talk. Also take shield, silvery barbs, and chromatic orb. Stay away from the front, hide, and pray.

2. Rogue - expertise in stealth and perception. At least you can be a scout with your hiding and telepathy.

3. Cleric, order - heavy armor and you can let your stronger allies attack more with voice of authority. Also grab healing word.

4. Bard - more caster progression and some d8’s to help your friends. Tasha’s hideous laughter might do well long term.

5. Warlock, hexblade - in case you really need to hit something with a rapier, now you can use CHA

Magic item: Amulet of Health (suddenly you can be a frontline distraction!)

At this point things aren’t too bad. You can scout or shield/rapier with 20 AC, +1d6 sneak, upcast dissonant whispers/chromatic orb, and support your friends a little with silvery barbs/d8s/mind sliver. Sadly, out side of more slots and some hp you start getting nothing from here on out.

6. Wizard - full caster, get utility spells

7. Druid - full caster, utility

8. Artificer - half caster

9. Ranger - half caster

10. Paladin - half caster

11. Barbarian - d12 hp

Magic item: +3 amulet of of the devout (gives +3 to all spell DC’s and spell attacks)

12. Fighter - d10 hp

13. Monk - yey