
Resources
- Adventures
- articles
- Best of DMs Guild
- Blog
- Books
- Campaign Builder
- Dungeon Maps
- Generators
- Items
- Micro RPGs
- Monday Maps
- Monsters
- Music
- Podcast
- Products
- Publishing An Adventure
- Random Lists
- Resources
- Reviews
- Stat Boost
- Treasures & Trinkets
- Uncategorized
- World Building


1d6 Items In An Entertainer’s Pack
Items, Random Lists, Resources, Stat Boost, Treasures & Trinkets starting equipment 0
As part of my continued effort to make 5e’s starting equipment packs more interesting, today I present the Entertainer’s Pack!
If you would like me to write a table of trinkets for you, leave me a tip on Ko-Fi!
The Pack Itself
The entertainer’s pack is a sturdy leather backpack decorated with swirls of green and red pigment. Thick straps hold a bedroll over the main opening of the pack, making it difficult to access quickly – perfect if you need to put it down beside a stage or table while you perform. The interior of the pack is divided into different sized compartments to make for efficient storage of all the items you might need.
Inside The Pack
As well as the general items carried by most travelling entertainers – a couple of different costumes, candles and rations, and a disguise kit – the entertainer’s pack contains the following:
- A pair of telescopic poles with heavy bases, joined together at the top with a 10 foot length of wire. When erected a sheet or similar can be thrown over the wire to allow it to function as a makeshift backdrop for your performances.
- A thick notebook tied with heavy leather cord and stuffed full of handbills and notes on scraps of parchment. This contains songs and stories you have picked up during your travels.
- A small set of wooden juggling balls, painted in various garish hues. They are housed in a wide tube with a hinged lid, not unlike a scroll case. It is padded with thick purple felt to protect the balls as they are being transported.
- A felt bag with a sturdy wooden hoop for a mouth attached to a long handle. The bag contains an interior pocket; a hidden switch on the bottom of the handle can be moved with one finger, pulling the mouth of the pocket across the hoop so that it is either hidden or able to be accessed. This is a simple “magic trick” that gives the illusion of vanishing an item placed in the bag, without any need for real magic.
- A simple jewellery box filled with rings, necklaces, bangles, and other items of jewellery. They look expensive, but on closer inspection all the gold is cheap plating and any gemstones are stained glass.
- A hand mirror on a telescopic arm with a small clamp on the end. This can be easily clipped to shelves, railings, and the like, so that you can apply makeup and costumes with both hands without needing somebody to hold a mirror for you.
If you would like me to write a table of trinkets for you, leave me a tip on Ko-Fi!
Image Credit: The twelth night entertainment in Hanwell Lunatic Asylum. Credit: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

1d6 Item’s In A Dungeoneer’s Pack
Items, Random Lists, Resources, Stat Boost, Treasures & Trinkets starting equipment 0
The Pack Itself
The dungeoneer’s pack is a sturdy canvas backpack coated with wax on the outside and lined with thick fur on the inside. A series of hook-and-eye fasteners inside the pack can be undone to allow the whole bag to unfold and open up into a makeshift blanket. Thick leather loops attached to the outside of the pack make it easy to hang tools like hammers and crowbars from it, and also mean it can be hung from wall mountings to keep it out of reach of scavengers overnight.
Inside The Pack
In addition to the essentials for any delve into the deep places – a crowbar, a hammer and pitons, rope, torches, and the like – the dungeoneer’s kit contains the following:
- A ten-foot-long wooden pole divided into ten sections that each fit inside one another, allowing it to be collapsed down to a foot in length with a simple twist.
- A leather pouch with a wide mouth that closes with a sturdy leather drawstring. It contains a block of chalk, useful for marking your route or for chalking up your hands for extra grip.
- A leather strap that looks like a small belt, complete with sturdy brass buckle. A small mirror is mounted on it, with a spike to hold a short candle in front of it. The whole contraption can be mounted on your head to act as a quick and easy headlamp, leaving your hands free to explore.
- Tapered wooden blocks used for jamming beneath doors, either to prevent them closing or to keep them open behind you..
- A block of soap wrapped in waxed cloth. Not just for hygiene, this is lighter and easier to carry than oil and can be used as a lubricant in a pinch.
- A small portfolio case treated with wax to protect it from moisture, used for safely storing maps, notes, fragments of parchment, and the like that may prove valuable in your explorations.
For your own table of trinkets, written to whatever prompt you like, drop me a tip on Ko-Fi!
Image Credit: Geology: two soldiers being shown the interior of Poca Roca Cave. Coloured aquatint, 1801.. Credit: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Flying Carpet Jousting
One thing that we often don’t think about in our fantasy roleplaying games are the kinds of sports people might play. With that in mind, here are some simple rules for jousting – on flying carpets.
Flying Carpet Jousting
Order of Play
- Both combatants choose their movement speed secretly (you can use coins – designate Heads for normal and Tails for fast. Place the coin in front of you and keep it covered.)
- Combatants reveal their movement speeds and take note of the effect.
- Roll attacks and resolve their effects.
- Tally the current score. If nobody has won, another run takes place.
Equipment
Jousting carpet
Wondrous item, rare
3ft. X 5ft., fly 60, capacity 300lb. (GM may make rules about armor allowed/weight classes/etc. Or simply ignore the carrying capacity of the carpet if you want.)
Specialist jousting lance
Melee weapon. Proficiency with a lance allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.
The specialist jousting lance is flimsy and breaks on impact, dealing no damage. Targets struck with the lance fall prone in their space.
Rules
Each round of jousting involves two combatants, who aim to score points by striking each other with lances and knocking their opponent from their carpet over a series of ‘runs’.
Scoring
Score 1 point for successfully striking your opponent.
Score 2 points for knocking your opponent from their carpet.
Scores are tallied after each completed ‘run’ in a round. The first combatant to score 3 points wins the round. Runs continue until one combatant is defeated or chooses to concede defeat.
The List
The Flying Joust takes place on a List that comprises of a stretch of open space some 240ft long and at least 15ft wide. The list is divided into two distinct ‘lanes’ by the bisecting wall of nominal height.
In so-called ‘underground jousting’, the list may be filled with dangerous objects such as spikes or even monstrous enemies, in order to increase the chances of bodily harm to those who are dismounted. This practice is not allowed in sanctioned tournaments.
Jousting
Combatants must move towards each other in a straight line along the list in their own lane at a pre-determined height.
Combatants may move at the base speed of their carpet (‘normal speed’) or they may Dash (‘fast speed’). (If you are playing in a TTRPG system that does not have Dash rules, assume the ‘fast speed’ is twice the movement rate of the ‘normal speed’.)
Combatants make melee attack rolls against their opponent’s AC.
Struck opponents fall prone, and must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or else fall from their carpet. The DC for this roll is equal to the total roll (including bonuses) of the attack that hit them.
Attacks are rolled and their effects applied simultaneously, unless the effects of movement speed say otherwise.
[For GMs – no matter what speed is selected, there is no need to track movement on a grid. Simply apply the effects of the chosen speed, listed below.]
Effects of Movement Speeds
Normal movement grants advantage on your attack roll. You have taken the time to ready your lance properly.
Fast movement allows you to strike before your opponent with no advantage to your roll.
If both combatants move at the same rate then no advantage is granted and both strike simultaneously.
If you enjoyed this post please consider leaving a tip on Ko-Fi!

1d6 Items in a Scholar’s Pack
Items, Random Lists, Resources, Stat Boost, Treasures & Trinkets starting equipment 0
The Pack Itself
The scholar’s pack is a compact satchel made of sturdy green leather stitched with heavy gold thread. Brass buckles hold the main flap tight to the body, and a leather handle makes for easy carrying. A detachable shoulder strap can be stored in the pocket on the front of the main flap, while a larger external back pocket makes for easy access to sheets of parchment or a slim volume.
Inside The Pack
Alongside the more common scholar’s materials like bottles of ink, an ink pen or quill, sheets of parchment, a bag of sand, and the like, the scholar’s pack contains the following:
- Sticks of sealing wax in a variety of colours, wrapped in a supple sheet of waxed cotton and kept in an inner pocket alongside a signet ring engraved in intaglio with the scholar’s seal or monogram.
- A pocket-sized notebook tied shut with worn leather cord, filled with lists of books and manuscripts that you have sought out or intend to read. Those that you have found have been crossed out, but the uncrossed list is much, much longer than the completed entries.
- A collection of feathers from different birds – mainly goose, swan, and turkey – wrapped in cloth alongside a small knife to sharpen the ends for writing.
- A flyer torn from a notice board, advertising a display of rare manuscripts at a library in a city you passed through recently. The date of the exhibit is coming up soon.
- A small brass whistle on a chain, used for alerting people to dangers when working in the deepest, oldest part of the stacks in the library where you trained.
- A narrow scroll case made of lacquered wood and engraved with the name of the university you studied at. It contains your certificates of merit and letters of recommendation from your tutors.
Drop me a tip on Ko-Fi to get your own table of trinkets on whatever prompt you like!
Image Credit: A scholar-alchemist pores over a book, searching for. Credit: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

1d6 Items in the Priest’s Pack
Items, Random Lists, Resources, Stat Boost, Treasures & Trinkets starting equipment 0
The Pack Itself
The priest’s bag is a large backpack made of simple leather, uncoloured and relatively unadorned. The backpack has thick, cushioned shoulder straps and a padded belt that sits on the hips and fastens at the front of the waist to aid in weight distribution – a must-have for a travelling priest set on spreading the good word. Straps on the bottom of the backpack give external space to carry a rolled up tent and bedroll.
Inside The Pack
Alongside the day-to-day items of a travelling priest – a blanket, candles, a tinderbox, an alms box, incense, and vestements – the pack also contains the following:
- A leatherbound Book of Common Prayer, containing prayers and rituals common to all of the major faiths in the region.
- A small vial of water from a revered place of pilgrimage. It is not magical Holy Water, but still sacred to you.
- A set of prayer beads carved from dark wood and painted in swirls of red, green, and purple. They are strung on a simple cotton thread with a silver clasp so that they can be worn as a necklace.
- A small journal or diary containing your reflections on bits of scripture, the nature of your faith, and your quest for truth. This may be written in a code known only to you. Reading it would reveal facts about you that you may not wish known.
- A plain wooden box that contains the contents of a simple shrine or altar – a silk sheet, small candles, a statue or idol, and herbs and incense for burning.
- A glass jar containing a thick, clear substance with the consistency of wax or jelly. It smells faintly of incense and spiced oils and is used to anoint the skin during certain rituals and sacraments.
If you would like your own table of trinkets drop me a tip on Ko-Fi!
Image Credit: A priest pronouncing a benediction on a dead child. Lithograph. Credit: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

1d6 Items in the Component Pouch
Items, Random Lists, Resources, Stat Boost, Treasures & Trinkets starting equipment 0
The Pouch Itself
The component pouch is a small bag made of worn, faded red leather, lined on the inside with blue felt. Supple leather drawstrings pull the mouth shut and are long enough to loop around a belt to ease carrying.
The inside of the pouch is divided into one large compartment and two smaller ones. There are three slim pockets in the lining of the larger compartment to hold longer items like sprigs of wood or sticks of graphite.
The pouch always has a vague smell of must and patchouli, along with the combined smells of whatever is currently being stored inside it.
Inside The Pouch
Alongside more common spell components like guano, chalk, iron filings, charcoal, and the like, the pouch contains the following:
- Seven dead beetles, preserved and painted in a variety of shimmering colours – cerulean, umber, dragon’s blood, cadmium yellow, emerald, violet, ultramarine.
- An ivory sculpture of a rotund humanoid with short, stubby limbs. The bloated stomach is painted with a single red eye.
- A set of 23 brass buttons of various sizes, looped together with purple thread and wrapped in a silk pocket square.
- A slender glass cylinder, 4 inches long and the width of a pinky fingernail, encasing a single strand of gold thread. It shimmers in light like oil on water.
- A handful of smooth stone pebbles, each about the size of a silver piece, wrapped together in strong made from dried and wound seaweed.
- A stoppered wooden vial containing pink glass that has been ground into fine dust.
If you would like me to write a table of trinkets for you, leave me a tip on Ko-Fi!
Image Credit: Police raid a lodging house at night and arrest a convicted thief. Coloured etching by G. Cruikshank, 1848, after himself. Credit: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

1d6 Items In A Burglar’s Pack
Items, Random Lists, Resources, Stat Boost, Treasures & Trinkets starting equipment 0
The Pack Itself
The burglar’s pack is a slim, low-profile backpack made of green canvas so dark that it is almost black, designed to sit tight against the wearer’s back. Several hooks and slim sleeves attached to the outside of the pack allow quick access to essential items, while multiple external pockets allow other necessary tools to be kept close to hand wiithout needing to access the deep main pocket.
Inside The Pack
As well as the staples – a bag of ball bearings, string, candles, a crowbar and hammer, pitons, a hooded lantern with oil, and the like – the burglar’s pack contains the following:
- A set of common keys, along with picks and a rake.
- A small hand mirror mounted on an extendable rod.
- Cubes of cheese wrapped in cheesecloth, used for calming aggressive dogs.
- A grappling hook that folds down to the size of a small baton that can easily be slipped into a side sleeve of the burglar’s pack.
- A long roll of tape or ribbon with adhesive on one side that can be stuck to panes of glass, allowing you to break them without causing them to shatter.
- A small wax-coated canvas pouch with a narrow mouth that attaches to a tiny bellows. This can be slipped under sash windows and inflated, forcing the window up enough for you to slip a hand beneath it.
If you would like your own table of trinkets, drop me a tip on Ko-Fi!
Image Credit: Police raid a lodging house at night and arrest a convicted thief. Coloured etching by G. Cruikshank, 1848, after himself. Credit: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

CR 6 Monster – Mandragorgon
Monsters, Resources, Stat Boost 0
On Monday Matt Sanders and I made his Shadepoint adventure, Whispering Darkness, Pay What You Want on DriveThruRPG.
After that post went live I had a little trip down memory lane on Twitter, talking about the plans we had for the Shadepoint Cycle. That got me thinking about my adventure Terror At Tightwillow Pond, which I haven’t thought about in a while.
I’m still really proud of that adventure, and particularly of the monster I created for it, so I decided the time is night for the Mandragorgon to reappear on this site. Take the monster, throw it into your games, and let me know what you think!
A mandragorgon is an evil, ambulatory plant creature. It looks like a humanoid creature that stands some 10 feet tall, with a thick central trunk and branch-like limbs. The lower half is a dense, tangled root system that extends beneath the earth. Its ‘face’ is a flat oval of bark; some have eye-like markings, though many are featureless.
The Blights of Spring. A mandragorgon’s head is crowned with a large frond of leaves that unfurl to reveal several large flowers. Each of these is capable of releasing a thick cloud of pollen that engulfs nearby creatures. The pollen of each individual flower has a unique – though equally horrible – effect. These flowers can be severed and rendered useless, but doing so is rarely easy.
Aberrant Flora. Little is known about the origins of the mandragorgons, but it is believed that they are the result of strange, twisted magics from the twisted places far beyond the Material Plane that have mingled with the essence of the fae realms. They are rarely encountered on the Material Plane, though they have been known to appear there.
Download Terror At Tightwillow Pond here.

The Talking Undead – 10 Undead NPCs
Random Lists, Resources, Stat Boost 0
Today’s post comes to us courtesy of Matt Sanders who runs The Sealed Library. Have You Heard About The Beast? is out now and well worth your attention.
Undead creatures in RPGs are typically sword-and-spell fodder, and only a few types of undead get developed into having any kind of personality. That’s usually liches and vampires as significant villains or antagonists.
Today’s post is about adding some of that undead flavour to NPCs that your party will be able to have some proper social interaction with. All of these should fit into most settings without major tweaking. Simply roll a D10 or choose one that suits.
- This forked tree holds an ancient skull that was jammed into the fork many years ago. It’s the skull of Toldren Cumberle. His moss-covered skeleton lies slumped a few feet below the head, tantalisingly close to being reunited. His favourite pastime is to wait until someone passes and hurl expletives and curses at them.
- This shuffling zombie has been dead so long, and reattached so many parts of his body himself, that he’s become quite the expert surgeon. He can clean and stitch up wounds well beyond the skill of most. He answers to Anton.
- This ordinary-looking coffin is mainly notable for the muffled voice coming from within. Inside is the fresh corpse of Morgan Druffield, who was until recently the village’s oldest man. He mostly just wants to talk about the old days to whoever will listen.
- This group of stray dogs was poisoned, but they failed to move on to other planes. A crust of green foam still hangs around their mouths. One of them carries a bone which you are fairly sure is from his own leg, given how he hops along. They’re glad to see anyone who will pay attention to them, and can perform quite a lot of tricks.
- This veiled seamstress works all through the night, sewing the clothes of all who bring things to her in need of repair. She seeks to atone for perceived wrongs she did when living. During daylight, she sits and waits.
- This forlorn-looking wight shuffles around the docks, staring out to sea, his cutlass hanging limply at his side. A trail of ethereal grog bottles lies where he has been, and his speech is slurred and repetitive. “They only went and bloody left me,” he mumbles under his breath every few seconds.
- This spectre of a young woman is stuck in a loop, walking the same path again and again, disappearing at its end, and reappearing back at its beginning, only 30 feet away. As she walks, she pauses and looks at those who pass, lacking the confidence to speak up. Each time she reaches the end, she drops her hood and you can momentarily see her eyes are gone and her cheeks have been cut open, the flesh flapping around in grisly flaps.
- This cheeky spirit likes to flit around bodies of water, looming up at the faces of those who pause and glance down into the water, distorting it’s translucent face into disturbing grimaces and then breaking into giggles when the onlookers recoil in horror. The spirit is playful and always up for suggestions of what it sees as practical jokes.
- This headless skeleton rifles through garbage piles wherever it can find them. This often takes some time, as it has to stumble around, feeling its way around. Bizarrely, it does seem able to hear, and responds to people speaking to it well enough. Presumably, it’s looking for its head.
- This fearsome, matronly-looking woman bellows at the top of her lungs, calling the names of her three children in turn. “DERRRRREEEEKKK! LLLOOOORRRNNNAAAA! KAAAAAYYLLLEEEEBBB!”. When they don’t appear, she moans to whoever will listen about how they’re always pinching things and causing trouble and that she’d pay someone to bring them back.
You can find Matt on Twitter as @iammattsanders. His latest game – a collaborative game about building tavern rumours called Have You Heard About The Beast? – is out now and is really, really fantastic.
Matt also produced a really excellent bard college to go with Loot The Room’s Shadepoint supplement. The College of Cadence for 5e is still available from DriveThruRPG.