A recent search for a specific type of site to help me build new characters led me down a rabbit hole. Normally, that would make me much less productive, but I have found a treasure trove of websites for writers.
There are a few different places you can use to create a picture of something entirely new. I love this site for making character pictures as references, instead of stock photos or whatever pops up on Google Images.
thispersondoesnotexist: every time you reload the page, this site generates a headshot of someone who doesn't exist. This is great if you're thinking about a character's personality or age and don't have specifics for their facial features yet.
Night Cafe: this is an AI art generator that takes your text prompt and generates an image for it. I tried it for various scenery, like "forest" or "cottage." It takes a minute for your requested photo to load, but no more than maybe five for the program to finish the picture.
Art Breeder: this website has endless images of people, places, and general things. Users can blend photos to create something new and curious visitors can browse/download those images without creating an account. (But if you do want to make an account to create your own, it's free!)
You might prefer to set a story in a real-life environment so you can reference that place's weather, seasons, small-town vibe, or whatever you like. If that's the case, try:
MapCrunch: the homepage generates a new location each day and gives the location/GPS info in the top left of the screen. To see more images from previous days, hit "Gallery" in the top left.
Atlas Obscura: hover over or tap the "Places" tab, then hit "Random Place." A new page will load with a randomly generated location on the planet, provide a Google Maps link, and tell you a little bit about the place.
Random World Cities: this site makes randomly selected lists of global cities. Six appear for each search, although you'll have to look them up to find more information about each place. You can also use the site to have it select countries, US cities or US states too.
Thesauruses are great, but these websites have some pretty cool perspectives on finding just the right words for stories.
Describing Words: tell this website which word you want to stop repeating and it will give you tons of alternative words that mean the same thing. It typically has way more options than other sites I use.
Reverse Dictionary: type what you need a word for in Reverse Dictionary's search box and it will give you tons of words that closely match what you want. It also lists the words in order of relevancy, starting with a word that most accurately describes what you typed. (There's also an option to get definitions for search results!)
Tip of My Tongue: this website is phenomenal. It lets you search for that word you can't quite place by a letter in it, the definition, what it sounds like, or even its scrambled letters. A long list of potential options will appear on the right side of the screen for every search.
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Hope this helps when you need a hand during next writing session đ
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Art by KJKallo. If it ever becomes possible to play as a skeleton, I think they should be flimsy, tireless, and reliable: a sentinel that keeps watch for the party but can often get bonked down in combat. Here's a crack at it - with an entire lore section based off a wint tweet lmao
People seemed to like the previous list, so I thought Iâd make some more.
Honorary Titles (courtesy of Vlad)
Free passage aboard any vessel in the fleet
A scroll of any spell the court wizard can cast
A manual outlining the fundamentals of the local language
A portion of land with a fixer-upper of a keep
The finest hound from the kennels
A large, unidentified, jewel encrusted egg
The captain of the guard as a retainer
A map detailing the location of a mythic treasure
The book of vile darkness
A willow extract that cures headaches
A book of coupons (near expiry)
Drawings from The Cursed Catacombs, a solo role-playing game where you play as the last living apprentice to a legendary wizard, sent out on a final deadly errand.
If pick-your-path novels and fantasy RPGs are you thing, the book will be on shelves this summer, and you can preorder now (preferably at your local bookstore)!
The Archive Undying by @emcandon
Will Do Magic for Small Change by Andrea Hairston
The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu
â ËÂ°Ë âžââ˝ ËÂ°Ë â
PiĂąata: A Novel by Leopoldo Gout
The Saint of Bright Doors by @adamantine
The Water Outlaws by S. L. Huang
â ËÂ°Ë âžââ˝ ËÂ°Ë â
Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
Ebony Gate by Julia Vee & Ken Bebelle
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
â ËÂ°Ë âžââ˝ ËÂ°Ë â
The Last Binding trilogy by @fahye, including:Â
â A Marvellous Light
â A Restless Truth
â A Power Unbound
 Lets get one thing straight, no one sane travels during the winter, not even adventurers. Thereâs no food to be foraged in the wilderness, which makes for difficult crossings and even more aggressive predators. Likewise, traveling into unpredictable winter weather is suicide for all but the most prepared groups as snow or sleet can make normally hospitable terrain impassable, and exaustion compounds quickly when traveling overland. If youâre a sellsword: find someplace to hunker down where you can still get paid without ranging too far afield, contract work is best, but plenty of settlements will have odd jobs you can make due with in the cold, lean days.Â
Dizidel Lek, âA travelerâs guide to not dying like an idiot and having strangers turn over your bones for loose changeâ , Vol. 4
Adventure Hooks:Â
In the dying days of autumn, while considering where theyâre going to winter, the party receives an invitation from the Jarl of Javhintorâs Keel, a thriving freehold on the edge of the sea of daggers. Sheâs heard of their deeds and bravery, and has invited them to enjoy the hospitality of her hall, to share mead and songs and good tidings and to lend their prestige to her own. A message with great potential to be sure, as such offers of hospitality are often trialruns for offers of more formal oaths of patronage. The exchanging of gifts is a common practice to make such occasions official, but what gift to give a Jarl when you and your friends are but petty sellswords with narry a gold peice to rub together between yourselves? Why not that beast thatâs been rampaging through the countryside nearby ? Hunt it, slay it, stuff it, and present its head(s) to the Jarl as a trophy for her wall and a symbol of the strength you could lend to her cause.Â
Once they get to Javhintorâs keel, the DM has an excuse to really let the players dig into a setting, see it develop over their three months of stay, get to know the locals, and become part of the town themselves. Such distractions may include:Â
Exploring wrecks, islands and sea caves along the coast for bitesized dungeon content.
Solving the Mystery behind a haunted lighthouse
Earning the respect of Captian Priska and her crew of reavers, earning an invitation to their next raid on foreign shores, and their own snake-venom tattoo.Â
Hunt the mysterious ice-red stag that haunts the forest like a ghost
Make a Pilgramage up to the shrine of Tyr on the tallest peak and see what the god of valor has to say about their prospects
Help a mad fisherman capture a sea-beast thatâs encroached on the bay and has been devouring all the fish from his neighborâs nets.Â
Apprentice under one of the many grizzled warriors that make thier home in the keel, learning new fighting techniques
Help a pair of starcrossed traders realize that though theyâre fierce business rivals, the oracleâs dire prophecy regarding their competitor was infact a very poorly worded dating advice.Â
Prepare for all hearthâs eve, in the Jarlâs palace the biggest festival of the winter solstice. Sneak into the mysterious forbidden wing, and figure out who the hell has stolen all the Hearthâs eve presents!Â
Setup:Â Jarl Irwyf is a shrewd woman, and in possession of an understanding that led her through her youth as an honored warrior and to her ascension as Jarl of the Keel. She understand that it is a warriorâs reputation that prevents their rivals from encroaching, and that by perusing a path of peace and prosperity for her people, she has dulled her own reputation in exchange. Not some tyrant to wage war on a neighbor just to strengthen her own position, Irwyf seeks to bolster her kingdomâs reputation for might and valor by playing host to the realmâs next generation of heroes. To this end she intends test the partyâs character and mettle, bind them to her in loyalty, then send them out into the world to accomplish great deeds that might reflect favorably on her patronage.Â
Something however seems intent on sabotaging all her plans. Her winter stores are running out faster than expected, sections of her fortress are overrun with rats, and just as the festivities really kick into gear, something goes and makes off with the food and gifts sheâd prepared to bestow upon her courtiers. A diplomatic disaster waiting to happen, as many of those courtiers are due gifts by tribal right, or else Irwyf will have been considered to have dishonored her subordinates. Her only hope now is to let the party in on her distress, showing her hand as seemingly implacable benefactor in exchange for their aid and discursion.Â
Keep reading
(i originally made one of these on a defunct sideblog; i thought it was about time i made a new one! send an ocâs name and a number, go wild!)
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1. what drives them? whatâs their ultimate goal?
2. what was your original concept for this character? how did playing them change that concept?
3. can they accept failure?
4. what one person, place, or thing do they love more than anything else?
5. is there something they want to be known for?
6. how have they changed in the last year? how about the last five years?
7. thereâs a magic item (or technological innovation, or special resource) made just for themâwhat is it?
8. what songs remind you of them? if there are specific lyrics or movements, list âem!
9. when in their life were they most scared?
10. what inspired this characterâs creation?
11. if they have a pet or animal companion, how do they spend time with them? if they donât have one, what sort of animal would they be interested in raising, if any?
12. how have they altered their body? piercings, tattoos, biohacks, or other modificationsâanything. why (or why not) did they (or someone else) make those changes?
13. what are some motifs you associate with them? did you intentionally bring in those motifs, or did it happen over time?
14. what keeps them up at night?
15. is there something that never fails to make them laugh?
16. do they value their appearance?
17. theyâre cryingâwhat did it take to make them cry?
18. what dish brings back the best memories for them?
19. what sparks genuine, unadulterated rage in them?
20. what attracts them to someoneâplatonically and/or romantically, anything counts.
21. do they have an idea about how theyâll die? do you?
22. how would they decorate their living space, if they had a chance?
23. in what moment did they consider themselves to be âgrown upâ?
24. are they close to any family members?
25. who is their best friend?
26. what type of person pisses them off?
27. how do they usually dress? why do they dress the way they do?
28. do they collect anything?
29. what feelings do they internalize?
30. how do they handle confrontation?
31. do they respond well to praise? how about criticism?
32. which of your decisions led to their voice being the way it is?
33. what artistic medium are they most drawn to?
34. what languages do they speak? how did they learn them?
35. when did they feel loneliest?
36. how do they fidget?
37. if theyâve had one, what was their first kiss like?
38. do they see themselves as an important part of their party?
39. are they insecure about their appearance? how about their personality? what aspects specifically worry them?
40. if you had to remake this character right now, how would you change them?â
41. how do you keep notes for this character, if at all?
42. can they dance?
43. how much do they know about the world they live in?
44. what lies do they tell others?
45. what lies do they tell themselves?
46. have they taught themselves any skills just for fun?
47. what could they talk about for hours on end?
48. do they relate to anyone in their group? conversely, which person do they relate to the least?
49. how often do they cut their hair, if at all?
50. do they have a go-to beverage, alcoholic or nonalcoholic?
51. what element of their backstory are you proudest of?
52. how would they dress themselves up for a formal event?
53. do they keep their plans close to their chest?
54. how important is money in their life? do they save up for ages, or spend quickly?
55. theyâre seeing their greatest wish come trueâwhatâs happening?
56. who would they trust with their life, unequivocally?
57. do they see value in the laws of where they live?
58. how often do they swear? do they mind when others swear?
59. whatâs an element of their philosophy that you disagree with?
60. what do they have faith in? what keeps them believing?
61. is there an in-game moment of theirs you think about and just laugh?
62. do they believe in good and evil?
63. whatâs a meme or tiktok or vine (or whatever) that you associate with them?
64. how would a party member describe them?
65. what would their go-to karaoke song be?
66. which fruit do they like most?
67. do they consider themselves to be special?
68. whereâs their home?
69. whatâs one secret they donât want getting out?
My DnD headcanon is that 5e Dragonborns actually work in a similar way to TES Kahjiits.
Depending on the temperature their egg was kept in before hatching, they can be one of four things:
A standard PHB Dragonborn.
An elf-like humanoid, with minor details like colored scales near their eyes or sharp fangs.
A medium-sized, wingless, dragon.
A tiny lizard.
All of this involves no actual change to the official rules, your Dragonborn just looks weird, that's it.
nate | he/him
this is a little tag guide so i know what i'm doing
#the thundering isles - campaign i'm planning for friends
#general
#materials
#character inspo
#class inspo
#character building
#cities
#monsters
#events
standing on the deck of a ship while all the dead men's eyes look down on you from the rigging. just sailing things
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