Please send a PM to the DM of a PbP thread when discussing joining games and related questions, rather than posting in the thread itself.
Post respectfully and follow the stated game guidelines of the DM.
Observe thread titles in relation to a game's status: Public, Private, or Recruiting.
Dungeon Masters
Maintain the proper tag on your post's title, as they can be used to search for games (you can change the tag by selecting EDIT THREAD from the TOOLS button near the top-right of the page):
PUBLIC (anyone can join at will)
PRIVATE (no new members)
RECRUITING (recruiting for new members)
Your games will mostly remain without moderation. Please report questionable posts or contact a moderator if support/cleanup is needed. We are happy to assist when asked.
Enjoy your games and have fun!
FAQ
What is Play-by-Post? Play-by-Post (or PbP) is a campaign that takes place completely on these forums. The DM will post an initial thread, usually with the campaign description, and state what they are looking for in regards of players. Then the entire campaign takes place right in the thread. Everything your character does and says will be typed out in a reply, and you can even roll dice in your reply.
How do I find PbP recruitment threads? You can easily filter your search for any recruitment threads. At the bottom of the PbP forum is a filter by prefix option. Just choose recruitment, hit the filter button, and you will only see threads that are recruiting. You can also navigate right to the recruitment filter.
Everything here is 5th edition, right? D&D Beyond is a 5th edition toolset, so mostly everything on these forums will center around 5th edition. There may be a few exceptions in the PbP forums, but for the most part, 5th edition is what you'll find.
Is knowledge of 5th edition required? While D&D Beyond focuses on 5th edition, these types of requirements are usually left up to the DM. If you have questions regarding a specific campaign, you should PM the DM of that campaign.
How does the dice roller work? There's a thread here that explains how to use the dice roller.
How do I keep track of my character sheet? Each DM will have their own requirements regarding this, but the simplest way to do so would be using the character generator to create your character. While you can't yet share this type of character sheet yet, that functionality will be added later.
What do the tags mean? Every thread made on the PbP forum is required to have a tag. These tags are Recruiting, Private, and Public.
Can I just join in any campaign? Most campaigns will post a Public recruitment thread, prior to commencing. Once players are confirmed, a campaign thread will be created and marked as Private. If you are too late and miss a spot in that campaign, or are declined, please don't post in campaigns that you have not been accepted to join. You can always send a private message to the DM of that PbP to ask if you can join late, or be on a waiting list, in case someone drops out. Please accept their response.
Can I play something other than D&D on this forum? All PbP on the D&D Beyond forums should use the Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition rules, however you are free to use any campaign setting and homebrew that you like.
I have a question that isn't covered in this FAQ! Please post below and one of our moderator team will assist and edit this FAQ as needed.
How do the tooltips/links to spells etc work?
D&D Beyond offers the ability to link certain aspects on the forum in mouse-over triggered tooltips, such as magic items, monsters or combat actions - examples being Adult Black Dragon and dash. To create tooltips in this way as these, use the appropriate [tag][/tag] around the desired subject.
Example: [ magicitem]sunblade[/ magicitem] (Without spaces within the [ ] brackets.)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact these moderators:
These moderators are a group of volunteers who have been entrusted to guide, oversee, and curate community contributions. They will use their best judgment to interpret context and intent when evaluating community interactions.
The following few posts is what prompted this thread.
[spoiler]Sorry to post this here if its not appropriate, but I wanted to understand how it works here. There isn't really a "FAQ/Ask Questions here/Introduce yourself thread. I was an old hand at PbP with 3.5 on other forums, but not on here or with 5th.
A-Everything here is 5th edition, right?
B- Is knowledge of 5th required? or does that vary by campaign? I own no books and know nothing of 5th...that is sort of on purpose though. With 3.5 I became a bit of a powergamer, so I wanted to NOT have that happen here...figured best way was to not be a rules expert at all.
C-I see people talking about using their phone, but i can't find this in the iphone app store. I'm here vial laptop. Is there a phone interface? Android only maybe?
Sorry to post this here if its not appropriate, but I wanted to understand how it works here. There isn't really a "FAQ/Ask Questions here/Introduce yourself thread.
There should be.
I was an old hand at PbP with 3.5 on other forums, but not on here or with 5th.
A-Everything here is 5th edition, right?
That I know of. With varying degrees of variation.
B- Is knowledge of 5th required? or does that vary by campaign? I own no books and know nothing of 5th...that is sort of on purpose though. With 3.5 I became a bit of a powergamer, so I wanted to NOT have that happen here...figured best way was to not be a rules expert at all.
Speaking strictly for my own campaigns, knowledge of 5e is preferred but not required.
C-I see people talking about using their phone, but i can't find this in the iphone app store. I'm here vial laptop. Is there a phone interface? Android only maybe?
THANKS!
The app will become available on release, but the website was designed with mobile in mind.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Filcat & Matthias have given you some pretty good answers.
As for whether this is the correct forum?
Yes, this is the PbP subforum and this is a question about PbP.
I'll have a chat with the other mods and we'll probably expand on the current pinned rules thread with some FAQ info and maybe add another pinned thread for people to ask questions.
Thank you for your post, Jamie7Keller! Due to your questions, I have written up a FAQ for the PbP forums, and have added it to the rules thread. I will be merging this thread into the Rules and FAQ thread, so if you have any other questions, please post there and we will do our best to help!
Thanks! Glad to help. Up to you if you deleat my thread since you answered it all, and now the conversation looks like we didn't read the OP. :P
One suggestion. You may want to make a separate room/folder for LFG vs Playing. Right now I think LFG posts may easily get washed away in a sea of active campaigns.
Hi. I was curious on whether or not more options would be given to people DM(ing)/GM(ing) in the future?. I read that mods here won't often be moderating threads, so I was curious if people would ever be given more options to help protect their campaigns / clean things up.
For example there are places that allow you to submit an idea for a campaign, and if accepted a private; password protected, sub-forum will be made for you and you're given mod permissions over it that way you can manage your play-by-post campaign without problems as well as keep it private.
Hi. I was curious on whether or not more options would be given to people DM(ing)/GM(ing) in the future?. I read that mods here won't often be moderating threads, so I was curious if people would ever be given more options to help protect their campaigns / clean things up.
For example there are places that allow you to submit an idea for a campaign, and if accepted a private; password protected, sub-forum will be made for you and you're given mod permissions over it that way you can manage your play-by-post campaign without problems as well as keep it private.
One of the cool things about this platform is that forum threads can be created anywhere. An idea was tossed up about every campaign created on DDB having their own private thread. Would that be something people are interested in?
Hi. I was curious on whether or not more options would be given to people DM(ing)/GM(ing) in the future?. I read that mods here won't often be moderating threads, so I was curious if people would ever be given more options to help protect their campaigns / clean things up.
For example there are places that allow you to submit an idea for a campaign, and if accepted a private; password protected, sub-forum will be made for you and you're given mod permissions over it that way you can manage your play-by-post campaign without problems as well as keep it private.
One of the cool things about this platform is that forum threads can be created anywhere. An idea was tossed up about every campaign created on DDB having their own private thread. Would that be something people are interested in?
It depends on how you define private. If I can't follow other people's PbP campaigns, I'll be rather upset. (It's a shame about The Dungeon Under Citadel Adbar ending, by the way. I'll miss it.)
Basically every campaign created in the campaign manager would have a thread to do whatever they wanted with. It could be their private PbP thread, it could be their OOC thread, it could be their game recap thread. It'd be up to the DM to decide what the thread was used for.
It depends on how you define private. If I can't follow other people's PbP campaigns, I'll be rather upset. (It's a shame about The Dungeon Under Citadel Adbar ending, by the way. I'll miss it.)
Well, now that you mention it, I've been toying with the idea of launching Classic Crawl: The Dungeon Under Citadel Adbar as a live Roll20 game. It's not something I've 100% decided I have the bandwidth to do just yet, but it might be worth keeping an eye out...
I'm glad you enjoyed it in its all-too-short lifespan. If you're not following Beregost Blues, you may well enjoy that one as well, and it shows no signs of illness. :)
I didn't see this marked in the topic, but here's a good question for you. Are we allowed to "bump" our threads when we're recruiting? Or is there a system in place in regards to recruiting threads?
I didn't see this marked in the topic, but here's a good question for you. Are we allowed to "bump" our threads when we're recruiting? Or is there a system in place in regards to recruiting threads?
Bumping threads in general is frowned upon. But if you're updating the thread with new information, that's ok. ;)
How do I keep track of my character sheet? Each DM will have their own requirements regarding this, but the simplest way to do so would be using the character generator to create your character. While you can't yet share this type of character sheet yet, that functionality will be added later.
I know obv the actual toolset takes the lion's share of dev attention (especially at the moment) and this one is complicated for the forum team to implement without turning to the devs due to the interoperability required here but...dang if it wouldn't help draw more people to the forum to play if there was a sleek, integrated way to share character sheets in-thread for pbp format (which'd obv draw in more folks to using the Beyond toolset and buying the supplements they need to build their characters as they like and so on, so it's not just a time sink with no gain for Curse IMHO).
All that said: is there an ETA on this functionality at all? I get that it wouldn't be something to expect by the end of the Fall but is the start of Winter too soon to expect it?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Welcome to Play-by-Post!
Players
Dungeon Masters
Enjoy your games and have fun!
FAQ
Play-by-Post (or PbP) is a campaign that takes place completely on these forums. The DM will post an initial thread, usually with the campaign description, and state what they are looking for in regards of players. Then the entire campaign takes place right in the thread. Everything your character does and says will be typed out in a reply, and you can even roll dice in your reply.
You can easily filter your search for any recruitment threads. At the bottom of the PbP forum is a filter by prefix option. Just choose recruitment, hit the filter button, and you will only see threads that are recruiting. You can also navigate right to the recruitment filter.
D&D Beyond is a 5th edition toolset, so mostly everything on these forums will center around 5th edition. There may be a few exceptions in the PbP forums, but for the most part, 5th edition is what you'll find.
While D&D Beyond focuses on 5th edition, these types of requirements are usually left up to the DM. If you have questions regarding a specific campaign, you should PM the DM of that campaign.
There's a thread here that explains how to use the dice roller.
Each DM will have their own requirements regarding this, but the simplest way to do so would be using the character generator to create your character. While you can't yet share this type of character sheet yet, that functionality will be added later.
Every thread made on the PbP forum is required to have a tag. These tags are Recruiting, Private, and Public.
Most campaigns will post a Public recruitment thread, prior to commencing. Once players are confirmed, a campaign thread will be created and marked as Private. If you are too late and miss a spot in that campaign, or are declined, please don't post in campaigns that you have not been accepted to join. You can always send a private message to the DM of that PbP to ask if you can join late, or be on a waiting list, in case someone drops out. Please accept their response.
All PbP on the D&D Beyond forums should use the Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition rules, however you are free to use any campaign setting and homebrew that you like.
Please post below and one of our moderator team will assist and edit this FAQ as needed.
D&D Beyond offers the ability to link certain aspects on the forum in mouse-over triggered tooltips, such as magic items, monsters or combat actions - examples being Adult Black Dragon and dash. To create tooltips in this way as these, use the appropriate [tag][/tag] around the desired subject.
Example: [ magicitem]sunblade[/ magicitem] (Without spaces within the [ ] brackets.)
Use the following within the [ ][/ ] bracket system:
action - an action taken in combat - e.g. dodge, search and ready
condition - a condition afflicted upon a creature - e.g. restrained, poisoned and prone
item - a mundane item - e.g. torch, trident and backpack
magicItem - a magical item - e.g. Bag of Holding, Dust of Disappearance and Demon Armor
monster - a creature you can encounter - e.g. Banshee, Bandit and Unicorn
sense - a type of extra sense, whether magical or natural - e.g. darkvision, tremorsense and truesight
skill - this is used for professions - e.g. Persuasion, Stealth
spell - a magical spell - e.g. Mage Hand, Magic Missile and Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting
wprop - a property of a weapon - e.g. finesse, versatile and heavy
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact these moderators:
These moderators are a group of volunteers who have been entrusted to guide, oversee, and curate community contributions. They will use their best judgment to interpret context and intent when evaluating community interactions.
Community Manager
sarahiscoffee
latiajacquise
Forum Moderators
Conn_Eremon
Davyd
Elgate
Silvva
Sorce
V2Blast
A dwarf with a canoe on his back? What could go wrong?
The following few posts is what prompted this thread.
[spoiler]Sorry to post this here if its not appropriate, but I wanted to understand how it works here. There isn't really a "FAQ/Ask Questions here/Introduce yourself thread. I was an old hand at PbP with 3.5 on other forums, but not on here or with 5th.
A-Everything here is 5th edition, right?
B- Is knowledge of 5th required? or does that vary by campaign? I own no books and know nothing of 5th...that is sort of on purpose though. With 3.5 I became a bit of a powergamer, so I wanted to NOT have that happen here...figured best way was to not be a rules expert at all.
C-I see people talking about using their phone, but i can't find this in the iphone app store. I'm here vial laptop. Is there a phone interface? Android only maybe?
THANKS! [/spoiler]
A) Mostly yes, everyone here is playing 5ed, but you can run any edition you desire.
B) The knowledge is required if you want to play 5th edition. Knowing the rules does not mean to have to power-game.
C) The app is "under construction", but it will definitely happen.
Enjoy!
Note: I think it is best to move this thread elsewhere.
There should be.
That I know of. With varying degrees of variation.
Speaking strictly for my own campaigns, knowledge of 5e is preferred but not required.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
Hi there Jamie7Keller,
Filcat & Matthias have given you some pretty good answers.
As for whether this is the correct forum?
Yes, this is the PbP subforum and this is a question about PbP.
I'll have a chat with the other mods and we'll probably expand on the current pinned rules thread with some FAQ info and maybe add another pinned thread for people to ask questions.
Pun-loving nerd | Faith Elisabeth Lilley | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
Thank you for your post, Jamie7Keller! Due to your questions, I have written up a FAQ for the PbP forums, and have added it to the rules thread. I will be merging this thread into the Rules and FAQ thread, so if you have any other questions, please post there and we will do our best to help!
A dwarf with a canoe on his back? What could go wrong?
Thanks! Glad to help. Up to you if you deleat my thread since you answered it all, and now the conversation looks like we didn't read the OP. :P
One suggestion. You may want to make a separate room/folder for LFG vs Playing. Right now I think LFG posts may easily get washed away in a sea of active campaigns.
All threads in PbP are required to tag Recruiting, Private, or Public. If you are looking for a new PbP, search for recruitment threads.
A dwarf with a canoe on his back? What could go wrong?
Hi. I was curious on whether or not more options would be given to people DM(ing)/GM(ing) in the future?. I read that mods here won't often be moderating threads, so I was curious if people would ever be given more options to help protect their campaigns / clean things up.
For example there are places that allow you to submit an idea for a campaign, and if accepted a private; password protected, sub-forum will be made for you and you're given mod permissions over it that way you can manage your play-by-post campaign without problems as well as keep it private.
Site Rules & Guidelines --- Focused Feedback Mega Threads --- Staff Quotes --- Homebrew Tutorial --- Pricing FAQ
Please feel free to message either Sorce or another moderator if you have any concerns.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
Basically every campaign created in the campaign manager would have a thread to do whatever they wanted with. It could be their private PbP thread, it could be their OOC thread, it could be their game recap thread. It'd be up to the DM to decide what the thread was used for.
Site Rules & Guidelines --- Focused Feedback Mega Threads --- Staff Quotes --- Homebrew Tutorial --- Pricing FAQ
Please feel free to message either Sorce or another moderator if you have any concerns.
I'm glad you enjoyed it in its all-too-short lifespan. If you're not following Beregost Blues, you may well enjoy that one as well, and it shows no signs of illness. :)
I didn't see this marked in the topic, but here's a good question for you. Are we allowed to "bump" our threads when we're recruiting? Or is there a system in place in regards to recruiting threads?
Current:
Secrets of the Greenwold - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Historic:
Dawning - A Homebrew Campaign - DMTomb of Annihilation - DM
Dragon Heist of Waterdeep - DM
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Site Rules & Guidelines --- Focused Feedback Mega Threads --- Staff Quotes --- Homebrew Tutorial --- Pricing FAQ
Please feel free to message either Sorce or another moderator if you have any concerns.
Thank you for answering my question! Wanted to make sure :)
Current:
Secrets of the Greenwold - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Historic:
Dawning - A Homebrew Campaign - DMTomb of Annihilation - DM
Dragon Heist of Waterdeep - DM
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
How do you update the tag on a thread?
Current:
Secrets of the Greenwold - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Historic:
Dawning - A Homebrew Campaign - DMTomb of Annihilation - DM
Dragon Heist of Waterdeep - DM
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)