DM: "At long last, you stand ready to open the wizard's chest. On its surface, you see a number burned: 1,569. What do you do?"

Me: "I open the lid, excited to find more than 1,500 treasures!"

DM: "You peer inside, and the truth overwhelms you: it's emails, 1,569 emails!"

— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) September 24, 2018

You must have come into the office after some days off, I know the feeling brother. I did return to the office today after a few days off last week, resting after finishing "Dungeon of the Mad Mage" and "Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica." I'm going to take a few more days off later this week! 😃

— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) September 25, 2018

Click Here! Local single hags want to meet you!I want to meet all the hags!

— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) September 25, 2018

I’m Treasure Type No The Fuck Really You have my sympathy!

— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) September 25, 2018

You monster…

How many are spam? None of them spam.

— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) September 25, 2018

@TheEdVerse Dude, I've already asked this before but I'm Serious: how does the Anatomy of a KOBOLD work? I want to understand it from a Biological Standpoint and you seem to be the guy to do the Job. pic.twitter.com/I2JF82J2NL

— anonymously insane (@anonymous7262) October 2, 2018

1) Okay, here we go. If you’re playing the current (5th edition) of D&D, kobolds are small, weak, humanoid-body-shape reptiles: they lay eggs, are clever trap-builders who work together to defeat foes, and have a reputation among… https://t.co/Qh5SnA6PXr

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 4, 2018

2) …adventurers for cunning. They mature quickly, and have long lifespans (over a century). They are good tunnelers and lair underground; their described behavior makes it clear they are less susceptible to cold and damp than many.…

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 4, 2018

3)…reptiles (although they still prefer tropical and temperate climes, to keep warm). VGtM, p63-71, tells you all about kobolds (with some “special” kobolds from p165-167). So: dragon-like snouted heads with many-teethed jaws, scaled,…

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 4, 2018

4) …have dextrous hands and limbs like a human, use tools and weapons, and invent and build intricate devices. From what I know of kobolds in the Realms, they are omnivorous but prefer flesh, because they have swift metabolisms and they…

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 4, 2018

5)…want to keep their body temperatures up (when possible, they likely huddle together for warmth when sleeping, and/or use blankets, proximity to fire or lava flows underground, and so on, for heat). Many egg-laying creatures can “hold”…

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 4, 2018

6)…their eggs inside their bodies so as to give birth in optimum conditions, not “just whenever,” and kobolds are among these. So if they can find a warm underground cavern, and fill it with easily-slain and devoured food beasts that can’t…

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 4, 2018

7)…escape, that’ll be a great opportunity to lay their eggs. Kobolds are social beings, used to working together, settling disputes among other kobolds, and looking to the dragons they worship for guidance (and occasional personal boons).

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 4, 2018

8)…So think of lizards or snakes, but smarter and able to speak and craft things and make cooperative plans, with faster metabolisms and an understanding of nature (i.e. how to get warm enough, to avoid torpor), omnivorous but preferring…

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 4, 2018

9)…flesh meals, egg-laying from a young age but able to control when they lay eggs (tough rubbery-skinned eggs, not brittle-shelled like most avian eggs), and not needing nest-tending but the young will usually receive teaching and…

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 4, 2018

10)… guidance, once active, from older kobolds. Kobolds control internal body moisture through defecation (wet or dry dung), have a keen sense of smell aided by tongue-flicking, and make plans as life unfolds, not merely) “planning for…

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 4, 2018

11)…the next meal.” I hope this covers it. (As kobolds have changed over various editions of D&D, there’s some confusion over their true natures. I put it down to adventurers and just plain folks calling various critters “kobolds.”)

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 4, 2018

I like that wizards don’t get healing magic in D&D, in general.

A few exceptions like vampiric touch and life transference (Raistlin healing Tas, anyone?) are cool. Just giving them cure wounds? Hard pass.

A theurge-type Arcane Tradition would be fine. This is basically my thought on the matter as well.

— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 17, 2018

@mikemearls Curious on your thoughts: Using Passive Perception seems easy, & you can do some cool things with Passive Insight. How would you handle a PC with a high Passive Investigation? Would they just auto-detect every secret door/trap? Sorta like Sherlock?

— Daniel Etheridge (@TheDanEtheridge) October 21, 2018

I run it like Sherlock Holmes and allow auto detection. Many DMs see this as a problem, but in my experience giving the party more info makes the game more interesting and makes that player feel like a star. https://t.co/jR7xicHZk1

— Mike Mearls, but Spooky (@mikemearls) October 21, 2018

Perhaps a more concise statement: DMs, don’t be so precious about the secrets in your campaign or adventure. They’re a lot more fun when the entire group works with them. What’s the fun in being the only one to know about something?

— Mike Mearls, but Spooky (@mikemearls) October 21, 2018

IME, assuming the players will miss a clue or overlook a secret is as bad a DM mistake as assuming a monster/NPC can’t be beaten or that the characters will follow only one, specific path.

— Mike Mearls, but Spooky (@mikemearls) October 21, 2018

It seems like this runs the risk of becoming an interactive novel. The DM knows all of the passive scores of the characters, so she is essentially pre-deciding who will notice what.

— Jamie LaFountain (@horatiodrank) October 22, 2018

This can be a big issue for DMs – given what you know of the characters’ abilities, is it cheating to set challenges that they auto succeed or fail? It speaks to DMing techniques, IMO. (1/7) My approach is more natural, in that I just assign DCs to things without worrying about the PCs’ abilities. My current game has kind of random attendance, so basing things off a specific PC can go sidewise if that player is absent. (2/7)

— Mike Mearls, but Spooky (@mikemearls) October 23, 2018

My approach dodges the issue, because in all honesty I have no idea what the PCs’ passive Perception ratings are. Another case where being lazy is a benefit! (3/7) Other DMs like to be more tailored in their approach, taking close account of what the PCs can do and building from there. This is where it can feel cheaty, since you know ahead of time if the PCs will spot something. (4/7)

— Mike Mearls, but Spooky (@mikemearls) October 23, 2018

In this case, I’d recommend adding a random element to DCs that are matched against passive scores. Remember, the passive mechanic is there so that you can have the player make a check without their knowledge. (5/7) Even a well-meaning player might have trouble keeping immersed when asked to make a check. If you keep the die rolling on your side of the screen, you can keep that intact. I’d set a DC to uncover something at 5 below normal, then add a d10 roll to DC w/passive check. (6/7)

— Mike Mearls, but Spooky (@mikemearls) October 23, 2018

That random element keeps things a little more predictable and lets you as DM aim toward a DC without feeling like you’ve decided ahead of time what might happen. (7/7)

— Mike Mearls, but Spooky (@mikemearls) October 23, 2018

I keep having the sensation of what I can only call, "a massive expansion of goodness" coming from the #DnD community. Being a part of it makes me happy. Thanks to all you creative, courageous, compassionate human beings.

— 🏕Adamorgue Ghoulee🎃 (@adamofadventure) September 15, 2018

This community isn’t perfect, but it keeps getting better. 💖 I hear you, buddy. We'll get there.

— 🏕Adamorgue Ghoulee🎃 (@adamofadventure) September 15, 2018

Immersion into such a diverse and (more often than not) kind welcoming group. Your sentiment and personality also explain a lot as to why! Thanks, Lee! We keep making earth a better place one pancake at a time. 🥞🥞🥞

— 🏕Adamorgue Ghoulee🎃 (@adamofadventure) September 15, 2018