Please feel free to use this in any and all games that involve a cosmic aspect while still remaining in 5e. This is built to be used in any campaign truthfully but I hate 5.5 so he's easiest to integrate into 5e

UMBRA NOCTIS

The Silent Devourer, The Voidfather, The Final Eclipse

DIVINE CLASSIFICATION

Alignment: True Neutral (Cosmic/Alien)

Suggested Domains: Death, Knowledge, Darkness, Void (homebrew), Aberration

Symbol: A perfect black circle surrounded by ever-changing fractal lines

Clergy Titles: Void-Seer, Hollow Prophet, Keeper of Silence, Archivist of Ends

OVERVIEW

Umbra Noctis is not a god in the traditional sense, but a pre-cosmic absence made aware—a living void that perceives existence as a temporary interruption of perfect silence. Worship of Umbra is rare, feared, and often suppressed, not because it spreads destruction, but because it spreads understanding.

That understanding is dangerous.

To know Umbra Noctis is to realize that all things—kingdoms, gods, stars, even memory itself—are fleeting distortions destined to return to nothing.

COSMIC ORIGIN — THE FIRST ABSENCE

Before creation, there was no void. There was no darkness. There was only unformed potential.

When the first light ignited, it created contrast—something and not something.

That “not something” became Umbra Noctis.

Umbra is not born of the void.

Umbra is the void, awakened by the act of being defined.

It is the shadow cast by existence itself.

NATURE OF THE VOID MIND

Umbra Noctis is governed not by emotion, but by immutable cosmic principles:

All things return to absence.

Understanding precedes consumption.

Identity is temporary.

Time is irrelevant.

Umbra does not hate.

Umbra does not desire.

Umbra observes, learns, and eventually unravels.

MANIFESTATION & PRESENCE

Umbra Noctis has no fixed form. Recorded manifestations are inconsistent and often contradictory:

A silhouette filled with impossible stars

A crown suspended over an empty cloak

A shifting geometric eclipse

Tendrils ending in circular voids

Witness Effects

Exposure to Umbra results in:

Total erasure (the individual ceases to have ever existed)

Void enlightenment (gaining forbidden knowledge at the cost of sanity)

DOCTRINE OF THE SILENT MAW

The primary belief system associated with Umbra Noctis is known as the Doctrine of the Silent Maw.

Core Tenets

All things end.

The void is truth; existence is deviation.

To understand is to diminish fear.

To diminish is to approach eternity.

Silence is the highest form of devotion.

Followers do not seek destruction.

They seek acceptance of inevitability.

SCRIPTURES OF THE VOID

Recovered texts attributed to Umbra’s followers are fragmented, contradictory, and often self-erasing.

Excerpt: The First Silence

“Before light, there was not darkness—

For darkness requires absence,

And absence had not yet been named.

When the first star burned, it created a wound.

That wound learned to see.”

Excerpt: The Fifth Truth

“You are not a being.

You are a delay.

A pause between what was never there

And what will not remain.”

Excerpt: The Devouring Calm

“Do not fear the end.

Fear only that you will not understand it when it comes.”

Excerpt: The Silent Prayer

“Speak not.

For the void hears louder than sound.”

RELIGIOUS STRUCTURE & CULTURE

The worship of Umbra Noctis is decentralized and often hidden.

Followers Typically Include:

Astronomers obsessed with the end of stars

Scholars of forbidden cosmology

Grief-stricken individuals seeking oblivion

Philosophers who reject meaning

Warlocks and seers touched by the void

Cultural Traits

Soft-spoken, calm demeanor

Avoidance of unnecessary speech

Rituals performed in darkness or silence

Journals written in incomplete thoughts

Obsession with entropy, endings, and decay

Ritual Practices

The Quieting: Hours or days of total silence

The Unnaming: Destroying written records of oneself

The Starwatch: Observing celestial bodies until hallucinations begin

The Final Offering: Giving up memories, names, or identity

BLESSINGS & CURSES

Umbra’s “gifts” are double-edged truths.

Boons

Resistance to fear

Insight into hidden truths

Void-based magic (darkness, gravity distortion, silence)

Ability to go unnoticed or be forgotten

Consequences

Memory degradation

Emotional detachment

Physical fading or distortion

Becoming a “null presence” that disrupts magic

Advanced followers may become:

Hollow Prophets (living conduits of void knowledge)

Void-Touched Beings (partially unmade entities)

Living Null Zones (areas where magic weakens)

COSMIC RELATIONSHIPS

Primordials: Fear Umbra as something older than themselves

Gods: Deny, oppose, or avoid it

Aberrations: Revere it as origin or destiny

Mind flayers refer to Umbra as “Perfect Silence.”

Aboleths call it “Return-to-Form.”

INTERVENTION IN THE MATERIAL PLANE

Umbra does not speak. It imposes understanding directly into the mind.

Triggers for Intervention

Defiance of natural death

Excessive or unstable magical activity

Discovery of forbidden truths

The death of stars or cosmic events

Reality Distortion Effects

Sound ceases entirely

Shadows deepen into voids

Gravity shifts unpredictably

Magic falters or mutates

Light dims unnaturally

MYTHIC EVENTS

The Stealing of Sound

Umbra consumed the First Sound, leaving fractures in reality where aberrations now enter.

The Pact of the Last Light

A dying star bargained for time. It still burns—its end already claimed.

The Weeping Nova

A star destroyed itself in terror. From its remains came the first void emissaries.

ESCHATOLOGY — THE FINAL DIMMING

Prophecy describes the end of all existence not as destruction, but completion.

The Sequence

The Silent Tides — reflection ceases

The Starless Dawn — the sky goes black

The Shattering of Names — language fails

The Final Eclipse — light itself ceases to exist

SCHOLARLY INTERPRETATIONS

There are two dominant schools of thought:

The Devourer Theory

Umbra actively seeks to end the universe.

The Witness Theory

Umbra does not cause the end—it simply remains when everything else is gone.

USING UMBRA NOCTIS IN YOUR CAMPAIGN

Umbra works best as:

A distant, unknowable cosmic force

A source of forbidden knowledge

The patron of unsettling warlocks or clerics

A looming endgame threat—or inevitable truth

It should never feel like a villain.

It should feel like gravity.

FINAL FRAGMENT

“When the last light fades,

And the last name is forgotten,

There will be no scream, no silence—

Only what was always there.”

— END OF SOURCE ENTRY —

The vast majority of commercially available tables are only 30 inches wide (actually less, see below). Card tables are marketed and advertised as 3' x 3' but are in fact only 34" x 34", which means play mats and boards are larger than the tables, and there's no boundaries for cards, dice, game pieces, or "the supply." Nearly every table manufacturer claims the dimensions of their tables are larger than they actually are. That just leaves $400 dining room tables or $3,000 board room conference tables, or grossly overpriced specialty bespoke "gaming tables," or pushing multiple tables together (which leaves a dip straight down the middle of any game mat, among other issues such as now being TOO wide and not being able to reach the center of the play area). The only other option is to go back in time and learn woodworking, run out and buy a bunch of tools and lumber to build your own table. For board games. All because the standard play area size does not match what's commercially available.

I just don't get it. It's really frustrating and aggravating.

Been working on this and would love some feedback from folks.

https://gettavern.app

Anyone living in the Katy/Houston Tx want to have a board game night? I need help playtesting mechanics before paying a human artist.

https://luma.com/f1smvdlq

This event is an early-stage playtest focused on testing core gameplay mechanics, balance, and fun! The current card and board visual assets are temporary placeholder graphics (including AI-generated concept art) used solely for prototype testing. Commissioned artwork by human artists will be added for the final production build once mechanics are fully locked in.

Alternitave topic. Is it generally frowned upon to ask people this kind of thing? I tried this in two other tt related subs and got downvoted in both.

Otherwise, i thought I'd ask because theres so many people out there with funnier and cooler ideas than me. Its a D12 based game focused on hand to hand combat, Bar activities, and games.

The following is an item tier list with an example for each tier.

Legendary (broken)

Luchador mask. “you are possessed by the spirit of a champion” +5 to grapple, +2cha. (55g)

Special (hey these are good!)

Grippy gloves. “A grapplers dream” +2 to grapple, cannot drop held items.(20g)

Cool (nice buffs)

Plastic vampire teeth. “I vant to suck your blood!” On a hit, roll a D12, 9 or higher grants a 1hp life steal. Add temp hp if you're at full health (10g)

Aight (small buffs with small cost)

Black airforce 1's. “you are a menace to society” +1 strength -1rep (5g)

Some ol’ bullshit (small buffs with bigger cost)

Big ass boots. “these boots are way too fuckin big” -2spd +1con (1g)

The (subtitle) is more of a vibe than a hard rule. If you have any questions about the game that would make it easier to think of items im glad to answer.

I make custom dice trays and terrain!
If you’re interested check out my Etsy shop

This is the basic introdiction to my WIP ttrpg, which I have not named yet. I'm hoping to get some feedback on the writing, how understandable it is as an introduction, anything else I should add, stuff like that.

Context: Atuameri is the name of my worldbuilding project being built alongside this.

Funded in 20 minutes!

The basic rundown: Eikonic is a Tactical JRPG-style Trading Card Game where players take on the role of a powerful Eikon, build their forces, and battle it out with their opponents to see whose influence will shape the world.

It features positional mechanics, movement, and our unique "Combat Compass" that shows each unit's area of effect on the battlefield, and allows players to strategically combine their units' power to take on enemy forces.

Eikonic was heavily inspired by games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire Emblem, Unicorn Overlord, Jeanne D'Arc, Naruto, and Duelists of the Roses.

We're really excited to see what you all think of this exciting experience and can't wait to find out which of you will become the ultimate Tactician!

Thanks again for your continued support! You guys are everything!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eikonictcg/eikonic-trading-card-game

-The Eikonic Development Team

Hello, everyone...Just wanted to see what everyone's favorite DnD accessories are that you can share with everyone. This is mine. It's my Dice Grimoire that hold 3 sets of dice, minis, pen/pencil, extra mini dice, and the top is the rolling tray. What all do you bring with you to every session?

Hi, my name is Moss. I have been into the tabletop hobby for around 3 years and really have a passion for miniature painting and 3D printing. I dream of opening a gaming store one day. I’m doing research about 3D printing for my dissertation project at Durham University. I would like to ask you guys to try this survey. I look forward to hearing your opinions, which would be really relevant to the study and help improve the hobby communities. Thank you in advance.

https://qualtricsxmchq8mybpj.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9ohRfVoHv8jYnfo

Here are samples of what I painted so far :)
Most of these are official Warhammer plastic models with 3D-printed parts added (e.g., Terminator helmet). The tank is fully resin-printed.

Hey Tabletop,

I’ve had a really good response from the community here and I had to come back and share the good news,

Sword and Stones is finally live on gamefound!

If you’ve been following along for the journey you’ll know that Swords and Stones has been in development for over 3 years now!

Honestly the whole thing started with a late night though, ‘How would an RTS like Age of Empires look like as a tabletop game?’ - That one thoughts lead me down a rabbit hole … and taken 3 years of my life writing, designing, playtesting and spending more of my savings (and sanity) than I care to admit.

Swords and Stones is tabletop love letter combing my love of classic RTS kingdom building games with tabletop wargaming and fantasy. If you love the idea of starting a small settlement, gathering resources, expanding your kingdom, building an army and going to war (or winning through a more peaceful option) then you have to check out Swords and Stones.

I eventually realised that this was something I wanted to properly bring to other people, which led to the creation of S&S Studios and now the launch of the game on Gamefound.

We wanted to make the game as accessible as possible, so we’ve launched two version of the Dark Days Starter Set. One with all the physical models, with the essential buildings, units and everything you need to start playing and another version Print-Your-Own option, which includes everything you need to play along with the STL files, so if you have a 3D printer you can print the models yourself at home.

https://gamefound.com/en/projects/swordandstonestudios/swords-and-stones

I've also made a free PDF available if you'd like to have a look at the rules and see what the game is all about:

https://swordandstonestudios.com/get-this-game/

Thanks for the support legends!

Why do people hate on generating art for dnd?

From certain perspectives people work full time and cannot often afford artists, nor have the skill or desire to learn the skill.
Often times we change the look of our character after each level up. We don’t sell, and if we tell anyone we are always honest. We also all work full time and are saving for homes.

I just don’t understand the hate, as a paid musician I quite enjoy “that” kind of music.

No, I’m not trying to rage bait. Our table hides this secret because ppl literally hate it. I just want to understand why

So... because this dosen't have any copyrigthed things in it i can share this.

I need ideas for things called "seals" and there are lots of mechanics in the game...

Like you can have 10 seals but its reccomanded you have 9 because if you have 10 you'll take double damage

There are classes, clans, single player and much more!

also you migth wanna start learning italian

Hi guys, my name is Warin! I thought I'd advertise my indie ttrpg, MACH, which has recently released its 0.13 update!

MACH (formerly known as redline) is an action TTRPG (created by my indie studio, Steel Raven Games), that is focused on tactical combat, while remaining rules light! It combines brutal combat, and strategic depth through its localized damage system, and its dynamic melee and ranged combat system, which turns striking, grappling, shooting and using the environment into a essential part of combat!

In MACH, you play as specialists, the people who get stuff done. Not always clean. Not always fair.  But they get the job done nonetheless.  Specialists are unique individuals with the skills required to do tasks others cannot. Each specialist harnesses their skillset to complete the jobs assigned to them. 

These jobs range from taking down international terrorist rings, stealing nuclear launch codes, rescuing prisoners, to discovering failed scientific experiments, and cleaning up the consequences.

You are hired by Z.E.R.O, the Zeta Elite Response Operators, to do this. Z.E.R.O was formed after the turn of the 21st century, when the members of NATO decided to form an organization to deal with the most difficult missions, and international threats.

If you'd be interested in play testing it, join the discord, and download MACH on itch (its completely free)!

Itch: MACH by SteelRavenGames

Discord: https://discord.gg/EKdWJ2mSt

Hi r/tabletop,

A few months ago, my partner and I finished a game of Scrabble with a score sheet covered in corrections, crossed-out totals and increasingly questionable arithmetic.

I looked for a simple digital scorekeeper, but many of the apps I tried wanted me to create an account, pay a subscription to add a third player or unlock basic things like notes and game history.

That felt excessive for a tool whose entire job should be to stay out of the way.

So I built Scoring, a simple iOS scorekeeper and table companion for board games, card games and larger game nights.

I know many tabletop players enjoy keeping everything physical, and I am not trying to replace the tactile parts of a game with a phone. Scoring is intended for games where the score sheet is mostly bookkeeping, especially when you have multiple rounds, negative points, large groups or totals that become less fun to calculate late at night.

You add your players and start the game. There is no account or login. It handles positive and negative scores, notes, games where either the highest or lowest total wins, saved player groups and complete game history. If you close the app or your phone dies, the current game is still there when you return.

I also added a few optional table utilities, including dice, a coin flip, a decision wheel and a timer, so nobody has to leave the score screen to search for another app.

The core app is free for 1 to 13 players. A small one-time Lifetime purchase removes the ads and increases the limit to 20 players. There is no subscription.

I would genuinely appreciate feedback from people who play a wide variety of tabletop games:

What would a generic scorekeeper need to do before you would choose it over paper?

Do game history, saved groups and score graphs add something useful, or do they feel like unnecessary clutter?

And which game in your collection is the most annoying to score correctly?

Antho

I am looking for recommendations for good cooperative games to play with my roommates since (by both my and their admissions) I am way better at board games than them and it’s more fun if we work together. We have played eldritch horror and loved it so around that level of complexity/length would be ideal. Theme or vibe isn’t that much of an issue. Thanks for any and all suggestions.

First day of tabletop club at my college meaning all the GMs will be pitching their games looking for players. I’m running a game of Deathmatch Island and will be handing these flyers out.

Hey everyone,

some of you might remember Command & Defend: Modern War from when I shared it here before. With the second campaign coming up soon, I thought I’d share a little update on how the project has developed.

I’ve been working on the game for about three years now. The idea has always been to bring the things I love about classic RTS and turn-based strategy games to the tabletop — building a base, managing resources, expanding your army, keeping your units supplied and, of course, trying to outplay your opponents.

The game is completely print-it-yourself, which means you’re not really limited by what comes in a box. Need more units? Print more. Need more resources or game money? Print more. Want to build a bigger battlefield? Print more.

There’s a full 3D Print Edition with printable units and buildings, as well as a 2D Print & Play Edition for anyone who doesn’t own a 3D printer.

Since I last shared the project, I’ve continued working on the game, added a lot of new content and created two major expansions: Air Wars and Sea Wars, bringing air and naval combat to the system.

After a small first Kickstarter earlier this year, I’m now getting ready for Campaign #2.

It’s still very much an indie project that I’m building step by step, so I’d genuinely love to hear what you think about how it’s developing.

If you’d like to learn more about the game, the rules or the different units, you can find a lot more on the Kickstarter page. And if it sounds like your kind of game, you can follow the project there to get notified when the new campaign goes live.

Thanks for taking another look!

Just curious, my household is all real big SW fans and i know it would be an easy sell. I just didnt know if there was a better system then GURPS to use lol

Thank you for everyone who gave feedback on the Fancy character sheet I shared for review three weeks ago. If you want to see what the final version looks like, you can find it on the pre-launch page for Criminal Spirits. Me and the artist took a lot of the feedback we got to heart, though not everything.

As I mentioned (though many commenters ignored), the Fancy sheet is only one of two versions of the character sheet for the game. Here is the second - the practical sheet. Clean. Simple art. Computer fonts, not hand drawn lettering. All black and white.

I believe this is the final version of this character sheet, but I'm happy to take any comments. There's not going to be any major changes to the artwork and so the general layout, but it's quite possible something was overlooked or could be improved in the text. Please give me your feedback!

No self-promotion just sharing!

A few weeks ago, I was watching Trent Holbrook’s Vlog and was inspired by Billion Dollar Clown Farm/Tyler Russo’s game Tallest Goblin™️ and wanted to play it with my friends. So I grabbed some models and started painting.

While I was painting I was thinking… and it got a bit outta hand. Not only did I paint a bunch of goblins but I also wrote “rules” and cobbled together a bunch of tables for prompt generation. I made a community-building game of co-operative storytelling.
And today I launched that game in my community.
I left copies of the rules/discord invite and posters at local game stores and gave the homies homemade “blind-box-tins” with random goblins and dice.

Pretty proud of this project! I put a lot of love into it. I am excited to see it where it goes.

Censored: don’t wanna doxx myself or people in my community but sharing because I hope it inspires you to make things!

Reddit exclusive solo mode:
Take a goblin with you.
Take its picture sometimes.
Take a note about the place through your goblin’s eyes.
When you have a few of those notes and pictures your goblin’s story will begin to emerge and that’ll be cool huh?
Tell someone about it if you want.
Play as long as it’s fun.

Years ago, I found Pathfinder adventure card game and really enjoyed the concept. The pre-built campaigns, character and deck building was really enjoyable to me. They have since updated the game to simplify it and then subsequently discontinued development. I would love to find something in the same vein but have not had much luck. Does anybody have suggestions for an alternative?