Session-sized prep
Hooks, three NPCs, and one complication you can run cold—aimed at a single night of 5e.
Fifth-edition table notes
Prep, rests, and action economy—without the storefront noise
5e Crate is a small desk for groups who run modern fifth-edition fantasy: how to scope a session, teach the basics, and keep fights moving. We point at public rules and communities. We do not invent crates, prices, or drops.
Start with Getting Started, skim the Guides hub, or browse Resources when you need outbound references like Dungeons & Dragons on Wikipedia.
What you will find here
Most 5e nights stall on the same three things: unclear spotlight, bloated encounter math, and rest schedules nobody agreed on. We write short procedures for those problems—not another PDF wishlist.
Prefer the free rules and SRD when you need a public cite. Marketplace pages are fine for shopping; they are poor session-zero documents. For lineage and history, start with Dungeons & Dragons on Wikipedia or the Wizards free rules / legal information page.
If a bonus action or reaction loop turns every round into a rules committee, cut or re-scope it. Fairness beats fidelity when the table is bored.
Deeper pages live under Guides, Glossary, and Resources. Sibling desks cover older editions and adjacent games when your campaign drifts.
How we write
We steal structures across traditions—wilderness clocks, clue webs, faction maps—without lifting trademarks. Name the technique; leave the brand alone.
Industry catalogs like Dungeon Masters Guild show what people publish. They do not replace your table's house notes. Email [email protected] for corrections; see Contact and About.
Related desks in this neighborhood
If you also dig older editions or adjacent fantasy stacks, peek at our sibling desks for AD&D-flavored prep, old-school frameworks, and open SRD reading lists.