My last post focused on the Why of DMing, so let's make a start on the How of doing it. There's a bunch of places you can go to pick up some quick tips for starting out. Run to YouTube, watch people run games in person and virtually. Watch videos of people giving advice for … Continue reading How to DM II – a quick overview
Tag: dnd
A Town Called Mud: The Haunted Mine
I've recently released my first DMsGuild product, an adventure called A Town Called Mud: The Haunted Mine. (You can get it for even cheaper if you pick it up as part of this RPG Writer Workshop bundle!)It's a Six-guns & Sorcery adventure for D&D 5e. That means there's a Wild West vibe to the whole … Continue reading A Town Called Mud: The Haunted Mine
Thoughts on the LevelUp 5e Playtest VII – Ranger
Time for the Ranger to get the LevelUp 5e treatment. I mentioned in the Druid post that I'll be looking at similarities between some of the abilities, since thematically a few of them seemed good to cross over. Things that stay the same up to level 10:Natural Explorer and Favoured Enemy at level 1 (though … Continue reading Thoughts on the LevelUp 5e Playtest VII – Ranger
Tout’s Guide to Sigil – Welcome to the Cage
Sigil. Yes with a hard G.City of Doors, on account of all the portals.The Cage, on account of... well, most people have a theory. Welcome, you poor Clueless sod, to this grand city of mine, this jewel in the crown of the multiverse, this little slice of heaven and hell of your choosing .Mind out … Continue reading Tout’s Guide to Sigil – Welcome to the Cage
Thoughts on the LevelUp 5e Playtest VI – Sorcerer
Due to my various commitments during November (check my adventure out, on half-price sale now!), this one is a bit late, and the next playtest packet, the Ranger, is out as well. I'll have my review of that up shortly. So what's going on with the Sorcerer? Things that stay the same up to level … Continue reading Thoughts on the LevelUp 5e Playtest VI – Sorcerer
How to DM
At the end of November, I ran across this tweet by Alyssa Visscher. This is, I think, exactly the reason it took me years to pick up the Dungeon Master's Guide - I already knew the contents after years of playing these games, so why bother with this product? In the end, the main reasons … Continue reading How to DM
Where’s today’s post?
Well, I missed finishing off a post to publish today. I've been busy. Get your copies now!
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything – A review
Every year, I buy myself a gift for my birthday, and this year I picked up Tasha's Guide as a pre-order. Little did I know when I clicked the button to pay that I would have to wait an extra two-ish weeks for my book to arrive - apparently this is a thing that happens … Continue reading Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything – A review
Dungeons & Dragons & Discord
As part of the RPG Writer Workshop, I had to playtest my adventure to see if it survived contact with the enemy players.I also didn't want to spend money and time learning a new system, when I have other things to be getting on with - writing and parenting and so forth. That ruled out … Continue reading Dungeons & Dragons & Discord
Basher’s Guide to Sigil’s Factions – Doomguard
The Doomguard, also known as the Sinkers, are warriors of entropy, seeking to speed up inevitable collapse into chaos or ruin. They represent an ideology of the Negative Energy Plane and it's quasi-planes Ash, Dust, Salt and Vacuum - whilst focus on causing entropy in all forms, others seek to protect its cause and will … Continue reading Basher’s Guide to Sigil’s Factions – Doomguard
Thoughts on the LevelUp 5e Playtest V – Inspiration and destiny
Basically a way to redo the Inspiration mechanic, this also gives a crunchy outcome to fulfilling a roleplaying goal throughout a game, as well as an easier way to adjudicate the gaining of Inspiration. First of all, let's take a quick look at how Inspiration is flavoured here - you can use it to give … Continue reading Thoughts on the LevelUp 5e Playtest V – Inspiration and destiny
RPGs that influenced me III – D&D 3e/3.5e
Oh boy, here comes a potentially long post... D&D 3e is the RPG I cut my teeth on.I played this during school lunch breaks, during weekends and after school with friends, playing marathon sessions over the holidays, in the tabletop gaming club at university, into well after 4th edition was released.It's probably what I base … Continue reading RPGs that influenced me III – D&D 3e/3.5e
Basher’s Guide to Sigil’s Factions – Getting started
Following on from a couple of different posts a while ago on building Sigil's Factions in to D&D 5e, I'm going to take another crack at it as an ongoing series, this time with a bit of an overview of each Faction but focusing much more on the new rules I've built than the old … Continue reading Basher’s Guide to Sigil’s Factions – Getting started
State of Republic
So, a long, long time ago, when I lived in a different country that's not so far away, I wrote a post about running a D&D game in a Roman-style Republic. I've referenced it a few times in recent months. That last one is probably where this new idea was formed. There, and with my … Continue reading State of Republic
FantasyCraft and DM advice
So I just discovered the gem that is FantasyCraft and... Wow, yeah. This is how I wanted to play D&D back during 3rd edition. It really is my dungeon, my dragon, my way with this book.Damn. Now if only I'd owned this fifteen years ago. I think I even saw one in the wild once, … Continue reading FantasyCraft and DM advice
On nonsensical magical snakes and other creatures
I'm told there's a new monster in the Tome of Beasts 2 from Kobold Press called a 'Snake with a Hundred Mage Hands'.And now there's got to be at least one of these creatures in all of my homebrew settings, right? After Eberron's Living Spell monsters, that idea for a snake is hands down my … Continue reading On nonsensical magical snakes and other creatures
Thoughts on the LevelUp 5e Playtest IV – Druid
No sooner had I started work on the Rogue playtest than the Druid document dropped as well - so we're on to the Druid. The quick skim has it being pretty druid-y. I like some of the blurbs on different kinds of druids and the suggestion of finding the reason your character became a druid … Continue reading Thoughts on the LevelUp 5e Playtest IV – Druid
Thoughts on the LevelUp 5e Playtest III – Rogue
Well I was waiting for the next package to drop, but like a fool I was waiting on the LevelUp5e homepage rather than digging around - I missed it by weeks. Probably need to update that guys! So this package is the Rogue class. First thoughts - it's a lot shorter than the Fighter document. … Continue reading Thoughts on the LevelUp 5e Playtest III – Rogue
RPGs that influenced me – DnD 2e
For this series, I'm taking another cue from Dungeons and Possums. I'll be going through a few different games I've owned, played, or read and feel had an impact on me and my games going forward from then. I've said before how I got into roleplaying - at lunchtimes during school, we sat down and … Continue reading RPGs that influenced me – DnD 2e
Ginnungagap – a game of twenty questions
Another chance to flesh out one of my settings. This time we're a mercenary, somewhere on Midgard. Let's go to the Ginnungagap! What is the deal with my cleric's religion?You worship all the Gods, but one more than others - you know the sacred rites of Odin or Loki better than those of the other … Continue reading Ginnungagap – a game of twenty questions
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