This is how I D&D
Recently, I posted a question on X/Twitter asking why sandbox worlds were so popular in the video game space, and quite frequently resisted or derided in the TTRPG space.
A lot of the comments I received were saying that it was too hard to create a sandbox campaign, it would take years, it would require a GM to dedicate months and years to creating the world, and so on.
But this is all incorrect.
Continue reading “Sandbox D&D Campaigns – Dealing With The Misconceptions”
Dice rolling is a fundamental mechanic in Dungeons & Dragons, and it’s a versatile way to determine not only random chance, but also random encounters.
In fact, a fundamental aspect that contributes to the unpredictable and thrilling nature of the game is the concept of random events – or encounters.
Continue reading “Random Encounters In D&D – Why Are They So Good”
Issue 19 of my Dungeons and Dragons zine is out!
Issue 19 is all about the Arctic. It will feature articles on adventuring in the arctic, new features found there, new cold magic, Blood Ice – a new substance, a new class: the Ice Crafter, new monsters, and much more! (See below for details).
The third edition of Dungeons and Dragons (3e) introduced a great arrow in the quiver of any GM’s bow: the monster template.
This article will help you understand what monster templates are and how you can apply them to any edition of D&D that you play.
I have written about how good Dungeons & Dragons random encounter tables are before, both in this blog and in issue 7 of my zine.
In this post I want to respond in a way to a video I watched where the host was explaining how bell-curve random tables are not truly random and shouldn’t be used. A single die with a way to roll higher than the max would be better.
I both agree and disagree with this notion.
It all comes down to what you want to get out of the table and what area in your campaign world the table is for.
Let’s dive into it.
This is the second episode for a podcast that I have put together and includes Ian from Black Dragon Games and Jon from Tale of the Manticore.
Featuring myself, Ian, and Jon answering D&D questions from the Twitter and Facebook TTRPG communities.
The theme was Magic and we managed to answer some really interesting questions over an hour or so.
Listen and let us know what you think in the comments below, or on my Twitter.
Random encounter tables are a great way to bring diversity to your campaign.
The biggest error most GMs make with random encounter tables is they use stock standard ones from official books, which are filled primarily with monsters. Continue reading “Random Encounter Tables – A GMs Best Friend”
Monster stat blocks are an essential part of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
They let the GM know a lot about the monster – at least they should.
What they tend to end up like is a combat block, rather than a monster stat block, focusing on combat-orientated information.
Helpful in combat, but not very complete, given the characters may want to parley or interact with the creature in other ways.
What I have developed is a modular monster stat block that will give GMs the information they need – at a glance – to run the monster in any situation.
One of the great things about the Dungeons And Dragons 3rd edition Monster Manual is the additional information they give you regarding monsters.
This includes the climate and terrain the monsters are found in, and their organisation (numbers appearing).
This blog post will focus on the latter.
Continue reading “Encounter Numbers – Using D&D 3e Monster Manual”
Reaction rolls are an old school mechanic in D&D that allows you to determine how an NPC or monster will react to the PCs.
This mostly forgotten mechanic (at least in the modern game) was a core rule in earlier versions of the game (OSR).
When the party came upon a random encounter with intelligent monsters, and the party decided to parley with them instead of attacking them, the GM would then roll a reaction check for the monsters.