Playing without a Dungeon Master

I am a long time DM. I have run numerous campaigns across more than ten years. It’s been fun for sure. But as many a Dungeon Master can attest to, all too often the weight of running a game falls on their shoulders. To be sure, being a Dungeon Master isn’t something everybody can do….


D&D Playbook: Master 10 D&D Combat Improvments!

Do your monsters bore you? Are your fights uninteresting? I’ve run into this problem. It is an issue plaguing many DMs. However, it is easy to fix. I stopped doing the minimum. I made a list of criteria, looked at each encounter, and decided if it was missing things from that. So take a page…


Take a Page from my Book: 10 Best D&D Spell Scrolls

Dungeons Masters, have you ever wanted to fill up a hoard, but had no clue what to put in it? Did you stare at the pages and nothing jumped out at you? Sure, you’re adding in more potions now, but it still isn’t quite varied enough. What do you do? What else is there? Let…


Take a Page from my Book: 10 Best D&D Potions

It sucks when players don’t like their loot, doesn’t it? As Dungeons and Dragons players adventure and quest, they invariably gain more magical gear. It’s exciting! Eventually, though, they’ll get something nobody’s interested in having. Maybe that’s just how things turned out? Maybe you thought it’d be neat for them to find a magic pick…


Playing to the Hilt: Orcs

Dungeons and Dragons, even fantasy in general, has few villains more iconic than the classic orc. If goblins are the weak fodder, orcs are the monstrous marauders bent on pillaging and plundering. Recent trends have shown an effort to make orcs grow beyond that standard. That’s all well and good, namely for newer settings. However,…


Playing to the Hilt: Goblins

Among fantasy, and Dungeons and Dragons specifically, goblins have played a simple role. Namely, they’re fodder for fledgling adventurers to cut through. They are the mean, crude, destructive little creatures and most common folk would be far happier without them. And yet, there’s a strong appeal to them. A sort of mischievousness is implicit in…


Cutting Words: a Dungeons and Dragons Movie Review

Amongst the history of film, there are numerous fantasy icons and classics. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Harry Potter, Jason and the Argonauts, Conan the Barbarian, the Wizard of Oz. The list goes on. Among gaming, Dungeons and Dragons is the king of fantasy. Naturally, its many imaginative locations and creatures would be a…


Playing to the Hilt: Tieflings

Tieflings. You can call them “planetouched,” you can call them “demi-humans,” but nowadays, they’re presented (by many players) as “mega-angst devil-teen super-emo edgelords.” All too often, a player sees only the superficial features of being a tiefling. Ironically, it’s more tragic than their own tragic backstories. This leads some folks to balk at even allowing…


Playing to the Hilt: Dragonborn

Classical fantasy races have withstood the test of time. They’re staples of the genre and beloved by all. However, sometimes, you need something a little bit different. The game is called Dungeons and Dragons, but dragons themselves are rarely seen. What better way to play up the title (and do something new) than a unique…


Playing to the Hilt: Half-orcs

Brutal, barbaric, brash, stupid, slow, sickening. All common feelings folks might have for a half-orc. Likewise, a player might turn their nose up at being so pigeonholed. Who wants to just be a dumb brute? But does something like a half-orc deserve this reputation? Does it have merit? Surely a mix of man and orc…


Playing to the Hilt: Half-elves

With so many fantasy races to play, you can often feel conflicted about which one to be. Sometimes you want the grace and power of an elf, but with a little more flexibility, a little more human. Sometimes you want the endless possibilities that comes with humanity, but just a little more specialized and exotic….