Clik here to view.
Lawful DM and Chaotic DM answer questions about spellcasting and free hands
When I saw the fifth-edition basic Dungeons & Dragons rules, I concluded that the designers wanted to make the rules match the way players obviously want to play—with little concern for time spent...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My recommendations for fifth-edition D&D spellcasters and components
In my last post, I looked for an official way to make the fifth-edition Dungeons & Dragons rules for for spell components and free hands match the way players operated at the table—with little...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How knowing the difference between a setting book and an adventure helps...
What makes an adventure different from a setting book? Both start with maps, locations, and characters, but what extra ingredients turn a source book into an adventure? You might name story or plot as...
View ArticleFive new or different rules in the fifth-edition Dungeons & Dragons game
With the launch of the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, the designers hosted panels at Gen Con 2014 introducing the game to new and returning players. You can listen to designers Rodney...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How fifth edition keeps familiar spells and a Vancian feel without breaking D&D
In my last post, I described the how Dungeons & Dragons tended to break once players gathered too many magic items or certain combinations of items. Earlier editions included several rules that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Improved fifth-edition dungeon master screen and initiative tents
When the first set of fifth-edition Dungeons & Dragons basic rules arrived, I created dungeon master screen inserts. I put these pages in my mini screen from Hammerdog Games. Others have attached...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What is the typical amount of treasure awarded in a fifth-edition Dungeons &...
The fifth-edition Dungeon Master’s Guide advises dungeon masters, “You can hand out as much or as little treasure as you want.” The new Dungeons & Dragons game offers DMs the freedom to create a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Saving fifth-edition D&D’s evil wizards from meddling do-gooders
In more than a year of fifth-edition Dungeons & Dragons, I’ve pitted player characters against a lot of wizards. Often, a published adventure or one from D&D Expeditions offers a spellcaster as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The evil wizard’s guide to defense against murderous treasure hunters
Every evil wizard occasional faces the threat of treasure hunters, do-gooders, and other barbarians. In order to exterminate such vermin, you must learn to defend yourself from their attacks....
View ArticleClik here to view.
A dungeon master’s guide to Glyph of Warding
From the beginning, Dungeons & Dragons has included a few spells for dungeon masters. In my last post, I cited Magic Jar as inspiration for adventure. Player characters won’t cast it, but villains...
View ArticleClik here to view.
7 Dungeons & Dragons character builds absurdly good at one thing
The designers of fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons want to avoid changing the game as it exists in print. In a Tome Show interview, designer Mike Mearls said they would only make changes if...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Spell Blow Back—How Part of D&D that Everyone Avoided Shaped the 5th-Edition...
The original Dungeons & Dragons game featured some activities that most players didn’t enjoy and eventually came to skip. I already wrote about mapping. Unless your group plays D&D in a...
View Article
