Where I talk about all things Dungeons and Dragons and other 5e games. Mostly DM / GM advice.
- Two Universal Things That Wrap Up Quests AND CampaignsHere they are, right up front: Either the PCs acquire/rescue/deliver the macguffin (it might not be an object) or stop the bad thing from happening (STBTH). The objective… Read more: Two Universal Things That Wrap Up Quests AND Campaigns
- Don’t Get Ahead of YourselfI’ve been really, really active over on a DnD influencer’s discord. It’s like I’ve found my purpose in life, hanging about their advice and questions channel, throwing out… Read more: Don’t Get Ahead of Yourself
- A Better Way to Use Passive PerceptionI’m relatively sure you’ve read blog posts and watched YouTube videos on Passive Perception, Passive Investigation, and Passive Insight. If so, thank you for giving one more article… Read more: A Better Way to Use Passive Perception
- 5 Questions for Boss FightsI’ve been working hard, very hard, on prepping a fight with the big bad evil guy (“BBEG” in RPG lingo) in my Dungeons and Dragons game. I’ve spent… Read more: 5 Questions for Boss Fights
- Goblins Are AwesomeGoblins have come up in a couple of YouTube videos lately. Arlentric has a fun video here about the diverse lore, use of, and types of goblins. And… Read more: Goblins Are Awesome
- In Defense (Sorta’) of RailroadingFirst, I don’t condone straight up railroading. But if done right “railroading” isn’t so bad. It’s complicated. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ For an example of what I’m talking about, let’s look… Read more: In Defense (Sorta’) of Railroading
- What if I DM a Bad Session?We all fear it. You get your group together to play Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder or Shadowdark. And then it happens: Things are just not clicking!!! It… Read more: What if I DM a Bad Session?
- D&D Modules and Campaign Books are not IncompatibleA few days ago (as of writing this), I got to watch this very interesting video by Matt Colville. In it, he basically says that old-school modules, which… Read more: D&D Modules and Campaign Books are not Incompatible
- CR is Broken. Use It Anyway.I just watched the most recent (literally two minutes old when I watched it) video on The Guild Master’s Guides YouTube channel. It’s titled, “Understanding CR: It’s Not… Read more: CR is Broken. Use It Anyway.
- “Plans are Worthless, but Planning is Everything”THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE FOR MOST DMs! This quote is taken from Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States. Now, he was talking about military… Read more: “Plans are Worthless, but Planning is Everything”
- Combat Isn’t NecessaryYou know, sometimes you don’t need combat. At least, not for every session. Something I learned from listening to the podcasts of liveplay games is that there are… Read more: Combat Isn’t Necessary
- Describe StuffWhen playing on a VTT, it’s easy to screw up this particular bit of immersion-creation. I know I’ve done it. I still do it often and need to… Read more: Describe Stuff
- Don’t Mix Physical Dice With Virtual RPG PlayThe title says it all…but you may be wondering why. Let me give you an example that recently happened to a friend of mine, a DM who is… Read more: Don’t Mix Physical Dice With Virtual RPG Play
- The VTT Brings the Game Full CircleInteresting thought: Back in the OD&D through B/X and the beginnings of 1E, back before Ravenloft and Dragonlance unleashed the potential of actual storytelling and logic for roleplaying… Read more: The VTT Brings the Game Full Circle
- The Pros and Cons of Digital Dice RollingFinally! A post about VTT stuff from the VTT DM! I’ll take care of the cons of digital dice rolling right up front: You lose that awesome visceral… Read more: The Pros and Cons of Digital Dice Rolling
- Dungeon Turns are CoolI can’t remember where I was re-introduced to dungeon turns but I’m so glad I was. (I’d cite the source if I could find it.) They were originally… Read more: Dungeon Turns are Cool
- For BBEGs Battles, Ask for a Break Mid-BattleI’ve usually had pretty decent BBEG battles. For the most part. If I had a DMing weakness (other than not having an encyclopedic knowledge of all the spells),… Read more: For BBEGs Battles, Ask for a Break Mid-Battle
- I Screwed UpWell, I screwed up yesterday. I did a big DM no-no, and I watched myself do it. Granted, I was DMing on only 4 hours of sleep, but… Read more: I Screwed Up