How can we apply the concept of ‘story beats’ to build a memorable single-session adventure?
A new narrative template for cinematic one-shots
What does a 20th-level dungeon look like?
That’s it. That’s the article. The simple truth: I was thinking about this earlier in the week and thought it would be interesting. If you don’t like this article, I have others! For most of us, this is essentially a thought experiment. Very, very few games get to 20th level. My Mad Mage campaign didn’t; … Continue reading What does a 20th-level dungeon look like?
Review: Dungeon of the Mad Mage (and a new ranking)
I overlooked this adventure for far too long. Now I rate it as one of my favourite 5e adventures so far.
How to add depth and drama to your character
Many, many gamers play D&D and nothing else. Some gamers will play anything but D&D. Others will play D&D for the most part but mix it up occasionally with other systems. I’m probably in this latter group. Even if you don’t play other systems, it’s well worth reading them. It’s a great way of sparking … Continue reading How to add depth and drama to your character
How to incorporate science fantasy into your D&D game
In this article, I am going to look at what defines fantasy as a genre, the long history of science fantasy, and how you can inject a bit of science fiction into your game without losing what makes it fantastical.
How To Homebrew Your Own Game Rules In D&D
Sooner or later, you are going to want to tinker with something in your game. The thing is, should you? What’s worth tinkering with, and what is better left ‘as is’?
Learning from the MCU to make your game epic
I’m probably the wrong person to write this because – whisper it – I don’t really like Marvel films. But you don’t have to love Marvel to appreciate how wildly popular they are. Since 2007, Marvel Studios have produced more than 30 films, and the MCU is now the highest-grossing film franchise of all time … Continue reading Learning from the MCU to make your game epic
The Complete Guide to D&D’s Musical Instruments
Have you ever made a new bard character and wondered which musical instrument was a good fit? Have you ever looked at the equipment list in the Player’s Handbook and thought, hey, what even is a dulcimer? Do you want to use musical instruments to add depth and colour to your worldbuilding? If so, this post might be for you!
Epic background music to make your sessions memorable
I love having music on in the background when I’m playing tabletop RPGs. I now notice if it’s not there! In today’s article, I thought I would share some of my favourite tracks in the hope that you might suggest a few more in the comments. A few things I look for in backing music: … Continue reading Epic background music to make your sessions memorable
Enhanced Description: Unlocking the Power of Tier 2 Vocabulary
My real-life job is an English teacher on a secondary school. In the last few years, something we’ve been talking about a bit as a profession is the idea of Tier 2 vocabulary, and in this article I want to explain how it is relevant to your tabletop RPGs. According to this model, there are … Continue reading Enhanced Description: Unlocking the Power of Tier 2 Vocabulary