7 June marks one year since my first post on the site. And what a year it’s been!
I want to say thank you to everyone who has commented on, shared, or subscribed to the site. What started as a vague idea last summer has since grown into something that brings me much joy. I hope you continue to enjoy reading my articles as much as I enjoy writing them.
To celebrate my first year of writing, here are my ‘top ten’ most popular articles. Enjoy!
1st-level adventures
At number ten, this is also probably the most recent article on the list. Specifically aimed at new DMs, this post gives you some practical advice for starting off a campaign with a bang.
How to be a good D&D player
What does it mean to play D&D ‘well’? I break this down in three ways, looking at the social side of the game, the rules aspect, and the storytelling at its heart. Lots of opinions here.
Evil D&D
A controversial and challenging topic at the game table: how do you handle evil players? And why are we drawn toward playing evil characters in the first place?
Review: the Cypher System in play
I’ve played a few one-shots in different systems this year, and I was extremely impressed by Monte Cook’s elegant and intuitive Cypher System. Give it a try. (Look out for a review of Dungeon World in the next few weeks.)
Fixing 4d6 drop lowest
A bit of a sleeper hit, this one. I never expected it to be so popular. 4d6 drop lowest is fun, but weird: it frequently generates ability scores that don’t make sense for competent adventurers. I present an alternative here and explain why it makes more sense.
The perfect D&D party
Into the top five now. There is, of course, no such thing as a perfect D&D party – but some compositions are better than others. I look at this from two angles, one gamist, one narrativist, and finish with my own suggestion for a ‘perfect’ D&D party.
Creating awesome characters
What’s the most important part of your character sheet? Your race? Your class? Your alignment? In this post, I argue that there is a difference between character and characterization, and explain why the humble human fighter can be one of the best characters you ever make.
Diablo D&D
One of my first posts, and one of my most popular! How to pursue a more ‘hack and slash’ approach to D&D. (Did you know that Diablo D&D actually pre-dates 3rd edition?)
Epic D&D Christmas gift guide
Not just for Christmas of course, this post will help you find a gift for the D&D fan in your life. Look out for an update later this year.
Where do D&D monsters come from?
At number one, this is my most popular post by quite a margin! I break down the 5e Monster Manual to examine whether D&D is as European or Tolkienesque as is often purported. My findings might surprise you.
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