Something goes wrong, a few dice rolls go awry, and then, all of a sudden, somebody’s character is dead. Not unconscious: dead. Now what?
How practical is raise dead?
Unlocking the magic of literary fantasy
Over the last few years, I’ve realized that what I really crave in my fantasy isn’t necessarily a recognized subgenre. I call it literary fantasy.
Awesome climate and terrain: Part 2!
Last week we explored arctic, coastal, desert, forest, and grassland environments. This week, we've got a few more: hill, mountain, swamp, Underdark, underwater, and urban.
How to build an awesome fantasy world with climate and terrain
I’ve been reading a lot about worldbuilding and map-making for a while now, so I thought I would put some of my notes in one place.
Seven twists to make your D&D world unique
D&D diverges from our own world in seven major ways. How would our games be different if we moved away from these core assumptions?
A new campaign: seven awesome adventures for 2024
A few weeks ago, I wrote about some of the most well-regarded adventures in the hobby, and it reminded me how much I love running campaigns. My last, Dungeon of the Mad Mage, was epic: it ended in May and lasted the best part of a year. Before that, I ran a 20-level homebrew campaign … Continue reading A new campaign: seven awesome adventures for 2024
From the experts: the greatest RPG adventures of all time
What is your favourite published adventure of all time? I put this question to as many industry heavyweights as I could: writers, game designers, YouTubers, even a few cartographers. I wanted to see what their favourite adventures were and why. These are the responses I got back, which I'm delighted to share with you. Featured: … Continue reading From the experts: the greatest RPG adventures of all time
The Great 2023 RPG Gift Guide
Here we go again! WELCOME to the 2023 Scroll for Initiative Holiday Gift Guide. A few things first. This is an independent blog. There are no affiliate links here, nor am I being paid in any way to endorse these products. (Believe me, I wish I were!) As always, please support your Friendly Local Game … Continue reading The Great 2023 RPG Gift Guide
Deeper character creation: dramatic poles revisited
One of the most powerful storytelling tools I’ve encountered this year is also one of the simplest: dramatic poles.
So You Want to Be a Game Master: Review
If you're serious about DMing, you will know who Justin Alexander is. So what is his new book all about, and what did I make of it?