Some monsters in the Monster Manual work better as social encounters or ongoing subplots. But which? If you ever feel like you want a break from all the combat, try one of these monsters in your next adventure.
The Best Non-Combat Monsters
Happy Belated Birthday, Scroll for Initiative!
Whoops: I missed my second anniversary. Can’t believe it’s been two years! Thank you for reading, sharing, and commenting. To celebrate, here are my top ten posts. 10. How to Run Time Travel in D&D This was quite a personal one for me. I had been playing D&D for 20 years and never used time … Continue reading Happy Belated Birthday, Scroll for Initiative!
How to store your gold in D&D
Many groups handwave wealth and treat gold the same way a video game does: ie, you can carry as much as you like. But what if we’re playing rules as written? In this post, I’m looking at the logistics of D&D numismatics and how our richest adventurers can best manage their wealth.
Mordenkainen, Tasha, and Fizban: the great wizards of D&D history
Evard’s Black Tentacles. Melf’s Acid Arrow. Leomund’s Tiny Hut. Have you ever looked at these spells and thought, man, who are these people? If so, this post is for you!
Summer D&D: Playing D&D in the sunshine
It’s nearly June – and for those of us in the northern hemisphere, summer! Time to play D&D outside? There are a few practicalities to consider first.
Site-based adventures, or how I learned to stop worrying and love the dungeon
Are site-based adventures going out of style? If you think dungeons are unimaginative, repetitive slogs that only reward combat – read on!
What is Wizards of the Coast’s favourite dragon?
Dragons: they’re half the name of the game. But how often do you encounter them during play? I thought it would be fun exercise to go through the official Wizards adventures and count up how many you find.
The One Ring, 2nd edition: a charming and visually stunning love letter to Middle Earth
A few weeks ago, the fine folks at Free League very kindly sent me a review copy of The One Ring: the core rulebook, the DM screen, and the starter set. Regular readers will know that I rarely review things I haven’t paid for, so I have tried not to let this influence me too … Continue reading The One Ring, 2nd edition: a charming and visually stunning love letter to Middle Earth
Deeper character creation: the game of 20 questions
Some players strive to be more than just another elven wizard. The game of 20 questions is a neat concept for building richer, deeper characters.
Is rolling initiative a pointless ritual?
Today’s topic is something so iconic within D&D that some people have even named their blogs after it: rolling initiative. Using initiative to determine combat order has a history going all the way back to 1977. But do we need it, really? Or is it an unnecessary hassle? The case for rolling There are two … Continue reading Is rolling initiative a pointless ritual?