Are site-based adventures going out of style? If you think dungeons are unimaginative, repetitive slogs that only reward combat – read on!
Site-based adventures, or how I learned to stop worrying and love the dungeon
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?
Players: you need a combat crib sheet
A combat crib sheet is an order of operations: a brief instruction manual for how to ‘optimize’ my character. For spellcasters, high-level characters, and characters with interesting feats and abilities, it can really come in handy.
Foundry VTT: an exciting alternative to Roll20 (review)
Click here for an older post about online play. For many of us, the pandemic changed the way we play D&D. Our games moved online, and our dice became virtual. For me, though, online D&D was the norm. I got back into D&D after a hiatus of nearly a decade in spring 2016. My friends … Continue reading Foundry VTT: an exciting alternative to Roll20 (review)
Alignment: love it or hate it?
First off, an apology. I was due to write about Foundry VTT this week, but we didn’t manage a full session, so I want to give it another week or so before I write a review. (First thoughts, though: it’s pretty great.) Today, instead, I am looking at a completely different topic: alignment. For some, … Continue reading Alignment: love it or hate it?
Forbidden Lands: gritty survival fantasy in a world of endless exploration (review)
Forbidden Lands does many of the things I want D&D to do - and does them better. This game feels old school but has all the elegance of a modern RPG.
Everyday Heroes: a new d20 Modern game for 5e
If you’re anything like me, the post title alone should be enough to get you excited! I was a huge fan of d20 Modern back in the day, so I was delighted to hear that it was returning for a 5th edition revamp. Dave and Jeff at Evil Genius Games reached out to me a … Continue reading Everyday Heroes: a new d20 Modern game for 5e