It isn’t just the DM’s prep that keeps a game alive: it’s the rhythm of the table. Some things energize the session and keep things flowing, but others quietly drag it down. If you’ve ever left a game feeling weirdly drained, this post might help explain why.
D&D isn’t one game but a framework made up of multiple, overlapping mini-games. They can blend together so smoothly that you don’t notice when you’re switching from one to the other—until something feels off.
I know it’s not a particularly glamorous topic, but the rhythm of the adventuring day is key for establishing an appropriate sense of threat. If encounters are too easy, the game feels trivial; too hard, and every combat becomes a slog. Get the ratios right, and the players feel like badass heroes.
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight was released three and a half years ago in September 2021 and was something of novelty for Wizards of the Coast, especially coming on the back of Rime of the Frostmaiden and Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, two quite dark and horror-themed sourcebooks. Witchlight promised to be the exact opposite, … Continue reading Almost great: The Wild Beyond the Witchlight (a review)
Is encounter-building that a big deal? In short, yes. So how has it changed in 2024?
My last post seemed to get a bit of interest, and a few of the comments asked if I could provide an example of its principles in action, perhaps using The Wild Beyond the Witchlight as a case study.
I thought it would be cool to have a kind of flowchart or checklist to help DMs design adventures around its principles. So: I made one!
I have now completed the second part of Tier 2, 8th to 10th level. I hope you like it! Constructive feedback is always welcome. You can download it over on my Patreon (link). I see Tier 2 as the 'fun and games' section of your campaign—'the promise of the premise' where all the 'trailer moments' … Continue reading Update: The Campaign Handbook
What if there was a way of making your character unique without any new rules? A way of making them more distinctive, more memorable? What if there was a way of creating new spells monsters without complicated new stat blocks? What if you could make the game your own with a quick and simple hack? It already exists! And it’s one of my favourite tools as a player and DM.
This is probably going to end up as an appendix of The Campaign Handbook, and if you think I've missed anything, I could do with your help!