What does your favourite character look like?

One of the most popular articles I wrote last year was a bit of a surprise. Inspired by Legend of the Five Rings, I came up with 20 questions for deeper character creation. A year later, it is the most-read page on my site! The first question in the article is ‘What do you look … Continue reading What does your favourite character look like?

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)

My Golden Rule For Making Combat More Interesting

Generally speaking, I don’t believe in telling people how D&D ‘should’ be played. There are different DM styles and different game styles, and that’s OK. Even now, I’m really offering a tip, not an instruction. But if there’s one easy way to improve combat, it’s this: Stop describing every hit and miss. Sacrilige! I hear … Continue reading My Golden Rule For Making Combat More Interesting