As with the term ‘rules lawyer’, there is considerable disagreement about what ‘metagaming’ actually means. The 3rd edition Dungeon Master’s Guide says that metagame thinking is ‘any time the players base their characters’ actions on logic that depends on the fact that they’re playing a game’. It gives the example of a player who assumes … Continue reading Metagaming is dumb: how to fix it
In D&D, playing a spellcaster is fun – as a player. As a DM? Not so much. Sometimes, in fact, running an NPC spellcaster can be a real headache. Fundamentally, NPC spellcasters use the same spellcasting rules as player characters. They have a spell list. They have spell slots, sometimes lots of them. But is … Continue reading Fixing NPC spellcasters
D&D is more popular than it has ever been. Part of the reason for this is fifth edition itself, which in many ways streamlined the game without losing the flavour that made it ‘feel’ like D&D. I am generally very happy with the changes 5th edition made to the game but feel that skill checks … Continue reading Hack the game: improved skills in 5e
This post is the second in a series in which I go back through D&D lore and show you how you could adapt some of the ‘forgotten dragons’ for 5th edition. Last month I focused on the lost chromatics: brown, purple, grey, orange, pink, and yellow dragons. Today I am going to look at the … Continue reading Forgotten dragons, part two: metallics
Being a DM is hard. Players interact with the game world, and you create that world. Without you, there is no game. That’s a lot of pressure! Prepping for a session can take a lot of out of you creatively, especially if you are already tired from work and life stuff. Sometimes you need a … Continue reading D&D inspiration
Happy April Fool’s! D&D fans are always on the lookout for ways to spend their hard-earned cash. Now, in a world exclusive, Scroll for Initiative can reveal that the following D&D products are confirmed for autumn 2021. Merch, merch, merch! Spelljammer: Adventures in Wild Space The final frontier. May the Force be with you.– Elminster … Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: New products for 2021
The 5th edition Monster Manual has ten true dragons: five chromatics and five metallic. True dragons become more powerful as they get older. There are also ‘lesser dragons’, like faerie dragons, pseudodragons, and wyverns, but that’s a whole other topic. How much do you know about the other true dragons? In this series, I’m going … Continue reading Forgotten dragons, part one: chromatics
Most D&D campaigns begin at 1st level. Because of this, it can be hard to create an adventure that feels fresh and original. It is also the deadliest level of D&D, and a relatively ordinary enemy can kill an adventurer in a single blow. In this article, I look at how to plan a 1st-level adventure that is fun, exciting, original, and not too challenging.
How big is an ancient dragon? How tall is a cloud giant? What is the wingspan of a roc? How big is an ancient dragon? How tall is a cloud giant? What is the wingspan of a roc?
In this post, I want to show complete beginners how to get started with mini painting. Painting and collecting minis is a whole hobby in its own right, and I’m relatively new to it. I never collected Warhammer or other minis growing up, and most of my D&D minis were pre-painted. Lockdown last year gave … Continue reading Getting started with mini painting