This is the second part of a series on charms and enchantments in 5e. I focus on five spells: suggestion (and its high-level counterpart, mass suggestion), compulsion, geas, and dominate person.
A couple of weeks ago, Sly Flourish recently featured my pass without trace article on the Lazy RPG Talk Show (which you should definitely watch). As part of the discussion, he mentioned similarly problematic spells like charm person, and I thought: yes, that’s my next article!
D&D is many things: creative, imaginative, social, collaborative, and immersive. But it’s also a game. And as with any game, good sportsmanship is essential.
Over on Patreon, I'm making good progress with The Campaign Handbook! I've just released a new packet covering 5th to 7th level for forests and two new regions, arctic and desert. Each region includes session starters, NPCs, cool locations for your adventures, and encounter-building advice. There's also advice for distributing treasure and magic items. If … Continue reading The Campaign Handbook
Sometimes in 5e, you come across a spell that isn’t necessarily broken but runs the risk of causing a few problems. Pass without trace is a prime example of this, and for a long time I’ve agonized about how to handle it.
Magic items should feel special. Right? So… why don’t they?
Unusually for me, I've spent most of the last six months not DMing but playing. And it's been fun! It's also been a useful reminder of what players love most about RPGs at the table.
As a DM, I have played with many, many brilliant players over the years. Some are quiet, some are energetic, some are hilarious, some are proper thespians. But the absolute best players take notes.
I have only ever run one homebrew campaign from 1st to 20th level, and it followed a very loose structure, one session at a time. I would love to write something that helps other DMs achieve the same thing.
How many spells are there with expensive material components? Answer: more than you think.