Should the world level up with the players? The question gets me thinking about the ecology of my game world. How rare is an ancient red dragon? A storm giant? A bulette? That’s really what this article is about: trying to find a framework for monster rarity.
How much treasure should your players receive in D&D? Gems, coins, art objects, magic items? The answer might surprise you.
If you have played 5th edition D&D in Tier 3 or 4, you will know how difficult it is to challenge players at these levels. A well-optimized party can steamroller through encounters without breaking a sweat. So how do you stop the game getting stale?
Low fantasy is gritty, grounded, and high stakes. How can we make that work in 5th edition D&D?
With just one week until Halloween, many of us will be getting ready to run Ravenloft again. Widely considered one of the greatest adventures ever written, the original I6: Ravenloft was updated to 5th edition in 2016’s Curse of Strahd. It’s a lot of fun, and many players and DMs have said that it’s their … Continue reading How to run Strahd von Zarovich as the ultimate Halloween villain
Just two weeks until Halloween! How do you run a spooky four-hour game that's easy to run without upsetting anyone?
Description is probably the most powerful tool we have at our disposal at the table. But it's hard. How do we get better at it?
Some house rules are great, some are OK, and most are unnecessary. Which are worth adding to your game?
Vecna is, quite simply, one of the most iconic D&D villains of all time. So how can you run him like a boss?
Encounter balance is a big worry for lots of new DMs out there. Here’s my take on the subject.