We're about to wrap up our first campaign using Level Up 5e. Here's how it went.
Bold but bewildering: my year with Level Up 5e
Building a New Campaign, Part 5: The Unfinished Halls
Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 This is my fourth post in my new series: an open-table West Marches campaign for Old-School Essentials. So far, I have sketched out the home base and the surrounding area. Today, I want to get started with mapping the first few passages of the Drowned Labyrinth, the primary megadungeon. For playability reasons, I should … Continue reading Building a New Campaign, Part 5: The Unfinished Halls
D&D is more than just one game
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.
Nine things to look for in a perfect D&D game
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.
Review: Dungeon of the Mad Mage (and a new ranking)
I overlooked this adventure for far too long. Now I rate it as one of my favourite 5e adventures so far.
Make your own megadungeon with Dungeon 23
It's 2023, and many people in the tabletop RPG space have decided to do 'Dungeon 23'. The principle is simple: a 365-room megadungeon, with one room for every day of the year. What a great idea!
The Best Non-Combat Monsters
Some monsters in the Monster Manual work better as social encounters or ongoing subplots. But which? If you ever feel like you want a break from all the combat, try one of these monsters in your next adventure.
Site-based adventures, or how I learned to stop worrying and love the dungeon
Are site-based adventures going out of style? If you think dungeons are unimaginative, repetitive slogs that only reward combat – read on!
The One Ring, 2nd edition: a charming and visually stunning love letter to Middle Earth
A few weeks ago, the fine folks at Free League very kindly sent me a review copy of The One Ring: the core rulebook, the DM screen, and the starter set. Regular readers will know that I rarely review things I haven’t paid for, so I have tried not to let this influence me too … Continue reading The One Ring, 2nd edition: a charming and visually stunning love letter to Middle Earth
Forbidden Lands: gritty survival fantasy in a world of endless exploration (review)
Forbidden Lands does many of the things I want D&D to do - and does them better. This game feels old school but has all the elegance of a modern RPG.