All things Dungeons & Dragons
The unique thing about D&D is that it’s a collaborative effort between a group of people to tell a story. The worst thing about D&D is that in order to play it, you need those other people. Not that those other people are horrible, it’s that they have to participate. They need to carve out several hours in a day to play on a regular … Continue reading Scheduling: The Bane of All D&D Groups
Imagine you have crafted the perfect horror themed D&D campaign. It could be gothic horror, Lovecraftian horror, or an all-out slasher fest. You know you may or may not make at least one of your players scream in terror or possibly pee themselves with fright. You want them to channel that energy into how they roleplay their character, but how do you manifest those effects … Continue reading D&D Optional Rules #1: Madness
“Interests are free. Hobbies cost money.”- George Carlin Before I discovered the greatness that is D&D and tabletop RPG games, I really didn’t have anything in my life that I would consider a hobby. I played video games, but I never saw that as a hobby. It was more of an activity. Now, video games are more of a coping mechanism, but we won’t get … Continue reading The Poor Nerd’s Lament
Think of one thing in your life that you are a complete fan of. The thing that brings you the most joy to experience. How did you discover that thing? Did a friend mention it or show it to you? Did you stumble upon it one day while idly surfing the internet? Were you eagerly searching for something to fill that creative void in your … Continue reading How I Discovered D&D, or How I Owe All My Internet Entertainment To One YouTuber
My 10th grade American History teacher was named Mr. Coffee. Yes, that was his real name. He was a very interesting teacher and person, always motivating his students with consistent use of a few catchphrases. When assigning chapters to read for homework, he always told us to “read this as if it were important” and to “soak the information up like a proverbial sponge.” I, … Continue reading Thoughts on Effort, Creativity, and Goals
In the dead of night all over the world, creatures of pure evil and darkness crawl out of the depths of the earth and sea, escape ancient tombs, or even rip an extra-planar hole and cross over from the most dangerous planes in existence. They prowl the countryside, terrorize citizens, and wreak havoc everywhere they go. Most people cower in fear of these beasts and … Continue reading DMsGuild Published Content: The Planestalker
In an effort to increase my rate at which I play D&D, I have decided to reach out to friends in far away places and start an online campaign. When I first decided to do this, I was afraid I was going to end up striking out and having no one wanting, or at least not having the time, to play. Thankfully, I happened to … Continue reading My first online D&D campaign
The deities of your world are created. Relationships and rivalries between them have been forged. It is now time to give them a playground and a battlefield to celebrate those relationships and reconcile those rivalries. It is time to give birth to your homebrew world. A creation story ties together several elements of your homebrew world: the deities, the physical terrain and features, and the … Continue reading Homebrew Worlds 101: The Creation Story
A young cleric kneels at an altar dressed in formal vestiges. She clutches an amulet hanging around her neck and closes her eyes. She softly speaks a prayer asking for guidance and protection as she prepares to embark on an epic quest. Her amulet glows, filling her hand with the warmth of her chosen god as a sign that her prayers were heard and answered. … Continue reading Homebrew Worlds 101: By Gods!
You’ve finally decided to design your own setting for a D&D campaign. You’ve read the overview I posted and think you can actually take on this monumental task. Now you’re ready to tackle step one: making a map of your world. Sprawling Continent or Localized Region? Your first decision is to decide how big you want your setting to be. You can choose to map out a region of … Continue reading Homebrew Worlds 101: Map It Out
