Wizards of the Coast first released the world of Eberron in June 2004, with the Eberron Campaign Setting. Sixteen years later, its creator, Keith Baker, is still creating material for the world, with the latest product due on the DMs Guild shortly. That book is Exploring Eberron, over 240 pages further detailing the world. And there is a lot of material to explore. Even though … Continue reading A Look at Exploring Eberron, part 1
I recently contended something about Dungeons & Dragons adventure design on Twitter. What did I argue? A mundane Dungeons & Dragons adventure that covers the basics well will likely prove more enjoyable than an inventive one that does not unless you have a great Dungeon Master. M.T. Black asked me what I considered the basics. Here they are: Set out the goals for the characters. … Continue reading Fundamentals of Adventure Design
I love dungeon delving. I also enjoy other types of campaigns, but dungeons were my first love in Dungeons & Dragons, and it is fascinating to see how players approach them. And designing dungeons is one of the parts of D&D I enjoy most. At present, I am often using a Dyson Logos map found in one of his packs on DriveThruRPG as the basis … Continue reading Dangers in the Dungeons
The Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master’s Guide introduced me to the concept of henchmen. They were a follower loyal to your main character and provided another character that you could control. (Good when there were fewer players!) Henchmen advanced at half rate and took a share of the treasure. But these seemed quite reasonable compared to the benefits. However, I never played in an … Continue reading Using Henchmen in Dungeons & Dragons
I often begin my campaigns with megadungeons. I sketch out a couple of maps of the first two levels, stock them with monsters, traps, tricks, and treasures – usually using a combination of choice and random selection – and let the players go explore. I have never, however, spent the entire length of a campaign exploring one. Stories suggest themselves to me as we play. … Continue reading Enter the Megadungeon
I am a fan of wandering monsters and random encounters. The concept, in case you were not aware, is that every so often while the party are exploring a dungeon or travelling through the wilderness you make a check to determine whether they have an encounter. The encounter is not necessarily combat, although it often in the sort of combat-heavy games I tend to run. … Continue reading Worldbuilding through Wandering Monsters
The type of fun you enjoy in a Dungeons & Dragons game depends on the group. It may also just depend on how they feel when you play the session. For us, we are currently enjoying a fun romp through dangerous monsters, strange caverns, and many varied treasures. Yes, we are running the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. There is not much of a plot to … Continue reading Adventures in Greyhawk – More fun in Tsojcanth
My home campaign has continued its quest for the Rod of Seven Parts. With the first part in hand, they discovered the second part was possibly in the land of Ket; which was the place with which their nation was at war and why they were seeking the Rod in the first place! As it turned out, the second part wasn’t in Ket! Instead, it … Continue reading Adventures in Greyhawk – Tsojcanth
I don’t like the Season 8 format. This explains some of my problems with The Folly of Sneaky Simon, a DDAL-legal adventure for Tier 1 characters set in the Border Kingdoms. The material is always struggling against the format. I have seen very few scenarios that handle its limitations well. The Call to Action is a good example of where things falter. The text describes … Continue reading 5E Adventure Review: The Folly of Sneaky Simon
There are times when it is all about the framing of the encounter. Haruman’s Hill, to me, represents all the problems Descent into Avernus has. Lulu brings the characters here as she thinks it’s where the Sword of Zariel is. Instead, it isn’t, and it fatally undermines Lulu as a character. From this moment on, Lulu is mostly useless. She’s not guiding the characters; she’s … Continue reading Running Descent into Avernus, part 10: Haruman’s Hill
