Vecna: Eve of Ruin – First Thoughts

I’ve had a chance to read through some of Vecna: Eve of Ruin, the new campaign adventure from Wizards of the Coast that takes characters from levels 10 through to level 20.

My initial impressions are cautiously positive. I’m going to refrain from spoilers here for the most part, except for a few things that I believe are generally known. If you want to be entirely unspoilt, here’s your chance to stop reading!

I intend to start DMing this adventure next Monday.

merricb@yahoo.co.ukMay 8, 2024May 8, 20243 Comments

Vecna: Eve of Ruin

Eve of the Eve of Ruin

As I write this, it’s the early access release day of Vecna: Eve of Ruin. Except, of course, I’m in Australia, and it’s still the day before in the US. So, it isn’t out yet. I’m not entirely sure when it will go live. Perhaps in 17 hours when I’m asleep? For the first few years of this edition, I was incredibly excited whenever a … Continue reading Eve of the Eve of Ruin

merricb@yahoo.co.ukMay 7, 2024May 7, 2024Leave a comment

D&D, D&D 5E, Review, The Shattered Obelisk

Review: The Shattered Obelisk

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk is a 2023 campaign adventure published by Wizards of the Coast that takes characters from levels 1 through 12. It incorporates the excellent starter set adventure The Lost Mine of Phandelver, and then continues onwards for seven more levels of exciting adventure. Or at least, they hope you’ll find it exciting. The new material involves a plot by mind … Continue reading Review: The Shattered Obelisk

merricb@yahoo.co.ukApril 22, 2024April 22, 20244 Comments

D&D 5E, Session Report, The Shattered Obelisk

The Shattered Obelisk, session 18

We played our eighteenth session of The Shattered Obelisk on Monday, February 26, 2024. Everyone was in attendance – the DM (me) and all three players. In that virtual kind of way that we have by playing on Roll20. The group is five characters, though. I run the fighter (Simeon) as an NPC, because running a champion that way is very quick. And the artificer’s … Continue reading The Shattered Obelisk, session 18

merricb@yahoo.co.ukMarch 4, 2024March 4, 2024Leave a comment

D&D, D&D 5E, Design, Greyhawk

Only Three Classes? A Greyhawk Campaign Proposal

What would happen if you ran a campaign in 5E where you only allowed three classes: Fighter, Cleric, or Wizard? Well, it’d probably go quite well. Those three classes cover a lot of bases. Why did I select them? They were the original classes in Dungeons & Dragons. The rogue (thief) came along later – the first supplement added both the Thief and the Paladin. … Continue reading Only Three Classes? A Greyhawk Campaign Proposal

merricb@yahoo.co.ukMarch 2, 2024March 2, 20242 Comments

D&D, D&D 5E, Session Report, The Shattered Obelisk

The Shattered Obelisk, session 17

We completed Chapter 6 in this session of Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk, which was run on Monday, February 19, 2023. The current characters in the campaign are: Syzoth’s player controls the rogue henchman, I control Simeon. (Simeon stays out of discussion for the most part, though I occasionally employ him to aid roleplaying between characters). When we left off our previous session, the … Continue reading The Shattered Obelisk, session 17

merricb@yahoo.co.ukFebruary 28, 2024February 29, 2024Leave a comment

D&D, D&D 5E, Design

Trends of Lowering Character Numbers

When Dungeons & Dragons began, large parties of characters entered the dungeons. When AD&D came along, it was basically assumed that nine people would venture into the dungeon, in a 3 by 3 square. By the rules of the time, three men could stand abreast in a 10-foot corridor. Although D&D was inspired by miniature gaming, it quickly lost the miniatures and became what we … Continue reading Trends of Lowering Character Numbers

merricb@yahoo.co.ukFebruary 27, 2024February 27, 20247 Comments

D&D, D&D 5E, Session Report, The Shattered Obelisk

The Shattered Obelisk, session 16

We ran this session of The Shattered Obelisk on Monday, February 12, 2024. The party began the session at the great crossroads at the heart of Gibbet Crossing, after killing the lone alpha grick that was there. Listening carefully, they heard rustling sounds to the west. My party is very much of the mind that you shouldn’t leave monsters to creep up on them, so … Continue reading The Shattered Obelisk, session 16

merricb@yahoo.co.ukFebruary 26, 2024February 26, 2024Leave a comment

D&D, D&D 5E, Greyhawk, Session Report

Adventures in Greyhawk – The Lost Temple

On Friday, February 16, 2024, our World of Greyhawk continued with the party exploring a lost temple of Xan Yae at the foot of the Ullspurs. By this stage, it was an underground structure, with indications that the worship of Xan Yae was once more than just as the Mistress of the Twilight. The exploration of the temple had begun with the players defeating bugbears … Continue reading Adventures in Greyhawk – The Lost Temple

merricb@yahoo.co.ukFebruary 21, 2024February 21, 20244 Comments

D&D, D&D 5E, Session Report, The Shattered Obelisk

The Shattered Obelisk, session 15

We played this session of The Shattered Obelisk on Monday, February 6, 2024. The action continued through Chapter 6, and the exploration of the dwarven crypt sacred to Dumathoin’s clergy. The characters started this session looking at a blank wall. The players had worked out it would be opened when they pulled both levers at once, but let’s consider the wall. How out of place … Continue reading The Shattered Obelisk, session 15

merricb@yahoo.co.ukFebruary 19, 2024February 19, 20243 Comments