Category: D&D

D&D, D&D 5E, Review

5E Adventure Review: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is an adventure for level 1 characters set in the world of Eberron. It is derived from the well-known story by Washington Irving. The adventure proceeds like this: The adventurers arrive in the village of Sleepy Hollow, where they discover the local school master, one Ichabod ir’Crane, has disappeared. As they investigate his disappearance, they uncover several odd things in … Continue reading 5E Adventure Review: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
Board Games, D&D, Design

Etherfields and the Death Spiral

I have recently been playing quite a bit of the board game Etherfields, a campaign/story game where you explore a Dreamscape for something you have forgotten. In theory, the story becomes apparent as you play, but I have not progressed far enough into the game for it to reveal itself yet. However, one of the reasons I have not progressed far enough is because Etherfields … Continue reading Etherfields and the Death Spiral

merricb@yahoo.co.uk2 Comments
D&D 5E, Review, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

A Quick Look at the Dungeon Master’s Tools of Tasha’s

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything has a lot of interesting material in it. As I am far more likely to be the Dungeon Master rather than a player, I thought I might share with you a few thoughts about the new material in the “Dungeon Master’s Tools” chapter. Note that I am deliberately excluding both Group Patrons (Chapter 2) and the new magic items of Chapter … Continue reading A Quick Look at the Dungeon Master’s Tools of Tasha’s

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D, Play Advice

Running Chase Movement in Dungeons & Dragons

The Dungeons & Dragons game is built around the idea of small skirmish combats – fights with no more than a dozen combatants on each side. Of course, occasionally you have lots of opponents, but typically they are there mostly as scenery. One fireball or other area effect spell and they go down and do not trouble the characters again. One thing that the rules … Continue reading Running Chase Movement in Dungeons & Dragons

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
AD&D, D&D, D&D 5E, Design, Play Advice

The Cleric in Dungeons & Dragons

In the beginning: The original cleric class debuted in the first version of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974. There were only three classes in those days: Fighting Man (Fighter), Cleric and Magic-User (Wizard). The Thief (Rogue) came along the next year with the Greyhawk supplement. The original cleric was good at fighting but initially could not cast spells. Instead, it gained that ability at level … Continue reading The Cleric in Dungeons & Dragons

merricb@yahoo.co.uk2 Comments
AD&D, D&D, Review

AD&D Adventure Review: The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl

The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl was published in 1978 as the second of the “Giant” series. It one of the earliest Dungeons & Dragons adventures. Incredibly, to our modern eyes, it is a mere 8 pages, with maps printed on the interior of the cover. The plot of the adventure sees the heroes sent on a mission of revenge against giants that have … Continue reading AD&D Adventure Review: The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl

merricb@yahoo.co.uk1 Comment
D&D, D&D Adventurers League, Design

On Opening Scenes of Organised Play Adventures

One of the flaws I have seen in Organised Play adventures (such as the D&D Adventurers League) is this: Starting the scenario with a wide-open question and no set goal. For instance, you start in a town’s marketplace. Or a tavern. And the next question is “what do you do?” What is missing here? An immediate goal for the characters! Why are they in the … Continue reading On Opening Scenes of Organised Play Adventures

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
Conan Unchained cover
AD&D, D&D, Review

AD&D Adventure Review – Conan: Against Darkness!

In 1984, TSR published the second of the Conan adventures, Against Darkness, by Ken Rolston. Oddly, it also proclaims on its title page that Anne C. Gray developed it; I can only imagine that Anne contributed significantly to the adventure. Such a significant credit line is rare in the products of the TSR era! As with the first adventure, Conan Unchained, this is a very … Continue reading AD&D Adventure Review – Conan: Against Darkness!

merricb@yahoo.co.uk1 Comment
D&D, D&D 5E, Descent into Avernus, Play Advice

Running Descent into Avernus part 11: Starting the Path of Devils

In Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus, the characters are looking for the Sword of Zariel. They learned in Chapter 2 that their holyphant companion, Lulu, abandoned the sword in an alabaster castle surrounded by a red scab. In the early stages of Chapter 3, the amnesiac Lulu remembers where it is. She is wrong. After that, she has divine inspiration and points the characters to … Continue reading Running Descent into Avernus part 11: Starting the Path of Devils

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment