Steading of the Hill Giant Chief as an Adventure Environment

Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, one of the first “adventure modules” produced for Dungeons & Dragons, has many things that fascinate me. One of those elements is how it is presented: not as a scripted piece of action, but as an environment to explore and interact with. This is the format of many of the early adventures, which make few assumptions about the actions … Continue reading Steading of the Hill Giant Chief as an Adventure Environment

merricb@yahoo.co.ukJune 11, 2021June 11, 20214 Comments

D&D

Steading of the Hill Giant Chief

Although G1: Steading of the Hill Giant Chief is not the very first adventure published for Dungeons & Dragons, it is close enough. And it is fascinating. The framing of the adventure is simple: Giants have attacked the lands of men, and you must explain to them that such is a bad idea. With as much force as you can. To make things simpler, when … Continue reading Steading of the Hill Giant Chief

merricb@yahoo.co.ukJune 1, 20211 Comment

D&D, D&D 5E, D&D Adventurers League, Rime of the Frostmaiden

5E Adventure Review: Ice Road Trackers

Ice Road Trackers is the first of the adventures for Season 10 of the D&D Adventurers League. Designed by Shawn Merwin, it consists of four one-hour adventures for level one or two characters. It occurs during the events of Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frost Maiden, but, as with most of the DDAL adventures, runs separately from the hardcover adventure. This adventure introduces characters to … Continue reading 5E Adventure Review: Ice Road Trackers

merricb@yahoo.co.ukMay 22, 2021May 22, 2021Leave a comment

D&D, D&D 5E, D&D Adventurers League

D&D Adventurers League – A Look at the State of Play

With Ballarat moving towards restarting public play of Dungeons & Dragons in our local store, Guf Ballarat, once again it has fallen to me to organise the events. More correctly, I volunteered to do it, because I much prefer organising an event to just participating in one. We are in an odd space where the store is still getting going again. Well, it always was … Continue reading D&D Adventurers League – A Look at the State of Play

merricb@yahoo.co.ukMay 16, 2021May 17, 20219 Comments

Board Games, Session Report, Wargames

Undaunted: North Africa – Scenario 2

Libya. 11 January 1941. The LRP has been renamed the LRDG and has been given the task of attacking an airfield at Murzuq. However, for this scenario, the Italians had a potent defense: a medium tank! Yes, it is the second scenario of Undaunted: North Africa. This game started just after we played Scenario 1 and is another of the introductory scenarios to the game. … Continue reading Undaunted: North Africa – Scenario 2

merricb@yahoo.co.ukMay 13, 2021May 13, 20211 Comment

Board Games, Session Report, Wargames

Undaunted: North Africa – Scenario 1

Libya. 17th September 1940. The British LRP (Long Range Patrol) came across an Italian fuel dump and airstrip and attacked, seeking to destroy it. A few Italians stood between them and victory. This engagement is the first scenario in Undaunted: North Africa, a deck-building war game designed by David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin. Unlike most historical wargames, each counter on the map represents a single … Continue reading Undaunted: North Africa – Scenario 1

merricb@yahoo.co.ukMay 11, 2021May 11, 2021Leave a comment

D&D, D&D 5E, D&D Adventurers League, Review

5E Adventure Review: Drums in the Marsh

Drums in the Marsh is a four-hour adventure for level 1-4 characters and part of the first season of the D&D Adventurers League. The adventure features an investigation into recent kidnappings and raids and then a trip into the Twilight Marsh to discover the perpetrators and rescue the victims. For a low-level adventure, this is very ambitious and gives many options for the players and … Continue reading 5E Adventure Review: Drums in the Marsh

merricb@yahoo.co.ukMay 5, 2021May 5, 2021Leave a comment

D&D, D&D 5E, Review

5E Supplement Review: Secrets of the Drowgar

Secrets of the Drowgar is a 28-page PDF supplement available on the DMs Guild that introduces a new playable race to the game: the Drowgar. What is a Drowgar? It is what you get when a Drow and a Duergar love each other very much. The trouble with introducing any new race into the Dungeons & Dragons game is that not only do you have … Continue reading 5E Supplement Review: Secrets of the Drowgar

merricb@yahoo.co.ukMay 3, 2021May 3, 20211 Comment

D&D, Mork Borg

The Map and the Mapper

I played Mork Borg the other day. For those unaware of Mork Borg, it is a role-playing game inspired by early editions of Dungeons & Dragons, set in a world that is dying, and where the lives of its inhabitants are likely to be unhappy and short – especially if they are the player characters. The game presumes familiarity with D&D or similar games to … Continue reading The Map and the Mapper

merricb@yahoo.co.ukMay 1, 2021May 1, 2021Leave a comment

D&D, Play Advice

Character Histories and the Campaign

You can play an entire Dungeons & Dragons campaign and enjoy yourself thoroughly without giving a thought as to your character’s past history. Likewise, you can find creating a detailed history enhances your enjoyment. Which one works is affected by the preferences of you and your group. It is well worth discussing how you wish to approach character backstories at the beginning of the campaign. … Continue reading Character Histories and the Campaign

merricb@yahoo.co.ukApril 12, 2021April 12, 2021Leave a comment