Monday, March 18, 2024. In this session. we finished Chapter 7 of The Shattered Obelisk, completing the last two rifts and gaining access to the Far Realm. Which was a place the party definitely wanted to spend the least amount of time in as possible. But, if they wanted to stop the mind flayers plan, they’d have to reach it first. Two rifts needed exploring … Continue reading The Shattered Obelisk, session 20
I bang on a lot about adventure structure, because, in my opinion, it’s the most likely thing to sabotage a published adventure. Published D&D adventures have a strange relationship with the form. By their very nature, they constrain the activities of the players. However, they also provide opportunities for adventure. It’s that balance between the constraints and the opportunities that is so hard to get … Continue reading No One Adventure Type to Rule Them All
We are entering the last days of Dungeons & Dragons, 5th edition. Yes, I know that Wizards of the Coast wants you to believe that the 2024 edition is not a new edition of the game, but everything we’ve seen indicates a significant overhaul of the player-facing mechanics of the game. It’s still compatible, in that way in which AD&D 1E was compatible with AD&D … Continue reading The Fading of Fifth Edition
It’s late June, and that means it’s time for the Elden Ring expansion, Shadows of the Erdtree! Oh, and the previews for the new revision of the Dungeons & Dragons game! I’ve been quietly sceptical of a lot of what Wizards of the Coast have been doing recently, certainly in regard to the revision of fifth edition, but what I’m seeing so far is encouraging. … Continue reading D&D 2024 Preview Season!
Monday, March 4, 2024. We began this session in the middle of Chapter 7. The heroes were in the mind flayer stronghold of Illithinoch, having dealt with a few cult fanatics and actually peacefully interacting with other inhabitants. Their next explorations took them to an old, deserted lecture hall and beyond – into a large room with a diseased Elder Brain. Syzoth did not react … Continue reading The Shattered Obelisk, session 19
What do I want in a campaign setting? Relatability. What am I talking about? Primarily I’m talking about constructing a setting that you understand and relate to. The more elements in a campaign setting that are items you don’t understand, the harder it is to understand the setting. This isn’t to say that a good setting is comprised of entirely familiar elements. However, each aspect … Continue reading Campaign Settings and Shared Mythology
We played our second session of Vecna: Eve of Ruin on Monday, 20th May, 2024. Upon consideration of our party composition at the end of the first session, we chose to replace the Fighter/Warlock with a Life Cleric, as the party was missing a primary healer – something of a problem when events don’t always permit short rests. The party were investigating the disappearance of … Continue reading Vecna: Eve of Ruin, session 2
Greyhawk is, for many of us, generic D&D fantasy. This isn’t surprising. It’s where the game comes from. The baseline to the game. The Forgotten Realms likewise feel like generic D&D fantasy these days, but Greyhawk has some significant differences that make it a lot more fun for me – at least. (I love the Realms; I love Greyhawk more). Most important in that is … Continue reading Things I love about Greyhawk
Today, I woke up to the news that Greyhawk will be included in the new Dungeon Master’s Guide as the sample world. I think this is awesome. (I also am very, very hopeful it means that Greyhawk opens up for the DMs Guild). The original release of Greyhawk was very bare bones. This was intentional. It was a springboard that DMs could set their existing … Continue reading Greyhawk in the new DMG? Yes, please!
On Monday, 13th May, 2024, my group of four players stepped into the 50th Anniversary adventure for Dungeons & Dragons, Vecna: Eve of Ruin. With a combination of two brand new and two existing 10th level characters, they came to the city of Neverwinter, where as recognised heroes they were contacted by Lord Neverember, who had a problem. The problem? Missing citizens. And worse than … Continue reading Vecna: Eve of Ruin, session 1
