If 5E Experience Tables worked as they did in AD&D

Back in AD&D, each class had its own experience point table. Partly this was because the characters gained abilities at different rates, so a thief gaining levels quickly kept it more in line with the abilities of the fighter. And part of it was because that is just how they did things then. Different classes, different rates of advancement. The most iconic advancement was the … Continue reading If 5E Experience Tables worked as they did in AD&D

merricb@yahoo.co.ukApril 29, 2020April 29, 20201 Comment

D&D, D&D 5E, Review

5E Adventure Review: Special Delivery

Special Delivery is a short adventure by Shawn Merwin for level 1 characters. In it, a patron hires the adventurers to escort a carriage and its passengers to a border barony. It is not set in the Forgotten Realms, but instead in its own setting. I suspect you would have little problem adapting it. Although there is no lack of action in the adventure, it … Continue reading 5E Adventure Review: Special Delivery

merricb@yahoo.co.ukApril 23, 2020April 23, 2020Leave a comment

D&D, Play Advice, Roll20

Adventures with Roll20: Maps

I have found Roll20 to be reasonably easy to use. I am not everyone, because I have got friends who find it a nightmare. If you find another system that works better for you, by all means, use it. Roll20 was not my first choice for a VTT. No, that was Fantasy Grounds. But it just does not work on my set-up. I use either … Continue reading Adventures with Roll20: Maps

merricb@yahoo.co.ukApril 22, 2020April 23, 20208 Comments

D&D, Play Advice, Roll20

Adventures with Roll20: The Journal

It has been about a month since the last game I played with people face-to-face. Although I spent a week or so not playing games, I am now back to my regular schedule of three games a week. And the primary tool that I am using for these games is Roll20. Roll20 is a virtual tabletop that allows you to display images, handouts, maps, and … Continue reading Adventures with Roll20: The Journal

merricb@yahoo.co.ukApril 18, 2020April 18, 20201 Comment

D&D, D&D 5E, Play Advice, Session Report, Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

Running Dragon Heist: Factions and Quests

My Roll20/Discord replay of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist is continuing very enjoyably. The characters are more involved with the factions than when I’ve previously run it, and they’re doing other side quests as well. I’m going to keep them involved with the factions and other quests not related to the main plot of Dragon Heist for longer. Having a complex city life can make for great … Continue reading Running Dragon Heist: Factions and Quests

merricb@yahoo.co.ukApril 13, 2020April 13, 2020Leave a comment

D&D, D&D 5E, Play Advice

Handling Imperfect Information

I find that one of the biggest challenges I have when playing in a role-playing game is that I’m working from imperfect information. I don’t know everything that my character would know. I often don’t know the big picture stuff – what are the nations, the names of the rulers, the countries we’re at war with. And I’m even less likely to know small picture … Continue reading Handling Imperfect Information

merricb@yahoo.co.ukApril 8, 2020April 8, 20202 Comments

D&D, D&D 5E, Design, Play Advice, Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

Running Waterdeep: Dragon Heist – again!

I’ve started running Waterdeep: Dragon Heist as part of my Roll20/Discord D&D games during the lockdown, but this is the first time that I’m doing so not as a D&D Adventurers League game. As a result, I’m going to be changing things up a bit. The fact is that the first chapter is as about as good as I want an opening chapter in an … Continue reading Running Waterdeep: Dragon Heist – again!

merricb@yahoo.co.ukApril 5, 2020April 5, 20203 Comments

D&D 5E, Descent into Avernus, Play Advice

Running Descent into Avernus, part 6: Entering Elturel

By the time the characters enter Elturel, they should have two NPCs with them: Lulu, the winged hollyphant, and Reya, the Hellrider of Elturel who has been doomed (with the rest of Elturel’s defenders) to Hell. As noted in my last instalment, the reasons for them descending are muddy in the adventure-as-written, but I suggest that they have already learned of the need to gain … Continue reading Running Descent into Avernus, part 6: Entering Elturel

merricb@yahoo.co.ukApril 4, 2020April 4, 2020Leave a comment

D&D 5E, Greyhawk, Session Report

Adventures in Greyhawk: Wind Dukes and Djinn

The latest session of my Dungeons & Dragons Greyhawk campaign was the first one of the series that we played on Roll20. We spent the first hour mucking around with the interface, the next two hours negotiating with the djinn, and spent the final hour finally fighting the Wind Dukes of Aaqa! The set-up is as follows: In an expedition to a magical cave, Paul’s … Continue reading Adventures in Greyhawk: Wind Dukes and Djinn

merricb@yahoo.co.ukApril 4, 2020April 4, 2020Leave a comment

D&D, Design

Not a Wargame

Dungeons & Dragons came from players of miniature wargames. And, in the earliest days, there was an expectation that the characters would become powerful lords and archmages and command territories and armies. The funny thing is that this rarely happened. The origin of the game came from the players assuming the roles of the leaders of the territories and commanding armies, but it dropped down … Continue reading Not a Wargame

merricb@yahoo.co.ukMarch 31, 2020March 31, 20206 Comments