AD&D, AD&D 2E, D&D, D&D 3E, D&D 5E, D&D Basic

Print-on-Demand versions of classic Dungeons & Dragons titles

Well, this is interesting! Wizards of the Coast and OneBookShelf have enabled print-on-demand for a initial range of titles on the DMs Guild. This is fantastic news for people who want hard copies of those older products. However, it does come with a few caveats… The main thing to consider is that those products won’t be printed exactly like the original printing. A single softcover or … Continue reading Print-on-Demand versions of classic Dungeons & Dragons titles

merricb@yahoo.co.uk4 Comments
D&D, D&D 5E, Design

Thoughts on Unearthed Arcana: Bardic Colleges

The second of the Unearthed Arcana series on expanding options available to characters is now out. Its topic? Bards! The two colleges included in the Player’s Handbook are both excellent and providing interesting variations on the basic topic. For me, it’s hard to top them – both represent character types that I enjoy playing. So, how do the new colleges stand up? College of Glamour … Continue reading Thoughts on Unearthed Arcana: Bardic Colleges

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

Thoughts on the Unearthed Arcana Barbarian Primal Paths

Barbarian primal paths have a problem, and that’s the Totem Warrior path. When one ability (the Bear Totem) is so good – gaining resistance to ALL damage except psychic – it’s hard to compete against that. With that in mind, here’s a few notes on the new Primal Paths that are spotlighted in playtest form in a recent Unearthed Arcana column. Path of the Ancestral … Continue reading Thoughts on the Unearthed Arcana Barbarian Primal Paths

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D, D&D 5E, D&D Adventurers League, Review

5E Adventure Review: Uninvited Guests

Uninvited Guests, the third release of this season of D&D Adventurers League adventures, is a gem. It is one of the most impressive adventures I have DMed over the years. It is designed for 3-7 characters of levels 1-4, and plays in about two hours; it is also a masterclass in how to write short adventures. Short adventures, especially for organised play, are often very … Continue reading 5E Adventure Review: Uninvited Guests

merricb@yahoo.co.uk1 Comment
D&D, D&D 5E, Design, Play Advice

Adventure Complexity and the New Dungeon Master

Dungeons & Dragons is an amazing game. It’s one of the most enjoyable pastimes you can have and, especially for Dungeon Masters, can require varying amounts of your time: from just a couple of hours running a session, to many, many hours preparing, designing and planning your world and future adventures. These days, I typically use published adventures for most of my games. They allow … Continue reading Adventure Complexity and the New Dungeon Master

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D, D&D 5E, D&D Adventurers League, Review

5E Adventure Review: The Black Road

The second adventure in the latest season of D&D Adventurers League adventures is a treat. The Black Road finds the adventurers protecting a caravan as it travels through the Anauroch desert. Their destination is the Shrine of Axes in the village of Parnast, to which a new statue must be delivered, but there may be one or two challenges along the way that may delay … Continue reading 5E Adventure Review: The Black Road

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D, D&D 5E, Review

5E Adventure Review: The Witchfire Curse

The Witchfire Curse is an adventure for first-level characters that, at its heart, presents a dungeon crawl, but also presents a story that engages the players and makes it much more than “just” a dungeon crawl. The set-up for the adventure is this: the town of Durgon’s Rest has been cursed and the witch responsible for the curse has fled. Thus, the adventurers are hired … Continue reading 5E Adventure Review: The Witchfire Curse

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D, D&D 5E, D&D Adventurers League

Pregenerated Characters for PAX Australia 2016

I’m writing this article in my hotel room at 6 am, with PAX Australia 2016 starting in about four hours. In five hours, we’ll start running the first our D&D Adventurers League games, and thus a very busy weekend will begin. At big events like PAX, where many of the players have never played before, it’s important to have a character sheet that players can … Continue reading Pregenerated Characters for PAX Australia 2016

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D, D&D 5E, D&D Adventurers League

Play Dungeons & Dragons at PAX Australia 2016

In a couple of days, I’m going to be in Melbourne attending the PAX Australia 2016 convention. When I say “attending”, what I mean is that I’m organizing the Dungeons & Dragons games we’ll be running there as part of the D&D Adventurers League. Over Friday 4th-Sunday 6th November, we will run a lot of D&D – well, as much as we can fit in … Continue reading Play Dungeons & Dragons at PAX Australia 2016

merricb@yahoo.co.uk1 Comment
D&D 5E, Review

5E Adventure Review: The Miller’s Stone

The Miller’s Stone is the third of a series of adventures set in the ruins of Leilon, a small town in the Forgotten Realms. This is a short adventure, consisting primarily of five combat encounters. About three of the eight pages are stat-blocks. The situation is simple: the nearby mayor of Durgin’s Hold wants the players to retrieve some magical millstones rumoured to be in … Continue reading 5E Adventure Review: The Miller’s Stone

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment