Boss battles are usually the culmination of something, whether it be the end of a dungeon or the end of a campaign. They cap things off, and test the party on everything they’ve learned so far. It’s no wonder DMs want to get it right.
All in Advice
Dealing with Problem Players in D&D
I’m going to go over some common problem player archetypes. We’ll examine the problem, why it’s a problem, and how to best tackle it in constructive ways (note: the answer isn’t always the nuclear option.) Keep in mind that, when it comes to humans, there’s no one-size-fits-all response, and you are going to know what works for you better than anyone else. Identifying the problem, too, may help you see if your player falls into common traps.
Session Zero and How to Run It
A Session Zero is a preemptive meet up with your group to go over important info on the campaign, expectations, comfort, consent, and any other nitty gritty you need to get out of the way before playing. This can also serve as a good vetting process to ensure everyone is getting along.
Alternative Resurrection Rituals in D&D 5e
I’ve observed an interesting debate in D&D circles on all corners of the internet about resurrection. One one hand, the existence of spells that can bring a beloved character back from the cold embrace of death can save the emotional heartache of losing that character. It can also be a nice save from a decidedly unheroic death, or one that endangers the party massively by having a whole person down in the middle of a dungeon.
World Weaver's Guide to Combat: Large Scale Battles in 5th Edition
When you have a lot of turns in the initiative order, it can make battles very confusing and sometimes even frustrating. As the master of the game, you have enough on your plate (I know I do.) Juggling so many aspects of the battle can make it lose the entertaining part of the chaos and instead make it a pain. This article dives into the mechanical side of massive battles in 5th edition, and suggests some methods to mimic the power and awe of the destruction without hampering your players or dragging out the combat.
Flight in D&D and How to Manage It
Flight is a hotly contested topic in forums and discussions, not for its existence, but its power level. Yes, early level flying seems to be something a lot of people have a lot of issues with, which is a thought process I’ve never been able to agree with. The following article contains a discussion on the strengths of flying, how to counter them, and how to exploit existing weaknesses without making up new ones.
World Weaver's Guide to Combat Balance: The Basics
Combat balance in D&D is one of the toughest skills to grapple with, especially as a new DM. However, combat makes up the majority of the game’s core rulebook, and most character abilities lean into combat efficacy. Plus, making cool fights is just really, really fun.
A Guide to Homebrewing Magic Items
There’s a lot of things to look forward to when you create your own world for Dungeons and Dragons. You can make landscapes, entire dimensions, societies, religions, divine beings, terrifying enemies - it’s all at your command. To be honest, though, while every creation I make excites me in some way, the unique element of magical items in D&D is some of the best fun I can have.
A Measured Response to DMPCs
A lot of people don’t know what DMPCs actually are, how they differ from NPCs, how they’ve gotten a negative reputation, etc. The two extremes I see are often riddled with generalizations and misrepresentations, and I do think lack of common ground on the topic massively alienates people from a very important aspect of the game: making memorable characters.
The Basics of World Building: Setting the Tone
It’s a good idea to determine the overall atmosphere of your world. Every story you’ve ever read or watched on TV or played through in a video game has a setting that sets a tone for how much of a struggle it is to live and breathe in that world.
The Basics of World Building: Organizing Your Ideas
If you’ve been on a community forum or facebook group focused on D&D, there’s a good chance you’ve seen questions regarding how to build a homebrew world. It’s an overwhelming task to some, not often because they’re completely lost on ideas, but because they have no idea how to narrow down the process of taking those ideas and making them a reality. I’m here to help.