Alphastream

The Alphastream Game Design Blog

Dark Sun Returns!

Dark Sun is back in 2027! Let’s look at the announced products and what makes the D&D setting unique and awesome!

July 30, 2026 · 2 Comments

The Beautiful Game (Your RPG Isn’t the World Cup)

The similarities and differences between RPGs and sports can help us realize what makes RPGs such a wonderful hobby.

July 24, 2026 · Leave a comment

What Did We Accomplish In a Year?

Let’s take a look at ways we can measure a year and what might help us achieve a healthy and productive 2026.

January 5, 2026 · 1 Comment

Focusing a Campaign Through Themes and Truths

We can focus our campaign through themes and truths, delivering on player expectations and creating engaging play for us and our players.

July 20, 2024 · 4 Comments

The Campaign Our Players Want?

Our next RPG campaign will be more successful if we consider what will appeal to our players.

May 27, 2024 · Leave a comment

What Kind of DM Are You?

Many types of campaigns seem to appeal to us. But if we think more carefully, we may find certain types of campaigns appeal to us more than others!

May 12, 2024 · 3 Comments

Experience a New RPG in Just 4 Easy Steps

Learning a new RPG can seem daunting. It doesn’t have to be. Here’s how to experience a new RPG the easy way.

April 29, 2024 · Leave a comment

Choosing the RPG for Your Next Campaign

What kind of campaign do we want to run? We may have many ideas for campaigns, making it hard to choose the right RPG with which to run it. Let’s create a process to compare options and pare down to one great campaign.

April 19, 2024 · Leave a comment

New Campaign? Finish the Old One with a To-Do List

The end of a campaign is the perfect time to reflect on what we enjoyed, wish we had done, and hope to do in our next campaign.

April 10, 2024 · 2 Comments

Make the Most of 5E’s Planescape Adventures in the Multiverse

D&D brings back Planescape! Here’s how to make the most of the 5E adventure, Turn of Fortune’s Wheel, and the accompanying monster and setting books.

January 8, 2024 · Leave a comment

Improve Your Adventures and Campaigns by Focusing on Threats

The 5E Dungeon Master’s Guide narrowly defines a villain and their role in an adventure. By widening the definition and leaning into the concept of Threats, we can create better campaigns and adventures.

June 1, 2023 · 2 Comments

How to DM a Spelljammer Campaign

How can a DM make the most of the Spelljammer D&D campaign setting? I discuss key elements such as ship combat and exploration on the Dragon Talk podcast!

September 27, 2022 · Leave a comment

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