How to Provide PCs with Meaningful Deaths
Today’s roleplaying games emphasize character creation and character development. How do we design adventures and campaigns where death is meaningful?
Why Classic Adventures Offer Characters Meaningless Death
Classic D&D often presents situations forcing a quick and meaningless death. Modern editions are often accused of being too easy. Why has the game changed, and what is the point of character death today?
For an Epic Hero, What is the DC to Pick a Lock?
A level 20 hero finds a treasure chest in a D&D 5E game. What should the DC be to pick a lock? Let’s review two approaches and how to make them shine.
Special Reasons Why DMs Have Trouble Challenging Players
We review special reasons why a DM may have trouble achieving the right challenge level for their players.
How to Challenge Players? Just Add Damage!
Why adding damage works better than other options for resolving the problems with encounter challenge… with some important considerations.
Why So Many DMs Have Trouble Challenging Players
Let’s look at the reasons why so many DMs struggle to challenge their players.
How Vault Influenced Confrontation at Candlekeep
Confrontation at Candlekeep was a success as a convention event, but it owes much to the lessons learned from Vault of the Dracolich.
The Magic of Items
Does a certain number of magic items per PC make D&D Next better? There are better and more important questions to ask.
Ashes of Athas: The Development Process
The development process can help identify and resolve an adventure’s weakest points.
The Lazy Dungeon Master
With so few hours in a day, becoming an efficient dungeon master is a key to great gaming. The review of Mike Shea’s new book, The Lazy Dungeon Master.
Interlude: Extending the Five Minute Workday
The “five minute workday” can destroy a gaming session’s intended flow and balance. Here is how D&D can avoid that problem.
D&D Next and Classic Adventures: Organizing the (Caves of) Chaos
Classic adventures can be easily converted to 5E, but the writing approach often falls shorts of today’s standards. Six techniques help us modernize the classics, preserving the feel and increasing the fun.
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