Practical Dungeons & Dragons and tabletop RPG tips for players and game masters — from character builds to campaign planning.
Gathering a group of adventurers to save the kingdom is hard enough in Dungeons & Dragons. Add the challenge of aligning adult schedules, and it can feel like a quest designed by the cruelest Dungeon Master. For adult gamers, juggling work, family, and life commitments often means scheduling the next game session is harder than defeating…
Running a tabletop RPG like Dungeons and Dragons or Shadowrun can be a thrilling yet demanding experience. Keeping track of initiative orders, NPC stats, player character sheets, and sprawling maps can leave even the most prepared Game Master (GM) feeling overwhelmed. Thankfully, a variety of software tools are available to make your RPG sessions smoother and more immersive. Let’s…
Before we talk about reverse railroading we need to talk about what is railroading. Railroading is a commonly debated and somewhat controversial game-mastering method in the realm of tabletop role-playing games (RPGs). In this approach, the Game Master (GM) exerts a high degree of control over the game’s narrative, often guiding players along a predetermined…
How can you prevent your players from causing issues with the NPCs during Non-Combat Scene? This is a common concern among gamemasters. Players often tend to misbehave in these situations, such as when a mage conspicuously casts spells to impress a court wizard, a barbarian scratches or belches loudly, or a thief contemplates mischief in…
The whole point of Role playing games is to play someone you are not. This is why a lot of people like to play Fighters or Wizards. Me I like to role-play asshole character, you know those people who you rather not spend any time with. The problem is that a lot of the players…
If you are like me you as a player or a GM like to take notes during a game. Or have one place on your phone, computer or Tablet to store all those images, character sheets and Sourcebook PDFs. Obsidian RPG notes is what you need. Notes for everything not just RPGs I use obsidian…
Hunter’s Mark Spell: Enhancing the Hunt in D&D In the vast and mystical realm of Dungeons & Dragons, where every adventure teems with challenges and creatures both magical and malevolent, the Hunter’s Mark spell stands out as a vital tool for the cunning hunter. Available to rangers, this 1st-level spell encapsulates the essence of focused…
Gather ’round, brave adventurers, and let me regale you with the tale of a spell that has saved countless lives and turned the tides of battle: “Arcane Ward.” A magical marvel found within the tomes of level 2 spells, Arcane Ward is a potent shield that grants protection beyond armor and steel. When a mage…
While RPGs are theatre of the mind that does not mean we can’t give our minds a little help with images. After all the whole point of fantasy art is to expand the imagination. Some of us can draw, some of us can’t, some of us can draw but would rather be rolling dice. I…
Tabletop RPG Glossary 1. Game Master (GM): The person responsible for creating and running the game world, controlling non-player characters (NPCs), describing scenes, and guiding the players through the story. 2. Player Character (PC): A fictional character created and controlled by a player. PCs are the main protagonists of the story. 3. Non-Player Character (NPC):…