Clik here to view.
In fifth-edition D&D, what is gold for? Three principles of granting gold
The early play style of Dungeons and Dragons led to a tradition of awarding player characters more treasure than they could spend. This tradition carries into fifth edition. 1. Fill with healing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In fifth-edition D&D, what is gold for? The limited magic-market campaign
The easiest outlet for wealth comes from trade in magic items. However, for reasons that I spelled out in “Dungeons & Dragons stopped giving XP for gold, but the insane economy remains,”...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In fifth-edition D&D, what is gold for? The game within a game
The baseline Dungeons & Dragons game offers player characters plenty of chances to gain treasure and few chances to spend it. When Dave Arneson opened the dungeons beneath Castle Blackmoor,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In fifth-edition D&D, what is gold for? The cash-poor, big-score campaign
Gary Gygax devised Dungeons & Dragons to motivate player characters to chase treasure, but the game matured in 40 years. Now player characters adventure to smite evil, to redeem their name, to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Saving fifth-edition D&D’s evil wizards from meddling do-gooders
In more than a year of fifth-edition Dungeons & Dragons, I’ve pitted player characters against a lot of wizards. Often, a published adventure or one from D&D Expeditions offers a spellcaster as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The evil wizard’s guide to defense against murderous treasure hunters
Every evil wizard occasional faces the threat of treasure hunters, do-gooders, and other barbarians. In order to exterminate such vermin, you must learn to defend yourself from their attacks....
View ArticleClik here to view.
A dungeon master’s guide to Glyph of Warding
From the beginning, Dungeons & Dragons has included a few spells for dungeon masters. In my last post, I cited Magic Jar as inspiration for adventure. Player characters won’t cast it, but villains...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to forge the most epic multi-table role-playing event ever
Third-edition Dungeons & Dragons reached stores in 2000. Its popularity fueled a number of “living” campaigns similar to today’s Adventurers League and Pathfinder Society. One such campaign, Living...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Running Shackles of Blood: Making the good adventure into a great session
The free, issue 4 of Dragon+ includes the Dungeons & Dragons module Shackles of Blood by Joshua Kelly. This adventure comes from the Adventurers League Expeditions program. Normally, this program...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Delegate to run better role-playing game sessions by doing less
If you are a game master, the easiest way to improve your game sessions might be to do less. Rather than doing all the tasks of running the game, delegate some to the players. This lesson took me a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
You roll for random encounters wrong (and so do I)
Original Dungeons & Dragons made rolling for wandering monsters more a core part of play than rolling a d20 to hit—d20 rolls were in the optional combat system that everyone used. Over the years,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to improve your game by forcing characters into tough choices
As a game master, my favorite moments during session come when I sit idle as the players’ debate the tough choices open to their characters. Each option balances hope with a price. All the options lead...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Illusionism: if player choices seem to matter, does it matter if they don’t?
Eventually, every game master winds up guilty of illusionism: You offer the players a choice that seems to matter, and then rearrange the game world so all the options lead to the same outcome. An...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Preparing to run an adventure as a dungeon master at a convention
In 1984 at Gen Con, I first served as an official dungeon master for a table full of strangers. I ran the adventure that would become I11 Needle. As I explained in “Running I11 Needle at Gen Con in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Create better encounters by considering what your monsters want
Sometimes Dungeons & Dragons worlds seem split in two. In the towns and hamlets, players exercise charm and guile. In dungeons and lairs, every creature attacks on sight and battles continue to the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to end combat encounters before they become a grind
Every Dungeons & Dragons player experiences a battle that drags near the end, when the monsters have spent their best attacks and lack the numbers to threaten the PCs. As a dungeon master, I want...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Confidence game: Why faking confidence makes you a better game master
Some game masters boast unshakable confidence in their skill, even though their games only attract players because no one else wants the DM’s chair. Confidence leaves these GMs blind to their flaws. I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Never split the party—except when it adds fun
Everyone who plays role-playing games learns the Dungeons & Dragons adage never split the party. In the hobby’s early days, when dungeon masters were referees and players chose difficulty by...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What game masters (and their monsters) should say during a combat encounter
During a combat encounters, I focus on keeping play moving. A faster tempo means players spend less time waiting between turns. Waiting never adds fun. Despite my focus on tempo, I do more than count...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The surprising benefits of giving an adventuring party a guide
When I started gaming, people tended to play Dungeons & Dragons with larger parties than now. When game session fell short of 8 or more players, dungeon masters often added their own character to...
View Article
