Out of the Box: Encounters for 5th Edition Lives!
The Nerdarchy crew has been hinting and teasing for a while, and working behind the scenes even longer, and now it is finally here — our very first Kickstarter! Out of the Box: Encounters for 5th Edition went live this morning, July 15, at 6 a.m. eastern. We could not be more ecstatic about how this project came together. The team working to bring the Out of the Box Kickstarter to life is incredible and we jam-packed as much as we could into the campaign. If you’re an experienced Game Master, you’ll find new twists and clever turns on classic monsters, traps, hazards and random encounters. Newer GMs will discover helpful insights to use these encounters to fill gaps in time or story. And players of all levels can use Out of the Box encounters to introduce new adventure hooks and add fantastic new concepts to campaign worlds.
Dungeon Craft: Build your own battle maps! now on Kickstarter
Do you like using a battle mat and terrain but you are not all that crafty? Perhaps you just do not have a lot of room to store all the cool things you would like to have. If either of these sound like you, you want to check out the Kickstarter for Dungeon Craft by 1985 Games.
To Roll, or Not To Roll?
A character’s ability scores in fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons are arguably the most influential part of who they are. Ability scores determine what your character can and cannot do, and to what degree. They determine what roles your character will tend toward and where their weaknesses lie. In D&D 5E, the standard rule set for calculating ability scores is to roll 4d6 and drop the lowest. However, there’s an alternate rule called “Standard Array,” which grants the character scores of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8. These are assigned to the six ability scores. Then, there’s also the point-buy system.
With how important ability scores are in this game, I wondered why there are so many options for calculation. Then, I got to wondering if the way one calculates their ability scores would affect gameplay, outside of mechanics. What am I talking about? Culture.
D&D Ideas — Castles and Strongholds
Cool Off with Deep Magic: Winter Magic from Kobold Press
With summer heat cranking up, Kobold Press has the perfect solution to bring the temperatures down. Way down. Like, subzero levels. Deep Magic: Winter Magic is a new addition to the wonderful series of magical secrets waiting to be discovered in your fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings, or expand on the already incredible myth and mystery of the Midgard Campaign Setting from Kobold Press.
World of Revilo on Kickstarter: 5th Edition Campaign Setting and Monster Manual
Are you ready for a new campaign setting for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons? How about getting a book full of new and imaginative monsters to add to your game? Let me introduce you to the World of Revilo. In this Kickstarter you will get access to a campaign setting unlike any other setting D&D has had before.
Worldbuilding Society and Class Prejudice in D&D
Firstly, I should clarify that when we discuss “class” in this post, we’re talking about the character class mechanic in fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons, not social class as it exists in our world. The character class system is an integral aspect of roleplaying games whether tabletop, video games, or whatever. That being said, have you ever stopped to think about what a class would look like in a story?
D&D Ideas — Heroism
Welcome once again to the weekly Nerdarchy Newsletter. This week’s newsletter is coming to you from Lumley Castle, across the pond in England. The topic of heroism feels even more appropriate somehow being in an actual castle. The Nerdarchy crew has been here all week as special guest Dungeon Masters for the D&D in a Castle event.
D&D Ideas — Underdark
The Power of Escapism (or Lack Thereof)
I’ve been playing tabletop roleplaying games for ten years, this month. [Insert fanfare]
(Tearfully accepts nonexistent trophy.) You’re too kind, really.
But in all seriousness, over my years playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, I’ve noticed the RPG has always been a sort of safe space. There have been more than a few times where I’ve been able to draw comparisons between what happens in my roleplaying game group and what’s going on in my personal life. Granted, I’ve never tried to murder a narcissistic vampire, but I have had to deal with corrupt people in positions of power who think too highly of themselves. I’ve never had to argue why my character with magic shouldn’t be imprisoned simply for being a sorcerer, but I have had to deal with prejudice about my views and my sexual orientation. While I’ve never had to hunt for owlbears in a dank cave, I have had to deal with a bat in my basement.
