Building Floating Cities: Worldbuilding in the Sky
In a world where magic keeps cities aloft and the ground below is teeming with horrors, worldbuilding doesn’t just mean mapping streets and markets—it means rethinking gravity itself. Floating cities in Aether Skies aren't just marvels of arcano-engineering, they are pressure cookers of political tension,...
7 Ways to Reimagine Dragonmarks in Your D&D Campaign (Inspired by the New Unearthed Arcana)
The latest Unearthed Arcana just dropped, offering new character options and expanding the toolkit for customizing your 5E Dungeons & Dragons experience. While it doesn’t focus directly on Eberron’s iconic dragonmarks, it does open the door to more flexible ancestry and lineage mechanics—making this the...
Chaos Magic and You: Designing Unique Magical Mechanics for Your Campaign
Chaos magic introduces an element of delightful unpredictability to any tabletop RPG campaign. It upends player expectations, sparks creative problem-solving, and can shift a carefully orchestrated scene into unexpected chaos. Inspired by the Under the Dome campaign, where chaos magic shapes much of the world,...
3 New Ways to Use Genasi in a D&D Campaign
The Genasi, beings infused with the raw power of the elements, are often portrayed as outsiders or enigmatic wanderers. Their connection to air, earth, fire, and water makes them ripe for creative [caption id="attachment_25541" align="alignright" width="240"] An air genasi, as seen in the fifth edition Dungeons...
Exploring the Aether Skies: A World of Magic, Espionage, and Horror
Starting in the near future Nerdarchist Dave will be returning to the world we started making years ago for a campaign on the channel. We have three videos talking about it already on the channel with more to come. We also did a full fledged...
Running a D&D Adventure with War as a Backdrop
Sometimes it is amusing watching some old movies. But as you probably know me by now, if you are a fan of the channel that is, I am always looking to gain D&D inspiration from real life and the [caption id="attachment_89560" align="alignright" width="300"] What is looks...
The Game Master’s Book of Traps, Puzzles, and Dungeons – A Review with Bonus Content
Every great dungeon is more than just a collection of monsters and loot—it’s filled with deadly traps, devious puzzles, and chambers designed to test the wits and resilience of any adventuring party. The Game Master’s Book of Traps, Puzzles, and Dungeons is a fantastic resource...
Faction Wars: Integrating Gang Politics into TTRPG Gameplay
How Gang Rivalries Shape Player Choice, Storytelling, and the World of Crystalia In many tabletop RPG settings, factions act as power players in the world’s social, economic, and criminal ecosystems. Whether they’re noble houses, religious sects, corporate overlords, or underground crime syndicates, factions provide conflict, intrigue,...
3 New Ways to Use Warforged in a D&D Campaign
Warforged, the sentient constructs born from arcane experimentation, bring a wealth of narrative possibilities to any D&D setting. Their blend of mechanical precision and emotional depth makes them fascinating characters, NPCs, and cultural phenomena. Let’s dive into three innovative ways to incorporate Warforged into your...
The Game Master’s Book of Non-Player Characters – A Review with Bonus Content
In any great RPG, the world is more than just the main characters—it’s filled with shopkeepers, mercenaries, nobles, rogues, and all the colorful individuals who give the setting its depth. The Game Master’s Book of Non-Player Characters provides over 500 fully realized NPCs, each with...
Post-Apocalyptic Roleplay: Building a City Like Crystalia
Creating a vibrant, self-contained city for your post-apocalyptic tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) campaign requires a careful balance of exploration, societal tension, and intrigue. Inspired by the dome-covered metropolis of Crystalia from the Under the Dome D&D campaign, here are actionable insights to help Game Masters...
The Karthid – The Tideforged of the Black Tides
If you have been following the channel for a bit you would know the direction of the things that Dave and I are working on. My big push right now is building out some great content for Under the Dome. This is a post apocalyptic...
How to Safely Explore Romance in a Role-Playing Game
Happy Valentine's Day to those of you who celebrate. In relation to the holiday I thought it fitting to talk about romance in your Tabletop RPG. Romance in role-playing games (RPGs) can add depth, drama, and emotional investment to the story. However, it must be...
The Game Master’s Book of Villains, Minions, and Their Tactics – A Review with Bonus Content
Every great story needs a great villain, and The Game Master’s Book of Villains, Minions, and Their Tactics delivers 25 of them, each with their own nefarious schemes, signature tactics, and a [caption id="attachment_33212" align="alignright" width="216"] Empusia, Curator of Souls is a legendary fiend whose Museum...
All Artificer Party: Masterminds of Innovation
So here we are—the last class in the series—and what better way to wrap it up than with the ingenious, gadget-wielding Artificer? An all-Artificer party is like assembling a team of magical inventors, each bringing a unique mix of tech-savvy ingenuity and arcane power to...
