Loader image
Loader image
Back to Top

Dungeons & Dragons

Nerdarchy > Dungeons & Dragons (Page 109)
D&D DM's Guild Emirikol's Guide to Devils

Invoking Emirikol’s Guide To Devils for 5E D&D

Here we are again, doing another Homebrew Review. This time we are tackling Emirikol’s Guide To Devils from Sean McGovern. Like the last review, we aim to be honest for good or ill, and this one really took a good long time to review. Why you may ask? Because Emirikol’s Guide To Devils is a mighty big book of baddies for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons (240 pages!), available through the Dungeon Masters Guild. Anywho, we will be using the same scale as last time, and will be measuring it with the same school grading system. Let’s delve in and see how this one rolls out.

live stream playstyle

Live Stream D&D is a Playstyle All its Own

Back in 2010 the notion of Dungeons & Dragons, or any roleplaying game, as a spectator event would draw incredulous looks – even from dyed-in-the-wool players. There were a few videos floating around from Wizards of the Coast to show examples of D&D being played, and some podcasts of people playing or talking about the gaming hobby. Fast forward to 2017, and live stream roleplaying games have grown into a viable form of entertainment. The big dog in the room, Critical Role, generally draws audiences in the 30,000 viewer range for their live games on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. pacific. The VOD on the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel dwarfs these numbers; the first episode is sitting at 6.1 million views. The new campaign just started too – were your #silhouettewatch predictions correct?

Blood Hunter Class by Matt Mercer comes to D&D Beyond

A bit over 2 years ago the Nerdarchy crew got together and playtested the blood hunter class for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. We had a blast playing high-level D&D characters while checking out this third party character class by Matt Mercer of Critical Role.

For those of you who are not familiar with him, Matt Mercer has done a few nerdy thing recently.

He is the Dungeon Master in the Geek & Sundry web series Critical Role, along with several other voice actors. The show’s first campaign went on for over 100 episodes until its epic conclusion, with numerous one-shots and special events on the way there. Critical Role’s new campaign just started last night, Jan. 11, 2018. New episodes are live streamed Thursday night at 7 p.m. pacific on Twitch and Project Alpha. He has a campaign book called Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting. He also does voice acting, among other things.

Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #30 – “Alt-itis”

Out of the Box introduction

A common problem some Dungeon Masters have to deal with is one of players desiring to change characters often. I can admit that I, too, love making a wide variety of characters even if they may not see play. If a player isn’t focusing on the character they are playing at the time, this may lead to decision making not only affecting the distracted player at hand, but may ripple out to the characters around the distracted character. It may even affect the DM. This can grow into a problem where some players spend more time making characters than actually playing one.
D&D sorcerer

D&D Sorcerer Multiclass Options and Builds to Make a Magical Day

The fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons sorcerer – is it a class worth multiclassing in or out of? Let’s find out.

First off let’s split this guide into three parts. The first of which being, taking the sorcerer all the way through to 20th level. The second takes the class from 14th to 18th level. And finally, the third option takes the class to 10th level (this is the minimum level to where you get eleven spells, as well as your third Metamagic option).

#silhouettewatch

Critical Role #silhouettewatch Predictions for New Campaign

Hello! Nerditor Doug here to introduce a guest post from Gin, who plays Kath the tiefling paladin on Nerdarchy’s Scarlet Sisterhood of Steel and Sorcery. The campaign is up to Session 40 as of this writing, with Session 41 streaming at 7 p.m. eastern on YouTube. Gin knows a little something about playing D&D in a live stream game so she’s bringing her savvy here to share her predictions for #silhouettewatch – the fan speculation about the new campaign for Critical Role beginning Jan. 11, 2018.

Playing D&D

D&D Prismatic Light Sorcerer – A Bright Idea for a Sorcerous Origin

Hello! Nerditor Doug here to introduce guest poster Kyle Ellis, coming to Nerdarchy.com directly from a recent live chat with YouTuber Kenneth Woody whose work you’ll also find here on our site.

In the chat Kyle mentioned something about a rainbow sorcerous origin for the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons sorcerer class. Sorcerer is one of my favorite classes to tinker around with subclass ideas (psychic mind mage WIP I swear) and light- or color-based characters in particular fascinate me. So let’s get to it, the Prismatic Light Bloodline sorcerous origin for D&D.

D&D out of the box potion

Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #29 – “Drinking Problem”

Out of the Box introduction

There are established rules for sentient magic items, and Out of the Box has already delved into that resource. However, as one might assume, this rule typically applies to permanent magic items like swords and such. The precedent has been set for other types of items (also permanent) that could take on their own sentience. I can think of two superheroes who wear armor or symbiotic suits possessing sentience, and I’m sure we already know a story about a ring that may also have a similar property. The following example will take a consumable magic item, make it not only sentient, but permanent and quasi-alive.
beholder

The D&D Beholder – Randomized!

I have a love for all that is weird and other in the D&D fantasy worlds we share. One of my favorite creatures from the Dungeons & Dragons mythos is the beholder. As an avid reader of H.P. Lovecraft and the many other authors who followed in his footsteps, Arthur Machen, Robert Bloch and Stephen King, to name a few, it should come as no surprise that ball of tentacles, eyes and madness should attract my attention.

Worldbuilding: Tyrannical D&D Goblinoids and Dragon God

Building the darkness in D&D

I’ve been doing some D&D worldbuilding recently and one of my favorite elements to work on is the raid/conquest-driven peoples. For my own part the mental blueprint I draw from is the more romantic version of Mongols, Vikings, or Visigoths. I say the romantic version because, despite what pop culture may want you to believe, these were well-organized peoples. Complex internal structures were used to support raids which were more often a means to extend influence and power rather than fill the bellies and purses of the raiding warriors.

Perusing D&D Player’s Companion for 5E D&D

Welcome to the trials and tribulations of a new series. In this one, I will be scouring the Dungeon Master’s Guild, StoryTeller’s Vault, and the net itself to review homebrew content of all levels of skill and professional build. I decided to open up this series with the current, as of the time my fingers hit the keyboard, No. 1 searched item on DM’s Guild.

Out of the Box D&D flameskull

Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #28 – “Crackpot”

Out of the Box introduction

It’s always important to read every detail in a description of any monster or environment. The notes, flavour text, or even the spell descriptions can hold clues to running a given encounter in a completely different way. In the past, I have discovered little facts about hags that have completely altered my campaigns, and they are but one monster. This trick is no real trick – it’s just taking the time to read the fine print.
D&D Dwarves

Worldbuilding: Customizing the D&D Dwarf and Dwarven Culture

While speaking with a friend about game world ideas for Dungeons & Dragons I mentioned I had done some preliminary work on defining the human cultures of my game world to which he immediately asked “what kind of dwarves will you use?” I honestly hadn’t even considered anyone’s perception of a dwarf would vary greatly from my own so I went with what felt like a natural and reflexive answer. “Oh you know, standard quasi-norse-scottish dwarves”.

Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #27 – “Water Slide”

Out of the Box introduction

I cannot speak for every Dungeon Master, but I can admit some of my favorite references in D&D are the Wild Magic Surge table, the Wand of Wonder table, and the Potion Miscibility table. Why? Players do not accept the endangerment of their characters at most times unless, it seems, it is by one of these tables. This random fun seems to delight both the player it affects and the DM who witnesses it, regardless of who rolls for it.