Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #27 – “Water Slide”
Out of the Box introduction
Keep Your Campaign on Track: Dead End Plots in D&D
A campaign in fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons, or any roleplaying game, turns on the words and deeds of the characters whose actions move the narrative forward – usually in ways the Game Master never expects. I’d say quite a few D&D adventures go in different directions almost immediately upon starting play. A GM can consider and plan for a million possibilities, and I’m never surprised when players do the million and first thing. Giving players agency in your game is vital, but what do you do when the adventurers venture far afield of the quests you prepared, or get stymied by obstacles, puzzles and other challenges impeding progress? Did the adventure hit a dead end?
Keep Your Campaign On Track: Missing Players
Hello nerds! Nerditor Doug here, welcoming back guest poster Elyunn who shared a great story along with tips and advice for getting started with Fantasy Grounds. She is back with us again, and this time around she adds to the Keep Your Campaign on Track series.
Elyunn spoke with some folks over at Fantasy Grounds College to glean their insights on a situation all roleplaying game groups experience at some point or another…
Worldbuilding: Fantasy Calendars for D&D
Salutations nerds! Today, we’re going to talk about another facet of worldbuilding often overlooked at the gaming table for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons or whatever roleplaying game you fancy. I present to you, the humble calendar. If you clicked on this article, I’m going to assume you’re at least interested in using one. I’m not going to try to convince you creating your own calendars is good idea. You’re either into it or you’re not. Instead we’re going to get into the fun brainstorming part of the article I love so much.
Creating Gully, Frost and Mul Dwarves for 5E D&D
After the rather amusing bit of timing where Wizards of the Coast and I had put out nearly identical content at the same time, I wanted to hold off on doing this article in particular. With the news that the gnomes are being granted the month off, I decided why not check in on the dwarves?
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #26 – “Resident Echo”
Out of the Box introduction
Tomb of Annihilation Companion a Guide for All Dungeon Masters
Guest poster Brian McGee started playing fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons with my home group earlier this year, quickly discovering enthusiastic enjoyment from the world’s greatest roleplaying game. After a few sessions playing in my Spelljammer campaign, a one-shot as a tribe of grung and a pickup session of Sunless Citadel he went all-in as a Dungeon Master. We all had a terrific time playing in his iteration of Matt Colville’s Delian Tomb, and when his turn behind the screen came back around Brian wanted to run Tomb of Annihilation. We decided to use the same party we started his game with and took them on the journey to Chult. When the Tomb of Annihilation Companion landed on my desk, we’d just played our first session. Since Brian expressed an interest in doing some writing for Nerdarchy I passed the guide along to him as both a resource for our game and his first writing assignment. – Nerditor Doug
Keep Your Campaign On Track: Side Stories
A Dungeons & Dragons campaign can hinge around the players (and their characters) all being present. That can’t always be the case. If you find yourself missing one or more players at an important time in the campaign – such as the session when the party plans to storm the nemesis’ fortress and take back the stolen artifact – consider a side story. A side story is an encapsulated session dealing with events at another time and place without having a direct effect on the current scene. This could be a backstory session revolving around a particular character or a scene from another part of the campaign world.
2017 Holiday Nerdy Gift Ideas for Roleplaying Gamers
The holiday season is upon us and it’s time for this year’s gift suggestions for the nerdy gamers in your life. Whether you’re a Game Master of player, dig your digital products or prefer physical swag in hand, there’s a little something for everyone here. This past year has been incredible for roleplaying gamers, with tons of new games and new stuff for games we’ve all been playing like good ol’ Dungeons & Dragons.
If you still have some shopping to do (or you want to treat yourself to some nifty stuff) here’s a selection of suggestions for 2017. This feature has become something of a tradition around here, and as Nerditor-in-chief I’m honored to carry on with what was passed to me by my predecessor Ty Johnston. Everyone at Nerdarchy wishes you the happiest of holidays and as the close of 2017 nears, until the 2018 gift guide stay nerdy!
Flavour Shots: +1 Weapons
A Flavour Shot is a short description of game artefacts and phenomena for use by Dungeon Masters, Game Masters and Storytellers in their games. Feel free to drag and drop these into your own games, and modify to suit. Let us know if you end up using them. Some will be portals to other realms, some will be magic items, others will be monster encounters. This time, it’s…
D&D Customized Content Creation: From Modules to Modular
I’ve been ruminating a lot lately about the evolution of Dungeons & Dragons. From early days playing through adventures like The Keep on the Borderlands and Palace of the Silver Princess to running fifth edition D&D quests like Curse of Strahd or careening through a slapdash Spelljammer campaign the game – and the people who play it – have changed a lot.
One of the ways D&D cleaves to current day sensibilities is through individualized customized content. This isn’t to say D&D wasn’t personalized for all the groups out there rolling funny-shaped dice back in the day, but the way folks play and the content we use to make the magic happen at the table has undergone a sea change.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #25 – “The Nursery”
Out of the Box introduction
Stuff Your Digital Stocking and Help a Charity with Frog God Games and Kobold Press Humble Bundle
Is it Dec. 6, 2017 at 11 a.m. PST already? You’re in luck, roleplaying gamer! While you’re getting ready to stuff your stockings this holiday season you can stuff your digital bookshelf full of a dragon’s hoard worth of awesome books – and help out a charity for doing it!
Bill Webb, co-founder of Frog God Games partnered up with Wolfgang Baur and Kobold Press to create the first ever fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons Humble RPG Book Bundle. The offering is live for two weeks and the clock is already ticking.
How Fantasy Grounds College Taught Me to Overcome the Human Condition and Love Gaming Again
In the ’80s it was a lot harder to be “cool” and a “nerd” than it is now. Back then those words were mutually exclusive. Dungeons & Dragons was not cool. It was something weird that only “weird” people played, or for kids to horrify their parents with. In those days, as both a female and a nerdy kid, you had to have thick skin.
Review: Creature Components vol. 1: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Creature Components Vol. 1 from Playground Adventures is a supplement detailing the use of spell components taken from fantastic creatures to power spells and magical items for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. The supplement gives rules and examples for the effects that components taken from many creatures may have in spells as well as new feats and magic items that emphasize the benefits of collecting components from creatures.
If you have watched Critical Role, you may have seen Vox Machina hunting monsters such as a white dragon for the Slayer’s Take and harvesting their remains. Looking into the Dungeon Master’s Guide or Player’s Handbook you might ask yourself why they would do this. Now you can bring those ideas into your game!
