Feeding on the Spark: Aether Parasites in TTRPG Storytelling
How to Use Magic-Hungry Creatures to Threaten Your World’s Most Vital Systems In the world of Aether Skies, Aether is more than just fuel—it’s the beating heart of civilization. It powers ships, cities, armor, minds. Without it, the floating world falls. So what happens when something feeds...
Wings of Skyfire: Creating the Eagle Dragon for D&D
When Sovereignty Takes Flight Dragons are already the apex predators of fantasy worlds—iconic, mighty, and terrifying in their grandeur. But sometimes, the classic horned lizard just isn’t quite what your table needs. Enter the Eagle Dragon, a glorious fusion of avian majesty and draconic might—a scaled-and-feathered beast...
Dungeons and Dragons Unearthed Arcana – The Grave Domian for Cleric
Welcome to Nerdarchy, where we delve deep into Dungeons & Dragons and all things tabletop roleplaying! In this post, we're unearthing a fascinating piece of Unearthed Arcana: the Grave [caption id="attachment_89354" align="alignright" width="300"] Don't need no stinking cleric.[/caption] Domain Cleric. This subclass taps into the solemn power...
No Casters Allowed: Running a D&D Game With Zero Spellcasting PCs
Steel, grit, guile—and not a spell slot in sight Let’s be honest: Dungeons & Dragons is a spell-slinger’s paradise. Every other class hurls fire, heals wounds, or manipulates time. But what happens when you take that power away completely—not just from full casters, but from everyone? That’s...
Lost to the Storm: Legends and Truths of Vergussian, the Fallen Dome
"No map shows it, but every survivor knows it. You don’t find Vergussian. It finds you."—Old scavenger saying, whispered over glowcider Once, Vergussian was a beacon of innovation—known across the domes for its arcane research, storm-reactive crystal spires, and allegedly, the world's most stable chaos storm...
Claws of the Crown: Turning The Lion King Into a D&D Adventure
Last week I looked at Frozen and was inspired how it could be used as a D&D adventure. I had so much fun with it, I decided to make it a series. You can check out Frozen adventure here. Yeah it might be a bit...
In the Shadow of the Veil: Using the Aethernati in Your TTRPG Campaign
Working With, For, and Against Aether Skies’ Most Dangerous Organization The floating cities of Aether Skies may soar above the cursed world, but they're held aloft by more than just Aether coils and dreamtech—they’re kept safe by silence, secrets, and the unblinking eyes of the Aethernati. Part...
Shifting Flesh and Altered Forms: How to Transform Your D&D Character’s Body
From claws and wings to shadow-skin and monstrous might—build the form that matches the fantasy [caption id="attachment_54364" align="alignright" width="300"] When it comes to the magic power of words this merfolk knows what I'm talking about. [Art by Howard Lyon][/caption] One of the coolest parts of Dungeons &...
The Bulette Reforged: Unleashing Elemental Terror Beneath the Earth
Because sometimes, a land shark just isn’t terrifying enough… The bulette—often called the “landshark”—has been a part of D&D monster lore since the early days. It's a burrowing brute, all armored plates, snapping jaws, and raw subterranean aggression. A classic low- to mid-level menace, sure—but let’s...
Smoke, Grind, and Grit: Designing Grind-Powered Vehicles for Under the Dome
“Tires are for cowards. Real engines scream when they drink grind.”—Rassa Coilbite, skiffwright of the Slag Market The wastelands outside the dome cities are hostile, irradiated with chaos storms, crawling with monsters, and pocked by sinkholes, living fungus, and bone-sanded dunes. On foot? You're prey.On a...
The Ice Queen Cometh: Turning Disney’s Frozen Into a D&D Adventure
An unexpected castle, a cursed storm, and a world on the brink of being frozen solid… Okay, we know—it’s a little cheesy. But take off the mouse ears and squint a little, and Disney’s Frozen is one heck of a campaign hook. A sudden, supernatural winter....
Making Your Ship a Character: Living Skyships in TTRPGs
Designing Vessels with Souls, Secrets, and Stories In Aether Skies, the ship isn’t just where your characters sleep. It’s a crew member, a home, a secret-keeper, and sometimes a goddamn mystery. Whether it’s cobbled together from driftwood and dream-forged hull plates or powered by an unstable...
Beyond the Lute: 8 Real-World Instruments That Belong in Your D&D Game
Expanding Your Bard’s Toolkit—One Exotic Sound at a Time Let’s be honest—the instrument list in the Player’s Handbook is… fine. Lute, pan flute, horn. Serviceable. But Dungeons & Dragons is a game of infinite worlds, strange cultures, and magical invention—so why are we stuck with the...
Chronicles from Beneath: Natural Disasters & World-Altering Events Under the Dom
"You don't live under the Dome—you survive it."—Common saying in Crystalia’s Outer Warrens The lands under the Dome are not defined by calm days or gentle nights. They are shaped, scarred, and reborn through catastrophic upheaval. The truly terrifying truth? These disasters are not rare. They...
Running a Star Wars-Inspired Game in Dungeons & Dragons
“In a Realm Not So Far Away…” May the Fourth Edition Its May the Fourth so I figured I would throw this out there. Sure I know that there is a Star Wars RPG, and other games that might be even easier to play a Star War...
