Stealing MMO Mechanics for Your Tabletop — Blackfathom Deeps
Salutations, nerds! Today I’m sharing ideas for stealing mechanics from MMORPGs, how to make them work and an example my players enjoyed. Suffice it to say your mileage may vary. I’m going to be dissecting Blackfathom Deeps from World of Warcraft. On top of being an extremely long dungeon there some really good concepts to steal from this dungeon and a couple of things that just wouldn’t translate well.
D&D Ideas — Transformation
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is transformation, which we discussed in our weekly live chat. We hangout every Monday evening at 8 p.m. EST at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel talk about D&D, RPGs, gaming, life and whatever nerdy stuff comes up. Speaking of transformation we’re changing lovable animals into ruthless mobsters in Zoo Mafia RPG. You can get Nerdarchy the Newsletter delivered to your inbox each week, along with updates and info on how to game with Nerdarchy plus snag a FREE GIFT by signing up here.
D&D Ideas — Crystals
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is crystals, which we discussed in our weekly live chat. We hangout every Monday evening at 8 p.m. EST at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel talk about D&D, RPGs, gaming, life and whatever nerdy stuff comes up. Speaking of crystals our Mage Forge collection includes a variety of crystals with all sorts of amazing magical properties. You can get Nerdarchy the Newsletter delivered to your inbox each week, along with updates and info on how to game with Nerdarchy plus snag a FREE GIFT by signing up here.
Pocket Full of NPCs for 5E D&D — The Reclusive Researcher
Salutations, nerds! Did your fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons party forget to take identify? Got no wizard? Need a nerd who they can go to for the cleansing of cursed items or simply require a plot hook to motivate the party delve into the ruins of an exploded wizard lab? I’ve got a character for you.
D&D Ideas — Temples
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is temples, which we discussed in our weekly live chat. We hangout every Monday evening at 8 p.m. EST on Nerdarchy Live to talk about D&D, RPGs, gaming, life and whatever nerdy stuff comes up. Speaking of temples our Shadow of Your Former Self encounter can be placed anywhere you imagine it, like an art gallery, wizard’s inner sanctum or (of course) a temple. You can get Nerdarchy the Newsletter delivered to your inbox each week, along with updates and info on how to game with Nerdarchy plus snag a FREE GIFT by signing up here.
Recognizing How 5E D&D Characters are Not Regular People
Salutations, nerds! I’m having a debate right now with one of my friend groups about why everyone in a Dungeons & Dragons world isn’t a wizard if wizards are so powerful. If people in your world can blow up a quarter of a city all at once with giant balls of fire and wipe out whole armies ten why does everyone not do this? Because the barrier of entry for being a high level spellcaster is prohibitively high for most people. Then why are so many D&D player characters spellcasters? Because D&D player characters are not regular people.
Capture the Classic Spelljammer Feel in Your 5E D&D Games
Spelljammer is coming to fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons! For years 5ED&D has expanded into Magic: The Gathering worlds, Critical Role’s Exandria and even universes like Rick & Morty and Stranger Things. However, some classic settings like Dark Sun and Planescape have yet to make an appearance. It occurs to me there might be those who aren’t familiar with Spelljammer so let’s talk about how to get the feel for the setting and how it might be used in my own campaigns.
Find Your Inspiration for Amazing RPG Experiences within DungeonMorphs
The scope of tabletop roleplaying games has never been more broad than it is right now. The system options for players are staggering and even considering the dominance of Dungeons & Dragons within this particular RPG the range of playstyles and approaches to the game are are varied as the people playing them. One aspect shared by nearly all Game Masters is preparation and even the staunchest advocate for improvisation relies on some starting point. The folks at Inkwell Ideas consistently deliver solid resources for GMs and their latest project DungeonMorphs IV aims to continue this fine tradition.
D&D Ideas — Law Enforcement
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is law enforcement, which we discussed in our weekly live chat. We hangout every Monday evening at 8 p.m. EST on Nerdarchy Live to talk about D&D, RPGs, gaming, life and whatever nerdy stuff comes up. Speaking of crime it’s the other half of the equation in our very own Zoo Mafia RPG. We’re developing this game where you play zoo animals who secretly run criminal organizations under the noses of caretakers and tourists. You can get Nerdarchy the Newsletter delivered to your inbox each week, along with updates and info on how to game with Nerdarchy plus snag a FREE GIFT by signing up here.
Adventure the Length and Breadth of a Two Dimensional World
I am always looking for inspiration to do something other Game Masters are not especially when gaming with my kids. In addition I like incorporating my gaming supplies into the game at the table. One idea I had originated from my son’s love of Minecraft and LEGO. What if there was a place where everything was literally made of blocks and everything had 90 degree edges?
Try This New Animon Story Mechanic While You Wait for Digimon Survive
Digimon Survive finally has a release date and I am absolutely pumped for this strategy monster taming RPG. The July 28, 2022 release date is still a ways off and I need some monster action in my life now! That’s where Animon Story, the RPG created by Zak Barouh, comes into play. Animon Story captures those Digimon vibes with a healthy dose of Pokemon and a slew of other monster taming RPG feels.
D&D Ideas — Crime
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is crime, which we discussed in our weekly live chat. We hangout every Monday evening at 8 p.m. EST on Nerdarchy Live to talk about D&D, RPGs, gaming, life and whatever nerdy stuff comes up. Speaking of crime it’s one half the equation in our very own Zoo Mafia RPG. We’re developing this game where you play zoo animals who secretly run criminal organizations under the noses of caretakers and tourists. You can get Nerdarchy the Newsletter delivered to your inbox each week, along with updates and info on how to game with Nerdarchy plus snag a FREE GIFT by signing up here.
D&D Ideas — Secret Bases
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is secret bases, which we discussed in our weekly live chat. We hangout every Monday evening at 8 p.m. EST on Nerdarchy Live to talk about D&D, RPGs, gaming, life and whatever nerdy stuff comes up. Speaking of secret bases your own friendly local game stores are kinda like a secret base for nerds, right? And you can find Out of the Box in some of them too! You can get Nerdarchy the Newsletter delivered to your inbox each week, along with updates and info on how to game with Nerdarchy plus snag a FREE GIFT by signing up here.
Go Bigger and Badder with More Archdevils and Demon Lords for 5E D&D
I explored some of the baddest baddies from the Nine Hells of Dungeons & Dragons in the past. If you want to check it out you can do so here. Now it’s time to check into a few more of these amazing lords of hell and how you might use these wonderful meanies in your next campaign or session.
Fixing D&D’s Most Boring Spell
When the going gets tough, the tough get FIREBALL! No, seriously. Fireball is one of the most popular and referenced spells in all of Dungeons & Dragons but especially in fifth edition D&D.
