Spice Up Your D&D Combat with Critical Stunts
Combat has been a staple of Dungeons & Dragons since its inception. D&D started out as a mod for a war game, cementing combat at its core. As D&D has evolved and grown in popularity, expectations of narrative have changed and while I love some good old fashioned D&D combat it can get monotonous if all you’re doing time and again is rolling for hit and damage with little to mix things up. Some subclasses like the Battle Master fighter work to offer options but for some these feel a bit like they should be things anyone could or at least should be able to do.
Flex Your RPG Muscles with the Fantastically Flexible Cypher System
Twice in the past I bounced off of Cypher System. The first time was at a convention a few years ago so I took it with a grain a salt. The second time I was invited to play in a live stream game and after a couple of sessions I bowed out. When Nerdarchist Dave pitched a Cypher System campaign for our Tuesday night group on Nerdarchy Live I was hesitant. But I’m so glad I gave it a shot because since then it’s become one of my favorite tabletop roleplaying games. Recently I started a new campaign with friends using Cypher System so having run it myself now I’m excited to share my impressions. Let’s get into it.
RPG Ideas — Parasites
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is parasites, 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 parasites our fully funded Mage Forge project nears completion but it can still benefit from the nutrients provided by your support. And you’ll get a huge collection of magic items in return! In our recent update we shared the Spirit of the Mage Forge encounter to pull together community inspired ideas and build on them while adding some fresh takes and more dynamic elements for better player engagement and story potential. Learn more about Spirit of the Forge and how to get your FREE copy here! You can get the Nerdarchy 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. You can get the Nerdarchy 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.
If You’re Gonna Go Bad, Go Big with Archdevils and Demon Lords for 5E D&D
My first fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign focused on the big bad of a Demon Lord. Gnar’Kee’Tis was a major deal and the final battle of a game lasting over four years. Over the course of this 5E D&D campaign I newly written lore for the current edition. The players were shocked when I described gnolls being transformed from straight up hyenas. As the quadrupeds became bipedal humanoids the players thought I had made it up. But it was right in the Monster Manual.
RPG Ideas — Cliffhangers
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is cliffhangers, 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 cliffhangers we’re trying something new in this week’s newsletter. You’ll find the same content as usual except we’re saving some from each of the three editorials as Nerdarchy.com exclusives. You’ll find links below leading to the website post for more. You can get the Nerdarchy 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. You can get the Nerdarchy 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.
Set Healthy Boundaries in Your RPG Experiences
Running RPG sessions is intense. It’s a labor of love for your players — at least it is for me. However, for all of my joking about loving to tantalize players on the brink of their characters’ deaths the confidence is often a sort of mask I wear to hide the truth of my anxiety. Before I begin I need to stress that if you’re struggling with severe mental health problems please seek help. This post is not a replacement for therapy or medication or even coping skills. This is meant to be an honest discussion.
Prepare for the Gith Invasion of Your 5E D&D World
There are a handful playable race options in fifth edition who are not truly native to the Material Plane. One of these is the gith. When I think about the gith I see them as one of the few races who could easily facilitate a thematic crossover between science fiction and fantasy.
RPG Ideas — Mage Forge
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is Mage Forge, 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 Mage Forge we kicked off 2022 with our second Kickstarter project, which is fully funded and moving forward for full production! You can get the Nerdarchy 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. You can get the Nerdarchy 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.
Describe the Food in Your RPG with Gusto!
I’m not going to lie — food is one of my favorite things and one of the best ways to immerse players in a tabletop roleplaying game and set a mood is to describe food with as much passion as a food critic. Describing food with less appetizing language can invoke disgust or even danger.
Nerdarchy on Dungeons, Dragons, and Mechs in Your D&D Game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVcipy3MrZw&ab_channel=Nerdarchy In this 17-minute video on Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted explore adding arcana style mechs into fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons taking a look at it from the D&D players' perspective and as the Dungeon Master. In the discussion they dip some sci-fi...
RPG Ideas — Aspirations
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is the aspirations, 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 aspirations our strong desire for Mage Forge is realized! This project is fully funded thanks to awesome supporters who love magic items as much as we do. You can get the Nerdarchy 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. You can get the Nerdarchy 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.
Top 5 Ideas for Better 5E D&D Campaigns Inspired by Netflix’s Arcane
If you haven’t yet seen Arcane on Netflix then what are you even doing with your life? I’m bingeing Arcane again for the fourth time now and the show has some amazing inspiration for your tabletop roleplaying game settings and stories. Netflix’s Arcane is honestly a master class in storytelling all on its own and I want to break down five avenues for better RPG experiences using ideas from the show.
Great Magic Items Inspire Amazing Stories for Players and Characters Alike
We love magic items! The source of power for adventurers may have slowly migrated from external to internal over the years but this hasn’t taken away from the joy of discovery when characters glean such treasures from the hoards of conquered monsters or unearth them in long-lost vaults. In our own fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons games magic items play pivotal roles whether this means providing the power to best terrible adversaries, grant capabilities otherwise impossible for a character or complement existing features.
Game Masters Aren’t Always the Smartest Person at the Table
One of the benefits of working in the tabletop roleplaying game industry is exposure to lots of different perspectives when it comes to gaming. Whether my takeaway from these is good, bad or indifferent there’s always at least a nugget of insight and ideas upon which to chew. A conversation I frequently encounter deals with the concept of consequences and very often focuses on the notion of dumb decisions from players leading to their characters’ death or otherwise adverse results. Adopting the same parlance I’m coming at this from the perspective the whole debate is dumb. Let’s get into it.
D&D Ideas — Reflections
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is the reflections, 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 reflections we’re encouraging your serious thought or consideration for our latest big project. Mage Forge is ideal for GMs who run short on time for game prep by providing magic items with the potential to define your adventures and the characters who uncover them. You can get the Nerdarchy 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. You can get the Nerdarchy 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.
