Inspire 5E D&D Adventure by Reading the Tarokka Deck and Spirit Board from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Salutations, nerds! It’s time to get down with some mystical woohoo stuff for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. By this I mean fortune telling and communion with the spirit world courtesy of Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. I know you can’t see me but imagine me wiggling my fingers at you. This particular topic is near and dear to my heart because I myself am an avid collector of tarot cards, which the Tarokka Deck is based on for 5E D&D, and use them frequently. I’ve been reading for about 17 years now and whether you believe there’s any real magic in them or not there’s something really fun about turning over a card and seeing what the reading has to say for you. In Ravenloft this is doubly true. A draw of a card from the Tarokka Deck or contacting spirits or other mysterious forces via a Spirit Board can greatly change the shape of your 5E D&D adventure and this is really cool. So let’s get to it, shall we?
Horror Pacing in 5E D&D with Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons is probably my favorite setting book to date from Wizards of the Coast. It has so many great resources for 5E D&D players and Dungeon Masters alike. Among my favorites is the section walking the DM through a step-by-step guide to running a horror game.
Top 10 5E D&D Homebrew Sorcerous Origins by a Factor of Three
Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted take a look at the top rated fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons homebrew Bard Colleges from D&D Beyond. We have a lot of fun checking out the 5E D&D content folks come up with and sharing their homebrew creations. (There’s lots of these posts whether for homebrew subclasses, magic items, spells, feats and more floating around for the curious.) I’m not choosing sorcery for a closer look this week — the power chose me to check out the most magical class in 5E D&D — the sorcerer — and checking out the Top 10 homebrew Sorcerous Origins. There’s currently over 1,720 homebrew of them so let’s get into it.
Wizard Like No Other with Order of Scribes from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Wizards portrayed as book nerds is nothing new when it comes to Dungeons & Dragons and more broadly fantasy as a whole. In fifth edition D&D the Order of Scribes from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything takes wizards’ cliche bookishness and cranks the dial all the way up. These 5E D&D wizards invest devote time and energy to their precious spellbooks — so much they imbue those tomes with a magical power of their own! Let’s get into it.
Domains of Ravenloft Cover All the Horror for 5E D&D with Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Way back in 1983 I6: Ravenloft was but one of over 200 modules published by TSR for first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The plot of the now legendary module introduced one of the most iconic villains in D&D history with the vampire Strahd von Zarovich. The module proved so popular it spawned a sequel and later an entire campaign setting for second edition AD&D encompassing an entire pocket dimension called the Demiplane of Dread and the collection of domains ruled by mystical Darklords bound together by the Dark Powers. Fast forward to today where Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft re-introduces the Domains of Dread for the fifth edition D&D community. Let’s get into it.
Observe, Report and Smite with Oath of the Watchers from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
A paladin who swears an Oath of the Watchers probably has a healthy dose of paranoia, right? In a fifth edition Dungeons & dragons world it’s not a delusion to suspect extraplanar threats to reality itself seeking chaos, destruction and power on the Material Plane and these paladins from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything shoulder a sacred duty to protect the mortal realm. Let’s get into it.
Preparing for 5E D&D Horror with Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft brings us a swarm of new ideas for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons and among those are tips for running horror games. As an avid fan of horror and incorporating horror elements into my RPG sessions I felt like I probably had a fairly good grasp on what this book had to say. However some of the things I found in this section of Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft took me completely by surprise. Not only does this book give you a guide for how to run horror in 5E D&D it also offers step-by-step instructions to ensure you and your group have the most fun possible with a horror game. Before you can run a horror game there are some important steps to set up your 5E D&D horror campaign so it can be the most enjoyable for you and your gaming group.
Top 10 5E D&D Homebrew Roguish Archetypes by a Factor of Three
Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted takes a look at the top rated fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons homebrew warlock patrons from D&D Beyond. We get a kick out of seeing what folks come up with and sharing their homebrew creations. (There’s lots of these posts whether for homebrew subclasses, magic items, spells, feats and more floating around for the curious.) I’m peering into the shadows to see what creations demonstrate skill and precision for the shadiest class in 5E D&D — the rogue — and checking out the Top 10 homebrew Roguish Archetypes. There’s currently over 1,850 homebrew of them so let’s get into it.
Control the Flow of Life and Death as a Way of Mercy Monk from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Salutations, nerds! Today I’m taking a closer look at manipulating the life force of others to bring aid to those in need through the Way of Mercy for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. Monks who follow this 5E D&D Monastic Tradition from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything are skilled in the art of healing and often go around with their faces concealed by masks. I’ve got a huge soft spot for characters in masks.
Monsters of Ravenloft Inspires Compelling Antagonists and Adversaries from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
When it comes to the monsters lurking throughout the Domains of Dread the latest fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons book Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft offers not only 32 new creature stat blocks but also takes a good deal of space to provide guidance on how to make monsters more frightening and instill horror into adventures in the Mists. Let’s get into it.
Master the Magical Dance of Bladesinging from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Salutations, nerds! Today I’m going to honor and expand on the elven ways with a closer look at the Arcane Tradition of Bladesinging for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. You might be aware that I’m playing one of these wizards, Chessalyne, in our latest Chaos Crew game Untraditionally Arcane where normal magic is on the fritz and those of us who study more obscure magic have been called in to go try to fix it. The campaign is a lot of fun and you should totally check it out.
Top 10 5E D&D Homebrew Monastic Traditions by a Factor of Three
Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted take a play from the book here at the website and check out the most popular homebrew content for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragon at D&D Beyond. We get a kick out of seeing what folks come up with and sharing their creations. (There’s lots of these posts whether for homebrew subclasses, magic items, spells, feats and more floating around for the curious.) I’m harnessing the mystic energy of ki this time around to see what creations embodying training and asceticism there are for the most disciplined class in 5E D&D — the monk — and checking out the Top 10 homebrew Monastic Traditions. There’s currently over 3,250 homebrew of them so let’s get into it.
Embody the Horror of Ravenloft Through the Way of the Astral Self from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
The Way of the Astral Self for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons monks allows your character to manifest ghostly appendages, gain newfound sight and so much more. With all of its heavy spirit themes this Monastic Tradition is the perfect fit for the Domains of Dread and Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. The latest 5E D&D book embraces the trappings and genres of horror in truly terrifying ways. While it comes as a surprise to many who know me I am an avid fan of horror spliced into other genres and while reading through this monk subclass I was so impressed by how easily this type of character would slot into a horror game. The subclass hails from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything and Tasha embodies so much of an archetypal witch that this only further leaned into the Ravenloft flavor. Let’s break down some ideas for the Way of the Astral Self and talk about its features.
Genres of Horror Inspires Uniquely Terrifying Adventures from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
The mists of Ravenloft have arisen to envelop fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons and adventurers must overcome their dread or forever be its prisoner! Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft makes a dark promise to provide everything 5E D&D players need to craft horror themed campaigns with new story hooks, character options and campaign customization to bring one of the most exciting and beloved D&D settings to life — including a comprehensive look at all the Genres of Horror with tips, tricks and guidance for evoking them at the gaming table. Let’s get into it.
Command Respect and Fear with the Order Domain from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
The Order Domain from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything feels truly weird in the spectrum of fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. What I mean is this subclass is tied heavily to law, discipline and command and few other 5E D&D cleric Divine Domains associate so strongly with a particular alignment. For most other cleric Divine Domains we have more general concepts — things like Light, Life and Nature. While I come very close to exploring the notion of how the Order Domain demonstrates the death of the traditional alignment system, that’s too deep a topic for today. Instead let’s talk about first impressions and how this 5E D&D cleric feels almost like the antithesis of another Divine Domain from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything – the Peace Domain.
