Ember Roc and Other Monsters of Tal’Dorei Inspire New Characters and Adventures
Tal’Dorei Reborn recently released and if you managed to get your hands on a copy from the wonderful people over at Critical Role’s Darrington Press you’ve seen a bunch of new monsters and their respective stat blocks for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. But enough of the book for now — you can hear more on this from us over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel.
Are You Already Playing Lacuna Part 1?
While tidying up my office I rearranged and curated my collection of tabletop roleplaying games on display. Doing so unearthed a small press RPG I discovered many years ago when the terrific Inception movie came out and I wanted to bring the dream heist espionage scenario to the game table. Lacuna Part 1 from Memento Mori Theatricks nails it with this wonderful indie RPG where players take on the roles of secret agents sent into a dream world where they encounter more than they expect and mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.
RPG Ideas — Relationships
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is relationships, 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 relationships another creator we’ve developed a great relationship with is Penny Dragon Games, who’s giving a free hard cover copy of Firestar Falling to everyone who backs a physical tier of the Bergin’s Book of Beasts Kickstarter in the first 48 hours. The cosmic horror adventure takes characters through an investigation of an abandoned village and battle against creatures twisted by a mysterious entity from another plane. 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.
Exploring RPG Character Strengths and Flaws as Two Sides of the Same Coin
Salutations, nerds! Today I’m writing about your tabletop roleplaying game character’s greatest strengths and biggest flaws and how sometimes it helps to have them come from the same place. I don’t mean where you put your highest and lowest stats but instead your character’s personality.
RPG Ideas — Technology
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is technology, 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 technology Vargarian Collective blends sci-fi technology with fantasy for Fifth Edition in an adventure for 4-6 characters of 5th-10th level along with a new playable race, four new magic items and 10 new creatures. 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.
Make Your Game More Interesting with Unusual Races in D&D
Race has always been a core part of Dungeons & Dragons and fifth edition D&D is no exception. I’ve often heard arguments go both ways about whether or not a Dungeon Master should limit the racial options players can choose from. On the one hand players argue anything in an officially published source should be usable in any setting. They contend limits aren’t fun, they want to use the mechanics listed in their favorite sourcebook for a given race or even how limiting what race players choose from is a manifestation of racism (harsh!). On the flip side DMs who argue for limiting race options often have ideas for vibrant and specific worlds they’ve built. In these situations DMs often contend the limit of race options gives the game world more believability and immersion.
RPG Ideas — Souls
Welcome once again to the weekly newsletter. This week’s topic is souls, 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 souls to celebrate International Tabletop Day 2018 we launched our revised Patreon rewards by sharing Empusia, Curator of Souls for free. We’re making some changes over at Nerdarchy the Store including a new category for our FREE material like this one. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
