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.
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.
Tabletop Roleplaying Game Expectations in 2022
It’s the first day of a new year and reflection on the previous year naturally comes to mind. Recently we shared a collection of Nerdarchy’s Top 10 of 2021 and for a companion piece I’m looking forward to 2022 like I did 12 months ago for the year that’s just ended. I’m a lifelong nerd and now partner in our company so I spend considerable time thinking about the hobby personally and professionally. From this perspective here’s my thoughts about the future of the tabletop RPG industry including what I hope emerges. Let’s get into it.
Ideas on Running Multiple 5E D&D Campaigns in One World – At the Same Time
Ashes of Ardor is the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign I’ve been running on Nerdarchy Live every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET. Meanwhile Quill & Sword is a 5E D&D campaign I run every other Thursday night during the same time slot on my Twitch channel. Both campaigns take place in my dark fantasy world of Aulmn. Two campaigns, one world setting — infinite possibilities. As Ashes of Ardor comes to a close I want to share some of what I learned running two campaigns in the same world simultaneously. Whether you’re running a premade setting like Eberron, Wildemount or the iconic Forgotten Realms these tips should help with keeping things smooth and copacetic. Fair warning: there be spoilers ahead for both Ashes of Ardor and Quill & Sword.
Claim the Sky to Become a Superhero with this Cypher System Expansion
Claim the Sky is the newest expansion for Monte Cook Games’ Cypher System – and everyone is sleeping on it. Now, I’m not talking about literally napping on the hardcover book, which would be uncomfortable. But why is nobody talking about this book? Claim the Sky offers a streamlined, user friendly superhero RPG experience. In fact I’d go so far as saying Claim the Sky offers the most user friendly superhero RPG in any system, Cypher System or otherwise.
‘Tis the Season for 5E D&D Holiday Adventures
Thanksgiving has come and gone again, Charlie Brown, and this means the holidays are officially upon us. With the season comes an urge to run holiday themed adventures and one shots. Whether you want to do a one night session with all new characters or you want to incorporate a holiday session or two into your holiday season I’ve got thoughts on how to run a great holiday adventure for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons this year!
Play Your Next 5E D&D Game with the Break System from Octopath Traveler
Fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons has seen a boom in success like never before. So many people are playing and talking about 5E D&D and a robust community of homebrew and indie content has flooded the community with enough ways to tell and play so many types of stories with the system. Even when 5E D&D can’t accommodate a certain type of game or story there are a wealth of other systems to choose from. Much like the golden age of JRPGs this is the golden age of TTRPGs and as such I’ve had both on the brain lately.
Simplifying Distances for Theater of the Mind in 5E D&D
We love some fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons here at Nerdarchy, and we love streaming over on Nerdarchy Live. Part and parcel with streaming comes a need to adjust things and make them more cinematic for an audience. While minis are great they kind of bog down a stream if you’re not really skilled at multitasking or have a huge production team like Critical Role. As such we use theater of the mind, which comes with its own challenges.
Find Roleplaying Inspiration On Your RPG Character Sheet
It all started when our Tuesday night RPG group started a new campaign with me at the helm. For my turn in the Game Master seat I chose to run Quest, an all around favorite of mine. It’s a wonderfully streamlined and narratively focused roleplaying game. One particular standout from the rulebook describes the nature of each character’s abilities, which direct players to “Think of your abilities as ways to take control of a scene.” Acknowledging this concept in a deeply meaningful way changed how I look at RPGs for the better so let’s get into it.
Expand Your Roleplaying Through Heritage and Culture in 5E D&D
If you want to stir the pot with the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons fandom then bring up the topic of race and watch the opinions flow. Race is a core mechanic of 5E D&D and while some prefer the term lineage (see Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything) the two terms are used interchangeably within the community. The way I like to run D&D games, I view any mechanic as having a direct influence on the story and likewise I believe every mechanic’s existence ought to be justified by a story element. Race is just one of these areas so let’s break down character race, what it means, and how to use it more effectively in your 5E D&D games.
Discover Critical Role Campaign 3’s Wild New Party of D&D Adventurers
Critical Role just began Campaign 3 of its fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons game. The continent where the campaign takes place this time is Marquet and the southern accents, which we were previously introduced to via Fjord of Campaign 2, are in full swing . Before we delve into this post please know there might be some spoilers ahead for the first session of Critical Role Campaign 3 as well as spoilers for all episodes leading up to this point. If you’re not into those maybe come back and read this after catching up.
Unleash Your Hero on Demiplane’s Pathfinder Nexus
Pathfinder players can celebrate an exciting development today as Demiplane announces a partnership with Paizo through the creation of Pathfinder Nexus. Demiplane is a top digital platform for tabletop roleplaying games and will be home for an official digital toolset and game companion for Pathfinder.
Level Up Your 5E D&D Game with Evocative Descriptions
I play Dungeons & Dragons three times a week. On Tuesdays I play with the gang on Nerdarchy Live. On Wednesdays I play in my home game with my chosen family and every other Thursday I play with my author friends on Quill & Sword. Having played so much 5E D&D I’ve learned that descriptions are utterly vital. Dungeons & Dragons is a type of theater of the mind. You and your friends share a story experience much like a play or a movie except the experience is different for each person because there are no screens or stages — only your imagination. As such, Dungeon Masters must take a role similar to an author. They craft stories with descriptions to help their audience (in this case the players at the table) to envision what’s happening.
Halloween RPG Adventure Hooks Sure to Get Your Gaming Group Screaming
Nerdarchy is doing a Halloween one shot special with our monstrous friends from the McDonner Manor! Whether you’re running Quest, fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons or another tabletop roleplaying game we’ve got you covered with some ideas for you guys and ghouls! With the most spooktacular time of year in full swing it should come as no surprise many Game Masters are looking for ideas to run a quick and easy one shot for Halloween, Day of the Dead or a number of other holidays to incorporate into their campaign settings. To assist, I thought it would be fun to come up with a few prompts to help springboard your twisted imagination!
Crown of the Oathbreaker is a Truly Amazing Adventure Envisioned by the Elderbrain Community
The community at Elderbrain.com have come up with a grandiose adventure module. It’s called Crown of the Oathbreaker and it is a 500-page D&D 5e adventure module and campaign setting with player options and also a free 5e compatible character sheet you can download from here.
