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.
Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep Revealed for 5E D&D
That mystery book for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons showing up on Amazon recently now has a name — Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep. According to the official D&D website this epic Critical Role campaign asks adventurers — can you change fate?
Penny Dragon Games Unleashes a Horde of Horror for Halloween
By guest poster Ben Doherty, founder of Owlbear Press
*Inhales* Ahhh… Can you smell it? The sweet stench of decay? That magical time of year draws close. The leaves are falling from the trees. The dead are rising from their graves. Halloween, like a werewolf stalking in the moonlit night, is almost upon us. And you’d best be prepared. Stock up on supplies — bobbing apples, candy corn, and plenty of pumpkin spice — and barricade yourself inside, whether it’s a suburban home, a cabin in the woods, or your recently deceased estranged uncle’s castle. It’s time to get the gang together, formulate a survival plan… and play some D&D.
Mag of Holding Haunts Your 5E Games with Gothic Horror Just In Time for Halloween
Penny Dragon Games added another title to their Mag of Holding series, following up on Frozen Wastelands and Pirates & Seafaring with Gothic Horror. This collection of encounters, creatures, curses and lore makes a fantastic asset for any Game Master and with the Halloween season upon us it’s the perfect thematic content for Fifth Edition players.
Top 5 Official Campaign Settings for 5E D&D
Here at Nerdarchy we love our fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. The system is fluid and elegant, allowing for play in a variety of different settings. But maybe you’re new to the RPG hobby and you’re just not sure where to start when it comes to a campaign setting. While we tend to like our own homebrew settings, building an entire world can be a daunting task — especially for someone who’s just picked up a book and a set of dice for the first time. But don’t let your knickers get in knots; we’re here to help.
Quest RPG is Perfect for a Live Roleplay Stream and You’ll Never Guess Why
Recently on Nerdarchy Live we completed Ingest Quest 2, hosted by our own beloved Nerditor Doug. Quest RPG was the system powering our romp through culinary weird space and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit skeptical of this new system. However by the end of everything, I think Quest RPG is one of the best systems out there for running an entertaining game stream. Let’s explore some takeaways from the game and what Quest RPG does really well to make itself an ideal system for roleplay heavy groups and thus, conducive to a great stream game.
5 Random Tables to Avoid Boring 5E D&D Characters
Too many times I’ve begun a fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign with the phrase, “You meet in a tavern…” and given zero thought to what the player characters might be doing in the tavern in the first place. I never gave thought to why the druid who doesn’t drink would be in the tavern at all. Last night after our game of Ingest Quest 2, Nerditor Doug, Nerdarchist Ted and I had a conversation about gaming groups and how to make D&D characters more interesting.
Embracing the Core Principle of Quest RPG Makes a Guide’s Life Fun, Rewarding and Easy
Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted share their experience and a general overview of playing Quest RPG. I fell in love with this whimsical RPG a while back and when my turn in the hot seat came around on our Tuesday night games at Nerdarchy Live I couldn’t wait to Guide the group through creating a story with Quest RPG. In the video the guys discuss their impression of the game from the player side of things and mention their curiosity about the nuance of being the Guide — Quest’s iteration of a Game Master. I’m the Guide for the group in which they play and as a follow up to the initial thoughts I shared after first discovering this wonderful RPG I aim to do so right now. Let’s get into it.
Advancing Your 5E D&D Franchise with Acquisitions Incorporated
Fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons’ campaign setting books do a masterful job providing all the tools and resources players need to create unique experiences within each particular environment including inspiration, encouragement and guidance for developing your own ideas. My favorite book of the bunch — Acquisitions Incorporated — expands tremendously on the concept of running a business included in the 5E D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide. Let’s get into it.
Enduring the Elements of Weather Adds to Immersion in Your RPG Experiences
Get your ponchos and snow boots ready because we are about to get wet as we brace for all sorts of inclement weather. The one aspect of roleplaying games that always keeps me coming back for more is the opportunity for creativity. The opportunity to create worlds, characters and entire universes is really awesome. With these opportunities the weather is a factor I personally do not see frequently in games. Attention Game Masters — this is the perfect way to lead to a TPK. Just kidding about that, but adding weather elements is a way to spice up your game. Match the weather to the environment and see what happens. Descriptive weather can add to the story and immersion of your game without any additional mechanics added.
