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Nerdarchy > Creator Spotlight  > Nerdarchy’s Top 10 of 2020

Nerdarchy’s Top 10 of 2020

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The turbulent year of 2020 draws to a close. As the year ends Nerdarchists Dave and Ted reflect on the high points from 2020. All things considered this past year was a good one for Nerdarchy with growth across the board from our YouTube channel (we’ve got two now!) to right here on the website and more. New friends were made and new games were played. Our creativity and curiosity led us to try lots of new things with our own content and we’re proud of the continued positive growth we’ve experienced.

Year in review and looking ahead to the future!

After Nerdarchists Dave and Ted share their reflections on 2020 you’ll find a series of Top 10 lists. We checked the analytics to determine the ten most popular things in a variety of categories. All of the items in these lists are exclusive to 2020. This includes website posts and videos published this year, best selling products from our store, newsletters with the most engagement and the most ordered products through our Amazon affiliate.

In addition to representing a snapshot of 2020 this kind of data helps us steer the ship into the future. Clearly the Nerdarchy community loves fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons! So we’ll continue creating content inspired by our favorite tabletop roleplaying game. But heading into 2021 we want to do more for other RPGs too. For starters we’re developing some ideas to expand on the live stream actual play videos over at Nerdarchy Live and everyone is super excited for this direction. There’s a ton of awesome RPGs out there and we want to showcase these (plus play more games ourselves!).

Whether you prefer your Nerdarchy content here on the website, our two YouTube channels, the weekly newsletter or as one of our awesome Patreon supporters we do our best to present engaging and entertaining content for all RPG players. Thank you to everyone who continues to support and encourage us along the way. You are the reason we do what we do as creators.

For nerds, by nerds indeed.

Delving Dave’s Dungeon

2020 — what a crazy time. We began delivering on Out of the Box: Encounters for Fifth Edition despite numerous obstacles. We are finally closing on getting it all wrapped up. We’ve revisited the Daily Live Chats and moved them to a brand new channel, Nerdarchy Live. We’ve begun placing live actual plays, daily live chats and our weekly patron only live chat there. Let’s break these down a bit.

We’ve opened up our Weekly Patron Only Live Chat to the whole of the Nerdarchy community during the craziness of the pandemic to offer up a little relief to people who might be suffering. This is the reason we started Live Chat Revivified. It’s been a great way to connect with old friends and make new ones. So many great guests! I’ve got to say getting Chris Perkins and R.A. Salvatore on the channel were crowning achievements.

I’ve gotten to build friendships with even more industry people and ordinary gamers alike around the world. Some of those people I play with in a non-streamed game with every Saturday morning via Roll20. It’s my first time playing through an official adventure for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. We played through the Frozen Sick from The Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount written by James Introcaso. He was also our Dungeon Master for the game. I had a blast playing Tunk the human Twilight cleric who was raised by goblins. From this experience Tunk and friends were swept up by the Mists of Ravenloft and transported to the lands of Barovia as we play through Curse of Strahd. As of this writing Tunk was slain by Baba Lysaga. Tunk got finger of deathed to death. The party wishes to get him resurrected but we’ll see. Prior to these adventures all of my 5E D&D gaming has been homebrew. Running through my first official adventures with a great group of friends was definitely a highlight of this year.

Finally one of the most exciting is 2020 marks a full year of employing our very first full time employee. Content Director Doug is more than just an employee but part of the Nerdarchy family. [NERDITOR’S NOTE: Awwww!]

From Ted’s Head

What a year. So many things happened, and so many struggles. But not all of 2020 was negative. With people switching over to online gaming it changed much about what I had been doing for my typical game. My players have told me they enjoy the creations I bring forward and even though my sessions are lighter on combat that many other Dungeon Masters, having the battle grid allows for more tactical decisions once battle has been joined. I struggled with how to still offer the design of this kind of game when we are not all in the same place. But I will get back to that.

As the world immediately began to change its activity cycle I found myself with quite a large amount of time to myself. I dove into the crafting and painting end of this wonderful hobby and made some very cool stuff. Some I have not shared and some will at some point be used. I also did more crafting for some wonderful craft exchanges with some friends who I treasure.

After a fashion all this crafting and painting needed to be seen by players. Eventually I set up a second webcam and laptop and quite surprisingly for the players I was able to join the call with a battle cam. The players were so happy. Some told me that night they felt this was an element of my games they missed. I was able to drop a battle grid already set up and waiting. There are still bugs to work out as the camera only has the one view but I am pleased.

Aside from my game the pandemic brought about more gaming in my life. The Tuesday night game on our Nerdarchy Live channel might not have happened had it not been for this plague. This has brought the Nerdarchy crew together regularly and has allowed us to bond and become better friends. This revived a long remembered and amazing story of Those Bastards. It is such an amazing game with a Fantastic GM. I eagerly await when we get to season two. But It also is allowing me to try my hand at a new game. And while the game will not air in 2020 my game prep certainly has so sorry to tease you with a game to come but look for us January to start this new game and a style I have not been a part of let alone run. Lastly some other new gaming concepts have been discussed behind the scenes and I will be very excited to see when we can make this happen.

As we close in on the end of 2020 and say goodbye to the year of the dumpster fire, I long for all of the great things that 2021 can bring, but I will have some fond memories of 2020. So I offer a safe and wonderful year end celebrations and hope that 2021 is a better year for all of you.

Top 10 Nerdarchy the Website

  1. Best in Show 5E D&D Magic Items for a Druid
  2. Way of the Four Elements Monk Reborn for 5E D&D
  3. Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything Has, Well… Everything for 5E D&D
  4. 5E D&D Quarterstaff Not So Simple After All
  5. Play Your Next 5E D&D Game with a Crafty Vulpin New Playable Race
  6. Top 10 5E D&D Homebrew Warlock Otherworldly Patrons by a Factor of Three
  7. Multiclass Without Multiclassing Courtesy of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
  8. Top 10 5E D&D Homebrew Paladin Sacred Oaths by a Factor of Three
  9. Animal Handling 101 — 5E D&D Skills and Skill Checks
  10. How to Play D&D for the Rest of Your Life for Free

Top 10 Nerdarchy the YouTube

  1. Deadliest Archer Build 5e D&D
  2. Would 5E Cantrips that Heal Break the Game
  3. UNEARTHED ARCANA 2020 D&D Subclasses, Part 1 Review
  4. Unstoppable Armor Class D&D Character Build Guide
  5. Matt Mercer’s 5e Blood Hunter What’s the Best Race to Play
  6. Warlock Class Guide For Dungeons And Dragons 5e
  7. D&D Spells: Getting the Most from the Find Familiar Spell
  8. D&D Stats Explained: The One Stat You CAN NOT Dump
  9. Deadshot Archer D&D Character Build Guide
  10. Playing an All Wizard D&D Party

Top 10 Nerdarchy the Store

  1. Out of the Box
    1. Includes associated products (hardcover, PDF, GM screen, print and play card decks and free preview encounter)
  2. Taking Chances
  3. Friends, Foes and Foils Folio
  4. Frost King
  5. From Hit Dice to Heroics
  6. Bestiary of Benevolent Monsters
  7. Wyestone Horror
  8. Secrets of the Vault: Mage Forge Vol. 1
  9. Lord of Dead Dreams
  10. Secrets of the Vault: Lost Lore Vol. 1

Top 10 Nerdarchy the Newsletter

  1. Food
  2. Patrons
  3. Plants
  4. Campaign Finales
  5. Tropes
  6. Dungeons
  7. Endings
  8. Myths and Mythology
  9. Piety
  10. Insects

Top 10 Nerdarchy Live

  1. XP to Level 3 and D&D on the Daily Live Chat Revivified #40
  2. Moon Rises Cypher System RPG Game Play Trailer Season 1
  3. D&D Discussion with Shane from the Watcher Daily Live Chat Revivified #35
  4. Those Bastards #1 D&D Live Play Season 1
  5. Maximum Apocalypse RPG Game Play
  6. Nerd Immersion Stops by to Talk D&D on the Daily Live Chat Revivified #77
  7. Jorphdan the PH is Silent on the Daily Live Chat Revivified #101
  8. D&D and Critical Role Cosplayer Ginny Di on the Daily Live Chat Revivified #44
  9. R.A. Salvatore on the Daily Live Chat Revivified #84
  10. WASD20 Talking D&D and Maps on the Daily Live Chat Revivified #60

Top 10 Nerdarchy the Amazon

  1. Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything (D&D Rules Expansion) (Dungeons & Dragons)
  2. Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount (D&D Campaign Setting and Adventure Book) (Dungeons & Dragons)
  3. Dungeons & Dragons Mythic Odysseys of Theros (D&D Campaign Setting and Adventure Book)
  4. Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit (D&D Boxed Set)
  5. Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden (D&D Adventure Book) (Dungeons & Dragons)
  6. Player’s Handbook (Dungeons & Dragons)
  7. Xanathar’s Guide to Everything (Dungeons & Dragons)
  8. Volo’s Guide to Monsters (Dungeons & Dragons)
  9. Fast (1kg) ABS-Like Fast Curing Non-Brittle 3D Printing Resin (Smoky Black)
  10. Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual (Core Rulebook, D&D Roleplaying Game)
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