Critter Corner: Discussing Critical Role Episode 1
“Welcome to Wildemount. The year is 835 PD, or Post Divergence.” – Matt Mercer
Hello, Critter darlings. Have you wandered my way because you haven’t yet caught the first episode of the Critical Role new campaign? Or were you perhaps one of the 100K+ plus live viewers, but now you’re out amongst the interwebs looking for analysis, fan theories, and/or gossip? In any case, I hope you’ll find something interesting here. Fair warning, this isn’t really a ‘highlights’ kind of article. I do give some character overviews and a session summary, but my main purpose is trying to build a case for a theory I have about the overall story arc we might see as the new season unfolds.
*mild spoilers for Critical Role, Campaign 2 Episode 1 ahead
Welcome to the Dark Side of D&D with the Warlock Class
Hello everyone, and welcome to the darker side of fifth edition Dungeons &Dragons. Today we’re going to be going over the warlock class, through some of the best builds, invocations, and overall playstyles for this class. One of the more interesting things about the warlock is not only how its spell slots work – you always cast at your highest level available via Pact Magic – but what is arguably more interesting than that is the Eldritch Invocations feature that you get at 2nd level.
Philosophy of Pen and Paper Roleplaying Game No. 2
Why did your character become an adventurer?
Adventurer in a roleplaying game like Dungeons & Dragons is a dangerous profession. Travelling through dangerous landscapes, delving into infested tombs, and challenging mighty beasts – why would anyone choose such a life? Why would someone give up their life of relative safety to place themselves into the jaws of the unknown, sometimes literally? Answering why they emerged from their life of solitude as a hermit or ended their career as soldier poses more questions than you started with. These questions will lead to crafting more compelling roleplaying game characters through the introduction of flaws, personal conviction and opening the door to meaningful decisions.
Back and Forth on the Revilo Creation Collection with Creature Curator Brian Colin
Salutations, nerds! Today we’re going to take an opportunity to talk about a Kickstarter by the phenomenally talented Brian Colin. The Revilo Creature Collection is a bestiary the likes of which you’re unlikely to have seen before. The creatures in the book are ones Brian has brought to life in the form of sculptures.
Marvelous Phile: Character Creation
Hey, guys, Professor Bill of Comic Book University (where tuition is always free) and I’m bringing you the tenth article of the Marvelous Phile, an homage to the excerpt in Dragon Magazine back in the ’80s.
Worldbuilding: Customizing the D&D Elf and Elven Culture
Whats is an elf?
If you’re familiar with my post about dwarves you know from my perspective the issue with integrating them into my game world was a lack of information. I spent a huge amount of time trying to understand what a dwarf was (really) and how I could answer some of the often unaddressed questions about them. It turned out to be a lengthy project and addressing all the quandaries I found, as well as creating a vision I felt comfortable with, took some time and a good bit of reading. The elf was completely contrary to any experience I may have had with the dwarf. I felt not just overwhelmed but dizzy with all the varied concepts.
Flavour Shots: Skill Contests for Fighters in D&D
Flavour Shots are short descriptions of game artefacts and phenomena for use by Dungeon Masters, Game Masters and Storytellers in their games. Feel free to drag and drop these into your own games, and modify to suit. Let us know if you end up using them. Some will be portals to other realms, some will be magic items, others will be monster encounters. This time, it’s fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons fighters and the techniques they can use to overcome opponents. A D&D skill contest can be used by everyone, but fighters benefit the most.
D&D Welcomes Kate Welch as Game Designer
Way back in November 2017, Wizards of the Coast announced their search for a game designer to join the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons team. Countless hopeful candidates the world over threw their hats, resumes and CVs in the ring for this nerdy dream job. And on Jan. 18, 2018 we found out who earned this incredible position.
Top RPGs, CRPGs and Anime of 2018
Hello fellow gamers! Allow me to introduce myself. Sham B. here reporting for duty. Avid collector of RPGs and CRPGs, full-time geek, proud waifu admirer, anime fan, self-proclaimed bastion of gaming knowledge. Also old… yeah getting old gotta love it. So excuse me if every once in a while I tell someone to get off my lawn. That is a habit that seems to just come with age. Otherwise I am 18 at heart. I might grow up, someday. Just not today. Hello and salutations my few and precious readers! I come to you tasked with a quest.
Speak With Dead #23: Family Drama
Each week, our resident necromancer Maxillae the Mad takes time from her busy life as a alchemist and practitioner of death magic to offer her unique insights and advice to denizens of any world or setting. At the bottom find out how you can Speak with Dead and ask your questions of our necromancer with the answer. Until then, welcome to the crypt!
A D&D Puppet Master Bard from this College has the World on a String
Hello! Nerditor Doug to introduce a second guest post from Kyle Ellis. Kyle hit me up with another fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons character option and the concept brings to mind one of my favorite MMO games – Final Fantasy XI. If this College of Strings bard is what I think it is, it would make a fine companion for a Path of the Azure barbarian. Just saying. I’m just as excited as you to learn more about this puppeteer.
D&D Character Delve: Aarakocra Grave Domain Cleric for Adventures on the Open Road
Once a month, Nerdarchist Ted runs an RPG Crate-sponsored game of fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons on the Nerdarchy YouTube channel. In one of these sessions, Adventures on the Open Road: From the Sky, I played as Kek, a 5th-level aarakocra Grave Domain cleric. The next Adventures from the Open Road D&D session is set for Jan. 26, 2018, so be sure to follow subscribe, follow Nerdarchy on social media or visit us on our Discord so you don’t miss it. You can always sign up for our newsletter too, and find out how you can game with Nerdarchy.
But for now, let’s delve into this D&D character.
Marvelous Phile: Intensity FEATS
Hey, guys, Professor Bill of Comic Book University (where tuition is always free) and I’m bringing you the ninth article of the Marvelous Phile, an homage to the excerpt in Dragon Magazine back in the ’80s.
D&D Beyond Gets Unearthed Arcana Content
Hello! Nerditor Doug here with Nerdy News.
Unearthed Arcana playtest material for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons is now available on D&D Beyond.
Invoking Emirikol’s Guide To Devils for 5E D&D
Here we are again, doing another Homebrew Review. This time we are tackling Emirikol’s Guide To Devils from Sean McGovern. Like the last review, we aim to be honest for good or ill, and this one really took a good long time to review. Why you may ask? Because Emirikol’s Guide To Devils is a mighty big book of baddies for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons (240 pages!), available through the Dungeon Masters Guild. Anywho, we will be using the same scale as last time, and will be measuring it with the same school grading system. Let’s delve in and see how this one rolls out.
