Monte Cook’s latest Legends & Lore article hit with some thoughts on Epic Tier Play. It was short, had some polls, and seemed almost like he was just checking in with people or thinking out loud. Pretty common for one of those articles. The Internet loves to pick these articles apart then roll around in a boil of hatred. I usually don’t have the same [Read the article]
Racial utility powers are a relatively new mechanic, introduced in Heroes of Shadow. They grant your PCs a dynamic way to make their race interesting throughout the tiers of play. The team at Wizards of the Coast have been releasing new racial powers for the classic races through the DDI. Some races seem to have a better chance of being selected over others, which is [Read the article]
Everyone loves magical items. Whether they’re common or rare, equipping yourself with the latest Flaming Sword or Circlet of Mental Might is part of the fun of playing. The abilities these items grant make you feel like that powerful fantasy hero you love being. We all love winning, but one of the best parts of Dungeons & Dragons is that failure can be just as [Read the article]
Riding dragons is one of those ultimate staples of fantasy, but tabletop gamers with a little experience may view it as unrealistic. Dragons are intelligent, proud and very powerful. It would be very difficult to convince one to serve as your mount for a short time, and likely require a very dire situation. To gain one as a companion seems practically impossible, not to mention [Read the article]
As I begin to write this, it’s Monday, January 9th, 2012. This morning, the next edition of Dungeons & Dragons was announced. In the shower, I found myself getting stressed out about all the projects I had up in the air. I realized that this affects me in a way that’s more than just being a fan of a game.This post is not about 5e [Read the article]
The Weeping Angels are an alien race developed for and featured in the current run of Doctor Who. The version presented here has been slightly altered in order to create a compelling 4th edition combatant. “Don’t blink. Blink and you’re dead. Don’t turn your back. Don’t look away. And don’t blink. Good Luck.” – The Doctor. The Weeping Angels are one of the oldest races [Read the article]
This article builds off the concepts presented in Designing Fantasy Cities: Purpose. When we talk about who lives in a town or city, the first thing that often comes to mind is race. This isn’t a bad thing, as that often links back to culture in fantasy. Dwarves live differently than elves. It may make us all fictional bigots to think that way, but its useful, [Read the article]
“Curses take many forms. The seemingly impossible quest of a fey lord can puzzle PCs and send them on far reaching quests, or the scarring hex of a hag could totally change the way a hero is viewed, both by others and personally. The curse of lycanthropy is particularly well familar, and tales tell of those strong enough to break through the curse, and command their new forms, [Read the article]
Daily Encounter started as a useful site, presenting easy to incorporate encounters, often complete with maps and stat blocks. It has blossomed into and incredible resource over the last few months as John Pope has added a number of new designers to his list of authors (a few of which have also been highlighted by KoboldQuarterly.com). Each week they present new and flavorful elements to add [Read the article]
I, like many people I’ve spoken to, were disappointed with the new vampire option presented in Heroes of Shadow. It’s not in fault to the mechanics. They feature excellent flavor and a fun balancing act of healing with limited healing surges. It’s not the fact that we already had vampire-esque options in the form of feats. I certainly don’t have a problem with such a [Read the article]