•15 min read
You Have the Power - Places of Power in D&D
High-risk magical sites let casters supercharge spells via attunement and metamagic checks with failure risks and rarity tiers, giving DMs rich hooks.
Blog Posts
•2 min read
Reimagining the Mark Option in D&D 5E - Empowering Martial Characters
Proposes a streamlined Mark rule: if you hit a foe in melee since your last turn, you can make one opportunity attack each round without using your reaction.
•23 min read
Vathirond City of Wild Inspiration
On Eberron's Mournland edge, a shattered Brelish city of six Crowns, clashing factions, and refugee Gutters offers rich lore and adventure hooks.
•5 min read
Experience Matters - The benefits of XP in 5th edition
Advocates experience points over milestones, tying growth to player actions, pacing adventures, rewarding exploration and roleplay, and preserving memories.
•3 min read
Origins of the Astral and Ethereal Planes in D&D
Explores how counterculture, pop icons, and early design split ghosts and psionics into two transitive realms, and how 5e streamlines that legacy.
•4 min read
Design Goals of Etherea
Outlines a Shadowdark homebrew where belief shapes reality, with lore-driven monsters, risky magic, and evolving hooks for adventures and towns.
•10 min read
Introduction to the World of Etherea
After the Echofall shattered Etherea, emotions spawn Echoforms from the Umbraweave as Weavers and the faithful vie amid perilous ruins and volatile magic.
•4 min read
Revised Injured Condition
Add lasting injuries to DnD 5e for higher stakes and strategy, with levels affecting rolls, recovery checks, class perks, and magic-based healing.
•3 min read
The Return of the Write Spell - A Nostalgic Callback or Unnecessary Complexity?
Playtest adds Scribe Spell to handle wizard scribing, a throwback to Write, but the author argues it adds fiddly complexity without real payoff.
•5 min read
Injured Condition For Lasting Damage
A streamlined injury system for 5e applies level-based penalties to rolls and save DCs, with rest, medicine, and magic for recovery plus DM guidance.