•8 min read
Exception Based Design in D&D - When Rules Enable Rule Lawyers
5e 2024’s exception-heavy design can fuel rules debates; here’s how DMs and players can balance rulings, fun, and table expectations.
Posts tagged with “DM Advice”
60 posts found
•13 min read
War and Warfare in TTRPGs - How to Bring Epic Conflicts to Life
Practical guidance for crafting player-driven wartime stories: pitfalls to avoid, scenario types to run, tools to add tension, and moral nuance.
•7 min read
Movement in Theater of the Mind for DnD 5e
Streamline combat by declaring intentions, using simple ranges, and resolving maneuvers with opposed checks to keep TotM battles fast, tactical, and fun.
•7 min read
Embracing AI in TTRPGs - Enhancing, Not Replacing, Creativity
AI can streamline search, lore, prep, and tracking in tabletop play, freeing DMs and players to focus on storytelling while keeping human creativity central.
•5 min read
Crafting Cultural Depth Through Food in TTRPGs
Use cuisine as a storytelling tool: describe dishes, tie meals to rituals, status, and environment, and turn ingredients into hooks for richer play.
•10 min read
Foraging for Herbs in Shadowdark
OSR-inspired herbalism rules add strategic foraging, preservation checks, an expanded herb list, Ranger balance notes, and GM tips to your Shadowdark games.
•5 min read
Experience Still Matters - The Benefits of using XP in 5e.
Argues for XP-based advancement in D&D, rewarding non-combat play, encouraging agency, easing pacing, and doubling as a memory log for your campaign.
•14 min read
TTRPG Tools for Collboration and Change
Build better tables by aligning assumptions about the world and preferred play styles, then using communication, examples, and incentives to support shared fun.
•6 min read
Gritty DnD Injuries - Expanding Exhaustion
Revamps exhaustion in 5e with -1 per level, gains on crits and death saves, class Shake It Off, and clearer recovery, adding tension, stakes, and teamwork.
•4 min read
Yes, if ... the true secret of crafting adventures
Rather than quick yes/no rulings, challenge players with conditional goals that turn edge cases into quests, deepening stakes and shared world.