•6 min read
Gritty Healing in 5e Part 2: Spells
Tie magical healing to the recipient’s Hit Dice to cap recovery, keep injuries meaningful, and free healers from heal-bot duty in gritty 5e.
Posts tagged with “DM Advice”
•8 min read
Gritty Healing & Survival in 5e
House rules for 5e shift healing to Hit Dice recovery, emphasize attrition, resource management, and conditions, with guidance for campaigns.
•4 min read
When Failure Isn’t an Option in 5e
Advice for DMs on embracing failure as a tool in 5e, avoiding stalled plots, and using techniques like success-at-cost to keep play dynamic.
•3 min read
5e Spell Save & Damage Breakdown
Analyzing 477 5e spells surfaces class save trends plus damage and condition profiles, offering guidance for vetting spells, subclasses, and encounters.
•2 min read
Thinking Critically on Agency
An insightful discussion on player and GM agency, misconceptions, trade-offs, mechanics, and the role of trust in shaping richer TTRPG experiences.
•7 min read
Being Ready for Surprise in 5e
Clarifies 5e surprise: no surprise round, treat unaware vs unready distinctly, use situational checks, roll initiative normally, and keep combat flowing.
•9 min read
Mounted Combat in 5e
House rules for D&D 5e make mounted play dynamic: training levels, riding vs war mounts, shared initiative, bonding, bolting, bucking, and equipment.
•4 min read
5e Advancement Difficulties
Analysis of 5e XP pacing shows leveling slows then accelerates after 10th level, speeding tier 3–4 play and demanding adjusted encounter design and expectations.
•5 min read
The Zen of Awarding Experience for Roleplaying
A simple system scores social encounters by stakes and change, maps them to CR vs party level, and awards shared XP to encourage noncombat play.
•7 min read
Engaging Players with Magic Item Creation
Streamline 5e item crafting with recipe tracking, simple foraging and harvesting checks, and CR-themed major ingredients that create proactive hooks.