•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.
Posts tagged with “DM Advice”
•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.
•5 min read
My Current 5e House Rules
A concise set of 5e tweaks and table conventions, from exhaustion and movement rulings to rest limits, feat bans, and session etiquette for smoother play.
•9 min read
Skill Challenges in 5e
Clarifies what skill challenges are, sheds 4e baggage, and offers pacing and resolution tools from the DMG and other systems to enrich 5e play.
•3 min read
Cavern Elevator Trap
CR 4 elevator boulder hazard for 5e triggers mid-shaft, challenging detection, lever logic, Dex saves, and Athletics with fall-risk stakes.
•5 min read
Safety & Consent RPG Checklist
Practical guidance and resources for using safety and consent tools in TTRPGs, from setting baselines to gathering player feedback for respectful play.
•10 min read
Managing DM Anxiety
Practical strategies for DMs to ease anxiety: seek professional support, reframe self-talk, name feelings, use bodywork and prep tools, and ask your table.
•8 min read
Create Captivating Traps
Design traps with purpose to advance plot and energize combat, using environmental challenges, skill-driven complications, and scalable DCs.
•3 min read
Level Up Your Game with these RPGs
Explore a crowd-sourced list of RPG systems beyond DnD to expand your skills in narration, pacing, mechanics, and new approaches to play.
•6 min read
Thoughts on the First Issue of Arcadia
A practical look at how this 5e magazine adds a drop-in encounter, a sorcerer subclass, mounted combat options, and fresh celestials, plus tooling quibbles.