•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.
Posts tagged with “Mechanics”
•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.
•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.
•3 min read
Tavern Games - Darts for your D&D Game
Add a tavern darts mini-game to your D&D sessions using two d20s for segment and ring, with ranged attack bonus to tweak rolls and score doubles and bulls.
•6 min read
Sampling Random Ability Score Generation
An overview of popular random stat methods in 5e, their probability ranges, effects on bounded accuracy, and advice for group buy-in.
•6 min read
Perilous Journeys in 5e Part 2
Turn overland travel into engaging play with clear roles—Forage, Guide, Scout, and Ward—plus terrain DCs, party synergies, and encounter-focused pacing.
•6 min read
Perilous Journeys in 5e Part 1
This post offers simple travel rules for 5e: havens-only long rests, base camps, improved sleep and meals, and terrain-based pacing to enliven exploration.
•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.