“Heeeere’s Johnny!”: The Long-Awaited Return of 3 Wise DMs
After several months off, and the start of a brand new year, DM Tony and DM Dave are pleased to announce the return of the 3 Wise DMs podcast!
D&D 5E
Not Just For Beginnings: How Session Zero Can Serve As An Ongoing Tool In Your D&D Games (And Other RPGs)
Does what you’re currently running still feel fresh and fun? Are your players as invested in it as they were in the beginning? Does something feel missing? Are you burning out?
Beginning to look at what Session Zero does for us at the start of a campaign can assist us in gauging what is happening in an ongoing campaign.
The Epic-Tier Divide: Bringing Your DnD Campaign Into the Wild World of High-Level Play
Super-powered archmages, alien vampire gods, Tiamat and the devil himself – once your campaign crosses about level 15, it’s all on the table. But the same is true for super-powerful spells, legendary artifacts, and a hundred other things that make the players as tough as your wildest villain creations. This is why epic-tier play just isn’t the same as everything your campaign has been through before.
3WD Talk Dungeons & Dragons on Dragon Talk!
Our recent article on running scenes outside of your game sessions caught some attention by none other than the official D&D podcast Dragon Talk! So, Thorin and Tony got the chance to sit down with Dragon Talk’s co-host, Shelly Mazzanoble, on their “How to DM” segment to discuss the devil the in the details!
3 D&D 5E Rules That Are Due for an Update
In my previous article, we looked at 10 game mechanics that have become more refined under Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. However, even the best system is a work in progress. While most of us agree that 5E runs smoothly, it’s not without a few rough spots. Here are three aspects of the current system that could use some fine-tuning and some suggestions on how to make them run better.
10 Issues Dungeons & Dragons 5E Fixed From Previous editions
For many players, 5E wasn’t the first edition of D&D they played. But by the time they did, most found that it corrected a host of previous issues. And while no system is perfect, the newer versions’ downsides were substantially outweighed by all the good things it brought to the table. Here are 10 ways it improved the game (IMHO).
The Attunement Rule: If It’s Necessary, Then Why Is It So Disliked and How Could It Be Handled Differently
One of the hallmarks of playing in a D&D game is it’s trademark magic-rich environment. However, there are games such as Diablo and Skyrim that offer a similar experience, allowing you to explore the world, face powerful enemies and collect magic equipment like Pokémon. And while these games are similar, one stark difference between D&D 5E and the above-mentioned games is the limitations with magical item attunement, toward which there are a great deal of mixed feelings both for and against it.
8 Awesome D&D 5E Magical Items and 3 That Are Deadly to the Party and Campaign (Part 1 – A through H)
One criticism of 5E is that the magical items are lackluster compared to some previous editions. Well, in our opinion, 5E has a great deal of magical items that are nothing short of fantastic, but others don’t live up to their reputation or can even destroy your campaign. This is why we have composed a list of items that are worth the hype and others that prove all magic items definitely were not created equally.
Does D&D 5E Need Character Levels? Radical (Heretical?) Ideas About Dungeons & Dragons PC Advancement
Leveling up! It’s synonymous with D&D and one of the game’s biggest contributions to gaming culture. The very idea of gaining a level has become a staple of RPG video games, board games, and even most (but not all, as we’ll discuss) Tabletop Roleplaying Games. But is it the best way to handle character advancement in D&D 5th Edition?
What Makes a ‘Bad’ Spell or Ability?
In our most recent episode, we talked about character builds and abilities that really tick us off. During that, I called Banishment a bad spell that was poorly designed, boring, and keeps the DM from being able to use a whole class of encounters. “Show us where on the doll Banishment hurt you,” you ask? OK, here’s how I decide if a spell or ability is broken and why I think this spell is bad game design.