The Bestiary – Liches

Undead masters of magic, your players should fear the Lich. (Art: Savedra) There are many villains in the world of D&D, perhaps none more famous than the Lich. As much as the game proposes dragons in a dungeon, perhaps the most iconic dungeon is one with a Lich at the centre, their phylactery just waiting …

Letting Players Behind the Screen

Recently I posed a question to the Eldritch Lorecast about continuing collaborative storytelling away from the table. The discussion had by the hosts was interesting on the topic, but I wanted to get my own point of view across. When it comes to my opinion on collaborative storytelling beyond the tabletop I am focusing most …

Brother’s Grimm… but make it D&D

I don't know why people kept complaining we hadn't had a D&D movie since 2000 (before last year), because Brother's Grimm is the most "D&D movie" I've ever watched. Yes, more than Chris Pine and Co. produced. Brother's Grimm with its frankly ridiculously talented cast, is the perfect encapsulation of a D&D session from plot …

The Bestiary – Vampires

Strahd is but one vampire (Art: D&D) Dracula. Kas the Bloody Handed. Strahd. Vampires are an ever-present entity within the fantasy consciousness from Ravenloft to Castlevania, to Buffy. A powerful monster of the night, that retains a semblance of humanity that is both charming and frightening. But how should we use them in our tabletop …

The Bestiary – Mindflayers

Utilise the power of the Illithid (Art: quaresmadaniela.art) Mindflayers have been an iconic staple of D&D for decades, a truly iconic and unique monster to the game that regularly invokes fear in players at the table. Baldur's Gate 3 has brought these horrific monsters from the stars to the forefront of the D&D consciousness this …

The Bestiary – Giants

Giants are iconic in D&D, we should use them more (Art: velinov) Monsters are the heart of D&D. So as a DM you know you want to nail them. The Bestiary is a collection of intel on the monsters that everyone knows and loves in this game. This month we're going to take a closer …

The Bestiary – Chromatic Dragons

Titular monsters for D&D, how do we use dragons in our games? (Art: Antonio J. Manzanedo) Monsters are the heart of D&D. So as a DM you know you want to nail them. The Bestiary is a collection of intel on the monsters that everyone knows and loves in this game. First up Dragons, specifically …

Reign of Fire… but make it D&D

Not too long ago I finally sat down, with some friends, to watch the 2002 film Reign of Fire. I spent countless hours playing the PS2 game of that movie during my childhood relishing especially the sections you got to be a dragon especially (Welsh kid loving dragons, unique I know). And similar to when …

Refresh Hitting

Lets make combat exciting and memorable again (Art: Chris Rahn) D&D 5th Edition has existed for nearly a decade and a half and tabletop RPGs even longer. We love playing these games over and over again, for the different stories, the new dungeons, and the unique and exciting villains. But despite all of this we …

Unique Encounters: The Observer

I saw this fight, and instantly wanted to design a tabletop version of the encounter. It's so cool. In the latest season of The Legend of Vox Machina, based on Critical Role's first campaign, in episode four the titular heroes faced off against a creature subsequently named "The Observer". A Beholder-like creature that poses a …