What works at your table?
A "called shot" in Dungeons & Dragons is an attack that aims for a specific part of a target's body. While this mechanic has been removed from 5th Edition in the interest of greater simplicity, the system is fluid enough to layer on complexity where you want.
Exploring Champion (Fighter) dips for Barbarians looking to increase their damage capacity with large weapons.
Conventional wisdom holds that a Barbarian is better wielding a Greataxe (1d12 damage) over a Greatsword (2d6 damage), due to the extra damage that results on a critical hit. Maybe we’re just used to it: the d12 is the die of the Barbarian. However conventional it may be, this idea is frequently wrong and may lead to using an inferior weapon, depending on your character’s loadout. Let’s dive into the numbers and see what kind of weapon your Barbarian should be using.
We're going to make the adventuring day agnostic as to character class. That way, everyone's going to be on a level playing field, regardless of how many encounters you run. How do we do this with linear fighters and quadratic wizards? It's simple. We kill the short rest.
Tired of the same old +1 weapons? Consider adding a more magical touch! For the low cost of one d4, you can add a little elemental spice to your next homebrew magic item! After all, players love rolling dice. We're taking a look at the power of a +1d4 modification, compared to standard +1/+2/+3 weapons.
Natural weapons are weapons that are "built in" to a player character race. We're taking a look at how the D&D designers have built natural weapons through the history of 5th Edition and making a template of our own.
In honor of Joe Manganiello's recent appearance on Stephen Colbert's Late Show, let's dive into the mechanics of death saves. While we explored ways to make death more interesting back in January, we'll explore the mechanics of death saves in this issue, while comparing them to Tomb of Annihilation's Meat Grinder mode. Death Saves Death … Continue reading Meat Grinder Death Saves
Player Characters with high perception bonuses can be a bane to DMs who are unequipped to deal with them. Let's explore the odds and different ways to manage high perception. High Perception Characters As arguably the most useful skill, Wisdom (Perception) is a natural proficiency investment for any character. This is especially true for skill-monkey … Continue reading Running for High Perception Characters
On July 23, 2018, along with the release of the Eberron setting for 5e, D&D released the Races of Eberron Unearthed Arcana, featuring updated versions of three races (Warforged, Shifter, Changeling) and one new race (Kalashtar). Today's focus is the Warforged. Integrated Protection The thematic highlight of the Warforged is its armored body. Great design … Continue reading Warforged AC
It's no secret that great D&D combat involves more than rolling attack and damage dice. Adding dynamic terrain components has been suggested by everyone that's shared their tips on tabletop combat. Without examples, this platitude often falls flat for new DMs looking to spice up their game. Let's explore some different examples of terrain elements … Continue reading How to Make Combat Terrain
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