D&D: The SADdening

Examining D&D's added ability score flexibility and how the SAD/MAD balance affects characters.

Is D&D’s “XP Valley” Killing Campaigns?

A sneaky system design quirk may contribute to D&D campaigns fizzling out before they reach high level.

Give Giff Guns

New Giff features are stacked in a way that hides their value, but they're still missing a critical component of their identity. Guns!

Is D&D Shadow Banning Counterspell?

No. Well, not really.

“Typical” Alignment

First glimpses of D&D's Wild Beyond the Witchlight offer 5th Edition's latest attempt to grapple with applying alignment to monsters: "typical" alignment.

Flanking Damage

What if flanking did extra damage instead of causing advantage? Methods, pitfalls, and an exercise in implementation.

Changing Spell Damage Type

Players piloting spellcasters often want to swap out damage types for thematic or mechanical reasons. They might think that a fireball is cooler as an ice explosion. Or, they might want to swap a lightning bolt to fire to keep a troll from regenerating. How can we implement this mechanic in an exciting way for 5e?

Design Dials

Dial your D&D designs up to 11 by focusing on the elements that bring your intended fantasy to life.

What Am I Counterspelling?

Counterspell is a spell you cast as a reaction to stop another spell: Xanathar's Guide to Everything (XGE) introduced an optional rule for identifying a spell. It also costs a reaction: This creates a tension between identifying a spell and deciding to counter it. You can only spend your reaction on one. The grand implication … Continue reading What Am I Counterspelling? →