Schrödinger’s Orcs

This is my dirtiest DM secret: I don't fudge dice. I fudge entire monsters. This DMing tip can help you manage the tide of combat to dramatic conclusions.

How To Run A Sandbox

How do you run a sandbox without being completely overwhelmed by the expansiveness? Let's tackle this by dividing it into two sections: planning the sandbox and running the sandbox.

Conditions Chart by Effect

I've digested the Conditions into their various effects: ability checks, attack rolls, attacks against, movement, special attributes (generally aimed at limiting spellcaster efficacy), and what causes them to end. I've also marked an asterisk on the conditions that have incapacitated as a sub-condition.

Druid Wild Shape Options by CR

If you run Druids by-the-book, then they can only Wild Shape into a limited number of forms that the Druid has seen: DMs have a lot of control over Wild Shape. Since the Druid doesn't get Wild Shape until Level 2, you aren't committed to allowing the player a certain number of Wild Shape options … Continue reading Druid Wild Shape Options by CR →

Passive Skills vs. Reliable Talent

Reliable Talent makes all your skills passive. In order to see what you're really getting from this class feature, you need to find out what skills already function passively, and what skills only function actively. We'll examine passive skill treatment in the rules and analyze where each skill should fall.

Lucky Feat: RAW vs. RAI

After last's week post calculating the success odds for the Lucky feat, some folks who run the Lucky feat a little differently asked me to run the odds on that iteration. Since this homerule is popularly employed, including by D&D Lead Rules Designer Jeremy Crawford, we're running the odds and evaluating the comparison.

271 Ways Contagion Got Nerfed

The Player's Handbook errata released in November 2018 patched a gap between RAW and RAI by inflicting the poisoned condition. We're exploring the impact and duration of the poison effect with an updated odds calculator.

Two-Weapon Fighting Calcs

Over the past couple weeks, we've looking into issues with Two-Weapon Fighting and solutions to fix Two-Weapon Fighting. While discussing potential solutions is a good starting place, theorycrafting can often fall flat at the table. In order to identify which systems are the most balanced and deserve testing, you've got to run the numbers. The … Continue reading Two-Weapon Fighting Calcs →

Skill Challenge Odds Calculator

Skill Challenge Odds If the interactive sheet appears broken, check here for a read-only copy. You can find great tools by looking to older editions of Dungeons & Dragons. 4th Edition introduced skill challenges, which are an interesting way to run a narrative event (such as a chase or an escape from a collapsing building). … Continue reading Skill Challenge Odds Calculator →

Called Shots

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.