War Caster vs. Resilient (CON)

Comparing the War Caster and Resilient (CON) feats to determine which one gives a bigger boost to maintaining concentration on a spell.

Narrating Missed Attacks

We often say an attack that misses by 2 hits your shield. Yet, a shield isn't your last line of defense--it's one of your first! Can we establish an order of operations for missed attacks that assists us in narrating combat more accurately?

Pole Position: PAM over GWM

Why to take the Polearm Master feat before the Great Weapon Master feat.

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.

Martial Adept vs. Magic Initiate

We're comparing the Martial Adept feat and the Magic Initiate feat. While the effect of linear fighters vs. quadratic wizards most often manifests in class design (mostly due to spell access), there’s an interesting reflection of this design in the 5e feats, which we expect to be balanced against each other.

Non-Metal Druid Armor

Since the Druid's non-metal armor restriction is purely thematic, we're taking a close look at the rules and reskinning the metal options to give Druids access to the full armory!

Two-Weapon Fighting

D&D Creative Director Mike Mearls recently tweeted about revised Two-Weapon Fighting rules, including a poll about where its damage output should lie: Mechanics Any discussion regarding two-weapon fighting involves these mechanics: Two-Weapon Fighting bonus action Dual Wielder feat Two-Weapon Fighting style Let's explore these mechanics first to identify where we have wiggle room to improve … Continue reading Two-Weapon Fighting →

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.

Champion Barbarian

Exploring Champion (Fighter) dips for Barbarians looking to increase their damage capacity with large weapons.

Warforged AC

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 →