D&D: The SADdening

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

MCDM’s Illrigger Preserves and Pushes 5e Design

Exploring how MCDM's Illrigger class capitalizes on classic 5e design and pushes the envelope with a new spellcasting template.

Smites Without Spell Slots

Let's hack smites to reinvigorate Paladin spellcasting, discourage multiclassing for the sake of powergaming, and promote more dynamic playstyles.

5 Skill D&D

Why have 18 skills when you can have FIVE?

We’re giving D&D players more agency over the narrative implementation of their skillsets by streamlining a bloated system and highlighting a popular variant rule.

Variant Human War Caster

As a follow-up to last week's post comparing the War Caster and Resilient (CON) feats, let's take a look at how the numbers shake out if you're playing a Variant Human or in a campaign where your DM lets you have a free feat at level 1.

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.

Do Changelings Power Creep?

Eberron's new Changeling is the first class that can start with an 18 ability score at level 1. Although this "power creep" doesn't mean the class is unbalanced, the answer to rebalancing the race within the existing design paradigm may lay within cut content.

Is Oath of Heroism OP?

The Oath of Heroism Paladin subclass is D&D's latest Unearthed Arcana playtest release. While the mythological flavor is incredible, the subclass gets some goodies that were historically only available by multiclassing: expanded critical range, Haste as an oath spell, and free attacks. How does this add up to a standard Paladin? We ran the numbers.

Kitbashing the Warlord

Among new class options, the Warlord is highly coveted. Especially so among 4th Edition (4e) veterans. In fact, the Warlord is probably the most popular class concept that hasn’t been graced with a playtest treatment via Unearthed Arcana. With no expectations as to when we might see an official Warlord (sub)class, how close can we get with the current options in 5th Edition (5e)?

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.