Why DMs Are Banning Silvery Barbs

Find out why DMs are banning Silvery Barbs before its even released in D&D's new Strixhaven book.

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? →

Casting a Bonus Action and Reaction Spell on Your Turn

The bonus action spellcasting restriction in 5th Edition D&D can keep you from casting a reaction spell on your own turn. Why is this? Was it intended? And how can we rewrite the rule to alleviate this quirk?

Two-Weapon Fighting Hacks

Last week we explored the mechanics and design goals of two-weapon fighting. This week, we're going to examine some hacks to make it more competitive with other fighting styles. Feel free to borrow pieces of these to spruce up two-weapon fighting in your game. While the goal is to achieve a system that fits into … Continue reading Two-Weapon Fighting Hacks →

How Minotaurs Caused the Shield Master Rule Reversal

Dungeons & Dragon’s May 2018 Unearthed Arcana updated the Minotaur race. With three years since the original release, the improvements in the race design can tell us a lot about what lessons the Wizards of the Coast D&D team learned in that time.

RPG Scorecards: Action Tracker

I grew up hanging out in ballparks. Every once in a while, you'd see some grognard jotting notes in their program as the game progressed. Eventually, I tried keeping score myself and I loved it! Tracking a game on a scorecard gives you a heightened level of engagement and serves as a fun memory of … Continue reading RPG Scorecards: Action Tracker →