Among the hustle and bustle of a Sunday crowd of a certain PAX East, I found myself running to and fro through the tabletop area. It was the only day I was able to attend, and I had actually been somewhat forced to go by loved ones because life had sprung some nasty surprises recently (a long story for another time, perhaps), so I was determined to see and do as much as I could. As I actually rushed out of the tabletop area for a panel I came across an old friend from high school I hadn’t seen in a while; we exchanged greetings and well-wishes, then went our separate ways. After that weekend he got in touch, expressing a regret that he’d never gotten to play D&D and that he was wondering if I could help him out with that. Sure enough, I was able to put together a group, and we started playing. That was in 2013. The party reached Level 24 this past Wednesday.
Tag Archives: D&D
Meet the Party: Unearthed D&D5e Sorcerers
A half-elf with divine magic flowing through her blood, as capable of healing and helping as she is harming. A tiefling with the soul of a phoenix, wreathed in flames that protect him and burn his enemies. A halfling with the strength of the sea, who sits at the heart of a storm and literally flows away from danger. A dwarf with skin of stone, with magic in the metal of her weapons that lets her bring sorcery into melee. The onslaught of Unearthed Arcana material for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition has continued, and Meet the Party continues to provide ready-to-play characters. This time out the gate we have four new options for the sorcerer class, so let’s meet a homogeneous party that only needs one section of the book, but provides lots of sorcerous variety!
Meet the Party: D&D5e Unearthed Arcana Pt. 2
A paladin sworn not to protect or to heal but to conquer and dominate, crushing all in her path for power’s sake. A monk who meditates with a blade in his hand, seeking perfection of mind and body in the heat of battle. A wandering samurai, clan-less and master-less, using his steel and his will to rebuild everything that he lost. A rogue and a scout of the wild places of the world, who has fought for years and now thinks of the easy life. It’s been a busy few months for Unearthed Arcana, the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition column that presents new options for the community to playtest. There are still loads of builds for lots of classes, so let’s keep Unearthing some Arcana and Meet the Party!
Continue reading Meet the Party: D&D5e Unearthed Arcana Pt. 2
Level One Wonk Reviews: Playing At The World
Are you a Butt-Kicker, a Specialist, or a Story-Teller? There is a huge world of games out there to satisfy every player’s and group’s style. And while there are academic discussions in every corner of the internet, sometimes it’s best to start at level one. Join the Level One Wonk in exploring the possibilities that RPGs have to offer, from Aberrant to Zorcerer of Zo. This week, instead of writing about games, we’re writing about writing about games! Let’s check out Jon Peterson’s Playing at the World, an exhaustive tome about how D&D came to be.
Continue reading Level One Wonk Reviews: Playing At The World
Meet the Party: D&D5e Unearthed Arcana Pt. 1
A sailor with the rage of the wilds in her heart and the power of the storm and sea at her beck and call. A bard blessed with the gifts of a fey, dangerously persuasive and beautiful. A cheerful cleric of the grave, devoted to keeping the dead at bay and the living on this side of a tombstone – unless it’s their time, of course. A druid wise in the ways of the Summer Court, healing and shielding his allies in the light of the fey. It’s been a busy few months for Unearthed Arcana, the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition column that presents new options for the community to playtest. There are loads of builds for lots of classes, and we’ve got some catching up to, so let’s Unearth some Arcana and Meet the Party!
Continue reading Meet the Party: D&D5e Unearthed Arcana Pt. 1
Unearthing the D&D5E Artificer
It’s been a busy few months for Unearthed Arcana and Dungeons and Dragons. Rather than getting one release a month we’ve been getting an article almost every week aside from the holidays, with a glut of new character options for most of the classes. Recently, however, Mearls and Crawford took a left turn at Sharn and introduced an entirely new class: the Artificer! Rather than give the newest class the Meet the Party treatment, I’ve decided to review it in depth. Let’s see what the 5th Edition artificer has to offer so far, and I’ll let you know what I think of it. Continue reading Unearthing the D&D5E Artificer
Adventure Log: D&D for Beginners
In the small trading town of Devonshire, a small group of adventurers just getting their start had a simple job: go to the town, find the adventurer-turned-bandit calling himself Baron Dunbar, and bring him to justice alive or dead. Rumors had it that the Baron and his bandits were actually in the town itself, spending their nights at the Pachyderm & Palace tavern. The adventurers would have to get into the town, gain access to the tavern, and deal with Dunbar and his bandits.
Level One Wonk: Hex-Crawling
Are you a Butt-Kicker, a Specialist, or a Story-Teller? There is a huge world of games out there to satisfy every player’s and group’s style. And while there are academic discussions in every corner of the internet, sometimes it’s best to start at level one. Join the Level One Wonk in exploring the possibilities that RPGs have to offer, from Aberrant to Zorcerer of Zo. This week, an old-school favorite: Hex-Crawling!
Meet the Party: D&D5e Back to Basics
For the old hands it’s sometimes difficult to remember what it was like when we first got started. You had whatever starter weapons you’d managed to hang on to or find in your previous life, a couple of gold pieces, a few spells at your fingertips if you were magically inclined, and the clothes on your back. Not for you, yet, were stories of grand heroism or dire villains. Instead there was the tavern in the bad part of town, with whatever work you could find that might pay enough for your next meal and maybe some better gear. So, for old times’ sake and for the truly new to the trade, let’s Meet the Party all the way back at Level 1 for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition.
Meet the Party: D&D Faithful Casters
An acolyte of a deity of knowledge who has made a pact with their god, roaming the world in such of lore to add to the divine archives. A solitary believer in the power and nature of magic, growing closer to his deity with every spell he learns and masters, receiving even more spells in return. Every Meet the Party article gives you an entire group of ready-to-play adventurers (maybe even some heroes) for your gaming needs for a variety of systems and settings. This time we’ve Unearthed some more Arcana to find a pair of spellcasters who put their faith in magic itself, for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition!
Cannibal Halfling Gaming 