rpg tips Archives

Genre Police: Not The Destination, but the journey

October 24, 2021 by Ben Jackson-Ellery Leave a Comment

So you have a group of wandering heroes. They need to get from a village in a woodland to the far north, an orcish settlement surrounded by ice and snow, to see if they can treat with the leader of the clan.

Genre Police: Sand in the Eyes

September 18, 2021 by Ben Jackson-Ellery Leave a Comment

You thought you were ready. You'd planned a series of twenty or so hooks in the city. A massive hotbed of intrigue and factions. Session three, the players leave the city because they've angered the law and never look back. You have to improv in the wilderness. None of it sounds as good as the city would have done.

Genre Police: Staying On Track

August 29, 2021 by Ben Jackson-Ellery Leave a Comment

In reality, some of the comfort of certain games comes from their predictability.

An argument for more sophisticated Tier 1 adventures

August 27, 2021 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

I will go over some reasons for why many of the Tier 1 adventures are designed as simple fetch or kill missions and over some exceptional books you can use to fuel your need for more sophisticated Tier 1 Dungeons & Dragons adventures.

Genre Police: Wangrods and Warriors

August 1, 2021 by Ben Jackson-Ellery 2 Comments

I think 'The Wangrod Defence' is the perfect example of what happens when we refuse to view the meta.

Genre Police: Meta-Lurgy

July 25, 2021 by Ben Jackson-Ellery Leave a Comment

Meta. The term is mentioned a lot in D&D circles. When someone does something outside of what their character knows, people roll their eyes and say 'uhh..meta'.

Genre Police: Keep On Marching

July 11, 2021 by Ben Jackson-Ellery Leave a Comment

When you begin a West Marches game, it's worth thinking about your player base.

The ultimate guide to buying and selling magic items in 5E D&D

June 25, 2021 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

Magic items play a huge role in 5e D&D – and I love handing them out to my players. But answering even simple questions such as what an item costs in 5e, where and from whom it can be bought, and how to haggle for a better price, is no easy task for the DM due to the lack of official rules and guidelines for doing so.