Tag: 4e

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Month in Review

Month in Review: September 2009

September was a big month for D&D with the release of the DMG2. Keeping that in mind, we ran a lot of articles geared towards the DM last month. But that didn’t mean that we forgot about the players entirely. As usual we try to provide a good balance between DM and player resources. We also provided two new skill challenges, a couple of book reviews, some Eberron-specific materials and of course our opinion on a number of D&D related topics. September was another great month at Dungeon’s Master and as we so often do we want to thank you, the readers, for visiting us every day. If you’re new to Dungeon’s Master then you might have missed some of the great articles we ran throughout September. Here are the highlights.

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DM Resources

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

The Dungeon MasterAs the DM you have an important role. You control the action, pacing, drama, intrigue and excitement that exists during your gaming sessions. This role is an important responsibility, that if misused will result in player defections, absences or the demise of your group. Time spent between gaming sessions becomes critical regarding your preparation. Nothing is more disappointing to a PC than to arrive for the weekly gaming session and discovering that the DM isn’t ready.

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DM Resources Skill Challenges

Skill Challenge: Babysitting the Brats

The PCs are about to face the most dangerous threat of their adventuring careers… kids.

Setup

The PCs need a favour from an innkeeper, merchant or noble figure. The cost of the favour is babysitting. This might be only for a few hours but it could be as long as a few days (this is left up to the DM). Fighting monsters is easy compared to watching young children. Can the PCs entertain and feed the children without getting them killed?

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Book Reviews

Review: Word of Traitors

word-of-traitors

Word of Traitors
(Legacy of Dhakaan, Book II)
Don Bassingthwaite

An Eberron Novel

Word of Traitors is without a doubt the best Eberron novel to date. It’s book two of the Legacy of Dhakaan trilogy. If you haven’t already read The Doom of Kings, book one in the Legacy of Dhakaan trilogy then be forewarned that this review will contain spoilers.

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Editorial

I Wish for a Wish Spell in 4e D&D

In previous editions of D&D you knew that your PC reached the pinnacle of power when he could cast the wish spell. Wish always represented the most powerful and complicated spell in the PHB no matter which version of D&D you were playing. As if to make wish even more desirable, there existed limited wish – a spell that’s only purpose was to give you a diluted taste of the real thing. Now we have 4e D&D and I can’t find wish anywhere. What happened to the wish spell?

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DM Resources Eberron

Secrets of Eberron Revealed (Part 3)

The Treaty of Thronehold was signed three years ago. Since then old grievances have festered and grown into a cancerous hatred. Those with a grudge look for ways to eliminate their enemies. Prosperity, of a sorts, has also returned and individuals with extra gold look to acquire unique pets for their own purposes.

In our third installment of Secrets of Eberron Revealed, we look at a rogue faction of House Deneith that is abusing the power of the Sentinel Marshalls. Next, we look at a Nature Reserve on the Talenta plains and the secret the Halflings are hiding.

Discover more Secrets of Eberron Revealed in our latest installments of this ongoing series.

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DM Resources Editorial Player Resources

An Accidental Solution to the Slow Combat Problem

A lot has been said about combat being too slow in 4e D&D. We’ve shared our ideas for Speeding Up Your Game and provided More Tips for Speeding Up Your Game. But over the past few weeks we discovered what I believe is a solution to the slow combat problem: familiarity and cooperation. Here’s how it happened.

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Editorial

Styles Of Play

The traditional style of play for most RPGs focuses on the long-term campaign. A compelling storyline that both players and DMs invest in. It’s a shared experience that develops over the course of months and in some cases years. Typical campaigns require a level of commitment from all involved to attend regular gaming sessions.

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Player Resources

What Do You Look Like?

Describe your character? It sounds like a simple question, but it’s more difficult than you think. I’m not asking you to tell me your class or level; I want to know what your character actually looks like.

Most characters are described by their race, class and equipment and that’s it. But if I tell you that my PC is a Half-elvin Paladin wearing plate armor that doesn’t really give you a good idea of what I looks like.

Imagine that our PCs have never met before but need to meet in a very public or crowded place. All you have is a vague description of me. What kind of details will make your job easier? Knowing that I wear plate armor is helpful if you’re looking for me on a battlefield, but what if you’re trying to find me at a social function? I’m not likely to be wearing armor at all. So what other details will you need?

Most character sheets have a place for race, sex, height, weight, hair colour, eye colour and skin colour. All excellent details that help define your PC. But how much thought goes into the rest of your PC’s description?

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DM Resources

Preparing Red Herring in 6 Easy Steps

Too often in D&D the party’s objective is spelled out and put in front of them without any significant distractions. PCs do require some direction, but it doesn’t have to be spoon fed to them. By giving them a few false leads every now and then they’re less likely to assume that every encounter is part of the bigger story arc.

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