Are your players about to go toe-to-toe with a big boss monster, but you lack stats for it? No worries! This article shows you how to create an on-the-fly boss monster in just 10 minutes or less. That way, you ensure the players have the fight of their lives without realizing that you’re sneaky AF. […]
This article introduces the concept of skill challenges and how to use them in Fifth Edition. What are skill challenges? While perusing the Kobold Press adventure Courts of the Shadow Fey, I came across a unique set of rules I’d never considered: skill challenges. According to the sidebar, “A skill challenge simulates an attempt to […]
So you want to learn how to play Dungeons & Dragons, right? Now, more than ever Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop roleplaying like it are making a massive comeback. In fact, there are currently an estimated 13.7 million Dungeons & Dragons players in the world. But as a new player, where do you start? And […]
Fifth Edition has a lot of cool elements to it that GMs can use: combat, exploration, and, of course, plenty of role play. These are often considered the four pillars of a tabletop RPG. However, I believe that there is a fourth that’s just as important: problem solving and critical thinking. And it is arguably […]
Looking for ways to trip up those pesky, over-powered characters that are stomping through your campaign? The traps detailed in this series focus on effects targeting certain group dynamics. The fifth entry is called Magnetic Personality. This trap specifically targets creatures who wear heavy armor. While strong characters may be able to avoid the deadly […]
Mobs are fun. After all, every player with a high-level character imagines what it’d be like to run through a mob of a bunch of CR 1/8 weenies. Logistically, though, it’s a pain, especially for the GM. For example, if you wanted to challenge a group of four 10th-level adventurers with kobolds (CR 1/8), you […]
The Spirits of Vengeance were a team of benevolent beings who protected mankind during ancient times. Their exact origins are a mystery, as some have claimed that they were the vestiges of God’s power bonded to human hosts calling themselves Ghost Riders, while others have claimed them to be demons in the service of Mephisto. There have been different sorts […]
This article is part of the Monster Hunters series that will appear in BroadSword Monthly. If you’d like a preview of additional content, be sure to check out the Monster Hunter material on my Patreon. Running a Monster-of-the-Week Session After you’ve outlined your format for your monster-of-the-week campaign and know what monster your players’ characters will […]
The majority of Athas is a barren wasteland. However, along the Tablelands, a thin stretch of land bordering the Sea of Silt, there are multiple city-states where sentient life continues to cling to existence. Each city-state is unique, with its own people, culture, and ideals. The optional rules below offer bonus proficiencies to natives of […]
This is a preview for BroadSword Monthly #2. Horror is one of the many types of settings available to gamemasters to run in Fifth Edition. But how can horror work in a world where epic heroes swing legendary magic swords, dodge arrows, and walk off near-fatal wounds after a full night’s rest? This article dives […]
