D&D General 100 Amazing D&D Links (November '24)

[M.T. Black]

There is a lot of D&D and RPG material being published online, much of it free! Each week, I send out a list of the ten most interesting D&D articles I've come across.

Following is a compilation of the hundred links I sent out between September and November:

1. Sly Flourish suggests you incorporate the "Flee" action into your game. And I just did.
2. Uncanny Ramblings shares an extensive list of OSR setting books. Many of these are commercial, but there are at least a dozen free options that you should have a look at. I frequently open up other setting books to inspire my Iskandar campaign.
3. Lacrimis Draconis has just ended a campaign and shares the lessons learned. I enjoy posts like this tremendously.
4. Tetsujin Nollama has published a lot of historical RPG settings and shares some helpful guidelines. These are very good.
5. Sorcerer's Skull is also writing about settings. Here, he tells you the thing your weird setting history should do, and it's excellent advice.
6. Blue Mountain reflects on sparse dungeon keys, and I like the example she gives very much. We have similar ideas on dungeon keying.
7. Richard is all about architecture and shows you how to tell a story with spaces. This article is one for advanced worldbuilders.
8. Dreaming Dragon Slayer wants to make monsters monstrous. I enjoyed her recasting of some malevolent creatures from a children's classic.
9. False Machine shares some D&D lessons from the Thief video game. If you want to skip the lengthy (but interesting) preface, the lessons start about halfway down.
10. The DM Lair provides 5 tricks to take D&D combat to the next level. Solid!
11. Monsters and Manuals shows how the planet Mercury can inspire a fantasy campaign. This brief article is a masterclass in worldbuilding.
12. Goblin Punch gleans some lessons from Elden Ring to apply to your D&D game. They are excellent!
13. The ever-helpful Alexandrian demonstrates how to roleplay the 5E Help action. Great advice!
14. Paul Hughes, a renowned expert in 5E mechanics, delves into the numbers for the new D&D24 monsters.
15. This tool has been around for a while, but I only just discovered it. Following a template established by Matt Coleville, this Donjon webpage generates the essential elements of a new campaign. It is terrific! If you've ever considered creating your own campaign world, give it a try.
16. Deathtrap Games explains that worldbuilding is a separate hobby from roleplaying--and why that matters.
17. Dungeon Fruit catalogs 50 Magical Wizard Robes. These are splendid, and a few might pop up in my campaign.
18. In Lists of Cool Things, Rise Up Comus helps you overcome the tyranny of the blank page. We've all been there.
19. Daily Adventure Prompts presents a new D&D class: The Cartographer! It's undoubtedly a little different.
20. Devil's Dice is a simple mini-game that simulates your character's deal with a fiend. The mechanic is very thematic.
21. The Smithsonian Magazine explores how Dungeons & Dragons sparked a revolution in how we play everything. I enjoyed this article, though I wish it had gone a little deeper.
22. The Kobold Press gang explain how to handle romance in the game. Many of us find this a perenially awkward topic.
23. Scarlet Heroes is a D&D clone designed for solo and one-on-one play. In this post, Seed of Worlds tests the adventure generation tools. It is a terrific example of using random tables to create an evening's play.
24. Grumpy Wizard states that non-player characters should be the focus of a sandbox campaign. In my experience, he is correct.
25. DM Micycle presents a simple set of fortune-teller mechanics. I need more seers in my game.
26. Quajzen argues that empty rooms should be just that. This advice mainly applies to larger dungeons and is well worth heeding.
27. Mekhami declares that solutions are for players and explains why you should drop the word "if" from your adventure prep.
28. Weird Wonder explains how to implement complex social dynamics into your campaign. The goal is to create rich and immersive social settings.
29. Tabletop Joab presents a spell guide for the mending cantrip. He has devised several use cases I had not thought of. Does anyone use any "wear-and-tear" rules on their equipment?
30. Johnn Four shared the LEGEND encounter template for better boss battles. It's pretty straightforward, but the acronym is cool.
31. Seed of Worlds created a D&D adventure using the Donjon adventure generator, then played it as a one-shot. It's a great example of how to use this free tool.
32. Johnn Four shares an extensive list of friendly NPCs you can meet in a hostile environment. These characters represent a terrific way to put social encounters into your dungeon and wilderness crawls.
33. Scott Fitzgerald Gray explains the why and how of creating a gamemaster pipeline. We need more gamemasters!
34. Dump Stat Adventures explains how to share lore with your players. It is very sound advice.
35. The Alexandrian explains how to share your system mastery with your players. This article complements the previous one.
36. Ars Technica reports on a recent study showing that Dungeons & Dragons helps autistic players in social interactions. This news is no surprise to many of us, but it's good to have some scholarly confirmation.
37. The DM Lair explains 15 D&D worldbuilding mistakes you should avoid. There are some excellent tips here.
38. Roll to Doubt describes how to set up an old-school D&D sandbox. The article is long and links to many resources. It's a great way to get started with this style of gaming.
39. Dice Goblin demonstrates how to present a medieval-style religion in your TTRPG setting. Worked examples like this are a goldmine for your campaign world.
40. Gnome Stew has some solid advice on designing thematic bosses. A few extra details can go a long way toward creating a memorable encounter.
41. Rascal published this peek into Iran's growing D&D scene. Onward and upward!
42. Beth from D&D Duet discusses the best "nat-1" she ever rolled. Let the dice speak.
43. Monsters and Manuals presents a simple method for creating inspiring locations. It is a wonderful hack!
44. Attronarch shares 21 lessons she learned after running 100 sessions of D&D. There's also a great Q&A at the end.
45. Grumpy Wizard shares how he does worldbuilding for his sandbox campaigns. It looks like a robust method on the "lower prep" end of the scale.
46. Scroll for Initiative explains how to create a better map for your campaign. Excellent advice.
47. Tabletop Curiosity Cabinet explains why his Troika campaign flopped. There are valuable lessons here, and some go against the accepted wisdom.
48. The 7yo DM shares 10 tips for running games for kids. I haven't run a game for kids for many years, but I hope I get the chance again.
49. Sſtabhmontown did not like the find familiar spell, so he devised a fascinating alternative. I'm impressed by how he overlapped the ability rolls to use a single table.
50. Weird Wonder explains "people-centered" adventure design. Yes.
51. A group of castle enthusiasts have shared the floorplans of dozens of castles. It is a fantastic resource for your campaign!
52. Kobold Press just released the KP Encounter Builder. I've only spent a little time using it, but it looks good.
53. Omnes Exeunt examines what makes a monster fun. She has some good tips.
54. One of the Boffins at the DM Academy argues that gritty realism is the best optional rule in the DMG. I think I agree!
55. Dump Stat Adventures describes 5 ways to fail a skill check. It's not just about your incompetence!
56. The DM Lair explains how to run social adventures in D&D. It's a step-by-step guide.
57. Black Planet says flat planets are tremendous and thinks you should run them. Iskandar has a Ptolemaic cosmology, meaning the "planet" is flat.
58. In My Campaign explains how to make fictional history. I especially liked the list of resources at the start.
59. Choir of Fire judges most crafting systems as inadequate, but she has an alternative. Is crafting a big part of your campaign?
60. Roleplaying Tips explains how to improve dull adventure hooks. The chamber pot table is excellent.
61. Trilemma explains how to run an intrigue adventure in RPGs. It is a long article with much insight.
62. Prismatic Wasteland shares 31 free taverns from the Barkeep Jam. I've only looked at a few of these, but they are great!
63. D&D Beyond shares a whole bunch of free D&D resources. There is some high-quality material here.
64. Grognardia reflects on the use of character trees in Dark Sun. This idea might be suitable for your next campaign.
65. Merric is now playing D&D 2024 and has encountered a few things that surprised him. Merric plays a lot of D&D, and I value his assessment.
66. D4 Caltrops presents d100 monster special defences and other abilities. This table is a marvellous resource for your monster building.
67. Gnome Stew discusses how to make failure interesting. It is challenging, but there is magic at the table when you do.
68. Let's finish up with some game hacks! Murkdice introduces a simple method to make factions.
69. Next, Sly Flourish explains a simple method to annotate a map.
70. Personabler presents a simple method for worldbuilding.
71. Scroll for Initiative suggests we should write adventures like cookbooks. He includes 15 practical tips.
72. Dump Stat Adventures describes how to make skills exciting with skill challenges. I like running skill challenges, though there have been few opportunities in my recent campaign.
73. Did your character die? No problem! Prismatic Wasteland explains how to play as a ghost.
74. Tabletop Joab presents 13 terrifying adventure hooks inspired by Rob Zombie. Just in time for Halloween!
75. Aggregate Cognizance explores being a fan at the gaming table. It contains lots of solid advice.
76. AEDyssonance discusses how to make a villain memorable.
77. Roleplaying Tips has a simple tip: let your players have the last word! I'm going to try this out.
78. Merric, inspired by Metaphor: ReFantazio, is musing on time management in RPGs. I'm interested to see how he develops these ideas.
79. Widdershins Wanderings discusses what makes an excellent player-facing pointcrawl.
80. Jangle Friary says that DMs need to do less, more frequently. Not all will agree, but she makes a good case.
81. Silver Arm Press suggests you engage players by having them build your lore. This approach to worldbuilding can be fabulous fun.
82. Blog of Holding assesses the encounter budget tables in the new DMG. This article is very mathematical and very thorough.
83. Kontent Punch shares some ways to maintain the tempo at your table. I use a lot of these tips in my ongoing game.
84. Rise Up Comus created a fun puzzle called the musical minotaur maze. Are there other ways we can gamify sound effects at the table?
85. Brandes Stoddard suggests awarding titles and honours to your PCs. I always mean to do this, but I rarely do.
86. Sly Flourish explains how to gamify opening a magic portal. You can use this general approach with other narrative aspects of the game.
87. Playful Void discusses juicy plot hooks. This aspect of the game is more complicated than it looks.
88. Harbinger Games is running a 45-year-old D&D campaign. In this article, he explains the secrets of campaign longevity. These are good tips!
89. Aeons & Auguries introduces undead handmines. These are a fun little hazard to add to a cemetery!
90. Lord Gwydion considers how to make players care about hirelings. I think hirelings are a neglected aspect of the modern game, and that's a shame.
91. Have you ever thrown too much at the party? Konsumterra presents some ways to de-escalate an encounter without fudging dice rolls. As a bonus, he also presents several ways to ramp up an encounter when it's undercooked.
92. Grognardia examines the necessary role of low comedy in your high adventure game. Laughter is an essential ingredient.
93. The Kobold Press Gang considers what happens to the villains after the campaign finishes. These dialogues are always good value.
94. Josh shares a new puzzle called The Lady and the Unicorn. It features a nice gimmick.
95. Grumpy Wizard discusses how to use published adventures in a homebrew sandbox. These are worthwhile tips.
96. Darkvision is a common racial trait in 5E, which can reduce the dread of dungeons dark and deep. To address this, DIY Dragons devised several alternative racial abilities.
97. Jack explains what to do when one player is in the spotlight. His focus is on narrative games, but I'd like to know if there's a way of incorporating these ideas into D&D. What do you think?
98. M&M shows how to reduce, reuse, and recycle unused parts of your adventure. I frequently do this with published material.
99. Bogblins explains how to prep a pointcrawl. She has a solid method.
100. Mekhami suggests that you use the hero's journey to explore who your character is. I like this idea.

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