A tournament or arena encounter can create a welcome change of pace in our games. They offer a structured series of varied challenges where characters can shine through skill, ingenuity, and flair, all while competing for a coveted prize. Whether used as filler sessions or part of the main story, tournaments can be tailored to …

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As game masters, we often strive for control—crafting intricate plots, anticipating player decisions, and steering the game towards planned outcomes. But what if we could let go of that conscious control and trust our subconscious instead? This is the lesson at the heart of The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey, a book that …

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As we close out 2024, it’s time to reflect on a year filled with articles, games, and creative collaborations. While not everything went exactly to plan, we made some great strides, had plenty of fun, and laid solid foundations for 2025. Let’s dive into the highlights! Blog activity: regular articles This year saw Illusory Script …

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Check out Illusory Script’s newest adventure here: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/504170! I’m excited to share something I’ve been working on during this last year, together with my friend, Alain Dunphy. We’ve written an adventure called Secrets of the Betrayer! It’s a 10th-level adventure and an expansion for Vecna: Eve of Ruin. However, it also works as a standalone …

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Magic item shops can be a divisive topic in tabletop RPGs, with strong opinions on both sides. Should our campaigns feature a shop where adventurers can exchange their hard-earned gold for magical gear, or should magic items be treasures found only in the wilds of our worlds? Let’s weigh the pros and cons before diving …

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Sometimes we want a tactical combat challenge for our players. A core technique of making encounters more tactical is thinking about monster roles: single words describing the tactical function of monsters, like artillery, controller, skirmisher, and brute. Different monster roles Different games use slightly different sets of monster roles. Overall, however, they all have the …

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