Having just wrapped up my second campaign running Ruins of the Grendleroot by Mike Shea, I can confidently say it’s my favorite published campaign. The setting of Blackclaw Mountain is made for classic adventuring and brings a thrilling mix of cosmic horror and high fantasy to the table. In addition, the adventures in Ruins of …

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It’s the boss battle of the adventure: Our players face the big bad boss they’ve been chasing for sessions. We’ve prepared meticulously—an action-packed stat block, the perfect lair, environmental hazards to up the stakes. Roll initiative! The players go first. A paladin steps up, lands a critical hit, pours in a smite, and… the boss …

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Combat descriptions as a Dungeon Master are all about balance. Too much detail can stall the flow of combat, and pull the focus away from the actions of the characters. Too little detail, and a battle can feel like nothing but numbers and dice rolls. So how do we effectively narrate D&D combat? There are …

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As Dungeon Masters, we think of one-shots as isolated games with a beginning, middle, and end—a complete story packed into a single session. But what if we approach every session with this mindset? Even in epic campaigns, adopting a ‘one-shot mindset’ can lead to more engaging, satisfying gameplay—each session a self-contained adventure that prioritizes the …

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Custom Magic Items for D&D Characters Creating unique magic items for player characters is a great way to enhance engagement in our D&D campaigns. Custom magic items not only provide mechanical benefits but also deepen the connection between players and their characters. Here’s how we can approach crafting custom magic items that elevate the players’ …

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When combat drags, it pulls players out of the flow of the game. What we want is for our players to think, “It’s my turn already!?” instead of “Finally, it’s my turn again.” Each combat round represents just six seconds in-game, so it shouldn’t take half an hour at the table. Keeping combat quick and …

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