A Story From a Campaign I Run That Illustrates How AWESOME It Can Be!   By Riley Rath    Table of Contents    - Too Many Threats?!? - A Mighty Paladin Falls...  - Bring Down the Nautiloid! - Conclusion: The Gods Are ALIVE   Character Abandoned His Gods? Start Rolling Our Heretic's Glory Dice Here!   Too Many Threats?!?    Quick question...    How does any fantasy kingdom even EXIST, let alone function, in our D&D 5e campaigns?!?    I think about how hard it is for nations to simply get by in the real world, a ..read more

Learn why weather can be an important part of storytelling and how to incorporate it into your TTRPG campaigns.    By Riley Rath   Table of Contents    - I Am NOT a Weather Expert! - Categories of DnD 5e Weather - The Role of Weather in Famous Stories - DnD 5e Weather as a Storytelling Tool - Symbolism for Different Types of Weather - DnD 5e Weather Combat Encounters - Official DnD 5e Weather Rules - DnD 5e Weather Generators and Random Tables   Introduction: I Am NOT a Weather Expert!!!   I just want to paint a picture for you real quick...    ..read more

By Riley Rath  Title image © YngvarAsplund   A lot of players wonder "how does dnd 5e combat work?"    This post makes it as SIMPLE and straightforward as possible... explaining the steps, answering only the BASIC questions, and defining the ESSENTIAL key terms.    Key Highlights    A combat encounter is a specific type of encounter where player characters (YOU) fight monsters and bad guys (controlled by the Dungeon Master).  There are certain key terms that can be confusing, such as "initiative," "saving throw," and "bonus action."  ..read more

All the Best Methods for Role-Playing DnD 5e Long Distance Travel   By Riley Rath    Table of Contents    - We Need Several Methods for Our DnD 5e Campaigns    - Summary if Dnd 5e Long Distance Travel Rules as Written    - 7 Different Methods for Running Travel in DnD 5e   - DnD 5e Overland Travel DM Tips    - Conclusion: Put It All Together   (This post is part of a series on "travel DnD 5e." Read the first post here. For more on exploration, start here).    Pssst!!! Awesome Dice Has 7-Dice Sets for TTRPG Players Explo ..read more

How to Use This Iconic Fantasy Monster and Roleplay the 5e Race   By Riley Rath  Title image © Nicholas Wood-Smith   ORCS!!!!!   Excuse the following mouth-full... but they're the most famous fantasy evil minion mob there is.    No orcs? No modern fantasy.    Which is exactly why every new player wants to kill one ASAP, and probs why so many start as a human fighter; they can't WAIT to kill orcs just like Aragron.    But DnD 5e veterans know that after about 3rd level, the standard 5e orc starts to lose its bite. Players stop saying ..read more

Hail fellow well met!    We've got an exciting announcement to make! This year, Awesome Dice will be partnering with several individuals to bring you quality dice and quality content. This month, we're launching a giveaway with our friends at Describe Your Kill. Describe Your Kill: The Death of Destiny is an actual-play podcast of Paizo's Stolen Fate Adventure path (Pathfinder 2e).    "Cards from a powerful Harrow deck have been scattered across Golarion, threatening the very balance of destiny. A group of unlikely heroes, each bearing a single powerful Harro ..read more

By Riley Rath    The barbarian 5e class may be simple, but it's not boring! It is well designed, and with the right subclasses and a few ideas they can be a blast in combat, exploration, and social encounters!   I'm sick of people saying "5e barbarians are so boring. You just rage and hit things."    D&D barbarians aren't boring... YOU'RE BORING!!!   ... Sorry about that... that was a little over the top...    Online debates abound on whether or not the barbarian class from Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition is a boring class to play for a long ..read more

Plus... How Exploration Became the Forgotten Pillar of D&D 5e and How to Make it Fun   By Riley Rath    Table of Contents    - Intro: We Have a DnD Exploration Problem... - What is Exploration? - Why DnD Exploration is the "Forgotten Pillar" - DnD Exploration's Crucial Problem: Scenes/Encounters - What is a Scene? - Exploration's Unique Struggle With Scenes and Shared Storytelling - How WOTC Makes Running Fun Exploration Nearly Impossible - How to Make DnD Exploration More Fun - Good Narration - Mini Encounters - Encourage Curiosity With Tempting Rewards - Sto ..read more

How 5e Con Sorcerers Not Only Work, But Thrive   By Riley Rath   "CON Sorcerers" Are Unique, Fun, and Don't Break D&D's Balance (see Objections)   It's a shame that something so cool could be so sucky...    The general consensus among DND players is that the Sorcerer class kinda sucks. It is usually mentioned along with Rangers and Monks in the "worst player character class" conversation.    5e Sorcerers are boring... and fragile... and underpowered.    But what's always been confusing is that there is a really simple way to improve ev ..read more

A Lot Has Changed Since Gary Gygax Imagined Greyhawk...    By Riley Rath  Title Image © Wizards of the Coast    Before we go any further, the REAL answer to "why is DnD so popular?" is "Dungeons and Dragons is still not 'popular'"!!!    School D&D clubs are outnumbered by the backup offense of the JV football team. Family members raise eyebrows when you tell them you are playing (often requiring clarification that you are NOT dabbling in either LARP or the occult). And "So You Think You Can Dungeon Master?!" will not be premiering on CBS, N ..read more