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Skill Challenges for 5E, Part 5

By / November 28, 2022 / Articles, Skill Challenges

Skill challenges are a great way to bring the structure and excitement of combat to non-combat encounters. This time, we talk about collaborating challenges!

about Doug Levandowski

Doug Levandowski (he/him) is a freelance game designer and writer from New Jersey. His work includes all of the Kids on Bikes RPGs, a bunch of weird little indie games you can find on itch.io, and, most recently, Home. His ideal rules for a game would read, “Tell a story with friends. Use dice if you want.”

Monster Weaknesses for Tome of Beasts 3, part 4

By / November 23, 2022 / Articles, Monster Weaknesses

When a monster has a weak point—some trick to exploit—a combat encounter has more challenge than just reducing hit points. But what weaknesses work without fighitng?

about Daniel Kahn

Dan Khan stylized author illo

Daniel Kahn is a D&D 5e freelance writer and lead author of several platinum best-selling titles on the DMsGuild. For more monster weaknesses, check out Monster Weaknesses and Monster Weaknessess of the Multiverse on the DMsGuild, which includes weaknesses for every creature in the Monster Manual and Monsters of the Multiverse. Follow Daniel on Twitter: @FrictionlessDan. 

TV to Tabletop: Witcher

By / December 7, 2022 / Articles, TV to Tabletop

Bring fantastic elements from The Witcher into your D&D game!

about Daniel Kahn

Dan Khan stylized author illo

Daniel Kahn is a D&D 5e freelance writer and lead author of several platinum best-selling titles on the DMsGuild. For more monster weaknesses, check out Monster Weaknesses and Monster Weaknessess of the Multiverse on the DMsGuild, which includes weaknesses for every creature in the Monster Manual and Monsters of the Multiverse. Follow Daniel on Twitter: @FrictionlessDan. 

Haunted Items: Rat Queen’s Headdress

By / November 23, 2022 / Articles, Haunted Items

Haunted items are magical curios inhabited by a soul. This particular one includes a beloved dog whose spirit will still protect a new owner.

about Sarah Madsen

Sarah Madsen is an author and TTRPG designer. She has contributed to projects from Wizards of the Coast, Kobold Press, Ghostfire Gaming, Cubicle 7, and others. Her cyberpunky urban fantasy novel, Weaver’s Folly, is available from Falstaff Books. You can find her on Twitter (@UnfetteredMuse), Facebook (facebook.com/SarahMadsenAuthor) or WordPress (unfetteredmuse.com).

Boss Fights: The Duelist

By / November 24, 2022 / Articles, Boss Fights

Boss monsters are a hallmark of adventure design, but it’s easy for them to be dull. Let’s build a better boss battle!

About Benjamin Eastman

Benjamin L. Eastman was introduced to D&D by his four closest friends—who immediately betrayed his trust by sacrificing his first character to a demonic artifact. Undeterred, he’s played all manner of RPGs in the intervening years. In addition to writing Warlock Lairs and monsters for Kobold Press, he’s contributed to the Stargate RPG and Americana, and co-authored DMs Guild adventures including Baby Tarrasque. He is perhaps proudest of the bar brawl—his first published monster in the Creature Codex. 

Monster Weaknesses for Tome of Beasts 3, part 3

By / November 22, 2022 / Articles, Monster Weaknesses

When a monster has a weak point—some trick to exploit—a combat encounter has more challenge than just reducing hit points. How do you discover these weaknesses?

about Daniel Kahn

Dan Khan stylized author illo

Daniel Kahn is a D&D 5e freelance writer and lead author of several platinum best-selling titles on the DMsGuild. For more monster weaknesses, check out Monster Weaknesses and Monster Weaknessess of the Multiverse on the DMsGuild, which includes weaknesses for every creature in the Monster Manual and Monsters of the Multiverse. Follow Daniel on Twitter: @FrictionlessDan. 

From the Ashes: Old Soul Background

By / November 22, 2022 / Articles, From the Ashes

From the Ashes looks at making reincarnation special and strange in your 5E D&D game. This installment features two new spells and a new background for a character who remembers a past life, the Old Soul.

about Sebastian Rombach

We can neither confirm nor deny that Sebastian is actually three raccoons in a trenchcoat. His freelance contributions can be found in Tome of Beasts 2, Tome of Heroes, and more. You can roll dice with him at https://startplaying.games/gm/dontbreakthedm or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @dontbreakthedm.

Children of Typhon: The Consecration Rite

By / November 22, 2022 / Articles, Demon Cults & Secret Societies

Typhon, Father of Monsters, is chained beneath a mountain. His children are running around without parental supervision.

about Jeff Lee

Jeff Lee is a 10-year veteran of RPG freelancing. He has written a plethora of material for Kobold Press and other third-party companies. You might know him from Demon Cults & Secret Societies. You might also want to support his Patreon, where he writes things at patrons’ behest: https://www.patreon.com/jeffalee

Monster Weaknesses for Tome of Beasts 3, part 2

By / November 21, 2022 / Articles, Monster Weaknesses

Some monsters are bags of hit points, and it can be fun to stand around the pinata and beat it until it explodes into XP. But if a monster has a weak point—some trick to exploit—a combat encounter takes on a new feel.

about Daniel Kahn

Dan Khan stylized author illo

Daniel Kahn is a D&D 5e freelance writer and lead author of several platinum best-selling titles on the DMsGuild. For more monster weaknesses, check out Monster Weaknesses and Monster Weaknessess of the Multiverse on the DMsGuild, which includes weaknesses for every creature in the Monster Manual and Monsters of the Multiverse. Follow Daniel on Twitter: @FrictionlessDan. 

Folk Magic: Magic Items for Wilderness Dwellers

By / November 17, 2022 / Articles, Folk Magic

In a magic-heavy world, what kind of magic items do wilderness dwellers use in their day-to-day lives?

about Adam W. Roy

Adam has been playing TTRPGs for almost forty years, and has been a freelance game writer and editor for decades. He has written for Kobold Press, Paizo, White Wolf, and others. He is also a full-time father, husband, and e-commerce guru…. He manages all of this by avoiding sleep altogether.

Unlocking the Vault: Top 6 Common Weapons and Armor

By / November 15, 2022 / Articles, Unlocking the Vault

Common magic items don’t feel all that special, but here are six that really pop under the right circumstances!

about Jeff Lee

Jeff Lee is a 10-year veteran of RPG freelancing. He has written a plethora of material for Kobold Press and other third-party companies. You might know him from Demon Cults & Secret Societies. You might also want to support his Patreon, where he writes things at patrons’ behest: https://www.patreon.com/jeffalee

Monster Weaknesses for Tome of Beasts 3

By / November 17, 2022 / Articles, Monster Weaknesses

Some monsters are bags of hit points, and it can be fun to stand around the pinata and beat it until it explodes into experience points. But if a monster has a weak point, some trick to exploit, a combat encounter takes on a new feel. Monster weaknesses can deepen an encounter, making it more …

Monster Weaknesses for Tome of Beasts 3 Read More »

about Daniel Kahn

Dan Khan stylized author illo

Daniel Kahn is a D&D 5e freelance writer and lead author of several platinum best-selling titles on the DMsGuild. For more monster weaknesses, check out Monster Weaknesses and Monster Weaknessess of the Multiverse on the DMsGuild, which includes weaknesses for every creature in the Monster Manual and Monsters of the Multiverse. Follow Daniel on Twitter: @FrictionlessDan. 

Monstrous Crits: One Better, part 6

By / November 14, 2022 / Articles, Monstrous Crits

Recent reports about a 5E rules update have floated the idea that monsters will lose access to critical hits. Maybe we can go One better though!

About Benjamin Eastman

Benjamin L. Eastman was introduced to D&D by his four closest friends—who immediately betrayed his trust by sacrificing his first character to a demonic artifact. Undeterred, he’s played all manner of RPGs in the intervening years. In addition to writing Warlock Lairs and monsters for Kobold Press, he’s contributed to the Stargate RPG and Americana, and co-authored DMs Guild adventures including Baby Tarrasque. He is perhaps proudest of the bar brawl—his first published monster in the Creature Codex. 

Tome Unleashed: Lantern Dragonette

By / November 13, 2022 / Articles, Tome Unleashed

The Tome Unleashed series fleshes out monsters from the Tome of Beasts, modifying existing monsters to switch things up for your players!

about Mike Welham

Mike Welham started gaming some time in the Mesozoic Era and has played at least one game in each edition of D&D. He has been happily writing for Kobold Press for over ten years and is partially responsible for all the darn drakes flying around Midgard.

More About Manors, part 2

By / November 11, 2022 / Articles

Tome of Heroes has a full list of things you can build onto your manor house and events that can happen to it. But—hear me out—what if we added MORE?

about Phillip Larwood

Phillip has been writing for Kobold Press and other companies for many years. From multiple articles in the early days of Kobold Quarterly magazine to recent books like Tome of Beasts 2 and Vault of Magic, Phillip is never more satisfied than when he sees his name in print. Something that he points out to his family and friends over and over and over again.

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