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Browsing All posts tagged under »5e«

My issue with social conflicts in 5e D&D

June 3, 2021 by newbiedm

I was musing on twitter about social conflicts in 5e, and how I think there’s a big disconnect with how they intersect with NPCs and Monsters, and thought I’d bring it to the blog to expand on it. I love twitter, but it’s not great for lengthy musins like this one… In 5e, social encounters […]

Tracking time in the dungeon

May 24, 2021 by newbiedm

One of the things that still gives me a little bit of difficulty when I’m DMing is tracking time in the game’s fiction when the characters are in exploration mode. Combat is simple, the 6 second rounds are codified, and we know that 10 rounds is a minute in the game world, 5 rounds is […]

5e Spell templates for VTT

October 15, 2020 by newbiedm

Due to the COVID pandemic, all my gaming has moved online, and while that in it of itself is not a bad thing, it has generally changed my prep and the way I run games, even if it has allowed for greater consistency in our scheduling. One of the things I find the most challenging […]

Thoughts on running the beginning of Descent into Avernus

October 11, 2019 by newbiedm

I’m a few sessions into Wizards of the Coast’s latest D&D hardcover, Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus for my home group, and I thought I’d put out some thoughts about my experiences running the beginning of the adventure. For those of you into this sort of thing, here’s my party’s makeup: Human Fighter Kobold Ranger […]

A look at the roll20 version of Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

September 21, 2019 by newbiedm

The folks at roll20 were kind enough to provide a review copy of Descent into Avernus, so I streamed my look at it. If you’d like to support the work I do on my blog, podcasting, or twitter, perhaps you’d consider supporting me on Patreon. I’m only asking for $1, and I’m doing it for […]

Launched a new campaign last night and other gaming updates

March 9, 2018 by newbiedm

It feels like forever since I’ve updated my blog, and I’ve had so much to talk about here but haven’t had the time. So last night I launched a new campaign on Roll20.net, and I’m pretty excited about it. It’s a Star Wars game set in the new films’ era, right after Last Jedi, and […]

NewbieDM Minicast relaunch Episode #1 released

December 19, 2017 by newbiedm

As promised, I’ve relaunched the minicast, now as part of the Don’t Split the Podcast network. The first episode is now live, and together with James Introcaso and Ruddy Basso, we tackle player engagement at the table. Go subscribe, give it a listen, and please vote and leave a comment! Find it on Itunes Google […]

5e monster conversion: Jungle Giant

June 16, 2017 by newbiedm

So I hear we are going to Chult this fall? Is that right? Well then, fellow DM’s, we’re going to need a Jungle Giant. No. Come on. Not that guy. Jungle Giants first appeared in 2e’s Al-Qadim Appendix for the Monstrous Compendium, and were later renamed Forest Giants in 3e’s Monster Manual II. They were […]

Is the D&D module dead?

September 22, 2015 by newbiedm

I know this question is maybe a little sensationalist, but I think it’s fair. Is the module dead? First, what do I mean by module? I see modules as cheap, short, low prep adventures that a DM can run in a few sessions and be done with it. The kind of adventures we’d get in […]

NewbieDM Review: Encounter Decks 3 by Inkwell Ideas

September 2, 2015 by newbiedm

During Gencon, I saw that my friend Mike, who runs SlyFlourish, picked up a deck of cards with what looked like an encounter and a map on them. These cards intrigued me, so I looked around and picked up a batch from Drivethru RPG. I picked up the bundle that includes the PDF of the […]