Blog of Many Words

Hear ye, hear ye! Welcome, fair traveler, to this blogspot, whereupon you shall be enlightened, ensorcelled, and endowed with great wisdom by heeding our counsel.

D&D 5e's Skills (Part 1): What's the DC for Open Heart Surgery?

Helpful NPC Thom

May 8
3 min

D&D 5e's Skills (Part 1): What's the DC for Open Heart Surgery?

Hello, Helpful NPC Thom here, and I'm going to talk about how to make 5e's skill system work for you, but first let's talk about the DC...

4 views

Helpful NPC Thom

Mar 24
3 min

How To Trap Like a Furrier

As Helpful NPC Ryan noted, there's a methodology to making traps a part of your roleplaying game. Sadly, I wail and lament that good...

7 views

Helpful NPC Ryan

Mar 24
2 min

Are Traps out of Touch?

Helpful NPC Thom says: No, it's the children who are wrong. One of my friends was recently discussing Elden Ring with me (which I’ve not...

5 views

Chapter 6, Episode 2: DMing Alignment Without Killing Your Game

Helpful NPCs

Mar 2
1 min

Chapter 6, Episode 2: DMing Alignment Without Killing Your Game

Nothing kills a game faster than bad DMing, and alignment is ground whereupon a DM must needs tread carefully. As most DMs handle...

5 views

Chapter 6, Episode 1: The Malignment of Alignment

Helpful NPCs

Mar 1
1 min

Chapter 6, Episode 1: The Malignment of Alignment

Take a listen to the fresh beats of the Helpful NPCs crew as they tackle the controversial system of alignment. It has been (rightly and...

5 views

Helpful NPCs

Nov 29, 2021
1 min

Chapter 5, Episode 2: Loot and Plunder

Following up the previous topic of frittering away your gold, the Helpful NPCs crew discuss treasure management within D&D. You're going...

4 views

Helpful NPC Thom

Nov 3, 2021
6 min

On the Virtues of Railroading

Choo-choo! That's the Dragonlance module leaving the station. Prepare yourself for a one-way ride in the land of Krynn as you watch Tanis...

5 views

Helpful NPC Thom

Oct 18, 2021
6 min

Respect My (GM) Authoritah

This title blatantly stolen from a thread filled with contentious commentary on this issue. What are my thoughts on the matter (as it...

3 views

Ten Things I Fate About You: A Tool For Every Task

Helpful NPC Thom

Sep 29, 2021
5 min

Ten Things I Fate About You: A Tool For Every Task

Full disclosure: I have never watched Ten Things I Hate About You, nor could I be induced to do so absent monetary gain or coercive...

13 views

"How Can I Make Permanent Injuries Fun?" And Other Inquiries

Helpful NPC Thom

Sep 3, 2021
3 min

"How Can I Make Permanent Injuries Fun?" And Other Inquiries

We've all been there. You're playing D&D and suddenly things aren't satisfying anymore. The most common culprit: hit points. Why does a...

3 views

"Failing Forward" For Dummies (That's You)

Helpful NPC Thom

Aug 25, 2021
5 min

"Failing Forward" For Dummies (That's You)

Fightin' words, I know, and I'm ready to bring the hammer. Straight out of the gate: fail forward is a big dumb meme that half of all...

2 views