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DC 13 Is Great, Actually, And Bounded Accuracy Is Fine
The math in D&D 5e is pretty solid with a few rough spots, and most of your skill rolls should be DC 13. That's a great starting point...
Helpful NPCs
Feb 135 min read
49 views


Ditching Ability Scores in D&D 5e
Ability scores worsen 5e. They encourage cookie-cutter point-buy characters and they slow the game down because you're calculating...
Helpful NPCs
Jul 12, 20244 min read
113 views


1d12 Urban Obstacles!
Although many adventurers find their fortune in dungeons and strange wildernesses, the cityscape provides another landscape for them to...
Helpful NPCs
Dec 1, 20231 min read
204 views


Henchmen: The Bodyguard, Revised!
Hello, all! The Helpful NPCs team are here to present a new and REVISED NPC for your games: the BODYGUARD! Player characters can hire...
Helpful NPCs
Oct 25, 20231 min read
169 views


One Page Encounters: An Oni-Rous Appetite!
Hello, all! The Helpful NPCs are here to present yet another drag-and-drop encounter. Many of our encounters have focused on the...
Helpful NPCs
Aug 14, 20231 min read
129 views


Henchmen: The Bodyguard!
Hello, all! The Helpful NPCs team are here to present a new NPC for your games: the BODYGUARD! Surely you've run into a situation where...
Helpful NPCs
Jun 8, 20231 min read
351 views


Non-Combat XP (D&D 5e)
Hello, fellow adventurers! Today, the Helpful NPCs crew are bringing you something that your game desperately needs: XP rewards for...
Helpful NPCs
May 19, 20231 min read
664 views


D&D 5e: Conditions Cheat Sheet!
Hello, all! Today's offering by the Helpful NPCs is a cheat sheet for conditions in your D&D games! Since 5e has a boatload of conditions...
Helpful NPCs
May 1, 20231 min read
4,516 views


One Page Encounters: Farmstead in Flames!
Flames, flames on the side of my face! Today's One Page Encounter has the player characters rescuing the Sutters from destructive...
Helpful NPCs
Mar 27, 20231 min read
321 views


Your Quest Awaits with This Random Adventure Generator
Hear ye, hear ye! There's an adventure before you! Villains and foes and terrible troubles await. The kingdom calls to you for aid! If...
Helpful NPCs
Mar 10, 20231 min read
581 views


Eat ze Bugs: Random Jungle Foraging Fare!
Continuing our previous table of unusual grub, the Helpful NPCs take you on a jungle journey. Forage in the tropics and let the Helpful...
Helpful NPCs
Feb 14, 20231 min read
203 views


WotC: D&D Fanbase Not Sufficiently Alienated To Generate Profit
According to a leaked memo, Wizards of the Coast executives expressed concern that D&D 5e is too consumer-friendly to be profitable. The...
Helpful NPCs
Jan 8, 20231 min read
11,726 views


Magic Item Alert: Ease your burdens with this humble construct
Some of our favorite magical items are not the ones that slay dragons. We love the simple stuff that gives parties flavor and utility. ...
Helpful NPC Ryan
Apr 4, 20221 min read
127 views


5e Sidekick Class: The Camp Master
Hello, fine friends of the Helpful NPCs! We have something exciting to share with you: a new sidekick class for the fifth edition of the...
Helpful NPCs
Mar 7, 20221 min read
109 views


Chapter 6, Episode 3: Roleplaying Alignment
How should players approach alignment in D&D? With fear and trembling and consideration of the rest of the table. No classes have an...
Helpful NPCs
Mar 4, 20221 min read
19 views


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...
Helpful NPCs
Mar 2, 20221 min read
30 views


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...
Helpful NPCs
Feb 28, 20221 min read
15 views


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...
Helpful NPCs
Nov 29, 20211 min read
19 views


What To Play When You're Bored of D&D
Spoilers: It's Savage Worlds. Sometimes D&D can get a bit samey and you need a break from d20s, hit points, and saving throws. The...
Helpful NPCs
Oct 4, 20211 min read
22 views


Chapter 1, Episode 3: Your First RPG Character
After listening to Chapter 1, Episode 2, you're mentally prepared for your first RPG session. Now you have to get a character ready for...
Helpful NPCs
Jul 30, 20211 min read
10 views
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