Posts by Brian
How to Improv in D&D
Whether you’re the Dungeon Master or a player, D&D has a way of throwing you into the spotlight. You get asked a question you didn’t expect.You’re called on to describe a detail you didn’t prep.Or someone turns and asks, “What do you think we should do?” And suddenly, you freeze—or you start rambling. That’s why I…
Read MoreHow to Connect D&D Sessions into a Living Campaign
As a Dungeon Master, there’s nothing quite like the thrill—and challenge—of planning a campaign that grows from one session to the next. For me, the key isn’t having every plot point mapped out in advance. It’s starting with a clear campaign story question that drives the action and using a simple structure to connect each encounter to…
Read MoreHow D&D Shaped World of Warcraft
As someone who’s played D&D for most of my life, but hasn’t really played much WoW, I’m fascinated by how similar they both are. Not just the obvious things like classes and dungeons, but in the way they came to be. Both games started out very tactically—either moving pieces on a battle map or building…
Read More10 Things I Learned from 30+ Years as a DM
Being a Dungeon Master isn’t about being perfect—it’s about creating a fun, collaborative, and memorable game. Over the years, I’ve picked up a few lessons that have helped me (and my players) enjoy the journey a lot more. Here are the first five: 1. You Are Welcome Here The first rule of running a game…
Read MoreChatGPT as an Assistant Dungeon Master
As a Dungeon Master, there’s nothing quite like the thrill—and challenge—of running a living, evolving campaign. For me, one of the best tools I’ve found for campaign prep isn’t a published adventure or a fancy piece of software—it’s ChatGPT. Specifically, I’ve been using the Projects feature in ChatGPT-4 to help me keep my notes organized,…
Read MoreD&D 2024 Rules Now in Creative Commons
It’s rare these days for Dungeons & Dragons news to be purely good news—so I’m happy to share that Wizards of the Coast has taken a genuinely positive step for the community. The 2024 System Reference Document (SRD 5.2) has been released under a Creative Commons license! This update is a major milestone. It builds on the promise…
Read MoreBeyond D&D: TTRPGs for Cinematic Action or Family Adventure
If you’re like me, you probably started your TTRPG journey with D&D 5e. It’s the big one, and it’s fantastic for learning the ropes. But once you’re ready to branch out, there’s a huge world of other games out there, each offering something unique. Today, I want to highlight two games that take you beyond…
Read MoreThe 2 Best Parts of the New D&D Monster Manual
The 2024 Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual marks the third and final core rulebook update for the year, bringing fresh energy and thoughtful updates to the fifth edition. While it doesn’t rewrite the core mechanics, it does reshape how monster information is presented—particularly in ways that are super helpful for DMs, especially those new to the game.…
Read MoreGrowing Up as a Daredevil Fan
Usually, I’m talking about D&D, tabletop RPGs, and tips for Dungeon Masters—but today, I’m diving into something a little more personal. With Daredevil: Born Again on the horizon, I wanted to share what it’s meant to me growing up as a Daredevil fan—and how that fandom has always connected with my love of martial arts,…
Read MoreWhat’s Missing from the 2024 DMG?
I’ve spent some time with the new 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, and I think it’s a great update overall—more structured, more user-friendly, and clearer for new DMs. But there’s one rule I really wish they had included: the Proficiency Dice optional rule from the 2014 DMG. What’s the Proficiency Dice Rule?Instead of a static proficiency…
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