Category: Uncategorized

Dead Island 2 preview: sparks of life from a game many thought dead We recently got some extended time with Dead Island 2, having played for 5 hours. The long, long anticipated game is on the final stretch to release, and zombie and horror fans will be hoping there is enough meat on these bones despite the long-gestating period. So, how is it? It feels like a small miracle that Dead Island 2 is playable and coming out at all. I remember being in the room at E3 when it was announced, with a very fun trailer that showed LA being torn apart by a spreading zombie disease, all with the sheen of fun and whimsy. It was about as tonally opposite as you could get from the now legendary ‘reverse’ trailer for the original outing of the franchise, which was a remarkable piece of marketing back when it landed in 2011. That announcement was back in 2014 and it’s been nearly 10 years since then. I even played an early version later that year – but whatever game that was is long gone now. Dead Island 2 has changed hands several times since then, and what I got to play 5 hours of is almost definitely not what was originally envisioned. It is strange to be in a position of thinking about how much has changed in the world since a game was announced to it being in the final stretch of its release, but it’s a sentiment that’s hard to get away from when playing. With all that history aside though, after our time with the game, it’s great to report that so far, Dambuster Studios is delivering on the promise of that initial trailer. This is a zombie-filled romp through LA, with plenty of blood and guts-tinged mischief to get up to. The stars of the show Dead Island 2’s big gambit is its character system. There’s no one character you play as, and instead, you get the choice between six. They’re all distinct with a focus on both personalities as well as stats. There is Amy, a Paralympian who is all about speed and slicing through the undead, or Bruno, a hustler who used to rip off scammers and has a special proficiency with knives. I spent the majority of my time with Dani, a brash Irish rockabilly who loves to get up in the faces of shamblers and tear them limb from limb. While Dani could at times have some wince-inducing dialogue, I mostly found her a charming presence if you’re willing to give yourself over to the vibe of Dead Island 2 – which puts irreverence and fun at the forefront of this obviously horrific situation. Each character you can play as comes with their own unique ‘cards’, and you continue to get more in the world to build out your deck. While that might sound confusing, this mostly equates to selecting perks and abilities. One card, for instance, gave me a ground pound to push and stun zombies away, and another allowed me to dropkick zombies which I used to the point of exploiting it. It’s a neat system and lets you build out your character into the strengths you care for most. A dismember to remember Now, of course, all of this would be moot if tangling with Dead Island 2’s zombies was a bore. Thankfully, this is the area Dead Island 2 really shines. Perhaps the overriding sentiment from my time with Dead Island 2 was, “boy, it sure is fun to dismember zombies in this game.” That comes down to the genuinely impressive tech used to build them. The undead feels like a lot of separate components held together loosely by failing ligaments – which is exactly what you want from a zombie game. You can target certain limbs, which can be pulled off bit by bit, you can hit zombies hard enough with a hammer that their jaw begins to fall off, or you can see them shamble through acid and watch their skin begin to melt from the bone. It’s pretty gnarly, but if you are buying a ticket to a zombie-infested Los Angeles, it’s probably the kind of thing you are looking for, and it’s an impressive bit of tech. Lifestyles of the rich and famous While Dead Island 2 is not zany to the point of being removed entirely from reality, it’s a mostly light adventure through LA, with fairly cliched but serviceable characters to interact with. Some will find the talkative, joke-cracking protagonists a bit much, but if you can go with their flow, they are fine. On top of that, there is also a somewhat celebratory tone in the zombie apocalypse, where it’s all about indulging in the fun of a society torn apart. That being said, the sadness of that situation isn’t entirely lost in all the noise, which does give a broader sense of grounding the early portions of the game. A good example of this is a mansion you stumble upon early on. It’s an impressive reconstruction of a ‘Streamer House’, called the GOAT Pen, where a handful of influencers and content creators share a house and make content. It’s a parody of the ridiculousness of this kind of lifestyle, complete with some funny nods like scriptwriting for apology videos and the like – but perhaps where Dead Island 2 finds its maturity and grounds it as something more than puerile, is that even when making these jokes, the reality of the situation is plain. Walking through the empty mansion and discovering the stories of the once-living inhabitants allude to a genuine loss of humanity. When stripped of all the clout and fame, these are still innocent young adults underneath it all. The system, the fakery is all the butt of the joke, not the people at the center of it – which in a lot of ways makes Los Angeles the perfect setting for this story. It’s all glitz and fun at a surface level, but underneath that, there’s a sense of lost humanity and sadness if you take the time to look. If Dead Island 2 can tap into this feeling more throughout its playthrough, it will be much richer for it. Lingering questions Even after all that, I’m still left with the question, is all this enough? Dead Island 2 so far feels like a good version of what it is – an open-world first-person zombie game where you get to tear up an infested Los Angeles. However, that hook doesn’t feel quite as compelling in 2023 as it perhaps did nearly a decade ago. We’re now in a post-Dying Light, Back 4 Blood, and State of Decay world. Hell, even the Walking Dead has come to a close. Zombies were starting to feel long in the tooth back in 2014. In 2023, the pop-culture relevance feels almost outdated. Is being a good open-world first-person zombie game a real hook for an audience? While it’s a genuine joy to see Dead Island 2 finally on its homestretch to release, I do worry if its premise is an enticing enough hook to get players in – but I hope I’m wrong. What’s here is great, the question is can it be compelling enough to get people ready for more zombies?

Is Dead Island 2 open world? Dambuster StudiosDead Island 2 immerses players in the vast, zombie-infested landscapes of Los Angeles. But does the game offer the freedom to roam this dystopian world at will? Dead Island 2 not only adopts many elements of the open-world genre with a meticulously crafted map. From collecting items to embarking on side quests, the game offers a plethora of activities, ensuring the battle for survival against the zombie horde is as immersive as it is thrilling. Dead Island 2 takes place in and around the streets of a dystopian version of Los Angeles known as Hell-A. The celebrity hotspot of the world now resembles more of an undead underworld than an A-list location of wealth and luxury. Dambuster Studios have shown off danger-ridden houses and other ungodly horrors to stumble across, but does Dead Island 2 offer a true open world? Is Dead Island 2 open world? Even though the survival-horror title features an abundance of inter-connected areas, Dead Island 2 strictly isn’t an open-world game. As we said, you’ll come across a ton of different open areas that allow you to roam around and explore, and there is fast travel too, but by chopping the game up, you can’t officially classify Dead Island 2 as open world. This is semantics really, some players will not be too concerned with this and will instead thrive on exploring here, there, and everywhere to find Blueprints and other cool goodies. The subject matter of “open-world fatigue” has been a hot topic in recent years with gamers becoming exhausted with long, open games that become very repetitive after a while. So it’s positive to see a much-anticipated title such as Dead Island 2 embracing more restrictive elements. For more Dead Island 2 content, check out the guides below: Dead Island 2 Achievements & Trophies list | Will Dead Island 2 be on Xbox Game Pass? | Dead Island 2 preview | Will Dead Island 2 be open world? | Can you play Dead Island 2 on Steam Deck? | Does Dead Island 2 have a character creator? | Dead Island 2 PC requirements: Minimum & recommended specs | Does Dead Island 2 have crossplay? | Dead Island 2 editions & pre-order bonuses | How long is Dead Island 2? | Dead Island 2 voice cast – All characters and voice actors

How long is Dead Island 2? Main story length & completionist run explained Dambuster StudiosDead Island 2 marks the continuation of the zombie eradication legacy, posing the question of how long it takes to complete the game’s primary and comprehensive playthroughs. Here’s the answer. In the hauntingly beautiful environs of Hell-A, crafted by Dambuster Studios, players face a relentless undead onslaught. The game‘s narrative is deepened through interactions with main characters and NPCs, offering quests and side missions that not only fend off zombies but also provide XP and additional incentives. If you’re conscious about time and maybe have other games to play, or even some real life responsibilities, then runtime is key. To help you out, our quick Dead Island 2 guide will break down how long the story will take to beat, and the length of a competionist run too. How long is Dead Island 2? Length explained In the words of the devs themselves to wccftech, it should take players around 20 hours to finish Dead Island 2. This ensures a full taste of the game with some optional content thrown in for good measure. “I don’t know exactly. I think we do have guidance stating that if you take part in some secondary missions and other activities, the whole experience is around 20 hours. That’s what we have,” said the game’s Art Director Art Director Adam Olsson, when asked about the game’s length. Meanwhile, How Long To Beat reports that the average time to complete Dead Island 2 is around 15 hours and 30 minutes. If you’re interested in seeing and doing everything that the game has to offer, then Dead Island 2’s overall runtime will actually clock in closer to 35 hours going on 40 for a completionist run. With a ton of Blueprints to find and various other collectibles, there should be plenty to keep players busy. For more Dead Island 2 content, check out the guides below: Best skills to use in Dead Island 2 | Best weapons to use in Dead Island 2 | Dead Island 2: Is there fast travel? | Fastest ways to earn money in Dead Island 2 | How to craft weapons in Dead Island 2 | Where to find fuses in Dead Island 2 | How to beat Bucho the Clown in Dead Island 2 | Dead Island 2 voice cast – All characters and voice actors | Does Dead Island 2 have co-op multiplayer?

Dead Island 2 mission list: How many campaign quests are there? Dambuster StudiosDead Island 2 brings with it the challenge of navigating Hell-A’s zombie apocalypse. For those wondering about their journey’s progress, this guide outlines all missions and their sequence. In Dead Island 2, Los Angeles is overrun by zombies, providing a rich backdrop for your adventures and a variety of distractions to engage with as you progress through the game. However, eventually, you’re going to been to return to the game’s main story. The side quests will give you room to explore outside of it, but all roads will eventually lead back to the critical path, as you and your Slayer get to the bottom of why LA has turned into such a hellscape… or at least more so than usual. But how long is the story, and how far are you along to reaching Dead Island 2’s credits? We’ve got the sequential list of missions right here for you to check out. How many missions are there in Dead Island 2?’ Dead Island 2 features 24 campaign missions. There are also 33 side quests in the game, though obviously, these are not critical to the main story’s progression. While your playtime will vary a lot depending on how much of the side content and challenges you engage with, it should take you about 20-25 hours to complete Dead Island 2’s campaign. Dead Island 2 Mission List: all campaign quests outlined Here is the full Dead Island 2 mission list. This list is in sequential order, so if you want to know how far along you are, just cross-reference with your current active story mission in the Quests tab: Flight of the Damned – Desperately Seeking Emma – Bel-Air Brawl – Call the Cavalry – Room Service for Major Booker – The Chosen One – O Michael, Where Art Thou? – Kwon With The Wind – Michael Anders and the Holy Grail – Saddle Up for Santa Monica – Justifiable Zombicide – Flushed – The Heart of Darkness – The Red Mist – The Giant Slayer – Beach Offensive – The Final Gauntlet – Blood Drive – Boardwalking Dead – Plumbing the Depths – The Search for Truth – Rage Quit – The End of the Line – Hollywood Ending – For more Dead Island 2 content, check out the guides below: Best skills to use in Dead Island 2 | Best weapons to use in Dead Island 2 | Dead Island 2: Is there fast travel? | Fastest ways to earn money in Dead Island 2 | How to craft weapons in Dead Island 2 | Where to find fuses in Dead Island 2 | All Slayers in Dead Island 2: Every Skill Card & attributes | How to beat Bucho the Clown in Dead Island 2 | How long is Dead Island 2? | Dead Island 2 voice cast – All characters and voice actors | Does Dead Island 2 have co-op multiplayer?

Dead Island 2 is ‘the biggest launch’ ever for devs Deep Silver after hitting 2 million sales Dambuster StudiosDead Island 2 has become “the biggest launch” in history for its creators Plaion and Deep Silver, with the game confirmed to have already sold more than two million copies since launch. Dead Island 2’s release was a “minor miracle”, or at least that’s what we called it in our review of the game. Since its announcement in 2014, the game bounced around different studios until Deep Silver’s Dambuster Studios were given their chance to develop the sequel. Little did the studio know they would be creating their publisher’s biggest game to date. Dead Island 2 was not predicted to be one of 2023’s largest releases, yet it somehow was big enough to sell one million copies within three days of its release. As a result of that, it has become its devs and publisher’s biggest release to date, with updated sales numbers revealing Dead Island 2 has sold over two million copies. In Embracer Groups Q4 financial report, the parent company of Deep Silver, they announced that Dead Island 2 heralded the publisher’s biggest launch to date. “Currently, the game has achieved an impressive milestone of over two million units sold. When measured over the initial seven-day sales period, Dead Island 2 has become the largest launch in both units sold and revenue generated in the history of Deep Silver.” they wrote. Dead Island 2 has already sold 2 million copies Dambuster Studios has not had the biggest games of the given years they have been in the industry. With previous titles Homefront: The Revolution and Chorus failing to make waves. Which is why its success was quite the moment for its devs and publisher. “The game’s performance has far surpassed the management’s initial expectations” the report read. It is quite clear in the report that the success of Dead Island 2 was not expected, but a welcomed surprise given Embracer’s “quiet Q4”, as they call it. The announcement of Dead Island 2’s surprise success comes after Embracer’s CEO announced a mystery deal worth $2 billion fell apart the night before the Q4 financial report.

Dead Island 2 editions Dambuster StudiosChoosing between Dead Island 2‘s special editions just got easier. We’re here to guide you through each edition available, ensuring you make the best choice for your zombie-hunting adventures. The simple days of one-version game purchases are long gone, with Deep Silver offering a range of editions for Dead Island 2, reflecting a common practice among today’s game publishers. Just like the blood-soaked streets of Dead Island 2’s Los Angeles, each edition is packed with surprises and sights that will make you question your decision-making. If you are unsure, or you’re simply uninformed as to what each edition of Dead Island 2 entails, our all-in-one guide has information on each edition and what they offer. Contents Dead Island 2 Standard Edition – Dead Island 2 Deluxe Edition – Dead Island 2 Gold Edition – Dead Island 2 Hell-A Edition – Dead Island 2 Standard Edition If you just simply want Dead Island 2 and nothing more, then here is everything you’ll receive in the Standard Edition: A copy of Dead Island 2 – Dead Island 2 Deluxe Edition Looking forward to Dead Island 2 and want a few more in-game goodies to get a headstart on the Zombie smashing? Let’s go through the Deluxe Edition’s contents: A copy of Dead Island 2 – Bonus Content: Golden Weapons Pack Golden Mace and Golden Pistol – – Bonus Content: Character Pack 1&2 A unique weapon and costume in each pack – – Dead Island 2 Gold Edition If the Deluxe Edition isn’t satisfying your bloodlust, then the Dead Island 2 Gold Edition might be the one for you with its extra haul of items: A copy of Dead Island 2 – Bonus Content: Golden Weapons Pack Golden Mace and Golden Pistol – – Bonus Content: Character Pack 1&2 A unique weapon and costume in each pack – – Bonus Content: Pulp Weapons Pack Eye Opener and Homewrecker weapons – – Expansion Pass – Dead Island 2 Hell-A Edition The final edition on the list is the most expensive and complete of them all: Dead Island 2 Hell-A Edition. For the player that wants it all and is ready to go into battle with the game, all the while enjoying some real-life collectibles to go with it: A copy of Dead Island 2 with Exclusive Steelbook – Bonus Content: Golden Weapons Pack Golden Mace and Golden Pistol – – Bonus Content: Character Pack 1&2 A unique weapon and costume in each pack – – Bonus Content: Pulp Weapons Pack Eye Opener and Homewrecker weapons – – Expansion Pass – Venice Beach Travel Map – 6 Slayer Tarot Cards – 2 Pin Badges – 1 Patch – For more Dead Island 2 content, check out the guides below: Best skills to use in Dead Island 2 | Best weapons to use in Dead Island 2 | Dead Island 2: Is there fast travel? | Fastest ways to earn money in Dead Island 2 | How to craft weapons in Dead Island 2 | Where to find fuses in Dead Island 2 | How to beat Bucho the Clown in Dead Island 2 | How long is Dead Island 2? | Dead Island 2 voice cast – All characters and voice actors | Does Dead Island 2 have co-op multiplayer?

Dead Island 2: Goat Pen Master Keys location Dambuster StudiosDead Island 2 has plenty of outlandish locations for you to visit in your time in Hell-A. That includes the mock-influencer house, the Goat Pen. So, here’s how to find the Goat Pen Master Keys to grab all that valuable loot. There’s plenty to do in Dead Island 2 from the missions to gaining perks, skills, or just as much money as possible. Another great element in the game is the secrets, mostly hidden behind locked doors. The Goat Pen influencer house is no different. The Dead Island 2 Goat Pen is a fantastic multi-level home filled with energy drinks, tons of loot, great weapons, and, of course, zombies. However, to fully explore the Goat Pen, you’ll need to get the Goat Pen Key Card or the Goat Pen Master Key. So, here’s how to find the Goat Pen Master Key to access all that loot. Where to find the Goat Pen Master Keys in Dead Island 2 The Goat Pen is a location you’ll come across relatively early in the campaign.You’ll need to unlock fast travel before gaining access to the Master Key, making it a mid-game unlock. To get the Goat Pen Master Keys in Dead Island 2, follow these steps: When you find Curtis, rescue him and make sure he decides to shelter at Emma Jaunt’s estate. – Then, play until you reach Venice Beach and unlock Fast Travel. – Fast Travel to Emma’s mansion and speak to Curtis to unlock the “Creature Comforts” quest. – Head to the Goat Pen and travel to the bottom floor. – Defeat the zombie named Goat Pen Jamie. – Upon defeating them they’ll drop the Goat Pen Master Keys. – With that, the Goat Pen Master Key is yours, meaning you can explore the entirety of the Goat Pen mansion. Just watch out for any tricky zombies on your way through. While unlocking Fast Travel in Dead Island 2, take a look at some of our other handy guides and content: Best skills to use in Dead Island 2 | Best weapons to use in Dead Island 2 | Dead Island 2: Is there fast travel? | Fastest ways to earn money in Dead Island 2 | How to craft weapons in Dead Island 2 | Where to find fuses in Dead Island 2 | All Slayers in Dead Island 2: Every Skill Card & attributes | How to beat Bucho the Clown in Dead Island 2 | How long is Dead Island 2? | Dead Island 2 voice cast – All characters and voice actors | Does Dead Island 2 have co-op multiplayer?

Dead Island 2: Curtis’ Safe Key location Dambuster StudiosLooking to open up Curtis’ Valuables Safe in Dead Island 2? Well, here’s how to find that Safe Key to help you grab the powerful loot inside. As one of the first side quests in Dead Island 2, many players have a great time helping Curtis clear his extremely large house from any Zombies. However, his home is filled with valuables for you to find, including a pretty useful safe. So, if you’re looking to get inside Curtis’s Valuables Safe, which is located in the wine storage room, just by the rear entrance and opposite the utility room by the garage side door, then we’ve got you covered. Here’s where to find Curtis’ Safe Key in Dead Island 2. If you’re looking for more keys to unlock useful items, take a look at our guide detailing how to unlock the Goat Pen Master Keys. Where to find Curtis’ Safe Key in Dead Island 2 As it goes with most keys in Dead Island 2, Curtis’ Safe Key is pretty tricky to find and does require a tough fight. However, you need to be at the right point in the game, so, if there isn’t a Screamer Hotspot in the back of the house, keep playing and come back later on. If there is one, follow these steps to grab Curtis’ Safe Keys: Head to the back of the house, where a giant monogrammed crest is on the ground, it should be a Screamer Hot Spot. – Search the entire area and target the Screamers. – When he spawns, kill Crystal the Lawyer – Once defeated they will drop Curtis’ Safe Key. – Once you have the key, Curtis’ Valuables Safe is yours and you’ll be able to unlock it. Inside you should find plenty of cash and a powerful Tactical Heavy Revolver. While looking for Crystal the Lawyer, take a look at some of our other handy Dead Island 2 guides and content to help you take down those tricky Screamers: Best skills to use in Dead Island 2 | Best weapons to use in Dead Island 2 | Dead Island 2: Is there fast travel? | Fastest ways to earn money in Dead Island 2 | How to craft weapons in Dead Island 2 | Where to find fuses in Dead Island 2 | All Slayers in Dead Island 2: Every Skill Card & attributes | How to beat Bucho the Clown in Dead Island 2 | How long is Dead Island 2? | Dead Island 2 voice cast – All characters and voice actors | Does Dead Island 2 have co-op multiplayer? | Goat Pen Master Keys location

Dead Island 2: Best Blueprints, Mods, and Perks Dambuster StudiosUpgrading your gear in Dead Island 2 is key as you become the ultimate zombie killer in Hell-A. So let’s run through the best Blueprints, Mods, and Perks to use in the entertaining first-person shooter. Dead Island 2 has a stupid amount of deadly weapons waiting to be found in Hell-A. From razor-sharp axes to one-shot Hunting Rifles, there’s something for everyone. The buck doesn’t stop there as Blueprints, Mods, and Perks allow for more possibilities in the game. Want the already frenetic pace of your Auto Carbine cranked up a notch or your Wakazashi to be more durable? Then you need upgrades. Blueprints, Mods, and Perks give players the opportunity to concoct useful resources to aid gameplay. For a round-up of all the Blueprints, along with the best Mods and Perks, read on. Contents All Blueprints in Dead Island 2 In total, there are six Blueprints for you to track down and locate during the course of Dead Island 2. You can check out each of them below and what they do. Heavy Rounds: High-caliber rounds for a revolver or hunting rifle. – Nailgun Cartridge: Standardized nail cartridges for use in industrial nailguns. – Pistol Rounds: Small caliber rounds for use in pistols and machine pistols. – Rifle Rounds: Rifle rounds for use in assault rifles. – Shotgun Shells: 12-gauge buckshot cartridges for use in shotguns. – Med Kit: A medical kit filled with bandages, sterile wipes and all your medical essentials. Immediately boosts health on use, and removes harmful status effects. – Best Mods in Dead Island 2 Across melee weapons and guns in Dead Island 2, you’ll be able to apply Mods that add an elemental effect. Cremator Mods give weapons a fiery tinge, whereas Electrocutor Mods unsurprisingly make weapons inflict shock damage. We don’t think you need them all, with some being more effective than others. It also goes without saying that if you can find a superior version of an existing Mod then equip it. For example, if you have a Rare version of a Mod and find the Superior rarity, then upgrade to this better version. Cremator Mod: Converts your weapon to inflict FIRE DAMAGE and gives a moderate damage boost. Successive hits to a zombie also apply the IGNITED effect. – Electrocutor Mod: Converts your weapon to inflict SHOCK DAMAGE and gives a moderate damage boost. Successive hits to a zombie also apply the ELECTRIFIED effect. – Liquidator Mod: Converts your weapon to inflict CAUSTIC DAMAGE and gives a moderate damage boost. Successive hits to a zombie also apply the MELTING effect. – Best Perks in Dead Island 2 Along with everything else, you can also add Perks to your weapon to further increase their effectiveness. Dead Island 2’s Perk system is rangey, so let’s narrow down some of the best options to use across all rarities. High-Caliber: Increases DAMAGE and FORCE, but reduces Magazine size and Accuracy. – Damaging: Increases DAMAGE. – Tactical Reload: Killing a zombie gives a moderate RELOAD SPEED boost. – Bloodthirsty: Killing a zombie gives a moderate DAMAGE boost, and generates increased FURY. – Mind-Blowing: Killing a zombie with a blow to the HEAD triggers a Forceful explosion. – If you equip at least some of the Mods and Perks to your favorite weapons then you’re sure to dish out a great deal of damage in Dead Island 2. Don’t forget about crafting items from Blueprints too! For more guides on the game, we have plenty more below for you to check out: Best skills to use in Dead Island 2 | Best weapons to use in Dead Island 2 | Dead Island 2: Is there fast travel? | Fastest ways to earn money in Dead Island 2 | How to craft weapons in Dead Island 2 | Where to find fuses in Dead Island 2 | All Slayers in Dead Island 2: Every Skill Card & attributes | How to beat Bucho the Clown in Dead Island 2 | How long is Dead Island 2? | Dead Island 2 voice cast – All characters and voice actors | Does Dead Island 2 have co-op multiplayer?

Does Dead Island 2 have a character creator? Dambuster StudiosDead Island 2 plunges players into a frenzied battle against zombies, raising an important question: does the game confine you to selected presets, or can you design your own character? Creativity in combat is a must as you navigate through undead hordes in Dead Island 2 but what about personalizing your character’s appearance and traits? Let’s explore if Dead Island 2 provides this level of customization. A detail that delights many lovers of open-world games is the ability to personalize and pretty up their main character. From hand-picked armor to precise facial features that make your hero shine, a character creation tool is prevalent in many RPG games. Dead Island 2 gives players a lot of freedom in how they want to play and take on one undead foe after another, so let’s look to find out if it has a character creation feature. Can you create your own character in Dead Island 2? We’re sorry to report that you cannot create your own Slayer in Dead Island 2. Instead, the game forgoes a character creator for for six pre-made protagonists. Creative control is taken out of your hands in this respect and you will be forced to choose from a handful of characters: Amy, Bruno, Carla, Dani, Jacob, or Ryan. Once you’ve made your decision, Dambuster Studios will then allow you to tailor your gameplay experience more to suit your needs. But yes, you won’t be able to customize your character in the same way that some other games allow. For more Dead Island 2 content, check out the guides below: Best skills to use in Dead Island 2 | Best weapons to use in Dead Island 2 | Dead Island 2: Is there fast travel? | Fastest ways to earn money in Dead Island 2 | How to craft weapons in Dead Island 2 | Where to find fuses in Dead Island 2 | How to beat Bucho the Clown in Dead Island 2 | How long is Dead Island 2? | Dead Island 2 voice cast – All characters and voice actors | Does Dead Island 2 have co-op multiplayer?

Dead Island 2 Achievements & Trophies list Dambuster StudiosDead Island 2 doesn’t just challenge players to survive the zombie apocalypse—it dares them to excel. With an extensive array of trophies and achievements tailored for the most dedicated Slayers, this guide is your key to unlocking every accolade in Dead Island 2. Dambuster Studios invites you into the heart of Hell-A, a zombie-infested Los Angeles, to prove your mettle. From your first Zombie-Free Zone to the depths of Venice Beach, each trophy and achievement tells a story of survival, strategy, and sheer willpower. The creation and development of the game were handled by Dambuster Studios, instead of OG devs Techland who have since made the Dying Light franchise, and they certainly tried to make their own impact on the series. Dead Island 2 has a large amount of meaty content to experience and discover, and the full Achievements and Trophies list will add even more stuff for potential players to do. How many Trophies & Achievements are in Dead Island 2? In total, PlayStation Dead Island 2 users will have 46 different Trophies to claim and feature a wide array of Bronze, Silver, and Gold Trophies – with the Platinum being the final one. Whereas Xbox users have 45 Dead Island 2 Achievements to grind for. If you’re unfamiliar with Trophies and Achievements, PlayStation fans get one extra Trophy for earning all of them. Either way, players are encouraged to explore and enjoy all facets of Dead Island 2. It’s worth mentioning that several of the trophies mention story spoilers so proceed with caution if you are precious about keeping the surprises preserved. Dead Island 2: All Trophies & Achievements Who Do You Voodoo?: Collect every Dead Island 2 trophy! – Welcome To Hell-A: Survive a plane crash, get bitten, and create your first Zombie-Free Zone. – Hotel California: Fight through the Halperin Hotel to make contact with the authorities. – Personal Assistant Personally Assisted: Track down Michael and rescue him from the Terror at Monarch Studios. – Git Gutte!: Join forces with Sam B and get your hands on some firepower. – Friend Like These: Encounter a mysterious… benefactor? Well, that’s what shed’ call herself, anyway. – Dr. Reed, I Presume?: Survive the many perils of Venice Beach and meet Dr. Reed at the Serling Hotel. – But Doctor, I Am Butcho: Slay a killer clown and get your blood sample back to Dr. Reed. – Can’t Handle the Truth: Learn the truth about what you are as dark secrets are revealed. – Like Riding a Bike: Find Patton and convince him to fly you out of Hell-A. – A Patton Emerges: Survive the Metro system and get to Hollywood Boulevard. – Make it So: Help Sarah and Sebastian light a beacon of hope. – Our True Nature: Give up your chance to be human again. – Gore Horse: Help an artist to complete their greatest (and grisliest) piece of art. – Go, Bobcats!: Reunited all the VCLA Bobcats. – Internet Famous: Complete Amanda’s Clickbait quests. You won’t believe what happens next! – Making Your Mark: Complete 10 non-Story Quests. – Rising Star: Complete 20 non-Story Quests. – LA Influential: Complete 40 non-Story Quests. – Ooh, Shiny!: Find your first Legendary Weapon. – Zombologist: Unlock every zombie type in the Zompedia. – On Safari: Complete the first tier of every Zombie Challenge. – Variety is the Spice of Death: Complete the first tier of every Weapon Challenge. – Zombicidal Maniac: Complete the first tier of every Combat Challenge. – Survival Skills: Complete the first tier of every Survivor Challenge. – Smorgasbord: Complete the first tier of every Exploration Challenge. – Sharpest Tool in the Box: Complete 5 Lost & Found Weapon Quests. – Sole Survivor: Complete 9 Lost & Found Missing Person Quests. – Jumbo Keyring: Unlock 10 Lockboxes. – Bookworm: Collect 50 Journals. – Stacking the Deck: Collect 30 Skill Cards. – Humanity Distilled: Equip your first Numen Skill Card. – Max Headroom: Reach level 30. – Down with the Sickness: Reach the highest tier of Autophage infection by equipping Autophage Skills. – Anger Management: Slay 50 zombies with Fury Attacks. – This is My Weapon: Fully upgrade a Superior weapon and customize it with a mod or perk in every slot. – Not Even My Final Form: Slay a Mutator before it transforms. – Hazardous Material: Slay 100 Zombies using Caustic, Fire, or Shock damage. – Break a Leg: Maim 100 limbs. – Slayer Squad: Complete any 5 quests in co-op. – I Am the Resurrection: Revive other Slayers 5 times. – Coup de Grâce: Slay 25 zombies using finishing moves. – Perks of the Job: Complete 5 Blueprint Challenges. – Donk!: Throw a melee weapon and hit zombie 35+ meters away. – Apex Predator: Knock down 10 Apex Variants. – I Got a Zombie Army and You Can’t Harm Me: Perform 25 perfect defensive moves. – If the Dead Island 2 Achievement and Trophy list looks like an exciting prospect to you, then take a look at our full preview for the game, as well as if the game is coming to Xbox Game Pass. For more Dead Island 2 content, check out the guides below: Will Dead Island 2 be on Xbox Game Pass? | Dead Island 2 preview | Will Dead Island 2 be open world? | Can you play Dead Island 2 on Steam Deck? | Does Dead Island 2 have a character creator? | Dead Island 2 PC requirements: Minimum & recommended specs | Does Dead Island 2 have crossplay? | Dead Island 2 editions & pre-order bonuses | How long is Dead Island 2? | Dead Island 2 voice cast – All characters and voice actors

Dead Cells Return to Castlevania: Trailer, release date, everything we know Motion Twin / KonamiMotion Twin is partnering with Konami to develop Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania, DLC set to launch in 2023; here’s everything we know about the content, so far. Following a stint in early access, Dead Cells launched to rave reviews in the summer of 2018. The hybrid roguelike-Metroidvania experience enjoyed great commercial success, too, having topped six million units sold by November 2021. Its long legs on the market come courtesy of developer Motion Twin’s continued post-launch support. Such content has manifested as free updates featuring new enemies and weapons and paid DLC. During the 2022 Game Awards, the crew proved it’s not finished with the world of Dead Cells just yet. Castlevania DLC, Return to Castlevania, will launch in early 2023 and allow players to fight alongside Richter Belmont and Alucard. Contents What to expect from Dead Cells’ Castlevania DLC – Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania Game Awards Trailer – Return to Castlevania DLC release date – What to expect from Dead Cells’ Castlevania DLC Motion Twin and development partner Evil Empire recreated the iconic atmosphere of Dracula’s Castle across two playable biomes. Those who explore the structure’s interior will find secret rooms, malevolent creatures, and a host of other surprises, all while trying to reach the Throne Room. Belmont and Alucard will appear every so often, guiding users on their quest and supplying new weapons. Some of the revealed weapons include the Vampire Killer and Throwing Axe, threaded into the experience in a way that should feel natural to Dead Cells faithful. Better still, the DLC will also boast an alternative soundtrack packed with 51 classic Castlevania tracks, Motion Twin confirmed in a PlayStation Blog post. In addition, a dozen of those tunes such as Vampire Killer and Bloody Tears have been “reimagined” in Dead Cells’ signature style, while “preserving the Castlevania ambiance.” Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania Game Awards Trailer A nearly two-minute animated trailer for Return to Castlevania constituted one of the Game Awards’ many surprises. After a brief trek through the hallowed halls of Dracula’s Castle, the teaser showcased Alucard and Belmont in action. Dracula himself appeared for a brief time as well, facing off against our heroes in the Throne Room. But it’s clear the best is yet to come. Dead Cells Return to Castlevania DLC Release Date The upcoming Return to Castlevania DLC is locked in for a release on March 6, 2023 across all platforms. The news was announced during a special Nintendo Direct on February 8 which also came with a new trailer. Return to Castlevania slashes onto Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms in just a matter of days.

Dead Cells devs ramp up the pace with new roguelike game Windblown Motion TwinSeven years after Dead Cells first made a splash in early access, France-based indie studio Motion Twin is gearing up for its next highly anticipated release. Windblown is the team’s new lightning-quick roguelike that’s sprinting full steam ahead and we were able to see the game in motion for the first time. The roguelike genre has blossomed in recent years with standouts like Hades, The Binding of Isaac, and Slay the Spire, to name a few. Most recently, the genre has proven its popularity once again with the smash hit Balatro. Though you can’t think of the label without Dead Cells jumping into the mix. First released back in 2017, the indie title took a while to gain some momentum, but when it did, the game soared to heights Motion Twin could have only dreamed of. Within a year, two million copies had been sold, and to date that number well exceeds 10 million in total. A monumental feat for a small French dev studio, though they’re not looking to rest on their laurels on the back of Dead Cells’ success. Far from it. Recently announcing post-launch support for Dead Cells had come to an end, the team is once again toiling away with a bold new project, this time with a game known as Windblown. While similar in its structure and design, the sheer pace of this new roguelike endeavor is what looks to set it apart from everything else on the market. A new perspective for Motion Twin As revealed back with the game’s debut during the 2023 Game Awards, Windblown pivots away from the reliable 2D approach that largely put Motion Twin on the map. Instead of opting for more of an angled overhead view, the new title sports a fully realized 3D perspective, enabling players more freedom in how they navigate the world and take down enemies in each stage. More akin to the likes of Hades, Windblown’s combat plays out from the overhead angle, with the camera tracking back just far enough to ensure any given stage is always in full view. The action isn’t getting cut off at any point, and that’s vital given just how much can be happening in a given moment. With regular attack patterns, special abilities, randomized buffs found throughout, loot impacting it all, and no doubt plenty of yet-to-be-revealed features in the mix, there’s always a great deal to keep you on your toes. And with all these mechanics in motion simultaneously, the game prioritizes pace over all else. Gotta go fast Speed is the name of the game here in Windblown. As the name suggests, your aim is to be as quick as the wind, blitzing your way through arena after arena, stage after stage, and biome after biome. While there doesn’t appear to be any gameplay restrictions surrounding your speed, your run won’t end if you take too long, for instance, the new project is designed in such a way as to always keep you pressing forward. There’s no downtime between fights, enemies don’t give you a second to breathe, and you’re always just a few quick dashes away from the next encounter. In a sense, it’s designed for short bursts in a way the roguelike genre has somewhat drifted away from over the years. Where in many pillars of the genre, a typical run could take you over an hour, possibly exhausting you on the way and limiting the appeal of that ‘one more game’ feeling, Windblown is the opposite. Short bursts of rapid, chaotic fun, and then you’re right back to the hub world. The path to launch for Windblown Mirroring the roadmap of Dead Cells, Windblown does share a similarity in its path to launch. Set to first hit Steam at an undisclosed point in 2024, the game will be available in early access to begin with. It’s here the devs will take player feedback onboard and look to refine the experience for quite some time, while still implementing new content along the way too. One such addition is the support for co-op play with up to three friends. Though as we’ve learned, it’s still very early days in that regard. Similarly, it could be quite some time before console players can get their hands on Windblown. With no set end date for the early access period, and devs taking their time to get everything nailed down, we could be looking at a late 2025 or even 2026 console port by the time the full experience is fleshed out. With dozens of items, upgrades, and the like, a litany of weapons, and plenty of permanent boosts to unlock in the hub world too, there’s already no shortage of replayability. So even on the day of the early access launch, players will be able to sink their teeth into a meaty first bite.

Dead Cells 2022 roadmap: Boss Rush, Panchaku, release times PlaystationThe four-year-old roguelike Dead Cells is still going strong, and the developers just revealed a new two-year roadmap. Dead Cells takes inspiration from Metroidvania games and combines it with the traditional roguelike formula. The game was ahead of its time and is still addicting. Dead Cells laid the foundation for new roguelike titles such as Cult of The Lamb and Rogue Legacy 2. The player takes the role of a creature called the prisoner, and players must fight their way off a monster-infested island and slay the island’s king. Dead Cells uses a ‘permadeath’ feature, and players unforgivingly lose everything when they die. Akin to other roguelike games, players can gain permanent upgrades that help make each run easier. Dead Cells has 4 DLC updates, and the developers revealed a massive two-year roadmap to keep fans invested. Dead Cells 2022 roadmap Motion Twin revealed a roadmap for Dead Cells. The developers stated that 2023 would be the most exciting year in Dead Cells’ history. The first update comes at some point this summer and adds the Panchaku weapon and re-balances items. The Panchaku stands out because it can deflect grenades and can deal critical damage to enemies facing you. The Deal Cells developers wanted a more balanced item selection, so they rebalanced previously forgotten items and weapons. For example, the Rapier, Crusher, and Maw of the Deep all received nerfs. The Wrecking ball, Leghugger, and Frantic Sword received significant buffs. The developers are adding a Boss Rush area in the fall, and the winter update is still a secret. Motion Twin clarified, “we’re very much in the mid-life of Dead Cells. We’re no longer sneaking out at night drunk on street corners, but we’ve still got plenty of life in us before our knees start to give in, so prepare yourselves for more Dead Cells content.” We will provide any future updates on the Dead Cells DLC roadmap.

Dead By Daylight Portrait of a Murderer patch notes: The Artist, Jonah Vasquez, new map Behaviour InteractiveDead By Daylight’s Portrait of a Murderer update unleashes The Artist into the fray, alongside a new Survivor and unique perks, so here’s the 5.4.0 patch notes. Dead By Daylight’s latest killer, The Artist, has finally taken to the shadows as part of the Portrait of a Murderer 5.4.0 update. Flanked by a murder of particularly nasty crows everywhere she goes, the late Carmina Mora was murdered for her attempts to cleanse corruption via art. Back from the dead and hellbent on ensuring her killer’s bloody demise, she’s a force to be reckoned with. Accompanying her is new survivor Jonah Vasquez, and a whole new map inspired by her feathered friends. So, here’s everything you need to know about Dead By Daylight’s Portrait of a Murderer update, as well as the 5.4.0 patch notes. Contents Dead by Daylight: The Artist & new Eyrie of Crows map As we mentioned before, the star of this patch is the mysterious Artist. With a whole host of creepy new perks inspired by her tragic tale, it’ll be interesting to see how much of an impact she makes on the game’s meta. A new location has also been unveiled, entitled ‘Eyrie of Crows.” This refers to the lofty nests often built by birds of prey, but also frequently constructed by The Artist’s ebony avian friends. With a whole bunch of new nooks and crannies to explore, you’d best keep your eyes on the skies so that her scouts don’t spot you. Dead by Daylight: Jonah Vasquez On a very different end of the spectrum, we also have Jonah Vasquez joining the ranks of the Survivors. A self-professed mathematical mastermind, he uses logic to fuel his lethality. Read More: Best Dead by Daylight Survivors – With the ability to zip in and out of danger, heal his teammates, and correct failed Skill Checks, he may just become a staple team member. Dead By Daylight Portrait of a Murderer patch notes Below are the official patch notes for Dead By Daylight’s Portrait of a Murderer update, obtained via Behaviour Interactive. Features Added a new Killer – The Artist Perks – Grim Embrace, Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance, and Hex: Pentimento – – Added a new Survivor – Jonah Vasquez Perks – Overcome, Corrective Action, and Boon: Exponential – – Added a new map – Eyrie of Crows – Loadout and Customization menus now have Page Markers Markers include the number of the page – Markers can be directly selected to jump to the desired page – – Added a New/Sale badge to the Store – Added Subtitles to the HUD Can be toggled in the options – Only applies to in-game speech (just The Trickster at this time) – – Dead By Daylight Content Patch Notes Re-enabled location restriction when snuffing Boon totems – Updated the character portraits for Meg, Dwight, Adam, and Laurie. – Updated the character background images in the Character Info and Store menus for Quentin, Feng, Kate, David, Jake, Nea, Adam, Meg, and Dwight. – Added input prompts for the Anti-Hemorrhagic Syringe, Styptic Agents, and Glass Beads add-ons – The Store DLC Purchase Popup now specifies the character associated with exclusive items – Cenobite Addon Update Add-on – Liquified Gore Decreased solving time modifier to 1 second (was 2 seconds) – – Add-on – Torture Pillar Decreased Chain Hunt activation time to 5 seconds (was 10 seconds) – – Add-on – Larry’s Remains Decreased solving time modifier to 2 seconds (was 4 seconds) – – Add-on – Chatterer’s Tooth Increased Undetectable status to duration 25 seconds (was 12 seconds) – – Add-on – Engineer’s Fang Added effect: When hitting an injured Survivor with a possessed chain, only 1 additional chain will spawn – – Add-on – Iridescent Lament Configuration Increased range to 24 meters (was 16 meters) – – Dev Note: The Cenobite has been overperforming since he came to DbD. These addon changes are intended to bring his five best performing addons more in line to reduce his overall power, accompanied with a buff to his worst performing addon. Optimization Optimized The Spirit’s performance – Dev Note: The Spirit has the largest impact on performance of any Killer, technically speaking. These performance optimizations should help alleviate that on all platforms. Bug Fixes Fixed the broken Game Manual tab on the Tutorial screen. – Fixed an issue that allowed survivors to consume other survivor’s Clairvoyance perk. – Fixed an issue that caused blessing a totem not to disable Decisive Strike. – Fixed an issue that caused the Clairvoyance perk not to be deactivated when speared. – Fixed an issue that caused Boon Totem vignettes to disappear when moving between overlapping Boon ranges. – Fixed an issue that may cause the Boon Totem vignette to linger when the survivor who applied a Boon leaves the match. – Fixed an issue where skill checks would be absent when self-healing with the Self-Care or Boon: Circle of Healing. – Fixed an issue that may cause the sound notification for the 4th generator completed not to trigger. – Fixed an issue that may cause items, including medkits and toolboxes, with charge modifier add-ons to only apply 99% of their charge. – Fixed an issue that caused a hitch to occur at the end of vaults with the Legion. – Fixed an issue that caused Hag traps set in the Asylum’s entrance not to get triggered. – Fixed an issue that let The Nightmare place Dream Snares which would not be seen from below on top of stairs. – Fixed an issue that may cause the Afterpiece Tonic gas not to match the affected area when the bottle explodes high above ground level. – Fixed an issue that may cause survivors to be attacked by the Chain Hunt while they are solving the Lament Configuration. – Fixed an issue that caused a placeholder icon to be seen when affected by another player’s Leader perk. – Fixed an issue that caused a gun SFX to be heard when entering into the tally screen as The Deathslinger. – Fixed an issue that caused non-lethal interruptions not to grant progress towards the Quick Draw achievement. – Fixed an issue that may cause the camera in the Killer lobby to be off center. – Fixed an issue that may cause a hitch to occur after vaulting when using the Lithe perk. – Fixed an issue that may cause a hitch to occur when unhooking a survivor or entering a closet. – Fixed an issue that may cause The Cannibal to lose the ability to use his power after getting stunned. – Fixed an issue that caused clients de-synchronizations after running in the main buildings of various maps (Yamaoka, Macmillan, Ironwork of Misery, Coal Tower). – Fixed an issue that caused archives progress to be shareable between different accounts by switching accounts in the main menu. – Fixed an issue that caused the end game music to stop playing after using the Legion’s Feral Frenzy. – Fixed an issue that caused the Mori music not to play for killers playing the Nemesis. – Fixed an issue that may cause the wrong VFX and SFX to play when a Hex Totem was destroyed by a survivor. – Fixed an issue that prevented a Gateway’s SFX from stopping after it is closed while playing against The Cenobite. – Fixed an issue that prevented Chainsaw SFX from playing after The Cannibal’s Tantrum impacts an object. – Fixed an issue that prevented repair sfx from playing when repairing generators in the Survivor tutorial. – Fixed an issue that caused the Survivor to crawl into a corner near a totem to prevent being picked up by the Killer in the main building of Yamaoka Family Residence. – Fixed an issue that caused the Survivor to get on top of some cars near the Azarov Office. – Fixed an issue that caused a crouching Survivor get stuck near the stairs of one of the house in Dead Dawg Saloon. – Fixed an issue that caused Survivors and Killers to climb on top of a cart near the gallows of Dead Dawg Saloon. – Fixed an issue that caused Killers to be unable to walk through a doorway on RPD if the hatch spawned in that location. – Fixed an issue that caused the Survivors to not interact with one of the Nightmare’s clocks in RPD map on XSX only. – Fixed an issue that caused the “health line” visual in The Nemesis’s power effect behind the Survivor HUD portraits to disappear. – Fixed an issue that caused players to remain stuck in the result screen after a game. – Fixed an issue that caused a wireframe to be visible on Survivors on some platforms. – Known Issues There are missing Meat Barrels in the Thompson House Bathroom causing an invisible collision. – A couple of Trickster voiceover lines are not localized. – Type of currency (KWD) is displayed incorrectly on Windows Store – The New and Sale flags on the Store buttons do not properly disappear when clicking on the Store buttons. – Dead By Daylight Patch Notes Changes from PTB Features The Artist Extended power limitation zone around Hooked survivors to 10 meters (was 8 meters) – Swarmed Survivors who contact an idle Dire Crow will now have their Repel action reset (previously, it would damage the Survivor) – – Dev Note: These changes were made to help reduce The Artist’s power to shut down unhooking, and also to make her less oppressive during short loops by giving the survivor a counterplay option. Perks Grim Embrace Generator blocking increased to 30/35/40 seconds (was 20/25/30 seconds) – Obsession aura reveal increased to 5 seconds (was 4 seconds) – – Hex: Pentimento Perk effects now line up with the description text properly – – – Grim Embrace – Dev Note: On the PTB, Hex: Pentimento would trigger the healing speed debuff first and then the repair speed debuff second, while the description listed them in the opposite order. The perk description is now correct, and the repair speed debuff is first followed by the healing speed debuff second. Bug Fixes Fixed an issue where Burning Candle and Torture Pillar had the same bonus. The Candle is now 3 seconds and the Pillar is 6 seconds. – Fixed an issue where Engineer’s Fang’s text was not correct. – Fixed an issue that prevented the killer from damaging the generator in the killer tutorial. – Fixed an issue that caused the first generator in the survivor tutorial to start at 0% progress. – Fixed an issue that sometimes caused a crash when playing the tutorial bot match. – Fixed an issue that caused previously purchased Stranger Things cosmetics to be missing. – Fixed an issue that caused the graphics resolution setting to reset to 100% every time the player relaunches the client. – Fixed an issue where it was possible for The Artist to spawn Crows during a cooldown when lagging – Fixed an issue where incorrect text was displayed in the tooltips for The Artist and Jonah Vasquez – Fixed an issue where a flying Bird of Torment would be unable to pass through some windows or over small obstacles – Fixed an issue where the Darkest Ink add-on would not be applied when the crows are swarming a survivor – Fixed an issue where a Bird of Torment would continue past a survivor who was just unhooked or in the process of being unhooked – Fixed an issue where the Corrective Action perk incorrectly consumes tokens when an assisting survivor succeeds a skill check – Fixed an issue where an audio reminder about firing a Bird of Torment is played even though it had been already fired – Fixed an issue where the Matias’ Baby Shoes Add-on would not properly reveal survivors – Fixed an issue where crows would not be applied to a survivor exiting a locker, or reapplied near another infected survivor – Fixed an issue where Birds of Torment could not be spawned in some more enclosed spaces – Fixed an issue where Birds of Torment would not follow the slope along some inclined floors or stairs – Fixed an issue where killer charms would be clipping through certain hooks – Fixed an issue where Birds of Torment could not be consistently dissipated with a flashlight – Fixed an issue where Corrective Action would incorrectly apply to failed skill checks on co-op interactions other than healing or repairing – Fixed an issue where a survivor’s recovery bar or self-healing bars would not turn red while slowed down by Hex Pentimento – Fixed an issue with Hex Pentimento where the survivors would become cursed when the killer rekindles a totem – Fixed an issue where a Hex Totem would have both the Boon and Hex flame effects when cleansed, rekindled and subsequently blessed – Fixed an issue where equipping Grim Embrace would show blocked generators with a red aura – Fixed an issue where the incorrect cooldown times are displayed when equipping the Festering Carrion add-on – Fixed an issue when The Artist fires a Bird of Torment just before the time runs out makes it impossible to attack or interact with anything – Fixed an issue when using the killer Add-on Severed Hands where a survivor with a swarm of crows can spread the crows to survivors lying dead on the ground – Fixed an issue where Corrective Action incorrectly assisted with skill checks forced by perks or add-ons – Fixed an issue where a survivor’s recovery speed would double when in range of two Totems blessed with the Boon: Exponential perk – Fixed an issue with The Artist where firing a Bird of Torment at a survivor in a locker would not cause that survivor to be revealed with Killer Instincts – Fixed an issue where the Overcharge killer perk progress penalty is not applied when a survivor fails an Overcharge skill check – Fixed a crash which could happen when the Starstruck cooldown is done – Fixed a crash where The Artist’s Garden of Rot add-on would crash at the start of a trial – Fixed an issue where the Overcome perk would activate when becoming downed instead of just injured – Fixed an issue where The Artist would not get stunned by a pallet when placing a Dire Crow – Fixed an issue where the Severed Tongue add-on would not apply for the correct amount of time – Fixed an issue with the Thick Tar addon where Survivors would not receive visual feedback that their Repel action was slowed – Fixed an issue where survivors may not be hit by a Dire Crow that spawned overlapping with them – Fixed an issue where damage done by The Artist’s Dire Crow would not count towards the Chaser emblem – Fixed an issue where Hex: Plaything affects only one survivor – Fixed an issue with the Corrective Action perk not adding tokens for great skill checks after having used a toolbox with the Brand New Part add-on – Fixed an issue where a Blast Mine detonation on a generator would not dispel a swarm of crows on a nearby survivor – Fixed an issue where Hex: The Third Seal does not apply Blindness to survivors damaged by a Dire Crow – Fixed an issue when The Artist launching a Bird of Torment does not consume a token of Play with your Food – Fixed an issue where the Coup de Grace perk receives extra tokens when the last generator is repaired – Fixed an issue where the “Out isn’t an option” challenge can be completed by disconnecting from a trial – Fixed a lighting issue with reflections, sky and colors. –

Dead by Daylight’s Trapper is one of the girls — he gets vault bugs too Behaviour InteractiveFemale survivors in Dead by Daylight have consistently been plagued by bugged vaults. However, as this hilarious Trapper clip shows, they’re not alone. Dead by Daylight players have been vocal in their displeasure about reoccurring bugs in female survivors’ vault animations. Far from girlbossing their fast vaults, fans claim that female survivors are slowed and that their mid-vault hitboxes are functioning inaccurately more often than their male counterparts. With the problem rearing its head a number of times since it was first recorded in August 2023, it’s safe to say that those whose mains are women are starting to feel done dirty by Behaviour. Some have gone so far as to joke that the bug is “sexist” but others have said that a far more valuable motivation would be to thwart Feng Min mains. Dead by Daylight’s “buggy” vaults target Trapper Now, it appears that the Trapper has joined the ladies in their struggle. Although the killer has a tad more whimsy to his bug. In a video uploaded on X, a DBD fan @v1rtualblight shows game footage of Trapper vaulting across a window. Those on their voice chat then erupt in laughter as the movement distorts the killer’s legs into a shape akin to a tiny turkey leg. The X user joked that Behaviour had given a new animation to Trapper. However, the awkward hook-like shape that his leg bends into is obviously far from intentional. The players in @v1rtualblight’s lobby weren’t the only ones who got a kick out of the warped visual, with one user replying, “This might be the funniest DBD bug I’ve ever seen.” A number of players have suggested the bug could be related to the upcoming Naughty Bear Trapper skin, given the cartoonish proportions of the character. While bugs in Dead by Daylight have been irritating for fans, this one is harmless and entertaining, so it appears to get a pass for now. The only question that remains is how long will it be until we see ‘baby leg Trapper’ fan art?

Dead by Daylight players slam devs over NFT Hellraiser collection Behaviour InteractiveThe Dead by Daylight community is slamming developer Behaviour Interactive for an NFT Hellraiser collection using the in-game Pinhead model as its template. NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are digital claims of ownership to special media that can range from jpg files to more intricate pieces of online art. Concerns around them usually boil down to questions around their environmental impact and use in scams with blockchain currencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Pinhead is the debut piece for Boss Protocol’s upcoming Masters of Horror collection. The game developer’s involvement in the upcoming launch has invited criticisms from a host of players who do not want to support the industry. Dead by Daylight Pinhead NFT drama On October 18, Behaviour Interactive said they were working with Boss Protocol “over several months to adapt in-game models for use as NFTs and approved them prior to the release of Pinhead in DbD.” That renewed people’s furor by thinking they were inadvertently supporting NFTs by playing the game. Concerns over the Dead by Daylight Pinhead model being used for the digital pieces are rooted in players feeling blindsided by the collaboration and Behaviour’s continued involvement. “So will you be offering refunds for the chapter?” one Twitter user asked. “You should have disclosed this before it went on sale as many people would never want their money to go towards anything to do with NFTs.” A lot of the outcry matched that feeling especially since some of the 10,000 pieces of the generated collection would grant access to the in-game Hellraiser content for DbD on PC, which was initially released on September 7. so will you be offering refunds for the chapter? you should have disclosed this before it went on sale as many people would never want their money to go towards anything to do with nfts. — fern / cam (@eefernal) October 18, 2021 How to kill any goodwill people still had for you and your game after a string of rough releases, SBMM and a plague of hackers. It’s one thing to make mistakes, making a game is hard, but this is just selling your soul for cryptodollars. Absolutely vile. — Pixel Bush Entertainment (@PixelBushYT) October 18, 2021 I bought the DLC from steam and it’s too late to refund. I’m contributing to harming the environment with NFTs against my will. What the fuck BHVR. — Nathan ⛓ (@amongus69420) October 18, 2021 Dead by Daylight devs address Pinhead NFT The current situation has been developing since Boss Protocol announced Pinhead as the debut release for its Masters of Horror collection on September 23. Reactions to DbD’s apparent involvement forced a response from the game developers to concerned fans on October 14. “When we work with our licensing partners,” Behaviour began. “We provide them with in-game models as well as Chapter keys. They are free to use these however they see fit as the rightful owners of these characters. “To be very clear: There is no exclusive in-game content linked to these models when they are distributed outside of the game in any way.” To be very clear: There is no exclusive in-game content linked to these models when they are distributed outside of the game in any way. We hope this clarifies some of your questions and doubts. — Dead by Daylight (@DeadbyDaylight) October 14, 2021 After Behaviour created the model for DbD’s Pinhead, the devs worked with partners for the Hellraiser license that would eventually be the base for the NFTs. Dead by Daylight has more horror icons in its library of killers and it’s unclear if any of those will also be used for any future NFTs under the dev’s licensing agreements.

Dead By Daylight Killers tier list: All Killers ranked Behaviour InteractiveDead By Daylight is full of different Killers to use, and if you want to strike fear into Survivors, we’ve ranked every murderer in the game from best to worst in our ultimate tier list. There are tons of choices to make in Dead By Daylight, from the Perks you want to use, to who you want to play. Whether you’re trying to survive with your group of friends, or are hunting down innocent victims, it can be tricky to decide. Our tier list is here to help make your decision easier. We’ve broken down every Killer in Dead By Daylight below into rankings so you can know who’s best to use. Dead By Daylight Killers tier list Our tiers explained Here’s a short-hand for how our tiers in the table above work: S: The best Killers in the game – A: Very good Killer – B: Good Killers but not as impactful as A or S-tier options – C: There might be situations where these Killers can perform well – D: Best to avoid unless you find yourself drawn to them – S-tier Killers in Dead By Daylight The Nurse The Nurse isn’t an easy Killer to use but she’s extremely deadly if played correctly. Her Blink ability allows her to teleport across the map and not be hindered by stairs, palettes, or walls. It can take a while to master the best timing for the skill, and you’ll be temporarily fatigued after Blink has been executed a few times, but in the right hands, The Nurse can be unstoppable. Out of the two Killers in S-tier, we’d particularly recommend The Nurse due to her Blink ability. It’s one of the strongest skills in the game and if used correctly she can be utterly deadly. The Blight The Blight is another Killer that’s hard to master but when you do they’re a force to be reckoned with. This Killer’s biggest weapon is their movement speed so you can easily corner and catch up to survivors. The Rush power turns into a Lethal Rush after The Blight rushes into a wall or other obstacle which then allows you to attack survivors. Getting used to their quick speed and executing Rush correctly does take time, but it’s worth it if you want to dominate matches. A-tier Killers The Huntress The Huntress has a ranged approach to matches as she can throw her Hunting Hatchet projectiles around the map. Strike a survivor twice and they’ll go down. The Hatchets are powerful, and there’s a relatively quick cooldown time between throws. The main drawback of The Huntress is her slow speed which can make her tricky to master. Once you’ve got the hang of timing your Hatchet throws, however, you’ll be downing survivors left and right. The Artist The Artist is another Killer who can fight from a distance like The Huntress. Her Dire Crows can track survivors across the map, and damage anyone in their path. Once someone’s been hit, the Crows will swarm around them revealing their location so you can hone in for the kill. You’ll need to be careful with the placement of your Crows as if you get it wrong survivors will know exactly where you are. If you can tame them, however, they’re a hugely fierce weapon. The Good Guy The iconic spooky doll Chucky joined the ranks of Dead By Daylight in November 2023. He may be small but he’s deadly and sits comfortably in the A-tier as one of the best Killers in the game. His short stature puts you at a great advantage because he’ll be concealed under most windows on maps. This gives you a lot of opportunities to quietly creep up on survivors and move in for the kill. He’s speedy, sneaky, and powerful, and is a solid killer for both beginners and veterans to learn. The Xenomorph Ridley Scott’s beloved Alien is also featured in Dead By Daylight. If you prefer to be as aggressive as possible then the Xenomoph could be the alien for you. Its Tail Whip attack covers a large area making it handy if you need to damage a survivor who’s farther away. It can also travel via underground tunnels and sense player footsteps if they’re treading above where you’re hiding. Generators can also be heard underground, making it quick and easy to find unsuspecting victims. If you want a fast killer who’s great at tracking survivors then the Xenomorph is the way to go. The Lich Another big crossover came to DbD with Dungeons & Dragons. The big bad of Stranger Things Season 4, Vecna, introduced the tabletop RPG Lich to the wider world and he debuted in Dead By Daylight in June 2024. The four unique spells The Lich wields put him at a unique advantage as a killer. He can use a Dispelling Sphere that can reveal survivor locations, block and move palettes, send hostile entities across the map, and fly through the environment, all depending on the spell you choose. He’s got a big toolkit and while it can be overwhelming at first, he’s tough for survivors to overcome. The Executioner The Executioner is a crossover with another much-loved horror game, Silent Hill 2. Pyramid Head’s melee weapon can deal ranged damage to multiple targets at a time. His biggest strength is the Torment Trial which injures Survivors and allows Pyramid Head to send them to a Cage of Atonement or easily put them on The Hook. Furthermore, if a survivor is inflicted with Torment and has already reached The Struggle phase in the match, you’ll be able to kill them instantly thanks to the Final Judgement perk. The Spirit The Spirit has a powerful Katana that’s great for ranged attacks. Thanks to her distinct form she can enter The Ethereal Plane and move across the map in a nearly invisible fashion for up to 5 seconds. Her Phase-Walk power increases her movement speed but Survivors become invisible to her. However, she can still rely on scratch marks to hunt her victims. If you can time her abilities just right, The Spirit is great at taking victims by surprise. The Mastermind Yet another beloved video game crossover with DbD came in the form of one of Resident Evil’s main antagonists, Albert Wesker. The Mastermind is great at tracking and injuring survivors. He can easily vault over obstacles which puts you at an advantage during chases, and his Virulent Bound ability deals solid damage. You can throw or slam survivors against walls (or into each other) with Virulent Bound. Even if you run into any obstacles as you’re lunging the survivor will still come away injured. Furthermore, the survivor will always get infected with Uroboros, and when they’re completely infected you can pick them up once you’ve landed another attack. With solid mobility, powerful skills, and the opportunity to easily carry survivors to The Hook, The Mastermind is a fantastic killer to learn. The Oni The Oni is difficult to learn in Dead By Daylight but if you put the work in, he can be absolutely devastating. This Japanese Spirit relies on collecting Blood Orbs to unleash his full potential. The more hits you land on survivors, the more Blood Orbs you’ll get. Once you’ve built up enough, you can activate Demon Dash to quickly zip across the map, and the all-powerful Demon Strike that can immediately down players. The Singularity The Singularity is another sci-fi Killer that featured in Dead By Daylight before the Xenomorph joined the scene. This mechanical robot is hyper-intelligent and uses Bipod technology to track its victims. You can place up to 8 Bipods across the map that will track survivors in a radius of up to 20 meters, which The Singularity can then teleport to and swiftly get the upper hand. The sheer amount of map coverage you can keep an eye on and jump to with these powers makes The Singularity massively imposing. The Unknown Perhaps the most twisted killer in the game, The Unknown excels in causing trouble for survivors. Up to four Hallucinations of The Unknown can randomly appear around the map and can be used to teleport to different locations – handy for sneaking up on unsuspecting targets. They’ve also got explosive projectiles you can throw directly at, or near, survivors to either damage or send them stumbling and vulnerable to a direct attack. Overall, its range of skills makes The Unknown are tough Killer to avoid and counter which puts it safely in our A-tier. The Dredge The Dredge has one of the strongest teleportation powers in the entire game, thanks to its versatility. His power of The Gloaming allows him to teleport to any locker on the map. Once you’re inside a locker, consuming a Token lets you teleport directly inside another. As well as this, the Nightfall ability will plunge survivors into complete darkness and The Dredge’s terror radius disappears for a full minute. This gives the player the perfect chance to down as many victims as possible while their vision is hindered. The downside to The Dredge is that it moves slowly but makes a lot of noise, so he’s not the best at chasing survivors down directly but if you use teleportation to your advantage, he’s a solid option. B-tier Killers in Dead By Daylight The Plague The Plague’s Vile Purge ability makes survivors ill. If the vomit projectile hits you, you’ll become sick. Anyone who’s sick will vomit randomly and cover the environment and possibly other survivors with the infectious bile. If you’re just getting to grips with this killer, we’d recommend using her skills on generators around the map, which will in turn infect anyone who interacts with them. The range of the attack is quite limited so aiming for generators rather than a moving target is a good way to learn her playstyle. The Ghost Face (Scream) As the name implies, The Ghost Face is inspired by the iconic Scream villain. He’s a great option for anyone who would prefer to take a stealthy approach to pick off survivors. Ghost Face can not only crouch to sneak up on people, but his Night Shroud ability makes him undetectable, and his Terror Radius won’t activate unless he’s running. He also excels at stalking, and all of this paired together makes him a true silent but deadly killer. The Hillbilly This is another original Killer from Behaviour Interactive and he wields some tough weapons. The Hillbilly comes equipped with a chainsaw and axe, and he can get around maps pretty quickly. His biggest tool is the Chainsaw Sprint power which if executed successfully can immediately down a survivor no matter how healthy they are. This alone makes him great at hooking victims which is enough to push him into our B-tier. Just make sure you’re careful at aiming because survivors can avoid him without too much effort. The Doctor The Doctor inflicts survivors with madness that makes skill checks more difficult to clear. This can reveal their locations and allow the Killer to hone in on players quickly. When they reach the second and third stages of madness, they’ll start seeing illusions of The Doctor too which will again reveal their location. If you stalk around a victim for a while, that will deepen their insanity even more, so if you want to really mess with players’ heads then The Doctor is a solid choice. The Demogorgon (Stranger Things) The Demogorgon emerged from The Upside Down and entered Dead By Daylight back in 2021 as part of a Stranger Things collab. This is another Killer who can teleport via Upside Down portals but you can only travel between two at any given time. It’s also pretty destructive thanks to the Shred power that can destroy palettes and breakable walls. Its teleportation skills aren’t as impactful as The Blight’s, and survivors have the ability to close the portals if they’re working together well which is why it’s sitting in B-tier. The Onryo The Onryo AKA Sakodo from The Ring uses tapes and TV to take down survivors. She teleports across the map via TV sets and infects survivors with the tapes. Once they’ve been completely infected they can be instantly killed. However similar to The Demogorgon, if a survivor removes the tape from a TV set you won’t be able to teleport there anymore, so it has its limitations. Teleporting for The Onryo is also largely telegraphed and easy to see, allowing survivors to get away from the TV sets with time to spare. Despite these drawbacks, she’s still an extremely cool killer worth picking up. The Twins This killer is unique in that it’s actually two. Charlotte and Victor are a terrifying pair of Twins. Victor can charge across the map in search of survivors, and once they’ve been found, Charlotte puts them on The Hook. The mechanics of their playstyle take a while to get used to, as when you’re controlling Victor, Charlotte can’t move. Victor can pounce on people when he finds them but if his attacks are countered or avoided they could make a quick escape, especially if Charlotte’s left far away on one of the larger maps. The Skull Merchant With an arsenal of gadgets, The Skull Merchant can deploy up to 4 drones to track survivors. There’s a bit of a learning curve to getting the most out of the drones, but you can reveal survivor locations, debuff your victims, and even block generators off once you’ve got the hang of it. She’s not the best killer by a long shot but if you’ve got an affinity for gadgets, The Skull Merchant can be pretty scary when mastered. C-tier Killers in Dead By Daylight The Legion The Legion is a group of murderous friends who act as a single Killer in Dead By Daylight. They wield hunting knives and can get around maps quickly thanks to their array of Feral abilities. You can increase The Legion’s movement speed with Feral Frenzy, vault over palettes, or through windows with Feral Vault, and apply the Deep Wound effect with Feral Slash. A survivor experiencing Deep Wound will need extra time to heal, so that can give The Legion the opportunity to pounce and get them on the hook. The Wraith Although The Wraith is lower down on our tier list, they’re still a good killer for any newcomers to pick up. The invisibility cloak power makes them extremely difficult to see unless you’re paying close attention, so it’s perfect for sneaking up on survivors. You can’t attack while invisible though so you’ll need to uncloak and act swiftly to injure or down a victim. We’d recommend The Wraith to any new Dead By Daylight player, even if it’s just to get used to the standard mechanics before you decide on another killer to main. The Knight If you’re a fan of the Medieval era, you may be drawn to The Knight. This armor-clad murderer can summon guards to aid him by breaking palettes, sabotaging generators, and hunting people down. Your guard helps with all this while The Knight patrols the map so you can either team up with them or work separately to take out multiple victims at a time. It’s extremely satisfying if used correctly but The Knight’s powers are hard to master. The Cannibal (Leatherface) Leatherface is another memorable murderer who’s made his way into Dead By Daylight. This killer, like Hillbilly, wields a chainsaw and his movement speed won’t slow down when he’s using it – making him impactful in a chase. In contrast to The Hillbilly’s lunging attack, Leatherface prefers to sweep his chainsaw across a wider area so for anyone who’s not as confident hitting targets at close range then Leatherface could be a solid alternative. His attacks are very translated however which leaves survivors with plenty of time to step out of the way. The Clown Of course, there has to be a Clown killer in Dead By Daylight and this Clown does much more than look menacing. The killer wields potion projectiles that can be thrown at survivors to limit their movement and vision. The Clown also has their own potion to buff their speed. It’s not easy to aim them, however, and the vials are fairly small so can be dodged if survivors keep their wits about them. This all makes him quite tough to play. The Deathslinger Big fans of Westerns will surely love The Deathslinger. This rooting-tooting cowboy favors a gun instead of a melee weapon. If you’re a fan of shooters his rifle comes with an attached harpoon that can pull Survivors in and down them. While he’s a fun killer, the lack of reticle on the weapon makes aiming tough and it’s not easy to land shots as it is, so unless you desperately want to play as a cowboy, we’d advise opting for another ranged killer instead. The Pig The Pig represents the gory SAW franchise in Dead By Daylight, and as expected he uses a lot of traps to take down his victims. If a Survivor is downed, you can put a reverse bear trap on their head which will kill them if it’s not removed in time. The traps are extremely powerful as even if a Survivor hasn’t been hooked at all they’ll still die if it goes off. Unfortunately, you only get 4 traps to use in a match, and if victims escape them quickly, you haven’t got much left in your arsenal afterward. The Shape Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise is part of the game’s Killers in the form of The Shape. This is another option for anyone who prefers Stealth as Michael will play the long game and silently stalk Survivors. The longer you stalk, the more your Evil Within abilities will increase. Once you reach Evil Within 3, Survivors become hit with the Exposed effect which lets you down them in a single hit. The Shape isn’t for everyone but if he’s a good option for players who don’t mind taking their time. The Nemesis Nemesis is another character Resident Evil fans will recognize. This monstrous Killer can infect Survivors with the T Virus by attacking them with its tentacles. As more victims are infected, Nemesis’s power will increase, leading to faster movement speed and the ability to destroy palettes. He’s not as impactful as The Mastermind but if you’ve got a soft spot for Resi 3, he can put up a good fight. The Hag The Hag has an assortment of traps she can use to render her victims helpless. Once you place traps down, you’ve also got the option to transport to any that have been triggered. Be wary however because survivors can always trigger a trap to trick you too. Traps are also relatively easy to spot if they’re not put down in more hidden locations, which means they’re easily avoided if you don’t plan accordingly. A lot of preparation can go into using The Hag successfully, so it’s great for those who enjoy strategizing but it’s equally tricky to master. The Trickster A vibrant villain, The Trickster wields a baseball bat and throwing knives. Unfortunately, these weapons don’t really have a significant impact as they don’t deal much damage when your attacks land. Having precise aim with the throwing knives is also difficult to achieve but they can be through windows, and over the top of other obstacles. Ultimately though unless Trickster really appeals to you, he’s not an outstanding choice. The Cenobite The Cenobite, otherwise known as Pinhead from the Hellraiser franchise is a tricky killer to play and he’s not the most impactful either which is why he’s further down our list. Pinhead is another murderer who can teleport across the map and slow survivors down with chains via the Summons of Pain ability. Unfortunately, the slowdown doesn’t last very long, and survivors can counter it by quickly completing a Lament Configuration Puzzle to escape the chains. D-tier Killers The Nightmare The last well-known Killer on our tier-list is The Nightmare, Freddy Krueger. As iconic as he is in horror and wider pop culture, unfortunately, Freddy just isn’t that great in Dead By Daylight. Freddy will induce Microsleep in Survivors which causes them to fall asleep over 60 seconds. Once they’re sleeping they’re susceptible to Dream Snares which will leave them hindered as long as they’re inside it. While it’s certainly fun and novel to play as Freddy (especially if you’re a Nightmare on Elm Street fan), he simply isn’t that effective as a Killer which is why we’ve ranked him in D-tier. The Trapper The Trapper is similar to The Hag in that he’s got bear traps to place around the map. Unlike The Hag though, you don’t get the advantage of being able to teleport to your traps, and you’re limited to carrying 2 at a time. More traps will be placed randomly throughout the map but you’ll have to set them before they can work, so there’s quite a bit of running around before you can even make the best use of them. Over the years, The Trapper’s paled in comparison to other Killers, and he hasn’t got much going for him aside from the traps so he’s coming in last. That’s our full tier list for Dead By Daylight Killers! For more on the game, check out the codes you can redeem, and, the best Survivors to use.

D&D’s The Deck of Many Things adds BG3-inspired monsters & mayhem Wizards of The CoastOne of the latest upcoming Dungeons & Dragons books is set to bring an extensive revamp to one famous resource, as well as introducing a variety of new creatures, ways to play, and so much more. 2023 has been an interesting year for Dungeons & Dragons. Players faced the controversy of the OGL license back in January and have seen many exciting playtests for the upcoming One D&D edition. On top of this, the year has seen countless new titles grace the tables of players, from Keys to the Golden Vault, Glory of the Giants, and so much more. Thankfully, WoTC aren’t quite finished, with their second to last release, The Deck of Many Things. Serving as a supplement to Dungeons & Dragons games, this resource boasts tons of new features, from a revamp of the original Deck of Many Things to some brand new monsters, and a unique way to play, which requires exclusively improv and none of the prep. Baldur’s Gate 3 inspired monsters No Dungeons & Dragons game is complete without some great monsters. Players need to either feel threatening towards the creature, or feel threatened by them, leaving the outcome of the battle hanging in the balance. Now, DMs can introduce a new element of danger to the party, with one creature being given abilities that closely resemble a pretty evil version of Gale from Baldur’s Gate 3. The Talon Beast is a deadly creature that can steal and consume the players’ magical items. This is an homage to the Talons card in the original Deck of Many Things, which essentially strips the player of their magical items. In the new books, the Talon Beast acts in a similar form, serving as the reason why the card is named that way. Revamps the Deck of Many Things Giving stories to the cards and reasoning for them being named or designed in the way they are is a key element of WoTC’s revamp for this infamous deck. It’s easy for players and DMs to ignore the Deck of Many Things thanks to its unpredictability and how often it’s known to throw the campaign off course. Now, with the Deck of Many Things, WoTC aims to rectify some of that mentality. They’ve provided reasonings for cards, linked plenty of the 66 new additions, and tripled the size of the deck, to help fans explore new stories and embrace the creativity the new book displays. Using the guide reference book that comes with the set, players and DMs alike can explore the unique results of the cards and even use them to help design how the players deal with the ramifications of their selections. On top of this, thanks to the more traditional supplement book, DMs are given unique ways to give the deck to players, including a carnival-style location in the Seelie Market, and a more tarot-heavy design, complete with some interesting characters. New Tarot-inspired feat Taking plenty of inspiration from the tarot style of the upgraded Deck of Many Things, a new feat has been added, among plenty of backgrounds too. Named the Cardinal Manser, this feat feels like it will bring a variety of new ways to explore a spellcasting character. Their ability allows them to use a card deck as their arcane focus, therefore letting the player embue a card with magic, slide it up their sleeve, and use it as a bonus action when they choose. This design could add in new magician spellcaster characters, tarot readers, and all sorts of new ideas for players and DMs. Create an adventure with cards The addition of tarot styles and iconography is no accident with The Deck of Many Things. Sure, players can create similar characters and experiment with their tarot reading with the deck, but there’s also a way for DMs new and veteran to create adventures without the need to plan. Showcased by Game Designer Makenzie De Armas during Gencon, WoTC has introduced something called the Adventure Spread. This works as a set of story prompts that you take out of the Deck to design and create an adventure. The adventure begins when the DM pulls one card, which represents where the party is before the adventure begins. Then, whenever the DM sees an opportunity or the adventurers need pushing forward, they pull another, which represents a catalyst, monster, NPC, new location, or whatever is needed. The design is something inherently new to Dungeons & Dragons and could inspire a variety of new players looking to DM, and also creates a more improvised and easily set up style of gameplay, which could be gamechanging. Ultimately, with tons of new cards, a unique way to play the game, and some fantastic new monsters, it’s hard to not warrant this brand-new book. The Deck of Many Things releases on November 14, 2023, and you can Preorder The Deck of Many Things here. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Dead by Daylight Bone Chill Winter Event: Rewards & snowman trials Behaviour InteractiveDead by Daylight’s 2021 Winter event, Bone Chill, is here to send shivers down our spines. Here’s everything that’s included, from the snowman rewards to ugly sweaters. As the darkness of winter descends and Dead by Daylight’s killers stalk the night, players have been anxiously the game’s annual bloodstained Christmas event – known this year as Bone Chill. With The Artist sharpening her claws and getting ready to shred some snowmen, a whole host of frighteningly festive treats are up for grabs – including new weapons, charms, ugly sweaters for Survivors, and much more. So, here’s a rundown of everything that’s included in Dead By Daylight’s 2021 iteration of the Bone Chill winter event. Contents Dead by Daylight Bone Chill daily rewards Just to give us some festive hope, Behaviour Interactive are rewarding players with free currency drops between December 1, 2021, and January 6, 2022. The gift period begins at 11AM PST / 2PM EST / 7PM GMT / 8PM CEST each day, and concludes 24 hours later. Rewards on offer include Bloodpoints, Iridescent Shards, and Rift Fragments. Logging in on the big day itself will net you a whopping 300,000 Bloodpoints, 1,000 Iridescent Shards, and 10 Rift Fragments. You can see the full calendar of rewards below, courtesy of Behaviour Interactive: Dead by Daylight snowman rewards Of course, the frightful fun doesn’t stop here, as players will notice that the winter wonderland-themed Realm is populated by some unexpected visitors. Six adorable snowmen have been placed around the Trail grounds, all of which can be used by Survivors as prime hiding spots. Not only are these a convenient, Christmassy escape, completing different challenges while inside one will net you some exclusive rewards. In order to unlock Dead by Daylight’s snowman rewards, you’ll need to either: Play as a Survivor, and use the snowman to protect you from a Killer’s attack. – As a Survivor, escape through the Exit Gates in a snowman. – While playing as a Killer, hit a snowman while a Survivor is inside. – The prizes on offer are as follows: So that’s everything you need to know about Dead by Daylight’s festive Bone Chill event and, of course, the all-important rewards. Hoping to snag some of these for yourself? Be sure to check out our dedicated guides to give you a helping hand: Killers | Survivors | Promo Codes | Is DBD Crossplay? | Is DBD on Xbox Game Pass?

D&D’s next campaign features surprise return of classic villain Wizards of the CoastVecna: Eve of Ruin will take players across the D&D 5e multiverse, which involves the return of one of the most iconic villains in the franchise. While Dungeons & Dragons 5e has powerful monsters, like the Tarrasque, they exist as blocks of stats that DMs shape into foes. In contrast, Dungeons & Dragons also has established villains who are part of the lore and who appear in the novels. Some of these villains are restricted to one of D&D’s campaign settings, like Borys of Athas from Dark Sun, while others are strong enough to threaten the multiverse, like Vecna, the God of Secrets, who famously appeared in Stranger Things. There’s one D&D villain that players have been facing throughout the history of the game, who appears as the antagonist in a beloved D&D 5e campaign. While Vecna is the main foe in Vecna: Eve of Ruin, he won’t be the only iconic foe making an appearance. Vecna: Eve of Ruin features the return of Strahd von Zarovich A new trailer for Vecna: Eve of Ruin on the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel has revealed that the adventure will take players to different established campaign settings, as they hunt for the Rod of Seven Parts. This will include a trip to Ravenloft, where the players will encounter the vampire Strahd von Zarovich, the main antagonist of Curse of Strahd. This means that players might be having a second encounter with the Darklord of Barovia, as Curse of Strahd is a popular D&D 5e campaign book. Strahd isn’t the only classic villain who is returning, as Lord Soth from the Dragonlance campaign setting will also appear. Lord Soth was a major foe in Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen, so many players may also have faced the infamous death knight. As Vecna: Eve of Ruin is a campaign that runs from levels 10-20, players will be of an appropriate level to tackle these foes head-on, rather than relying on gimmicks or special magic items, as they may have done in previous campaigns. Vecna: Eve of Ruin will act as a celebration of D&D on its 50th anniversary, with cameos from all kinds of famous heroes and villains from the lore. And what better way for the players who struggled against Strahd or Lord Soth in the past to celebrate than to have the rematch they’ve always dreamed of.

D&D’s newest physical book has been delayed due to high “defect rate” Wizards of the CoastD&D’s The Deck of Many Things core rulebook has been delayed indefinitely according to Wizards of the Coast. An unacceptable defect rate has been cited as the reason. The Deck of Many Things is D&D’s next core rulebook that brings Baldur’s Gate 3-inspired shenanigans to the tabletop. It’s another in a massive lineup of rulebooks for D&D 5e. This latest book looks to expand a D&D staple, the titular Deck of Many Things, with exciting new additions. Things like a guaranteed level-up for facing a combat encounter single-handedly or grenades with a randomized table. Unfortunately, the physical release of this book has been delayed for an unspecified amount of time. D&D’s Executive Producer Kyle Brink spoke with Polygon and explained the issue. The Deck of Many Things delay: “I cannot in good conscience ship this stock” According to Brink, quality control checks found numerous faults with the physical products contained in the set. The sheer volume of errors meant that the entire shipment was deemed unsalvagable. “The defect rate (of The Deck of Many Things) is too high. I cannot in good conscience ship this stock,” Brink explained. “We need to fully inspect it, and understand exactly how many units are defective.” The full set includes a physical deck of cards for players to draw from to up the immersion and according to Polygon, this is where a majority of the problems lie. They reported that new packaging methods seem to have damaged the cards. “We inspected very closely everything throughout the production process to make sure everything was going fine with that, and yet some of the problems that we are seeing here are specifically because of some of the paper packaging that we use,” Brink confirmed. The new packaging is part of a conscious decision on Wizards of the Coast’s part to have less of an environmental impact. We can’t fault them for that, it’s just a shame it’s caused them and the players such a headache. Fortunately, the digital release is unaffected and will go ahead on November 14 and those who purchased the Physical + Digital Bundle will still get an early access digital copy on October 31. Wizards of the Coast have said they’re attempting to have a physical launch “this year”.

D&D’s newest sale includes a deep, dark, demon-filled adventure WOTCTravel deep below the world’s surface to explore the vast Underdark and confront a demonic incursion in this excellent D&D 5e adventure. Out of the Abyss is one of D&D 5e’s earliest outings, but that doesn’t make it any less memorable than those that came afterward. With a compelling adventure hook and stand-out locations to explore, this can make for a unique and challenging set of adventures or even a whole campaign. Out of the Abyss is on sale at Amazon right now for a colossal 52% off. With the price dropping almost as low as the subterranean depths your adventurers will explore, DMs interested in picking up a unique and memorable adventure should check out this deal right away. A real standout among 5e’s early adventures, with a survival bent that sets it apart from more standard fare, Out of the Abyss is still well thought of by 5e players. While 5e could have been fairly criticized for sticking too closely to classic Sword Coast locations at times, this module’s delve down into the Underdark is ironically a breath of fresh air. While later titles like Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus would cover D&D’s hells and their devilish inhabitants, Out of the Abyss is more concerned with the chaotic workings of demons. These beings of chaos are infesting the Underdark after a disastrous ritual, and it’s up to the players to find a way to beat back this invasion before it becomes impossible to stop. Mixing exploration, horror, survival, and challenging combat, the adventure here will satisfy most any party with its excellent set-pieces and clashes between demon lords. Pick it up now to add to – or start – your D&D collection. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affilliate commission.

D&D’s new Phandelver & Below is the “strangest adventure” yet say creators Wizards of The CoastDuring a press conference, Wizards of the Coast revealed that the upcoming Phandelver & Below: The Shattered Obelisk is their “strangest adventure” yet, propelling players and DMs into a world inspired by classic adventures and unmissable eldritch horror. 2023 has been an impressive year for Dungeons & Dragons, with the highly praised release of Glory of the Giants, the popular Keys From The Golden Vault, and the soon-to-come-out adventure Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk acting as its next major release. Recently, Wizards of the Coast held a press conference, detailing more exciting features present in Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk, labeling it the “strangest adventure we’ve ever written” and detailing all the exciting features coming to players and DMs soon. A classical remaster of epic proportions Fans of previous D&D adventures may recognize the world of Phandalin, and even the Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign from 2014. Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk is essentially a remaster of this popular campaign, at least in the first third. The other parts are entirely new and take on a rather creepy story. Ultimately, this is a new step for WoTC, exploring a previously loved story and enabling players to delve back into the beautiful yet slightly unsettling town of Phandalin. However, the remaster isn’t just a repeat of the previous campaigns’ popular quests, instead adding a tinge of horror, classic themes the game has adopted over the last few years, and so much more. One of the most interesting elements is the TTRPG’s revisit to a classic dungeon crawl, something that recent adventures seem to have left out. Once again, D&D is allowing players the chance to explore, deal in an open-world story, and also explore those classic dungeon crawls many know and absolutely adore. On top of this, the book features consumable items, brand-new magic, and some extremely unsettling creatures for your DM to throw at you, along with the incredibly expansive yet easy-to-digest storyline. Eldritch horror inspirations Perhaps the most unique element of this adventure is the focus on Eldritch horror inspirations and the overwhelming elements of both creepy and unsettling laced throughout each character, location, and the general story. The inspirations are clear to see from the frankly stunning alt cover, and that’s without mentioning the new take on Goblins the story presents or the underlying danger lying under everything you fight, explore and try to speak to. The Eldritch horror is most prolific in the added monsters, featuring things straight out of a Lovecraftian book or really any other mind with a talent for the macabre and the obscure. From creatures with thousands of eyes, more teeth than is reasonably necessary, or a mutated Cloaker, there is no denying players are in for a memorable adventure that they may just remember in their nightmares after the sessions. D&D’s “strangest adventure” ever written Combining the classic remaster and Eldritch inspirations, few elements rang as true as when the designers stated that Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk was the “strangest adventure we’ve ever written.” The lead designer, Amanda Hamon went on to explain how: “In Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk, players are immersed in a story that gets stranger and becomes more ominous as the adventure goes on,” proving just how intense the adventure is likely to get. Along with all the new features and creatures, WoTC hasn’t lost their traditional routes, explaining how, in the story, “the characters must race against the clock to save this beloved town against classic D&D villains we’ve given a fresh, terrifying twist.” This highlights how veteran players will still be able to battle those creatures they know and love, but without it being too repetitive and still allowing the unexpected to take hold. Despite its remastered roots, Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk will be a new step for Dungeons & Dragons, introducing a longed-for genre to the ever-increasing playerbase. Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk releases on September 19, 2023. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D’s latest sale lets players create their own horror story WOTCFrom a vampire’s domain to planes of nightmare, this book contains some of D&D 5e’s absolute best settings and stories. Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft is among D&D 5e’s absolute best books. While many D&D offerings present a pre-written adventure module to follow, this guide stands apart from the crowd. Its worldbuilding tips are second to none among 5e’s official releases, and prospective dungeon masters should absolutely snap it up right away. This excellent guide is on sale at Amazon right now for 36% off. This drop in price makes now the perfect time to pick up Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft and check out its strengths for yourself. The success of this book is due at least in part to how beloved D&D 5e’s Curse of Strahd module is. That campaign book introduced players to Ravenloft and the Domains of Dread. These domains are ironic prisons, housing and punishing monsters drawn from many genres of horror. Strahd Von Zarovich is a despicable, charismatic vampire, but other Darklords can take many forms, from withered lich-kings to fearsome military commanders. The planes that house these vile villains fit into many subgenres of horror as a result, from dreamlike mazes to blasted hellscapes. Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft contains many pre-written Dreadplanes, giving DMs the option to trap players inside a huge variety of engaging, diabolical horror scenarios. But where this book really shines is in giving D&D players all the tools needed to create their own Dreadplanes. As both a setting guide and an incredible creative resource, Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft stands near the pinnacle of D&D 5e releases. Players and DMs alike will delight in the realms and tools found within its pages. Pick it up today and see exactly why it’s deserving of such high praise. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D’s most popular player choices in 2023 are surprisingly unoriginal Wizards of the CoastD&D Beyond’s stats for 2023 have been revealed, and it turns out that players love making the most boring fantasy hero imaginable. As Dungeons & Dragons 5E has been around for nearly a decade, tons of sourcebooks have been released, giving players countless options for their characters. While only a single new class (the Artificer) has been added, many subclasses, races, Feats, and Backgrounds are spread across the books. Despite these options, not every D&D is ready to create an outlandish character. New players tend to keep things simple or emulate an existing fictional character while they get to grips with the game’s rules. Players still need to write down their stats, whatever the character choice. Those who don’t want pencil and paper can use apps like D&D Beyond, which allow you to access your character sheet anytime through a smart device. D&D Beyond has revealed the most popular character in 2023 is extremely boring A new video on the Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel has revealed D&D Beyond’s player stats for 2023. It turns out that the least inspired choices are by far the most popular, with players opting for unoriginality. The most popular character name is Bob, followed by Link, Seraphina, and Lyra. There seem to be more Blackadder and The Legend of Zelda D&D fans than we realized. Meanwhile, Bruno saw a 56% decline in name popularity, proving people really don’t want to talk about (or to) Bruno. The most popular player race in D&D 5E is the human, which is the most vanilla and boring race. That is unless you play the variant human, which gets a free Feat and can be one of the strongest choices, even if it’s not that interesting. The most popular class is the Fighter, followed by the Rogue, proving that D&D players love simplicity more than anything. Fighters are the best choice for a beginner due to their basic powers and concept, and it seems people just love playing them. So there you have it. Bob, the human Fighter, can be found crawling all over the Forgotten Realms, while the Drizzt Do’Urdens of the world are the weird ones. Truly, some fantastic adventures are happening in these magical realms as Bob buys his longsword and shield combo before heading off to Phandelver.

D&D’s latest book brings back one of the silliest monsters in the game’s history Wizards of the Coast/Kevin GlintThe following article contains small spoilers for the Expedition to the Barrier Peaks adventure in the Quests from the Infinite Staircase anthology, as a monster from D&D’s days of yore has returned. While D&D has its fair share of awesome monsters that can tear the party apart, there are also plenty of joke creatures that don’t pose much of a threat, like the Flumph, which is just a sentient floating jellyfish. The old days of D&D had all kinds of strange creatures that fans loved to mock, like the Flail Snail, which was a giant snail with mace heads on its antennae, or the giant space hamsters, which are connected to Boo from the Baldur’s Gate series. One of the most infamous monsters from the old days of D&D was the Wolf-in-sheep’s clothing, which first appeared in 1980’s Expedition to the Barrier Peaks adventure. This creature was an alien variant of the mimic, resembling a rabbit on a tree stump, which would attack players that got close. Fans often mocked the design of the Wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing, mostly due to how much of an obvious trap it is. The era of the alien rabbit mimic is upon us once more, as a new version of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks is being printed in the upcoming Quests from the Infinite Staircase anthology. This means that the Wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing is now officially in D&D 5E, with awesome new artwork. Not only is the Wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing back, but it’s a CR 7 creature, which means it would annihilate most low-level parties. There’s also a table of options for the animal shape on its body, so it’s not just bunnies you have to look out for. Silly monsters like the Wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing spent decades being joked about, but that’s only because players got into the game after Expedition to the Barrier Peaks was printed. Now, new generations of players can fall for its trick and see just how deadly this mimic can be.

D&D’s heist campaign is over half off in this Amazon deal WOTCMake your fortune for less, as there’s some daylight robbery happening in this D&D Waterdeep campaign, which is now over half-price! Waterdeep: Dragon Heist is among D&D 5e’s most unique and well-thought-of adventures. It serves as an excellent introductory campaign for new players, as well as a thrilling low-level adventure for groups of any experience level. Waterdeep: Dragon Heist is currently on sale for 51% off at Amazon. With such steep savings, you’ll be able to put the extra cash towards further D&D gifts and adventures in time for the holidays. Players may associate D&D sourcebooks with dungeon delving and exploring far-flung environs. But Waterdeep: Dragon Heist brings the action to a more urban setting. In this campaign for levels 1-5, you’ll be dealing with crimelords and deceit as often as dark magic and monsters. D&D Waterdeep Dragon Heist gets price slashed in half There are multiple ways for DMs to take this story, with several optional antagonists vying for the big payday. Tailor the campaign to suit your group’s needs, or mix and match them all into one thrilling high-stakes heist. If you can’t get enough of Waterdeep after the adventure concludes, this sourcebook leads right into Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Tying both campaigns together makes it possible to take your Waterdeep group all the way from level 1 to 20, provided they survive… As D&D 5e ramps up for its big rules update in 2024, players needn’t fear that their stories and sourcebooks will soon become defunct. D&D’s new rules will be backward compatible with existing 5e content, so feel free to invest in Dragon Heist and other such sourcebooks at your leisure. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D’s heist book is a steal at Amazon in this early Black Friday deal WOTCKeys from the Golden Vault is a D&D sourcebook packed with thrilling heist adventures, and it’s more than half-off at Amazon right now. D&D 5e is gearing up for its major rework in 2024, but there are still a host of recent sourcebooks to enjoy for the ever-popular TTRPG. Keys from the Golden Vault is one of Wizards of the Coast’s latest 5e releases, and it’s on sale now through Amazon for just $20. The current Keys from the Golden Vault D&D deal at Amazon will save you a colossal 60%, being $30 off the standard price point of $49.95. While this is not the lowest that Keys from the Golden Vault has ever been offered by an Amazon third-party seller, it’s close enough that you won’t want to pass up these savings. Keys from the Golden Vault stands apart from many of D&D 5e’s adventure sourcebooks, focusing on a series of discrete anthology adventures rather than a whole campaign module. In this way, the book is less like Curse of Strahd or The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, and more akin to something like Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel. Where previous D&D 5e adventure anthologies were often united by location, Keys from the Golden Vault offers a variety of adventures, all linked by a singular gameplay style. In one way or another, each of the stories featured here revolve around heists. This allows DMs to send their parties on thrilling, high-stakes adventures that stand outside the norm of typical session structure and dynamics. Unfortunately, Keys from the Golden Vault release was overshadowed at the time due to the arguments around the Open Game License. With players rightfully withholding their support from Wizards until the matter was resolved, the sourcebook sadly didn’t make the splash it otherwise might have. Now that the dust has settled, it can be worth revisiting Keys from the Golden Vault in this D&D deal and seeing what the creative team has crafted here. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D’s Grim Harrow will remind Witcher fans of the Wild Hunt WOTCCrossing the realms in search of The Deck of Many Things, the Grim Harrow is an intriguing new antagonistic faction for D&D. The Deck of Many Things is seeing a huge overall in D&D’s soon-to-release book of the same name. Far from the unbalanced campaign-ender it once was, the Deck can now be modified to suit many purposes at your table. While the Deck may now be a desirable addition for many adventuring parties, a new threat has emerged for players looking to claim the Deck’s power for themselves. The Grim Harrow is an undead group, similar in design and purpose to The Witcher’s Wild Hunt, sworn to track down and destroy every known copy of the Deck across all reality. The Grim Harrow: A Deck-destroying faction. While the updated Deck of Many Things functions as a story and inspiration tool for DMs, all of its old in-game functions remain intact, albeit with a little expansion and adjustment. The Grim Harrow is a result of one of these adjustments, an interplanar faction based on the Avatar of Death summoned by the Deck’s Skull card. Any character that loses their battle with the Avatar of Death is immediately killed and conscripted into the Grim Harrow. Overconfident NPCs and even player characters may find themselves bound to this dire legion, with their rescue and release serving as an excellent plot hook or campaign kick-off. The Harrow’s Home: Gardens of Decay Though the Grim Harrow hunts copies of the Deck and their owners, they are not eternal wanderers. The Grim Harrow have made their home in a demiplane known as the Gardens of Decay, where those slain by the Harrow are immediately transported upon death. Within the bounds of the Gardens, the slain do not rise as they once were in life, but as various undead creatures, from Ghouls to Liches. Hunted by the Harrow The Grim Harrow’s status as Deck-hunters allows them to serve as an excellent antagonistic force in any one-shot or campaign utilizing the Deck of Many Things. As their lore and nature are intrinsically tied to the deck, a campaign that already includes it will require very little additional prep to include the Harrow. Though the Grim Harrow are fearsome, their fixation on the deck putting them at odds with players, their ultimate goal is not necessarily an evil one. These undead simply wish to be free to pass on and hope that by permanently destroying the deck they will be free of their bond to it. Whether the Grim Harrow are presented as outright villains or tragic antagonists, they make for one of the most intriguing additions in The Book of Many Things, expanding the Skull card’s role in the game significantly. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D’s Book of Many Things makes huge change to inspiration WOTCPut down your dice and draw from the deck instead, as D&D 5e’s latest book shakes up how inspiration is handled. Card-based inspiration has long been a fan-made rule utilized by DMs in D&D 5e, but its mechanical impact has never been more significant than in The Book of Many Things. With its official inclusion in 5e, Card-based inspiration is set to become a popular and integral new rule. Far from a simple aesthetic change, The Book of Many Things – part of the new Deck of Many Things release – is revamping a core aspect of D&D 5e that has always needed more love. With the addition of card-based rules, varied rewards, and exciting effects, players will be waiting desperately for their chance to earn inspiration from the DM. How Inspiration works in D&D Not to be confused with the Bard class’ signature ability; Bardic Inspiration, inspiration is one of D&D 5e’s best – but sadly underutilized – roleplay mechanics. Whenever a player performs exceptionally well as their character, staying true to their personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws, the DM is encouraged to award that player a point of inspiration. This inspiration can be spent at any time in the session to gain Advantage on an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check. A player can only have one inspiration at a time, it is not possible to stockpile inspiration and gain ten rerolls on a tricky boss for instance. How The Book of Many Things improves Inspiration with cards The Inspiration Hand is The Book of Many Things’ inspiration revamp. Instead of giving players a D20 which can be rolled as inspiration, cards from the Deck of Many Things are used instead. At the beginning of a session, the DM shuffles and draws cards from the deck equal to the number of players and places them face up. For the rest of the session, when a player gains inspiration, they pick one of the face-up cards. The card will have an associated effect that can be activated by the player at a point of their choosing, from rerolls to bonus damage to inflicting negative conditions on foes. For D&D players who want to use The Inspiration Hand but don’t have access to the physical Deck of Many Things, don’t worry. The Inspiration Hand has been designed in such a way that each of the deck’s cards can be replaced by regular playing cards instead. The Inspiration Hand is an optional rule, not a full replacement, but most DMs will want to give this a try and see how their players respond. Inspiration Cards and Effects. Be sure to check back closer to The Book of Many Things’ digital release, as we’ll have the full list of Inspiration cards and their effects available right here.

D&D’s giant-sized adventure book is over 50% off at Amazon WOTCMarauding giants threaten the Sword Coast, and it’s down to the players to discover the source of this incursion is D&D’s Storm King’s Thunder adventure. When it comes to D&D’s iconic monsters, there are so many incredible creatures that come to mind. Dragons, Mind flayers, Liches, Beholders, Gelatinous Cubes, and more, all of these monsters have made their mark on pop culture thanks primarily to D&D. But what about giants? While they may not immediately come to mind as D&D icons, these colossal creatures are an integral part of the game, with a fire giant taking pride of place on the 5e Player’s Handbook cover. Now, an excellent adventure module focusing on giants is seeing huge savings at Amazon. Storm King’s Thunder is currently a colossal 52% off at Amazon. With savings this large, it’s no surprise that this is close to the lowest price Amazon has ever offered the adventure for. D&D Storm King’s Thunder is 52% off at Amazon Storm King’s Thunder is one of the best adventure modules to come out of D&D 5e. Offering a wide-open, creative sandbox for players to explore, Storm King’s Thunder is an incredible, expansive adventure for DMs to build on as they wish. Far from being one-note, aggressive monsters, D&D 5e’s giants have complex characters and an intriguing hierarchy. From the lumbering, brutish hill giants, through to the Dream-Divining Cloud Giants and regal Storm Giants, there is enough lore and worldbuilding here for any DM to spin out into dozens of stories, even when straying from the adventure’s beaten track. While it may seem like a tall task for any regular folk – even hardened adventurers – to stand against these mighty foes, Storm King’s Thunder provides an edge against the giants. By harnessing their own runic magic, the tide can be turned back against the giants’ incursion. But why exactly so many are raiding the Sword Coast to begin with is a mystery that only the players can solve… If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D’s 2024 Player’s Handbook brings Baldur’s Gate 3 buffs to fan-favorite species Wizards of the Coast/Andrey KuzinskiyDungeons & Dragons’ new Player’s Handbook is fixing one of the Dark Elf’s biggest issues with a Baldur’s Gate 3-inspired buff. Dungeons & Dragons is about to get its first major overhaul since the release of D&D 5E. A new Player’s Handbook is just over the horizon and some lucky players will even have a chance to purchase it early. We’ve been pouring over the new updates for classic classes like the Fighter, Paladin, and Barbarian coming in the update. But of course, the new D&D Players Handbook isn’t stopping at Classes. A recent blog post from the team at Wizards of the Coast has revealed some changes to D&D’s many Species (formerly races). A long-awaited change to the Dark Elf Species takes its cues directly from Baldur’s Gate 3. The Species changes revealed for the new D&D Player’s Handbook appear to be partly focused on removing unnecessary weaknesses. For the Dark Elf, that comes in the form of getting rid of their sunlight sensitivity. Sunlight sensitivity causes Dar Elves to roll with a disadvantage on attacks or sight-based perception checks that target creatures in direct sunlight. This mechanic was notably absent in Baldur’s Gate 3 and it looks like Wizards of the Coast have taken a leaf out of Larian’s book to make the Dark Elf more playable. This innate debuff has been commonly worked around by not applying it in homebrew settings but for official play in Adventurer’s League, it made Dark Elves almost obsolete. Now players who want to make an edgy Dark Elf with a tragic backstory won’t have to be unnecessarily penalized. The new Player’s Handbook also adds species like the Aasimar and Goliaths to the core rulebook for the first time. It’s set to launch on September 17, 2024, along with a whole new era for D&D.

Survival D&D game coming from Disney Dreamlight Valley devs Gameloft / Wizards of the CoastThe Disney Dreamlight Valley devs, Gameloft, have announced an upcoming D&D survival game built around collaboration, intense battles, and its classic life simulation many know and love. Disney Dreamlight Valley and Dungeons & Dragons aren’t usually two games that go together, with one being a lovely cozy game filled with Disney characters, and the other honing in on epic action, intense roleplay, and enough tactics to fill tons of books filled with rules. Nevertheless, they’ve come together after Gameloft, the Disney Dreamlight Valley devs have revealed a collaboration with Hasbro to bring an exciting new Dungeons & Dragons game to eager players around the world. What is the upcoming D&D game by Gameloft? Shared via Gameloft, we know the upcoming D&D game will be a co-op, action RPG with survival and life simulation mechanics. From the press release: “The game, set in the mythical Forgotten Realms within the Dungeons & Dragons universe, will bring unique cooperative gameplay built around an innovative hybrid of survival, life simulation, and action RPG.” After all, collaboration and cooperation are key aspects of the popular TTRPG and are vital to transfer to a video game of the same caliber. They went on to add that “players can expect an adventure where the rich lore of this legendary franchise meets real-time survival in a unique campaign of resilience, camaraderie, and danger at nearly every turn.” While Baldur’s Gate 3 was turn-based, it seems we’ll be getting a more real-time action adventure from Gameloft, with its classic life simulation design we’ve seen in Disney Dreamlight Valley. Where is the Survival D&D game set? The currently unnamed Survival D&D game by Gameloft will be set in the Forgotten Realms in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Such key locations include Neverwinter, The Dragon Coast, Waterdeep, the Sword Coast (which includes Baldur’s Gate) and so many more stunning locations. Naturally, there’s no word on a focus for this game, but there’s plenty of choice. While there’s not currently an announced release date, we will be sure to update this article with any new information, so be sure to check back soon. In the meantime, check out our D&D and Disney Dreamlight Valley hubs for all the latest news, deals, and guides.

D&D VR game in development by Demeo studio Wizards of the CoastResolution Games, the producers of Demeo and Demeo Battles, are developing an official Dungeons & Dragons virtual reality game. The goal of Dungeons & Dragons is to whisk players off to a fantasy world using theater of the mind and maybe a battle map with some little painted minis. But what if a video game could do the heavy lifting and transport you to a fantasy world in a more in-depth manner than Baldur’s Gate 3 can with VR? Unfortunately, technology isn’t quite there yet. While there are many VR headsets on the market, there are still many problems with the user experience, as well as a relatively small library of titles compared to PC and console games. While we might not be in the D&D version of the Matrix just yet, there’s at least one fantasy VR game set in the D&D multiverse in the pipeline. A Dungeons & Dragons VR game is in production Demeo developer Resolution Games announced on Web Wire that the studio is making an official D&D VR video game. There’s currently no word regarding a title, release date, or platforms for the game. Those who played Demeo won’t be too surprised by this announcement, as the game is essentially a tabletop RPG that you play in VR, where you can move the minis around and use cards like you would in many different pen-and-paper games. “As anyone who’s played Demeo can guess, we’re incredibly huge fans of tabletop roleplaying games,” said Resolution Games CEO Tommy Palm, “They have an unparalleled power to bring people together to create shared experiences, and that’s something we’ve tried to capture, too, with nearly every release in our library.” “DUNGEONS & DRAGONS offers one of the richest fantasy worlds ever created, and it only gets bigger with every new sourcebook and adventure. We’re beyond humbled to have the opportunity to work with such an incredible IP and look forward to sharing the first details of this new project in the future.” The D&D VR game isn’t the only title in development based on the franchise, as the studio behind Payday 3 is making a multiplayer D&D title. The success of Baldur’s Gate 3 may have prompted more D&D titles to be greenlit, though they’ll now be compared to one of the most beloved video games of modern times.

D&D rules revision ‘shelving’ Brawler Fighter subclass after playtest feedback Wizards of the CoastAfter releasing a new subclass for the Fighter in Unearthed Arcana, Wizards of the Coast has announced that the Brawler will not be part of next year’s overhauled Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebook. For over a year now, Wizards of the Coast has been preparing for the next phase of Dungeons & Dragons with a series of public playtests. These allow players to try out new content and share their feedback with the developers to help them craft the 2024 Core Rulebook. In addition to adjustments to existing content, the Unearthed Arcana sometimes introduces mechanics, such as brand-new subclasses. One of these is Playtest 7’s Brawler subclass for the Fighter class. However, the developers have confirmed that, following playtester feedback, the Brawler has been cut from next year’s rules revision. Wizards of the Coast may revisit the Brawler subclass later on In a video that also discusses Wizards’ process and intentions for the 2024 Core Rulebook, D&D game designers Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford shared the survey results for Playtest 7. While most of the feedback for subclasses included in the playtest was quite positive, they revealed the Brawler didn’t make the cut. According to Crawford, the Brawler was the only subclass to miss the 70% positive feedback goal this time around. The reasoning for the mixed feedback seems to boil down to the subclass’ unclear niche. Meant to be a Fighter that focused on Unarmed Strikes and Improvised Weapons, many found it too close to the existing Monk and Barbarian classes. Because of this, the Brawler will not be included in the new rules. However, there is good news for those who enjoyed this subclass, as Perkins and Crawford left the door open to revisiting it sometime in the future. “Sometimes, it’s just not the time for something,” Crawford explained, “and we can put the idea on a shelf and we can come back to it.” If you enjoyed this, check out the rest of our Dungeons & Dragons coverage.

D&D Quests from the Infinite Staircase review: Strong adventures form disjointed whole The anthology Quests from the Infinite Staircase remasters classic adventures for Dungeons & Dragons’ busy 50th anniversary year. Between its long-anticipated Core Rulebook revisions and the game’s golden anniversary, 2024 is a busy year for Dungeons & Dragons. Quests from the Infinite Staircase is releasing as Wizards of the Coast is gearing up for the release of the Player’s Handbook (2024), presenting TTRPG lovers with what looks like a bright future for the incredibly popular game. However, this year is just as much about celebrating D&D’s past as it is about looking ahead. We’ve already seen that through releases like Vecna: Eve of Ruin, a high-level adventure that takes players across the multiverse through various classic settings as they take on one of D&D’s most iconic foes. As an anthology, Quests from the Infinite Staircase isn’t that same kind of epic and singular adventure. Still, it does serve as an excellent celebration of D&D history, even if the format sometimes causes it to fall short. Key details Price: $69.95 (physical/digital bundle), $29.99 (digital only) Release date: July 17, 2024 (full release), July 10, 2024 (early access on D&D Beyond and local game stores) A journey through D&D’s past Quest from the Infinite Staircase is an anthology of D&D adventures from its early days. This includes work from Tracy and Laura Hickman (who went on to create the Ravenloft and Dragonlance settings) and even Gary Gygax himself. This premise gives the book a historical and celebratory feel that makes it worthwhile for veteran fans and those curious to see how D&D evolved into what it is now. All the adventures were clearly selected with love for the game and its unique settings, monsters, and more, so it’s no surprise that they’re pretty solid. There’s something for everyone on the Infinite Staircase no matter your playstyle. Those who love dungeon crawls will enjoy exploring The Lost City, Pharoah, and The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, while Expeditions to the Barrier Peaks’ futuristic sci-fi theming has made it a longtime fan-favorite – with TV icon Stephen Colbert even calling it “the best campaign.” That said, the two that stick out to me are When a Star Falls and Beyond the Crystal Cave, which (coincidentally or not) are both early adventures from UK-based designers. These two are notable for their focus on narrative, something that wasn’t particularly common in an era of D&D that focused on hack-and-slash combat and dungeon crawls. It’s clear these modules were ahead of their time, particularly the Shakespeare-inspired Beyond the Crystal Cave, which promotes problem-solving and role-playing above all else and can even be completed in its entirety without violence. However, while each adventure is strong on its own, as a singular package, Quests from the Infinite Staircase can feel disjointed. The book is designed so Dungeon Masters can run the adventures individually or as a continuous campaign that takes players from level 1 through level 13. But, while the Infinite Staircase framing helps ground the universe hopping, the types of adventures and order inadvertently discourage you from playing this way. Half the adventures are just dungeon crawls, with the aforementioned narrative-centric ones sandwiched between The Lost City and Pharaoh. This isn’t to discount the other modules, which have their own interesting stories and secrets to uncover. But the fact is, the kinds of players who’ll get the most out of an adventure like Beyond the Crystal Cave (and the kinds of characters they make) may be less interested in, say, The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth and vice versa. Unless you have a group that is okay with jumping from long periods of dungeon crawls to narrative-focused quests and back, I definitely recommend running Quests from the Infinite Staircase’s adventures individually rather than following the book to a T. Infinite potential on the Infinite Staircase Longtime D&D fans will know that the Infinite Staircase is nothing new, having been introduced way back in Second Edition. It’s a multiversal hub that’s full of doors leading to different locations across the planes. What is new is Nafas, the genie who graces the book’s cover and comes with plenty of lore. He’s said to have formed from the planar winds that flow into the Staircase whenever someone opens a door, resulting in a noble genie who watches over but cannot leave the Infinite Staircase. Because of this limitation, Nafas serves as a quest-giver for the adventures, sending players to grant wishes on his behalf. Each chapter starts out with him sharing a wish with players before sending them off to fulfill it. The Infinite Staircase and Nafas provide a strong framework for the adventures – one that could also be a useful tool for DMs planning their own universe-hopping campaigns. However, because of the nature of the anthology, neither is used to its full potential, at least as far as the book itself goes. Conveniently, for those running adventures independent of the Infinite Staircase, the designers included other potential adventure hooks that don’t involve Nafas or wishes. While that’s helpful, it does mean you can play all of the book’s adventures without ever visiting the eponymous location or interacting with the character on the cover. I do hope we see Nafas again in a format where he can really thrive, whether that’s as part of a future adventure or a Xanathar or Tasha-style sourcebook. I can understand why the designers focused on the adventures rather than Nafas – these are remasters of classic modules being released to celebrate 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons, after all. Still, it has me wondering why Wizards decided to name the book for something that comes off as an afterthought, compelling as it may be, rather than putting the classic, celebratory nature of the collection front and center. The Verdict – 4/5 Quests from the Infinite Staircase is the perfect example of strong pieces comprising an imperfect whole. Each of the adventures is incredibly compelling and, as intended, provides a nice look at the early stories and dungeons that allowed D&D to become the juggernaut it is today. Still, the Infinite Staircase framing itself goes underexplored, and running its six selections together will likely make for a disjointed campaign experience. With that in mind, I definitely see myself running Quests from the Infinite Staircase’s adventures individually or incorporating them into an existing campaign rather than treating it like a continuous campaign. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D reveals 2 more Tasha’s subclasses for Player’s Handbook revision Wizards of the CoastDungeons & Dragons’ upcoming rules revision will add two subclasses previously exclusive to a 5e expansion to the updated Player’s Handbook. Wizards of the Coast has revealed two subclasses that originated in the Dungeons & Dragons‘ Fifth Edition expansion Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything will be included in the revised Player’s Handbook releasing later this year: the Psi Warrior Fighter and the Soulknife Rogue. D&D game design architects Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford announced the subclasses during a Fireside Chat with Todd Kenreck released on YouTube. In it, they explain that Psi Warrior in particular was selected to replace the scrapped Brawler subclass included in Playtest 7. The announcement also confirms the four Fighter subclasses included in the Player’s Handbook (2024), with Psi Warrior joining the Champion, Eldritch Knight, and Battle Master. These subclasses were chosen to add more “psionic friends” to the book, which will also include the Aberrant Mind Sorcerer and the Great Old One Warlock patron. Psi Warrior Fighters fight with both brains and physical might, infusing their weapons with psionic power or protecting themselves and allies with telekinetic force. Soulknife Rogues blend the stealthiness of the base class with psionic abilities. They use psychic blades that get more powerful at higher levels, cutting foes down with both physical and psionic attacks. While they were not included in any of the public UA tests, Crawford said these subclasses “went through additional playtesting and development” that led to improvements, though he did not elaborate on specific changes to the subclasses and their abilities. Perkins and Crawford also discussed the team’s progress on the new core rulebooks, saying they are “making final tweaks” to the printed-out version of the book and “ensuring everything is where it should be.” Kenreck also confirmed lots more info is “coming soon.” The Player’s Handbook (2024) releases on September 17, 2024. It will be available two weeks early on September 3, 2024, at local game stores and D&D Beyond.

D&D Quests from the Infinite Staircase: Release date, adventures, more Wizards of the CoastThe next Dungeons & Dragons book is Quests from the Infinite Staircase, the final adventure for Fifth Edition ahead of a major rules revision. Here’s what to know about this anthology’s adventures and when you’ll be able to get your hands on it. Like Candlekeep Mysteries and Keys from the Golden Vault before it, Quests from the Infinite Staircase is a collection of shorter adventures rather than one long campaign like Curse of Strahd or this year’s Vecna: Eve of Ruin. What sets this book apart, though, are the adventures themselves: All six are classic adventures from D&D history that have been remastered for 5e. This even includes modules written by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax, making it a perfect fit for the game’s 50th anniversary year. When does Quests from the Infinite Staircase release? Quests from the Infinite Staircase releases on July 16, 2024. Like other recent D&D books, it will be available early starting on July 9 for those who preorder it on D&D Beyond or from local game stores. Early access for this book is a bit shorter than the usual two weeks. Wizards has confirmed this is due to the Fourth of July holiday in the US. This makes Quests from the Infinite Staircase the final 5e book before the new Core Rulebooks begin releasing in September 2024. What is the Infinite Staircase? The idea of the Infinite Staircase has been around since Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition, where it’s part of the Planescape campaign setting. As the name suggests, it is an extradimensional staircase that winds on and on forever. It’s full of doors leading to different dimensions, providing a great way to explore the multiverse. This makes it a useful tool for Dungeon Masters hoping to incorporate the book’s adventures into an existing campaign. Instead of requiring a high-level spell or powerful ally, players simply need to come across the right door to gain access to the Infinite Staircase. The Infinite Staircase is also home to Nafas, a noble genie created from the planar winds that blow in whenever someone opens Staircase’s doors. Nafas is a benevolent observer whose connection to the multiverse allows him to hear wishes. However, he’s unable to actually leave the Staircase, which means he must rely on adventurers to grant wishes for him. The designers have compared Nafas to Marvel’s The Watcher, who fans may recognize from the What If…? series. What to know about each adventure As mentioned, Quests from the Infinite Staircase’s adventures come from past editions of Dungeons & Dragons. All were originally published by TSR, the game publishing company founded by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. These adventures have been remastered for this collection, with the designers adjusting things like encounters to fit 5e’s rules while keeping the bulk of the module intact. The Lost City The original The Lost City module was written by Tom Moldvay and published in 1982. It takes place in a ruined city populated by Cynidiceans, remnants of a lost civilization who have split into factions. Each faction wears masks and worships an ancient god, hoping to restore Cynidicea to its former glory. There are three main factions that players can actually join, gaining rewards for doing so. In the original, these factions were divided by gender, a restriction that has been lifted for this version. It’s also now easier to join, with the rules surrounding it being clearer. As for the adventure itself, The Lost City is a huge dungeon crawl that starts with the players getting trapped in a ziggurat and having to find their way out. The remaster also expands the role of a cult worshipping Zargon, a monster responsible for the fall of Cynidicea. The Lost City takes players from levels 1 through 4. When a Star Falls Another First Edition adventure, When a Star Falls was written by Graeme Morris and published in 1984. It’s one of the first D&D adventures to come from a UK-based designer, which the modern developers note may have influenced the module’s focus on narrative over gameplay, which the US TSR team usually favored. In it, the party is tasked with retrieving a fallen star to prevent its power from falling into the wrong hands. This quest takes players to a subterranean world that includes zombies, a living web that feeds on memories and releases them when it dies, and a dragon. When a Star Falls takes players from levels 4 through 6. Beyond the Crystal Cave Beyond the Crystal Cave is originally a 1983 adventure by British designers Dave J. Browne, Tom Kirby, and Graeme Morris. It takes heavy inspiration from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, following two young lovers who run away from their disapproving parents. Notably, a good portion of this adventure can be completed without combat, making it perfect for those parties that prefer to take the diplomatic route. Another major change from the original is that Beyond the Crystal Cave now takes place in the Feywild, which didn’t exist when the module was written. That means players should expect to come across many Fey creatures such as prank-loving leprechauns and philosophical unicorns. Beyond the Crystal Cave takes players from level 6 to 7. Pharaoh This is one of the first adventures by Tracy and Laura Hickman, a husband and wife duo who published Pharaoh on their own before joining TSR, who republished the adventure in 1982. The Hickmans would go on to create the popular Ravenloft and Dragonlance campaign settings. In this adventure, the players are besieged by a long-dead Pharaoh, who instructs them to enter their tomb to find a staff and a star gem. These items have the power to break two different curses – one on the land and the other on the Pharoah’s soul. In addition to making the dungeon even deadlier, the remastered Pharoah has also been subjected to Wizards of the Coast’s inclusion and sensitivity review process to ensure the content meets modern standards. The designers contacted someone who specializes in ancient Egypt and removed some elements that could be considered culturally insensitive. Pharoah takes players from levels 7 through 9. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth is a 1982 adventure written by Gary Gygax himself. It’s related to Descent into the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, an abridged version that was released earlier this year as a tournament adventure. In it, players are sent out to investigate a rumored lost treasure, which many adventurers have died trying to find. Players will have to venture into the wilderness to find the Lost Caverns, eventually reaching the Lesser and Greater Caverns. Players will also meet Drelnza, daughter of the famous archmage Tasha, who players may recognize from the books Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything and Vecna: Eve of Ruin. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth takes players from levels 9 through 11. Expeditions to the Barrier Peaks Last but not least is Expeditions to the Barrier Peaks, written by Gary Gygax and published in 1980. What immediately sets this adventure apart is its sci-fi theming. In Expeditions to the Barrier Peaks, players go to a crashed spaceship that’s full of androids, various types of robots, and laser guns. While there are some minor changes here, the designers say they really wanted to maintain the retrofuturistic aesthetic of the original, which is especially clear from the designs of the combat and worker robots, as well as the silly but deadly nature of the adventure. Expeditions to the Barrier Peaks takes players from levels 11 through 13. That’s everything to know about Quests from the Infinite Staircase! Check out the rest of our D&D coverage, including this guide on every subclass in the Player’s Handbook (2024) and what D&D head of art Josh Herman says fans can expect from the Monster Manual (2025).

D&D Playtest 8 introduces base-building Bastion system & cantrip revisions Wizards of the CoastThe latest Unearthed Arcana playtest for Dungeons & Dragons’ upcoming rules revision introduces content coming in the updated Dungeon Master’s Guide, as well as some changes to cantrips. 2024 is going to be a huge year for Dungeons & Dragons thanks to a major rules overhaul the game is set to receive, originally codenamed “One D&D.” Wizards of the Coast is releasing revised versions of the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual. While compatible with existing Fifth Edition content, the new books make significant changes to the current rules. These are currently in the middle of playtesting, with the designers releasing different waves of Unearthed Arcana for players to try for themselves and provide feedback on. The latest UA, Playtest 8, focuses for the first time on the Dungeon Master’s Guide rather than revising rules for players and character class features. However, there are some interesting changes to cantrips players will want to check out. DnD’s updated Dungeon Master’s Guide introduces Bastion rules First, it’s important to note that this is playtest content and is subject to change between now and when the new books release next year. The main focus of Playtest 8 is the brand-new Bastion system. This provides DMs and their players with rules for setting up a home, base of operations, or other structure for a party to use. They are meant to be places where the party goes between quests that provide other benefits and grow alongside the adventurers. Starting at level 5, players will be able to create a Bastion along with their DM. Players can have their own if they want, and even characters without them can benefit from another party member’s Bastion. The UA gives some examples, such as a Fighter making a fortified stronghold or a Cleric establishing a shine to their diety. Every seven days of in-game time (or at the DM’s discretion), a Bastion turn occurs. At this point, the player can issue orders and gain rewards from their Bastion. This is also when players will accumulate Bastion Points, which can be used to earn magic items, among other benefits. Players have a lot of freedom to determine what their Bastion looks like and does. In addition to basic facilities like bedrooms and kitchens, Bastions have special facilities to choose from. The former requires time and money to build, while the latter does not. However, a Bastion can only have a certain number of special facilities based on the player’s level. The UA includes over two dozen special facilities, such as a Garden that lets players grow plants for money, potions, or poisons. Some options only become available at higher levels, like a Training Area that allows players to earn temporary Training Benefits. Of course, players with Bastions will also need to deal with problems that may arise there. They’ll need defenders and hirelings, which come with special facilities or can be recruited if you have a Barrack. While complex, Bastions seem to have a lot of potential, particularly in long-term D&D campaigns where players may need some downtime between major adventures. Playtest 8 revises 10 cantrips Though Playtest 8 focuses mainly on introducing Bastion rules, there’s still something here for players. Wizards presents 10 updated versions of existing cantrips that are meant to balance these spells and, in some cases, make them way more viable. The changes are as follows: The most interesting changes by far here are those to True Strike. The current version of the spell gives the caster advantage on their next attack against the target. Fans have largely called this cantrip useless, as advantage isn’t really any better than simply trying to attack twice. Plus, the fact that the caster has to maintain concentration until their next turn means a player can end up just wasting their time. The updated True Strike lets the caster make a weapon attack right away, using their spellcasting ability rather than Strength or Dexterity. The player can also choose to have the attack deal Radiant damage instead of the weapon’s normal damage type. Again, the content introduced in Unearthed Arcana may change between now and its official implementation. Still, there’s plenty here for players to try out, and it paints an intriguing picture of D&D’s future. If you enjoyed this, check out more of our D&D content, such as the following guides: How to play Dungeons & Dragons | The best tabletop RPG games in 2023 | 5 Sourcebooks you need before starting DnD | D&D 5E Multiclass Guide | Best Dungeons & Dragons gifts | Guide to D&D Races and Species

D&D potions made drinkable with fanmade recipes Wizards of the Coast/Greg OpalinskiDungeons & Dragons fans are sharing the potions they’ve made to use with their games in case a player needs to chug down some healing juice after a battle. Fantasy fans wish they could brew potions with magic effects, especially ones that won’t get them arrested. Some D&D fans do make physical potions for their games, ones that are actually edible and can be drunk during the middle of a session. A user on the DnD Reddit created a thread to show off their homemade potion bottles, which were used as props for a game. The liquid inside wasn’t edible, as it was made from epoxy resin and food coloring, but other users offered their own recipes for drinkable potions. “I did the potion bottles thing too, with edible glitter! Makes the potions nice and swirly,” one user said, “I ended up having different flavor potions take them to different planes, using a fiery ginger shot to go to infernal planes, strawberry milkshake to the pleasant good-aligned planes, and water with a drop of peppermint extract for wind. Went down a treat!” “My wife made potion shots with glitter and other effects (all food safe) and only one person during the session said anything,” one fan lamented, “She even bought tiny bottles with old corks and decorated them.” The adult fans also offered alcoholic options. “We had ours full of red dye Goldschlager,” one said, while another brave player mentioned, “This reminds me of a one-shot I did in a low magic world where for every healing potion the players had to take a shot (first 2 liquor, next 4 wine, beer after that, else we would die.” For the D&D 5e Druids who eschew potions, there is another option. “I have a box of fruit snacks. When I cast Goodberry I will give them out.” Physical props are a great way to get players invested in the game, and many DMs already make their own maps and craft cryptic notes for their group to decipher. Having drinkable potions would be even better, but if they’re too tasty, then players might start willingly taking hits, all for that sweet sweet 2d4+2 healing.

D&D players warn against adapting Baldur’s Gate 3 gear Wizards of the CoastDungeons & Dragons 5E players have advised against adapting items from Baldur’s Gate 3 into the tabletop RPG due to how unbalanced they are. While D&D 5E rules form the basis of Baldur’s Gate 3’s gameplay systems, the two have many differences. Baldur’s Gate 3 gives the player far more magic items, many of which have stronger properties than the ones you acquire in D&D. The reason for the disparity is that Baldur’s Gate 3 has a much bigger focus on combat than D&D. Players need magic items to supplement the limited resources of their character class abilities and spell slots. Otherwise, they’d constantly be resting, breaking the flow of gameplay. Baldur’s Gate 3 has introduced many people to D&D 5E, which means there’s an adjustment period while they get used to the changes in the tabletop RPG. This leads to some fans wanting to bring Baldur’s Gate 3 content into the game directly. D&D players advise against using BG3 equipment A user on DnD Reddit has asked for advice about a player in their game who wants to bring items from Baldur’s Gate 3 into the campaign. Other users in the thread offered their input, a lot of which warned against using video game gear in tabletop form. “You should explain that while there are similarities between the games,” one user wrote, “They aren’t identical and that there are balance issues that need to be considered- they can make a character LIKE their BG3 character, but a direct port isn’t going to happen.” “Do not let him do this. Yes you could homebrew them but that’s a lot of added work on your end that isn’t being returned. Don’t do it, trust me,” one user wrote, while another said, “Like 90% of the items in BG3 would be wildly overpowered in 5e? Cause it’s balanced to be a video game, not a TTRPG.” “Frankly, if regular DnD had BG3’s itemization, presenting credible challenges to players would be incredibly difficult to do,” another user wrote, “BG3 goes crazy with enchanted items, and while I love BG3, I think it sets up weird unrealistic expectations for your tabletop character. Tabletop DnD characters are going to be nowhere near as flashy or powerful even though it’s built on the same system.” D&D 5E limits the number of magic items a character can attune to, preventing players from using them to create overpowered builds. The idea is that players should rely on their class & race abilities, with items being bonuses that are earned throughout the campaign. Directly putting the trick arrows and ridiculous number of weapons & armor from Baldur’s Gate 3 into D&D 5E would be a huge mistake unless the DM loves campaigns that are mostly composed of combat encounters, with players needing a steady supply of gear to keep them in the fight.

D&D players share the worst house rules they’ve ever encountered Wizards of the CoastDungeons & Dragons players are discussing the worst house rules they’ve either heard of or been asked to play with, and some of them are downright game-breaking. As a tabletop RPG, Dungeons & Dragons is a lot of different things to its many players. Some prefer to focus on role-playing and storytelling, while others emphasize combat and the power fantasy of having incredible strength or magical abilities. No two tables are exactly alike, and that’s in part due to house rules some Dungeon Masters may implement to shape the game as they like. There are many popular house rules, like rule of cool or giving players more opportunities to acquire feats. Others, though, end up breaking the game or harming player enjoyment, sparking a discussion on the worst house rules ever conceived for D&D. D&D players discuss how bad homebrew rules ruin the game The conversation started with a post by Reddit user No-Bag3487, who shared some examples they had seen on the DnD subreddit. Among them are having to roll a d6 to determine movement, using initiative order outside of combat, and having to use an action to speak in battle. Another user shared a bad experience of their own with a DM who insisted on using Wisdom or Intelligence checks against Persuasion rolls, sticking with the result, and having NPCs refuse to help no matter what the logical outcome would be. As an example, they shared a story about a blacksmith who refused to lend weapons to the party while the town was under attack, resulting in the NPC’s own death. A rule like that impacted how enjoyable the game was, and the player mentioned leaving the group over such bizarre rules. Others shared rules that, while perhaps good for players, seem pretty game-breaking. “I had a DM that … said any attack roll over 20 total was a crit,” they shared. While it might be fun, especially early on, to have that bonus, it becomes increasingly broken as the game goes on since many melee players will end up with at least +11 to hit. These stories are ones all players and DMs can learn from. House rules can really enhance a game, but it’s vital to consider the specific interests of the table and avoid implementing rules that make D&D more frustrating than fun.

D&D players torn over shapeshifting pregnancy rules Wizards of the CoastD&D players are asking taboo questions about what happens to pregnant characters when they shapeshift into other forms. In Dungeons & Dragons, there are many ways to change form with the aid of magic, such as with the Polymorph spell. There are also races with a natural affinity for altering their appearance, like the Changeling and the Shifter. The class that has the easiest time changing form is the Druid, thanks to their level 2 Wild Shape ability. Wild Shape lets the user turn into a Beast creature within a certain Challenge Rating, allowing the Druid all kinds of utility, especially when they can turn into swimming or flying creatures. Most Druids will use their Wild Shape ability in combat or utilize the animal form’s extra senses when exploring a dungeon. Some fans question how exactly their character’s biology adapts while in this new form, especially outside of adventuring. D&D players are unsure what happens when pregnant characters shapeshift A user on the DungeonsAndDragons Reddit created a thread asking for opinions on what happens to a pregnant character when they shapeshift, as D&D lacks any pregnancy rules. Fans had varied opinions on what happens during such a unique instance. “Loki rules, the Druid must remain shaped until it comes to term,” one player answered, while another said, “That actually sounds like a fantastic background for how a sorcerer got their bloodline, or how a Warlock met their patron, the baby got exposed to fey magic in the womb.” One answer that makes sense for most adventurers was suggested. “My answer would be that the nature magic simply envelopes them into your Wild Shape in such a way that they pretty much just disappear while you’re Wild Shape (essentially meaning that they’re connected to the rest of your body enough that they just wild shape into the form with you). They are, literally, part of your body, after all. “Where do you think Tabaxi come from?” one fan joked about D&D’s popular cat race. Another player suggested a viable solution: “While pregnant, a druid’s magical energy pathways are rerouted, so they are temporarily unable to Wild Shape until they give birth.” Considering most D&D campaigns only cover a short span of in-game time, these questions are unlikely to come up in most groups. Fortunately, the Internet exists to give fans the space they need to answer these vital questions about the D&D situations that will (hopefully) never come up.

D&D players reveal their most ridiculous homebrew magic items Wizards of the CoastD&D fans are revealing the strongest, weirdest, and most ridiculous homebrew magic items they’ve unleashed upon their unfortunate players. The Dungeons & Dragons 5e Dungeon Master’s Guide is filled with magic items for players to use in their campaigns, but plenty of DMs prefer to make their own, and they aren’t afraid to get silly. A user on the DnD Reddit has created a thread asking players and DMs to reveal the homebrew magic items they have created or encountered in their games. It didn’t take long for some truly ridiculous artifacts to be listed. “Someone posted about a bag of scolding that insults the person whenever they use it. The thread had a string of insults to use” one user said, while another joked, “One I found on DDB and take no credit for is a magical fake mustache that compelled people to compliment you on your mustache. It’s cursed, however, if someone compliments the mustache it immediately falls off.” “My two favorites are: a cursed wig that changes its wearer’s alignment to Lawful Evil, and they must act accordingly: the Hell Toupee,” one player wrote, “The Decanter of Endless Ham – functions identically to the Decanter of Endless Water, but with ham. Cartoon-level, bone-in ham.” “+0.5 Sword,” one math fan wrote, “Gets a +0.5 to Hit (rounded down), but crits if you match the enemy’s AC exactly. Started off as a joke, but in reality, it effectively doubles your chances of a critical hit and became super broken when our rogue started using it.” “The Bagpipes of invisibility,” one wannabe Highlander wrote, “Wondrous item, rare, attunement required When attuned to the Bagpipes of Invisibility, the owner may use an action to become invisible. This feature is only available when the bagpipes are being played. Invisibility effect ends anytime the bagpipes stop playing.” For the truly chaotic groups, one player suggested this. “I read a good one that should be here. The ring of prestochango. When character puts ring on it self destructs (no damage) and that player is now DM for the next 30 minutes to one hour.” DMs love creating their own magic items or adapting famous weapons to D&D. It doesn’t all have to be Andurils and Kusanagis, as D&D has plenty of room for joke items that players can enjoy.

D&D players reveal the amazing character ideas they’ll never get to play Wizards of the CoastDungeons & Dragons fans have revealed the character ideas they would love to play, but know they probably will never get the chance to roll up. When it comes to D&D fans, there tend to be three kinds of players. You have people with countless character ideas, the fans who copy famous fictional characters and adapt them to D&D, and those who show up to the table with Bob the Human Fighter. The problem with having many incredible ideas is that they’ll never see the light of day. This is because D&D is a social hobby that requires aligning several busy schedules. Even Baldur’s Gate 3 has referenced how scheduling is the death of many D&D campaigns. So, if you have all these amazing ideas, what else can you do with them but share them online in the hopes that some poor soul will have the chance to breathe life into your character? The best D&D characters will never be played A user on the DnD Reddit created a thread asking others about the ideas for characters that they have that they’d love to play but are afraid will never see the light of day. Users were quick to share their amazing character concepts that will likely never leave their heads. “So so many. But my current fav that I’m looking to get into one of my games… A fairy barbarian,” one Barbarian fan wrote, “Her temper got her pushed out. All her weapons are made naturally. She is set to go path of the giant. Where her rage ability transforms her into a 9′ tall berserker. And her weapons from with her. I’ve kinda gotten into another “magic girl or character from media” phase. Lol” “An elf. He’s a warlock, his patron is Santa Claus. He reports his observations to Santa nightly,” one user said, while another wrote, “A barbarian whose solution the the “sword in the stone” problem was leaving the sword lodged in the stone and just bludgeoning people with the stone.” One player almost threatened to unleash a terrible evil upon the world. “My Eladrin Bard that focuses on rap and Vicious Mockery. I had the perfect game for her, but then everyone appeared with ranged or fullcaster characters including another Bard. So she is still waiting at the box to be used.” Hopefully, these characters will one day get their chance to live at the table. D&D has never been more popular and there are people worldwide who are itching to play the game. Maybe these heroes will get their chance to appear in a random one-shot someday or an impromptu online game, allowing them to be finally born via numbers and funny voices.

D&D players reveal the best & worst insults used with Vicious Mockery Wizards of the CoastD&D 5E players have revealed the best and worst insults they’ve heard when using the Bard class’ Vicious Mockery and Cutting Words spells, as they require a disparaging comment. The most popular Bard-exclusive spell in Dungeons & Dragons 5E is Vicious Mockery. This Cantrip forces an enemy to make Wisdom saving throw, with a fail resulting in 1d4 Psychic damage and Disadvantage on their next attack roll. Vicious Mockery is great for several reasons, as it can be used while the caster is tied up, and it combos well with Healing Word, allowing the Bard to heal and attack in the same round. There’s also a spell called Cutting Words, which has a similar effect but requires a slot to cast. The best part about Vicious Mockery is that most players and DMs will insist that an actual insult be said for the spell to take effect, leading to lots of hilariously good/bad jibes thrown around the D&D table. D&D players have shared their best and worst insults used with the Vicious Mockery and Cutting Words spells A user on the DnD Reddit named Dr_Kyro has asked other D&D 5E players to share the insults they’ve used in conjunction with Vicious Mockery or Cutting Words. Players worldwide flocked to the thread to share their 8 Mile-level rap battle comebacks that they’ve unleashed on their foes. “Your mom’s so fat she’s considered difficult terrain,” was said by user, while another went with, “You are as usless as true strike”, which will be particularly stinging for fans of Baldur’s Gate 3 who used that awful Cantrip in battle. “We were fighting a giant tree and our bard shouted, “Your mom was a broccoli. “We had to pause the session because everyone was laughing so hard,” is an oddly specific one, while “You remind me of my first husband. I hated him too” can be thrown around more easily. There are, of course, some really bad ones, like “You have a face only a mother could love,” as well as endless Monty Python quotes, but even these can be funny under the right circumstances, i.e., the ones D&D players find themselves in all the time. Vicious Mockery is one of the best additions in D&D 5E, making the Bard class a lot more memorable than it could have been. The ability to slay mighty enemies in a funny way is the dream of many a D&D player, with beating Strahd, Lord Soth, or Acererak being the goal of the most chaotic adventurers.

D&D players reveal most predictable character gimmicks in the game Wizards of the CoastThe drow Rangers, kender Rogues, and human Fighters of the world, beware, as D&D players have revealed the reasons behind the game’s most predictable character gimmicks. Dungeons & Dragons players have near-limitless options for making characters. Despite this, some character archetypes are incredibly popular, with a human Fighter named Bob being the most popular character type on D&D Beyond. There’s a reason some people pick certain class and race combos, either because of old fantasy tropes or because of overpowered D&D character builds. These reasons were outlined in a recent thread on the DnD Reddit, where users broke down the most predictable character gimmicks. “If a tortle monk sits down at your table they want to be Master Oogway but will be Michaelangelo,” one very correct user wrote, while another said, “Kalashtar Bear Totem Barbarian. Resistance to Everything,” referring to a very broken damage resistance build. One user wrote, “Fiend or Fey Warlock with female patron: sub,” and another responded, “Undead patron who is a male vampire: also sub.” This is why Strahd von Zarovich is so popular. “Human Fighter – First time playing huh?,” one user asked, “Variant Human Fighter – They need 6 feats for their build to work.” One player summed up a lot of characters.:”Elf-ranger: Legolas, Drow-Anything: Drizzt clone most likely, Hexblade 1/Anything: Gaming the system are we?” One fan wrote, “Loxodon Rogue,” referring to the Magic: The Gathering race, “I know they want to quip about people not noticing the elephant in the room.” The sad truth is that most D&D campaigns don’t last for long. Groups are lucky if they hit level 5 in any single story. As such, everyone should play whatever character they want without fear of ridicule for being broken or an overused trope. (You can judge them privately, of course. Feel free to complain on Reddit about all of the Drizzt wannabes in the world.)

D&D players defend DMs who pay for sessions Wizards of the CoastD&D fans are defending the Dungeon Masters who charge for their time, even though most people who run the game do so for free. Dungeons & Dragons players who have never run a game might not appreciate the work that goes into DM’ing an adventure, nevermind a full campaign. Even running one of D&D’s pre-written official campaigns takes a lot of preparation, as you need to plan each week’s session. The preparation time can increase tenfold if the DM is running a homebrew campaign, where they design the world and its adventures by scratch. The only way to save time is by using a random generation method, like the one in the Book of Many Things, but these often lead to substandard adventures. There are some DMs who want payment for their time. Sometimes, this is just asking players to cover travel & food fees, but some want to be paid as if it were a profession. DMs are charging for their D&D games A user on the DnD Reddit created a thread asking fans about paid sessions, as they had seen DMs advertising spaces at their table for an hourly rate. This prompted players to defend the notion, due to supply and demand, as well as the time it takes to DM games. “If you expect a DM to plan and run games on a weekly basis, I’m not gonna lie, $20 seems ridiculously cheap,” one user wrote, while another said, “If I were to charge my normal job hourly for DMing prep and gamerunning the bill would be $126 per session. That’s 1.5 hours of game time and equal time in prep. Sessions though would usually get closer to 2 hours.” “D&D has exploded into the mainstream,” one user explained, “Literally millions of new players are all in need of experienced DMs. There simply are not enough DMs to go around. It’s just supply & demand. Simple as that.” “DMing is work. Prep time, coordination, either travel or computer expertise, creative juices ‘n’ such. It’s work. Workers get paid for their work.” “For $15 people actually commit. Good DMs spend far more than session time.,” one user said, “It’s cheaper than a movie. Plus you can pay actual writers. I got a game with an original Vecna writer we play tested the stranger things crossover early access. The dude had 30 years writing scenarios and only charged to keep a—-s out. It isn’t so much money but respect. It’s minimum wage anything pays more.” Those who are thinking of quitting their job and becoming the next Matt Mercer might be in for a shock, as the rates aren’t high enough to live off, unless you’re willing to spend more time playing D&D than at an actual job. There’s also a case of being able to find regular customers who can commit to specific times of the week, because as we all know, the greatest D&D monster of them all is scheduling.

D&D players explain how they defend it from family members who think it’s “witchcraft” Wizards of the CoastD&D fans have offered advice for a fan with a family member who believes the game is witchcraft – a holdover from a dark era of the franchise’s history. It might seem like a ridiculous notion now, but there was a time when Dungeons & Dragons was part of the “Satanic Panic” in the ’80s, where different forms of media were accused of being associated with devil worship, continuing into the ’90s with series like Pokemon associated with the occult. In response to this outcry, the creators of D&D altered parts of the game, including renaming Demons and Devils to the Tanar’ri and Baatezu, making them more alien and interdimensional than fiendish, which was expanded upon in the Planescape campaign setting. Thankfully, the days of D&D being associated with Satanism are long over, and all it takes is one YouTube search to see that the game doesn’t actually allow people to perform dark magic. There are still some who hold onto these beliefs, however. A user on the DnD Reddit asked for advice on explaining to their aunt that the game isn’t witchcraft after the topic was brought up during a family gathering. “If she’s concerned that playing the game is somehow an act of witchcraft, just explain what the game actually is: playing pretend within a structure of rules,” one user offered, “If her concern is that magic appears within the fiction of the game however, she’s probably beyond helping.” “Tell her it’s a made-up bunch of rules about gods and the world and how people should interact with it, and that people sit around and take it very seriously. Then tell her D&D is the same,” another user wrote, while another said, “Tell her magic isn’t real and neither is DnD.” “Try to explain it as a form of acting, and as a way to build speech and critical thinking,” one user said, “It’s a puzzle-solving play, like going to a murder mystery game! Try to show her some videos of some games!” “Wait, you guys don’t cast fireball irl?” one user joked. D&D celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024, riding high on the huge success of D&D 5e and the meteoric rise of Baldur’s Gate 3 the previous year. The Satanic Panic was a dark time in the history of the franchise, but those days are long gone, even if the belief that rolling dice can summon demons is still present in parts of the world.

D&D players can save 35% & fight more foes in Monsters of the Multiverse WOTCThe hordes of D&D monsters present in Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse are enough to give any DM options in store for years to come. Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse is the latest, most up-to-date compendium of D&D 5e’s monsters. This book updates and combines previous content from the Monster Manual, Volo’s Guide to Monsters, and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, presenting the definitive guide for DMs looking to surprise and delight their players. DMs and monster-fascinated players alike are in luck right now, as Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse is currently on sale at Amazon, with a huge 35% knocked off the standard price. Pick it up today and add a brilliant new book to your D&D collection. While homebrewing campaign resources and making up monsters wholesale can be a great pleasure for both DMs and players, having a huge portfolio to pull from is an incredible boon. No matter your campaign’s setting and story, there will be monsters within this book that can provide a suitable challenge for any party composition or level. Monsters of the Multiverse functions just as well as a guide for D&D fans as it does a DM’s resource. The monsters and playable races included here come with reams of lore and worldbuilding, with frequent input from the mighty mage Mordenkainen himself. Anyone who has fallen in love with D&D’s imaginative creature design over the years will find boatloads to love here, and will likely get lost between these pages for some time. Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse is an excellent game resource and deserving of pride of place among any DM’s collection. Pick it up today and you’ll have dozens of new options to challenge your players and enhance your game. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D player reveals genius way to turn RPG cliches into campaign ideas One D&D player has revealed their method for turning the most cliche RPG tropes into fun campaign ideas for the DM who needs a quick concept. The Dungeons & Dragons campaigns played by most groups are either official products or homebrew. The official D&D campaigns, like Curse of Strahd, come pre-written in sourcebooks, while homebrew campaigns are created entirely by the DM or players of the group. Not everyone has time to create a full homebrew campaign setting, especially as players will likely derail the planned story within an hour. This means some DMs will only develop a basic outline for a D&D adventure or campaign, hoping that players will fill out the rest of the details on their own. The hastily planned D&D session will often rely on the genre’s tropes: group meets in a tavern, orcs attacking the village, and the classic giant rats in the basement. An experienced group will have seen these a million times, but what if they could be made to feel fresh? A D&D player reveals their disruptive brainstorming technique for coming up with campaign ideas A user on the DnD Reddit named RyanImeIDM has shared their technique for using disruptive brainstorming to come up with new D&D story ideas. All it requires is some paper and a knowledge of the genre’s tropes. The basic concept involves writing down many basic D&D adventure ideas that people are familiar with, such as saving a village from goblins or being trapped in a shipwreck. The DM then comes up with “skews” that modify the ideas, such as Location, Perspective, and Scale. With the ideas and skews in mind, the DM then mixes them together to create concepts. By using Perspective, saving a village from goblins turns into protecting innocent goblins from a nearby settlement, or being trapped in a shipwreck turns into being lost at sea and unable to find dry land. This disruptive brainstorming technique is an excellent way to develop D&D one-shot ideas. DMs won’t always have time to prep a full session, especially for a last-minute game, so an exercise like this is ideal for people who need something fast and memorable. The unconventional D&D ideas created by disruptive brainstorming work best for one-offs but could easily be adapted into long-form campaigns. Many a D&D storyline has grown from an off-hand remark, and an unusual concept can be a breeding ground for interesting and unique homebrew campaigns.

D&D players share their best tips & advice for first-time DM D&D 5E players are sharing their most valuable Dungeon Master advice with a new DM who’s sitting behind the screen for the first time and needs tips to get started. Dungeons & Dragons 5E is the easiest edition of the game to learn, owing to the decades of fan feedback received over the years. There are also countless tutorials and D&D livestreams to watch, which show people the different ways the game can be played. Despite this wealth of knowledge, acting as the Dungeon Master in a game is difficult, especially for people who create homebrew D&D campaigns or those with a large group of players. There’s a lot to keep track of, which can get overwhelming quickly. Luckily, there are plenty of online outlets where new DMs can seek help. The D&D community has a lot of advice to share, especially for those rare few who want to take up the DM screen and tell their own stories with their players. D&D DMs have shared their best advice, knowledge, and tips with a first-timer A user on the Dungeons & Dragons Reddit named AjayRedonkulus asked for advice, as they’re a new player who is DMing for the first time. They already had maps and notes set up, but they were looking for tips on how to run the game. “Don’t waste your time over-preparing. The players aren’t usually going to do what you expect anyway so be ready to wing it,” one DM explained. “If you need to slow them down, throw combat encounter in.” “Don’t slow the game down by looking up rules, if the players are happy with your ruling then go for it. You can always look rules up after the game,” while another said, “Rules are important, but! Don’t let it ruin immersion and flow. If you’re not really sure about something just say you’re gonna rule it like this for now, and we’ll discuss/research it after” Perhaps the best advice came from Twokindsofpeople, who said, “Don’t get into power struggles. Let your players make decisions, but if it just so happens that no matter what decision they make leads them to the places you’ve already designed then that sure would make things easier.” There’s a huge difference between running one of the printed D&D campaigns, where all of the information is laid out for the DM, and running a homebrew, where everything comes from the DM. For homebrew, there’s a lot of leeway for DMs to make it up as they go along, which isn’t as easy with a book. All of the advice offered by DMs is sound and should be taken on board by anyone who wants to become a DM. There are some people online who make it seem easy, but there’s a ton of work involved, even for those who want to play it loose, so taking as much information in as possible beforehand is advised.

D&D player goes viral after writing handout in Skyrim language – and forgets how to read it Wizards of the CoastA D&D Dungeon Master has gone viral after asking the fanbase to help them translate a note they wrote, as they had forgotten that it was written in a language from The Elder Scrolls series. It’s a time-honored Dungeons & Dragons tradition for DMs to make their own maps and notes for players to use. These are often used with tea & coffee to age the paper, along with some artful tearing around the edges. It’s also common for DMs to write messages using code or a made-up language, sometimes cribbing existing ones, like Tolkien’s Sindarin or the Klingon language from Star Trek. These are often used as part of puzzles, with players needing to decipher the writing to proceed. It’s always important for the DMs to have the solutions to their puzzles written down, as it can be easy to forget them in the time between preparing an adventure and actually running it. D&D DM needs fanbase’s help to translate note they wrote A user of the DnD Reddit created a thread asking for the fanbase’s help, as they had created a handout in a fictional language but had forgotten what the translation was. The post quickly blew up, hitting over 10k upvotes and 400 comments within the space of a day. It was quickly determined that the text was written in Falmeris, the language used by the Falmer race from The Elder Scrolls series, which appeared in Skyrim. “This is the Falmer language from Skyrim, hard to fully decipher due to it being handwritten,” one user wrote, “However, i believe it says, “Find the one who made you forget me, hear no soul.” “Let me guess, you know exactly what it says, you’re just testing it out on a group of guinea pigs to see how well others can decipher it to determine how much difficulty your party will have huh? haha,” one user joked, prompting the OP to respond with, “You give me far too much credit.” Some people joked that the post had ulterior motives, “Imagine how funny it would be if it turns out this isn’t the DM. It’s one of the players trying to figure out what their DM gave them. Not saying it is what is happening here, but it would make sense and be hilarious.” D&D puzzles involving ciphers and codes are fairly common in the official campaigns, including the pre-5e ones. Sometimes, it’s best just to take one of them and use it in your adventure rather than going through the effort of creating a puzzle yourself, especially if you’re unsure if you’ll remember the solution later.

D&D MMORPG Neverwinter announced Module 25 part 2 Cryptic StudiosNeverwinter fans will conclude the story started in Northdark Reaches in the second part of Module 25 – Menzoberranzan. The update comes with new content, performance improvements, and new cross-gen multiplayer compatibility. Fans of the D&D-inspired MMORPG Neverwinter have been busy exploring the Underdark in Module 25, Northdark Reaches. The module, which was written in collaboration with D&D authors R.A. Salvatore and Gena Salvatore, brings some of the best aspects of the Underdark seen in the Drizzt novels. Soon, players can discover the conclusion in Part 2, Menzoberranzan. According to Cryptic Studios, the Neverwinter update will release for PC and consoles March 28, 2023. D&D fans will be able to explore the city of Menzoberranzan for the first time, the home of Drizzt Do’Urden. The update will also include an FPS boost and auto HDR support to provide faster loading times and better overall performance. Additionally, new cross-gen multiplayer support will link Xbox X|S players with Xbox One Party members, improving overall co-op playability. Neverwinter players can challenge Beholder diety Gzemnid In an attempt to prevent civil war, Neverwinter players will find themselves in the new Adventure Zone Menzoberranzan. The city is filled with dangers, including assassins and Drow patrols. Battles will offer a range of rewards, incentivizing those brave enough to explore the streets with spoils. Additionally, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the D&D MMORPG, players will find other challenges waiting for them, including the ability to battle Beholder diety Gzemnid for rare rewards. This will be a challenge for even the most skilled Neverwinter players, and an excellent test for those who have been building up their character. With so many exciting new trails and D&D locations to explore, Module 25’s epic conclusion will be the perfect way for solo players or parties of adventurers to dive deep into compelling narrative challenges found within the Underdark.

D&D: Path of the Giant “easily the most fun” Barbarian so far Wizards of the CoastA new giant-themed Barbarian subclass is earning rave reviews, and players are hoping it’s a sign of things to come for martial classes. Giant power isn’t just for Goliaths and Rune Knights any more. The release of Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants has brought with it an incredible new Barbarian subclass, which many players are saying is among the best in 5e. With powerful ranged options – a rarity for Barbarians – and the ability to grow to an intimidating size, the Path of the Giant has revitalized community interest in the Barbarian. The class has always been popular in 5e, but its exceptionally streamlined nature can be both a blessing and a curse. Fans are hoping that powerful new options like the Path of the Giant herald an across-the-board power increase in D&D’s 2024’s One D&D update. Baldur’s Gate 3 has caused interest in D&D’s Barbarian to spike Many D&D players relish the chance to rage out and break stuff with the Barbarian, but equally many may find its overt simplicity offputting. Thankfully, Barbarians couldn’t have asked for a better advocate than Baldur’s Gate 3. Anyone that fell in love with Karlach’s abilities (or just with Karlach herself) will have learned that being a Barbarian doesn’t mean losing out on character nuance. And as things stand, the Path of the Giant Barbarian’s throwing abilities bear more than a little resemblance to the BG3’s version of Berserker and its Enraged Throw skill. The Path of the Giant may have arrived at the perfect time to boost players’ enthusiasm for martial classes as D&D gears up for its major new update. D&d 5e Players react to the Path of the Giant Barbarian During the playtesting phase of the Path of the Giant, Reddit user Several_Resolve_5754’s early reaction to the class was that ‘this is the most fun I’ve seen a barbarian be(…) and anyone can benefit from this versatile and profoundly fun subclass’. The post highlights the strength and unusual options afforded by the subclass, and comments were similarly positive. And on full release in the Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants sourcebook, it appears that the class hasn’t lost any steam. Reddit user mastersmash56 commented on the full release ‘I think this is easily the most fun and probably the best barb subclass now available’. Players have been raving about the Path of the Giant since its Unearthed Arcana playtesting days, and it’s gratifying to see the class release in full more or less unaltered. But despite the positive reaction to the Path of the Giant, there are some concerns among the community that this kind of power is not being taken forward substantially into the One D&D playtests. Martial classes can be seen as limited in 5e Linear design and limited mechanics have long plagued martial classes in D&D Fifth Edition. The ‘martial-caster gap’ is a popular community viewpoint; a perceived disparity between martial classes and spellcasters, with spellcasters being afforded extra power and options. The initial playtest for 5e offered more complexity for martials – with resources and maneuvers that eventually became a signature of the Battlemaster instead of the norm – but eventually simplicity was prioritized. The Weapon Master feature is One D&D’s biggest swing towards away from martial simplicity, adding new gameplay choices for Barbarians, Fighters, and more, gifting characters with different abilities depending on the weapon they are currently wielding. Hopefully Weapon Mastery and new toolkits like the Path of the Giant are an encouraging sign that martials will continue to be granted increases in power and flexibility. Though the playtests have shown a few concrete improvements, it appears as though martial class design in D&D’s next edition could still be hewing closer to 5e than some players would prefer. Still, the Path of the Giant is an encouraging sign that WOTC are willing to bring new ideas into the design space and create powerful, varied new subclass options without fear of overtuning.

D&D Lego sets will let players build a 3D map to use during campaign sessions Wizards of the Coast/LegoDungeons & Dragons will bring gameplay to a new level thanks to a magnificent 3D D&D x LEGO concept that can double as a map for campaign sessions. Dungeons & Dragons players are always looking for the next great adventure. Whether this takes them into the heart of Faerun or drags them through different planes of existence, there are always monsters to battle, NPCs to meet, and mysteries to solve. Because of this, most seasoned D&D players often like a detailed and well-thought-out map. The creation of good maps can take many forms. Players battling monsters together in person may choose to use the elaborate maps and miniatures that have been around since the game’s inception, while others playing online can build maps using a variety of digital resources. However, an upcoming LEGO kit takes in-person, 3D maps to the next level, giving players a setting that is entirely built of classic LEGO pieces. This D&D map is unlike any other style of tabletop gaming and is likely to be a great asset to any adventurer’s arsenal. D&D x LEGO set brings the Dragon’s Keep: Journey’s End to life As found on the LEGO IDEAS website, the D&D-inspired set will contain 3,000 pieces when it releases, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the tabletop series. The set will boast changeable doors, a Witches Tower, a Tavern, a Dungeon, and a Crypt to explore. Players will also be able to assemble a Green Dragon, and flesh out the map with other iconic D&D monsters like The Beholder. The set will include LEGO figures for different classes, allowing fans to use the brick characters instead of miniatures while utilizing the set. Currently, it isn’t known when the set will become available, but it has been confirmed that Dragon’s Keep: Journey’s End will be an official part of expanded D&D merchandise. Because of this, fans will want to keep an eye out on both the LEGO blog and the Wizards of the Coast social media accounts for any new information.

D&D lead designer squashes hopes that new rulebook is coming soon Wizards of the CoastThe lead designer of the next D&D Player’s Handbook had denied that it will be released in May, despite the company accidentally revealing the release date in the past. Dungeons & Dragons 5E is set to receive three new rulebooks as part of the game’s 50th anniversary, which means a new Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual are all being developed. To create these books, Wizards of the Coast has been releasing free playtesting documents featuring snippets of the new rules, allowing fans to share their opinions about what will be added to the game and what needs to be cut. It was revealed in artwork shown at PAX Unplugged that the next D&D Player’s Handbook is launching in May 2024. Unfortunately, it seems that the release date won’t be met, and the wait for the new core rulebooks is longer than anyone realized. D&D 5E’s next Player’s Handbook isn’t coming out in May In a video on the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel, lead designer Jeremy Crawford has squashed the rumors of the May 2024 launch, stating that the release date was a surprise to him when he learned it. Crawford also mentioned that they’ll still be working on the new Player’s Handbook in May, suggesting it won’t be released until the end of 2024. This also means the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Monster Manual could be pushed back to 2025. On the plus side, Crawford revealed that the most recent Unearthed Arcana playtesting document (which will be the last for the Player’s Handbook) received some of the most positive fan feedback so far, with players loving the new versions of the Barbarian, Druid, and Monk. Crawford also confirmed that the artwork shown during PAX of the Dwarven Fighter won’t be the cover art for the new Player’s Handbook. Instead, this artwork will be used in the Fighter section. It’s a shame that the new Player’s Handbook likely won’t launch until the end of the year, but the rules should be as refined as possible going in, as fans don’t want to suffer through another decade of bad Rangers or underpowered summoning spells.

D&D healers receive game-changing buff in playtest 8 WOTCHealing spells are being improved across the board, which could fundamentally change the way D&D is currently played. It’s something of an open secret that healing isn’t as powerful in D&D 5e as it should be. While healers are still a part of the core RPG class dynamic, players in 5e have long favored control and damage mitigation over the somewhat lackluster healing spells the game has on offer. Now, healing may be about to get a serious boost in 5e, thanks to the next edition player’s handbook playtests. Healers don’t have enough powerful options in D&D 5e While the Cleric is known for filling the classic healer role in D&D, Bards, Druids, and more all have access to options for healing. Sadly, outside of specific subclasses like Life and Grave clerics that receive boosts to their healing capacity, dealing with monsters and ending the fight quicker is often the optimal method of damage reduction. While D&D 5e has a number of healing spells available for some of its spellcasting classes, the amount of health regained often pales in comparison to the damage that monsters can dish out. This has led to a practice known as yo-yo healing, where it’s more advantageous to let a character drop to zero HP before bringing them back up, rather than wasting resources early to keep them in the fight for slightly longer. D&D’s new playtests feature improved healing spells The Player’s Handbook playtest 8 is the latest playtest material accessible by players, and it features a significant boost to healers’ toolkits. With the new playtest’s changes, many of the game’s basic healing spells – including Cure Wounds and Healing Word, are rolling an improved number of dice at their base level and are still capable of being upcast. This change to healing is already going over well with players and could be good for party dynamics moving forward. As Reddit user miber3 states: ‘I like when my players use teamwork and play selflessly, and healing is a great example of that, so I’m happy to see that rewarded a bit more.’ As we draw closer to the full revision of D&D 5e’s rules in 2024, the more likely it is that changes like this will go to print unchanged. With a little luck, healing classes will have a much better time of things in D&D’s 2024 update and beyond.

D&D issues updated statement following debunked AI rumors Wizards of the CoastDungeons & Dragons has doubled down on its artificial intelligence stance following disproven allegations that art used to promote the upcoming rules refresh was made with AI. Dungeons & Dragons has released an updated statement on AI. This comes after fans voiced concerns that artwork used to promote the upcoming rules revision was made using AI, prompting a response from the D&D team. It also follows an AI art controversy earlier this year that forced Wizards of the Coast to rework one of its 2023 releases, Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, just ahead of the book’s launch. Wizards of the Coast reiterates AI ban for artists & writers making D&D products In Wizards of the Coast’s revised statement, the company says “Our internal guidelines remain the same with regards to artificial intelligence tools: We require artists, writers, and creatives contributing to the D&D TTRPG to refrain from using AI generative tools to create final D&D products.” The revised statement comes a day after Wizards responded to allegations that artwork of a dwarf fighter revealed during PAX Unplugged earlier this month was made or enhanced with AI. In addition to Wizards’ denial, the artist who created the work in question debunked the claims. Responding to questions from ComicBook.com’s Christian Hoffer, artist Nestor Ossandón denied using AI and even shared sketches and drafts made while creating the artwork. Ossandón’s process pieces make it pretty clear he made the art himself, but concerns over AI art and its usage in gaming linger. This particular controversy mixes anger over AI art with the challenge of telling whether a particular piece is human or AI-made. It’s all made even more difficult by the fact that AI art detectors are often wrong – in a since-deleted post, one of those who originally questioned the artwork ran it through a tester that mistakenly determined it was AI. All of this is also happening in the shadow of major layoffs at Wizards of the Coast’s parent company Hasbro last week. These heavily impacted the D&D team, including artists, leading more to suspect Wizards is using AI to cut costs. If you enjoyed this, check out the rest of our Dungeons & Dragons coverage.

D&D fans deem January 19 OGL 1.2 draft unacceptable: “Still not good” Wizards of the Coast/HasbroThe Dungeons & Dragons world has been ablaze with controversy over Wizards of the Coast’s decision to release a new Open Game License (OGL), and they’ve labeled the January 19 version of the document unacceptable. The controversy around OGL 1.2 has continually rolled since the January 5 report that revealed much of the inner workings of the new document. After listening to player and creator feedback, WOTC announced they would be making revisions and that any new version of the OGL would come with an avenue for direct feedback. That new draft has arrived, but communal tension is still high, and many are still not on board. Wizards’ new OGL 1.2 update rejected by D&D fans There are several major changes in the updated version. First is that D&D’s “core mechanics” (as defined in the System Reference Document that serves as a companion to the OGL) are being released under Creative Commons. This means that Hasbro and WOTC would no longer have any direct authority over how those rules are used in the future, and since fan creation is its own community within the game, this is a major step for the franchise as a whole. While that part of the update has scored big across the board, there are still concerns over other content moderation policies. In the new doc, which was released on Wizard’s-owned D&DBeyond, there is a section that reaffirms the current OGL being replaced in whole by version 1.2. This means that content that was originally licensed under the current agreement can stay in circulation, but that any new content will be subject to a fresh batch of restraints. “We can’t use the protective options in 1.2 if someone can just choose to publish harmful, discriminatory, or illegal content under 1.0a,” Executive Producer Kyle Brink stated. Fans are still wary of this language, as it’s later clearly stated that WOTC will have sole control over what meets those criteria. So, I tried to be receptive. But, no. — YoDanno #DragonlanceDragonlance (@YoDanno) January 19, 2023 You claim you need to deauthorize OGL 1.0a so you can add your new ‘protective’ clause. It’s not protective. What it does do is give you the sole right to decide what gets to be published based on arbitrary ideas. pic.twitter.com/FwqZHB5eUK “It’s not protective,” one disgruntled fan claimed. “What it does do is give you the sole right to decide what gets to be published based on arbitrary ideas.” Another commenter called this portion “ripe for misuse” and raised concerns over who gets to play “moral arbiter” in the future. Other fans are fighting back against the idea that the current version needs to change at all, with more than one calling the whole situation “pointless” or “greedy”. As promised, WOTC has opened a survey to assess feedback on the situation, and if the Twitter conversation is anything to judge by then further adjustments may be in store.

D&D DMs will be really happy if you do these key things Wizards of the CoastDungeons & Dragons DMs have revealed the things they wish players understood about what they do, which turned into what they want players to do make their lives easier. Being a D&D DM is considerably more difficult than being a player. It’s no coincidence that many who step behind the DM screen don’t last for long, with the “Forever DMs” left to their fate as the eternal storyteller. There are some things that players can do to make it easier for their DMs, as outlined in a thread on the DnD Reddit, which originally asked what struggles DMs wished players understood during their games. “Learn your character’s abilities and the rules that govern them! Please!” one user wrote, while another said, “Take notes, I am begging you. It doesn’t need to be a book report but if I have to recap the vision you had six months ago for the twentieth time I’ll just choose violence instead…” “Just tell me the thing you’re trying to do, whether it’s an unorthodox move in combat or forming a pirate crew,” another user said, “Too many players feel like they have to spring their big idea on the dm/party for some reason and waste a lot of time and effort when they could just say “I want to pole vault up to the dragon, how would that work?” One user said the one that all DMs are thinking. “That if you just let me finish describing what I’m describing… you might not actually need to ask those 10 clarifying questions you have.” “Setbacks are a part of every good story,” another user said, “Don’t take them personally and instead think of what a character in a book or movie would do when faced with such a setback. Complain about the situation in character, have yourself a meta chuckle, whatever. But don’t be a downer because you’re playing with dice that are random and not 100% in your favor.” Another DM wrote, “Natural 20s are for combat only. “I mentioned it in Session Zero, I have it in the Discord rules, I have it taped to the DM Screen, and I am not changing it. Every D&D game is different, as are the expectations of each DM and player. Not all players have the time to learn the rules verbatim or to craft compelling narratives that merge with the campaign’s storyline. That being said, there are still basic courtesies players can respect, making the game better for everyone. Whether it be learning how their character’s abilities work, preparing for their next action, or just knowing that D&D at its best is an ensemble piece.

D&D Dragonlance: Shadow of The Dragon Queen hits historic low in Amazon Cyber Monday deal Dexerto/WOTCGrab this engaging D&D 5e adventure now and experience the war-ravaged land of Krynn for yourself. Dragonlance is a legendary fantasy setting, and its return in D&D’s fifth edition is something to be celebrated. Dragonlance: Shadow of The Dragon Queen has a lot to live up to, and it succeeds in delivering a dark, action-packed campaign in an updated version of this beloved world. This Deluxe Edition of Shadow of The Dragon Queen not only comes with a full adventure and lavishly designed DM screen, but it also includes the Warriors of Krynn board game. This can significantly add to the Shadow of the Dragon Queen experience by tying into important campaign moments, or be played as a full and engaging game in its own right. Shadow of The Dragon Queen Deluxe Edition is currently 30% off at Amazon, an incredible deal that is also the lowest the site has ever offered this product. Take the chance to grab this special edition of one of D&D 5e’s biggest recent successes. Whether adding to your collection or starting a fresh D&D experience, you can’t go wrong with this adventure. Dragonlance: Shadow of The Dragon Queen is one of the most engaging sourcebooks in recent D&D memory. While other 5e releases like Spelljammer could be said to be somewhat scattershot, the Dragonlance sourcebook hones in on a brilliant setting and dark, specific storytelling. A Shadow of The Dragon Queen campaign may play out very differently to regular D&D 5e adventures and is all the better for it. This deep into D&D 5e’s lifespan, finding an adventure that stands apart from the pack and confidently does its own thing makes Shadow of The Dragon Queen well worthy of recommendation. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D DMs want to use these homebrew rules that’ll never fly with players Wizards of the CoastDungeons & Dragons 5e players and DMs love making homebrew rules, but some groups just won’t use them, either because they’re too annoying or they break the game’s balance. D&D 5e chronicles all of its rules across different sourcebooks, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a group that follows them to the letter. It’s much more common for D&D groups to change the rules to their liking, which is encouraged by the developers. There are some rules that DMs or players want to use, but they know they’ll be shot down by the others in the group. These have been discussed in a thread on the DnD Reddit, where the strange and powerful rules are explained. “For example. I think it would be funny to not let people bring their own notebooks,” the OP wrote, “Notebooks are handed out based on intelligence. 16 gets a small notebook, 13 gets a small legal pad, 10 gets two sheets of paper, Barbarians at 8 get a coloring book and two broken crayons :P” “I’ve never quite liked how encumbrance and inventory space works in dnd. In my group we’ve been trying to adopt a grid-based inventory space, kinda like Path of Exile or the old Diablo games,” one user wrote, “It comes with a little bag sheet that has a grid of varying sizes depending on the container, and little item cards in different blocky shapes you can try and fit in your inventory.” “Up to triple advantage and disadvantage,” one fan wrote, while another said, “Base PHB races only. Starting to get sick of everyone wanting to play as bugbears and satyrs etc. But I don’t want to be a fun ruining curmudgeon, so I just let the players have fun lol.” “I suggested one for my campaigns but my players refused,” one DM wrote, “It was a change for checks, when someone helped you you would add their modifier as well instead of getting advantage.” “So if my wizard with +3 in int did a history check and was helped by my +4 int artificer, the check would have been 1d20+3+4 and who helped would have had an impact, I mean, why would a barb with -1 int help? And why would it be as good as an artificer with +4?” New D&D 5e core rulebooks are launching in 2024, so the rules are due for an overhaul. There’s always a chance that your unpopular homebrew will become canon, but we doubt notebooks based on Intelligence or Resident Evil-style inventory puzzles will make the cut, so homebrew they’ll stay.

D&D designer says upcoming rules revision will let WOTC revisit classic settings Wizards of the CoastIn an interview, Dungeons & Dragons lead rules designer Jeremy Crawford explained how the rules revision releasing next year will allow Wizards of the Coast to revisit popular campaign settings like Planescape and Dragonlance. Between a successful film adaptation and the release of Baldur’s Gate 3, Dungeons & Dragons is having a huge year. That’s set to continue for the tabletop RPG with new releases such as Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants and Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse. The latter is a three-book set that brings back a classic campaign setting introduced in Second Edition. Planescape joins settings like Ravenloft, Dragonlance, and Spelljammer that made their grand returns in Fifth Edition, though they have not been expanded upon since. In a recent interview with ComicBook.com, D&D lead rules designer Jeremy Crawford revealed Wizards of the Coast would like to return to these settings in the future. He also noted that the rule revision coming next year will help make that happen. Jeremy Crawford says D&D Fifth Edition’s setting revivals aren’t “one-shots” After noting that the setting books are among the most popular with players, Crawford discussed how they enhance the Dungeons & Dragons experience. In addition to being a vehicle for telling fantasy stories, “They highlight that D&D can be gothic horror. D&D can be fantasy in space. D&D can be trippy adventures in the afterlife, in terms of Planescape.” According to Crawford, next year’s long-awaited rules revision, currently being playtested under the name One D&D, will let the designers further expand these campaign settings. As he put it, “It means we can just keep journeying in the multiverse. Rather than sort of having to reset the clock, [the rules revisions] means then we can return and do different things the next time we visit a setting, look at it through a different angle, explore different parts of the setting, dig deeper in certain areas than we did before.” This approach makes a lot of sense. Rather than being a brand-new Sixth Edition, the upcoming rules revision is compatible with 5e and all of its existing content. This means a new book for, say, Ravenloft could explore a different aspect of the gothic horror world that draw from different inspirations, rather than having to reintroduce the setting from scratch. While the Forgotten Realms will always have a place in most D&D players’ hearts (and campaigns), revisiting settings like Ravenloft, Spelljammer, and Eberron opens up the kinds of distinct storytelling possibilities that make D&D the iconic role-playing game it is.

D&D DM goes above and beyond by adding fire to the table in dramatic boss reveal Wizards of the CoastWhat’s scarier than a Fireball spell? How about actually setting part of your D&D gaming table on fire, which happened amid a dramatic boss reveal in one group? It’s common for D&D groups to use minis to represent the party members and the monsters. Some people use props for items that are found in dungeons, such as potion bottles or maps. It’s rare for groups to use special effects with their D&D props unless they’re LARPing. While it’s not completely unheard of, it depends on what kind of effect you want to use in a room in your home, as you don’t want to damage property. One DM took the extra step with an awesome display using flash paper, which was set aflame during a D&D game, revealing the boss mini underneath. A video of the blazing intro was uploaded to the DnD Reddit by Adzyrl. The reveal didn’t totally go as planned, however, as the boss mini also went up in flames, as can be seen near the end of the clip. (The boss in question was intended to be a corrupted version of Poseidon that used a Marid figure, so it’s ironic that it got burned, considering how they’re both closely associated with water.) Luckily, the party loved the reveal – as did the commentators online – which is all that matters as long as no one’s house gets burned down. Buying expensive minis, making dioramas, mixing liquids in potion bottles, spilling tea to make paper look old, and putting on silly hats when playing certain characters are all unnecessary for playing D&D. All you need for D&D is pencil, paper, dice, and your imagination. DMs put in the extra work because of the happy look players get when the game takes on that extra semblance of realism. Their imagination can take a backseat to the piece of fantasy that has become a reality. I, personally, wouldn’t set part of my home on fire to get a reaction from my D&D group, but I can see the appeal.

D&D creatures that can’t appear in Pathfinder & why WOTCSome of D&D’s most famous beasties are sadly banned from appearing in Pathfinder, and we’ll cover both which and why. Pathfinder’s first edition began life as a direct alternative to D&D, covering similar narrative space but with its own mechanical and roleplay direction, following a polarised reaction to D&D’s fourth edition. Pathfinder owes a lot to D&D, but for the most part, the two games have been able to happily co-exist, sharing elements like class types and monster design. Despite this, some specific overlaps between D&D and Pathfinder are strictly forbidden. Certain iconic D&D monsters are closely tied to D&D and owned as Wizards of the Coast’s IP, and their inclusion in Pathfinder would cause far too much of a legal headache. This is sad news for Pathfinder players hoping to encounter some iconic monsters, but nothing a clever DM can’t work around. We’ll walk you through the most famous and popular D&D monsters that cannot be officially included in Pathfinder, though homebrew games are another matter entirely… D&D monsters banned in Pathfinder Beholder Arguably D&D’s most iconic monster, the Beholder has served as a symbol of the game for years, recently gracing 5e’s Monster Manual. Out of any D&D creature to be forbidden from Pathfinder use, it’s understandable that this many-eyed mascot wouldn’t make the cut. The Gauth is a subset of Beholderkin that is also owned by Wizards and cannot be officially transferred into Pathfinder. These flying foes may be smaller than regular Beholders, but their greed is no less great. Carrion Crawler A real horror of a creature, squeamish Pathfinder players may honestly be glad to not have to encounter the Carrion Crawler. Giant worm-like beasts that strip the dead of flesh and tunnel on in search of their next meal, D&D players may come to dread the stench of death that warns of a Carrion Crawler’s arrival. Pathfinder has no shortage of unsettling creatures to combat, but this one remains solely within D&D’s wheelhouse. Displacer beast A deadly hunter with illusionary properties. It can be extremely difficult to know exactly where a Displacer Beast is before it strikes, thanks to illusions that obfuscate the beast’s position until it is successfully hit. These creatures resemble panthers with protruding, sharp-padded tentacles spilling from their backs. As one of D&D’s most imaginative creature designs, Displacer beasts have remained fan-favorite creatures in the years since they debuted. Mind Flayers Rivaling Beholders in D&D’s cultural cachet these days, thanks to both Stranger Things enduring popularity and the soaring success of Baldur’s Gate 3. These empire-building, psionic squid monsters have captured players’ minds both figuratively and literally for decades now. With BG3 continuing to hit big, Wizards will be looking to keep exclusivity of Mind Flayers for quite some time now, and we’d be surprised if the game is the last we see of these freaky creatures outside of D&D. Githyanki/Githzerai In a further blow to Baldur’s Gate 3 players, the Gith are unable to feature in Pathfinder. While these astral wanderers are somewhat niche in regular D&D settings, their pivotal role in BG3 has catapulted them into instant popularity. Their skills and fierceness can make Gith stand out from the pack. Gith lore is so tied to Mind Flayers that it doesn’t make much sense to include one without the other, and DMs looking to port either of these creatures over should keep that in mind. Kuo-Toa While they are among the least broadly known monsters on this list, Kuo-toa still cannot be used in official Pathfinder products. Their status as flimsy fish-folk makes them easily replaceable by many small-stakes Pathfinder creatures, but Kuo-Toa lore is a sad loss for Pathfinder. The power of these creatures’ belief is so strong that they can create and manifest their own gods, albeit often half-formed gods of no real power. Slaad One of the deadlier threats that a player can face in D&D, an encounter with a Slaad can leave even the toughest hero potentially infected with a soon-to-be-deadly spawn. Thankfully, Pathfinder players won’t be missing out on much thanks to Slaads’ lack of inclusion in the game. This isn’t to say that these frog-like beasts aren’t memorable threats, far from it. But their ties to chaos and specifically the plane of Limbo mean that players are unlikely to encounter Slaads in most games that lack a plane-hopping element. If the time comes to dive into planar chaos, Pathfinder DMs should be able to whip up a suitable replacement. Umber Hulk Insectoid burrowing creatures that can ambush players foolhardy enough to venture into the Underdark, Umber Hulks are specific enough to warrant Wizards keeping the rights close to the chest, but generic enough that Pathfinder GMs can whip up a replacement without too much trouble. Umber Hulks’ most memorable attribute is their confusion-granting gaze, leaving many PCs and NPCs unable to remember a scrap with these beasts. This can potentially serve as a great story hook, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be attached to these specific creatures. Yuan-ti Another sad loss for official Pathfinder material, both on the players’ and monsters’ side. Yuan-ti are snakelike people who can vary in their serpentine and human attributes. Serving as either potential foes or options for PC races in D&D, Pathfinder players must make do with snake-folk equivalents. Homebrewing D&D monsters for Pathfinder While these iconic D&D monsters are unfortunately unable to be used in official Pathfinder products, that’s not to say that crafty DMs can’t find a way to include them in home games regardless. There’s nothing stopping playgroups that have a shared love of Pathfinder and D&D from simply including these creatures in Pathfinder stories, though they may take a little extra homebrewing work to transfer their mechanics and abilities over. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D Beyond announces incoming crash fix following February 2 outages Wizards of the Coast/HasbroD&D Beyond is the game’s premier online character creator and campaign management system and it’s undergoing some major crashes only a week after settling OGL 1.2 controversy. Wizards of the Coast temporarily closed the door on the uproar regarding the arrival of a new Open Game License for Dungeons & Dragons. Fans fought back against the idea and the developers backed off of changing the current licensing agreement. Throughout the debacle, the WoTC team announced that D&D Beyond would be the place where they draw feedback over any future changes but now the site has been suffering near-constant crashes since the night of February 2. D&D Beyond announces fix for sustained site crashes The site’s social media team announced that crashes are still ongoing as of February 4 and that any players hoping to access their character sheets in the coming days may need to save them to a PDF to avoid interruption. “We are aware of ongoing issues with accessing character sheets. While our teams implement a fix you may see sporadic interruptions,” they warned. When attempting to access the site, things may hold up for a few minutes at a time, but players will inevitably be met with a backend error eventually, with the API seemingly at fault. “Whoops! We rolled a 1 on our API check. We’re heading into town to visit the blacksmith for repairs. Try again after a Short Rest,” a warning from the site reads. Previously, the brand’s Twitter account had acknowledged the problem but didn’t have a timeline for a fix. “The team is currently working on a solution for this issue, and we will be sure to update you once those issues have been resolved. Thank you very much for your patience!” This is a big deal as Dungeons & Dragons has become an online phenomenon over the last five years. Thousands of players rely on the site, not only to access their individual characters but also for the paid source materials (such as campaign settings and adventures) that are hosted on their accounts.

D&D content creators outraged over licensing changes, demand the game remain “open” Wizards of the Coast/HasbroD&D content creators are furious over alleged changes coming to the beloved tabletop game’s Open Game License, which allows third-party creators to create and sell their own supplemental products. The Dungeons & Dragons community is more expansive than ever in 2023, and that’s why a potential change in the game’s real-life economy has sparked real concern from those who make a living off of it. While Hasbro, through Wizards of the Coast, regularly creates new additions to the game, the current license (OGL) allows for creative gamemasters and players to dream up their own additions to the existing system and sell them. These third-party products were formerly protected under the original OGL, but the new system is far more restrictive. D&D content creators band together to “keep D&D open” amid licensing changes At its core, the Open Game License, released with Dungeons & Dragons 3.0, grants permission for both amateurs and professionals to release content containing the game’s unique mechanics and systems. Most of the current version explains that these items, which together make up what is called the System Reference Document (or SRD), are perpetually protected as long as the involved parties abide by the terms of the license. According to Gizmodo’s Linda Codega, the new D&D license (OGL 1.1) will take aim at controlling what kinds of content can be distributed, and has a major focus on making creators report their published works directly to WotC prior to release. “It addresses new technologies like blockchain and NFTs, and takes a strong stance against bigoted content, explicitly stating the company may terminate the agreement if third-party creators publish material that is “blatantly racist, sexist, homophobic, trans-phobic, bigoted or otherwise discriminatory,” they wrote. Another major change is the introduction of a tiered system which would see creators of different sizes being required to pay back more to Wizards depending on how much money they earned off materials referenced in the SRD. In the version of the document obtained by Codega, only publishers who make over $750,000 will be required to pay royalties, and even then, it will only be on the amount made after that benchmark. Still, these changes have drawn the anger of fans and creators alike. “The thing is, even if WotC drops OGL 1.1 completely we all know now how badly they tried to screw over the community of 3rd party creators that have allowed their game to flourish,” Game Designer Benjamin Huffman said. “We know they’d hurt all of us for the promise of miniscule gains.” Another fan kept the message much shorter, simply saying “Wizards of the Coast can eat dirt.” It’s important to note that the D&D team previously released a post claiming that “the OGL is not going away” several weeks prior to Codega’s report.

D&D Beyond Maps will be the best way to play online Wizards of the CoastDungeons & Dragons fans often joke that the hardest part of the game isn’t surviving battles against high-level monsters but aligning the schedules of different adults. Even Baldur’s Gate 3 joked about this in its epilogue. Distance also plays a huge factor in determining when a group can play, which is why many people use online tools to help them play tabletop RPGs. While anyone can put on a webcam and play D&D, it lacks the tactile experience of being around the table, where you can roll dice and push minis around a map. To this end, Wizards of the Coast is working on Maps for D&D Beyond. This is a service that lets a DM and multiple players use an interactive map that works in tandem with the character sheets & dice rolling of D&D Beyond to allow you to play online. While Maps is still in Alpha, Dexerto had a chance to try out the latest version of the software, using an adventure called “The Lost City.” This adventure is appearing in the Quests from the Infinite Staircase anthology, which will be released on July 16. The next two sections of the article will contain mild spoilers for parts of The Lost City adventure in Quests from the Infinite Staircase. Going grave robbing in The Lost City The basic setup for Maps is that each player is connected via their character sheet on D&D Beyond, where dice rolls can be done digitally and shown to everyone. The DM invites everyone into a Maps session, where players can put down their character tokens from a drop-down menu. For this adventure, we were already on the third level of The Lost City adventure, so we had been dropped into a room in the middle of a tomb. The players could only see the 3×3 squares room, which had a door and a few decorations, such as a multi-colored coffin. The player can move their token at any time — it’s not restricted by the DM, nor is it locked to the “grid” that makes up most D&D dungeons. This brings a surprising amount of character to online play, as character positioning can be important in a dungeon. Case in point, when I decided that my Rogue would open the multi-colored coffin, I moved my token next to it to demonstrate my action. Meanwhile, all the other players were quick to move their tokens to different sides of the room, on the off-chance that something nasty was inside. That way, it would just be my character taking the hit. Once we were ready to leave, we opened the door and found a corridor beyond. We peeked out, giving the DM a chance to rub away the fog of war using an eraser that’s oddly satisfying in a way only PowerWash Simulator fans can appreciate. This method means the DM can only remove relevant pieces rather than dropping whole rooms onto the map. Adventuring tools of the trade As we explored the tomb, we eventually ran into trouble: a group of skeletons that didn’t like people entering their homes unannounced. The DM had already set the five skeletons on the map and was able to turn them visible when they appeared. When combat begins, that’s when rules come into effect, and things like distance start to matter. In Maps, there’s a Ruler on the sidebar which you can use to measure distance. This is the ideal way to determine things like movement and reach, especially as it doesn’t need to strictly be locked to a grid. If you’re unsure if your character can run to a specific spot with their current Speed, the Ruler tells you the distance. D&D players need more than a single line when it comes to measuring distance. Anyone who has played a spellcaster knows how annoying it can be to work out AoE for spells like Shatter, Fireball, Cone of Cold, or Wall of Fire. This is also true for DMs, who often need to work out things like breath attacks for dragons. Along with the Ruler option, Maps has a feature that works out AoE patterns, showing them on the screen for everyone to see. In our case, we ran into an Ankheg, which has an Acid Spray attack in a 30 x 5 line. The DM was able to drag and drop this effect, showing which players were hit by the attack. There are also different overlays available, such as red squares and circles, which can used to show temporary effects that don’t appear on the original map. Let’s say the players set fire to a building (as they often do); you can put a red overlay on the map to show the fire growing each round. Death to cartography One of the most unpleasant tasks a group can force on a player is the mapmaker. Sure, some people excel at it and love keeping track of the dungeon, but plenty of others hate it, and if a player is nominated for that role, then it will affect their experience, as they have to draw while they play. With Maps, not only is the actual map unfolding before you, but players can add their own touches to it. There’s an option that lets a player Ping a location, causing a red flash to appear where they’ve clicked, like a multiplayer video game. This means if they’re talking about going to a specific room, they can drop a Ping and show everyone where they’re talking about. Not only that, but there’s a line Ping that lets you draw a route on a map, which appears as a glowing red line. This can be used to demonstrate a route. We used this several times in The Lost City, as our dungeon was a labyrinth. When I needed to suggest a specific path through the catacombs, I could Ping a line to show everyone what I was thinking of. The DM can also make use of these highlighting tools to quickly demonstrate areas of interest to the player. A top-down map doesn’t always represent everything that an adventuring party would notice, so the DM can outline anything important. Players can also leave permanent markers on a map with the drawing function. This allows you to draw notes on the map using your mouse pointer or touch screen. With this function, you can leave easy visual reminders in dungeons with lots of rooms. That being said, it can be harder to use if you’re on a laptop trackpad. In our playthrough, we were only shown part of The Lost City, but we were reassured that DMs can input their own custom maps to be used with Maps. This is a vitally important feature for all of the homebrew DMs out in the world, so they’re not locked to the maps from the existing campaigns. Maps has opened a doorway to online D&D When it comes to D&D, I’m blessed to have local players who are willing to make the commute to my games. As such, I haven’t had much interest in online games, even during lockdown, as it’s always felt “off” to me. Playing with the Alpha version of Maps was an eye-opener for me. When these features are combined with D&D Beyond’s character sheets, they made for the experience that was closest to actually being on a tabletop. The Alpha version of Maps is currently only available for Master tier subscribers of D&D Beyond. The full version lacks a release window and likely won’t be out for the launch of the new 2024 Player’s Handbook. Regardless, subscribers can still access the current iteration of Maps, with new features being rolled out over time. When Maps does make its final release, then it will be my go-to for online D&D. While it might never match the feel of tabletop play, it’s as strong a substitute as I’ve played so far.

D&D Beyond adds Critical Role sourcebook in a first for the game Critical RoleThe Darrington Press-published sourcebook Tal’dorei Campaign Setting Reborn has been released on D&D Beyond, marking the first time Wizards of the Coast’s platform has added third-party content. The widely-used official Dungeons & Dragons digital platform D&D Beyond just got a little bit bigger with one surprising addition. The Critical Role sourcebook Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn has just joined the platform. Released in January 2022, the book includes plenty of content for those who want to play their games in the series’ world of Exandria, including new subclasses, items, and monsters. What’s most notable about this release, though, is that the book was published by Critical Role’s own Darrington Press, making this the first time third-party content has ever been made available on D&D Beyond. Tal’dorei Campaign Setting Reborn is the first non-WOTC book on D&D Beyond Over the years, Critical Role and Wizards of the Coast have released several official books for players to use in their campaigns. The Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount was released in 2020 and saw setting creator Matt Mercer collaborating with the D&D team. This was followed by an adventure module in 2022, Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep. However, while the popular series and owners of D&D have collaborated before, Tal’dorei Campaign Setting Reborn was not one of those projects. The original Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting was published in 2017 by Green Ronin Publishing. It received an overhaul last year that added even more content for fans to enjoy, including elements introduced after the initial publishing. Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn joining D&D Beyond means users will be able to purchase the book on the platform and use content from the book for things like the character creator and encounter creator. The Critical Role book is listed on D&D Beyond with a pink d20 icon noting it as a third-party product. Its release opens up the possibility of more non-Wizards of the Coast-published content making its way to the site. Still, this could be a one-off. Critical Role is by far the best-known D&D-related property outside of the game itself. It also has a long history with D&D Beyond given that it’s a sponsor of the show. Fans certainly shouldn’t hold their breath for, say, a Dimension 20 book making its way to D&D Beyond, but the door for such a thing has certainly been opened just a crack. For now, users can enjoy the Tal’Dorei book along with the newly-released Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, which includes what fans are calling one of the best subclasses yet. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D Beyond makes major character builder change that players hate Wizards of the CoastD&D Beyond has announced plans to remove the 2014 versions of spells and magic items and replace them with the new versions from the revised Core Rulebooks, sparking an outcry from frustrated users. On the site’s changelog, Wizards of the Coast detailed how D&D Beyond’s digital tools will adjust following the release of Dungeons & Dragons‘ new Core Rulebooks, which will release between September 2024 and February 2025. While much of the existing content like races (now called species), classes, and subclasses will remain intact and available in the character builder with an added Legacy tag, all spells and magic items will be removed and replaced with their 2024 equivalents. The announcement has users furious, with many viewing it as a shift away from WOTC’s promise that the rules revision will be fully backward compatible with existing Fifth Edition content. In a Reddit thread with over a thousand comments as of this writing, players expressed their frustration and concerns that this is only the beginning of older content being sunsetted. “This is such a pain in the ass for everyone who is in the middle of a campaign right now,” said one commenter. “Why would they not just make a legacy section like they’re doing literally everything else,” asked another. “Expect for bit by bit, those legacy things to be slowly removed,” one Redditor theorized. Many have also said they have canceled or plan to cancel their subscriptions in light of the announcement. Others hope fan pressure will convince WOTC to walk back the change as they did amid the OGL controversy in early 2023. D&D Beyond does explain that players can still use old versions of spells and magic items by creating a copy as homebrew content and adding it to their character sheets the way they would be any original creations. It’s also important to note that none of the old books are being removed from the site or people’s digital libraries. Players can still access the old content, but it won’t be available through the character builder without using the homebrew trick. Still, with more major changes promised, including a new virtual tabletop that lets players control Baldur’s Gate 3 characters, players are worried that D&D Beyond will force users to transition to the new rules as soon as they’re available.

D&D 5E’s worst rules prove we’re ready for a new edition Wizards of the CoastA new iteration of Dungeons & Dragons 5E is almost here and fans are roasting some of the most nonsensical rules that have plagued the game for the past decade. While D&D 5E might have some annoying rules oversights, it has to be said that it’s the best edition when it comes to game balance. It helps that the fanbase is a lot more connected to the creators than in the past, so any issues can be explored on social media within a matter of days. There are some silly mistakes in the D&D 5E rules, as pointed out by users on the DnD Reddit. The system particularly screws over cats, as many animals aren’t properly represented in the game. “A cat takes fall damage when falling from 10 feet or more, auto killing them,” one user wrote, referring to the low hit points cats possess. Another user pointed out, “Technically, because they are medium creatures, Centaurs can ride warhorses.” Elephants are excellent leapers in D&D rules, as one user pointed out. “Not only can they jump, but they are really good jumpers. A Web spell layered on the ground is 20ft long and 5ft tall. Not only can an elephant jump the 20ft necessary to clear the horizontal distance of the Web, it can also jump clean over the 5ft height due to a long jump clearing a height equal to 1/4 of the jump’s distance.” Those who want to play as Neo from The Matrix have the rules working against them. “Revolvers don’t have the light quality, giving them a penalty to dual wield. Hand crossbows, which require reloading between shots, can be easily dual-wielded. But the gun that reloads itself a limited number of times cannot be.” Another user responded, “I’ll do you one better. Despite being light, they cannot ordinarily be dual-wielded with because the ammunition property specifies having a free hand.” The infamous gun-wielding hippopotamus humanoid race from the Spelljammer campaign setting also made it on the list, as one user pointed out: “The giff race has a swim speed, but hippos can’t swim.” The upcoming D&D Player’s Handbook will overhaul many of the character rules, such as improving the classes and adding new spells to the game. It’s unclear whether cats and guns will finally be given their due, but we won’t have long to find out, as it launches on September 17, 2024.

D&D 5e’s most unlikely class is a better thief than the Rogue Wizards of the CoastDungeons & Dragons 5e has a class dedicated to thievery, yet it’s outdone by an unlikely spellcaster with an even less likely reason to become a burglar. D&D 5e’s Rogue class is one of the most popular in the game, thanks to its extensive skillset that can be used outside of combat, as well as the deadly Sneak Attack feature, which lets them pile on a ridiculous amount of damage under the right circumstances. One problem with the Rogue (and its predecessor in older editions, the Thief) is that it can’t compete with magic. A D&D 5e Wizard with spells like Spider Climb, Invisibility, Silence, Knock, and Fly can do everything a stealth character can, but better. There’s another spellcaster in D&D 5e that can beat the Rogue at its own game though – the Druid. The Druid’s ability to transform into animals, some as small as a spider or a mouse, and their magic, makes them incredibly effective thieves. This was all discussed on a recent DnD thread discussing the surprising proficiency of the nature-based class. Wild Shape is the best tool in the stealth Druid’s arsenal, as the ability to turn into a small creature makes it easy to break into places and is unlikely to raise suspicion. Druids can also merge items into their humanoid form, so they don’t even need a sack with a dollar sign on it. Druids also have many spells that can help, notably Pass Without Trace, which adds a whopping +10 to Stealth checks and prevents you from leaving footprints. Druids who take the Circle of the Land subclass can bolster their arsenal even further, with Desert Druids gaining Silence, Grassland gaining Invisibility and Haste, and Mountain gaining Spider Climb and Meld into Stone. Magic can even help uncover traps, as Druids can cast Detect Magic, Detect Poison and Disease, and Find Traps. The only issue is being able to open locks, but this is where a character’s Background and Feats can come into play. There are several different ways to add Sleight of Hand and Stealth to a Druid’s skill list, putting them on par with a Rogue’s ability to spring locks and traps. The bigger problem is that Druids are the champions of nature in all of its forms and are unlikely to take up a life of petty crime. Also, if Druids did cause a crime wave, it wouldn’t be long until locals noticed and magical countermeasures were introduced. At least, that’s what I would do as a DM if the group decided to become literal cat burglars.

D&D 5e’s obscure enemy type can make anything dangerous Wizards of the CoastLow-level monsters can easily be steamrolled by a weak D&D party, but there’s a way to transform any encounter into a threat by using an obscure enemy type. Dungeons & Dragons 5e is an extremely well-balanced game, to the point where few classes or races could be described as “underpowered.” This means that even a level 1 group that’s poorly optimized still has a high chance of surviving traps and monsters of the intended Challenge Rating. The established low-level threats, such as skeletons, bandits, goblins, kobolds, zombies, and wolves, need to get lucky with their rolls or use the battlefield to their advantage to have a chance against a level 1 party. There’s a way to beef up all of these foes and make them terrifying, and it’s by applying a type from the Monster Manual that’s only used with a handful of creatures – swarms. Swarm monsters (such as the Swarm of Rats or Swarm of Poisonous Snakes) represent a lot of monsters in a single space. Not only can they hit hard, but they can inhabit the same space as a player (activating an Attack of Opportunity if they try to move), gaining a ton of resistance and condition immunities in the process. As discussed in a thread on the DnD Reddit, any monster in D&D 5e can be turned into a swarm. Want a swarm of werewolves, dragons, or tarrasques? Go for it. The idea is that the swarm takes a group of weaker monsters and turns them into a single boss monster. They make up for what they lose out on in action economy in strength and durability. Multiple swarms can also be used to replicate a mass battle, such as a riot in a city or a war. This prevents players from annihilating many enemies straight away with big AoE spells. Swarms are also good for replicating an undead apocalypse. While a few skeletons or zombies on their own don’t pose a threat (especially to a group with a Cleric or Paladin), a massive group with a single purpose will. The swarm rules help DMs freshen up overly familiar enemies and give experienced players a scare. A group might scoff at a group of zombies under regular circumstances, but they won’t be laughing when they rush like the fast zombies from 28 Days Later.

D&D 5e Wizard Guide: Best options for spellcasters Wizards of the CoastThere’s much more to being a Wizard than holding a staff and growing an impressive beard, and we’ll show you exactly what you need to get started in D&D 5e. Wizards are D&D’s premier arcane powerhouses, commanding the raw force of magic through knowledge and skill. Whichever school of magic you choose to master, playing a Wizard means having the options on hand to outthink and outmaneuver any obstacle. We’ll walk you through how to get the most out of playing a Wizard in D&D 5e. Best Race options for Wizards in D&D 5e. It should be noted that, with the release of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything (TCoE), Races are no longer tied to specific stat increases in the way they once were. Tasha’s flexible ability score rules can have any race grant bonuses to any ability score, allowing for much more variety in character concepts without sacrificing mechanical strength. But for any players making use of the Player’s Handbook (PHB) rules, the optimal races for Wizards are as follows: Gnome Gnomes make naturally proficient wizards, their bonus to intelligence is the highest in the PHB. In addition, their Gnomish Cunning feature grants advantage to intelligence, wisdom, and charisma rolls, allowing them to more effectively fend off enemy spellcasters. Tiefling Tiefling may be more naturally suited towards charisma-based roles but don’t count them out as a Wizard race. Their racial spells can add some additional flavor and give this class access to options that even their prodigious spellbook wouldn’t normally be able to contain. High Elf Another intelligence-boosting option, High Elves also function well as part of high-dexterity builds, reducing the Wizard’s chance of getting hit and providing a much-needed boost to survivability. Hit Dice determine your spellcaster’s hit points The Wizard’s hit dice – determining the HP that they gain when leveling up, as well as how much health they can regain on a short rest – is a D6. It’s worth investing in the constitution stat to bump those numbers up a little, but fragility is an acceptable tradeoff for phenomenal arcane power. Wizard ability scores and saving throws The most broadly useful ability scores for Wizard, in order of effectiveness, are Intelligence – Dexterity – Constitution – Widom – Charisma – Strength – Intelligence is the Wizard’s casting stat, necessitating its place at #1, and boosts a lot of interesting knowledge-based skills besides. Dexterity is an incredible ability for almost any character in 5e and is always difficult to recommend dumping, but Wizards especially thrive from going early in initiative and dictating the tempo of an encounter. Constitution can buff this class’ otherwise limited health pool and is also a necessity for maintaining concentration on spells mid-combat. The War Caster feat can be a huge boon for concentration spells, but a good foundation of Constitution is key. Wisdom has little direct applications for Wizards, but Wisdom saves are frequent in 5e, often being necessary to resist mind-control effects. Additionally, key skills like Perception and Insight are tied to Wisdom. Charisma can be taken or left as this class but is always useful for social encounters. Charisma saves, while somewhat uncommon, can still be dangerous to fail. Outside of hyper-specific multiclasses, Strength does almost nothing for this class. Feel free to put your lowest score here. Your Wizard may end up looking frail on paper, but nothing makes up for a lack of muscle mass quite like summoning a shower of meteors over your foes. The Wizard has proficiency in Intelligence and Wisdom saves, protecting them from many adverse spell effects, as well as rare psionic opponents. Int saves crop up exceedingly rarely, but the likelihood of encountering them has skyrocketed since Mind Flayers’ inclusion in Baldur’s Gate 3 Wizard starting skills and proficiencies Among the least martially proficient classes in D&D 5e, the Wizard only gains the following weapon proficiencies: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, and light crossbows. They also have no proficiencies for armor, shields, or tools. The skills that the Wizard starts with are heavily knowledge-based, befitting their scholarly nature. They can choose two skill proficiencies from among Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion. Class Features grant varied gameplay options Spellcasting The main draw of Wizards as a class is the breadth and depth of their arcane knowledge. They can gain access to a greater number of spells than any other class in 5e by far, beginning with six and gaining two every time they level up. And that’s not all, Wizards can copy spells found in-world from scrolls, tomes and more into their spellbook, further adding to their repertoire. A Wizard’s spellbook contains their total known spells, and after each long rest, they prepare a certain number of those total spells to be accessible until the next long rest. The total number of spells that can be prepared at a time is equal to a character’s Intelligence modifier plus their total number of Wizard levels. All Wizard spell slots are regained upon finishing a long rest. Wizards get the best version of Ritual Casting in 5e Several spellcasting classes in D&D 5e have access to the Ritual Casting feature, but Ritual Casting differs slightly depending on the class that is using it. Thankfully, Wizards’ version of the feature is by far the best. Wizards can cast any spell in their spellbook as a ritual – which does not expend a spell slot – so long as that spell has the ‘ritual’ tag (displayed near components, casting time etc.). And, if the spell has the ritual tag, they do not need to prepare the spell in order to cast it as a ritual. While the additional casting time of ten minutes means that Ritual Casting cannot be done on the fly, the added flexibility and lack of spell slot use make this feature invaluable in many situations. Arcane Recovery refreshes spell slots Once per day, when finishing a short rest, you can regain spell slots with a combined level equal to half your overall Wizard levels rounded down. You cannot regain slots of a higher level than 5, but recovering some lower-level slots ensures that Wizard players won’t burn themselves out in a single combat, retaining some spellcasting capabilities throughout the adventuring day. Spell Mastery and Signature Spells These two abilities are the class’ capstones; powerful abilities that reward leveling the class as high as possible. Spell Mastery allows you to choose a first and second-level spell from your spellbook, which can then be cast at will (at least without upcasting) without expending a spell slot. Using Spell Mastery on the Shield spell grants a near-permanent +5 to armor class, Spell Mastery Detect Thoughts gives at-will mind-reading capabilities, and the list goes on. Signature Spells is at once more powerful and more limited than Spell Mastery. It functions in a similar way, modifying two third-level spells from the spellbook to be free to cast – again without upcasting – without expending a spell slot, but only once per short rest. In addition, these spells do not count against the total spells prepared each day. While this ability may be less powerful than other class capstones like the Cleric’s and Druid’s, it still expands the Wizard’s versatility and keeps powerful resources in reserve. Wizard subclass options allow you to customize your class The Wizard’s subclass options from the Player’s Handbook are detailed below, each specializing in a single school of magic. Additional subclasses have since become available, located in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and more. Abjuration Focusing on spells that counter, protect, and control the battlefield, Abjurers are the ultimate defensive option for Wizards. With a replenishable ward to soak up damage, a bonus to Dispelling and counterspelling, and an eventual resistance to all spell damage, Abjurers can put up a fight long after more fragile Wizards have hit the deck, giving the class some much-needed survivability. Conjuration A Conjurers’ specialty is summoning, whether that be simple objects or powerful allies. Conjurers can augment the health and power of their summoned creatures, and their concentration is almost impossible to break. With the recent addition of more powerful summon spells to 5e, the Conjurer can now make a much bigger impact in battle. Divination Diviners use the power of foresight to manipulate the odds and achieve a perfect outcome. They can record D20 Portent rolls for later, potentially forcing rolls of their choice to succeed or fail. This ability can come in truly clutch in a heated battle, forcing an enemy to be susceptible to a powerful spell. Diviners also see beyond what regular classes can, taking notice of invisible creatures, activating Truesight and other all-seeing gifts. Enchantment Enchanters are the most socially adept of Wizards, and among the most terrifying. Enchantment spells focus on manipulation and control, subtly controlling enemies of all kids to further their own ends. Enchanters can use a reaction to shift an attack to another target, lock opponents down with a hypnotic stare, target multiple figures with the same enchantment, and wipe the knowledge of their manipulation from a target’s mind entirely. Evocation The most directly damaging subclass, evokers channel pure arcane power, but also have enough control to prioritize their allies’ safety. Evokers can boost the power of their spells – to the point of instantly dealing max damage rather than rolling in limited circumstances – but can also ensure that their allies take no damage when within one of their AOEs. For Wizard players looking for sheer firepower, Evocation is the way to go. Illusion Masters of misdirection and enthralling spectacle, Illusionists tread the line between what is real and what is imagined. Illusion-focused Wizards confound their enemies, alter the properties of their illusions, and even make those illusions temporarily real. Players that look for creative solutions to problems and thrive when solving puzzles will suit illusion Wizards perfectly. Necromancy Necromancers thrive on the energy of death. Draining vitality from their fallen enemies, raising the dead, and forcing existing undead to do their bidding. Necromancers are a classic summoner-style Wizard, beefing up the undead creatures they bind to their will. Necromancy is a dark path to walk, but an incredibly rewarding one. Transmutation Transmuters are magical alchemists, altering the properties of physical matter. Non-living material is just the start, eventually, Transmuters can heal living beings, restoring life, health, and youth. Additionally, Transmuters are adept with the Polymorph spell, transforming themselves with relatively little effort. Best Wizard spells per level The Wizard has access to a truly mind-boggling number of spells in D&D 5e. In order to narrow the list down, we’re presenting our picks for the best spells available to the class of each level. Whether excelling in control, single-target damage, AOE, exploration, or social encounters, there’s a spell here to suit any need. That’s our comprehensive look at the Wizard class in D&D 5e. We’ve given you all you need to create a modern Merlin and expertly wield the forces of magic.

D&D 5e Sorcerer Guide: Best options for spellcasters Wizards of the CoastSorcerers are D&D 5e’s unparalleled masters of magical customization, with arcane energy running through their veins. Here’s how to craft the best Sorcerer for your campaign. While Wizards study books and Warlocks make deals with devils for their magic, the Sorcerer is born with it. Either through being descended from a magical being or through exposure to raw magical power, the Sorcerer has an unparalleled natural affinity for the arcane, letting them shape magic to their desires. The Sorcerer is likely the best beginner-friendly arcane spellcaster class in D&D 5E. They don’t have the staggering amount of options of the Wizard, nor do they fall into the hex & eldritch blast rut of the Warlock. To sell them, just describe Sorcerers as D&D versions of the mutants from the X-Men. The Sorcerer’s ability to change how their spells work can make them a tricky class to master, so here are some of the best tips for building a powerful Sorcerer in D&D 5e. Best race options for Sorcerers in D&D 5e Most groups have eschewed the racial stat bonuses and have embraced the Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything rules, where everyone adds +2 to one stat and +1 to another. With those rules in mind, these are the best Sorcerer options in D&D 5e: Dragonborn (Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons version) The base version of the Dragonborn in the Player’s Handbook is junk; stay far away from it. Instead, go for the Dragonborn variants used in Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons, which offer three alternate types: Metallic, Chromatic, and Gem. All three Dragonborn receive stronger breath weapons and built-in damage type resistances. The Gem Dragonborn also have limited-range telepathy. They also receive new powers at level 5, with Chromatic Dragonborn gaining temporary damage immunity, Gem Dragonborn gaining wings for one minute, and Metallic receiving a much stronger breath weapon. All of these traits work well for an elemental-themed sorcerer, one who has a breath weapon to fall back on in melee combat. Eladrin (Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse) Eladrin are elves with even more fey magical power. Not only do they get Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Keen Senses, and Trance, but they also get an amazing movement ability – Fey Step. Fey Step is essentially Misty Step without costing a spell slot, allowing you to cast a spell in the same round. It can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, giving you multiple uses at level 1. More importantly, Fey Step gets several potential upgrades at level 3, including one that charms enemies, one that frightens enemies, one that lets you teleport an ally, and one that deals fire damage. All of these are extremely useful for keep away from enemies and avoiding Attacks of Opportunity. Fairy (Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse) Originally introduced in The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, the Fairy gets built-in spells, having access to the druidcraft Cantrip straight away, faerie fire at level 3, and enlarge/reduce at level 5, all of which can be used once per long rest for free and cast again using slots if available. Adding spells to the Sorcerer’s meager list is always useful, especially with the excellent faerie fire spell. More importantly, Fairy characters have a natural flight speed, and there are few abilities better for avoiding enemies than flying. Just make sure to pick spells that can protect you against ranged weapons as well. Tiefling (Player’s Handbook) The Tiefling has some similarities to the Fairy, in that they get single-use spells for free, though you can’t use slots to cast them. For the Tiefling, they receive the thaumaturgy cantrip at level 1, hellish rebuke at level 3, and darkness at level 5, all of which are useful spells. Tieflings also receive Darkvision and fire resistance, which are two of the most handy abilities to have in a game filled with dungeons and fire-breathing monsters. The additional spells are the icing on the cake, especially as they use Charisma as their main attribute. Hit Dice determine your Sorcerer’s hit points The Sorcerer is in the bottom tier of Hit Dice, with only 1d6 + Constitution per level. When you take a Short Rest, you can roll up to your Hit Dice x level in healing. As the Sorcerer is a squishy D&D 5e class that lacks hit points and thick armor to hide behind, you must avoid combat as much as possible via attacking from range using magic and shielding yourself with spells that make attacks miss the target rather than trying to tank the hits yourself. Sorcerer ability scores and saving throws The most broadly useful ability scores for the Sorcerer class, in order of effectiveness, are Charisma – Dexterity – Constitution – Wisdom – Intelligence – Strength – As Charisma is your main spellcasting ability, it should be your main focus, followed by Dexterity and Constitution, with the others given less priority. Charisma fuels your spells, with your spell save DC and spell attack bonus both being tied to the stat. Max out your Charisma as much as possible, in order to make your magic more effective. Dexterity allows you to avoid attacks, which is helpful, as you don’t have many hit points. Meanwhile, Constitution lets you survive the attacks that slipped through. Wisdom helps you resist certain kinds of spells and abilities that attack your mind, which are among the most debilitating in the game. For your dump stat, go for Intelligence or Strength, as they aren’t important outside of certain multiclass builds. Sorcerer starting skills and proficiencies The Sorcerer relies on their magic rather than outside items. As such, they start with no Armor or Tool proficiencies and can use Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, and light crossbows. Luckily, you’ll rely on Cantrips in low-level combat rather than your meager selection of weapons. The Sorcerer skill proficiency selection combines their magical knowledge with their overwhelming force of personality. They can choose two skill proficiencies from among Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Religion. Deception and Persuasion are good choices, as your Charisma score will give you a hefty bonus to them. Arcana is also useful for a spellcasting class, while Insight helps you spot when NPCs are lying to you. Sorcerer class features let you tailor spells Starting at level 2, Sorcerers gain access to Sorcery Points. At the most basic level, they can be spent to create new spell slots, which is much better in the short term than the Wizard’s Arcane Recovery or Warlock Pact Magic refreshing on a Short Rest, as you can prepare the extra spell slots ahead of time. The main reason Sorcery Points are used is due to the Sorcerer’s level 3 class feature: Metamagic. You get to select several Metamagic abilities as you gain levels, all of which require Sorcery Points to use and they can change how regular spells function. There are a few candidates for the best Metamagic abilities in D&D 5e, but you’ll only have access to two of them for most of your run. These are the top-tier picks. Quickened Spell (Player’s Handbook) – For 2 Sorcery Points, you can turn an Action spell into a Bonus Action spell, either allowing you to use a Cantrip, drink a potion, attack an enemy, or any number of useful actions on your turn. Twinned Spell (Player’s Handbook) – Possibly the best Metamagic ability in the game, as it lets you strike two enemies with the same spell without burning an extra slot, all for 2 Sorcery Points. Just be aware that it only works with single-target spells, like chromatic orb. Seeking Spell (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything) – Spend 2 Sorcery Points to reroll a spell attack roll. Incredibly useful in those instances where you absolutely cannot afford to miss. Transmuted Spell (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything – A bit more situational but can be useful. For 1 Sorcery Point, you can change a spell’s elemental damage type. So, if you’re suddenly attacked by devils, you could turn fireball into an iceball, bypassing their natural immunity to fire. Sorcerer subclasses let you define your character from level 1 Sorcerers choose their subclass at level 1, which is their Sorcerous Origin. This explains the source of their powers and will determine some of their abilities as they level up. The Player’s Handbook has two Sorcerer subclasses: Draconic Bloodline and Wild Magic, with other books providing more interesting alternatives, with Lunar Sorcery probably being the best in the game. If you’re a brand new player and are worried about being overwhelmed, choose Dragon Ancestor and pick Bronze or Silver as your Draconic Ancestry, and then focus on spells using lightning or cold, depending on your choice. Dragon Ancestor A solid pick for players who want to focus more on their spells than abilities. At level 1. Draconic Bloodline gives you the Draconic language, a Charisma bonus when dealing with dragons, higher hit points, and increases your base Armor Class. At later levels, you deal extra elemental damage with spells, gain wings, and the power of dragon fear. For the most part, you’ll get some basic abilities that will be useful throughout the campaign without you needing to manage them. Wild Magic The favored class of the most chaotic D&D players of them all. These wild casters gain abilities that let them tilt the odds in their favor, changing the results of dice rolls and manipulating fate itself. The only aspect of the Wild Magic that anyone cares about is the Wild Magic Surge, where you have a chance of causing a random effect when rolling a 1, leading to a d100 roll that spawns something wacky. The Wild Magic subclass is great for one-offs or short-term campaigns, but the other players will probably get sick of your antics in a longer campaign, especially if one of your Wild Magic Surges lands you in unexpected trouble. Lunar Sorcery Introduced in Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen, this Sorcerer subclass lets the caster call on the power of the moon (or moons, depending on the setting) to enhance their spells. This is an amazing subclass that provides tons of options for the caster. For starters, Lunar Sorcery gives you three spell lists that you can change after a Long Rest based on the Full Moon, New Moon, and Crescent Moon. These all give you vital additions to your tiny spell list, and you don’t even have to commit to one. Lunar Sorcery also gives you the sacred flame Cantrip for free and lets you hit two adjacent targets simultaneously, drastically increasing its effectiveness over other Cantrips. As you level up, you can reduce the Sorcery Point cost of Metamagic abilities when tied to spells of a certain school, switch your moon spellbook during the day, and all manner of powerful high-level abilities. This subclass leaves the rest in the dirt and is easily the strongest choice in the game. Best Sorcerer spells per level The Sorcerer doesn’t have access to as many spells as the Wizard, but they still get a beefy selection of combat-oriented magic. If you’re in a campaign that has lots of fights, like Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen, then battle magic will suit you better. If there is more exploration involved, like in Tomb of Annihilation, then make sure to take some utility spells as well. These are the overall best Sorcerer 5E spells to choose in D&D 5e: If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D 5e Warlock guide: Best options for blasting and casting WOTCWarlock is a popular class in Dungeons and Dragons, but its initial spellcasting simplicity can hide some surprising depth. We’ll walk you through what you need to know when creating a Warlock in D&D 5e. As Baldur’s Gate 3 has proven, Warlocks make an excellent class for players starting out with spellcasting for the first time. Warlocks’ spell options are somewhat limited when compared to arcane specialists like the Wizard. However, what Warlocks lack in a breadth of spells, they more than make up for in power and reliability. Here’s what you should know when putting a Warlock build together in D&D 5e. Best Race options for Warlocks in D&D 5e While the base version of D&D 5e ties character race and ability score improvements together, this system has been updated with the release of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. If using the variant lineage rules from Tasha’s, players should pick a race with unique abilities that match their intended playstyle or create engaging roleplay potential. If using the base 5e race rules, choosing a race with abilities scores that match your necessary Warlock stats should be aimed for. Tiefling With a huge boost to charisma – the Warlock’s casting stat – free once-per-rest spells and fire resistance, Tieflings are one of 5e’s most popular races for good reason and make especially good Warlocks. Aasimar Another charisma-heavy race with a boatload of enviable additional effects. The extra damage available through Aasimars’ transformations is a huge boon for Warlocks’ destructive power, and each Aasimar subrace has something to appeal to Warlocks, whether it be proximity damage, control, or maneuverability. Changeling The extra charisma on offer here should come as no surprise, but Changelings offer incredible versatility both in and out of combat. The social gameplay of Changelings is unmatched, allowing your Warlock to change their appearance at will, perfect for infiltration, deception, and much more. Warlock Hit Dice: D8 Hit Dice determines the increase in your health when leveling up and how much HP you recover when taking a short rest. Warlocks love short resting, as it’s how they restore spell slots, so it’s a reliable restorative method for the class. A D8 places warlock above Wizards and Sorcerers – the squishiest casters in the game – and on the same level as Druids and Clerics, fellow spell-slingers with slightly more survivability. Warlock Ability Scores and Saving Throws When building a Warlock, here is the order in which you should typically prioritize your ability scores. Charisma – Dexterity – Constitution – Wisdom – Strength – Intelligence – Charisma is your casting stat as a warlock, determining the effectiveness of your spells and the damage of your all-important Eldritch Blast (when using the right Invocations). Charisma also improves social skills like persuasion and intimidation, making Warlocks excel in a diplomatic party role. Dexterity is one of the most crucial stats to invest in D&D 5e. Dexterity governs important saves and ability checks like stealth, armor class when using medium and light armor, and it is also responsible for Initiative. Caster getting to go first in Initiative can completely swing the outcome of a battle, so boosting your Warlock’s dex is key for many builds. Constitution boosts your health as well as concentration checks, and is definitely worth bumping up for survivability’s sake. Wisdom is used for important saves against effects like mind control, and the perception and insight skills also run off of it. Not one of Warlock’s most crucial stats, but still not worth completely dumping. Strength usually matters little to Warlocks, unless playing a Pact of the Blade Warlock or a melee-specialising subclass like the Hexblade. If build a Warlock in this direction, Strength is bumped up to take Constitution’s place in terms of stat importance. Intelligence can be safely dumped as a Warlock without losing out on much mechanical efficacy. Warlock starting skills and proficiencies Warlocks begin with the following proficiencies: Light armor – Simple weapons – Wisdom and Charisma saving throws – In addition, Warlocks choose two skills from the following list to gain proficiency in: Arcana – Deception – History – Intimidation – Investigation – Nature – Religion – Arcana is useful for recalling magical knowledge, particularly if other party members are playing as martial classes. Deception and Intimidation are both great social options that gain a boost from Warlock’s high focus on Charisma. Warlock Class Features Pact Magic is a unique, repeatable form of spellcasting What sets Warlocks apart from other arcane casters like the Wizard or Sorcerer is the nature of their magic. Instead of the Spellcasting feature, Warlocks have access to Pact Magic. Where the two differ is that Pact Magic offers much fewer spell slots than Spellcasting. Where Wizards will accrue many slots over their first few levels, Warlocks only gain their third total spell slot at level eleven. Thankfully, Pact Magic comes with a significant upside. Where Spellcasting spell slots can usually only refresh on a long rest, the slots that Warlocks gain from Pact Magic all return on a short rest. While Warlocks may run out of juice fairly quickly, they can just as quickly resupply themselves, ensuring that they enter every combat encounter at the peak of their power. Additionally, when casting a spell with Pact Magic, it is automatically upcast to the highest level Warlocks currently have access to. Eldritch Invocations add incredible customization One of the Warlock’s greatest features in D&D 5e is undoubtedly Eldritch Invocations. These invocations are permanent boosts to the Warlock that do not count against the number of spells the Warlock knows. These magical effects are myriad, ranging from the ability to change appearance at will, to the ability to encase yourself within a block of Ice and prevent damage, as if you were playing as Overwatch’s Mei. Eldritch Invocations allow players to customize their Warlock as they see fit, adding fun and variety to their chosen build. Hopefully, other classes will see a similar level of variation when 2024’s One D&D updates arrive. For some great, general-use Invocations, Agonizing Blast adds your Charisma mod to each damage roll of your Eldritch Blast, significantly upping your damage capabilities. Devil’s Sight allows your Warlock to see in all forms of darkness, which crucially even includes darkness caused by magic. Finally, once your Warlock hits level nine, Whispers of the Grave allows them to cast the Speak with Dead spell for free and at will. Pact boons help to refine Warlock Builds Starting at third level, Pact Boons offer yet more customization for the Warlock. These boons serve almost as secondary subclasses, allowing you to focus on different styles of play. The Pact of the Blade allows Warlocks to function as spellswords, slinging magic and slicing with blades and other martial weapons in equal measure. The Pact of the Tome sees Warlocks double down on their magic, gaining a grimoire that expands the Warlocks spell options with cantrips from any class. Finally, the Pact of the Chain is the go-to for summoners. This Pact grants the Warlock a souped-up familiar with many useful abilities. Each Pact unlocks specific Invocations that can be used to further power up your Warlock’s chosen role. Warlock Subclasses A Warlock’s subclass is crucial to their flavor and RP, as well as mechanics. This is because a Warlock’s subclass determines the nature of the bargain they have made for power and the source granting that power. The Warlock subclass options in the D&D 5e Player’s Handbook are detailed below, each being a different type of Patron for the Warlock. Additional subclasses and patrons can be found in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and other sourcebooks. The Fiend A classic ‘deal with the devil’, the fiend imbues Warlocks with fiendish flames and a dark streak of luck that seems to kick in at just the right moment. The Great Old One The Great Old One is an Eldritch, unknowable font of forbidden knowledge. Drawing on Lovecraftian horror, the Great Old One patron imbues the Warlock with mind-altering powers including telepathy, psychic damage, and more. The Archfey A beguiling influence from the Feywild, Archfey Warlocks are granted illusions and enchantments to disrupt and disorientate their foes, and the power to sway hearts and minds. Best Warlock spells Here are our picks for the best Warlock spells per level to take you through D&D’s early game. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D 5e Rogue guide: Best options for stealth and skills WOTCRogue is one of D&D’s most beloved, classic classes. Equally skilled in deception and daggers, the Rogue is perfect for both newcomers and experts, and we’ll walk you through what you need to know before starting out with a Rogue in D&D 5e. While opinions may differ over the popularity and effectiveness and many of D&D 5e’s classes, the Rogue has constantly shone in terms of player satisfaction. Rogue is one of the most versatile melee classes in the game, excelling both in and out of combat, but without excess complexity that might put off newcomers to the RPG. We’ll catch you up on what you should know when playing a Rogue in D&D 5e. Best Race options for Rogues in D&D 5e When D&D 5e first launched, a character’s race was directly tied to the stat bonuses granted. However, since the release of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, Ability Score bonuses can now be placed where the player chooses at character creation. If playing with the classic ability score rules, picking a playable race that boosts your Rogue’s key stats is crucial. However, if you’ve adopted Tasha’s variant rules for lineage, you have much more flexibility. Go with the playable race that appeals to you, or select something with interesting abilities to supplement your ideal play style. Aarakocra It cannot be overstated how useful flight can be for a player character. As one of the only playable races with access to a flying speed, Aarakocra make incredible Rogues through sheer mobility. Swooping in, dealing damage, then disengaging and flying out of reach makes up for Rogues’ smaller Hit Dice compared to many other melee classes. Be sure to consult with the DM before playing a flying character, just so there aren’t any unexpected difficulties down the road. Halfling Nimble and dexterous, Halflings are a classic race for Rogue, with good reason. Halflings’ stat lines work perfectly for a Rogue, but so too does their innate Halfling Luck. Negating critical fails is an amazing feature, turning your rare fumble into one more chance at success. There’s a reason Bilbo was picked to be a burglar after all, halflings simply excel in this stealthy role. Half-Elf Half-Elves’ stat increases are the most flexible in all 5e, giving you plenty of room to build out your Rogue exactly as you’d like. Charisma is highly useful for social encounters, as are two skill proficiencies of your choice and the other two +1s can go wherever you please. Additionally, Fey Ancestry is highly useful to have in a pinch, granting advantage against being charmed. Rogue Hit Dice: D8 Hit Dice determines both the increase to your health when leveling up and how much HP you can get back on a short rest. Rogue’s Hit Dice is a D8; solidly middle-of-the-pack. A D8 prevents the Rogue from being as squishy as Wizards and Sorcerers but also keeps them from being as hardy as fellow melee options like Fighters, Rangers, and Paladins. Both up-close and ranged builds are possible for a rogue thanks to the D8. With this limitation to their health, Rogues have to be smart in planning for encounters. Their Uncanny Dodge feature can help mitigate some damage taken, but it isn’t a perfect solution. Skirmishing, closing in for the kill, and backing off when in danger are all often necessary. As Rogues are a short rest-focused class, Hit Dice are the only resource they really need to be concerned with spending, so keep stock and make sure you’ve got enough to get you through the adventuring day. Rogue Ability Scores and Saving Throws Here’s the order in which you should prioritize your ability scores in a typical Rogue build: Dexterity – Intelligence or Charisma – Constitution – Wisdom – Intelligence or Charisma – Strength – Dexterity is the most important attribute for any Rogue to possess. It determines their aptitude in many of their most crucial skills, including Stealth and Acrobatics. Additionally, Dexterity will increase your chances of landing an attack, as well as the damage dealt by that attack. Depending on the type of Rogue you’re looking to build, Intelligence or Charisma will be your next priority. Intelligence is excellent for cunning characters like Masterminds and spellcasting Arcane Tricksters. On the other hand, Charisma coupled with Rogues’ facility for skill checks allows them to serve as an incredible party face and is a necessity for Swashbucklers. Constitution is useful for any character that will be getting up on the front lines and helps offset the Rogue’s lower-than-average Hit Die. Wisdom isn’t necessarily crucial for a Rogue to have, but it’s always nice to have at least a little aptitude for in 5e thanks to the abundance of Wisdom saves and key skills like Perception. Depending on which of Intelligence or Charisma you aren’t building around, feel free to neglect the other stat a little, as it won’t matter much for the role you’ve chosen. As you can see, Strength matters very little for a Rogue. Hitting with heavy things simply isn’t going to be your style, as finesse is far more crucial. Rogues have proficiency in Dexterity and Intelligence saves, preventing a good deal of physical damage and shoring up their minds against psionic influence. Rogue starting skills and proficiencies Rogues start out with the following proficiencies: Light armor – Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords – Thieves’ tools – Dexterity and Intelligence saves – Additionally, Rogues can choose four out of the following skills to be proficient in: Acrobatics – Athletics – Deception – Insight – Intimidation – Investigation – Perception – Performance – Persuasion – Sleight of Hand – Stealth – Rogue Class Features Expertise makes Rogues skill masters At first level, Rogues have access to Expertise. This feature allows you to select two skills in which you are already proficient – or one skill and Thieves’ Tools – and double your proficiency bonus in each. At sixth level, two more skills can be chosen for Expertise. This feature is so useful that a single-level multiclass dip into Rogue is highly desirable for many classes looking to boost the effectiveness of their skills. Sneak Attack turns Rogues deadly As their other first-level feature, Sneak Attack is perhaps the most well-known part of the entire Rogue toolkit. Where other Martial classes will focus on making multiple big swings in the same turn, Rogues tend to focus on one precision attack for massive damage. This all-or-nothing fighting style can be fairly dynamic and is a big part of the Rogue’s appeal. Sneak Attack can be performed whenever a Rogue rolls an attack with an advantage, or when they attack an enemy while an ally of theirs is within five feet of that enemy. The second case does not allow for Sneak Attack if the enemy is incapacitated or the roll is rolling with disadvantage. In either case, the attack must be using a weapon with the Finesse or Ranged property. Whenever you make a successful Sneak Attack, you can add a number of D6s to the attack’s damage, depending on your Rogue level. At first level, you add a single D6, but the amount increases as your Rogue levels up. Sneak Attack can only be triggered once per turn. However, crucially, this is not the same thing as once per round. When fighting up close, Rogues will often want to keep their Reaction ready for attacks of opportunity. This is because Sneak Attack can trigger again outside of their own turn. Thieves Cant is a secret code for Rogues in D&D Thieves Cant is a much more RP-heavy tool than Rogue’s first two features but fits in well with their shady dealings. As the Rogue’s final first-level feature, Thieves’ Cant is a spoken and written code that can be used to convey hidden messages only to those who also have knowledge of Thieves’ Cant. While hidden communication in D&D is possible through magic and psionics, this feature uses no resources and is excellent for getting across crucial information in unsafe suroundings. Cunning Action makes good use of the Rogue’s bonus action One of the best parts of playing a Rogue is the feeling of having a ‘full turn.’ While many other classes will only use their movement and action each turn, Rogues almost always have an effective use for their Action, Bonus Action, Reaction, and Movement every turn. Cunning Action gives Rogues several choices for their Bonus Action at second level. It grants Rogues the ability to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide actions as a bonus. This increases the Rogue’s potential speed drastically while also allowing them the option of getting out of the fray safely and setting up a potential future Sneak Attack from the relative safety and advantage of Hide. Steady Aim is one of Tasha’s best additions Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything comes with many optional class features to adjust and balance 5e’s classes, and Steady Aim is right up there with the best of them. The conditions for Sneak Attack can sometimes be difficult for a Rogue to set up, and Steady Aim negates some of that trickiness once the Rogue acquires it at level three. As long as a Rogue does not use any of their movement during their turn, they can use a bonus action to grant advantage on their next attack. Uncanny Dodge is a crucial defensive technique Reactions aren’t only potent offensive tools for Rogues, they can be used to great defensive effect too, once Uncanny Dodge is acquired at level five. When an attacker that the Rogue can see hits them with an attack, Uncanny Dodge can be used as a reaction to halve that attack’s damage. While it can take some careful decision-making to decide when best the use Uncanny Dodge, it remains an invaluable tool in the Rogue’s arsenal. Evasion can completely cancel damage Evasion is one of the best features that the Rogue gains access to and is unlocked at seventh level. With Evasion, whenever the Rogue succeeds on a Dexterity save and would normally take half damage, instead, they take no damage at all. Reliable Talent makes failure (almost) impossible for Rogues in D&D For any player that manages to take their Rogue all the way to level 11, Reliable Talent is an incredible payoff. With Reliable Talent, whenever a Rogue makes an ability check using a skill they’re proficient in, they can treat any d20 roll of nine or lower as a ten. This, coupled with Expertise, can potentially turn even a natural 1 into a result somewhere in the 20s. Rogue Subclasses The Rogue subclasses included in D&D 5e’s Player’s Handbook are detailed below. Additional subclasses for the Rogue – and 5e’s other classes – can be found in sourcebooks like Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Rogues unlock their subclasses at level 3. Assassin A blade in the dark, a drop of poison in the wine, Assassin fits the deadly Rogue fantasy to a tee. Assassins excel in finishing combat before it ever really begins, being especially dangerous during the first turn and when enemies are surprised. Later Assassin levels grant RP features that revolve around establishing false identities and perfectly slipping into place to take out a target with massive damage. Thief The classic larcenous scoundrel that many associate with Rogues. Thief Rogues have nimble hands and nimbler reflexes, expanding their Cunning action options, rolling Stealth with advantage in certain situations, and more. Additionally, higher-level Thieves can use magical items that would normally be restricted to other classes, granting a level of freedom in gearing up your late-game Rogue. Arcane Trickster A versatile, effective subclass that always has a trick up its sleeve. Becoming an Arcane Trickster allows the Rogue to start slinging spells, granting them access to a limited number of spell slots and certain spells from the Wizard list. Arcane Tricksters excel in mixing magic with their pre-existing skills, gaining an invisible Mage Hand that can be used for picking locks and swiping purses, while later levels force enemies to roll at disadvantage against the Trickster’s spells when they are cast from hiding. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D 5e Ranger Guide: Best options for Ranger builds The Ranger is an often underappreciated and underutilized class in Dungeons & Dragons 5e. That said, the right choices can turn it into a potent option. Here’s everything there is to know next time you decide to roll a Ranger. Rangers have a bit of a spotty history in Dungeons & Dragons. In the earliest versions of the game, they were a force to be reckoned with. In 1st edition AD&D, for example, they were the class that started out with the most hit points of any. Since then, however, the Ranger’s fortunes have been decidedly more mixed. While their skills have remained useful throughout, their effectiveness in combat has been rightly called into question. 5e has gone some way to redressing this balance, and they can, once again, be a great pick. Read on for the full lowdown on Rangers in D&D 5e. Ability priority for Rangers in D&D 5e As with any class in D&D, Rangers have certain abilities that they should prioritize. In order of importance, abilities are as follows: Dexterity – Wisdom – Constitution – Charisma – Intelligence – Strength – Unsurprisingly, Dexterity takes precedence with all things Ranger. It boosts Stealth and Acrobatics, as well as improving initiative, Armor Class and ability checks more generally. It’s a bit of a toss-up between Wisdom and Constitution next, but we went for the former thanks to the number of skills affected by the score. Perception and Survival are both helped by a high Wisdom score, and it’s a very useful stat to have when saving against antagonistic spellcasting. Constitution works in much the same way that it does for other classes, and the additional survivability is great to have. The other three stats are a nice bonus but can be pretty safely deprioritized by a Ranger in a group. Best Race options for Rangers in D&D 5e There are two clear options that players should pick if they are seeking to make an inordinately powerful Ranger: Elf: The standout racial choice for the class is the Elf. The most obvious benefit is the +2 Dexterity bonus, but they also come with natural proficiency in Perception. Their ability to meditate, which allows them to remain semi-conscious and become fully rested in half the time, is hugely useful in dangerous environments. The Wood Elf subrace is also a logical next step from there, providing an additional +1 to Wisdom. They move more quickly thanks to the Fleet of Foot trait, and they have the chance to hide, even when only lightly obscured, due to Mask of the Wild. They also have additional weapon proficiencies in longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow, thanks to Elf Weapon Training. Halfling: For those looking to stray away from the immediately obvious formula, the Halfling is a great pick. As with the Elf, Halflings offer +2 Dexterity but they have some nice left-field bonuses that do make them worth a try. The Lucky trait allows players another attempt after rolling a 1 on a d20. Lightfoots are a great choice for subrace. Though their +1 to Charisma is less beneficial than the +1 Constitution offered by Stout Halfings, the Naturally Stealthy trait is a great dimension to have as a Ranger. Ranger skills and proficiencies The full list of Ranger Proficiencies is as follows: Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields – Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons – Tools: None – Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity – Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival – Ranger Class Features Favored Enemy From 1st level, Rangers are able to become exceptional in tracking, hunting, stalking and talking to a certain type of enemy. The class can select from any one of aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead, to serve as the Favored Enemy. This amounts to an improved chance at passing Wisdom checks related to the enemy, Intelligence checks to recall information and a new language (if the chosen enemy speaks one the player doesn’t yet know). Further Favored Enemies can be chosen by the player at Level 6 and Level 14. Natural Explorer In a similar vein to Favored Enemy, Natural Explorer allows the Ranger to select one type of environment to become intimately familiar with. Players can choose one of the arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, or the Underdark, and Wisdom rolls will be adjusted accordingly when they relate to favored terrain. Additionally, proficiency bonus is doubled when the Ranger uses a skill they are proficient in, while in their favored biome. It also comes with some fantastic individual and group bonuses after traveling through the terrain for more than an hour, as follows: Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel. – Your group can’t become lost except by magical means. – Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger. – If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace. – When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would. – While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area. – Fighting Style At 2nd level, Rangers are able to adopt a particular fighting style to specialize in. There are four options, with each providing bonuses to their associated weapon or armor type: Archery – +2 bonus to attack rolls with ranged weapons. – Defense – +1 bonus to AC while wearing any armor type. – Dueling – With a single, one-handed weapon, Ranger get a +2 bonus to their damage roll with that weapon. – Two-Weapon Fighting – The Ranger’s ability modifier can be added to the attack of the second weapon when dual-wielding. – Spellcasting Adding to the significant bonuses on offer to the class at 2nd level, Rangers can start to cast Nature spells in a similar way to Druids. The number of spells in each slot is dependent on the class level. The amount of spells on offer at each level is as follows: Best Ranger spells at each level 1st Level spells Absorb Elements: Arguably the most logical pick of the first-level spells on offer, Absorb Elements does a lot to increase the class’ survivability. It reduces incoming elemental damage and stores it as potential damage for the Ranger’s next melee attack. It then buffs resistance to further elemental damage of the same type. When used in a 2nd Level spell slot or higher, it deals an additional 1d6 damage for each slot above 1st Level. Hunters Mark: Though it isn’t one of the most exciting spells in the Ranger’s potential playbook, Hunter’s Mark is a very strong early-game choice. The player can mark a creature, granting them 1d6 worth of additional damage and improving their chances on Perception and Survival checks taken involving the quarry. When used in a 3rd or 4th Level spell splot, the Hunter’s Mark can last for up to 8 hours, increasing to 24 hours in a 5th Level slot. 2nd Level spells Silence: Bard and Cleric players will be familiar with the multitude of uses for a Silence spell. In a 20ft radius of a spot that the player chooses, no sound can be made. This includes verbal spellcasting, making SIlence a potent option against enemy spellcasters. It also renders those within its zone immune to Thunder damage entirely. It’s also great for scenarios where players are camping in dangerous areas, rendering their movements inaudible to prying ears. Spike Growth: Really useful in a bind, Spike Growth renders terrain in a 20ft radius far more difficult to overcome. The area writhes and twists with thorns and brambles that should slow down approaching enemies. This is great for two reasons. Firstly, it allows players to pepper foes with ranged damage from afar, thinning down massed ranks and staying out of danger. In worst-case scenarios, it can facilitate escapes from seemingly hopeless battles. 3rd Level spells Conjure Animals: This spell has the potential to add as much fun to a battle as it does chaos. Though players don’t have total control over how it plays out, it is a game-changer if used properly. Animals can hold choke points and prevent flanks, as well as being effective assailants in their own right. Water Walk: As the name may suggest, this spell allows players to walk across liquid surfaces as though they were solid. This can be applied to up to ten willing creatures within range, and it’s great for getting the group through otherwise impassable areas. This includes damaging liquids like lava and acid, though these can still cause heat and burn damage. 4th Level spells Freedom of Movement: There are so many situations in Dungeons & Dragons that limit movement or cease it entirely. Freedom of Movement goes some way to counter this, allowing a creature to ignore any negative effects caused by difficult terrain or magic, including paralysis. It also allows escape from handcuffs and other non-magical restraints. 5th Level spells Tree Stride: There might be no more Ranger-appropriate spell in the entire game than Tree Stride. It allows the player to enter a tree and then move from there to another tree of the same species, within 500 feet. In forested areas, this is a hugely underrated tool to have. It allows the Ranger to escape from pursuing enemies, or move behind for a better angle of attack. Ranger Archetypes Ranger Archetypes essentially function as subclasses that further specialize the player character. There are a couple of standout options here, as well as some that underwhelmingly add little to the existing class. Gloom Stalker: In any given Dungeons & Dragons campaign, it’s a fairly safe assumption that the players will have to head underground at some point. More forebodibly still, there are many planes of existence and other grim locations including the Underdark. To make those feel more homely, it’s a great idea to pick the Gloom Stalker archetype. Not only do they benefit from improved Darkvision, they can also render themselves essentially invisible to creatures that rely on Darkvision to navigate. They can leverage a second attack when the first misses and they can press disadvantage to hit on their enemies. They are more resistant to psionic abilities and attacks, as well as providing a general further boost to wisdom checks. The strongest archetype available to the Ranger, they are difficult to hit and pack a solid punch in return. Fey Wanderer: Fey Wanderer is a nice alternative choice for those looking to build the class a little differently. The general background of the Fey feels like an appropriate accompaniment to the Ranger generally, and this archetype can be a nice way to access Elf-like abilities if you choose to go with Halfling or another race. It adds another playstyle, allowing the Ranger to charm and confuse their way out of certain situations. The Ranger also gains access to spells like Dimension Door and Misty Step, the latter of which is an effective teleport for a class that otherwise lacks one. That’s our complete guide on the Ranger class in Dungeons & Dragons. It will be updated to reflect the best build as the game continues to evolve. For more on D&D 5e, check out our other guides below: All D&D 5e books | Everything upcoming in D&D 2024 | D&D vs. Pathfinder | D&D 5e Multiclass Guide | Fighter | Wizard If you click on a product link on this page, we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D 5e revives classic adventure and you can play it for free Wizards of the CoastA classic adventure initially penned by the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons has been revived for 5e, and you can play it now, including with competitive tournament rules. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth was a D&D adventure written by Gary Gygax in 1982. It was designed as a tournament adventure that multiple groups could play through at a convention and compete for the highest score. This classic adventure has been revived as part of D&D’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Now called “Descent into the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth,” players can explore this adventure for free on D&D Beyond by claiming it here. All you need is a D&D Beyond account. Descent into the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth is a 9th-level adventure involving players exploring the abandoned lair of Iggwilv, the Witch Queen, who D&D fans might know better as Tasha. Iggwilv might be gone, but some of her powerful magic items were left behind. Unfortunately, powerful monsters are now squatting in her old home. Like the original version of the adventure, Descent into the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth has optional tournament rules. Players can gain or lose points, depending on their actions, allowing them to compare their scores with other groups online. DMs are also expected to set a four-hour timer, ending the quest when time runs out and ensuring everyone has an equal chance to finish the story. It bears mentioning that this is an abridged version of the quest, as an expanded print version will appear in the upcoming Quests from the Infinite Staircase adventure anthology, which will be released on July 16, 2024. Still, the free version offers a sizeable adventure, with new magic items and a revamped classic monster who will be familiar to fans of the Drizzt Do’Urden novels. Descent into the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth’s competitive rules also distinguish it from most official adventures and campaigns released by Wizards of the Coast. This makes it a great option for a one-shot D&D 5e game, especially as it’s free and comes with pre-generated characters.

D&D 5E Playtest 8 finally nerfs game’s most broken spell Wizards of the CoastAfter years of relying on errata, D&D 5E’s Playtest 8 document has nerfed the game’s most overpowered spell. Dungeons & Dragons 5E has a great track record for balanced rules, with far fewer exploits than previous game editions. This is helped by the developers being able to release live rules updates on social media, which are quickly spread among the fanbase. One of the most notable exceptions to this is Conjure Woodland Beings, a level 4 spell that lets players summon eight Pixies. The problem is that the Pixies could each cast Polymorph once per day, essentially giving the player access to eight castings of a level 4 spell through one spell of the same level. The new Playtest 8 document for D&D 5E has introduced changes to several classes and spells. The most important involves Conjure Woodland Beings, which has seen a total overhaul of its design, turning it into more of a defensive spell rather than one used to summon creatures to the field. Conjure Woodland Beings has been nerfed by turning it into a totally different spell The Playtest 8 document on D&D Beyond has revealed the new version of Conjure Woodland Beings, which is now a level 5 spell for Druids and Rangers and functions completely differently. The new iteration of Conjure Woodland Beings creates a barrier of fey creatures that damages creatures approaching the caster while allowing them to use Disengage as a Bonus Action. This new Conjure Woodland Beings spell is basically the natural version of the Cleric’s Spirit Guardians spell. While the new version of Conjure Woodland Beings is still powerful, it’s nowhere near as game-breaking as the original iteration from the D&D 5E Player’s Handbook, which needed developer notes from X to balance it out. Increasing the level of Conjure Woodland Beings also means it’s less likely to fall into player hands, as most campaigns, unfortunately, fizzle out before hitting that level of play. While the content in Playtest 8 isn’t guaranteed to appear in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, Conjure Woodland Beings will likely be changed somehow. The spell had the potential to be game-breaking, and it’s one of the things that needed to change in the new rulebooks.

D&D 5e players share “genius” ways they’ve used the worst spell in the game Wizards of the CoastPrestidigitation might be a terrible Cantrip, but some D&D 5e players have worked out ways to make it useful. Prestidigitation (formerly known as Cantrip in the days of AD&D) is often considered the weakest or worst spell in the game, as it creates minor effects within some strict boundaries. It’s the polar opposite of Wish, the best spell in the game, which can do anything, so long as you word your wish correctly. In short, Prestidigitation can create small sensory effects, light/put out small fires, clean small objects, warm up or add flavor to nonliving matter, leave a mark for an hour, or create a trinket that lasts for a few seconds. You can have three of these epic-tier arcane powers active at once. Players on the DnD Reddit have devised ways to make Prestidigitation useful, thanks to suggestions made in a thread where an OP used it to improve food. “My artificer is a homebrew insectoid alien that is currently in financial dept so he goes to a coastal scrapyard at the bottom of a cliff and eats exclusively crabs and seagulls,” the OP wrote, “Through the cantrip changing their taste to chicken and beef its what he makes all food taste like, he also changes the taste of coffee to be more sweet, cleans a rusty iron pot he found in scrap etc.” Possibly, the best use came from one user who had an idea for using Prestidigitation as a communication system. ” My favorite use for Prestidigitation is short-term, long-range, essentially undetectable coded information sending for scouting (…) There is no range limitation on ending an effect, so once cast, you can remove from anywhere.” “If you mark three stones with a different color, you can leave them with someone to watch for your signal, you tell them to note which color drops first, then to wait two rounds to see if any other colors do. You can prearrange up to 15 different messages this way, more if you want to increase the length of time they should watch and make pauses mean something.” “Prestidigitation means no need to carry toilet paper. That’s just a win that keeps on winning,” one user wrote, and another responded, “Also means no laundry. Even the Frieren manga made the joke that a spell that does laundry for you has to be an awesome magic from a mythical age If you live in a medieval setting not doing backbreaking labour to maintain your appearance is very handy.” Another user had an idea that could create a booming dessert economy in the Forgotten Realms. “Prestidigitaiton is able to freeze water around a wooden stick, and then flavor it like sweetened chocolate. Being able to get sugary treats out of basically nothing has good social utility, and is very flavorful for a character.” Prestidigitation has an incredible variety of uses that are restrained by the spell’s limitations. These boundaries lead to endless creativity from the players, who can twist the weakest spell into something useful, under the right circumstances.

D&D 5E players slam the most “disappointing” spells in the game Wizards of the CoastDungeons & Dragons 5E players are united in disliking some of the magical spells in the game due to them being underpowered or useless. In D&D 5E, almost every class can access spells, with even the martial meat shields gaining a few Cantrips through their subclass selection. This means an entire party of adventurers can enter a dungeon with spell slots to burn. This isn’t to say that all classes are created equally regarding spells, as some only have extremely limited access to magic, such as the Sorcerer and the Warlock. These classes must be extra careful about the spells they pick, as a poor selection can impact the party’s survivability. The reason spell selection is so important is that some are just plain worse than others. D&D fans have quickly determined which spells are letting the side down and should be ignored as much as possible. D&D 5E players trash the most disappointing spells in the game A user on the DnD Reddit created a thread asking which were the most disappointing spells in the game. It didn’t take long for users to rush into the thread, eager to condemn those they dislike. “Friends” one user wrote, “No matter how charismatic you are. No matter how friendly the target might be. No matter what the circumstances are, casting Friends guarantees that you create an enemy.” One surprising answer is the beloved Vicious Mockery spell. “I hate to say it but I’ve never had good results with vicious mockery. Every time I’ve used it it’s gone one of two ways: Target makes save, I’ve wasted an action and pissed off a bad guy, who attacks my squishy bard.” “Target fails save, takes like 2 damage, has disadvantage on an attack roll but usually avoids this by getting pissed off and using some kind of horrific special ability on my squishy bard.” It’s not just weak spells that took a hit, as the mighty Time Stop was also derided. “Timestop, no idea what to do with it (You’re welcome to tell me what to do),” one user wrote, and another responded, “Time Stop is the ultimate get out of jail free spell for a Big Bad.” “Witch Bolt is the biggest early game trap spell I’ve seen”, one user said, “New players see it, think “wow big damage and I can keep doing it”, imagine themselves Palpatine’ing all over the place, and then realize they’ve locked themselves into one action that’s going to fail for the entire fight.” And as Baldur’s Gate 3 players can agree, True Strike is also on the list. “True strike is hot garbage though. It was definitely an overreaction to nerf it so hard from prior versions (used to give +20 to hit on your next attack and it cut through concealment bonuses).” “Advantage made it bad enough and why it also takes concentration is beyond me.” Fortunately, D&D 5E is getting upgraded rulebooks in 2024, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the game. Hopefully, the new Player’s Handbook will address the issues with these spells, and take them out of the lower tier.

D&D 5e players love joke magic item that will punish metagamers Wizards of the CoastA Dungeons & Dragons 5e player has shared a joke magic item designed to prank people who metagame with their characters, and fans can’t wait to get their hands on it. People who play Dungeons & Dragons often have to suspend their disbelief, such as how spellcasters always know how to aim their spells perfectly or how turn-based combat works in practice. Frankly, if you’ve never measured a five-foot step in real life to prove a point about attacks of opportunity, you’ve never played D&D. There’s also the case of metagaming, where players will use outside knowledge of the rules, despite it making no sense in story. In real life, you’re unlikely to drink a vial full of strange liquid you found in a dungeon, but in D&D, it’s just potion-testing time. The Extremely Movable Rod can prank metagamers A user on the DnD Reddit has shared a fan-made magic item called the “Extremely Movable Rod.” This item is a rod with a button, and when you push it, it floats in the air. Any further interaction will cause the rod to fire like a rail gun, hitting everything in its path. This is a play on the Immovable Rod, a much-valued item with the same design that remains in place whenever the button is pressed. The Extremely Moveable Rod punishes those who recognize the design and use it straight away based on outside knowledge rather than identifying it with magic first. The only problem is that the Extremely Moveable Rod is also really powerful as a weapon, leading some fans to watch to be punished by it. “I sorta get how it could prank metagamers… but then upon finding out you just gave metagamers an item that does 10d8 damage lol,” one user wrote, while another said, “Jesus, this is a city leveler. Do you realize how many people you could obliterate with a 1200-foot long, 20-foot wide cylinder of 10d8 piercing damage?!” The players can even retire, as one player pointed out, “It creates a 20 foot diameter hole when it passes through inanimate material? That’s a mining drill, your party will probably stop adventuring and make billions of gold by starting their own strip mine.” Another player wrote, “This is going to prank the metagamers exactly one time, and then prank the DM for the entirety of the campaign.” The Extremely Moveable Rod would be a funny joke in a one-shot session or a light-hearted campaign, but it’s not something you’d give your players in one of the official adventures, as it would quickly derail the story. Can’t get into Castle Ravenloft? Just blow a hole in the wall with the Extremely Moveable Rod. Lord Soth hassling you? Just blow a hole through him with the Extremely Moveable Rod.

D&D 5E players discover that divorce was prevented from being OP D&D 5E players have noticed that the concept of divorce had to be taken out of a certain spell to prevent adventurers from benefiting from shotgun weddings. Dungeons & Dragons adventures usually involve conflicts between good and evil, but sometimes, love can bloom on the battlefield. Inter-party romances aren’t just a thing in Baldur’s Gate 3, as D&D characters will date each other, as well as NPCs. It’s somewhat unlikely for D&D characters to get married and have kids. This is due to most campaigns only lasting a few weeks or months in terms of game time, with the party usually busy saving the world and not having time to plan a wedding and come up with seating plans. One spell in D&D 5E turns marriage into a game element. The Ceremony spell from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything provides a +2 Armor Class bonus for one week to two married individuals, so long as they’re within 30 feet of each other. The spell was worded in such a way as to nerf the concept of divorce. D&D 5E had to nerf the concept of divorce for one spell A user on the DnD Reddit named demogobblin pointed out in a thread that the Ceremony spell had to preclude divorce from its rules. The spell states that characters can only benefit from the Wedding aspect of Ceremony again if they become widowed. This means that characters cannot spam the Ceremony spell by using it for a week, getting a divorce, and then casting it again. D&D players would use this strategy if they thought they could get away with it, with the whole party married to each other for the +2 Armor Class bonus. “Makes sense, otherwise you get a weekly wedding ceremony to give a permanent bonus to the couple” one user writes, while another states, “Probably because it would be exploitable otherwise. Marriage, divorce, marriage, divorce, perpetual +2 AC.” There is technically a way around the spell, as the player could murder their spouse, becoming a widower, and then bring them back to life using a spell like Revivify or Raise Dead. Whether their partner would agree to this is another matter. It’s funny to think of the Wizards of the Coast staff needing to plan around players using loopholes to get out of their holy matrimony, all for a single bonus. Then again, if the party is going to the Temple of Elemental Evil or the Tomb of Annihilation, maybe a quick wedding wouldn’t be a bad idea.

D&D 5e players explain how to balance OP 1st level spell Wizards of the CoastDungeons & Dragons 5e players have come up with potential solutions to help balance the oft-banned first-level spell Silvery Barbs. Dungeons & Dragons players have shared their ideas on how to improve and balance a first-level spell many have dubbed OP or just plain frustrating to play with: Silvery Barbs. Since it was introduced in the 5e sourcebook Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos, Silvery Barbs has been a point of contention for many tables. It allows the user to force another creature to reroll a successful attack roll, ability check, or saving throw and take the lower result by “magically” distracting them. The user can then pick another creature (including themself) and give them advantage on their next roll within one minute. Silvery Barbs’ reputation among 5e players is so mixed that one Dungeon Master said a player joining their campaign was “very surprised I allowed Silvery Barbs in a game. He said that it was banned in every other game he has been a part of.” The fact that Silvery Barbs forces rerolls is a point of frustration for DMs and players who find themselves the target of the spell. As one Reddit user who calls the spell “annoying not broken” explains, “it’s a reaction that forces additional dice rolls and can drastically change the outcome of the original rolls. Then whoever gets advantage has to remember to use it. I could see as a dm not wanting to deal with it for an entire campaign.” Silvery Barb’s accessibility adds to its game-breaking reputation. The spell gives both a debuff and a buff for the cost of a single first-level spell slot, which spellcasters will have plenty of access to at any level. This sets it apart from other popular reaction spells like Shield and Counterspell; the former is more limited in its effect, while the latter is a third-level spell. All that has some tables outright banning Silvery Barbs, though fortunately, some have come up with other ways to balance the spell. A couple of commenters recommend bumping it up to a second or even third-level spell to limit how often players can use it and better reflect its power. Another recommended limiting the spell, which is an option for Bards, Sorcerers and Wizards, to just the Bard class since “their whole schtick is control magic.” At the end of the day, the decision to allow or ban Silvery Barbs is going to depend on the DM and their players. As one DM who banned the spell explains, “I am playing with min-maxers … we came to an agreement that neither side uses it. Cause they don’t want me to use it either.” Perhaps the best advice, though, comes from the poster, who told their surprised player, “he could pick anything that he wanted, and IF it became a problem, we could discuss options.”

D&D 5e players discover genius new use for OP Banishment spell Wizards of the CoastD&D 5e players have found an amazing way to use the already overpowered Banishment spell to escape from powerful enemies on different planes. Dungeons & Dragons has always had spells that outstrip others of the same level, with the likes of Haste and Polymorph ranking among the best in the game. This is in stark contrast to the worst spells of each level, which players avoid as much as possible. In D&D 5e, the level 4 Banishment spell is ranked among the best in the edition. When a caster uses Banishment, a target they can see must make a Charisma saving throw. If they fail, they’re banished to a demiplane for up to a minute. If the target is native to another plane of existence, they’re sent home, and if the spell lasts for the full minute, they’re sent back permanently. This second usage has piqued players’ interest, as Banishment can be used on yourself or an ally. D&D players can banish themselves to safety A user on the DnD Reddit created a thread asking whether the Banishment spell can be used on yourself to escape from another plane. As many D&D campaigns can send you to unpleasant places like the Nine Hells, the Abyss, or the Elemental Plane of Fire, could you use Banishment to send yourself home? “I double-checked the spell text and I didn’t see anything that would indicate it wouldn’t work,” one player wrote, “There is the line about incapacitation if the target is banished while already on its home plane, but there is no specific incapacitation if the target is not already on its home plane.” There’s some confusion about how the effect works, as the first effect of the spell (banished to a demiplane) incapacitated the target, which means it wouldn’t work on yourself, as it would break concentration, ending the spell’s effect. The second usage of the spell (returning a target to their home plane) DOESN’T mention the incapacitation effect, which means it should work, assuming the caster can maintain the concentration for a full minute. What this means is that spellcasters have a solution for escaping from other planes, but it has some drawbacks. For one thing, they can only use it on themselves (unless they cast Banishment with a higher slot), meaning the other party members might be out of luck. Banishment also doesn’t specify where the target returns to on their home plane. This gives the DM scope to mess around with the player, as they could get dropped in the middle of the ocean, breaking their concentration on the spell and sending them right back. Regardless, the Banishment escape route is a great extra use for the spell, even if it’s one the designers never intended. Hopefully, the rules will be made clearer in the upcoming updated D&D 5e core rulebooks, while keeping the escape route intact.

D&D 5e players break down the rules that everyone gets wrong D&D 5e has plenty of rules that players get wrong, which fans have addressed online, hopefully educating those playing the game incorrectly. Dungeons & Dragons 5e has lots of online resources that explain the minutia of the rules, but there are still common mistakes that people make, especially when it comes to the combat system, due to mechanics being poorly explained in the core books. This isn’t helped by many fans never bothering to read the Player’s Handbook. Most people are introduced to the rules by other players, so they’re only given snapshots of the mechanics that are relevant at that moment in time, rather than seeing them in written form. The lack of a D&D 5e rules education means players and DMs alike can get things wrong. Luckily, plenty of people online are here to inform them of how the game is meant to be played by dispelling the most commonly mistaken rules. D&D 5e players outline the rules everyone gets wrong A user on the DnD Reddit created a thread discussing how players should always explain how rules work; all the aspiring DMs they were tutoring thought Reactions cost Actions, even though they’re their own separate mechanics. Other players flocked to the thread to outline the other rules everyone gets wrong. “You can’t ready an action to attack someone outside of combat,” one player explained, “That’s what the surprise mechanics are for. If you surprise the opponent then everyone who isn’t surprised gets a turn while the surprised creatures are unable to act.” “Also darkness grants disadvantage on perception checks even if you have darkvision.” “One of my players thought that using a weapon with which you don’t have proficiency meant you made attack rolls with disadvantage,” one user lamented, “Took me months to realize that’s what she was doing and tell her she could have been landing a whole lot more hits that whole time.” “Sneak attack triggers off 2 things in 5e,” one user wrote, “Do you have advantage, is there a conscious thinking ally adjacent to your target. Everything else is just an effect that would give you advantage. So attacking from hiding doesn’t trigger Sneak attack, the advantage conferred by hiding does.” Rogues do have an ability that players commonly miss, however. “Also another thing with sneak attack – it can go off once per turn, not once per round. This means an attack of opportunity on anyone else’s turn can trigger sneak attack a second time in the same combat round.” Those who learn how to play D&D through things like the Starter sets are given a small sample of the game to learn how things work. If you plan on delving further into the hobby, then it helps to learn about these rules misconceptions, in order to prevent things being too easy or too hard for your group.

D&D 5e players confused by “unrealistic” reason goblins are stronger than humans Wizards of the CoastSome D&D 5e players have discovered the strange reason why goblins are considered more threatening than human guards in the rules, despite the size and gear difference between them. Dungeons & Dragons 5e uses the Challenge Rating system. All monsters have a Challenge Rating, which determines the threat they’ll pose to the average party of 4-6 adventurers. The system is wonky at times, but it’s a decent baseline for planning encounters when creating homebrew adventures. According to the Monster Manual, guards are considered Challenge Rating 1/8 creatures. This means eight of them should make for an average encounter with a group of 4 to 6 level 1 characters. Meanwhile, goblins are Challenge Rating 1/4 creatures, which means four of them are a challenge to the same party. This is despite the goblins having lower hit points and Armor Class than guards while only possessing marginally stronger attacks. D&D 5e’s goblins are stronger than humans thanks to action economy A user on the DnD Reddit has created a thread asking why goblins are considered so much stronger than guards, considering the disparity between their stats and gear. While many users argued that goblins are fiercer than “rent a cop” guards, there’s a more concrete reason. “Nimble Escape and Stealth, presumably,” one player explained, “Remember CR is about the game, so well run goblins, hiding and scampering away every turn, will be trickier than just guards.” One player broke it down with math. “11hp 16 ac 1d6+1 with a +3 to hit vs 7hp 15 ac with 1d6+2 with a +4 to hit. Just with those stats alone a goblin has better offense while a guard has better defense.” “However, the moment you add nimble escape in, they can functionally add 4 to their AC, due to being able to consistently get behind cover or get hidden. Special features drive CR a lot more heavily than many assume.” Another player summed things up thusly. “Action economy. Nimble escape is a b—h.” What goblins lack in durability, they make up for with their ability to use Hide as a Bonus Action, giving them Advantage on attacks and forcing Disadvantage on enemy attacks. By comparison, the guards must spend their Action to use the same tactic, which means they can’t attack. Therefore, a goblin can use the action economy to gain a huge advantage in combat despite being weaker or similar on every other front. This makes them much fiercer monsters than regular human guards.

D&D 5E player goes to extreme lengths to prove walking rules are inaccurate Wizards of the CoastAre you truly a Dungeons & Dragons fan if you’ve never measured a five-foot square to prove a point? That’s the kind of thinking that led to one player testing out the walking rules in the Player’s Handbook to see if they’re accurate. As D&D campaigns generally involve some degree of traveling (unless the players happen to live next to a dungeon), the Player’s Handbook features rules for overland travel. If the party is unmounted and not using magical assistance, they can move 3 miles per hour/24 miles a day at a normal pace. Players love to debate the accuracy of rules, prompting one user of the DnD Reddit to test the overland walking rules. They managed to beat the Player’s Handbook rules, walking 24.07 miles in an 8-hour walk, a task they admit was exhausting. The determined player wrote: “AND I BEAT IT! 24.07 MILES! MY LEGS ARE SPLINTERED BONE, MY FEET ARE NOW BACKWARDS, and I still feel so hollow in my heart, BUT I BEAT IT!” They went on to say: “I defy you and reject you Wizards of the Coast! I defy you and reject you Jeremy Crawford! I defy you and reject you Hasbro and shareholders! Take that 7/10 of 1/10 of a mile and shove it up your chainmail! Next time anyone does a travel session, remember your worth. Remember what you can truly travel in 8 hours at normal pace. 24.07 miles.” As pointed out by other users in the thread, the original poster was missing a few things that an adventuring party would possess when traveling. “Now do it in half plate armor,” one user wrote, while another said, “And a filled backpack and a greataxe.” This refers to the fact that a lot of D&D characters are decked out in armor and weapons, to say nothing of their camping supplies, items they’d use in a dungeon, or any spellcasting gear they’d need. D&D players have joked about the nonsensical rules since the game was created, with fans mocking everything from turn-based combat to the cap on falling damage. And while some fans might mock the distance for marching for being inaccurate, it’s another thing to put your money where your mouth is and walk for eight hours. If you do walk for eight hours straight and are feeling tired afterward, always keep that feeling in mind next time your character refuses to buy a horse because it’s too expensive.

D&D 5e Paladin guide: Best options for strength and smites Wizards of the CoastThe Paladin is an Iconic D&D class, given new prominence after its fan-favorite role in Baldur’s Gate 3. We’ll tell you what you need to know when rolling up a Paladin in D&D 5e. Paladins have long been one of D&D’s most recognizable elements. Classically seen as holy warriors with an iron code of justice, recent D&D editions have relaxed the rules around paladins somewhat. While these warriors are still bound to a sacred oath, players have much more freedom in how they approach building a Paladin than in previous alignment-bound editions. We’ll catch you up on what you should know when playing a Paladin in D&D 5e. Best Race options for Paladins in D&D 5e It is important to note that, with the release of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, players have much more freedom in where to place their starting ability score improvements. If using Tasha’s rules, feel free to pick a character race that adds useful abilities or provides great roleplay potential. For players using D&D 5e’s base race rules, picking the right race to complement your class is highly recommended. Aasimar An excellent choice both thematically and mechanically. With an innate connection to a celestial heritage and phenomenal subrace abilities, Aasimars synergise very well with the Paladin class. The Protector Aasimar subrace is particularly strong, granting extra mobility through flight to reach enemies that would otherwise evade your grasp. Dragonborn If utilizing the classic Race rules, Dragonborn have a perfect stat line for most Paladin builds. Increasing both Strength and Charisma allows you to start out ahead of the pack, and the Dragonborn’s breath weapon gives you some extra crowd-control utility. It’s difficult to go wrong with this playable race here, making it one of the classic go-to’s for Paladin characters. Tiefling The Charisma bonuses offered here can lead to a great, social-focused Paladin, as well as an increased aptitude for spells. Variant Tiefling bloodlines offer connecting to various Archdevils, and Zariel Tieflings make perfect Paladins, gaining extra combat utility and a couple of extra free-use smites. Tieflings can make for some of the most versatile D&D characters around, with their extra spells and great ASIs more than making up for any downsides. Paladin Hit Dice: D10 Hit Dice determines the increase to your health when leveling up and how much HP you recover on a short rest. The Paladin’s hit dice is a D10, one of the best in the game. Only coming in second behind the Barbarian’s D12, Paladins share a Hit Dice class with fellow tanky melees Fighter and Ranger. Thanks to their high Hit Dice, Paladins have an inherent level of survivability that allows them to fight up on the front lines and protect themselves and their allies. Paladins’ self-healing abilities make Hit Dice somewhat less of a crucial resource than for squishier classes, but they’re still very useful to have access to. Paladin Ability Scores and Saving Throws When building a Paladin, here is the order in which you should typically prioritize your ability scores. Strength – Charisma – Constitution – Wisdom – Dexterity – Intelligence – Strength is the main combat stat for a typical Paladin build. Determining your likelihood to hit, damage, and ability to wear heavy armor, Strength is absolutely crucial for most Paladins. This stat is less significant if choosing Dexterity as an alternative weapon-wielding stat, but Paladins generally synergize best with Strength outside of multiclass builds. Charisma is the Paladin’s spellcasting stat, determining both their spell save DC and the number of spells they can have on hand. While it can be tempting to burn all of your slots on simple smites, having enough Charisma can drastically increase a Paladin’s versatility, as well as their out-of-combat usefulness. Paladins can really cover a wide variety of roles in D&D 5e, and this is significantly helped by their focus in Charisma. While Paladins’ survivability is given a huge boost through heavy armor and Lay on Hands, it is still difficult to perform optimally as an up-close fighter without decent constitution. Increasing both your HP pool and concentration checks, Con is helpful for any Paladin to boost. Wisdom is tied to many important 5e saves, and Paladins’ starting proficiency in Wisdom saves allows for shrugging off potentially harmful effects with ease if Wisdom is not dumped. Dexterity is important enough in D&D for saves and initiative that it is rarely advisable to dump it altogether, but it is arguably less useful to Paladins than other melee classes. That being said, it is possible to make a Dexterity-based Paladin as an alternative build. While it will be harder to wear heavy armor that will grant the most protection, for certain multiclass builds like the Swords Bard, Dexterity is a suitable primary stat to take. Going this route may make the Paladin less survivable overall, but the tradeoff in versatility and damage options can be worth it. While intelligence may be helpful for RP and certain skills, it can be safely chosen as the dump stat for a Paladin build. Intelligence saves are exceptionally rare in D&d 5e, the choice to dump intelligence shouldn’t be too crucial for most of your playtime. Paladin Starting Skills and Proficiencies Paladins start out with the following proficiencies: All armor, shields – Simple weapons, martial weapons – Wisdom and Charisma saves – In addition, Paladins choose two skills from the following list to gain proficiency in: Athletics – Insight – Intimidation – Medicine – Persuasion – Religion – Persuasion and Insight are incredibly useful for social interactions, and Athletics is great to invest in for physical feats like climbing and sprinting under pressure. Paladin Class Features Divine Sense can seek out the forces of good and evil The first Paladin class feature is a kind of radar for powerful good and evil forces. As an action, Divine Sense can be activated to detect the presence of celestials, fiends, or undead creatures, within 60 feet of you and not behind total cover. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn. Divine Sense can be used a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier +1 per long rest. Lay on Hands is a phenomenal healing ability An exceptionally powerful healing ability that can keep Paladins in the fight for much longer and bring their allies back from almost certain doom. Lay on Hands is reliable in a pinch, allowing a Paladin to dole out exactly as much healing as they need too without wasting additional resources. Lay on Hands grants the Paladin a pool of healing magic that can be drawn from as an action. The pool’s total is equal to five times the character’s Paladin level. They may choose exactly how many points of healing are bestowed to an ally within 5 feet, up to the maximum remaining in the pool. Lay on Hands has a secondary use, wherein the Paladin can spend five points from their pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or poison affecting it. Notably, Lay on Hands has no effect on creatures of the Undead or Construct type. Fighting Styles add versatile combat bonuses At second level, Paladins can choose a fighting style to customize their combat role. The options from the Player’s Handbook and supplementary material are below: Blessed Warrior. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list. They count as paladin spells for you, and Charisma is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the cleric spell list. – Blind Fighting. You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you. – Defense. While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. – Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. – Great Weapon Fighting. When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit. – Interception. When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction. – Protection. When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield. – Great Weapon Fighting is a good choice for Paladins looking to maximize their damage-dealing potential. Blessed Warrior adds some nice new options for spellcasting, and Defense is useful on more or less any Paladin build. Spellcasting As well as powerful melee fighters, Paladins also have the ability to wield magic. Paladins are one half-casters, meaning that their spell progression and slots are roughly half of what a full caster like a Druid or Wizard gets. The Paladin’s spellcasting modifier is Charisma. They can prepare a number of spells at the end of each long rest equal to their Charisma modifier plus half their Paladin level (rounded down). Divine Smite Smites are the Paladin’s bread-and-butter. This hugely powerful combat ability allows Paladins to convert spell slots into huge bursts of divine damage. Starting at second level, when a Paladin hits an enemy with an attack, they may choose to activate Divine Smite and expend a spell slot to deal additional Radiant damage based on the slot that was spent. A first level slot deals 2D8, and increasing by 1D8 per level to a maximum id 5D8 for fourth level slots or higher. This damage increases by 1D8 if the Smite is used against a fiend or undead. Extra Attack doubles your damage-dealing Starting at level five, Paladins can attack twice instead of once when they take the attack action. With two attacks per round, Paladins can deal a huge amount of damage with their swings and smite. Aura of Protection saves allies from danger At level six, Paladins are able to bolster their nearby allies’ defense. Whenever an ally within 10ft of the Paladin must make a saving throw, they gain a bonus to the save equal to the Paladin’s Charisma modifier. Thanks to Aura of Protection, a Paladin’s presence can be the saving grace that prevents an ally from succumbing to a deadly failed save. Paladin Subclasses The Paladin subclass options in the D&D 5e Player’s Handbook are detailed below, each focusing on a different type of Oath. Additional subclasses can be found in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and more. Oath of Devotion When the image of the classic Paladin comes to mind, the Oath of Devotion is usually what is pictured. These selfless crusaders for the common good are bound to uphold honor, order, and kindness in equal measure. Playing as a Devotion Paladin means serving as an inspirational figure, a beacon of light that strives to uplift the world around them. Mechanically, Devotion Paladins gain a great deal of abjurative and restorative magic and abilities, warding away harmful effects. They also can set up for huge additional damage, adding their charisma mod to attacks through Channel Divinity. Oath of the Ancients The Oath of the Ancients is a somewhat otherwordly order, being tied into spirits of nature and life itself. While Devotion Paladins may work within the bounds of law and civilization, Ancients Paladins are less tethered. They simply exist to allow life and the light of the world to flourish, seeking to preserve joy and beauty above all. Mechanically, Ancients Paladins gain magic that is more familiar to Druids than Clerics, interfacing with the natural world and elemental powers. They are also incredible anti-magic fighters, granting themselves and their allies the power to shrug off harmful spells with ease. Oath of Vengeance As opposed to Devotion and Ancients Paladins, the Oath of Vengeance sees Paladins take a darker path. While not presented as an evil option in the way the Oathbreaker is, Vengeance Paladins cast aside personal qualms in order to confront the greater evil. Mechanically, Vengeance Paladins are the most openly aggressive, with the potential for incredible single-target damage and a suite of abilities designed around cutting off your enemies’ escape. There’s nowhere to run once the Vengeance Paladin has you in their sights. Best Paladin spells per level Paladins are effective one-half casters with a good variety of spells available. Here are our picks for the best Paladin spell per level: If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D 5E next playtest brings big changes to a trio of classes Wizards of the CoastD&D 5E Playtest 8 is introducing big changes to the Barbarian, Druid, and Monk classes, along with introducing new spells and tweaking existing ones. As the next iteration of Dungeons & Dragons draws closer Wizards of the Coast are still releasing playtest documents for the few classes that still need work. This is due to fans giving feedback regarding class features that require improvement. The playtest period before the launch of the 2024 D&D 5E revised rulebooks is crucial, as it gives the developers a chance to fix any power-scaling and balance issues. Luckily, the base version of D&D 5E didn’t have too many problems, but a few did manage to slip through the cracks. The next playtest document will involve revised versions of three of the base classes from the Player’s Handbook, as they still need work to bring them up to speed with the changes made to others in the game. D&D Playtest 8 will bring big changes to the Barbarian, Druid, & Monk classes A new post on the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel has announced that the D&D Playtest 8 document is coming. This new Unearthed Arcana will focus on the Barbarian, Druid, and Monk classes, along with some spell changes. The Barbarian class regains a use of Rage on a Short Rest; Brutal Critical has been replaced with Brutal Strike, which provides new options tied to empower Reckless Attack with new abilities; and Persistent Rage now restores all uses on a Long Rest, and it’s harder to shut off. The Barbarian’s The Path of the World Tree subclass has also seen changes, with Vitality of the Tree providing temporary hit points, increasing the range of Branches of the Tree and allowing it to reduce the enemy’s speed to zero, and improving both Battering Roots and Traveling Along the Tree. The Druid class will feature a revised version of the Wild Shape-centric Circle of the Moon subclass. Druids now have more animal forms, and they’re harder to kill. The Circle of Moon can now cast certain spells in Wild Shape, which is normally restricted. Wild Shape Armor Class can also be improved. These Druids now always have certain spells prepared in Wild Shape, including Cure Wounds, Moonbeam, Dawn, Vampiric Touch, a new spell called Fountain of Moonlight, and a new Cantrip called Starry Wisps. Once they hit level 14, the animal forms will also deal more damage in combat. The Monk class has seen the most changes, especially regarding Discipline Points and Bonus Actions. Monks don’t get Weapon Mastery but can perform Bonus Action unarmed strikes with no other criteria. They can also use Dexterity stat for shoves and grappling rather than Strength. The Discipline Points system has also been changed, with some abilities having free powers that don’t require points. If they spend a Discipline Point, they can use Flurry of Blows to make two unarmed strikes as a Bonus Action, drastically increasing their damage output. Monks have Uncanny Metabolism, which restores hit points when they roll initiative and can deflect melee attacks using their Deflect Attacks power. Meanwhile, Stunning Strike now deals damage, even if the enemy fails their saving throw. Some Monk powers now don’t require any actions, including Self-Restoration, Superior Defense, and Perfect Discipline. They also gain a new 20th-level feature called Body and Mind, which increases their Dexterity and Wisdom score above the normal limit. Many changes are planned for the next D&D 5E playtest document, with these new classes being overhauled. Hopefully, fans will be excited to take on these classes before heading off on their next great adventure.

D&D 5e Multiclass Guide: Build the perfect class combo Wizards of the CoastLooking to customize your character and pick up another class in D&D 5e? We’ll show you how to juggle abilities from Bards, Fighters, Wizards, and more. Dungeons & Dragons‘ classes are arguably as iconic an element of the game as the titular dragons and dungeon-raiding. From Paladins to Warlocks, these roles have taken on a life outside of the classic fantasy figures that inspired them. However, you don’t have to stick to just a single class in D&D 5e, as multiclassing allows you to combine elements of different classes into one. We’ll walk you through the ins and outs of multiclassing, from level and stat requirements to multiclass spellcasting, to help you build your ideal D&D character. Ability score requirements to multiclass in D&D 5e In a rather significant change from D&D 5e, Baldur’s Gate 3 prioritizes player freedom by allowing you to completely re-spec your character from the ground up, re-distributing abilities scores, proficiencies, and more. And any character, no matter how good or bad their stats may be, can try out any class at all. However, D&D 5e requires that the primary stat of the class you wish to multiclass into is a minimum of 13. As with most things in D&D, your Dungeon Master could make an exception, but this rule serves to dissuade any character that would fare mechanically poorly as the chosen class. The minimum ability score requirements to multiclass into every D&D 5e class are below: Being the only class that offers you multiple ways to meet its minimum stat requirement, Fighter is the most permissible multiclass option. This befits its reputation as a ‘default’ starter choice. Paladin, Monk, and Ranger are more difficult to multiclass with, as the requirements of two specific ability scores can be challenging for many characters to invest in, outside of their primary abilities. Proficiencies gained from multiclassing It’s important to note that Multiclassing in D&D 5e does not grant you the exact same benefits as starting at level 1. While you will gain all of the class features for the new level you take, you do not gain access to that class’ starting saves, skill proficiencies, or equipment. Instead, you will gain access to a limited list of proficiencies that differ depending on the class you choose. Duplicate abilities from different classes Occasionally in 5e, multiple classes share the same ability, such as most martial classes gaining the Extra Attack feature. When multiclassing grants you multiple instances of the same ability or proficiency, it is treated as if you only have one instance of that ability. Neither Unarmored Defense nor Extra Attack from two or more different classes stack, and gaining Channel Divinity from multiple classes adds to the effects that the ability can create but does not grant an extra charge for Channel Divinity itself. How multiclass spellcasting works in D&D 5e The spells that you know and prepare as a multiclass character are calculated individually. For example, if your character has five Sorcerer levels and four Bard levels, they would know six Sorcerer spells of up to third level, and seven Bard spells of up to second level. Different spells from different classes will utilize their associated class’ spellcasting ability, Wisdom for Druids, Intelligence for Wizards, and so on. As for the spell slots that you have access to as a multiclass character, that depends on exactly what type of casters you have levels in; full, half, or third. Full casters are D&D 5e’s primary spellcasting classes, those that derive most of their power and abilities from magic. Their spell slots range from 1st to 9th level. Bards, Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers, Wizards and Warlocks are all full casters (though Warlocks operate under different rules for the purpose of multiclass spellcasting). Half casters are hybrid classes with access to spell slots that max out at 5th level slots. In 5e, these are Artificer, Paladin, and Ranger. Third casters are martial classes granted spell slots through their subclass. These are currently limited to the Eldritch Knight Fighter and Arcane Trickster Rogue. When calculating how many spell slots your multiclass character has access to, add together all of your levels in full caster classes, half your levels rounded down in half caster classes, and one-third of your levels rounded down in third caster classes. The total will be represented in the table below. Warlock is the exception to the multiclass spellcasting rule, as their Pact Magic feature does not function in the same way as regular spellcasting. Pact Magic slots are treated as separate from multiclass spell progression, but Pact Magic slots can be used to cast spells gained from other classes, and vice versa. Best multiclass dip options in D&D 5e Taking a ‘dip’ is adding a small number of multiclass levels to a build that primarily focuses on another class. A dip into another class is intended to get the most value from a new class’ early levels, without taking so many levels that it throws off progression for your starting class. Warlock (Hexblade) 1 The Hexblade Warlock’s first level is absolutely stacked, providing bonuses to a wide variety of playstyles. The Hexblade’s Curse feature is an incredibly versatile option for combat, increasing critical hit chance, adding a proficiency bonus to each damage roll, and restoring some HP when the cursed opponent is defeated. Shield being added to the warlock spell list is excellent for high Armor Class (AC) builds. But the most important reason for many to pick up a level in Hexblade is the Hex Warrior ability. Hex warriors allow Charisma to be used in place of Strength or Dexterity for attack and damage rolls, vastly improving the utility and overall power of otherwise multi-ability-dependent classes like the Paladin. Paladin (any) 2 The Paladin’s toolkit is great all around, with great proficiencies and the Lay On Hands ability granting some healing to classes that might not otherwise have access to it. Taking two levels in Paladin provides access to Divine Smite, allowing spellcasters with any form of melee capability to convert their spell slots into huge bursts of damage. Fighter (any) 2 Fighter’s armor and shield proficiencies can add a good bit of survivability to any multiclass. But what you’re really here for is Action Surge, allowing you to briefly double your output once per short rest. Action surge isn’t just for the martial combatants either. The extra action afforded by action surge can be used to cast a second spell, dramatically altering the course of a battle in a single turn. Rogue (any) 1 A single level in Rogue is beneficial for almost any class, thanks to Expertise being granted at level 1. Adding double your proficiency bonus to two skills of your choice is an excellent way to hone in on what your character excels at. And, as an added bonus, a single dice of sneak attack is a not-inconsiderable damage boost to any martial character. That covers it for multiclassing in 5e. We hope you’ll take it into consideration when planning your next character, and use all the options available to customize them exactly as you’d like.

D&D 5e Cleric Guide: Best options for caster & healer builds Wizards of the CoastWith their superior healing abilities and the power of a deity on their side, Clerics are a great fit for any Dungeons & Dragons party. Here’s what to know about building one in D&D 5e. Like in other fantasy settings, Dungeons & Dragons‘ Cleric class is synonymous with healing. However, that doesn’t tell the full story. Though they do serve as the best healers in the game, Clerics are far more versatile than you’d expect thanks to their many subclasses, or Divine Domains. These allow players to build their Clerics to serve whatever role their party needs. Here’s what you should know about building a Cleric in D&D 5e. Best Race options for Clerics in D&D 5e It’s worth mentioning that 2020’s Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything makes racial choices less important to builds than they originally were. Those using Tasha’s rules can choose where to assign their ability score bonuses rather than having them predetermined. Even with that change, though, races come with features and abilities that can enhance a build, so whether you’re using Tasha’s rules or not, some Player’s Handbook races make for better Bards. Hill Dwarf Of the Player’s Handbook races, the Dwarf is the best option for Cleric builds, specifically the Hill Dwarf subrace. In addition to the +2 to Constitution all Dwarves get (which benefits any build), Hill Dwarves get +1 to their Wisdom, the Cleric’s key stat. On top of that, you’ll also get resistance to Poison damage, darkvision, and additional weapon proficiencies. Human It’s hard to go wrong picking a Human. The most versatile race, Variant Humans are great for two reasons: you get to pick two abilities score to add a +1 to, and you get a free feat. Put those boosts into Wisdom and Consitution and pick a feat like War Caster, Resilient, or Lucky to get off to a strong start. Half-Elf Another good option for Clerics is the Half-Elf, as they get +2 to Charisma and +1 to two other ability scores (you’ll want to put those into WIS and CON). Charisma isn’t essential for Clerics, but if your character is going to be the party’s face, that bonus will help. Half-Elves also get two skill proficiencies of their choice, so consider Intimidation and Persuasion, Charisma-based skills that Clerics don’t usually get. Cleric Hit Dice Hit dice determine how many hit points you gain when leveling up and how much you can heal during a short rest. This essentially makes classes more or less resilient in battle. Clerics get a d8 for their hit die, which makes them pretty average. Cleric ability scores and saving throws Here’s the order in which you should prioritize your ability scores for a Cleric build: Wisdom – Constitution – Dexterity – Charisma – Intelligence – Strength – Note that if you plan to put your Cleric in heavy armor, you’ll want to swap Dexterity and Strength. Regardless of what kind of Cleric you build, Wisdom should be your first priority, as your spells depend on it. After that, Constitution is particularly helpful for casters. While all characters benefit from Constituon’s impact on HP, Clerics will likely be rolling a lot of CON saves to maintain concentration on their spells. How important Dexterity is depends on your build. If your Cleric is going to wear Light Armor, then you’ll want more DEX for the AC bonus and weapon attacks. Medium Armor limits how much of an AC boost you’ll get from armor, so you don’t need more than 14. Finally, heavy armor Clerics can dump DEX, as it’s not useful. Charisma and Intelligence are more circumstantial for Clerics. If you’re playing, say, a Knowledge Cleric, you’ll want a little more Intelligence, and if you’re going to be your party’s face, invest some more in Charisma. Finally, Clerics can usually dump Strength, though a heavy armor build needs a bit to avoid a speed penalty. Cleric starting skills and proficiencies Clerics get the following proficiencies: Light and medium armor – Shields – Simple weapons – Wisdom and Charisma saving throws – You can also choose two skills to be Proficient in out of the following: History – Insight – Medicine – Persuasion – Religion – Cleric class features Clerics are the best healers in DnD Clerics are best known for their healing abilities, and for good reason. Out of all the D&D 5e classes, Clerics get the best healing spells in the game and a good number of spell slots for casting them. They can also change what spells they have prepared each time they finish a long rest, allowing them to switch things up based on what the party needs. Channel Divinity gives subclass-specific benefits Upon reaching level 2, Clerics gain Channel Divinity, allowing them to use their deity’s energy to fuel a magical effect. This starts with two effects, Turn Undead and a second dependent on subclass. While you start out only able to use Channel Divinity once per short or long rest, this increases to two uses at level 6 and three at level 18. Turn Undead forces Undead within 30ft to make a Wisdom save that, if failed, means the creature must try to move away from you for a minute or until they take damage. This improves at level 5 with Destroy Undead, which instantly kills any Undead under a certain challenge rating who fails the throw. The CR starts at 1/2 or lower and increases as you level up. High-level Clerics can ask their deity to help Starting at level 10, Clerics can use Divine Intervention to call upon their deity for help. To do so, the Cleric must describe what they want and roll a d100. If the roll is equal to or lower than your Cleric level, the deity intervenes, with the DM determining what exactly happens. If successful, you cannot use Divine Intervention again for seven days. If not, you’ll be able to try again after a long rest. Upon reaching level 20, Divine Intervention will automatically succeed. Cleric subclasses The Cleric subclasses, called “Divine Domains,” included in the Player’s Handbook are detailed below. Supplemental sourcebooks like Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and Critical Role‘s Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn add even more subclass options. Unlike many 5e classes, Clerics select their Divine Domain at level 1. This is because the Cleric’s subclass relates to what deity they serve and what aspect of that god they focus on. Knowledge Knowledge Domain Clerics share some similarities with Wizards, as both value learning. These Clerics get extra skill proficiencies, and their spell list includes mainly Divination and Enchantment options. Their Channel Divinity options are Knowledge of the Ages, which gives temporary proficiency in the skill or tool of their choice, and Read Thoughts, which gives access to a creature’s mind if they fail a Wisdom save. Life Clerics of the Life Domain are the best healers in D&D. They get spells like Cure Wounds, Beacon of Hope, and Death Ward to heal and protect their companions in and out of battle. Plus, class features like Disciple of Life make their healing magic even more effective, and from 6th level on, they’ll heal themselves when casting a healing spell on another. The Life Clerics can also get the Channel Divinity option Preserve Life. This allows a character to restore an amount of HP to their party equal to their Cleric level times five. That can be split among creatures within 30ft of the Cleric, though no character can be healed to over half either max HP. Light The Light Domain is, unsurprisingly, all about the ideals associated with light, such as renewal and truth. These Clerics get plenty of spells that deal fire and radiant damage, such as Burning Hands and Guardian of Faith. Their exclusive Channel Divinity option is Radiance of the Dawn. This allows Light Clerics to dispell magical darkness within 30ft of themselves and forces hostile creatures to make a CON saving throw to avoid taking full radiant damage. They still take half damage on a successful save. Nature Nature Clerics have a lot in common with Druids, even getting to choose a Druid cantrip. Where they differ is that while Druids revere nature, Nature Clerics serve a specific god. Their spell list includes Druid and Ranger staples like Speak with Animals, Barkskin, and Tree Stride. Their Channel Divinity is Charm Animals and Plants, which makes these creatures temporarily friendly. Tempest Tempest Clerics serve gods like Talos, Zeus and Thor – deities known for their power over storms, skies, and seas. They get bonus proficiencies with martial weapons and heavy armor, making them more durable than most other casters, and access to spells like Thunderwave, Call Lightning, and Control Water. This power is reflected in Destructive Wrath, the Tempest Cleric’s Channel Divinity. This allows these holy warriors to deal maximum damage with lightning or thunder damage rather than rolling. Trickery True to their name, Trickery Domain Clerics follow gods of mischief like Loki. They wreak havoc, though with stealth and illusions rather than outright confrontation. Their spell list includes Disguise Self, Dispel Magic, and Modify Memory – all options that can really throw a wrench in their opponent’s plans. Trickery Clerics also get two additional Channel Divinity options in Invoke Duplicity and Cloak of Shadows. The former allows the Cleric to create an illusory duplicate of themself that lasts for a minute or until losing concentration. The illusion can be moved within 120 ft and can be used for spellcasting. Cloak of Shadows allows the user to go invisible until either the end of their next turn or when they attack or cast a spell. War Gods of war take many forms, with different ones valuing things like honor, destruction and conquest, but regardless, War Clerics are made for the battlefield. Like Tempest Clerics, they get proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor. Spells like Shield of Faith, Spiritual Weapon, and Crusader’s Mantle help them deal damage in combat while also protecting and inspiring their allies. War Clerics get two extra Channel Divinity options: Guided Strike and War God’s Blessing. Guided Strike allows the Cleric to add +10 to an attack roll, while War God’s Blessing lets them give the same to a creature within 30 ft of them. Best Cleric spells per level Clerics get quite a few spells from their subclass, but there are still plenty that all have access to. The ability to prepare spells after a long rest also provides additional flexibility for trying out different ones. Here are our picks for the best Cleric spells from the Player’s Handbook. For more on D&D 5e, check out our other guides below: All D&D 5e books | Everything upcoming in D&D 2024 | D&D vs. Pathfinder | D&D 5e Multiclass Guide | Barbarian | Bard | Fighter | Paladin | Ranger | Rogue | Sorcerer | Wizard If you click on a product link on this page, we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D 5e Druid Guide: Best options for spellcaster & melee builds Wizards of the CoastIn D&D 5e, everyone knows who the Druids are and what they’re doing, as they might be the most versatile class in the game. Here’s how to build the best melee or spellcaster Druid. The Druid has generally been one of the most powerful classes throughout the history of Dungeons & Dragons, sometimes considered to be the best, depending on the edition. This is due to their unique mix of traits that combine the best elements of various classes. Druids are the protectors of nature, with the ability to draw primal magic from the land. This means they are often primary spellcasters with a full range of healing spells, elemental damage magic, and the ability to conjure natural spirits. They can also turn into beasts, letting them fight on the frontline, and can call on animals to aid them in combat. While Druids have a great range of powers to call on, balancing then properly can be tricky. This is why we’ve created this guide to help you create the best Druid possible, avoiding any pitfalls when rolling up your character. Best race options for Druids in D&D 5e D&D 5e has moved away from the old racial stat bonuses by introducing the Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything rules, where everyone adds +2 to one stat and +1 to another. Using these rules, these are the best Druid options in D&D 5e: Triton Playing as a triton means you never have to bother with amphibious Wild Shapes. You also get Darkvision, resistance to cold, swimming speed, the ability to understand certain aquatic enemies, and the addition of fog cloud at level 1, gust of wind at level 3, and water walk at level 5. This is a great selection of traits for any Druid outside of a desert campaign. Yuan-Ti Yuan-Ti might be the best overall playable race in D&D 5e, but they’re especially good for the Druid. The advantage on spell saves, Darkvision, and poison resistance are all useful, but the addition of the poison spray Cantrip, free use of animal friendship with snakes, and the ability to cast suggestion from level 3 help pad out your spell arsenal for free, giving you room to pick some others. Wood elf Not only do wood elves get Darkvision, proficiency in Perception, and Fey Ancestry, but they also get more weapon proficiencies, 5ft extra movement speed, and Mask of the Wild, which gives them a chance to hide in a natural environment. These are all extremely useful for the Druid, and wood elves are the race most likely to take up the mantle as protectors of nature. Druid Hit Dice in D&D 5e: d8 The Druid is in the lower tier when it comes to Hit Dice, as they use d8 + Constitution modifier for determining their hit points. When you take a Short Rest, you can roll up to your Hit Dice x level in healing. Luckily, the Druid isn’t as concerned about their hit points as other spellcasters. For one thing, they can wear armor and use shields, so long as they’re not made of metal, and they have a decent selection of weapons, giving them some use on the frontlines. Druids shouldn’t be concerned about their hit points due to their Wild Shape feature, detailed further below. When a Druid transforms into an animal, they gain its hit points, which act like a second life meter, giving them way more hit points than even the melee classes. Druid ability scores and saving throws The most broadly useful ability scores for the Druid class, in order of effectiveness, are Wisdom – Constitution – Dexterity – Intelligence – Strength – Charisma – Wisdom is your main spellcasting score, with a modifier that will affect all of your magic, so make sure this is your top score. Constitution will keep you alive, while Dexterity will help you dodge blows, though this will be restricted by your armor. It helps to have a bonus to Intelligence, as this is tied to the Nature skill. Strength isn’t as important, as you can Wild Shape into beefier forms when needed, and Charisma can safely be your dump stat, as it doesn’t affect your abilities. Your saving throws are Intelligence and Wisdom, helping you to fight off spells that influence the mind. Druid starting skills and proficiencies Druids cannot use weapons or armor made predominantly of metal. Their proficiencies reflect this: their weapon proficiencies are clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings, and spears. They’re also proficient with light and medium armor, shields, and Herbalism Kits. At level 1, Druids choose two skills from the following list: Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival. The two most important are Animal Handling and Nature, followed by Survival, Medicine, and Perception. In terms of weapons, it’s worth getting javelins, a mace, a scimitar, and a dagger, as well as grabbing a shield and the best non-metal armor you can buy. Just don’t expect to use your weapons much, as your spells and Wild Shape form will be your main damage dealers. Druid Wild Shape can make you powerful in combat Level 2 is where things get exciting for Druids, as it’s here where they get the Wild Shape ability, which allows them to transform into a Beast with a CR of 1/4, which goes up to CR 1/2 at level 4 and CR 1 at level 8. Wild Shape lets you keep your personality and your mental stats (Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma), but your physical ones switch to that of the animal. You gain any combat abilities the creature has, though you lose the ability to cast spells. More importantly, when using Wild Shape, you gain the animal’s hit points on top of your Druid’s hit points. If your animal form is defeated, then the excess hit points are transferred to the Druid. So, if you transform into a wolf with 20 hit points and the enemy deals 21 points of damage, you turn back into your humanoid form and take a single point of damage. The loss of spells is unfortunate, but it allows the Druid to play a healer/buffer outside of combat, and use Wild Shape for when they engage in combat, using unique animal powers to make up for their own lack of physical prowess. The best Wild Shape forms to choose per level are: Black Bear (Level 4) – They have a decent multiattack and Keen Smell, which is useful for tracking invisible opponents. – Boar (Level 2) – They have a powerful opening attack and a limited form of KO protection for one round. – Crocodile (Level 2) – Has a Swim speed and a Bite attack with a chance of grappling the foe. – Dire Wolf (Level 8) – They have a powerful bite, a chance to knock creatures prone with their attack, and gain Advantage on attack rolls when an ally is within 5 feet. – Elk (Level 2) – They have a powerful charge attack and a ton of movement speed, making them great for combat encounters in open areas. – Giant Centipede (Level 2) – While not a physical powerhouse by any means, this bug has a powerful poison attack that can paralyze foes. – Hyena (Level 8) – They have a lot of hit points and can use their Bonus Action to move/attack against if they drop an opponent to zero hit points. – Giant Octopus (Level 8) – A fast swimmer with lots of hit points, a grapple attack, and an Ink Cloud attack that obscures the area and gives them a free dash. – Giant Wolf Spider (Level 2) – Similar to the Giant Centipede, but it has more movement speed & hit points, at the trade-off of a weaker poison. – Wolf (Level 2) – They have a nasty bite, a chance to knock creatures prone with their attack, and gain Advantage on attack rolls when an ally is within 5 feet. – The best Druid subclasses in D&D 5e At Level 2, the Druid chooses their Circle, which is their subclass. The Player’s Handbook has two options: Circle of the Land and Circle of the Moon. There are also some better options available in other sourcebooks. Circle of the Land The Circle of the Land is all about boosting your spellcasting powers over Wild Shape. Off the bat, you get an additional Druid Cantrip and the ability to restore expended spell slots equal to half your Druid level while taking a Short Rest. More importantly, Circle of Land Druids get access to additional spells based on terrain types (similar to a Cleric’s Domain) which are always considered prepared and don’t count towards your total. Of these, Grassland is the best for buffs, while Swamp & Underdark have great combat & debuff options. The high level options for the Circle of Land aren’t that impressive, however, and it’s easily outstripped by options in the other books, like Circle of Stars and Circle of Wildfire. Circle of the Moon This class is all about boosting Wild Shape, so if you want to focus on transforming into beasts, then this is your Circle. Not only do they skip straight to CR 1 transformations, but they can transform as a Bonus Action and can burn spell slots to heal 1d8 x times level in their Wild Shape form. As they level up, their claws become magical weapons and eventually gain the power to transform into elementals. This makes them the idea choice for melee-focused Druids who preserve their spells for outside of combat. Circle of Stars Appearing in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, this amazing subclass is a great choice for spellcaster Druids. For starters, you get the guidance Cantrip for free and can cast Guiding Bolt (a powerful low-level Cleric combat spell) a number of time equal to your proficiency bonus, which is amazing for level 2. Secondly, you can spend Wild Shape to enter your Starry Form, which has three variants: Archer, Chalice, and Dragon. Archer lets you perform a 1d8 + Wisdom modifier spell attack as a Bonus Action on your turns, Chalice heals you when you heal another creature, and Dragon lets you turn a 9 or lower on a d20 into a 10 when making a Constitution saving throw or Intelligence or Wisdom check. The variety of features offered by the Circle of Stars make it a great choice for Druids who want to focus on magic but don’t want to monitor a spell list. You can reliably switch on Archer Starry Form and blast enemies with Guiding Bolt + Archer arrow each turn for a ton of damage. Circle of Wildfire This subclass also appeared in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Off the bat, this subclass gives you an amazing selection of healing & elemental fire spells, siminal to the Circle of Land mini lists, with burning hands and cure wounds at level 2, followed by flaming sphere and scorching ray at level 3. The Circle of WIldfire Druid can also conjure a Wildfire Spirit. Simply being within 10ft of this elemental forces a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 damage. If you want to spend your Bonus Action, you can also command the Wildfire Spirit to attack. Best Druid spells per level Like the Cleric, the Druid can change their spells after a Long Rest. This means they are versatile when it comes to planning encounters with known threats. The spells listed below are the best general options that give you a wide spread of healing, combat, status effects, buffs, debuffs, summons, and shapeshifting magic that will let you handle a variety of common threats. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D 5e Blood Hunter guide: Best options to stalk and slay monsters WOTC/Joma CuetoBlood Hunter is a very unique D&D 5e class, not initially designed by Wizards of the Coast, but by Critical Role’s Matt Mercer. We’ll walk you through what you need to know before creating a Blood Hunter in D&D 5e. D&D 5e has been an incredibly popular edition of the legendary RPG for years now. Long-term players have combed through many of the options that 5e has to offer and may be in search of something new. Blood Hunter stands apart from 5e’s other classes, both in its origin and mechanics. Critical Role’s Matt Mercer has designed a class that will be favored among Witcher fans. This blood magic-wielding warrior can hunt down human foes and monstrous prey alike, using their weapons, wits, and an array of dark rituals to get the job done. Here’s what you should know about building a Blood Hunter in D&D 5e. Best Race options for Blood Hunters in D&D 5e Following the release of 2020’s Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything sourcebook, playable race, and starting ability scores are now no longer as specifically tied. No matter the playable character’s species, players are now free to put a +2 and a +1 into two stats of their choosing. For players using Tasha’s rules, feel free to pick any race you gravitate towards, or make a selection based on the race’s other abilities. If using the basic Player’s Handbook rules, choosing a race that boosts your class’s most important stats is key. Dwarf One of D&D’s best options for martial races, Dwarves match perfectly with the Blood Hunter’s style and strengths. If picking the Moutain Dwarf subrace, your Blood Hunter will start out with an impressive +2 to both their Strength and Constitution, making them much more likely to live through the early levels. Goliath Among the strongest and hardiest races in D&D 5e, Goliaths make incredible frontline combatants. With boosts to strength and constitution, as well as abilities to soak up damage and additional carrying capacity, Goliaths suit the Bloodhunter’s risk-and-reward style perfectly. Blood Hunter Hit Dice: D10 Hit dice are used to determine how many hit points you gain when leveling up and how much you can heal during a short rest. The Blood Hunter’s Hit Dice is a D10, putting it on the same footing as formidable combatants like the Paladin and Ranger. Considering that one of the class’s key mechanics requires self-damage in order to activate, a high Hit Dice was always going to be a crucial requirement. Blood Hunter Ability Scores and Saving Throws Here’s how you should prioritize your ability scores for a general Blood Hunter build: Constitution – Strength or Dexterity – Intelligence – Wisdom – Charisma – Dexterity or Strength – D&D 5e’s martial classes should almost always prioritize Strength or Dexterity as their primary ability, but we’d argue that Blood Hunter is the exception. Not only does the class need to be hardy to soak up hits in combat, but their self-damage can often require multiple activations throughout the adventuring days. As a result, Constitution being as high as possible is a necessity to not kneecap the Blood Hunter. Both Strength and Dexterity work excellently with the Blood Hunter, with Dexterity having a slight edge due to enabling ranged builds that can help mitigate some of the danger and damage risks inherent to this class. Intelligence helps with both the out-of-combat ‘hunting’ part of this class, enabling information gathering and effective tracking without relying on Survival. Additionally, several of the class’ abilities take Intelligence into account. Wisdom is good for broadly useful utility skills like Perception, Insight, and Survival, and Wisdom saves are frequent in 5e. Charisma saves are less common than Wisdom, Dexterity, or Constitution saves, and the Blood Hunter’s grim duty and unsettling abilities rarely mesh well with being a social charmer. Whichever score out of Dexterity or Strength you didn’t choose to build your Blood Hunter around can be safely dumped. Blood Hunter starting skills and proficiencies Blood Hunters start out with the following proficiencies: All armor – Shields – All weapons – Alchemist’s Supplies – Strength and Intelligence Saving Throws – Blood Hunters also gain access to three skills from the following list at level one: Acrobatics – Arcana – Athletics – History – Insight – Investigation – Religion – Survival – Blood Hunter class features Hunters Bane transforms Blood Hunters into shadow-stalking slayers A big appeal of playing a Blood Hunter is the ability to be a Witcher-like killing machine. The influence of The Witcher is all over this class, and nowhere is it more apparent than in Hunter’s Bane. With this level 1 ability, Blood Hunters have survived a dark ritual that perfectly attunes the senses the need to hunt their prey. You gain advantage on Survival checks to track unnatural creatures, specifically Fey, Fiends, and Undead. This feature also grants advantage on Intelligence checks used to remember information on these creatures. The Hunter’s Bane also grants proficiency in Blood Magic, using your own blood to fuel powerful effects, including a Save DC based on your choice of Intelligence or Wisdom. Blood Maledict brings sorcery through suffering At first level, Blood Maledict grants you a choice of Blood Curses that can be used to manipulate and damage opponents. These Curses are a similarly customizable feature to the Warlock’s Eldritch Invocations, but both more active and more restricted, only able to be used a limited number of times per rest. Blood Curses can be amplified by taking damage equal to a single roll of your Hemocraft die. The Hemocraft die starts as a D4 and increases in size as you gain Blood Hunter levels, to a maximum of a D10. When a curse is amplified, it is cast in its true, untempered form, having a greater effect in exchange for the damage you have taken. Crimson Rites imbue your tools with the elements Blood Hunters fight with every advantage they can get their hands on, and that includes Crimson Rites. Starting at level 2, by using a bonus action to imbue one of your weapons with a Rite, it gains additional elemental damage until the end of your next rest. Similarly to using a Blood Curse, imbuing a Rite requires rolling a Hemocraft die and taking the damage. The extra elemental damage the weapon can deal is also dependent on Hemocraft, as the die is added to each of the weapon’s attacks. Blood Hunters can initially choose between imbuing Fire, Ice, and Lightning damage, but later levels offer the opportunity to imbue Radiant, Thunder, and Psychic damage too. Blood Hunter Subclasses The four available Blood Hunter Subclasses are detailed below. These Subclasses are unlocked once a Blood Hunter reaches level 3. Ghost Slayer Moving in the direction of an exorcist, the Ghost Slayer channels radiant damage, granting itself extra attacks, and even steps through the veil between worlds to become intangible. When it comes to out-and-out damage, the Ghost Slayer is right at the peak of Blood Hunter’s potential. Profane Soul As the Fighter and Rogue draw on wizardry as Eldritch Knights and Arcane Tricksters respectively, the Profane Soul is a Blood Hunter that gains partial Warlock powers. In gaining access to a patron, spell slots, and extra abilities, the Profane Soul is a highly versatile Blood Hunter that stands apart from its peers. Mutant The mutant strays from the typical ‘monster hunter’ side of the Witcher fantasy, and instead goes all in on alchemy and mutagens. The Mutant Blood Hunter embraces their nature as a living weapon and imbibes different potions and solutions, customizing their skills as they do. By invoking certain mutations, the Mutant Blood Hunter gains certain skills and combat disadvantages in exchange for powerful and versatile effects. Lycan Harnessing the power of Lycanthropy, the Lycan Blood Hunter becomes difficult to control, but an absolute menace on the battlefield. In addition to their Crimson Rites, Lycans can do yet more additional damage by tapping into their transformations. Though they at times risk becoming a danger to their allies, Lycans can be a huge asset to have on your side in a fight. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D 2024 rules revision “unites” all current & future 5e books The creators of the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons updated rulebooks have revealed that the new revision will unite the content across all existing and future 5E books. Dungeons & Dragons 5E was released in 2014, introducing rules that would help propel the game to a massive new audience. The D&D 5E era has been the most successful to date, helped by popular streaming shows like Critical Role, introducing the game to millions. The game that so many people are familiar with will be getting an update in 2024, as new versions of the D&D 5E Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual are being released, with fresh content and revised rules. Wizards of the Coast has stressed that the updated rules will still be compatible with all of the existing 5E content, ranging from the 2014 Player’s Handbook to the Book of Many Things. All of the rules will be backward compatible for this edition. The D&D 5E 2024 rulebooks will help transiton existing players to the new content A new video on the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel has discussed the content in the 2024 rulebooks. The developers of the upcoming books have confirmed that they will include content aimed at helping old players transition to the new rules. The idea is that the rules revision will “unite” the content in the past and future books. This will allow people to use all of their existing campaigns and supplements with the new core rulebooks, as there will be explainers for how the rules co-exist. These transition guides will allow for mixed parties, where players could use content from the 2014 Player’s Handbook alongside the 2024 version of the same book. This means that fans can keep using any of the previous race/class/background builds they like, in case they’re not fond of the changes. The playtest materials released for the D&D 5E 2024 rulebooks show a game that is evolving, rather than changing completely. As such, it shouldn’t be too difficult for existing players to adapt to the new rules, and if they don’t want to, then they can still use their existing content with other books that will be released in the future.

D&D 5e Barbarian Guide: Best options for melee builds Wizards of the CoastThe Barbarian class is among Dungeons & Dragons’ most popular, bringing pure Rage-fueled power to the table. Here’s what to know about building a Barbarian in D&D 5e. Dungeons & Dragons players who want a melee class that can take and deal massive hits should look no further than the Barbarian. A traditional RPG class, the Barbarian’s abilities are pretty straightforward – you’ll spend much of your time Raging, hitting things, and tanking enemy attacks – but their typical lack of other skills does not make them any less fun to play. Here’s what you should know about building a Barbarian in D&D 5e. Best Race options for Barbarians in D&D 5e In recent years, D&D has changed the way it approaches race. Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything added new optional rules that make racial choice less important to builds by allowing players to assign their ability score bonuses rather than having them determined by race. Still, this is an optional rule, and even if your table is using it, races come with unique features that can improve a build. Whether you’re using Tasha’s rules or not, some Player’s Handbook races make for better Barbarians. Half-Orc As is the case with the Fighter, Half-Orc is a standout choice for a Barbarian build and for similar reasons. Half-Orcs are ideal melee fighters thanks to their +2 to Strength and +1 to Constitution, essentially ability scores for a frontline combatant. The racial abilities Savage Attacks and Relentless Endurance are also great for Barbarians. Savage Attacks make critical hits deal additional damage, and Relentless Endurance allows you to drop to 1HP instead of 0HP once per long rest – which is sure to come in handy against tough opponents. Human As the most flexible race in the game, you can’t really go wrong picking a Variant Human in 5e. Variant Humans get +1 to two ability scores of their choice, which a Barbarian will want to put into Strength and Constitution. They also get proficiency in one skill and a free feat – the latter of which really makes the race stand out. Feats can be used to customize or diversify a build, but a Barbarian can’t go wrong with Sentinel or Great Weapon Master. Mountain Dwarf Of the small races, Dwarves make for the best Barbarians thanks to their +2 to Constitution, but the Mountain Dwarf’s +2 to Strength makes them better suited to be melee fighters. This means you’ll have an easier time maxing out your essential stats, allowing you to focus on other aspects of the build as you reach higher levels. Barbarian Hit Dice Hit dice determine how much total HP a character has, how much they can gain when leveling up, and how much they can heal during a short rest. Barbarians get a d12 – the highest possible hit die in the game. This makes them incredibly sturdy, able to survive hits that others can’t. Barbarian ability scores and saving throws Here’s how you should prioritize your ability scores for a general Barbarian build: Strength – Constitution – Dexterity – Wisdom – Charisma – Intelligence – Strength and Constitution are by far the most important ability scores for a Barbarian, as they determine how hard you can hit and how many hits you can take. You’ll want to get these to 20 as quickly as possible. After those, you’ll want to focus on Dexterity. If you’re planning to use medium armor, leaving DEX at 14 will be enough to get the full benefit. If you’d rather benefit from Unarmored Defense, though, you’ll want some more DEX for the Armor Class boost. Wisdom and Charisma aren’t really important for most Barbarians. Wisdom saves are common, and Intelligence will help with Intimidation skill checks, so you don’t want either of these to be too low. Intelligence is the obvious choice for a Barbarian’s dump stat. You’re unlikely to face many INT saves, and no Barbarian abilities depend on it. Barbarian starting skills and proficiencies Fighters get the following proficiencies: Light and medium armor – Shields – Simple and martial weapons – STR and CON saving throws – You can also choose two skills to be Proficient in out of the following: Animal Handling – Athletics – Intimidation – Nature – Perception – Survival – Barbarian class features Rage gets better at higher levels The Barbarian’s most iconic class feature provides crucial benefits. While Raging, the Barbarian has advantage on STR checks and saves, deals additional damage with STR-based melee weapons, and gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Normally, Rage lasts for up to one minute, ending early if you fall unconscious or haven’t attacked or taken damage since your last turn. Your subclass will bring other changes and abilities into the mix, but all Barbarians will see their Rage improve as they level up. At 11th level, Relentless Rage allows you to attempt a DC 10 CON save when you drop to 0HP; if successful, you’ll drop to 1HP instead. This can be used as many times as needed, though the DC increases by 5 each time, resetting to DC 10 on a short or long rest. At level 15, you’ll also get Persistent Rage, which makes it so your Rage only ends early if you go unconscious or choose to end it. Unarmored Defense makes Barbarians hard to hit The other class feature Barbarians get from the start is Unarmored Defense. With it, Barbarians who choose to forego armor can add both their CON and DEX modifiers to a base AC of 10. You can still use a shield for a further AC boost, though you’ll probably want a two-handed weapon instead. Reckless Attack & other abilities help deal more damage Unsurprisingly, most of the Barbarian’s class abilities have to do with letting them hit harder and more often. Level 2 gives Barbarians access to Reckless Attack, which can be used to gain Advantage on STR-based melee attack rolls at a cost – enemy attacks targeting you will get advantage too until your next turn. After that, Barbarians get an Extra Attack at level 5 and Brutal Critical at level 9, which gives an additional weapon damage die on critical hits. This increases to two extra dice at level 13 and three at level 17. Barbarian instincts improve as they level up Barbarians also get abilities that improve their instincts. At 2nd level, you’ll gain Danger Sense, giving advantage on DEX saves against effects you can’t see so long as you aren’t blinded, deafened, or incapacitated. At 5th level, you’ll get Fast Movement, which increases your speed by 10ft so long as you aren’t in heavy armor (which you won’t want anyway since it negates Rage benefits). Feral Instinct, gained at level 7, gives advantage on Initiative rolls and allows you to take your normal turn if surprised so long as you Rage before doing anything else. Finally, Barbarians who reach 18th level get Indomitable Might. When making a Strength check, this allows you to use your STR score if it’s higher than what you roll. Level 20 Barbarians can exceed normal stat limits Under normal circumstances, all ability scores max out at 20. However, Barbarians who get all the way to this level have that cap increased for Strength and Constitution. Primal Champion increases these stats by 4 for a max of 24. Not only does this mean much stronger hits, but those boost improve other Barbarian features like Unarmored Defense and Indomitable Might. Barbarian subclasses The Barbarian subclasses included in the Player’s Handbook are detailed below. Supplemental sourcebooks like Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and Critical Role‘s Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn add even more subclass options. Like most 5e classes, Barbarians choose their subclass, or Primal Path, at level 3. These represent what fuels the character’s Rage, granting abilities accordingly. Path of the Berserker Berserkers are fueled by that thing Barbarians are best at: violence. These Barbarians tend to be reckless in combat, going into Frenzy when they Rage. This allows them to make a melee attack as a bonus action, though they gain a level of exhaustion when their Rage ends. Path of the Berserker Barbarians also gain Intimidating Presence at level 10, which forces a target to make a Wisdom save or be frightened by you so long as they remain in sight or within 60 ft. Path of the Totem Warrior Those who want a more spiritual motivation for their Barbarian’s Rage should consider the Totem Warrior (which is being renamed Path of the Wild Heart for the 2024 rules revision). Totem Warriors are attuned to nature, allowing them to cast Beast Sense and Speak with Animals as a ritual, gaining Commune with Nature at 10th level. These Barbarians also have a spirit animal that guides and motivates them, with different effects based on whether you pick Bear, Wolf, or Eagle (the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide adds Elk and Tiger). After picking one at level 3, you’ll be able to choose again for a different benefit at 6th and 14th level. For more on D&D 5e, check out our other guides below: All D&D 5e books | Everything upcoming in D&D 2024 | D&D vs. Pathfinder | D&D 5e Multiclass Guide | Bard | Fighter | Wizard If you click on a product link on this page, we may earn a small affiliate commission.

D&D 2024 rules revision explained: Player’s Handbook, DMG & Monster Manual Wizards of the Coast2024 marks the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, and to mark the occasion, Wizards of the Coast is celebrating the trailblazing roleplaying game’s past, present, and future. In addition to various 2024 D&D releases featuring adventures, villains, and stories from the game’s past, Wizards is looking ahead with a massive rules overhaul coming this year. This project has been in the works for a while now, with public playtests of new material starting back in August 2022. With more information coming out about the new books, here’s everything you should know about Dungeons & Dragons‘ 2024 rules revision. Table of Contents What is D&D’s 2024 rules revision? – D&D’s 2024 rules revision release date & price – Player’s Handbook (2024) changes – Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024) changes – Monster Manual (2025) changes – What is D&D’s 2024 rules revision? The 2024 rules revision is comprised of new overhauled versions of the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual that are meant to improve both the gameplay experience and the usefulness of these resources. Dungeons & Dragons has grown a lot during the ten years since the Fifth Edition was released. The game finally found mainstream success thanks to a mix of actual play shows like Critical Role, greater pop culture exposure through shows like Stranger Things and last year’s film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and (of course) 5e’s incredibly approachable rules. Still, the designers of D&D will be the first to tell you that they’ve learned a lot in that time. But rather than closing the door on 5e entirely, they chose to update the core game in a way that’s backward compatible with all those expansions, supplements, and adventures players have been enjoying for the past decade. D&D’s 2024 rules revision release date & price The three books comprising the 2024 rules revision will be released between late 2024 and early 2025. Note that these books will be available two weeks early if you pre-order on D&D Beyond or at participating local game stores. These dates are listed in parentheses after the bolded wide release date. Player’s Handbook (2024) – September 17, 2024 (September 3, 2024) – Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024) – November 12, 2024 (October 29, 2024) – Monster Manual (2025) – February 18, 2025 (February 4, 2025) – All three of the revised Core Rulebooks will be available to preorder from the D&D Beyond Marketplace starting on June 18, 2024. While these books will be larger to account for the additional artwork and larger typeface, the price will remain the same as the 2014 books at $49.95 each. Though the 2024 rulebooks are not yet available for pre-order, we’ve included links to where you can find the current Fifth Edition rulebooks for any newcomers who can’t wait to get started with their Dungeons & Dragons adventures! D&D Game Design Architect Chris Perkins explained the staggered release schedule to us during Gary Con 2024. He called releasing the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual all at once in 2014 “punishing” both in terms of development and getting the massive final product to retailers. Player’s Handbook (2024) changes Arguably the most important book, the revised Player’s Handbook is the first new core rulebook players will be able to get their hands on. This new rulebook includes everything veteran players and newcomers need to get started, from an explanation of the rules to character options. The cover, pictured above, shows a party of adventurers facing off against a red dragon with the help of a gold dragon – a subtle reference to the game’s 50th (or “golden) anniversary. One major change to the PHB is how its chapters are ordered. Rather than opening up with character creation, the revised book will start by explaining gameplay to teach new players how to play without overwhelming them with other information. There are also more character options and artwork for all subclasses, the latter of which wasn’t possible the first time around due to budget constraints. To make the book easier to use, the PHB will have a rules glossary as a helpful reference tool. The Player’s Handbook (2024) also makes changes based on player feedback. For example, criticism of 5e’s weapon system and backgrounds have led to new rules that make both mechanics more interesting. Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024) changes Similar to the PHB, the Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024) will shift the chapter order around. Instead of starting with worldbuilding and how to create a campaign, the new DMG will open with the basics. Then, after giving readers a clear idea of what the game is and what the DM’s responsibilities are, it gets into how to create your own content. There are also some new rules, such as Bastions, which were playtested late last year. The book will also contain sample adventures and a campaign setting said to be highly customizable. More info on that will be revealed this summer. Finally, the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide will include a lore glossary. This will help those who are unfamiliar with staple characters and locations like Orcus and Ravenloft, the glossary makes the DMG a great resource for this information. D&D Design Architects Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford have been discussing what they would change about the 2014 DM’s Guide since just after it shipped. For example, the current DMG does not explain what a DM screen is or how to use one. Monster Manual (2025) changes Last but not least is the Monster Manual (2025). Like the other revised books, this will be a new and improved resource that adjusts current monsters and fills some missing gaps in terms of challenge rating (CR) and creature type. This includes the Blob of Annihilation and Arch Hag, which are a CR 20 Ooze and Fey, respectively. Importantly, no monsters will have their CR changed, as doing so would create balance issues that interfere with Wizards’ backward compatibility promise. However, the designers are rechecking the “monster math” to ensure creatures really reflect their CR. The new Monster Manual will also include more NPC stat blocks, as the current ones are frequently used but stop being useful at middle and high-level play. D&D head of art Josh Herman also told us about what to expect from the Monster Manual’s artwork. He estimates there are at least 300 new pieces in the book, which are meant to help players and DMs better visualize these creatures and how they function in-game. We’ll update this page when more information becomes available, so stay tuned for more details on the future of Dungeons & Dragons! If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.