Casting Counterspell feels like snapping your fingers to ruin someone’s fun, which is accurate since the spell’s only component is somatic. It is a controversial spell that robs a character of an action with little downside. But this spell inspires many inquiries on the internet from players who are figuring out finer points about how it works. I’ve compiled the best of those questions and their answers.
Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere is only available on the wizard spell list. As an evocation, it’s predictably a blast spell, but there’s much more to it to keep me interested.
Due to the sheer girth of the spell section of the PHB (and later XgtE/TCoE), some spells that are duds. A spell may be a dud if it’s too circumstantial or just bad compared to other options. I think it’s a healthy exercise to think about these spells and how I would improve them without making them too powerful.
The real-world has plentiful sources of inspiration for how cultures and religions may treat death in a D&D game. DM’s can learn from these summaries and gain inspiration for world building.
Nystul’s Magic Aura (hereafter referred to as “NMA”) is a unique, underused spell. I rarely see it in games. For me, NMA has been especially useful for protecting my PC from detection while magically disguised…
[Update for beasts published as of March 18, 2019] One of the most common monster types is the beast: lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Some powerful spells and abilities summon beasts, speak with beasts, and transform characters into beasts. Unfortunately, there isn’t a centralized reference for all beasts in any D&D manuals, so it …
5e Beast Stats Spreadsheet – Polymorph, Wild Shape, Beast Companions Read More »
After reading this post, you’ll be inspired to transform the bandit cliche into a rich, fun part of your game.
It’s always valuable to discover my players’ perceptions of an adventure; perhaps you and I can learn something together. This Lich Queen mini campaign lasted five sessions and started the players at level 18. Some of the players had used their characters before (Joe, Charles, Andrew), while the others created them new (Luke, Opal, Abby). …
Dethroning the Lich Queen: D&D 5e Mini-campaign Diary Read More »
