On multiple occasions throughout the years my friends and I have discussed how to best insert alchemy into D&D. Across each edition, alchemy has taken different forms. Sometimes it’s presented as a skill. The (awesome) potion miscibility table in AD&D was a form of alchemy in its own right. And in fourth edition, various alchemical compounds found their way into the consumables catalog along with potions, scrolls, and whetstones. Now that I’m playing fifth edition, one of my players asked how he might mix a little alchemy into his bard’s bag of tricks. That sounded like a good excuse to dream up a little sub-system that might work as part of the game. In the spirit of a more “hackable” D&D, I thought I would share those ideas here.
Category: dndnext
5th Edition so far…
It’s probably been almost two years since I started reading about D&D Next. It has been fascinating to see the game evolve over that time – reading discussion forums and comment threads debating the merits of Vancian spell casting, flattened math, and a more flexible, “hack-able” framework. Now that I have two of the three core rulebooks, and have played about 20 sessions, I am happy to report that D&D “5th Edition” has renewed my love for the game. It’s awesome and my favorite edition so far.
That’s not to say that I wasn’t really enjoying 4th Edition. I was. Playing 5E just feels right… it flows in a way that 4th didn’t but doesn’t turn its back on the things that 4E got right. Lots has been said about this edition and others… I’ve enjoyed playing each one, and am now enjoying the modern incarnation.
Being excited about the new edition has also stirred my interest in creating content for my game and contributing more to the community. I know a few people have occasioned across this space over the past year and I hope that you’ve found something useful on your visit. Now that I’m playing and creating more, I hope to add more frequently.
Until then, keep a d20 close and keep rolling.
D&D Next Character Sheet
As I prepare to kick off a new D&D Next (playtest) inspired campaign I went looking for the community’s ideas on alternative character sheets. The one in the playtest packet gets the job done, but I tend to dislike the one-size-fits-all approach to record sheets. More after the break… but this is a snapshot of what I’ve come up with:
Strange Dice 