This time we address a hot button issue for many players and GM’s alike, and that’s banning elements of TTRPG play. We’ll take a look at the what, why, when, and how GM’s might make that decision, and offer some insights and advice regarding bans and why they might be issued.

A good RPG system will often have a wide selection of equipment which might be available in a setting, with systems using magic not being shy in the way of magical items. There are more kinds of magic item than you could ever loot in most campaigns, but sometimes even these robust reliquaries or arcane assemblies don’t fill all the niches and variations that we could see in TTRPG play. In this episode we discuss homebrewing items; what it can add... What does it feel like? How would you go about it?

The basic question being asked in this episode is “What does this level-up look like?” Not meant to be a “how you should play” as much as an additional tool in your TTRPG kit to be used if you like. We explore what leveling up feels like in D&D-like systems as related to story/RP-based elements of character growth.

We’re hitting the monster workshop this episode, taking a look at what approaches might inspire and motivate GM’s in homebrewing foes. Moving away from sourcebooks and established lore can be a very daunting prospect, but one doesn’t have to re-invent the wheel in order to bring fresh blood to your combat encounters.

Another installment in our lineage hot-take series brings us to orcs and dragonborn. These are two lineages which certainly brought new flavor and abilities for players to choose from; diverging from the classic demi-human set of Tolkien tropes (good, bad, or indifferent) and connecting PCs to classic, iconic enemies/monsters. At least one of these Guides remembers when humanoids dropped into ‘official’ play with a supplement full of playable “monsters”, how popular they were with both existing and new players.

Back for another set of monster profiles we introduce two which often are found to share a scene or two. Iconic in their own right, we take a glimpse at hags & trolls and the foul, wretched countenance they both embody. When played right, these foes can provide some of the most memorable encounters and story arcs. Whether BBEG or unlikely “ally”, hags deserve to be more than a random encounter; while trolls can present as something quite typical in their nature to downright horrific and distorted. Both deserve careful planning or unique approaches to how they present in the world, and your story.

We take another look at one of our favorite systems, one which stole our attention for nearly a year. Back again to TSR’s Marvel Super Heroes, featuring the FASERIP Attribute array which is so iconic for this great old-school system. We gush and rave as we share stories and delights from one of the most “sandbox” systems this GM has experienced.

Always a solid choice for some comic relief and uncanny hijinx, gnomes and halflings often provide great satisfaction from both a roleplay aspect, and as far as interesting traits and abilities. Carrying on with our examination of the various lineages available in 5e D&D, we find ourselves facing the pluckiest, luckiest, and clever---est beings of them all.