Arcane Articles

So you want to write a 5E D&D adventure? Read on for the step-by-step process I've developed over the years for writing an action-packed D&D adventure with as little friction as possible.

What's Shadowdark RPG? Only my favorite way to play D&D, of course. Learn what Shadowdark is and how you can jump in on the gaming and publishing movement behind it.

Sometimes, I write a dud. Here's the story of how I recently wrote an adventure that went nowhere, and how I managed to learn something useful from the whole experience in the end.

The age-old debate of milestone leveling vs. XP leveling! Which one is better? Here we look at the pros and cons of both, plus an entirely new system that blends what I like about each method.

Designing D&D maps can be one of the most challenging parts of writing an adventure. In this article, I show you my process for creating a map, from chaotic scribbles to its final version!

When my character died, it was a reminder that danger and death are critical to making a Dungeons & Dragons game memorable.

How to add tension and excitement to your Dungeon & Dragon game using a concept from screenwriting: the dramatic question!

Has anyone ever asked you whether you're a "sandbox" or "railroad" Dungeon Master? Or maybe you've heard someone say one is superior to the other. In this article, we clear it up once and for all!

If you only have a half hour to design a dungeon for your D&D game, this is the process you want to use. In this article, we write a Five Room Dungeon!

Every DM will face the inevitable need to come up with a compelling NPC on the fly and make it look like it was the plan all along. So how do you go from nothing to a clever, sassy potion vendor in a matter of seconds? 

Have you ever had a spell completely derail your entire D&D adventure?

I've heard a few horror stories, including one where a druid used speak with animals and a few pointed questions to uncover the adventure's surprise villain within the first ten minutes.

Publish D&D adventures legally with the Open Game License (OGL) and 5E Systems Reference Document (SRD)! A primer on how to publish D&D material as a third-party writer while remaining lawful good.