In today's show, our wonderful hosts talked about traps and how to use them in your games in such a way that they are effective and interesting, and don't make the GM look like a complete jerk. Along the same vein, I'd like to talk about environmental hazards.

Environmental hazards are a lot like traps in that they are just sort of "there" for the party to overcome. They don't directly take action against the PCs until they come into contact with it, but they must be confronted when they present themselves as an obstacle. Examples include but are not limited to fires, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, storms, and floods.

An environmental hazard can prove to be dangerous or disruptive to an adventuring party. Rampant fires can burn PCs, potentially to death, as well as destroy places or objects, or at the very least make them inaccessible for a time. Floods are likewise potentially disastrous, and I've actually had a player in one of my campaigns loose their character to a torrentially flooded river the he (stupidly) tried to cross while wearing heavy armor which hindered his ability to swim.

They can also serve to slow the party down. Travelling through a think forest with no trails can significantly increase travel time, as well as make a journey more exhausting, as you are trying to traverse a great deal of uneven ground while avoiding being tripped by roots or being snagged by brambles. 

Regardless of the purpose you choose to use it for, it is best to know ahead of time how to resolve the effects of the hazard. In D&D  rules for fire or fall damage or other bodily harm inflicted by circumstance and nature are provided in the rules themselves, so this makes the job somewhat easier. That said, you can also use it as a plot point. A good example of this might be a classic horror scenario where a group of people are visiting a cabin in the woods, only to find themselves snowed in, typically while some monster is on the loose. Here, the environmental hazard isn't so much damaging as it is a setpiece that allows the adventure to function properly. If you're interested in seeing how environmental hazards might contribute to a horror scenario, you might consider checking out my Call of Cthulhu solo adventure Alone Against the Tide, where I utilize fog and flooding as tools to further the story and add to the tension of the events.

One other thing to note about environmental hazards is that they are less intentional than traps. Traps are laid out by someone for the purpose of deterring or harming others. Environmental hazards just happen (unless they're caused by an angry deity or spellcaster or somesuch.) This does allow the GM to employ them more readily, as the occurrence of a storm doesn't mean that anyone is out to get the PCs. Sometimes those things just happen. Forest fires could be the result of arson, but it could have just as likely been an accident. Sometimes they have absolutely nothing to do with the plot itself, and simply exist because the world is a lived-in place where things happen. And as inhabitants of the world, the PCs have to find ways to deal with that.



I hope you enjoyed this and the rest of the content by Digital & Dice. For more on monster based traps, head on over to my personal blog and go read up on mimics in my post "Mimics- Fear and Paranoia." Until next time…Game on Internets!

- Draconick, Digital and Dice Contributor

I wanted to take a short break from my background series today to talk about combat. A lot of players (and GMs) tend to view combat as being opposed to roleplaying. In their eyes, you are either roleplaying, or you are in combat. In actuality, you can do both. Roleplaying in combat may be a bit more subtle, but it is nonetheless powerful for that.

First off, examine the decision to engage in combat in the first place. Though most roleplaying games have a strong combat element of some kind, the choice to avoid combat entirely can and should be an option. Most games facilitate this by having a diplomacy mechanic of some sort. While this may not be useful for every situation, it should help to greatly reduce the frequency of combats. Whether or not your character chooses to pursue the dipolomatic option in favor of some good old fashioned murderhoboing says a lot about the character. A character who chooses peace is likely more conscientious and compassionate than one who charges into battle with reckless abandon.

Similarly, how combat is conducted can define your character as well. If your character delights in slaughter and loves to inflict pain on his enemies, he's probably a sadist. If you strike only when necessary and only with enough force as necessary, you are likely careful and cautious. You can also talk up minor details. Maybe your character closes their eyes when they finally execute the swing of their weapon. Perhaps they are squeamish and don't want to see the blood, or perhaps cowardly and just don't want to be "in the moment" during combat. There's also the choice of whether to kill enemy combatants, or simply disable them.

There is also in-combat chatter as a possibility. If you try to coordinate actions by shouting at your party members, it shows your character is likely team-oriented, and has a level enough head to think rationally in combat. In contrast, if you simply yell obscenities at your enemies, it shows that your character might have some unchecked rage or frustrations. Or you could be pleading with your enemies to surrender even as you fight them, because you really don't want to fight them. Think about why your character engages in combat, and how that makes them feel. Speaking in combat is permissible, just don't expect to have a conversation be the full attention.

I currently DM for one PC who often refuses to fight, and if they do, they never choose to kill any sentient humanoid beings. The reason for this being that they were involved in a war previously, and have seen enough death already, to the point that they are disgusted with it. I have another PC who narrates their actions in such a way that combat seems to be taken with the least effort possible. He's a caster, and often sits there with his hands in his pockets as he casually strolls around the battlefield blast people to pieces without a thought. And I have yet another PC who delivers zippy one-liners in combat, because his character needs to flaunt his superiority. Each of these players use combat to say something about their characters, and they do a fine job of it. Don't look at combat as the necessary dead space between roleplaying, or even as a fun diversion from it. See it as part of the roleplaying. Because when you are in character, everything you do is an extension of who you are, even fighting.



I hope you enjoyed this and the rest of the content by Digital & Dice. For more on this topic, see how weapons and equipment can be used to flesh out a character by visiting "Weapons Choice: Beyond the Sword & Board"  over on my personal blog. Until next time…Game on Internets!

- Draconick, Digital and Dice Contributor

The Midnight Game is supposedly a pagan ritual used to punish those who violate the rules of the faith that it belongs too. However, recently it seems that some have taken to performing the ritual as a game, usually to disastrous end.

The ritual is performed by writing your full name at exactly midnight and placing a drop of blood on the paper your name is written on. You then place this before a wooden door, and top the paper with a lit candle. You must then knock on the door 22 times before the stroke of 12:0. After this, open the door, blow out your candle, close the door, and relight the candle. The opening of the door allows the Midnight Man into your home. Once he is inside, you will need the candle to protect you from him.

You are now playing the Midnight Game. You must wander your home until 3:33AM, at which point the Midnight Man will leave, and the game is over. If at any point your candle goes out, it is because the Midnight Man is near. You have 10 seconds to relight it before he strikes. If you fail to do so, your only hope is to find or create a circle of salt, which will keep him at bay. If you are forced to use the salt circle, it is imperative that you stay there until the end of the game. even if you manage to relight your candle while inside the circle, using the circle is constitutes a loss of the game. The salt circle is for your own protection.

If you happen to lose the game, either by breaking a rule or by being caught by the Midnight Man, he will show you horrific visions before tearing you apart. Other ways to lose the game include using any sort of artificial light, including electric lights of any kind or a lighter. Attempting to sleep during the course of the game or attempting to make direct contact with or provoke the Midnight Man also result in failure, and almost certain death.

The only way to safely lose the game is to use the salt circle method. Any other failure will result in the Midnight Man ending your life horrifically. Assuming for some reason that the Midnight Man doesn't claim you immediately following an unsafe loss, he will most certainly be watching and will come back for you later.



Using the "Midnight Game" in Your Game:

The Midnight Game is supposedly a ritual, and I think it best to keep with that spirit. I think it interesting to use this as the original idea, which is a punishment. The players violate some obscure belief of a strange people they are visiting, and as justice for their crimes, they must perform the ritual and survive the night. This works well for a fantasy genre game. If you want to run something more modern, consider just keeping the game in it's standard form: Some silly game that people play, with dire consequences.

As far as handling loss, I wouldn't bother with statting the midnight man or anything like that. The rules for the game are there, and everyone gets a fair chance at them. It really isn't about combat. However, it might be worth deciding ahead of time on some sort of chance based system to determine whether the candle can be relit, as well as some system to mark the passage of time. That said, using real time would actually be pretty neat too. Since the Midnight Game takes 3 hours and 33 minutes to play, this is within reason for a gaming session in itself. A map of the location of the "game" would also be very helpful here, since it is useful for tracking the players' hiding places as well as the location of the Midnight Man, both of which are essential knowledge for running the game.

Also, for the GMs out there, be prepared ahead of time to narrate some gory deaths and horrific visions. Terrible visions are brought on by the Midnight Man when he catches you, and his preferred method of killing is by ripping out organs one by one, so do with that what you will. The Midnight Game relies a lot on suspense, but unless the players win, that is going to culminate in gruesome death and other horrific description, which might be upsetting to some, but is fairly essential to the myth, and I feel that omitting that in favor of a more "fade to black" death would do a disservice to the themes intended.



​I hope you enjoyed this and the rest of the content by Digital & Dice. Until next time…Game on Internets!

- Draconick, Digital and Dice Contributor

In today's Digital and Dice podcast, our wonderful hosts talked about sharing the spotlight between the players. This largely banks on the players accepting the opportunities that are presented to them, and that their fellow players not upstage them through their own actions. However, they also talked about the work the GM has to do to craft these encounters in the first place, and that's what I'd like to focus on here.

As mentioned, it's much easier to leverage the PC's backstories for memorable moments if they have a more comprehensive backstory. While GMs might be able to work from 4 sentences or less, more detail makes our job much easier. If the player does provide information for you, look for key themes. Anything they talk about multiple times or explicitly state as being important should probably be your first choice. If you need to gather more information, consider having your character fill out a brief questionnaire, or filling it out yourself based on their backstories (or your own ideas, preferably with the green light from the player.) I've written on this topic before, and the simple 15 question list I have seems to do the trick quite well. Once you have your information at hand, you're ready to extract it.

Some of the easiest backstory elements to bring up are relationships with people, since the PC might encounter a significant person anywhere in the world, provided that the PC has a reason to travel and that the PC isn't one of those all-too-common tragic individuals with no ties to any living person. As mentioned in today's show, people from the PCs backstory can serve as rival or enemies of the PC, but they can also serve as allies, contacts, or simply as passing distractions. Those conflict often drives plot, sometimes NPCs simply exist for immersion and interaction, and not for exposition or to further the plot. Not every moment needs to be something epic and all consuming. Especially if the player themselves is one of those all-too-common shy folk who inhabit our hobby. Sometimes a casual and quiet encounter is enough for the player. But dropping in that NPC to interact with makes the player feel special and lets them know that you as the GM are thinking of them.

You can also make use of significant locations. As brought up in today's show, this can be a homecoming session where the PCs visit the point of origin of one of their comrades, but it could be any other important place too. The place where the PC trained, or perhaps some special place they just  heard or read about and always wanted to visit. Again, the idea here is to give the player time to shine, however they choose to define that. If they decide that they don't like visiting home, then that's a perfectly fine decision. but what matters is that the GM try to thread that hook for them. While we're still on the topic of locations, this does have the added benefit of allowing for adventure hooks more easily than with an NPC. While ultimately the PCs have to choose to engage with an NPC, at a location stuff can just happen around them. Like it or not, if the PCs hometown happens to be attacked by zombies while they're visiting, the party will have to deal with that. Maybe they want to save the town, or maybe just carve a path out of there to save their own skin. But the zombies are still going to be a problem no matter what. It also serves as a hook for someone who doesn't care about the town. They may not give a damn about the little village, but they may well be interested in knowing where the zombies came from.

Items are another important source of backstory leveraging. Perhaps the PC finds an item they've always been looking for, or maybe they learn to read that strange book they've always been carrying. Players tend to take an interest in loot, so drawing on an item as a source of spotlighting a character can be really rewarding for the player. Maybe that demon sword they found gains sentience and they have to deal with that. Or maybe some little orphan girl just runs up to the PC and offers to share pie. Swords or pie, ultimately the shape of the object doesn't matter, what matters is that the player gets access to some sort of special connection to it.

There are plenty of other sources to be used too. Recently, I've had a PC receive a divinely inspired vision. Beliefs and ideals held by the character can themselves be the source of the spotlight. Maybe the Paladin's morals are tested. Or the Rogue's greed becomes problematic when she is given the chance to sell out her friends for a huge payoff. These are part of who the character is, and they can be used as a way of really giving the player a chance to really show who the character is and to get further immersed in the game. Which is what it's all about really. Getting into the game and enjoying it. And if the player looks at your carefully craft hook and says "This isn't for me." then there's always a chance to try again later with something else, and even if you don't the player will at least know and be grateful that you made the offer.



​I hope you enjoyed this and the rest of the content by Digital & Dice. If you want to read more in direct relation to tonight's show topic, head on over to my personal blog and check out the post "Sharing the Spotlight".Until next time…Game on Internets!

- Draconick, Digital and Dice Contributor

Moving forward through the D&D 5e backgrounds, we pick up on this fine Monday with the Guild Artisan.

What is it?
The Guild Artisan is any sort of craftsman or merchant. The guild you are a part of is effectively a trade or labor union of some kind, and they broker some of your work and otherwise wield intermediary influence.

How can my class use it?
Naturally, anyone of any class can be a Guild Artisan, but of course it may benefit some more than others. It doesn't really have any sort of skew to it the way an Acolyte or a Criminal does, so it would probably be about as likely to see them from any class. Still, there is a handy list of 20 potential guilds in the entry, and some of these may be more suited to one class or another. Bards make decent calligraphers and scribes, as many of them already write down their stories, songs, and poems. Barbarians are probably the least suited for the life of a Guild Artisan, as some primitive societies lack metalworking and the like, but a strong character like a Barbarian would likely make a decent stonecutter or mason. Clerics could chose nearly anything, and their crafting might largely be devotional works to their god. Paintings and sculpture are great sources of religious iconography. Druids will also generally stay away from metalwork, but work in weaving and dying seems right up their alley. Fighters and Paladins might have a desire to maintain and create their own weapons and armor, and so fit naturally into the role of smith. Monks have historically had some ties to brewing, and it might be fun to play this out in game with a brewery based Monk Guild Artisan. Rangers seem like they would make ideal cartographers with all of the traveling they do, and would probably also make decent fletchers and bowyers for the sake of their own equipment. Personally, I love the idea of Rogue Guild Artisans working in the valuable and expensive items such as jewels or painting, and primarily making money by counterfeiting rare and valuable items. Or perhaps being a smith of some kind and minting fake coins by debasing the currency. It just seems like a very Rogue thing to do. Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards fit pretty naturally into the role of alchemist, as that is fairly universally represented as magic-adjacent.

Why should I use it?
Access to Insight and Perception as background skills is really good, since they're arguably two of the most useful ones. Getting a free language is also great, especially for characters like humans who might be lacking in that department. Obviously, getting the ability to use artisans tools of some kind is a major feature that you can also take advantage of, but with the Guild Merchant variant, you could substitute this for another additional language or similar proficiency instead, which may be more useful to you. Also, your Guild Membership feature is possibly one of the better features that exists. The guild offers lodging and networking, giving you a place to stay as well as access to hirelings and employers. There is also the added benefit of the guild supporting you through any legal troubles. This does come at the cost of 5gp per month, but seeing as Guild Artisans start with 15gp, your first 3 months are basically paid. Not to mention that as an adventurer, 5gp a month is practically nothing, even if you struggle to make your membership dues by your artisan's trade alone.

What if I play a system other than D&D?
The key here is to present your character as a craftsman or merchant. You will likely be money-motivated, but no matter what you should have a craft and engage in it, or busy yourself with sales and merchanting. To faithfully hold to the ideas of the Guild Artisan, having some sort of trade association or organization is a good idea. In sci-fi settings, this might be some interstellar corporation, and in modern settings it could easily be an actual trade or labor union. As long as you are an active participant in the economy, this is likely the right path for you.



​I hope you enjoyed this and the rest of the content by Digital & Dice. Until next time…Game on Internets!

- Draconick, Digital and Dice Contributor

Since I've already covered today's show topic on my personal blog, I thought I'd dig in to the question answered on today's show. This means we're talking about curses.

Curses can be used as a plot point, or as a plot in and of itself. Having the characters be cursed by some powerful spell or entity could be the impetus for adventures, as they may have to research means to break the curse, and then find the necessary items or ingredients to do so. The effects of the curse might even facilitate certain actions by the players. For example, if the PCs are cursed by an evil demon, there might be a mind-altering component of the spell that requires them to shed blood every day to appease the demonic overlord who holds sway over them. They could then take this and decide that fighting the minions of this demon are the best way to keep from having to kill innocents while simultaneously working towards breaking the curse.​ Or maybe the players themselves aren't the ones that are cursed. Last weeks show talked about cursed items, so I'll avoid that, but what about cursed locations? Maybe there is some evil curse that causes a town's crops to wither. With the harvest coming soon, and a harsh winter looming on the horizon, breaking the curse might be the only way to save the town. Any of the things I just mentioned could make for interesting plot hooks, and if fleshed out properly could turn into some pretty fun campaigns.

If you were so inclined, you could tone it down a bit though and not make your entire game about curses. Instead, inflicting the curse on a particular character could provide them for an interesting roleplaying opportunity as they have to deal with whatever effects the curse might have. Alternatively, you could curse the entire party, but only for a short time. This might serve as a bonding experience for them all, and help bring the characters closer together. I've actually played in a campaign that started off this way, and though that campaign was ultimately pretty unsuccessful, the manner in which the curse was used was certainly different and interesting.

Put another way, curses allow the GM to be a complete jerk to the PCs in a way that isn't strictly malicious toward the enjoyment of the players themselves. If there's a good reason for the curse, it can serve as an interesting set piece for adventuring. Just don't lean on it too heavily, because using curses too often or too strongly might lead to some hurt feelings. That's why that campaign I mentioned earlier failed. Though the curse was initially based on a unique premise, the GM used the nature of it to control and corral us in a way that was needlessly restrictive and unfun. So let that be a cautionary tale. It can be done right, just be sure to put some thought into it, and don't let it get overbearing.



​I hope you enjoyed this and the rest of the content by Digital & Dice. Until next time…Game on Internets!

- Draconick, Digital and Dice Contributor

Today we're back with a look at the Folk Hero background for D&D 5e. 

What is it?
Folk Heroes are the voice and hands of the people. The champion of the peasants and the lower classes. They exemplify humble origins leading in to heroic lives. They are destined for greatness, though they certainly do not start with it.

How can my class use it?
Really, any class can make use of the Folk Hero background. It doesn't seem particularly designed for any one class, though the fact that the background skills are animal handling and survival does mean it overlaps with classes like the Ranger, so pairing the two might have some increased versatility due to the overlap rule. Likewise, Druids might find themselves in a similar boat. That said, ever player class has their place in rustic village life, which is what this background seems to suggest. Paladins, Fighters, and Barbarians no doubt serve as protectors of their community, if they are engaged in the work of their class and not some other profession (which is entirely possible, given that the background does grant proficiency with artisan's tools and land vehicles, as well as proficiency with survival- which all suggest working as a rural craftsmen, wagoneer, or farmer/rancher/herder.) Rogues can easily serve in a sort of "Robin Hood" role for the community, acting in secret to further the interests of the people against the oppression of the nobility. Monks and Clerics no doubt tend to the spiritual needs of a community, and Wizards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks all do well in dealing with mystical and magical things on behalf of the community, as well as weaving spells should the need arise.

Why should I use it?
For one thing, proficiency with land vehicles is a part of this background, and it isn't exactly common elsewhere. If you expect to be using these often in your campaign, it might be worth a grab. The Rustic Hospitality feature is the main selling point I think. It states that you can find shelter among commoners pretty much anywhere, and there are commoners pretty much anywhere in the world anyway, barring isolated wilderness. It also stipulates that they will shelter you from the law, which makes this great for characters who perform criminal or illegal acts. Though the commoners who shelter you will not risk their lives on your behalf, it still essentiall provides a sort of safehouse whenever and where-ever you need, especially if you are stealthy enough to hide properly, which again, makes this a great choice for criminal characters.

What if I play a system other than D&D?
There's still plenty of potential here. At it's core, the goal of the Folk Hero is to be a champion of the common man. Think about how your character can use their skills and abilities to help the little guy, preferably at the expense of powerful and selfish elites. Running Robin Hood-esque schemes to hurt the wealthy and benefit the impoverished is a good place to start, but there are plenty of other great examples. Firefly is a pretty good idea of what one might expect here. The crew of the "Serenity" may ultimately be out for theirselves (the party), but they do try to help those who need it, and don't particularly care for the powerful Alliance. Folk Heroes tend to (but not always) exemplify less-than-lawful alignments, since it is often systematic oppression that keeps the people down and in need of a hero in the first place. Approaching the background with a conception of freedom and equality is always a great place to start when trying to paint oneself as a folk hero.



I hope you enjoyed this and the rest of the content by Digital & Dice. Until next time…Game on Internets!

- Draconick, Digital and Dice Contributor

Reptilians are supposedly lizard-like humans who manipulate our world from the shadows. Sometimes called Saurians or Draconians, these beings are usually thought to be of extraterrestrial origin and come from the Alpha Draconis star system.

However, some accounts state that they are creatures that have existed on earth for ages and have possibly inhabited the lost continent of Lemuria. Regardless of where exactly they have come from, some reports date them back to at least the Merovingian Dynasty, which would put them back at least 1500 years into human history.

They are described as lizardlike in appearance, and in their true form they are usually thought to be somewhat taller than a human. They have skin tones ranging from white, to brown, to green, and they possess clawed and webbed fingers. However, you are unlikely to catch them in their true form, as they are master shapeshifters.

Their other abilities include telepathy and thought implanting. Thankfully, they do seem to have something of a weakness or disadvantage. Though unconfirmed, there is evidence that they are unable to directly lie, though they make avoid the question or otherwise mislead you. They also are often described as being blood-sucking, so they perhaps share some similarities with vampires in that they may require a consistent food source.

This would play very well with the agenda of the Reptilian race, which seems to be conquest and manipulation of the earth. They use their shapeshifting powers to assume positions of influence and political strength, and use these positions to control human society to their own ends. They are often said to have ties to secretive shadow government groups, such as the Illuminati or Freemasons.

Using Reptilians in Your Game:

Reptilians are most faithfully represented in their role as leader, deceiver, and manipulator. They would be well suited as antagonists in a game that is based around political intrigue. I think it could be very fun to be playing a game based around investigating influential political figures and trying to uncover the conspiracy and find out which of them are simply misunderstood humans, and which are actually evil alien manipulators trying to crush humanity under their oppressive rule.

This works particularly well in a modern game, since the origin of the myth is of modern conception, but as stated previously, there are claims that the beings are much older, so it would work equally well in a fantasy setting. This could be especially interesting if done in a traditional fantasy sense, where one might use magic to root out these beings.

Though the real threat here is the position of power the creatures inhabit, statblocks for them would not be difficult to find, should one be so inclined. Most games have some sort of shapeshifting race. For D&D I would point you towards the Doppelganger. It is also worth noting that the Serpent People of the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game are designed to have similarities to the Reptilian myth, so they are easily used in this system, which is itself based around investigation mechanics, and would make a good fit for the style of game where these creatures might be best utilized.


I hope you enjoyed this and the rest of the content by Digital & Dice. Until next time…Game on Internets!

- Draconick, Digital and Dice Contributor

In today's Digital and Dice podcast, our hosts spoke briefly about sanity shattering books. Though the idea of forbidden knowledge exists in multiple systems and settings, it is particularly prevalent in Call of Cthulhu, where it can have some pretty severe effects.

Forbidden knowledge is usually acquired through the reading of arcane tomes and other occult texts, which may or may not be cursed themselves. The reader of these books gains an unprecedented insight into the hidden nature of things, though the implications are so staggering that the character walks away forever changed. They may learn a cosmic truth, discover the incantation of powerful spell, or draw the attention of something that they have only just now been made aware of.

Potentially, this is beneficial to the character. Having the option of using a powerful and dangerous spell is probably a good thing, though actually using the spell is another matter entirely. And if there is something else out there beyond mortal scope and ken, it may be good to know about it so that one can prepare themselves against it, particularly if it is malicious.

However, the costs are simply too great. Characters lose their sense of self and their worldview is often shattered. Using spells found in these tomes of arcane lore can bring great harm to oneself or others, or even the world itself, as it is quite common to accidentally summon something more powerful and malicious than you had intended. Playing with forbidden knowledge is the very essence of the age old adage "The path to hell is paved with good intentions." There is enough of a reason to tempt people towards it in the first place, but to acquire the necessary knowledge to use it safely would utterly break the character.

However, the players don't always realize this and dangling the option out there for the players works very well in a game where a high level of lethality might be expected. Dropping bits of forbidden lore are somewhat like the bayonet-key analogy from tonight's show. You might well need the knowledge inside to progress the story and to make it possible to ultimately thwart the lurking terror that exists. But to engage with it at all is a huge burden.

And giving it to your enemies gives them a leg up over the PCs. Your enemies know things the PCs don't and have powers they could never wield, because they have done and are willing to do things beyond what any reasonable person would. This makes the enemies very dangerous, to the party and to themselves.

And this all works outside of horror. In a D&D game I've ran before, the party was made aware that they were going to be encountering a rather dangerous enemy. The party's wizard had come across a spellbook containing a useful spell a few levels over what he was able to cast, but I informed him that he could attempt to cast the spell anyway, at risk of a potentially dangerous miscast. When push came to shove and the dice caused the party to come close to losing the critical fight, the wizard decided to use the spell at great personal risk, nearly killing himself in the process and even then only managing to utilize a weakened version of the spell. It did help them win the encounter, but if he had failed the necessary check any worse, he could have potentially killed himself or others with the sideffects. But introducing the option to him in the first place was a judgement call I made as the GM, and I reasoned that giving the option could only make things more interesting, as the choice of whether or not to use the spell was always on the player. Looking back on it, they should have been able to beat the enemy without using the spell, assuming the dice didn't continue to ruin everything for them.

You could even implement the idea of dangerous knowledge in a more mundane manner. A good example of this would be a political intrigue campaign. if one of the players learns a dark secret about a nobleman and uses that as leverage to blackmail the noble, the noble might retaliate by hiring assassins to silence the player before he leaks the information, because he already knows too much. Though this isn't exactly a curse in itself, it does further the idea that it is dangerous to know. And a whispered word or scrap of writing can be just as dangerous as any cursed sword.



For a look at a very specific magical item that some might consider cursed, I encourage you to take a look at  my post "The Deck of Many Things" over on my personal blog. Until next time…Game on Internets!

- Draconick, Digital and Dice Contributor

Today I'm putting the backgrounds work on hold for just a bit longer, because I want to talk about something else. As you may have guessed from the title, I'm talking about Inspiration points. Inspiration is a mechanic in D&D 5e that rewards players for doing what they're supposed to be doing. A player who plays their character in a spectacular manner my receive inspiration at a vital moment. Depending on how the DM decides to run the game, the DM may be the one awarding the inspiration, or it might be the other players at the table.

But let's talk about how to make inspiration work for you. Inspiration confers advantage on pretty much any roll. Because inspiration is burned after use, it's best to save them for critical moments where failure would be really awful. Examples of this include stabilizing a dying character or succeeding on that skill check to avoid falling into the bottomless chasm below. Failing either of these would mean serious repercussions, so spending inspiration to pass them is probably a good idea. On the other hand, inspiration doesn't accumulate. You either have it or you don't, there is no accruing of multiple instances of inspiration. So use it frequently at critical junctures. Simply put, use it, but not frivolously. 

Also, award it often. If your GM is using the variant where players award inspiration, use it as praise for others when they do things you enjoy or otherwise contribute to the game. This incentivizes the player to continue doing those awesome things you like, and it aids in the success of the player and the group as a whole. Don't be stingy with it.

Most importantly, try to earn it. Even if it is being given freely, you should be playing your character faithfully so as to position yourself for these moments. Don't hog the spotlight, but make sure your character is getting the time and attention they need to shine through and be recognized for their successes.

As always, I focus my advice on D&D because it's the most common tabletop roleplaying game out there, but this also applies to other games. For example, the Warhammer 40K RPG line has a built in fate mechanic that allows for re-rolls or bonuses, which functions similar to the inspiration mechanics present in D&D. The tips above apply to these as well. And if your DM isn't using inspiration or something similar, talk to them about it. As a DM, I myself was skeptical at first, but looking at it now, I don't really see why I was so hesitant.



I hope you enjoyed this and the rest of the content by Digital & Dice. If you would like to read further on this topic, consider checking out my post "Inspiration, Fate, and Meta-Currency" over on my personal blog. Until next time…Game on Internets!

- Draconick, Digital and Dice Contributor