Strands & Threads
dm tips
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The Call to Adventure: 5 Reasons Your D&D Character Doesn’t Need Dead Parents
Inspect This Stitch: The Call to Adventure: 5 Reasons Your D&D Character Doesn’t Need Dead ParentsWhile revenge and trauma are powerful motivators, a character with a loving, living family at home offers a richer, more complex vein of drama.
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The High-Stakes Wager
Inspect This Stitch: The High-Stakes WagerThe High-Stakes Wager is a quick, structured mini-game designed to resolve contests of chance or skill in minutes, transforming a boring text description into a memorable, high-octane downtime experience.
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Downtime: Your Guide to Playing the Time Between Adventures
Inspect This Stitch: Downtime: Your Guide to Playing the Time Between AdventuresDowntime is your chance to play your character’s life when they are NOT actively saving the world.
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1. The Anti-Rules Manifesto: Why We’re Putting Story First
Inspect This Stitch: 1. The Anti-Rules Manifesto: Why We’re Putting Story FirstThe rulebook is a powerful tool. If a rule slows down the story, ignore it. The DM is the Chief Storyteller.
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2. HP is a Lie: Running Combat with Narrative Wounds
Inspect This Stitch: 2. HP is a Lie: Running Combat with Narrative WoundsStop tracking HP. Narrative Wounds make combat visceral. The fight should not stop for math. Use descriptive injury states instead of numbers.
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3. Flow State Fighting: Scrap D&D Initiative for Better Combat Flow
Inspect This Stitch: 3. Flow State Fighting: Scrap D&D Initiative for Better Combat FlowStop waiting for fixed initiative numbers. Achieve better D&D Combat Flow using dynamic methods like Popcorn Initiative. Combat should feel chaotic and cinematic.
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4. The Roll-Free Thief: When to Skip the Skill Check
Inspect This Stitch: 4. The Roll-Free Thief: When to Skip the Skill CheckStop rolling dice for basic skill checks. If the character is an expert, they succeed automatically. Reserve dice for moments of true consequence or extreme difficulty.
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5. Magic Without Math: The Sorcerer’s Spell Pool
Inspect This Stitch: 5. Magic Without Math: The Sorcerer’s Spell PoolStop tracking rigid spell slots with charts. Use the flexible Arcane Pool instead. Magic should be immediate, impactful, and based on the caster’s willpower, not math.
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6. The Critical Complication: Failure as the Mother of Invention
Inspect This Stitch: 6. The Critical Complication: Failure as the Mother of InventionEliminate the boring D&D Critical Fail. When failure occurs, succeed with a severe, narrative cost. The story must always move forward with a complication.
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History Check: The Ultimate Guide for Effortless Lore
Inspect This Stitch: History Check: The Ultimate Guide for Effortless LoreA players history check is an invitation to explore your worlds deepest secrets; heres how to reveal just the right amount of lore to make the moment truly matter.
