Best 4e Dungeons & Dragons Blogs
There is no doubt the current version of Dungeons & Dragons is very popular at gaming tables. This also means that 4th Edition has a strong presence among roleplaying game blogs as well. I want to take the time to recognize a handful of blogs which I believe represents the best that the 4e D&D Blogosphere has to offer.
My criterion does not concern popularity even though these blogs are certainly well read. Nor do I make my choices based upon design and eye candy. I made my decision because the following blogs have actually written material that I have, or want to, use in my own games. I do not like to read content with empty calories, so these blogs deliver the goods.
I present the following five blogs in alphabetical order because I was spending too much time trying to pick which one was better, so readers can effectively consider them all tied for 1st place in my eyes. I also offer the blogs’ categories (where available) to give a quick idea of the types of content provided. If you think I missed someone that should be on this list, speak your mind in the comments.
At-Will
At-Will
I remember when this blog was just one guy and he made his mark by doing skill challenges. Quinn Murphy, At-Will’s owner, and I collaborated with The Core Mechanic’s Jonathan Jacobs on a series called The Skill Challenges of War. We had a pretty good time and the three of us eventually laid the foundation of what is now Nevermet Press.
Now At-Will has several contributors and has expanded their repertoire to include things beside skill challenges. Currently there is a strong interest in articles that talk about utilizing Google Wave as virtual table top. Off the Grid gives examples of how to play 4e without the need of the battlemap. I should also mention that the web design and layout is top notch.
Categories:
- 4e and the Art of the Limit-Break
- How to Design a Skill Challenge
- How to Make a Skill Challenge Fun
- In-Play
- Lore
- Off the Grid
- Path to Victory
- Races
- Skill Challenges
- The New Breed
- The Wave’s the Thing
- Time Stop
Dungeon’s Master
Dungeon's Master
Dungeon’s Master is also a multi-author blog, but ran by Derek Myers (aka Ameron) and Neil Ellis (aka Wimwick). The Dungeon’s Master also has a significant presence when it comes to skills. While many new and interesting skill challenges can be found here, the site also has a skill focus series that provides new ways for players to use skills.
One of my favorite series at Dungeon’s Master is their recently revised original Necromancer class, complete with powers for heroic, paragon, and epic tiers. I love necromancers, but regardless of my bias, Dungeon’s Master deserves to be on your 4e reading list.
Categories:
- Book Reviews
- Class Discussions
- DM Resources
- Eberron
- Editorial
- Humour
- Modules
- Month in Review
- Pearls of Wisdom
- Player Resources
- Skill Challenges
- Technology
- Top 10
Newbie DM
Newbie DM
The Newbie DM blog is obviously focused on providing advice and support to new dungeon masters. Enrique, the Newbie DM, has had some classic posts of the DIY nature, including how to make your own gaming tokens and most recently a series on creating your own battlemaps by guest cartographer, Jonathan Roberts. One of Enrique’s articles was published in Obsidian Portal’s Guest Blogger feature recently.
The Newbie DM also masterminded the RPGBN Setting, a site where members of the RPG Blogger’s network contribute to a shared campaign setting. I also like his 1d12 Series where he asks a random number of questions (as determined by a d12) of various industry professionals.
Categories:
Sly Flourish
Sly Flourish
One of the problems I always hear 4e DMs complain about is their inability to instill the fear of death in their players. Frankly, I think it’s a lack of imagination or a fear of actually killing the players. I’m not burdened with either, but for those DMs looking to get the most out of their monsters, I point you to Mike Shea’s Sly Flourish.
I love his new Monster Optimization series of articles where he creates encounter groups that complement each other while still making sense. The Bodak and Wight optimization is bookmarked for future reference. Mike also does Twitter Tips, tweets of DM tips that might enhance your game. Did I mention Mike also utilizes the ever bad-ass Dwarven Forge terrain? He has pictures!
Categories:
BAH! Sly Flourish must not have friendly categories turned on. Mike, if you read this, I highly recommend adding categories or tags.
Spirits of Eden
Spirits of Eden
Wyatt Salazar, err Dennis Santana, runs the Spirits of Eden, a blog that details his Spirits of Eden campaign setting. Spirits of Eden is basically a setting framework that gives DMs and players enough detail to get started but leaves enough mystery to allow groups to it their own without becoming tangled in a meta-plot or an overabundance of canon.
I should note that Dennis is also a contributor to Nevermet Press, but that had no bearing on my decision to include his site on this list. Dennis is a superior writer and Spirits of Eden is a fine vehicle to show off his design chops too (which makes me happy to have him on our NMP team). Did I mention he licenses Spirits of Eden under a Creative Commons license? That’s cool.
Categories:
You should really check out the Spirits of Eden basic setting & expanded setting for a table of contents of what’s available.
Listening to: Fear Factory – Mechanize – Powershifter
Announcing the Skillforge
The Skillforge
Quinn Murphy of At-Will is busy guy. Not only is he a prolific blogger on At-Will, but he has created the 4e D&D specific forums 4eTopia and now he is introducing the Skillforge. The Skillforge consists primarily of two things: The RSS feed with the latest skill challenge articles from a number of blogs, and a database application that lets the community share skill challenges. The Skillforge is currently barebones since it just went live.
So while the database portion of the site has yet to be grown, the feed portion works pretty well. It is of course dominated by many of Quinn’s very own articles on Skill Challenges (I consider him the RPGBN’s resident authority on Skill Challenges), but if you have any Skill Challenge related articles, I recommend you contact Quinn and ask how you can share your stuff (tag any SC posts as “skill challenge” and give him the feed for that category).
Of special note is a FREE PDF that compiles the 14 part Skill Challenges of War series Jonathan, Quinn, and I collaborated on way back in December and January. Yeah, that is before anything on the subject ever showed its face on DDI! Anyways, I finally managed to put together the e-book which can be found for free in the Downloads & Resources section of the Skillforge. So go check it out!
Listening to: Mudvayne – Lost and Found – Happy
gamingRPGBNrpgroleplayingskill challenges
Portrait of a Villain: Mad Archwizard
Mad Archwizard ill. by Crystal Frasier
The Mad Archwizard (aka the Insane Sorcerer) is probably one of fantasy roleplaying games’ most used villain archetype. 90% of the world’s dungeons have been excavated and populated by these nefarious personalities. Many have turned to the cold embrace of undeath to continue their magical studies, picking up the Lich template. Just as many (if not more) become victims of their success as some rare magic they have just discovered ends their mad obsession with obtaining arcane lore. The trick is spinning the cliché into something new and original.
Once again, I would like to thank Crystal Frasier for providing the fantastic illustration accompanying this article. Look for her work in an upcoming issue of Kobold Quarterly (I hope I can say that!).
Xephero Valderann
All I seek are exceptional apprentices to whom I can instill my great knowledge. I invite all seekers of arcane lore to my school, the Arcane Academy, where I unlock their potential with the Art to become great wizards. I am the 10th headmaster of a long line of powerful wizards. All one must do to enroll in my academy is to sign this application…
Background
The Arcane Academy has been around for around five hundred years and has a tradition of changing headmasters every fifty years. Xephero is the tenth such headmaster, who has all had a reputation for being loony, but commanding a large measure of loyalty from his students. In fact, no student to date has ever spoken about their time at the academy, merely stating that if one wants to know more they should apply with the headmaster.
The truth of the matter is that Xephero is actually the founding headmaster and is over five hundred years old. Xephero has gone by many names, but he often reverts back to his original given name which he claims currently. Xephero created the Academy because during his obsessive search for arcane power, he became cursed by the patron deity of magic.
Xephero had reached what he considered the pinnacle of mortal achievement in the studies of Arcane Lore. Not one spell, ritual, or tome had escaped his research. So he prepared an ancient ritual for communing with the gods, thinking to impress the deity of magic.
During his commune the deity of magic, Xephero demanded to be shown the divine secret of magic, thus ensuring his ascension to godhood. The god of magic was enraged at Xephero’s hubris and placed a curse upon him:
You shall truly be known as the greatest wizardly instructor of the Art, for you shall be compelled to instill your vast knowledge upon any apprentice who seeks it. You shall never be able to expand your precious knowledge, only share what you have learned thus far. This shall be your fate until the Prodigy surpasses your achievements in the Art.
Motivations & Goals
Xephero is under divine geas to teach anyone who wishes to learn from him, but he makes an effort to seek out the most talented apprentices in the land to enroll in his Academy. By doing so, he hopes to discover the prodigy destined to surpass him. Every generation, he chooses his most promising student to become the next headmaster. Then during a secret ritual, he traps the soul of the student in a crystal and possesses the student’s body, thus preventing anyone from surpassing his achievements.
When a student signs the application for enrollment, she is magically bound to defend Xephero from all threats while attending the Academy as well as being sworn to secrecy about anything she learns or hears within its walls. With the magical contracts, Xephero hopes to ensure his continued existence free from external peril.
The life of a student of the Academy is harsh and full of work. Xephero pushes the students to their limits and his motivation is twofold. One, since he can no longer expand his arcane knowledge, he uses the students’ discoveries to increase his powers, though he has been unsuccessful at reproducing any student discoveries. Two, he actually tries to make the students’ life as miserable as possible so they will quit and leave the Academy, keeping him from having to share his knowledge.
His previous research indicates that there may be an ancient artifact powerful enough to sever the geas the god of magic placed upon him. However, since he is forever busy instructing apprentices, he is unable to look for it. He has sent several groups of adventurers to retrieve it, but none have ever found it. The years have not been kind, and Xephero becomes more fanatic every year the artifact goes unfound
Organization
The Arcane Academy is home for anywhere from ten to twenty students at any time. The turnover rate is quite high, as not many students have the determination to subject themselves to the rigors that Xephero puts them through.
Because of the contract, they are all required to defend Xephero to the death should any aggressors attack the mad Archwizard. They are all wizards ranging from level 1 to 25. Also, the contract swears them to secrecy, even after quitting the school, which leaves much mystery to anyone requiring knowledge of the interior or inner workings of the Academy.
The only way to free the students from being bound by the contracts is to find them and dissolve them with acid. Once the contracts are dissolved, students will be governed by their own free will, which could mean they might defend Xephero out of self interest.
Hooks
The mother of an apprentice of the Academy, a noblewoman who serves as a priestess of the goddess of healing, has been receiving visions about her son. In her vision, her son has been imprisoned in a cage of glass. All of her correspondence goes unanswered from the Academy, and she fears the worst.
A power artifact is rumored to be held by an elder black dragon in the swamps to the south. A band of worthy heroes are being sought to recover the Quill of Fate before the dragon discovers its fate and uses it. The ancient relic is supposedly capable of rewriting one’s fate should he know what his destiny truly is. The Arcane Academy is willing to store and protect the artifact.
The player characters are in need of a rare ritual to cure a deadly disease. They have heard the Arcane Academy houses much lore and may have the ritual in question, but the headmaster requires enrollment.
Check out some other villains hiding out on the web this week:
The Core Mechanic’s Morgan Le Fay
Listening to: Machine Head – The Burning Red – Nothing Left
gamingD&DrpgroleplayingvillainsNevermet Press
Acario Macellarius IX [Heroic Tier]
Here is the heroic tier version of the Tyrant King, Acario Macellarius IX. I detailed the background, motivations, and hooks surrounding this nefarious villain in my Portrait of a Villain: Tyrant King article. I have left out any details that I have worked into the character stats that would just further clutter the statblock, such as Feats and Class Features.
Acario deviates a little from a standard 10th level Elite, but this is because he is considered as the main antagonist and was built much like I would a player character.
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| HP 185; Bloodied 92 | ||||||
| AC 32; Fortitude 18, Reflex 22, Will 23 | ||||||
| Speed 6 | ||||||
| Action Points 1 | ||||||
| Oath of Enmity (Minor; encounter) ♦ Avenger Feature | ||||||
| PHB2 p34 | ||||||
| Channel Divinity: Divine Guidance (Immediate Interrupt; encounter) ♦ Avenger Feature | ||||||
| PHB2 p34 | ||||||
| M Vicious Execution Axe (Standard; at-will) ♦ Basic Attack | ||||||
| Attack: +12 vs. AC Hit: 1[W] + 3 |
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| r Eldritch Blast (Standard; encounter) ♦ Warlock Attack 1 | ||||||
| PHB p132 (via Multiclassing) Attack: +11 vs. Reflex Hit: 1d10 +6 |
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| r Radiant Vengeance (Standard; at-will) ♦ Avenger Attack 1 | ||||||
| PHB2 p35 Attack: +12 vs. Reflex Hit: 1d8 + 7 |
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| m Bond of Retribution (Standard; at-will) ♦ Avenger Attack 1 | ||||||
| PHB2 p35 Attack: +15 vs. AC Hit: 1[W] +7 |
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| m Avenging Echo (Standard; encounter) ♦ Avenger Attack 1 | ||||||
| PHB2 p35 Attack: +15 vs. AC Hit: 1[W] +7 |
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| m Temple of Light (Standard; daily) ♦ Avenger Attack 1 | ||||||
| PHB2 p36 Attack +15 vs. AC Hit: 2[W] +7 |
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| Distracting Flare (Move; encounter) ♦ Avenger Utility 2 | ||||||
| PHB2 p36 | ||||||
| m Halo of Fire (Standard; encounter) ♦ Avenger Attack 3 | ||||||
| Attack: +15 vs. AC Hit: 2[W] + 5 |
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| m Dawn Fire Sigil (Standard; daily) ♦ Avenger Attack 5 | ||||||
| Attack: +15 vs. AC Hit: 2[W] +7 |
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| c Wrath of the Divine (Immediate Reaction; daily) ♦ Avenger Utility 6 | ||||||
| PGB2 pg38 | ||||||
| m Blade Step (Standard; encounter) ♦ Avenger Attack 7 | ||||||
| PHB2 p38 Attack: +15 vs. AC Hit: 2[W] +6 |
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| m Enduring Strike (Standard; daily) ♦ Avenger Attack 9 | ||||||
| PHB2 p38 Attack: +15 vs. AC Hit: 3[W] + 6 |
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| Eye of Justice (Minor; encounter) ♦ Avenger Utility 10 | ||||||
| PHB2 p39 | ||||||
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| Skills Acrobatics +14, Athletics +14, Perception +15 | ||||||
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| Equipment Vicious Execution Axe +3 (AV p9), Irrefutable Hide Armor +2 (AV p47), Symbol of Vengence +2 (AV p91) |
Listening to: Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile – Into the Void
gamingD&Dd20rpgroleplayingdungeons and dragonsvillains
Portrait of a Villain: Tyrant King
Tyrant King ill. by Crystal Frasier
Acario Macellarius IX
These people survive because I have gifted them with law and order. They who usurped this very throne upon which now I sit from my family a century ago had allowed the decadence benevolence to deteriorate my kingdom. The borders shrank as invaders carved up the countryside unchallenged while the aristocracy grew fat and lazy on the taxes that never made it to the royal coffers.
The people should hail me as a hero for executing those noble thieves and reclaiming the lands that belonged to my ancestors. But instead they hate me and speak of revolution behind closed doors. Well, they shall repay me with sweat and blood as I forge a new empire! Devils be damned…
Background
It has been twenty years since Acario Macellarius IX emerged from familial exile leading his infernal host against the descendents of usurpers. It is now the thirteenth year of his sovereignty, having restored the throne to its rightful heirs.
Acario is the last of a lineage of an exiled king, Acario Macellarius VI, overthrown and banished by the aristocracy of his kingdom. When exiled, the Macellarius family managed to leave with much of the kingdom’s wealth which bought them a barony in the neighboring kingdom where they sought refuge. Many members of the family looked to infernal pacts to increase their power and influence.
Slowly, the Macellarius family expanded their influence and power within borders of their new home, eventually staging a nearly bloodless coup as the Macellarius IX had risen to be a prominent general in that kingdom’s army. However, the Macellarius family had not forgotten about their ancestral home.
During their exile, the Macellarius family had maintained close relationships with sympathetic nobles as well as infiltrating the court and army with their agents. When Macellarius IX marched upon the capital of his ancestral home, almost half of the nobles had been turned or neutralized along with the army. However, there was a long and bloody succession war fought against the remaining units still loyal to the king pretender as well as the remnants of the losers of the coup from his home in exile.
Acario Macellarius is cruel and revels in power, ruling his burgeoning empire with the proverbial iron fist. He was born and bred to be the Macellarius that returned the family to their place as the rulers of their ancestral kingdom. He was corrupted as a youth by the infernal teachings of his mother, but quickly showed an aptitude in battle, becoming the youngest general of his home in exile’s history.
Motivations & Goals
Acario is consumed with expanding his dominion. He has already conquered two kingdoms and is preparing to launch a new campaign against the realm on his southern border. But before he continues his conquest, he is overseeing the construction of his new seat of power, a mighty fortress that perched on a cliff overlooking the fields his ancestral home.
Acario was raised to believe it to be his destiny to become the emperor of the known world and sees himself as a benefactor, bringing law to the lawless. Acario has re-written the law to conform to his vision and has ensured that his laws have been posted in the taverns and common areas throughout his kingdom, as it is in fact the law to do so, regardless to the reality that very few people are literate. He ensures the law is enforced through a large constabulary.
To keep the peasants happy, and therefore reduce the chances of revolution, Acario has established weekly tournaments and games to distract his people from their miserable lives. Some of these games are brutal gladiatorial contests between prisoners and slaves. It was during one of these weekly events that Acario met the woman who he has decided to make his queen.
The Macellarius family is disgusted at his interest in this woman, Erin, who is a commoner from one of the outlying villages, thinking she is below his station. His family has encourages Acario to marry a noble and take Erin as a mistress, but he will not hear of it. Acario has courted Erin for a little over a month now, and she has developed feelings for him as well; they plan to wed by next summer.
Organization
Acario Macellarius IX possesses the crowns of two kingdoms, but has gutted their original infrastructure and established his own. After wiping out much of the old aristocracy, he divided his lands into duchies and appointed trusted family and associates as dukes to govern their operations. These dukes are supported by a small bureaucracy of officials including tax collectors, magistrates, and advisors.
Acario also maintains a large and well trained standing army which has garrisons located strategically throughout his burgeoning empire. To maintain civil peace, Acario has also created a constabulary chosen from the most ambitious locals.
The army that marches with Macellarius IX strikes fear into the hearts of his enemy because of his hellish royal guard unit known as The Possessed. The Possessed are men who have voluntarily (or otherwise) allowed the spirit of devils to warp their mind and body. The ritual to create The Possessed was acquired through a pact with a devil, for which he still owes his first-born son.
Acario also established a network of spies to watch his trusted dukes as well as root out troublesome antagonists and revolutionaries. The spy network is called the Steel Web by those aware of its existence due to the fact that no one can escape it once caught. The Steel Web has usually have members on the local constabulary to assist it in apprehending suspects.
Hooks
Young men and women have been forced into slavery in outlying villages to participate in the weekly games sponsored by a particularly malevolent duke. The PCs must stop the slavers as well as fight in the gladiatorial event to win the slaves’ freedom.
The PCs have been asked to join the constabulary to help keep the peace (and help the Steel Web keep an eye on them). The PCs uncover a cabal of warlocks performing ghastly experiments on pregnant women. If the PCs defeat the cabal, they recover a royal charter to perform the deeds signed by the king.
The Steel Web has deemed the PCs a threat to sovereignty and has dispatched a unit of The Possessed to hunt them down. If the PCs are successful at defeating a Possessed, the devil within him makes a deal to trade information for his freedom. If the PCs barter, they discover that Acario plans to perform a ritual on his innocent queen that will transform their first-born into an avatar of a powerful devil.
The PCs have been recruited by a resistance movement to overthrow Acario. Their first task is to infiltrate an outlying fortress, neutralize the night watch, and raise the portcullis to allow the revolutionaries to storm the fortress with minimal casualties.
The PCs are sent on a secret diplomatic mission to obtain an alliance between the resistance and the realm to the south. Unfortunately, the Steel Web has caught wind is attempting to frame the PCs for an assassination.
The resistance has finally taken the battle to Acario and the PCs must face the tyrant on the field of battle. But Acario is not just a man any longer, he given his mortal shell over to his infernal master and the PCs must defeat him before the devil fully materializes on this world.
Statblock
I have created several statblocks for Acario Macellarius IX, spanning the three 4e Tiers: Heroic, Paragon, and Epic. Due the length and complexity, I don’t want to overwhelm this article, so instead I will release the statblocks throughout the week. I am also working on a 3.5/Pathfinder statblock.
Just to give a taste of how I built Acario, he is based upon the Avenger PC class multiclassed with Warlock and wields the executioner’s axe. Acario definitely shares powers from those classes but I have also created three original powers that are unique to him. Check back later this week to see his statblocks.
Villainous Thoughts
First I want to give a huge shout-out to Crystal Frasier who created the fantastic illustration accompanying this article. Many thanks for providing me the art! Please go check out more of her work at her website, Clockwork Amazon, as well as her illustrated Mutants & Masterminds campaign setting, Emerald City Guard, over at Atomic Think Tank. I can’t say enough about how much I appreciate it!
It is very difficult to create a villain that is at once system/setting generic while actually providing enough detail to use the character in a game. This is my first hard attempt at doing so and I think I came pretty close to my mark, but still feel I could improve.
If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to sound off in the comments section. Also, be sure to check out my partners in villainy:
At-Will - The Song of Flame: Savis Rayn
The Core Mechanic – Portraits of a Villain: Sir Mordred
Exchange of Realities – Villain Spotlight: Zora Aldebar
