CHAINMAIL: 02.24.2023
Including - Practical Polytheism; Play Counter Strike, Make Better D&D Dungeons; and Writing Monsters.
Practical Polytheism - A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry
Polytheism as it is generally represented in D&D is wrong. It's not at all how polytheism actually worked historically. If you don't believe me, listen to Dr. Bret C. Devereaux. These articles have dramatically altered how I design gods, pantheons, and religious practices in my settings and I think they will prove to be just as useful for you.
Counter-Strike, D&D, Baron De Ropp. What a combo. This is a fantastic dive into Janelle Jacquays' work and why she should be your favorite dungeon designer.
Writing Monsters
"I think that at some point, when we became thinking creatures, we decided to interpret the world by creating a mythology of gods and monsters. You know, we created angels, we created demons, we created serpents devouring the moon. We created a mythology to make sense of the world around us. And monsters were born at the same time...they became a metaphor for something else. Obviously, monsters are living, breathing metaphors."
It's one thing to balance out your monsters' stats, write up interesting flavor, and give them unique tactics to surprise your players. If you want to elevate your game to the next level, then you need to understand that your monsters should also act as metaphors. They should represent something beyond just a spooky bag of hit points. If that deeper perspective on monster design interests you, then you'll dig this book.
I hope these resources inspire you! See you next week.