CHAINMAIL: 07.14.2023

6 D&D Monster Tactics to Take Your Encounters to the Next Level - D&D Beyond

D&D Beyond articles tend to be hit or miss. Sometimes, they drop fantastic advice to help GMs level up their games. Other times, it's more ad than advice. This article, by Kyle Shire, is the former. It is a great collection of 5E-specific advice for improving combat encounters in your games. It's a super quick read and each section provides great insights.

How to make a GOOD D&D Villain - Pointy Hat

Villains spark our imaginations as GMs and worldbuilders. Arguably, villains are one of the only characters we as GMs get to explore to the extent that our players explore their characters. We can go deep into the villain's backstory, motivations, and ideals; in a way that would be a waste with most other characters. Pointy Hat breaks this down fantastically in the video above. Check it out! Pointy Hat doesn't disappoint.

The Creative Act - Rick Rubin

"No matter what tools you use to create,
the true instrument is you.
And through you,
the universe that surrounds us
all comes into focus."

This isn't a book specifically about DMing or worldbuilding. It's about creativity. Rick Rubin; yes, that Rick Rubin; provides us with a seminal work combining self-help and philosophy that caters directly to the creative. As worldbuilders and writers, we are artists. Our art is the worlds we explore with the people we care about. This book will be a classic, looked back on in the future with great reverence. Do yourself a favor and get this book as soon as you can. Keep it near your writing space, and whenever you get into a slump or feel unmotivated, open it up to a random page. I guarantee you will find something inspiring within.

I hope these resources inspire you! If you haven't already, the best way to stay up to date with everything hothead related is to join the discord. See you next week!