Dungeon Master Game Notes: Outcasts of Byr, Session 1

I thought it would be interesting to see what everyone's DM notes looked like. Maybe we can learn from each other? Perhaps we can "ooo" and "ah" at each other's genius. Perhaps we can look at wonder at how someone's notes could ever translate into a playable game session. I'm curious!

Below are the beginning game notes for the current session we are playing. I will have to censor some of these because I never know who will see some of the spoilers sooner than intended. The top half is the world notes. Some of it is still intact and it sets the background for the current campaign. This all used an early playtest packet of the D&D Next Open Playtest.

Everything below was ALL I had written down to begin Game Session 1. I had two players at the time. One was playing a changeling rogue and a warforged fighter (both races homebrewed), and the other was playing a dwarf cleric and a human rogue.

Dungeons and Dragons Next: Warforge Errata

After giving it some thought, I decided it was time to reevaluate my Warforged design for D&D Next. I have to admit, though, that I am excited for the day Wizards of the Coast publishes their own design and I can drop this like a ton of bricks.

Why I LOVE Dungeons and Dragons Next!

...as of the 11/13/2012 playtest release. That's a reference point for you who are reading this in THE FUTURE.

Good news, everyone! WotC released ANOTHER playtest packet!
Time to remake all your characters!

An End of an Era

Every week for over a year, with a few exceptions, I wrote Weekly 4th Edition articles to entertain and provide the masses with fun options, equipment, and monsters for their 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons home games.

But, I fear, that time has come to something of an end. It has become increasingly difficult to find something to write about. I don't know if it's life happening or if I just lost my muse or if I'm falling into some kind of emotional trench, but I'm going to have to leave Weekly 4e where it is for now.

This doesn't mean I'm completely hanging up the homebrewing. Whenever inspiration hits enough to write an article, it will happen. The system doesn't matter. If you've been hanging around, you'll know that I've worked in 4th Edition, Dragon Age, Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, and most recently the latest Dungeons and Dragons Next playtest. I'll even take requests. You can shoot me an e-mail at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com and you can also find me on Twitter as @brannonhutchins. I check my Twitter more often than my e-mail, just so you know.

Perhaps the updates will occur weekly again some time in the future. Who knows, maybe once the next edition of Dungeons and Dragons finally hits the shelves, the articles could come back in full swing. Until then, I'll see you around this crazy series of tubes.

DnD Next Playtest: Warforging Ahead

Today's Weekly 4e Homebrew article has been interrupted due to large amounts of DnD Next radiation.

Yo dawg. I heard you like playtests.

Lord in Heaven, help me. One of my closest friends is also my right hand man when it comes to roleplaying. I bounce ideas off of him and he comes up with interesting character concepts. There is only one problem...he HATES classic fantasy races. He finds the combination of dwarves, elves, halflings, and humans to be a bore. He finds it less classical and more generic. He tends to play the weird races like Warforged or Changelings, and less used classes like ninjas.

Consider this article (and any that follow it until the game's official release) an attempt to appease his lame arguments about a game still in the playtest phase. I'm not planning on releasing any more at this time.