A D&D dungeon master's resource blog by Lucas Cockerham.https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-encounter-at-blackwall-keep/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-encounter-at-blackwall-keep/A guide to running Encounter at Blackwall Keep, the third Age of Worms adventure — the keep siege, the Mistmarsh lizardfolk diplomacy, and the terrifying Spawn of Kyuss confrontation.Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-three-faces-of-evil-part-4/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-three-faces-of-evil-part-4/Part 4 of the DM guide to The Three Faces of Evil — the kenku-filled Labyrinth of Vecna, the Faceless One's escape, and a full 5e stat conversion of the Ebon Aspect boss fight.Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-three-faces-of-evil-part-3/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-three-faces-of-evil-part-3/Part 3 of the DM guide to The Three Faces of Evil — the pitch-dark Caves of Erythnul, from the grimlock ambush on the ledge to the showdown with Gralluck Kur's hallucinogenic shrine fire.Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-three-faces-of-evil-part-2/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-three-faces-of-evil-part-2/Part 2 of the DM guide to The Three Faces of Evil — a room-by-room breakdown of the Dark Cathedral (Hextor's temple), with a dynamic enemy response table showing how the cult reacts to the intrusion.Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-three-faces-of-evil-part-1/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-three-faces-of-evil-part-1/Part 1 of the DM guide to The Three Faces of Evil — the modified Call to Action using Balabar Smenk as a coercive villain hook, and detailed notes on infiltrating the Dourstone mine.Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/running-the-age-of-worms-adventure-path/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/running-the-age-of-worms-adventure-path/A master index of all Age of Worms content on this blog — reviews, DM guides for each adventure, and supplements for the classic Greyhawk adventure path, updated as new posts are published.Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-whispering-cairn-part-3/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-whispering-cairn-part-3/Part 3 of the 5e DM guide to The Whispering Cairn — the outside interlude, interrogating Kullen's grave robbers at the Feral Dog, and defeating Filge the necromancer at the abandoned observatory.Sun, 04 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-whispering-cairn-part-2/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-whispering-cairn-part-2/Part 2 of the 5e DM guide to The Whispering Cairn — the false tomb's seven-lantern puzzle, the deadly Screaming Mouth trap, the underwater Laborer's area, and Alastor's haunted gauntlet.Sun, 28 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-whispering-cairn-part-1/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-the-whispering-cairn-part-1/Part 1 of the 5e DM guide to The Whispering Cairn — the tomb entrance, wolf den, and Gallery of Seven Lanterns, with room-by-room checks, 5e trap conversions, and stat block recommendations.Sun, 21 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/player-s-guide-to-diamond-lake/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/player-s-guide-to-diamond-lake/A player-facing setting guide to Diamond Lake, the corrupt Greyhawk mining town at the heart of the Age of Worms adventure path — key NPCs, rival mine managers, and notable locations.Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/review-of-the-three-faces-of-evil-from-the-age-of-worms-adventure-path/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/review-of-the-three-faces-of-evil-from-the-age-of-worms-adventure-path/A detailed review of The Three Faces of Evil, the second Age of Worms adventure — a dungeon crawl through three evil cults that is better than its lackluster reputation suggests.Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/review-of-the-whipering-cairn-from-the-age-of-worms-adventure-path/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/review-of-the-whipering-cairn-from-the-age-of-worms-adventure-path/A detailed review of The Whispering Cairn, the first Age of Worms adventure — an excellent tier 1 dungeon crawl with clever trap design, satisfying out-of-dungeon interlude, and important Greyhawk lore.Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/running-the-vault-of-dragons-from-waterdeep-dragon-heist/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/running-the-vault-of-dragons-from-waterdeep-dragon-heist/Post-mortem on running the Vault of Dragons finale of Dragon Heist — tips on the enthralling fresco, negotiating with Aurinax, and balancing the climactic Manshoon fight with Doom Raider backup.Tue, 22 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/random-guilds-of-waterdeep/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/random-guilds-of-waterdeep/A d100 random table of all 44 Waterdhavian guilds for quick scene-building, plus a comparison of how ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude each generated the table from the same raw guild list.Wed, 05 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/5e-adventure-database/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/5e-adventure-database/A growing Notion database of 5e published adventures rated by quality and portability — currently covering Storm King's Thunder, Dungeon of the Mad Mage, and Tales from the Yawning Portal.Tue, 07 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/the-mystery-of-maerlon-s-tower-tools-for-running-a-hybrid-adventure/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/the-mystery-of-maerlon-s-tower-tools-for-running-a-hybrid-adventure/A review of tools for running a hybrid D&D session — VorpalBoard streaming, Dwarven Forge Watchtower terrain, a Jabra speakerphone, and miniature recommendations for Mystery of Maeralon's Tower.Fri, 27 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/building-the-mystery-of-maeralon-s-tower-with-chatgpt/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/building-the-mystery-of-maeralon-s-tower-with-chatgpt/An honest look at using ChatGPT to flesh out a custom Dragon Heist adventure, covering what AI does well (saving prep time) and poorly (magic item balance and WotC house style).Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/the-mystery-of-maeralon-s-tower-a-waterdeep-dragon-heist-faction-quest/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/the-mystery-of-maeralon-s-tower-a-waterdeep-dragon-heist-faction-quest/A complete Dragon Heist faction quest — The Mystery of Maeralon's Tower, a four-floor wizard tower with a wild magic zone, animated ballista, stone cursed, clockwork iron cobra, and mimic.Fri, 06 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/preparing-a-waterdeep-dragon-heist-campaign/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/preparing-a-waterdeep-dragon-heist-campaign/Practical lessons from ten sessions of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist — gold pacing, faction assignments, villain selection, season choice, and the best DM's Guild supplements to expand the campaign.Sat, 23 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/dungeons-and-dragons-settings-101-the-forgotten-realms-part-1/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/dungeons-and-dragons-settings-101-the-forgotten-realms-part-1/A primer on the Forgotten Realms for players new to the lore — major historical events from Netheril to the Second Sundering, plus iconic heroes like Elminster, Drizzt, and the Seven Sisters.Mon, 28 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/dungeons-and-dragons-settings-101-greyhawk/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/dungeons-and-dragons-settings-101-greyhawk/A primer on Greyhawk for players new to D&D lore — covering iconic wizards, famous villains like Vecna and Iggwilv, classic adventures, and key deities of the original D&D setting.Tue, 08 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-12-outlands-explorations/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-12-outlands-explorations/Guide to the final chapter of Part 2 of Turn of Fortune's Wheel — the Mausoleum of Chronepsis time dragon encounters, Semuanya's Bog, and notes on optional Outlands locations.Sun, 06 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-11-sylvania/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-11-sylvania/Guide to Sylvania, gate-town to Arborea in Turn of Fortune's Wheel — a roleplay-heavy chapter where the characters babysit a petulant demigod named Kopoha through a series of wild celebrations.Mon, 23 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-10-rigus/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-10-rigus/Guide to Rigus, the militaristic gate-town to Acheron in Turn of Fortune's Wheel — the characters must root out a gray slaad spy before coordinated Acheron attacks exploit the defenders' weaknesses.Sun, 15 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-9-glorium/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-9-glorium/Guide to Glorium, the glory-obsessed gate-town to Ysgard in Turn of Fortune's Wheel — games of athletic prowess ashore, then a race across the sea to defend a bariaur village from a massive whirlwyrm.Sun, 08 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/waterdeep-dragon-heist-session-zero/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/waterdeep-dragon-heist-session-zero/Session 0 guide for a Waterdeep: Dragon Heist campaign — six truths about Waterdeep, house rules for the 2024 Player's Handbook, faction options, and safety tools for an urban investigation adventure.Fri, 06 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-8-faunel/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-8-faunel/Guide to Faunel, the half-absorbed beastland gate-town in Turn of Fortune's Wheel — solving the murder of an ibex to track the Vile Hunt gnolls terrorizing the wild, aided by an elephant sage.Mon, 02 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-part-2-released-on-dm-s-guild/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-part-2-released-on-dm-s-guild/Announcement of the DM's Guild release of the comprehensive guide to Part 2 of Planescape: Turn of Fortune's Wheel, collecting all the Outlands gate-town chapters in one PDF.Wed, 28 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-7-excelsior/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-7-excelsior/Guide to Excelsior, the celestial gate-town to Mount Celestia in Turn of Fortune's Wheel — investigating a tiefling selling primes to a night hag, with notes on the tricky glibness-protected interrogation.Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-6-curst/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-6-curst/Guide to Curst, the prison gate-town to Carceri in Turn of Fortune's Wheel — a jailbreak through a junkyard to smuggle a ghostly son past Mercykiller agents so he can reach his rightful afterlife.Sun, 18 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-5-automata/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-5-automata/Guide to Automata, the orderly gate-town to Mechanus in Turn of Fortune's Wheel — tracking a fugitive through the anarchic Inverse, the chaotic underground reflection of the modron-run city above.Sun, 11 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-4-into-the-outlands/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-4-into-the-outlands/Guide to Chapter 4 of Turn of Fortune's Wheel — securing the walking castle Iedcaru from fiends, learning the mimir quest from the freed sage Zaythir, and the lore of the early Great Modron March.Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-chapter-12-light-of-xaryxis/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-chapter-12-light-of-xaryxis/Guide to the final chapter of Light of Xaryxis — the fight against the crowned emperor and their solar dragon, and how to frame the star-destroying ending as a proper victory.Wed, 12 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-chapter-11-crowning-moment/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-chapter-11-crowning-moment/Guide to Chapter 11 of Light of Xaryxis — infiltrating or arriving as prisoners at the Citadel, making the case for Xedalli at the coronation, and fighting the ancient zodar in trial by combat.Wed, 05 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-chapter-10-space-invaders/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-chapter-10-space-invaders/Guide to Chapter 10 of Light of Xaryxis — the multi-faction fleet battle to reach the Citadel of Xaryxis, with tips for managing ship combat and keeping the session from becoming a combat slog.Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-chapter-9-discord-and-diplomacy/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-chapter-9-discord-and-diplomacy/Guide to Chapter 9 of Light of Xaryxis — a challenging diplomacy chapter requiring the characters to convince five alien factions to join the war effort, with advice for sharing the spotlight.Wed, 22 May 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-chapter-8-arena-of-blood/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-chapter-8-arena-of-blood/Guide to Chapter 8 of Light of Xaryxis — negotiating with the mercane warlord Vocath, then surviving three escalating arena fights against exotic Wildspace creatures to earn his military alliance.Tue, 21 May 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-chapter-7-trust-issues/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-chapter-7-trust-issues/Guide to Chapter 7 of Light of Xaryxis — a character-driven travel chapter to Doomspace, building bonds with the NPC crew and a memorable Deck of Many Things fortune-telling with Topolah.Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-part-2-terrors-of-the-void/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-part-2-terrors-of-the-void/Guide to Part 2 of Light of Xaryxis — expanded Rock of Bral encounters, recruiting vampirate Grimzod and navigator Topolah, and surviving Hastain the reigar's sabotage that strands the party.Thu, 04 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-3-overview/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-3-overview/Guide to Fortune's Wheel casino in Turn of Fortune's Wheel — a room-by-room breakdown of Shemeska's casino, with gambling mechanics, Vecna impersonator thieves, and the hour Shemeska finally appears.Wed, 14 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-2-part-2-scenes-in-sigil/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-2-part-2-scenes-in-sigil/“A collection of scenes for the characters' free exploration of Sigil — the Smoldering Corpse Bar, Fell's Tattoos, the Great Bazaar, and the Harmonium encounter that closes the chapter.”Fri, 02 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-2-part-1-an-introduction/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-2-part-1-an-introduction/Introduction to the Sigil sandbox chapter of Turn of Fortune's Wheel — a glitch memory mechanic for inspiration and a bingo card structure to give players direction while exploring the City of Doors.Thu, 25 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-1-the-mortuary/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-chapter-1-the-mortuary/Guide to Chapter 1 of Turn of Fortune's Wheel — escaping Sigil's Mortuary, with room-by-room notes, tips for increasing lethality to trigger glitch deaths, and advice on the Morte callback scene.Tue, 16 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-session-0/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-turn-of-fortune-s-wheel-session-0/A session 0 guide for running Planescape: Turn of Fortune's Wheel, including everything players need to know to kick things off.Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-part-1-seeds-of-destruction/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/guide-to-running-light-of-xaryxis-part-1-seeds-of-destruction/Guide to Part 1 of Light of Xaryxis — escaping the astral seed attack on Faerun, a space battle with an astral elf Star Moth, and exploring the dangerous derelict mind flayer ship Lucent Edict.Sun, 26 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/5e-conversion-of-the-adventure-misplaced-spirit-from-the-2e-planescape-campaign-setting/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/5e-conversion-of-the-adventure-misplaced-spirit-from-the-2e-planescape-campaign-setting/A 5e conversion of Misplaced Spirit, a short introductory 2e Planescape adventure, with scene breakdowns, faction summaries, and stat block recommendations for tiers 2 and 3.Thu, 13 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-factions-quick-reference-sheet/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/planescape-factions-quick-reference-sheet/A quick-reference table of all 15 Planescape factions — listing each faction's nickname, headquarters, philosophy, factol, allies, and enemies for use during Sigil-based play.Mon, 03 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-dnd-adventure-ghosts-of-saltmarsh/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-dnd-adventure-ghosts-of-saltmarsh/A guide to deciding whether to run Ghosts of Saltmarsh — a great coastal home base and several standout sub-adventures, but thin connective tissue that requires significant DM work to hold together.Fri, 26 May 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-5e-dungeons-and-dragons-campaign-out-of-the-abyss/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-5e-dungeons-and-dragons-campaign-out-of-the-abyss/A guide to deciding whether to run Out of the Abyss — atmospheric Underdark setting and demon lord showdowns weighed against an unwieldy NPC roster and a structure that frustrates contrarian players.Fri, 19 May 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-5e-dungeons-and-dragons-campaign-waterdeep-dungeon-of-the-mad-mage/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-5e-dungeons-and-dragons-campaign-waterdeep-dungeon-of-the-mad-mage/A guide to deciding whether to run Dungeon of the Mad Mage — the best 5e dungeon crawl with brilliant individual levels, but requiring real DM effort to weave into a coherent narrative.Thu, 11 May 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-5e-dungeons-and-dragons-campaign-storm-king-s-thunder/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-5e-dungeons-and-dragons-campaign-storm-king-s-thunder/A guide to deciding whether to run Storm King's Thunder, with a chapter-by-chapter portability breakdown — great building blocks and a fantastic Savage Frontier chapter, but uneven quality throughout.Fri, 05 May 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-5e-dungeons-and-dragons-campaign-curse-of-strahd/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-5e-dungeons-and-dragons-campaign-curse-of-strahd/A guide to deciding whether to run Curse of Strahd — widely considered the best 5e adventure, with an unmatched sandbox and villain, but too challenging for first-time DMs to tackle.Thu, 27 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-5e-dungeons-and-dragons-campaign-tyranny-of-dragons/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-5e-dungeons-and-dragons-campaign-tyranny-of-dragons/A guide to deciding whether to run Tyranny of Dragons — a classic 5e adventure with a memorable caravan chapter worth stealing for travel even if you skip the rest of the campaign.Thu, 20 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-5e-dungeons-and-dragons-campaign-dragon-of-icespire-keep-from-d-d-essientials/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/how-to-choose-your-next-5e-dungeons-and-dragons-campaign-dragon-of-icespire-keep-from-d-d-essientials/A guide to deciding whether to run Dragon of Icespire Keep — an excellent starter adventure for new DMs and players, with individual quests versatile enough to steal for any low-level Sword Coast campaign.Thu, 13 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/spelljammer-academy-review-dnd-meets-star-trek/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/spelljammer-academy-review-dnd-meets-star-trek/A review of Spelljammer Academy, the limited-release promo adventure — a delightful Star Trek-inspired onboarding experience with rough ship combat rules and a weak tie-in to Light of Xaryxis.Thu, 06 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/spelljammer-academy-behold-h-catha-a-guide-to-running-the-adventure/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/spelljammer-academy-behold-h-catha-a-guide-to-running-the-adventure/Prep notes for Behold H'Catha, the third Spelljammer Academy adventure — negotiating with spectators over a meteorite on the beholder world, with tips on cutting the awkward Journey Interrupted encounter.Wed, 29 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/spelljammer-academy-realmspace-sortie-a-guide-to-running-the-adventure/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/spelljammer-academy-realmspace-sortie-a-guide-to-running-the-adventure/Prep notes for Realmspace Sortie, the third Spelljammer Academy adventure — commandeering a tyrant ship, battling clockwork horrors, and uncovering Miken Haverstance as the academy saboteur.Thu, 23 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/spelljammer-academy-trial-by-fire-a-guide-to-running-the-adventure/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/spelljammer-academy-trial-by-fire-a-guide-to-running-the-adventure/Prep notes for Trial by Fire, the second Spelljammer Academy adventure — a competitive spelljammer simulation followed by sabotage that kills a crew member and implicates an academy cadet.Sun, 05 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/spelljammer-academy-orientation-a-guide-to-running-the-adventure/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/spelljammer-academy-orientation-a-guide-to-running-the-adventure/Prep notes for Orientation, the first Spelljammer Academy adventure — an in media res combat start followed by a day of tasks introducing the academy, its NPCs, and a hungover Mirt the Merciless.Thu, 02 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/spelljammer-academy-and-light-of-xaryxis-campaign-guide/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/spelljammer-academy-and-light-of-xaryxis-campaign-guide/Session 0 guide for running Spelljammer Academy and Light of Xaryxis — campaign pitch, seven truths about Wildspace, character creation hooks, and safety tool recommendations.Sun, 26 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/review-of-princes-of-the-apocalypse/https://the-giantsbane.lcockerham.workers.dev/posts/review-of-princes-of-the-apocalypse/A frank review of Princes of the Apocalypse — too many bland dungeon crawls to recommend running in full, though the Red Larch conspiracy, water cultists, and Weeping Colossus are worth stealing.Sun, 19 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT