Rachel Phimphivong, Author at Tribality

Five D&D Creatures That Punch Above Their Challenge Rating

Rachel Phimphivong — Fri, 08 May 2020 20:12:03 +0000

A huge part of being a Dungeon Master is choosing monsters for the players to face. Although combat encounters can occur that the DM didn’t expect, usually the DM takes time to craft an encounter. They try to create a challenging, yet fun session for the players. The Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual explain how to calculate an encounter using the monster’s challenge rating (CR). You can also calculate it based on the amount of experience points a monster […]

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Five Aspects of an Authentic D&D Character

Rachel Phimphivong — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 19:25:47 +0000

In tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons, players create their own characters and Dungeon Masters create dozens of NPCs to populate the world. That can be a daunting task, especially for a DM. Too little detail or personality and a character falls flat. Too much and you become overwhelmed or create a caricature. How can you create an authentic character that you feel comfortable roleplaying? Try breaking it down into these five aspects: appearance, background, relationships, goals, and voice. […]

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Five Magic Items to Inspire Player Creativity

Rachel Phimphivong — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 22:15:41 +0000

Magic items are a huge part of any Dungeons & Dragons game. Players love getting them. DMs love giving them. They are a more tangible reward from a party’s adventuring than a sack of gold coins ever could be. Items such as a +1 longsword or Staff of Power provide a clear mechanical benefit, but what about magic items with less obvious uses? Those can be the best, most memorable kind. It’s a challenge for the players to think outside […]

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Five Tips for Engaging Players

Rachel Phimphivong — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 22:22:59 +0000

The schedules have finally aligned! You and your friends are gathered for a tabletop game night. You’ve jotted down your notes, checked your dice for luck, and have a snack nearby. You’re ready. The game starts off great. But then…something changes. The game stalls. People get up from the table or check their phones. You notice a glazed look in even your most dedicated player. What happened? Player disengagement can be extremely discouraging for the Game Master. Every group and […]

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Five Tips for Creating D&D Monsters

Rachel Phimphivong — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 23:33:25 +0000

One of the most iconic things about Dungeons & Dragons is the monsters. Even if your group prefers social encounters or avoids conflict, eventually the heroes will be faced with a foe that must be dealt with through combat. There’s a huge variety of monsters in the official D&D 5e published works, as well as even more to be found from other publishers, such as Kobold Press’s Tome of Beasts, and free homebrew creations that are just an internet search […]

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Even MORE Commonly Confused Rules in D&D 5e

Rachel Phimphivong — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 04:24:10 +0000

The more I dug into the lesser known or often misinterpreted rules of Dungeons & Dragons, the more material I found to discuss. One article has grown into three. You can view the first two articles here and here. So, without further ado, let’s discuss five more commonly confused rules for Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. Help Action Dungeons & Dragons wouldn’t be the game we all love if it was merely a solo adventure. A large component of […]

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Five MORE Commonly Confused Rules in D&D 5e

Rachel Phimphivong — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 21:56:45 +0000

Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition has a lot of rules. Thankfully, you don’t need to know all of them before you start playing. It is a rare DM or player that reads the Player’s Handbook and the Dungeon Master’s Guide cover-to-cover before their first game. But to keep the game running smoothly, it’s important to have a good grasp of the rules. In my last article, I discussed the top five rules that confused me as a new DM and […]

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Five Commonly Confused Rules in D&D 5e

Rachel Phimphivong — Sat, 12 Oct 2019 01:46:55 +0000

In my last article (Five Tips for New Dungeon Masters), my top tip was to “Know the Rules”. The rules are the skeleton of the game. You can flesh out the story all you want, but without a skeleton you’ll end up with an amorphous flesh ooze. Now that we’ve imagined that lovely image, let’s talk about the top five commonly confused rules in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. These are rules I struggled with when I first became a […]

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Five Tips for New Dungeon Masters

Rachel Phimphivong — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 18:59:23 +0000

You’ve taken on the responsibility of Dungeon Master for your Dungeons & Dragons group. What pushed you over the edge? Curiosity about the game? Broken scheduling promises from other DMs? A love of fireball throwing, button pushing, murder-hobos? Even if you have a lot of experience playing tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons, stepping behind the screen can be a whole new world. You might feel a bit intimidated or overwhelmed. That’s okay. That just means you care, […]

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