reviews Archives - Tribality

Dungeon Master’s Guide 2024: Some Highs and Lows

Brandes Stoddard — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 20:50:26 +0000

As with the Player’s Handbook, there’s an enormous amount of absorbing to do of this text, so today I’m giving you some favorite and least-favorite changes or new ideas offered in the new DMG. This book is immense and picking is going to be a challenge. At its core, this book is for new DMs. I’m not one of those and it’s been thirty years since I was. But until and unless they plan to release a DMG for people […]

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Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants Review

Brandes Stoddard — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 22:04:15 +0000

My review copy of Bigby’s Big Book of Big Bois is here, and for the first time in a long time, I’ve actually got a little time to write about a new release! (Okay, I’m still working my way through the last UA packet, whatever.) As you undoubtedly know, this book is intended to do for giants what Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons did for the scaly bois. The Elephant in the Room Just to get this out of the way: I […]

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DM’s Guild Spotlight: Make-Up Mayhem

Brandes Stoddard — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 18:27:28 +0000

I’m highlighting a new DM’s Guild release today: “Make-Up Mayhem” by Sharang Biswas, with illustrations by Mary Georgescu. This supplement offers six cosmetics-themed magic items and one cosmetics-themed monster for 5e, priced at $1.99. Sharang is a friend of mine and I received this review copy for free, but I don’t feel that those things have significantly colored my commentary here. First off, I appreciate the pitch of this product. “Cosmetic” is a word that we often use in game […]

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Rime of the Frostmaiden Review

Brandes Stoddard — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 18:19:23 +0000

The new hardback adventure from Wizards of the Coast is here, sending PCs where the sun don’t shine. No, really, that’s the plot! Auril, the Frostmaiden, has blocked out the sun over Icewind Dale, save for four hours of twilight each day. It’s a story about climate catastrophe, but going down the thermometer, set in the Forgotten Realms. I’ve also been part of a first-look review of Rime on the Tome Show, along with Enrique “NewbieDM” Bertran and Jeff Greiner. […]

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Khyber Khronicle Volume 3 Review

Brandes Stoddard — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 16:22:58 +0000

As you know, Bob, it’s open season for Eberron content in the DM’s Guild. Today I’m reviewing Khyber Khronicle, Volume 3, by Mount Ogden Gaming Company. I received a free review copy, and I heard about this product in the first place because one of the writers, Jeremiah McCoy, is one of my good friends. He’s already heard my critique of his article, so I don’t think I’ll have a problem being objective-yet-compassionate – the balance I always strive to […]

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Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage Review

Brandes Stoddard — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 21:32:32 +0000

The second part of the Waterdeep adventure series came out a little less than two weeks ago (well, for me; I shop at local game stores that all have the earlier release dates). My full disclosure on this is that I bought my copy (not a review freebie), one of the designers is a good friend of mine, and another writer is a friendly acquaintance. I won’t go easy on their chapters as a result, because I think they’d be […]

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DDAL: Unusual Opposition Review

Brandes Stoddard — Wed, 02 May 2018 12:00:53 +0000

A little while back… okay, maybe I’ve been putting this article off longer than intended… Dan Dillon released Unusual Opposition on the DM’s Guild. Much like Fire, Ash, and Ruin, it’s an adventure for 11th-16th level characters, and as I said before, I’m thrilled to see this tier of play get more support. Dan is someone I consider a good friend, as he’s been the editor for all of my Rite Publishing releases so far. Still, I intend to be […]

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DDAL: Fire, Ash, and Ruin Review

Brandes Stoddard — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 12:00:00 +0000

A few months ago, James Haeck released the Fire, Ash, and Ruin on the DM’s Guild. It’s an Adventurer’s League module for 11th-16th level characters. Before I even dig into the text, two things: one, I worked with James repeatedly while he was the editor for EN5IDER (which won’t influence this review, but… disclosure); and two, I’m a fan of any support for third-tier play. I know very little about the constraints of the Adventurer’s League, though, so I’ll mostly […]

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Xanathar’s Guide Breakdown, Part Eleven

Brandes Stoddard — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 12:00:31 +0000

Here I’d been thinking I’d be writing a UA breakdown this week, but no. I don’t think you really need me to tell you what goes on with one page of character development tables for duergar from Mordenkainen’s Burn Book. (Anyone who keeps a Tome of Foes is skating way too close to Richard Nixon for comfort.) Anyway, let’s hit it with some more spells. Barbarians and Bards | Clerics, Druids, and Fighters | Monks and Paladins | Rangers and Rogues | Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards | Backstory and Feats | Rules […]

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Xanathar’s Guide Breakdown, Part Ten

Brandes Stoddard — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 13:00:36 +0000

I’m plowing back into Chapter Three: Spells of Xanathar’s Guide to Everything this week. I got through the Fs last week, so let’s see what I can get done before I have to click “Publish” this week. Also, many thanks to the alert reader who pointed out my error on danse macabre – it does indeed play nice with the Necromancy feature Undead Thralls. Barbarians and Bards | Clerics, Druids, and Fighters | Monks and Paladins | Rangers and Rogues | Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards | Backstory and Feats | Rules Clarifications […]

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