Tag: DMsGuild

  • Two D&D bundles to help Ukraine

    Two D&D bundles to help Ukraine

    Following the Russia invasion of Ukraine is part of my day job. Watching the refugees flee and the bombings of civilian areas makes one feel a bit helpless. It can feel hopeless and helpless. Some people have found ways to combine their passions to help raise funds for organizations that are active in and around the warzone.

    EN World’s “Blessings, Healing, and Peace for Ukraine”

    What I like about this bundle is that Morrus put a theme together of various peaceful elements from their Patreon, repackaged them for this, and has committed to immediately releasing the product when the month is up. You can get the following for as little as a dollar;

    • 11 new healing spells
    • 2 new monastic traditions of peace
    • 6 magical ceremonies of spring
    • 10 new ways to award inspiration
    • 7 supernatural gifts

    All money that EN World raises goes to the Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal by the Disaster Emergency Committee. DEC is a British consortium of charities that has helped crises throughout the world.

    I’m most excited for the peaceful monks.

    DMsGuild Doctors Without Borders Quad Bundles

    Over on the DMs Guild they partnered with creators and with Wizards of the Coast so that 100% of proceeds will go to the Doctors Without Borders. There are four bundles within their omnibus bundle.

    Generic reader with doubts about quality? Get the Adventurer’s League bundle.

    Usually a player whose DM is generous? Get the Player Options bundle. This one is also great for DMs who want NPCs built using player rules.

    There are two DM bundles both at $20. Bundle 1 has the Festival of Magic, which is great, and Alyth’s Blueprints for Home & Business, which is on my wishlist. There’s a bunch of other stuff too. My favorite from Bundle 2 is Fae, Fi, Fo, Fum: A Collection of Folklore Inspired NPCs. I might get both, even though I run custom worlds and stories.

    Combined you could get all five of this bundles, winding up with about 100 new elements and adventures to add to your game, all while helping people who are suffering (both DEC and DWB are helping in other conflicts too).

    For a handful of other charities doing good work, I wrote about a few that are partnered with my full-time job.

  • This Week in D&D Reading

    This Week in D&D Reading

    In this week’s post there are tips about creating with accessibility in mind, more libraries playing D&D with youth, maps, recommended podcasts, and so much more.

    Beverage accompaniment: Friday Afternoon Tea’s Stormfire. It’s a softer approach to black tea, due to the blue cornflower with the mate and black peppercorn hitting giving it a spike of spice.

    Accessibility and Representation

    Jennifer Kretchmer‘s resource guide to Accessibility and anti-ableism is a hefty set of reading and viewing. These resources are a wonderful way to understand how your writing and gaming can create opportunities for others. Read, watch, re-read, re-watch.

    The Guardian writes about the colonialist and racist history of D&D as well as the fantasy and science-fiction as a whole. This harsh reminder of the past is important.

    D&D is adapting. More frequently we see creators and performers of color, of differing sexes and sexualities – and we see their characters as well. Representation is vital. Myself, I think back to when I was so tiny there were thoughts about medical ways to cause me to be taller. At the time I always played Halfings, Gnomes, and Dwarves. I did that because I needed to see heroes that were like me.

    Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is an important step towards seeing more diverse characters and more ways to represent the amazing reality that is humanity. It is only a step, and every table (real and virtual) needs to take more steps too.

    Turning to Games During Dark Winters

    With the long, dark, pandemic winter coming it is important find paths to joy and community. For me, that means more gaming.

    This is why people are turning to D&D, and other RPGs.

    Plague Comforts: Dungeons & Dragons Is the Real World Now
    Why now is a great time to start playing Dungeons & Dragons

    This is also true in some civic institutions like libraries. But not others, like prisons. For more info on libraries hosting youth D&D my personal twitter is regularly updated with those playing games.

    Podcasts

    Brennan Lee Mulligan puts together a list of five podcasts to listen to/watch if live streamed. In addition to those mentioned check out Rivals of Waterdeep and D20 Dames.

    The Dames play a less violent version of the game that centers social roleplay in ways that a younger version of me wouldn’t think is possible.

    Official Stuff and Rumored TV Show

    Stranger Things and D&D have been associated for some time. I’ve run the boxed set (half way through) and of course loved the TV show. Now there’s a comic book series that explores the in-character D&D.

    It took Greg Tito being featured for me to realize that Dragon+ often has fiction.

    A single phrase about the possibility of a D&D TV show during the Hasbro earnings call has exploded speculation regarding a live-action series.

    Looking to write for DMsGuild and make money while doing it? Justice has a perfect primer.

    Justice’s Guide to the DMs Guild

    Maps & Miscellany

    I can’t draw, but I can use map tools like Perilous Shores.

    How do centaurs sleep? is a question that you may not know you needed the answer to, but after this art drop you’ll be glad you do.

    https://www.tumblr.com/theartingace/633260538682572800/how-do-the-centaurs-sleep-and-how-do-they-stretch

    Don’t know what your characters are eating? Follow this Twitter feed.