The Sphinx and the Riddle of Non-Combat Encounters

The Sphinx and the Riddle of Non-Combat Encounters

Welcome back to this blog series on how Classical mythology can offer guidance to our TTRPG encounter design! So far, we’ve talked about the power in conforming to or defying ancient narrative conventions, and how we can make combat more dynamic by following the...
The Filth Grazer – Creating a Grim Hollow Monster

The Filth Grazer – Creating a Grim Hollow Monster

There’s an old saying in RPG game design: Don’t create a stat block for creatures that you don’t want players to kill. One of the most popular books of an earlier roleplaying era was Deities and Demigods. For me as a tween, this book taught me as much about the basics...
Yule Better Be Good – A Christmas 5e Adventure

Yule Better Be Good – A Christmas 5e Adventure

The season of giving is upon us and what better way to celebrate it with your players than with a Christmas-themed adventure? There are plenty of 5th Edition games that feature a jolly gift-giving elf or even the demonic Krampus, but there are also some lesser-known...
Villains of Grim Hollow – Naedre

Villains of Grim Hollow – Naedre

The evils that haunt Etharis are many, though few can stand against a party of grizzled adventurers alone. In this series, Villains of Grim Hollow, I’ll draw back the curtain on some of those uncommon antagonists that can go toe-to-toe with your Grim Hollow campaign’s...
The Hydra and the Many Heads of Dynamic Combat

The Hydra and the Many Heads of Dynamic Combat

In the first part of this blog series, we discussed the idea that the memories of ancient stories are still embedded in the stories we tell today, whether intentional or otherwise. I also said that I’d show you how you can harness those echoed tales and use them to...