Paul Bellow's Blog, page 6

D&D DM Styles: Storyteller vs. Tactical – Discover Your Dungeon Master Identity

Dungeon Mastering in Dungeons & Dragons is as much an art as it is a science. Over countless sessions, most DMs discover they gravitate towards one of two broad styles: the Storyteller and the Tactical DM. These categories aren’t strict boxes meant ...

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Inside the $500,000 D&D Campaign That Definitely Didn’t Get Out of Hand (Probably)

Not a real campaign. Not real people. Just real dumb jokes. I want to begin with a heartfelt promise: this was always meant to be just a casual homebrew game night. Nothing fancy. Just a handful of friends, some mismatched dice, maybe ...

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Best Backgrounds for Barbarians in D&D 5e: Complete Guide for Roleplay & Combat Synergy

Backgrounds in Dungeons & Dragons 5e are far more than a quick menu pick; they’re a secret ingredient for character depth, offering a taste of who your hero was before gathering with other adventurers. These origins shape not only what your character ...

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Advanced Worldbuilding for D&D: How to Create Unique Cultures and Deep Histories

Most dungeon masters begin their campaign planning with broad strokes: a hastily-sketched map, a handful of place names, a city built here, a forest there. Yet, as sessions unfurl and adventurers tread further from familiar towns, even the most beautifully rendered geographies ...

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How to Build Realistic and Immersive Towns and Cities for Your D&D Campaign

Cities and towns are more than decorating the map with dots and exotic names. In Dungeons & Dragons, these settlements become the beating heart of your setting, acting as crucibles where destinies converge, secrets simmer, and adventures are born. A well-developed town ...

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How to Build the Most Powerful Damage-Dealing Wizard in in D&D 5.5e 2024 (Step-by-Step Guide)

There’s an undeniable thrill in mastering the arcane, an electricity that crackles in the imagination whenever you hear the words “high-damage wizard.” With the launch of D&D 5.5e in 2024, the spell-slinger’s role feels more dynamic and dangerous than ever. For many ...

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Maximize Your Bard: Effective D&D Multiclassing Strategies for 2025 Campaigns

Multiclassing in Dungeons & Dragons has always been a siren call for bold, creative players; for bards, it offers even more. The allure comes from an endless promise of versatility—a tune that can be remixed over and over without ever growing stale. ...

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Playing a Drow in D&D 5.5e: Complete Roleplaying and Subterfuge Guide

To walk in a Drow’s boots—soft, soundless, spider-leather—means embracing contradictions. The Drow are creatures of shadow and sophistication, their legends knitted from strands of intrigue, ambition, and ancient pain. When you choose to play a Drow in Dungeons & Dragons 5.5e, you’re ...

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How to Design Your Own D&D Monster from Scratch: Step-by-Step Homebrew Guide

Few thrills in tabletop roleplaying rival the magic of unleashing your own monster upon the unsuspecting party. In a world where even the most terrifying aboleths and beholders eventually become known quantities, nothing electrifies a session quite like homebrew horrors, fresh from ...

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Bard of Lies Breakdown: The Ultimate D&D Homebrew Class for Tricksters and Manipulators

Imagine a figure veiled in silk and half-truths, a stage performer who commands applause with convincing illusions—and uses the same sharp wit to sow doubt in the hearts of kings. The Bard of Lies strides onto the scene as a master manipulator, ...

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