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    • Home
    • Running Monsters

    Running Monsters

    • How to Play a Sahuagin like a Sea Devil
      May 1, 2019 by James Haeck

      Sahuagin are masters of sharks and the sea, and their frenzied attacks and powers of telepathy make them truly formidable foes. How do you build an encounter that makes full use of these fearsome foes?

      Read More
    • How to Play a Troll like a Relentless Survivor
      Apr 17, 2019 by James Haeck

      Trolls are a uniquely D&D monster, insofar as it differs significantly from trolls of world folklore. Why do trolls regenerate? Why are they harmed by fire and acid? And more importantly, how do you make them terrifying for your players?

      Read More
    • How to Play a Werewolf Like an Apex Predator
      Mar 6, 2019 by James Haeck

      The How to Play series returns with this tactical spotlight on werewolves—with a brief diversion into other lycanthropes, including neutral good werebears and true neutral weretigers.

      Read More
    • How to Play a Manticore Like A Cunning Beast
      Nov 21, 2018 by James Haeck

      Undermountain is filled with ruthless enemies, and while they can all be fought, many can be reasoned with, distracted, or pacified. A manticore could be the first major gatekeeper your party faces in Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. If you’re a Dungeon Master, do you know what makes a manticore tick?

      Read More
    • How to Play a Modron like a Wind-Up Soldier
      Aug 31, 2018 by James Haeck

      “Modrons are beings of absolute law that adhere to a hive-like hierarchy. They inhabit the plane of Mechanus and tend its eternally revolving gears, their existence a clockwork routine of perfect order.” Perfect order is nice and all, but things get really fun when you force modrons to deal with a little bit of chaos!

      Read More
    • How to Play a Gold Dragon like a Righteous Defender
      Aug 6, 2018 by James Haeck

      Gold dragons are wise and powerful defenders of good, but when are your player characters ever going to fight one? Learn how to use this powerful creature in combat—and how to get it in combat in the first place!

      Read More
    • How to Play a Ghoul like a Beast of Insatiable Hunger
      Jul 18, 2018 by James Haeck

      A ghoul hungers eternally. Its hunger does not make it foolish, and your ghouls ought to know how to kill characters efficiently and deliciously.

      Read More
    • How to Play Hobgoblins like Perfect Soldiers
      Jul 2, 2018 by James Haeck

      Hobgoblins are not like orcish warriors, fighting as an uncivilized, brutish horde. Hobgoblins wear armor of steel and wield mass-produced swords. They are the product of a mighty war machine. Learn how to command an unstoppable army with this week's monster guide.

      Read More
    • How to Play a Beholder like a Paranoid Mastermind
      May 31, 2018 by James Haeck

      Beholders are the ultimate megalomaniacs. Learn how to play a beholder like the legendary Xanathar and become the ultimate monster in the worlds of D&D.

      Read More
    • How to Play an Allip from 'Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes' like a Hungry Ghost
      May 18, 2018 by James Haeck

      Take a close look at a terrifying new creature from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, and learn how to use it to torment your players just like Matt Mercer did in Critical Role! 

      Read More
    • How to Play an Oni like a Living Nightmare
      May 9, 2018 by James Haeck

      The dreadful oni is Mike Mearls' favorite monster, and it deserves a spot in your DMing toolkit. Learn how to play an oni like an expert, and how to use one to instill fear into the hearts of your players.

      Read More
    • Your Campaign Setting Needs Orcs
      Apr 30, 2018 by James Haeck

      Orcs in Dungeons & Dragons aren't just cannon fodder like they are in Lord of the Rings. Read this article to learn how you can use them as a compelling force of evil in your campaign. 

      Read More
    • How to Play a Kraken like a Force of Nature
      Apr 4, 2018 by James Haeck

      Playing a monster with as many powerful abilities as a kraken can be overwhelming. Learn how to play a kraken effectively in combat and how to integrate this titanic creature into your campaign world!

      Read More
    • Krakens in the D&D Multiverse
      Apr 3, 2018 by Todd Kenreck

      Learn more about the legendary an ancient krakens and how they came to exist in the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse.

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    • Beholders in Dungeons & Dragons and why they are Iconic
      Mar 27, 2018 by Todd Kenreck

      Learn more about one of Dungeons & Dragons' most infamous monsters and why Beholders might be the most strange creatures in the D&D multiverse. 

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    • Design Workshop: Monsters
      Mar 27, 2018 by James Introcaso
      Join special guest James Introcaso as he provides step-by-step instructions for designing a homebrew monster in D&D Beyond.

       

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    • The Infernal Options in D&D's Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
      Mar 22, 2018 by Todd Kenreck

      Jeremy Crawford shares more about the many infernal enemies and fiendish options available in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes.

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    • How to Play a Mind Flayer like an Eldritch Horror
      Mar 14, 2018 by James Haeck

      Most of the time, both mind flayers and D&D games will exist as a mixture of the serious and the silly. However, there are times when you want to dig deep into the seriousness of your game and plunge your players into a cosmic nightmare. Here’s how.

      Read More
    • How to Play a Red Dragon like an Evil Genius
      Mar 7, 2018 by James Haeck

      A red dragon is not a common brute; it's a mastermind with an intellect as sharp as its talons. Playing a red dragon like the evil genius it is requires getting into its head and thinking like it would think. Check out some tips for running them in your game!

      Read More
    • Stunning D&D Cosplay Brings Kenku To Life
      Mar 7, 2018 by Todd Kenreck
      Cosplayer Rah-Bop recreates her favorite Dungeons & Dragons character in stunning detail at Emerald City Comic-Con in Seattle, WA.
      Read More
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