Kirk Wiebe - PhD20 (Page 4)

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Kirk Wiebe

Simple 5E Sub-Systems for DMs in a Hurry

How do we embrace fun, new gaming opportunities in 5E without overly complex sub-systems? By asking three questions. Zipperon Disney asked on Twitter: I think most homebrew alchemy systems for #DnD are overly taxing on the DM and time at the table. Worldbuild magic ingredients, Gather them, keep track of

Using D&D PDFs in Obsidian

Last Updated: 2025 September 28 You know by now that I love using Obsidian for Dungeons & Dragons. One of the biggest reasons is how easily it enables me to use my PDF supplements. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got dozens if not hundreds (or thousands) of

Getting Started with Obsidian for D&D ✨

Obsidian is a powerhouse for organizing and managing roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons. This guide will help you get started.

dungeons, dragons, downtime

Dungeons, Dragons, & Downtime

Downtime activities are a recurring theme in most D&D campaigns. Many 5E source books include rules for downtime activities. But how do you take those rules and run enjoyable downtime? Let’s find out. D&D 5E defines Downtime Activities and rules in many sourcebooks. The Player’

A witch and cat falling through the sky with a floating city in the background

Flaws in Your D&D Game

Flaws and failure provide unparalleled opportunities for memorable moments in D&D. In this article, we’ll focus on flaws. We’ll look at why players and DMs underutilize them and how to fix that. What are flaws? According to the Basic Rules: “your character’s flaw represents some

Chihiro by Anato Finnstark

Worldbuilding for the Story

Worldbuilding is a wonderful creative outlet. We build worlds to express ourselves. But not that alone. We could express ourselves through any other medium. Why choose worlds? Because we want a place to tell a story. Your worlds should serve your stories. And your stories should serve your players. Worldbuilding

Six images of snacks, drinks, and TTRPG miniatures

Midwest D&D Raid

In October of 2019, I participated in the most epic D&D game ever. A luxury loft in a historical part of town. Tons of food and drinks. More than a dozen players. Two Dungeon Masters. One epic raid. Unfortunately, the story has a sad beginning. One of our

Triad NPCs

Creating interesting NPCs is challenging for new Dungeon Masters. But it doesn’t have to be. Let’s take a look at three methods for creating interesting NPCs with ease. Character Archetypes The simplest way to create an interesting NPC is to borrow or steal one from the media you

Miniatures set up on map

Tools for Enhanced 5E Combat

As a Dungeon Master, we strive for fun and exciting combat encounters. The mechanics of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition provide us with a nice toolset to help. But it isn’t perfect. Combat can drag, feeling like a chore. Or even worse, it can turn into a slugfest of