I recently had the pleasure of reviewing some new click clack math rocks from the fine folks at the UK-based, Mystery Dice Goblins.
Who are the Mystery Dice Goblins? According to their website:
“Attention, weary travelers and valiant adventurers! Behold, our sacred emporium, where the pursuit of the ultimate D&D Dice reaches its zenith. As guardians of destiny, we cater to a diverse fellowship – human bards, elven rangers, dwarven fighters, half-orc thieves, halfling clerics, and even immortal vampires.”
The Dice MDG offers a number of different dice, to include, but not limited to:
Resin and Acrylic Dice
Filled Dice (liquid core)
Sharp Edged
Metal
Mystery Bags
In addition to dice, MDG offers several gamer-related products like dice bags, dice trays, enamel pins, patches, jewelry, and more. Lastly, the folks MDG include a very helpful resource section filled with printable monster tokens, editable character sheets, and digital battle maps. They even maintain a gaming blog on the site, where you can find tons of interesting articles.
The Interview
The goblins, Lee & Lucy, were kind enough to sit for an interview and tell me more about their business.
1.) Tell me about Mystery Dice Goblins!
We are Lee & Lucy, founders of Mystery Dice Goblin – we are long time Dungeons and Dragons players and DMs. In 2022, we started our journey, with an aim to provide exquisite customer service, featuring a wide range of affordable dice and accessories.
2.) What was one thing that surprised you about the dice business?
We didn’t realize how inclusive and friendly the community really was, you don’t have to look far to find a friend or ally! – But sometimes finding a DM is problematic!
3.) How many possible sets are there?
I reckon about as many as a Sorlock has spellslots…
4.) What sets your dice apart from others on the market?
It has to be our customer-centric approach, we get told consonantly that we have the best customer service out there… and also the best dice sets, along with our carefully put together gift sets
5.) What is a non-dice product that you’re excited about/proud of?
We are about to partner with Mermaids charity who support young trans people and their families, we have a range of products coming out, with 50% of the profits going to the charity. (B3: You can donate to Mermaids HERE)
6.) Where can people buy your products?
We are currently stocked in Board Game Cafés in the UK (see map on our website) or you can get international shipping on our website, if you want to be a bigger Dice Goblin than us 😉
Conclusion The blind bags are a lot of fun. The dice I received looked great, rolled well, and were easy to read. Furthermore, I was happily surprised at the sheer amount of high-quality products I found on the MDG. Check them out, and you won’t be disappointed!
In 2024 Dungeons and Dragons will turn 50 years old, and it’s current incarnation, 5th edition, will turn 10. To celebrate this momentous occasion Wizards of the Coast will release revised core rule books and launch what they’re calling One D&D. The idea is that editions are over, and Chris Perkins put it, there is just D&D.
In the same way that 5th edition D&D was forged, One D&D will draw heavily on customer/player feedback to shape its revisions. The first such playtest materials revolve around Character Origins:
Ready to learn more about One D&D? According to their website, here’s the FAQ:
General
What is One D&D?
One D&D is the code name for the next generation of Dungeons & Dragons, bringing together three initiatives that will shape the future of the game:
D&D Rules. This takes what we love about fifth edition and updates the rules of the game to reflect the feedback we have heard from players and where the game is today.
D&D Beyond. This will be the platform for your digital D&D collection, content, and tools.
D&D Digital Play Experience. In early development, D&D Digital will offer an immersive player experience, rich creation tools for Dungeon Masters, and a connected space for DMs and players to get together and play D&D.
Our goal is to give you more D&D wherever you play, whenever you want.
Is One D&D introducing a new edition of D&D?
It’s bigger than that. One D&D will usher in the next generation of D&D with new and more comprehensive versions of the core rulebooks that millions of players have enjoyed for the past decade. The rules will be backward compatible with fifth edition adventures and supplements and offer players and Dungeon Masters new options and opportunities for adventure. The evolution of fifth edition has shown us it’s less important to create new editions of the game and more important to grow and expand the game you love with each new product.
What does backward compatible mean?
It means that fifth edition adventures and supplements will work in One D&D. For example, if you want to run Curse of Strahd in One D&D, that book will work with the new versions of the core rulebooks. Our goal is for you to keep enjoying the content you already have and make it even better. You’ll see this in action through the playtest materials, which you will be able to provide feedback on.
What is changing with the One D&D rules?
There will be many fundamental updates to D&D that we will collect your feedback on. In the upcoming Unearthed Arcana playtest content, you’ll see proposed updates to character backgrounds, races, classes, feats, information presentation, and more. Ultimately, the answer to what will change depends on what we hear from you throughout One D&D playtests.
When will the One D&D rules be released?
The new core rulebooks are expected to be released in 2024.
Where can I find out more and stay up to date on the latest One D&D news?
To keep up to date on One D&D, sign up for D&D Beyond. Then, hop into your account settings and update your email preferences to receive communications from D&D Beyond. You can expect news on One D&D roughly monthly.
Your Feedback and Playtesting
How do I access One D&D playtest materials?
Log in with your D&D Beyond account and head over to the One D&D claim page to unlock the Unearthed Arcana playtest materials. You will then see the One D&D compendium (found under the “Sources” menu) where you can download the latest playtest and respond to the latest survey.
How do I submit my feedback on One D&D?
You will be able to submit feedback via a survey link in the One D&D compendium. Surveys will be available roughly two weeks after a new playtest packet has been released and remain live for a period of two weeks. This is the same process we’ve previously followed for Unearthed Arcana.
What will I be providing feedback on?
Roughly every month new playtest content will release on D&D Beyond. Each new playtest will cover rules on a different subject, from player classes, to subclasses, to game mechanics.
How long will the One D&D rules be in playtesting?
We expect playtests to continue through at least the end of 2023. How long it ultimately lasts will depend on what we hear from you.
Where can I find people to playtest with?
If you want to playtest but don’t have a group to play with—or your current D&D playgroup isn’t interested—visit the D&D Beyond Discord and D&D Discord and post in the #looking-for-players or #looking-for-group channels.
Digital Play Experience
What is the D&D Digital Play Experience?
D&D Digital is in early development. It will be a virtual play space that allows Dungeon Masters to create truly immersive campaigns and players to enjoy a D&D experience where we offload a lot of the rules referencing. Our goal is to make D&D more immersive, faster, more fun, easier to play, and easier to create in.
What’s the difference between the D&D Digital Play Experience and D&D Beyond?
This is intended to be an immersive digital experience for your D&D sessions. It will be integrated with D&D Beyond, which will continue to offer tools for reference and play.
What about all the other digital tools I use today to play D&D?
Whatever tools you love using, keep using them. Our goal is to make the best digital play experience for D&D. And just like everything else in D&D, everything is optional.
When will the D&D Digital Play Experience begin playtesting?
This experience is still in early development. Everything we’ve shown is pre-alpha. We expect to start showing more to players with a closed beta later in 2023.
I have more questions about the D&D Digital Play Experience!
We know players have a lot of questions after getting an exciting first look at D&D Digital. What you saw is still a prototype and in early development. Expect us to share more details when they’re ready.
Digital & Physical Product Bundles
What are digital and physical product bundles?
We’re excited to offer our first ever selection of specially priced bundles that give you a physical copy and a D&D Beyond digital copy of the upcoming book Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen. Our first offering is now live on dndstore.wizards.com.
Can I expect more D&D products to offer physical and digital bundles?
Yes! We want to deliver on this ask. Right now, we are in the test and learn phase. Join us on this first foray and expect more in the future. For now, we’re not quite ready to commit to every book getting a bundle.
You called this bundle a test. What are you testing?
We are testing everything from distribution method and quantities to bundle contents. We thought it was important to call this out as a test because you should expect things to change over the next two years while we work on bringing more D&D in more ways to more people.
Does the bundle come with preorder perks?
Yes, all preorder perks you would receive on D&D Beyond are included in this bundle. A preorder perk exclusive to this bundle is early access to Shadow of the Dragon Queen on D&D Beyond. Players who preorder the bundle will be able to access the D&D Beyond digital book starting November 22, 2022.
How do I redeem my product on D&D Beyond?
When you purchase a bundle, you will be asked to provide an email address at checkout. You will later receive instructions via that email to access a code that grants you early access to the product on D&D Beyond. Your code can be redeemed at: dndbeyond.com/marketplace/redeem-key.
If I have purchased a bundle on D&D Beyond that discounts products, will that discount apply to this bundle?
No, those discounts only apply to products purchased directly on the D&D Beyond website.
Is there a way to get this bundle and support my local game store?
We love our friendly local game stores and we know you do, too, but at present this test bundle is limited to online purchases directly from dndstore.wizards.com. It is not available through any other store or marketplace.
I already preordered my book physically or digitally on D&D Beyond. Can I swap it for the bundle?
We do not have any upgrade paths to the bundle at this time. You would need to work with that outlet to request a refund.
Mordenkainen astride his kirin Petey. Both are about to be lunch to an Astral Dreadnought.
According to wizards.com/dnd:
A bestiary of wondrous friends and foes for the world’s greatest roleplaying game.
Sparkling with the musings of the wizard Mordenkainen, this tome features a host of creatures for use in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Hailing from every corner of the multiverse, these creatures represent some of the most benevolent and malevolent forces that D&D heroes might face.
The book also gathers together fantastical peoples from many different worlds. Each of these peoples represents a race option when you create your D&D character, expanding on the choices in the Player’s Handbook.
Compiling and updating monsters that originally appeared in Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, this book presents friends and foes for any D&D campaign, many of them accompanied by the comments of Mordenkainen. The wizard has faced many of these monsters and peoples on numerous wondrous adventures. Now it’s time for you to venture forth and face these creatures yourself!
Includes over 250 monsters. Updates to the monsters include making spellcasters easier for Dungeon Masters to run; giving many monsters more damage and resilience; and improving the organization of the stat blocks themselves.
Includes over 30 playable races. Brings all the game’s setting-agnostic races into one book, complementing the races in the Player’s Handbook.
A multiverse of lore. Includes updates to monster lore that refocuses the stories on the D&D multiverse, rather than on any particular world.
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse is Available now!
Meet Fizban the Fabulous: doddering archmage, unlikely war hero, divine avatar of a dragon-god—and your guide to the mysteries of dragonkind.
What is the difference between a red dragon and a gold dragon? What is dragonsight? How does a dragon’s magic impact the world around them? This comprehensive guide provides Dungeon Masters with a rich hoard of tools and information for designing dragon-themed encounters, adventures, and campaigns. Dragonslayers and dragon scholars alike will also appreciate its insight into harnessing the power of dragon magic and options for players to create unique, memorable draconic characters.
Contents:
Introduces gem dragons to fifth edition!
Provides Dungeon Masters with tools to craft adventures inspired by dragons, including dragon lair maps and detailed information about 20 different types of dragons
Adds player character options, including dragon-themed subclasses for monks and rangers, unique draconic ancestries for dragonborn, additional spell options, and a feat
Presents a complete dragon bestiary and introduces a variety of dragons and dragon-related creatures—including aspects of the dragon gods, dragon minions, and more
Reveals the story of the First World and the role the dragon gods Bahamut and Tiamat played in its creation and destruction
Once every eight years, the fantastic Witchlight Carnival touches down on your world, bringing joy to one settlement after the next. Its owners, Mister Witch and Mister Light, know how to put on a good show. But there’s more to this magical extravaganza than meets the eye!
The carnival is a gateway to a fantastic Feywild domain unlike anything found on the Material Plane. Time has not been kind to this realm, however, and dark days lie ahead unless someone can thwart the dastardly schemes of the Hourglass Coven.
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight takes adventurers from the Witchlight Carnival to Prismeer, a Feywild domain of delight, and is designed for characters of levels 1–8. This book comes with a poster map that shows the carnival on one side and Prismeer on the other.
Contents:
Explore the Plane of Faerie in the first official D&D adventure set primarily in the Feywild
Easily drop The Witchlight Carnival into any campaign—for passage into the Feywild or just a night of carnival games and wild entertainment
Introduces two races—play as a fairy or as a harengon, a race of humanoid rabbits
Adds two backgrounds—the Feylost who grew up in the Feywild, and a Witchlight Hand who works at the carnival
All encounters can be resolved without resorting to combat, rewarding clever ideas and creative roleplay
Classic 1980s Dungeons & Dragons characters return, including Warduke, Strongheart, and Kelek
With The Wild Beyond the Witchlight just around the corner (Sept. 21), its high time we gave our tables some #feywildbullshit in our adventures. However, the biggest problem facing DM’s is usually just getting to the feywild in the first place. With that in mind, here are 20 feywild crossroads (portal) ideas to use in your campaign!
Traversing exotic islands, the party stumbles upon a battle between Triton’s and Merfolk across a coral reef. If the party decides to help one group defeat the other, the reef becomes a portal to either the Elemental Plane of Water or feywild Lake.
While ascending alpine slopes, adventurers can choose to scale a particularly imposing cliff face or go around it. If they choose to scale it, they climb for much longer than expected, and the top reveals another, even more magnificent cliff… in the feywild.
Trudging through a swamp, a player sees a group of fireflies leading off in a specific direction. As they follow, the swamp water begins to smell sweet rather than rotten and the ground becomes spongy rather than muddy. An arch of glowing green moss leads them into a colorful feywild marsh.
As your table wanders deeper and deeper into a forest, the party begins to notice the trees growing larger and larger. One tree has a large cavity at the base, big enough to sleep in. If they stay overnight, in the morning the trees will become the size of buildings (like Lothlorian), and they will have been teleported into the feywild.
Deep in a dungeon, a particularly small party member wiggles through a hole that opens up to a magnificent cavern. If they drink from the water dripping the stalactites, they will pass out and regain consciousness in a similar cavern, but in the feywild where the ceiling drips cool silver rather than water.
A rocky desert with scattered cacti greets the hero’s as they descend from the mountains. If any adventurer wants water from a cactus in blook, and slices it open, the inside of the cactus will glow a warm, bright pink. If they arrange pieces of the cactus into a circle, a portal will appear to a wildly blooming cactus forest.
The party travels through a countryside littered with isolated pillars of rounded granite pillars jutting up into the sky. If they climb one of them, they will see other pillars in the feywild floating in the sky, with vines that one can maybe, just maybe, leap and grab hold of.
The group walks onto a beach that still has its morning mist shrouded over the waves. If they enter a rocky cave before the mist blows off, they will exit on a feywild coastline with marine colored waves twice as large
A city museum features a painting made with magic paint of a grand countryside. If the party is there at sunrise/sunset, for a brief few seconds the painting begins to blow with breezes and chirp with birds. They can hop through it if they want, but the portal is only one way; they would need to find another way out.
To reach their quarry, the adventurers must cross a frozen lake. If they do so in a gentle snowfall, and one of them falls through, they will discover the water to be comfortably warm, and teeming with colorful life. They will even be able to breathe this fey lake water.
Mr. Mcgillicutty’s flower garden is in full bloom, and people from all across the countryside have come to marvel. Even folk from a different realm, creatures of the feywild, have taken notice, as it is eerily similar to a garden they have seen back home.
Our heroes are terrified as they walk along a rickety bridge across a bottomless chasm. The red hued walls are so beautiful they rival those found in the feywild. If anyone falls off the bridge they will NOT crash into the rocks. Instead they gently land on soft moss at the bottom of a fey canyon four times deeper than the one in the material plane.
As the players travel across a Serengeti type plain, they sense that a fresh spring rain will be coming soon. If they travel through the night as it rains, by morning they will not really notice how the colors of all the flora are popping, for they will be distracted byt the 50ft tall elephants roaming the feywild land.
Wandering through the woods, the heroes come across cascading waters into a pool that seems particularly radiant. If they walk behind the waterfall and grab some of the moss with supposed healing properties, when they exit they will find themselves in a feywild pool that is as large as a lake.
Crossing the countryside, the party run their hands through the fields of wheat. If they are there at sunset and close their eyes, the wheat will suddenly feel as hard as rock. Opening their eyes, they will see that the golden wheat is now solid gold… they have stumbled into the treasury of the Summer Court.
Weary from travel, our heroes enter the outskirts of a halfling village hurrying to ready for the annual festival. Once a year, satyr’s in the feywild set up the exact same decorations, creating a portal that allows both groups to party all night together.
Exploring a barren desert, the party settles down for the evening, noticing the weather to be particularly clear. If all are awake at midnight under a spectacular starry night sky, the desert will become a bright pink, and when they wake the fey desert will be full of vibrant oases as far as the eye can see.
It is autumn in the forgotten realms, and your campaign trail has led to a forest of aspen trees. The bright red, orange, and yellow is more alive than the flickering flames of a fire. As a big wind blows, for a brief few moments the fallen leaves twirl into a portal that can be entered.
In the frigid arctic, the party faces a frozen glacier. If their fire is out, the light of the full moon will reflect all throughout the clear ice in such a way that they feel they see a frozen fey banquet hall full of creatures dancing. A swift swing of the blade will shatter the thin veneer and allow them to take part in the festivities.
Strolling through the forest, the party steps down to drink from a bubbling stream. If any of them lose their balance and fall in, they discover the current is much, much faster than it looks, hurdling them down stream. If they ever dip beneath the waves, they will come up for air in a feywild river.
About the Author Riley Rath is a freelance copywriter who specializes in serving the tabletop gaming community. He is currently running a campaign and playing in TOA. His favorite board games include: Space Alert, Betrayal at House on the Hill, and Puerto Rico. Ever since he was a kid, he has had a vivid imagination and longed for adventure. Every stick in the hand was a sword or weapon to be used against imaginary enemies! As an adult, he continues to adventure through backpacking the wilderness, connecting with other people, and, or course, role-playing in D&D. And though when he was young he always preferred to play outside to reading indoors, he now delights in reading all sorts of history, philosophy, and theology.
Andrew Cawood and and his crew of creatives are back with the fourth title in the Monster series: Monsters of the Wilderness – Oswald’s Curse. While the other three titles focused on one environment, Oswald’s Curse traverses seven different biomes, each defined by unique monsters. This beautiful collection of over 100 5e monsters (more if we hit those stretch goals) is entwined with the story of Oswald Myrr, a powerful, and seemingly mad, wizard bent on revenge.
According to their press release:
Now on Kickstarter! Monsters of the Wilderness is the 4th book in our bestselling 5E Monster Series! 140-160 pages, fully-illustrated, full-color with hardcover, softcover, and PDF versions. Up to 120 monsters in 7 distinct regions, adventure hooks, encounter tables, events tables, locations tables, GM advice, and more. Stretch goals include extra monsters, PC subclasses, interior cover art, and custom-made dice from Q-workshop.
Oswald Myrr is a legendary wizard who has been banished by the Wizard Council. This crazy spellcaster has unleashed a curse on the world after opening numerous portals called ‘Riftgates’. These openings enable travel around the world and to other planes. However, many evil creatures from other worlds and strange, dark energies have come through the Riftgates.
The book is divided into 7 wilderness regions: Ocean, Arctic, Desert, Swamp/Jungle, Forest, Hills/Lakes, and Mountains. Each region has a wizard or witch from the Wizard Council and a monstrous titan (see below).
This book features artwork by Travis Hanson. Hanson is the creator of the Life of the Party, and Beam, tabletop RPG comic strips. Hanson has provided the artwork for the previous monster books and given the line a solid, cohesive feel.
Monsters of the Wilderness: Oswald’s Curse is funding now on Kickstarter. Funding will continue until Thu, March 4 2021 7:59 PM CST. Check it out! You can learn more about Cawood Publishing, and grab their D&D5e adventures at worldofmyrr.com
As a part of D&D’s 45 Anniversary, WotC, in partnership with WizKids has released a gem dragon mini (maxi? it’s pretty big). According to WotC:
Celebrating 45 years of Dungeons & Dragons!
The glittering sapphire dragons are the most territorial of all the gem dragons to a dangerous degree. They collect magical weapons and armor as the centerpieces of their hoards and vault them away in isolated caverns.
A sapphire dragon’s psionic nature is evident in horn and bone structures of their body. Their tail barbs and horn tips are all separate pieces, but they float in place, held aloft by the dragon’s psychic force while the dragon lives. These levitating horns and spines shift slightly with the dragon’s mood, bobbing in amusement or flaring dangerously with anger. Its scales and wing membranes are varied shades of blue, ranging from the light tones of a spring sky, to the rich, crystalline azure of sapphire gems and compressed glacial ice. In the light, many of their scales glitter and shine with luminous starburst images.
Over 160mm tall, this miniature is based on the all new art for thesapphire dragon, released by Wizards of the Coast for the 45th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons. Completely translucent with gemlike effects on the wings and body, this dragon is a great foe for your next adventure or a beautiful piece for display!
This is a spoiler free review. I have read the book, but not DM’d the adventure yet.
From Wizards:
Giants have emerged from their strongholds to threaten civilization as never before. Hill giants are stealing all the grain and livestock they can while stone giants have been scouring settlements that have been around forever. Fire giants are press-ganging the smallfolk into the desert, while frost giant longships have been pillaging along the Sword Coast. Even the elusive cloud giants have been witnessed, their wondrous floating cities appearing above Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate. Where is the storm giant King Hekaton, who is tasked with keeping order among the giants?
The humans, dwarves, elves, and other small folk of the Sword Coast will be crushed underfoot from the onslaught of these giant foes. The only chance at survival is for the small folk to work together to investigate this invasion and harness the power of rune magic, the giants’ weapon against their ancient enemy the dragons. The only way the people of Faerun can restore order is to use the giants’ own power against them.
Our Thoughts:
The Good
The Art is amazing
The story is well thought out
The plot connects to all 5e published adventures (even MoP)
The Badass
A lot of fleshed out NPCs that could be reskinned for other campaigns.
The body count is high, really high
The Ugly
No player content
A lot of plots and NPCs (not George RR Martin level, but close)
All in all this is a solid campaign. There are quests and side quests to keep your party busy, and the art and cartography are beautiful. But, while I understand we’ve moved away from the days of splat books and endless feats, a few new spells, backgrounds, and player options go a long way.
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Boccob's Blessed Blog 