The narrow stone passage twists and turns, descending into a darkness that seems to swallow all light. Each step you take echoes, reverberating as if the shadows themselves are listening. The air is thick and cold, laced with the smell of damp earth and something else—a faint metallic tang that prickles at the edge of your senses. Finally, the passage opens up, revealing a pair of immense wooden doors bound with corroded iron. A dim torch flickers beside them, casting long, wavering shadows. Wi…

I bet if wizards were real, they'd be the weirdest people you know . We all imagine Gandalf when we think of a wizard (who was a bit eccentric himself), but I bet a real wizard would be more like Radagast the Brown—just a really weird dude who can barely hold a conversation and, for some reason, smells awful. Wizards always seem like they're spaced out, as if they've eaten some weird mushroom growing behind their cupboard. Sure, you need a high level of intelligence to be a wizard , but just lo…

The narrow stone passage twists and turns, descending into a darkness that seems to swallow all light. Each step you take echoes, reverberating as if the shadows themselves are listening. The air is thick and cold, laced with the smell of damp earth and something else—a faint metallic tang that prickles at the edge of your senses. Finally, the passage opens up, revealing a pair of immense wooden doors bound with corroded iron. A dim torch flickers beside them, casting long, wavering shadows. Wi…

A critical hit of memes

The stone staircase spirals downward into a darkness so thick it feels alive. The air grows colder with each step, and the faint sound of dripping water echoes around you. Finally, you reach the bottom, where a massive iron gate looms before you, rusted yet somehow still imposing. A single, flickering lantern hangs nearby, casting an eerie glow. You push the gate open, its hinges groaning like an ancient beast awakening. Inside, you find yourself in a cavernous library, its towering shelves cra…

Lately, my 10-year-old son started playing Dungeons and Dragons with some kids from school. Needless to say, I’m incredibly proud and happy to see a new generation continuing this great tradition. However, I recently had the chance to sit in the kitchen and eavesdrop on their session in the living room, and I have to say—they play the game very differently than my generation (Gen X) ever did. These kids are really getting into it. They leap out of their chairs every few seconds and mime everyth…

A foe far too mighty for battle: The World Turtle

The heavy wooden door creaks open slowly. Faint orange light spills from behind it. As the door fully opens, you stand at the entrance of a vast, ancient hall. The space is dusty and draped with cobwebs, exuding a distinct musky scent that suggests the hall has remained sealed for a considerable time. Yet, curiously, all the torches and candles remain lit. Dominating the room is a grand marble table, encircled by eight chairs. Each appears as pristine as the day they were crafted, devoid of dus…

Behold

As a lifelong Dungeons & Dragons player, there’s one artist whose work always transported me to other worlds before I ever rolled my first die—Boris Vallejo. His fantasy illustrations, with their larger-than-life heroes, mystical creatures, and surreal landscapes, ignited my imagination every time I flipped through the pages of my DnD sourcebooks. Vallejo's ability to capture the raw emotion and intensity of fantastical worlds always stood out. Whether it was a sword-wielding warrior facing a c…

Cast fireball

The heavy wooden door creaks open slowly. Faint orange light spills from behind it. As the door fully opens, you stand at the entrance of a vast, ancient hall. The space is dusty and draped with cobwebs, exuding a distinct musky scent that suggests the hall has remained sealed for a considerable time. Yet, curiously, all the torches and candles remain lit. Dominating the room is a grand marble table, encircled by eight chairs. Each appears as pristine as the day they were crafted, devoid of dus…

I'm just a bard

The heavy wooden door creaks open slowly. Faint orange light spills from behind it. As the door fully opens, you stand at the entrance of a vast, ancient hall. The space is dusty and draped with cobwebs, exuding a distinct musky scent that suggests the hall has remained sealed for a considerable time. Yet, curiously, all the torches and candles remain lit. Dominating the room is a grand marble table, encircled by eight chairs. Each appears as pristine as the day they were crafted, devoid of dus…

A critical hit of memes

When I think back to my early days of Dungeons & Dragons, one of my strongest memories is sitting in our makeshift game room, while my brother—the Dungeon Master—worked quietly on our next adventure. The table would be littered with graph paper, dice, and rulebooks, but my focus would inevitably drift toward the stunning art of Jeff Easley . His illustrations seemed to come alive as I flipped through the pages of D&D books, transporting me to otherworldly landscapes filled with powerful wizards…