Unearthed Arcana (UA) is a system Wizards of the Coast uses to test new D&D 5th Edition content before it makes its way into any official material. Players are invited to use these new additions to the game and give their feedback on balance and possible changes that should be made before an official release.* Recently Wizards released new UA containing an additional subclass for each of the twelve official classes. As our resident 5th Edition expert I’d like to throw my two cents into the discussion and take a detailed look at each of the subclasses, what they bring to their parent class, and any changes or improvements I’d make. First up, we have the barbarian.
In many stories a captain, boss, or other leader will have a romance w/ a subordinate, employee, or other follower. In real life, most militaries, businesses, and other organizations prohibit this sort of behavior, w/ good reason: A captain might refuse to put a beloved … read more »
It was a dark and stormy podcast. Suddenly, a host called out “what does weather mean in fiction?” So we decided to do that for a topic. That’s right, 30 minutes talking about the weather. Flee while you can! Or stay and discover what weather … read more »
Antagonists are an indispensable tool of storytelling, and a lot of stories require large groups of bad guys to oppose the heroes. But in addition to all the technical challenges of crafting antagonistic groups, we have to consider when these groups become harmful in real … read more »
I got a request for Maximum Ride, so here we are with The Angel Experiment, the first book in this bestselling series by James Patterson. By the title and the cover, we can assume the main character is an angelic young white woman. The chapters … read more »
Outside Joan’s window, humanity ran amok. The far hillside was covered in hobbyists building a mansion from macaroni. In the valley below, gamers fought epic bubble battles in towering tanks. Winding through it all were hikers on the 100-mile trail of ruffled roses. Her window framed the scene superbly, providing a portrait of society no artist could accomplish. Joan didn’t see it. She kept the shades pulled so the best view on Earth wouldn’t distract her from the most boring job there was. After all, it was the only job there was. Read more »
Disease and infection were deadly, particularly before modern medicine, germ theory, vaccinations, etc. However, having the main character get a coughing fit, diarrhea, and pustules does not usually make for a great adventure story. You can’t outwit or outfight cholera. You mention “A Basic Understanding … read more »
Scifi, mystery, literary, these are all genres, and each of them means something different. But what does genre mean, exactly? How important is it to the writing process, or the publishing process for that matter? Listen in as we tackle those very questions this week. … read more »
Content editing, also known as developmental editing, looks at big-picture issues. It means examining a story to see if there’s enough conflict, if the throughline is strong, if the character arcs are satisfying, etc. Ideally, it’s the first type of editing a manuscript gets, well … read more »
