Crit Hit The Giant | Adventures In D&D & TTRPGs

I had a chance to try out the first adventure in the new D&D Encounters series, "Shadows Of Sithicus". It's a lot of fun - but there are some things you should be prepared for if you plan to run this at your game store or at home. LINKSBlog Post Version | https://crithitthegiant.com/2026/06/10/how-to-survive-running-the-shadows-of-sithicus/Watch "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/crithitthegiantWhere You Can Find Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS00:00 - Season Of Horror and D&D Encounters03:21 - Review Premade Character Sheets08:57 - Plan For Missing Components11:46 - Balance The Deadliness15:46 - Review Darkvision and Darkness17:12 - Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you have a passion for geek culture and a talent in making stained glass windows? You get Geek Orthodox! I had a chance to talk to the Founder & Designer, Ian Leino, about their work, their journey, and their future. LINKSBlog Post Version | https://crithitthegiant.com/2026/06/05/spotlight-geek-orthodox-interview/Watch "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/crithitthegiantWhere You Can Find Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Total Party Killers" is one of the newest Dungeons & Dragons comic book mini-series from Dark Horse and Wizards of the Coast. The writer of the series, Christopher Hastings, came by to chat about the series and his love and experiences with Dungeons & Dragons. LINKSOrder "Dungeons & Dragons: Total Party Killers #1" | https://www.darkhorse.com/comics/3014-460/dungeons-dragons-total-party-killers-1/Blog Post Version | https://crithitthegiant.com/2026/05/29/total-party-killers-with-christopher-hastings/Watch "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/crithitthegiantWhere You Can Find Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you've played Baldur's Gate 3 and you are now thinking of jumping into playing Dungeons & Dragons, you might be surprised at some of the key differences between the games. Here's what you need to know.LINKSBlog Post Version | https://crithitthegiant.com/2026/05/08/from-baldurs-gate-to-dungeons-dragons-what-to-know-before-you-play/Watch "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS00:00 - The Baldur's Gate 3 Effect02:35 - Special Thanks & Disclaimer03:59 - Movement, Climbing, & Jumping05:20 - Spellcasting07:26 - Spell Scrolls08:19 - Magic Items9:09 - Short & Long Rests10:16 - Throwing Healing Potions11:27 - Recovering From 0 Hit Points In Combat12:50 - Leveling Up13:56 - Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After watching the premiere of "Dungeon Masters" and running the first Play Along Pack from the series, here are my thoughts about this experience. Did you enjoy the debut of "Dungeon Masters"? What do you think of having these Play Along Packs for each episode?LINKSBlog Post Version | https://crithitthegiant.com/2026/04/24/dungeon-masters-premiere-and-the-play-along-pack-experience/VIDEO: I Tried Running One Of These Adventures | https://youtu.be/hfAy23JZL4UPlay Along Pack Walkthrough | https://www.youtube.com/live/jiFRgSPy-PE?si=V-tdYwjbdI4V4j0UWatch "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS00:00 - Intro01:25 - First Impressions Of "Dungeon Masters"04:10 - Easter Eggs And... Sneak Peaks?!?06:13 - Play Along Pack Experience12:46 - Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last few weeks, we got a lot of updates regarding the Season of Horror products, a new Actual Play Series from the D&D Team, and a new playtest centered around Villainous Options for players. LINKS"Ravenloft: The Horrors Within" products | https://marketplace.dndbeyond.com/BB-Ravenloft-WK15Dungeon Masters: The New D&D Actual Play | https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/2147-dungeon-masters-the-new-d-d-actual-playDesigner Insights From Unearthed Arcana: Villainous Options | https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/2150-designer-insights-from-unearthed-arcana-villainousBlog Post Version | https://crithitthegiant.com/2026/04/17/from-ravenloft-to-villainous-options-a-look-at-the-latest-dd-releases/Watch "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS00:00 - Intro01:51 - Product Options For "Ravenloft: The Horrors Within"04:44 - The Ultimate Bundle09:26 - Dungeon Master's Screen11:18 - Map Pack14:14 - Tarokka Deck17:20 - Dungeon Masters: The New D&D Actual Play23:40 - Unearthed Arcana: Villainous Options46:56 - Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At GaryCon, I had a chance to speak to Limiting Factor Games. They created Dynamaps, which is a new kind of map experience for tabletop roleplaying games. LINKSDynamaps by Limiting Factor Games | https://www.limitingfactorgames.comWatch "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantHASHTAGS & MENTIONS#DnD #DungeonsAndDragons #Barbarians #BarbarianClass #IWouldLikeToRage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I sat down with Chris Tulach, Global Play Manager for Dungeons & Dragons, and we talked about the Dungeon Dare experience and the future of D&D Organized Play. LINKSWatch "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantHASHTAGS & MENTIONS#DnD #DungeonsAndDragons #Barbarians #BarbarianClass #IWouldLikeToRage #GaryCon #GaryCon2026 #Greyhawk #Dungeons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I attended GaryCon for the first time this year and go to go as press. Here were the big D&D announcements that was dropped at the convention, what I enjoyed the most about it, and a highlights reel of my time there. GaryCon has easily tied with GenCon as my favorite convention to attend!LINKSGaryCon | https://garycon.comBlog Post Version | Watch "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS00:00 - What Is GaryCon?01:41 - News Drops At GaryCon08:12 - What Makes GaryCon Different?13:19 - CloserHASHTAGS & MENTIONS#DnD #DungeonsAndDragons #Barbarians #BarbarianClass #IWouldLikeToRage #GaryCon #Greyhawk #Gygax #GaryCon2026 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After being a Dungeon Master for 3 years, here are a few tools I use or plan to use in my future D&D campaigns that you should check out. LINKSFree League Publishing's "The One Ring 2E" - https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/the-one-ring/ Cubicle Seven's "Uncharted Journeys" - https://cubicle7games.com/our-games/uncharted-journeysMCDM Productions' "Arcadia" - https://shop.mcdmproductions.com/products/arcadia-complete-bundle-issues-1-30 Mystic Arts' "The Dungeoneering Rules" - https://www.patreon.com/posts/dungeoneering-149413228 Blog Post Version | https://crithitthegiant.com/2026/03/06/3-tools-im-using-to-level-up-my-dd-play/Watch "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS00:00 - Intro00:56 - Uncharted Journeys from Cubicle 706:04 - Group Maneuvers from MCDM09:23 - The Dungeoneering Rules from Mystic Arts13:02 - What Tools Would You Suggest? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the most interesting subclasses of Barbarians I've found is from a third party resource "Forgotten Realms Rashemen: Unapproachable East Campaign Guide", called "Path of the Runescarred". It has a really neat history tied to magic and you can cast spells while Raging! LINKS"Forgotten Realms Rashemen: Unapproachable East Campaign Guide" on DMs Guild | https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/370425/rashemen-campaign-guideBlog Post Version | https://crithitthegiant.com/2026/02/27/barbarian-spotlight-path-of-the-runescarred/Watch "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS00:00 - Rashemen: Unapproachable East Campaign Guide02:47 - Barbarians In Rashemen05:50 - Path Of The Runescarred Description07:05 - Level 3: Runescars11:46 - Level 6: Runic Power12:30 - Level 10: Witch Strength13:21 - Level 14: Reckless Wards17:13 - Final Thoughts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are some of the best Origin Feats for a 2024 Barbarian? Here are my recommendations with some honorable mentions!Also - I will be making more videos regarding the Barbarian class so if there's anything you'd like to see or know more about, let me know!LINKSBLOG POST VERSION: https://crithitthegiant.com/2026/02/20/best-origin-feats-for-barbarians/WATCH: "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS00:00 - What Do You Want To Know About Barbarians?01:12 - Origin Feats04:19 - Tough05:45 - Savage Attacker07:09 - Alert08:55 - Skilled10:46 - Honorable Mentions13:02 - Origin Feat Vs. General Feats Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here are 4 rules in D&D (2024) that I recently "rediscovered" that I wanted to share with you. LINKSARTICLE: https://crithitthegiant.com/2026/02/06/4-dd-rules-you-may-have-skipped/WATCH: "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS00:00 - Intro01:33 - The Help Action And Ability Checks02:21 - Targets Get Half-Cover If Someone Is In The Way04:12 - The Study Action And Monsters06:33 - Influence Actions Against Hostile Creatures09:04 - What's Your Rediscovered Rules? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A popular home-brew rule at D&D tables is using Critical Fumbles when a Natural 1 is rolled. Some people love it; others hate it. But using this set of rules not only give players more agency with Critical Fumbles, but it even encourages them to use it!LINKS:ARTICLE | https://crithitthegiant.com/2026/01/30/use-these-critical-fumbles-rules/WATCH | "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeFind & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS!!!00:00 - What Is A Critical Fumble?02:34 - Adding A Consequence To The Natural 1 Roll07:14 - Pool Of Heroic Inspiration09:32 - Don't Just Implement - Get Player Buy-In10:39 - Recap and Wrap Up Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the best ways to play a game set in the world of "The Lord Of The Rings" is to play the popular TTRPG "The One Ring" from Free League Publishing. I was able to try out a one shot of the newest Starter Set for the game, and here are my favorite things about this game that I am now obsessed over. LINKSARTICLE: https://crithitthegiant.com/2026/01/23/what-i-loved-about-playing-the-one-ring/The One Ring Starter Set: https://freeleaguepublishing.com/shop/the-one-ring/over-hill-and-under-hill-starter-set/Free League Publishing: https://freeleaguepublishing.comAdamCon: https://www.theadamcon.comWATCH: "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS00:00 - Intro02:40 - Disclaimer & Shoutout04:00 - The Dice Mechanics08:49 - The Character Sheet20:01 - Journeying26:17 - Combat35:00 - Council39:30 - Closing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently, the new head of D&D Beyond, Bryan Perry, provided an update on the future of D&D Beyond and hosted an AMA Reddit post to answer people's questions about the digital tool. As someone who uses this tool regularly (almost every day!), I thought I would share what's currently on my wish list for the D&D digital tool set. LINKSARTICLE: https://crithitthegiant.com/2025/12/19/my-dd-beyond-wish-list/D&D Beyond 2025 Wrap Up | https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/2116-d-d-beyond-2025-wrap-upReddit AMA With Bryan Perry and D&D Beyond | https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/1phmm0i/ama_w_dd_beyond_executive_producer_on_december_9/The Future Of D&D Beyond Maps | https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/2120-the-road-ahead-join-our-journey-to-improve-theWATCH: "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS00:00 - D&D Beyond's Request For Feedback03:32 - Encounters Tool07:18 - PDF Copies Of The Books10:13 - Unifying the Website and App Experience11:42 - Updating the User Interface 13:57 - What's on YOUR D&D Beyond Wish List? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are times when playing a session of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) won't be possible for whatever reason. Maybe you are short on time or the motivation isn't there, or you're with your family and friends and they don't have an interest in playing. The good news is that there are tons of board games that can scratch the D&D itch for you. In this episode, here are some games I would recommend trying out or playing if you're wanting that D&D experience. And don't forget to support your local game stores!Links5-Minute DungeonBetrayal At Baldur's GateCastle PanicDice ThroneFor The QueenHeroes Of BarcadiaHorrified: Dungeons & DragonsWandering TowersChapters00:00 - Intro01:06 - 5-Minute Dungeon (Wiggles 3D)02:23 - Betrayal At Baldur's Gate (Avalon Hill/Hasbro)03:25 - Castle Panic (Fireside Games)04:29 - Dice Throne (Dice Throne)05:45 - For The Queen (Darrington Press)08:25 - Heroes Of Barcadia (Rollacrit)10:13 - Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons (Ravensburger)12:03 - Wandering Towers (Capstone Games)13:52 - Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On November 11th of this year, Wizards of the Coast released two books based on its most popular setting: The Forgotten Realms: Heroes Of Faerun (an expansion for players) and Adventures In Faerun (an expansion for Dungeon Masters). In addition, they also released an exclusive, D&D Beyond Digital expansions that are connected to the Forgotten Realms: Astarion's Book Of Hunger (based on the popular Baldur's Gate 3 character), Netheril's Fall (a time-traveling adventure expansion), and Lorwyn: First Light (a Magic: The Gathering inspired land that lives in the Feywild's Domain Of Light). Each of these expansions are $14.99 each and offer new content and material that integrates with character options and D&D Beyond. But are these worth buying at that price point? I do a breakdown of what's in each expansion, what they come down to in terms of words per dollar, and my conclusion on if these are worth purchasing for the sticker price.LINKS:WATCH: "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS:00:00 - Overview Of The Forgotten Realms Bundle02:27 - Astarion's Book Of Hunger09:21 - Netheril's Fall13:22 - Lorwyn: First Light15:29 - Price Breakdown & Is It Worth It?21:59 - Final Thoughts & Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Free League Publishing, the company behind popular tabletop roleplaying games such as Dragonbane, The One Ring, Vaesen, and Alien RPG, revealed a new and upcoming Kickstarter to publish 4 books of a classic Dragonbane setting. They also released for pre-order a new Lord Of The Rings book: The Hands Of The White Wizard (for "The One Ring") and Trials of Saruman (for D&D 5E).I had a chance to speak with Tomas Harenstom, the CEO of Free League Publishing, to talk about his TTRPG origin story, the company's new projects and announcements, as well as the future of the Lord Of The Rings TTRPGs with the recent news of Asmodee becoming the manager of the LotR TTRPG license.LINKSDragonbane Trudvang Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1192053011/dragonbane-trudvang-the-legend-returnsPre-order The Hands Of The White Wizard (The One Ring) and Trials Of Saruman (D&D 5E): https://us3.campaign-archive.com/?u=2dcfb24fb7c8d0fb9c2f52040&id=d687b21b22ARTICLE: Free League, Trudvang, and Hands Of The White Wizard: An Interview With Tomas Harenstom | https://crithitthegiant.com/2025/11/14/free-league-trudvang-and-hands-of-the-white-wizard-an-interview-with-tomas-harenstom/WATCH: "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS00:00 - Guest Introduction01:02 - Tomas' TTRPG Origin Story07:17 - Dragonbane's Next Kickstarter: Trudvang10:29 - What's To Come In Trudvang13:23 - Who Is Jorgi of Jorgi's Bestiary?14:36 - Who Are The Vitners and Dimwalkers?17:16 - Exciting New Trudvang Creatures19:53 - New Kins & Mechanics Coming To Trudvang?22:29 - What IS The Black Sun Setting?23:52 - Will We See More Classic Dragonbane Settings Published?28:36 - Trials Of Saruman / Hands Of The White Wizard Books31:14 - Why Two Different Titles For The Same LOTR Book32:29 - YOU Can Change The Fate Of Saruman (And Middle-Earth)!34:34 - Are We Getting Alternate Universes In Middle-Earth?36:52 - How Asmodee's Recent Development Will Affect Free League's LOTR Games39:26 - What Conventions Will Free League Attend?41:15 - Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest Unearthed Arcana update released on October 30th of this year, Wizards Of The Coast dropped 5 updated subclasses for community review and feedback. Two of these subclasses are for the Barbarian: Path Of The Ancestral Guardian (which will be renamed Path of the Spiritual Guardian) and Path Of The Storm Herald.Here's an overview of what I saw in the updates:They are making damage scale increases tied to the Barbarian Rage Damage bonus (e.g. "a number of d6s per Rage Damage Bonus). This makes it consistently across all of the subclasses and easier to remember instead of having it arbitrarily assigned. The update to the name "Path of the Spiritual Guardian" is a great change to broaden the flavor and narrative approach for player's characters. Spirit guardians can be in the form of ancestors, bestial spirits, or elemental spirits.They're wanting to make the Spirit Guardian be less of a shield, which I think goes away from the flavor and intended theme of the subclass (e.g. splitting up Spiritual Protectors and changing Vengeful Spirits to an extra attack instead of adding damage to the Spirit Shield reaction).Path Of The Storm Herald no longer requires you to pick a permanent environment when you select it. Now, you select which environment aura you're activating every time you Rage (consistent with other subclasses, such as Path of the Wild Heart).They gave some love to the upgrades in Path of the Storm Herald, but Tundra still remains unimpressive (or at least not as impressive as Desert or Sea).What are your thoughts? Let me know.CHAPTERS00:00 - Intro01:03 - Path of the SPIRIT Guardian Review10:35 - Path Of The Storm Herald Review21:11 - Final ThoughtsLINKSARTICLE: Updated Subclasses Unearthed Arcana 2025 | https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/2092-designer-insights-from-unearthed-arcana-subclassesWATCH: "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We just received the latest Forgotten Realms books for Dungeons & Dragons, and the Player Expansion book, "Heroes Of Faerun" have a lot of great, new character options. But which ones are the best for your Barbarian character? I'm here to tell you my thoughts on which ones are my favorite and what it can do to make your Barbarian even more epic!LINKS!!!ARTICLE: The Best Barbarian Options From "Heroes Of Faerun" | https://crithitthegiant.com/2025/11/07/the-best-barbarian-options-from-heroes-of-faerun/WATCH: "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual Play | https://www.twitch.tv/dndwithdeeWhere You Can Find & Support Me Online | https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiantCHAPTERS!!!00:00 - Intro01:28 - No Barbarian Subclass Option!03:29 - Backgrounds08:45 - Feats14:22 - The Future Of Barbarians In FaerunHASHTAGS & MENTIONS!!!#DnD #DungeonsAndDragons #Barbarians #BarbarianClass #IWouldLikeToRage #forgottenRealms #Karlach #KarlachCliffgate #BaldursGate #baldursgate3 #HeroesOfFaerun #WotC #wizardsofthecoast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dragon Delves is the first adventure anthology that Wizards Of The Coast released since the 2024 core rulebooks were published. It features an option to run a few of these adventures with a solo player character. I ran one of these adventures and I found that it was a great start, but it still requires more. Find out what the feature "Blessing Of The Lone Champion" entails for solo adventures, and what else you should take into consideration if you are running a solo adventure. LINKSARTICLE: D&D's Solo Adventure Feature Is Not EnoughWATCH: "Broken Chains", a D&D Actual PlayWhere You Can Find & Support Me OnlineCHAPTERS00:00 - Intro01:23 - What Is Blessing Of The Lone Champion?04:12 - The Challenges With D&D's Solo Adventure10:01 - What To Plan For When Running D&D Solo Adventure15:29 - Conclusion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the podcast for Crit Hit The Giant! This is what you can expect from listening to the show, which is me bringing my love and adventures in the world of Dungeons & Dragons and Tabletop Roleplaying Games!Find out where else you can connect with me here: https://linktr.ee/crithitthegiant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.