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We look at a number of ways to spice up your combat, from streamlining play so players get to act more frequently, to adding just the right type of crunchy table rules to provide extra excitement. Join us as we discuss the best ways to strike a balance between speeding up combat rounds, and making it still feel meaningful and carefully considered. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

As the fifth edition of D&D continues to evolve (can we say that it's 5.5e, yet?), we see two books being "de-listed" on DnDBeyond this week: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, and Volo's Guide to Monsters. And while it's clear that some of what these books offered now feel out of date, what we loved about these books was all the deep lore and storytelling found between the covers. Join us as we turn the pages of history, looking back and what made these books both good and bad. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

This week we discuss everything Armor Class. From how to calculate the old THAC0 to the bounded accuracy of 5E's system. We dive into the spells, feats, and races that can boost AC. And we take cover and dodge around to find more ways to keep from getting hit -- we even come up with a way to boost AC to 30, if only for 6 seconds. Stick around to the end for the actual maths on which class will give you the best AC. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

Conditions are a fundamental component to D&D, but are often misunderstood, or poorly applied. We discuss better ways to use everything from grappling to poisoned, from incapacitated to invisible -- and we even offer a couple of new conditions. Don't be stunned by our unrestrained conversation that is prone to being charming. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

We take a look into the newest announcement of D&D settings: Spelljammer. While we don't yet know all the details of how 5e will be different from 2e (the last time we saw official Spelljammer content) there are a few things we do know. Join us as we unpack this setting and look at some of its new monsters. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

Sometimes we get misled by the name of a subclass, and probably none more so than Oathbreaker. We discuss where this unusual subclass comes from, the weird quirks it offers, and how to build something better. We also clear up the old javelin vs. spear debate (and why your Paladin might want to switch to spears). And we do some comparisons with Warlock, noting how Paladins are about the oath they make, and Warlocks are about who they make the oath to -- and how that affects the way you might want to roleplay them. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

From the decks of a ship to the bottom of the ocean, nothing says adventure like the life at sea. This week we look at ways that players and DMs can create characters and environments well adapted to water-borne combat. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

With the release of the adventure, Call of the Netherdeep, D&D has a few new aberrations to check out. Generally as a cohort of creatures, Aberrations probably don't get looked at as much as Dragons, Giants, Fey or Fiends. But there is plenty of interesting ideas for unusual settings, or strange and terrifying twists thanks to the alien nature of these creatures. Join us to unpack some Aboleths, Flumphs, Slaads and Star Spawns -- plus a few new creatures you've never heard of before. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

Good DMs tell their players how to improve, but GREAT DMs use NPCs to show their PCs how to live up to their true heroic potential. But there are many NPC pitfalls to avoid. This week we look at a few different types of NPCs that can change the dynamic, and maybe help the PCs in a less obvious way. Join us as we delve into Sidekicks, Rivals, Survivors and Adversaries. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

Death can be a real bummer -- especially if you didn't see it coming. While it has always been a part of the D&D experience, how you handle that experience as a DM or a player can be the difference between tears or cheers. Join us as we explore how to make death meaningful to players and the campaign. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

One of the most enjoyable aspects of being a DM can be the time you spend creating a world for your players to adventure within. For those considering building a setting for a campaign, or even those who have done this before but want to up their game, we offer enthusiastic words of advice from our own experience. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

Ever needed to carry more stuff than your strength allows? Looking for a place to hide your party for an hour? Maybe your need to imprison a dozen of your enemies? Or store 27,000 cubic feet of gold coin? Whatever your storage needs, we've got you covered this week with our guide to extradimensional spaces. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

Sometimes we find ourselves grinding through battles only to reduce our foes to zero hit points -- and frankly, that can get a bit boring. So this week we look at different ways you as either DM or player, can spice up combat by re-focusing the combat objectives away from simply killing everything, towards other more unusual and interesting objectives. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

Sometimes as DMs we tend to over do it. And when it comes to treasure, it's easy to shovel out mountains of gold. But then what do you expect players to do with it? What if they start spending it in ways that de-rails the game? This week we look at some creative options for reducing player wealth. From taxes and thievery, to property investment and hired henchmen -- there are a multitude of ways to turn that mountain of treasure into something that moves the game forward. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

'Twas the night before Mid-Winter Fest and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a Brigganock. Join us for our annual look at the magic items we hope to see under the tree this year -- with a special focus this season on the best items in the game: Artifacts! Jack discusses how he has cutom built artifacts for all the players in his game, and we look at how to improve on the artifact system built into the Dungeon Masterss Guide. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

There are so many interesting feats that you will never get to play. Well you could, if you didn't value an ability score bump more. So here's our hot take: with more and more feats being introduced into the game, why not let everyone take one or even two more just to round out their character? Join us as we look at the new Strixhaven feats, and talk a bit about Jay's new Triton character build (and why he wishes he could take a couple of under-used feats). And we talk about Epic boons as feats for low level characters in heroic settings, and much more! Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

If you are really lucky, maybe you will get a chance to play a long campaign with the same group of players over months, maybe even years. Through countless adventures, the PCs have become seasoned heroes, and now they must face one last challenge: how to say goodbye. This week we look at what needs to happen before the final curtain falls on your campaign. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

While many players try to optimize their damage output, we find ourselves asking: How do we optimize our support output? It's not as glamorous to take the help action, or dodge action on your turn -- but if done well, and combined with a few object interactions, you might soon find yourself significantly boosting the damage output of everyone else at the table. Join us as we look at how to play the best support character ever. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

Having spent some time digesting Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, we set out to put the book to the test: cooking up our very own Brass Dragon. We show you how to roll up the characteristics and features that quickly lead not just to a unique boss monster, but to an enticing NPC that a whole campaign could revolve around. Fizban's Treasury reminds us of our recent forays in designing the Casion Dread Lord with Van Richten's Guide, and creating the Library Archfey with Domains of Delight. We get so carried away that within an hour we have rough out the framework for a campaign that would take months and months to play, and would sprawl across the multiverse. And it becomess clear that we can easily integrated our dragon story with interesting setting ideas we have taken from the other aforementioned source books. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!

We believe that class design should be about archetypes not stereotypes. Currently, however, all monks kind of look the same, and it takes real effort to style them into something less obvious. That means taking a step back and looking at the whole class differently, and in particular how to use Ki differently. What else could it be used for? How could that lead to very unique subclasses that all use it in special ways. Also, taking a page from Warlock, the idea of being able to mix and match a couple layers of features also makes for more diverse builds We go through some of the ideas and playtest that we've been working on to hopefully inspire you to build yourself a better monk. Welcome to Like Dragon Like Son, a podcast hosted by Jay and Jack Oatway where they discuss everything D&D, from character builds to personal experiences. Stay tuned for new episodes on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you love Like Dragon Like Son and want to help us out, you can support us by sharing this podcast with your friends. It's the support of listeners like you which motivate us to put out more episodes, so thank you!