LitRPG Reads: RPG + DnD + Books = LitRPG

The Ultimate Step-by-Step DND Character Creation Checklist for 2025

In 2025, three friends engage in a DND adventure. Two men focus intently on their character sheets, the result of meticulous DND character creation. Meanwhile, a woman smiles from behind her dragon-screen as the Dungeon Master. Dice and snacks fill the table beneath poster-covered brick walls.

Build Better D&D Characters in 2025 Imagine this: you’re about to embark on a new Dungeons & Dragons campaign, one filled with untold adventures, formidable foes, and incredible stories just waiting to unfold. What’s your first step? Crafting your character, of course! …

How to Keep TTRPG Campaigns Exciting Every Week (With No Burn Out or Lost Players)

by Ajay Patel

A man and a woman sit tiredly at a table immersed in their TTRPG campaign. Both have their heads resting on their hands, eyes closed. Miniature figures dot the grid board, while a red screen with a castle image stands before these weary players.

Imagine this: you and your players are knee-deep in a sprawling campaign, with plots weaving through weeks or even months of gameplay. One of the greatest challenges a Game Master faces is ensuring that each session remains as vibrant and engaging as …

The TRUTH About the Feywild & Shadowfell (Faerie and Shadow DND Lore EXPLAINED)

by Rich Hunterson

A vibrant scene unfolds with a radiant figure adorned in flowers on the left, surrounded by colorful orbs, reminiscent of the Feywilds magic. On the right, a dark, cloaked figure stands amidst an eerie forest, evoking Shadowfells muted tones and faintly glowing orbs.

Imagine two mystical realms, each a mirror, yet opposite, of the world we know. On one side lies the Feywild, vibrant with chaotic energy, a place where the boundaries of emotion and magic blur, creating a landscape of boundless beauty and perilous …

How to Start a Grimdark RPG the RIGHT Way (5 Brutal Opening Hooks)

by Ana Libanski

A warrior clad in tattered armor stands amidst a battlefield strewn with bones and swords, an ideal setting to start a grimdark RPG. A desolate building looms behind, while a tattered flag waves in the wind. The gritty scene exudes both despair and resilience, perfect for brutal opening hooks.

Imagine stepping into a world where shadows hold secrets too terrifying to comprehend, where every decision teeters on the edge of moral ambiguity, and where heroes aren’t always the ones wearing gleaming armor. Welcome to the realm of grimdark campaigns—a setting uniquely …

Top 7 Worldbuilding Mistakes That Will Destroy Your TTRPG Campaign

by Kenny Kings

In a crumbling, arched ruin, a mystical elf with glowing red eyes and pointed ears clutches an ancient map marked by an enigmatic eye symbol. Her hooded cloak whispers secrets of worldbuilding for the ultimate TTRPG campaign, while a sword stands partly hidden in the surrounding rubble.

…(And How Smart DMs Avoid Them) Building a killer world for your tabletop campaign? Hell yeah. But even the most epic realms can fall flat if you’re not careful. Maybe you’ve dumped a lore book on your players and watched their eyes …

Crafting the Cosmos: A Board Game with Real Physics?

by Ana Libanski

Two people with colorful hair sit at a table playing a board game titled Crafting the Cosmos. The room features a large space-themed mural on the wall, depicting planets and stars. The setting is cozy with modern decor, including a plant and a soft couch.

Office Dog Games, under the banner of Asmodee NA, has unfurled an innovative addition to the board game universe: Crafting the Cosmos. This interstellar strategy game steps beyond traditional boundaries by intricately weaving real-world physics, such as gravity and time manipulation, into …

Runelords Return! Pathfinder’s Massive New Megacampaign Will Blow You Away

by Paul Fellow Mellow

A warrior stands defiantly on a stone platform, sword drawn and facing a massive, ethereal hooded figure holding a large sword. Enigmatic symbols adorn the ancient stone columns surrounding them, bathed in dramatic light.

In an exciting development for Pathfinder aficionados, Paizo has revealed their latest undertaking: Revenge of the Runelords, a mythic-themed, high-level Adventure Path set to launch in the final quarter of 2025. Split in three distinct parts, this megacampaign is designed for characters …

Underworld Breach Banned! Here’s Why MTG Modern Will Never Be the Same

by Ken Chan

In the ever-evolving world of Magic: The Gathering, the banning of a single card can drastically reshape the landscape of the Modern format, particularly when that card serves as a cornerstone for top-tier strategies. Such bans are pivotal, often addressing issues of …

What is LitRPG Reads?

Simply put, LitRPG stories take place in a game (or gamelike) world with rpg-style progression. Basically, an RPG in narrative format. RPG + Books = LitRPG! The term LitRPG was originally coined by three Russian authors back around 2010. I cover a lot of Dungeons & Dragons and Tabletop RPG content here too!

About LitRPG Reads

Paul Bellow is a LitRPG author, decades-long gamer, RPG game developer, and publisher of several online communities. In other words, an old school webmaster.

He also developed and runs LitRPG Adventures, a set of advanced RPG generators powered by GPT-3 AI. Here at LitRPG Reads, he publishes articles about LitRPG books, tabletop RPG books, and all sorts of DND content that's free to use in your personal tabletop campaign - i.e. non-commercial use.

Enjoy your stay and reach out on Twitter or Discord if you want to make contact.