While I would say this is more a book of DMing Essentials than Worldbuilding, it's an incredible resource regardless of any disagreements on the name.

You won't regret picking this up no matter where you're at in your current campaign, it's got taverns for all wealth levels, TONS of new curses, and more!

At first glance, I thought this was kind of like a bestiary or a Monster Manual, but I am certainly glad to be proven wrong! Though this book has no stat blocks for any of the horrors it details, the information it provides (visuals, habitats, lifestyle habits, and how to distinguish each horror from the others) makes these beings feel far more real. Speaking of visuals, they're positively stunning; they could have called this a Lovecraftian Horror artbook and still justified the price.

If you find yourself in a slump trying to describe your cosmic horrors or simply want a new avenue to breathe new life into them, do yourself a favor and pick up this book.

I always appreciate attempts to add more meaningful injuries in fifth edition. The new Bard, Fighter, Monk, and Rogue subclasses are fun additions that will help many characters realize their desires to serve as menders of the wounded. I also really like how the healing salve magic item is a sneaky way to incorporate Healing Surges back into D&D.

I was torn about whether or not the "Impactful Injuries" rule was too brutal with their recovery methods as it relates to fifth edition, but I actually think it's a good way to emphasize that sometimes, heroes can retire. As always, ensure your group is comfortable with this grittier style of play before springing it on them.

Candlekeep Codex has a fascinating collection of monsters, items, spells, and even subclasses that, while geared towards Candlekeep Mysteries, will fit quite well in any campaign where magic is commonplace. The subclasses feel really well-tuned, and I would run these myself or use them as NPC templates without hesitation. If I had to pick, however, my favorite would be the Illumination wizard.

If you're uncertain how or where you'll use these materials, XhangoGames provides DM Tips throughout the product to address those very concerns.

The Theros Campaign Handbook provides a wealth of information for DMs and Players alike interested in using the Theros setting for their next adventure. I'm really excited to put the extra content for Akros, Setessa, and Meletis to good use! That said, I think many of the subclasses could benefit from another review with a focus on finding a defining feature for each that isn't only a collection of passive buffs. And how can I say no to falcons?!

When reading through the other Planes of Existence as they're presented in the DMG, they rarely provide enough detail to confidently build stories in those locations or confidently describe what the PCs are experiencing. The Infinite Staircase remedies this with the style and level of detail indicative of Oliver's work. The Planes Landings, their varying themes, and the plethora of tables Oliver provides hit that sweet spot of enough structure to outline a story while giving DMs the freedom to effortlessly incorporate these alien lands into any campaign.

If you're serious about including planar travel in your campaigns, do yourself a huge favor and pick up The Infinite Staircase.

My full review can be found here: https://criticalhitguru.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/dd-5e-product-review-theros-the-meletian-calendar/

To summarize: The Meletian Calendar does what the calendar provided in Mystic Odysseys did not; provides context for what the people of Theros are doing on any given day. You no longer need to scratch your head and say “they’re milling about the marketplace;” you can look at The Meletian Calendar, note it’s the 14th day of Protokynion and describe how everyone is getting ready to celebrate The Eye of Mogis tomorrow. Or that, being the 9th day of the month, the people are getting ready to harvest medicinal plants tonight in reverence to Pharika.

If you’re planning to run a Theros or Theros-inspired campaign, do yourself a huge favor and pick up The Meletian Calendar. This product goes above and beyond what I would have expected, and I look forward to seeing more RPG calendar systems covered in this great of depth. It’s astonishing how details like a simple, realized calendar can instill a belief in your setting.

The only thing I recommend is having someone go through it again for spelling or grammar. For example, Meletian is misspelled Meletin in a couple places.

This collection of adventures is a blast for my players and I; they'll fit in nicely with my campaigns for quite some time!

I'm SUPER thrilled to be using covers in my future Dungeon Master's Guild products; they're the perfect blend of rich colors and high detail without fighting a cover image, if you choose one, for visual attention.

My only concern, as far as this bundle goes, is there are some duplicate covers between Pack 1 and 2. I'm not sure why the same images were put into both packs.

I’m positively thrilled with my copy of Odyssey Anthology Volume 1: In Callaphe’s Wake. I cannot state enough how incredible it is to see so many writers, artists, and designers come together and create locations and adventures that feel so natural in their published setting. When a longer product is written by one person, it’s easy for themes, mechanics, or attributes to get reused and start feeling stale. I can promise you won’t run into that issue with Odyssey Anthology. If you want to run a nautical campaign of any kind (though obviously Theros is the intended target), I believe Odyssey Anthology as close to a companion piece to Ghosts of Saltmarsh as you could want in today’s market.

You can read my full review here: https://criticalhitguru.wordpress.com/2020/09/04/dd-module-review-odyssey-anthology-volume-1-in-callaphes-wake/

These page backgrounds are the perfect accessory to help your project pop without taking attention away from the subject. Having left- and right-facing variants for each border is a nice touch.

The images maintain their integrity well across varying page sizes, these are definitely worth the purchase!

This template is a great alternative to the Word version. Works really well with LibreOffice, definitely worth the PWYW.