Play Easily Now (PEN) Roleplaying Game Review - Score: 77 / 100

This review is part of my new TTRPGs page, where you can find awesome Games Like DnD that you may never have heard of before. If you're interested in finding a new game to play, check out that article!

Play Easily Now (PEN): Roleplaying Game is a new TTRPG by Josiah Mork, from Hoodwink Games. As of the time of this article, the Kickstarter is just about to launch (on October 3rd, 2024), so if you like the sound of this review, be sure to support the game.

PEN is effectively BaG (the Basic and Generic Roleplaying Game), but 2nd edition. The name's changed but the game’s core mechanics are very similar, with nice quality of life improvements and cool new features.

As with BaG, PEN focuses on providing players with the option for gaming in multiple genres (fantasy, scifi, modern, etc.), with rules that are easy-to-learn, well laid-out, and that perhaps above all, allows players to create and roleplay any character they can imagine. The game’s mechanics are also flexible and streamlined, creating very quick gameplay that's easy to learn.

My overall impression of the game is very favorable. I would purchase this game and play campaigns with it, which is really the key takeaway, and probably the most important question to answer for any review.

Review Intricacies

Because PEN is really BaG 2nd edition in many ways, and I’m writing this review not only for players new to Hoodwink Games, but also for those who have already played BaG 1st edition and want to know how the sequel plays, many of the sections that I've reviewed (below) compares and contrasts PEN to BaG.

Some scores for PEN are also even influenced by BaG (such as the “uniqueness” score), though I have tried to be as fair as possible in scoring, especially given the unique circumstances of reviewing this 2nd edition game.

For anyone reading this review, PEN actually has a slightly lower score in my book than BaG, but I would actually prefer playing PEN. I try to review games as if they were an art form, which takes into account many factors, for a wide audience of people. In this case, PEN has a slightly lower score than BaG particularly in the "Uniqueness" and "Art" categories. So, even though I've given PEN a better score in many other categories, the overall score is lower than BaG received.

Personally, I don't think an RPG's uniqueness or art are the be-all-end-alls for a game, which is why I'd still prefer playing this game over BaG - in a playability sense, PEN is better. So, just keep in mind that if it weren't for those two rather unimportant sections (so far as gameplay is concerned), PEN would have a much higher score.

How Unique is PEN: (6/10)

Starting off, PEN is just as unique of a game as BaG, which received an 8/10 in the “uniqueness” category. However, because PEN is the 2nd edition, and there aren’t a ton of new, unique materials or concepts that particularly distinguish it from BaG, I am actually scoring PEN lower in this category.

Maybe that reasoning doesn’t seem quite fair, but BaG was simply more unique when it came out than PEN is from its predecessor.

What I can definitely say is that PEN has provided some nice improvements over the unique features that were from BaG. But, as valuable as incremental growth is for games, it isn’t the same thing as providing a truly “unique” experience.

All of that being said, there still are some very interesting new rules and options for players in PEN.

Item and Magic Crafting

Two of the things I still think are most unique about PEN are its item and magic crafting sections. Hoodwink Games has really put some thought into how to build item and magic crafting system with flexibility into its multi-genre rulebooks.

I’ve always been a fan in games like World of Warcraft, crafting weapons and armor for my characters. Maybe not everyone is into that kind of thing, but for me – and I know there are more people like me out there – it’s fun to run around the game world, collecting rare and unique materials for use in my new gear.

Item Crafting

In a TTRPG, building item crafting like you see in WoW into a rulebook is (most likely) far too tedious for it to be practical. In PEN, however, the problem is solved with a very flexible suggested list of crafting materials, which may be combined together as the GM/ player see fit, and using a simple “Mechanics” roll for crafting success.

Magic Crafting

The magic crafting section is probably the only segment in the PEN rulebook that can be slightly intimidating, but it is possible to create basically any spell you could possibly imagine. You may create spells using a number of elements (earth, wind, fire, death, etc.), effects, school of casting, targets, range, duration, and more. Combined, these options allow players to craft spells that may do virtually anything.

In PEN, magic feels... well, like magic. It feels like magic from a book, the first time you read about it, back when you were a kid – when magic wasn’t just something like, “I click my hotkey to cast fireball, which does 127-spell damage.”

Instead, magic in PEN is unpredictable, exciting, open to infinite possibilities, and is truly a unique system that you won’t find in any other TTRPG out there, anywhere. It might feel a little complex at first, but nothing that any "true wizard" would ever let hold them back.

Play Easily Now PEN Roleplaying Game Magic

How Easy is it to Learn to Play BaG RPG: (10/10)

PEN is so easy to learn that I even factor this score as an added bonus into the “uniqueness” section above, as it’s one of the things that I love most about the game. You could almost say, in fact, that I give this section an 11/10.

Including the index, PEN is 93-pages long, so like BaG, you can read through the entire game manual in about an hour – that is, if you glance over the more technical pieces, and just read for general comprehension. This should be welcome news to any game master.

Furthermore, like BaG, the book is laid out in a series of “Modules,” that teach you how to play the game, in stages. More advanced concepts and options (like item crafting, magic, and even character creation) come after basic gameplay rules are provided.

Character Creation

What I like most about character creation in PEN is that players may actually select premade characters, based on 7-different archetypes. The reason I like these premade characters is that they're still generic enough for players to fit their own style into the game, and having characters that are 100% ready to go means that people who know nothing about PEN can pick up the rulebook and start adventuring in literally minutes.

One of the biggest hurdles (in my opinion) for roleplaying games is that it's usually a lot of work for (usually) the game master to learn the game, walk players through character creation, and then teach everyone how to play. With PEN, a large shortcut may be taken through that stage of character-building, saving great deals of time.

Later on, once players are familiar enough with the game to build their own characters, then custom character creation becomes available.

It's also worth noting that PEN is a classless RPG, and so features an incredible number of options for players once they do get to the point of creating their own custom character.

Gameplay

Nearly all of the game takes place through resolving 14-different kinds of skill checks. One thing I really like about PEN is that even combat scores are considered “skill checks,” so there’s really only one system for the game (with yes, a little variety when it comes to combat). This is opposed to games like DnD, where you have an attack roll bonus, then skill bonuses, then resist check bonuses, which all function pretty differently.

Basically, there are “Degrees of Success” in PEN, ranging from Critical Failure all the way up to Heroic Success. Players make skill checks using 3d6, and then consult the all-important table on Pg.7 of the rulebook to see what category their roll falls into. For combat, there’s also an opposing roll from your target before results become clear and damage is dealt, etc.

Characters start with 65-skill points into their 14-skills, meaning each probably averages around 4-5 at the start of the game. With a 3d6 + 4 (or 5), characters should succeed (in some manner) on virtually every roll.

The system has depth to it, with Degrees of Success, but the game is ultimately easy to learn. Whenever a player tries to "do" something, the answer from the game master is usually just to, “roll 3d6, add your skill, and consult the table on Pg.7.”

Chaining Skill Checks

Speaking of Degree of Success, each skill check often affects the next, depending on the "Degree of Success" reached: players have a kind of detriment to their next roll (on the low end of success, called a “Strive”), or bonus to their next roll (with Critical and Heroic Successes).

The game is less often about “whether or not your character succeeds at doing what you want them to,” and more often becomes about, “how does your choice of actions from before effect what’s to come?”

For example, if you Dodge an enemy’s attack, but you merely do so with a “Strive” (by narrowly “striving” to get out of the way), you position yourself badly, so that your next attack now has a lowered roll.

Or conversely, your character has a Heroic Success on their Notice roll, allowing them to not only see bandits sneaking up on the party, but giving them a (substantial) bonus to their next Magic roll, allowing them to blast the rogues from afar.

Play Easily Now PEN Roleplaying Game Skill Checks

Presentation: (8/10)

Everything in PEN looks just as good as BaG, or better. The color choice is great, font is clear, tables look good, and I really appreciate the use of highlighted sections in the book that expand upon tough concepts with the use of quick examples.

There’s even a giant “Important” text over the game’s key table (for Degrees of Success) on Pg.7.

Overall, the rulebook looks great, reads easily, and leaves absolutely no complaints. The only reason I didn’t give PEN a higher score in this section is because I’m picky and feel that there’s a little “something” missing. Though the format’s really good, I feel that game books should be first and foremost, entertaining for its readers. And by "entertaining," I mean that they should even be entertaining beyond what's written inside: they need to "pull readers in," and make it "fun for them to learn the game," not just "easy to learn the game."

I think that maybe if the clean/ efficient use of space and technically perfect style of PEN met Josiah’s other game, Starset RPG: The Great Dimming somewhere in the middle, with its immaculate sense of style and grandeur, PEN would be a solid 10/10 in this category.

Lore: (3/10)

In my review of BaG, I mentioned how I was originally going to give the game a 3/10 for its lore, because like Savage Worlds, the game relies almost entirely upon the game master to create a fun world and storyline.

This is effectively the problem with multi-genre games. Because you must create rules that can fit any genre (fantasy, scifi, grimdark, modern, cyberpunk, etc.), you can’t really provide lore for game masters and players to use in each and every category, without supplemental books and materials.

It’s my understanding that PEN will have specific setting books available in the future, for various genres. However, as of the time of this writing – so far as I know – no such book exists. Thus, I have to leave my score where it stands. I’m happy to adjust it upwards though as such books do become available.

Combat in BaG RPG: (7/10)

PEN sought to fix some of the issues with combat from BaG RPG, and I’m very grateful for that.

I love that combat in PEN is fast-paced, simple, and allows players agency even when they’re attacked (you can choose to Block an attack, or Dodge). I also enjoy that combat simply uses skill checks, like everything else in the game. So, there isn’t this feeling that combat is it’s own mini-game, which is separate from the rest of the game.

Since skill checks are a 3d6 system, the “target” numbers are also easier to understand than they were in BaG RPG. Finally, I particularly enjoy how Degrees of Success work while in combat, and find the interactions they create very interesting, especially when it comes to counterattacking.

With all of that being said, and though I do think the game has improved combat from BaG (quite a bit), I still have a few issues with PEN’s combat system.

Counterattacking

When I first read that every time your character is attacked in combat, you get to counterattack, I really liked the idea. It sort of makes sense, after all: somebody tries to whack you, so you whack them back.

The idea also flows really well with Degrees of Success, as a very successful Block or Dodge translates into an instantly more powerful counterattack.

As a power gamer though, here’s the issue: the more times I get attacked, the higher my “DPS” will be. If I'm the “tank” for my group (not that PEN has archetypes like a "tank," specifically – but if I'm the guy who runs into a group of enemies, trying to protect my allies), I get as many attacks per turn as enemies who surround (and attack) me.

This means that even if I have a low hit chance – and, as a “tank,” a very high Block score, of course – because I'm getting attacked, and thus counterattacking, more often than anyone in my group... by default, I do the most damage.

So, when reading through the PEN combat system, my first thought was, “ok, I max out my skill in Resistance (my Block value), get the best armor possible, and put the rest of my stats into having the highest HP possible.” Basically, no other build even comes close to being as powerful as what I'm describing here, so far as combat is concerned.

I do think that most people would look at PEN and focus on all of the great customizable options for items, magic, and “Maneuvers” (below), but for those with power gamer tendencies like me, this just is what it is.

Maneuvers

In PEN, you can do more than attack and defend. You also have access to “Maneuvers,” which like many games, are the solution for physical-based characters to have their own kind of “magic-like” system.

To be honest, I don’t 100% understand Maneuvers, just from reading the rulebook. I think you can use as many Maneuvers as you want during your turn, and they each lower your hit chance – if you use multiple, or combine them with your attack, that is. Otherwise, they each have a unique effect such as distracting your target or lowering their hit chance, instead of simply dealing damage when you attack.

From playing around with Maneuvers, however, it didn’t feel like they were “powerful” enough, as compared to dealing damage. So, they quickly became a bit of an afterthought in our group.

It’s nice that Maneuvers are available, and in some clutch situations they did prove to be very useful, such as when we shoved a group of enemies off a ledge. But overall though, they felt underwhelming.

Mass Combat

I always enjoy when games provide options for mass combat. PEN does an admirable job of taking the vast amounts of info that could go into any war game and distilling it to its most basic elements. My gaming group didn’t get to try out mass combat in any great detail, but what we did play through was fun, satisfying, and added to the overall gaming session in a positive way.

BaG RPG Game “Flow”: (10/10)

PEN has everything going for it when it comes to game “Flow” that BaG did, plus more. Skill checks are easy and fast, perks and quirks make roleplaying more meaningful, while also contributing to skill checks, items and magic are interesting without being cumbersome, premade character archetypes allow gaming groups to immediately jump into play, and there are even premade adventure modules in the main rulebook.

PEN is still the best TTRPG for player creativity that I've seen, as you can do literally anything with your character that you’d ever want. And this is where the multi-genre style really pays off, because you can be a heroic knight, a space pirate, a mechanic in a steampunk universe, or really anything that you can imagine.

I also honestly cannot say enough how much I love opening a rulebook that’s under 100-pages in length. It’s just so easy to find any reference table that’s needed, and then immediately get back into your RPG campaign.

It felt like PEN gave my gaming group enough framework to play our gaming sessions, but then was otherwise “out of the way,” so that we could focus on having fun and immersing into our adventure. Literally perfect.

Artwork: (3/10)

As with nearly all up-and-coming/ independent TTRPGs, I feel that allowances must be made when it comes to having high-quality artwork. Artists are expensive, and art takes a tremendous amount of time to create.

That being said, Josiah’s done a very good job including some simple art in the PEN rulebook. The art that is present both looks good and helps convey the message that each section covers.

At the end of the day, this isn’t the most artistically beautiful TTRPG rulebook out there, and that lack of art does affect the overall aesthetic to some degree.

Ease of Purchase: (10/10)

PEN is extremely easy to purchase. You can find it on the Hoodwink website, and of course, the Kickstarter page.

Price & How Many Books Do You Need to Play: (10/10)

As of the time of this writing, PEN hasn’t yet “officially” launched on the Hoodwink website or Kickstarter page, so I’m not 100% sure on the price. However, if it’s anything like Hoodwink Games’ other products, it’ll be in the $15 range for PDF, and $25 for print.

Compare this to D&D, which is like, what, $60 per book nowadays (and you need three of them to play), and you can see why I love the price of this game.

Ease of Starting a Group & Availability of Supplemental Material: (10/10)

Another advantage to multi-genre games is that finding a group to play is extremely easy. You can connect with any tabletop gamer and ask if they want to get together for some kind of adventure – be it in an elven forest, on an asteroid (for your scifi gamer friends), or whatever else people are into.

PEN is not a famous game yet, but Hoodwink Games has now successfully launched and funded numerous Kickstarter projects, so it may well become so. Furthermore, you can help make it so.

Even if your friends haven’t yet heard of PEN, it's a game that people truly enjoy. I’m also pretty certain that more supplemental books are coming out soon, which should expand character-building options in a wide variety of ways, custom to each genre setting. Perfect for providing you with content to game with your friends, no matter what kind of game they're into.

Give PEN a try! You’ll be happy that you did.

Play Easily Now (PEN) Roleplaying Game is Produced By:

Josiah Mork/ Hoodwink Games

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Author - Jacob Tegtman

Dear reader, I hope you enjoyed this article. Tabletop gaming has been a passion of mine since I was 6 years old. I've played just about every game from Dungeons and Dragons to video games like Final Fantasy. These games have inspired me, made me laugh, made me cry, and brought me endless hours of enjoyment.

I started Eternity TTRPG - and the indie tabletop game that goes along with it (Eternity Shop) - to share my love of gaming with others. I believe that in our technology-driven age, tabletop games help bring a sense of magic and community back into our world.

If you love the site, please share it with others! I have lots of gaming-related material for you to peruse and use in your own gaming sessions. If you have any questions about the site or want to contribute, just send me a message using the "Contact" page, which you can find in the site's footer.

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Final Fantasy TRPG: Legend Edition — Classes & Jobs Explained

By Jacob Tegtman • January 20, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPQfDB2cKSI Transcription Every Final Fantasy hero starts with a choice. Sword or spell. Raw power, or skill. But in Final Fantasy TRPG: Legend Edition, that choice doesn’t stop at your Class — it’s defined by the Jobs you choose from your class, the Circles you unlock, and the Limit Breaks that change the tide of battle. Today, we’re breaking down how Classes and Jobs actually work in Final Fantasy TRPG: Legend Edition — and how they shape your character from level one… to the final boss. Hey everyone, welcome back to Eternity TTRPG channel! If you caught one of my recent videos from before the holidays, we went deep into the Final Fantasy TRPG: Legend Edition core rulebook — and today we’re diving into one of the most iconic elements of any Final Fantasy system: Classes and Jobs ! Whether you’re planning your first character or optimizing a seasoned hero for this recently-released game, this guide has you covered. One of the longest-standing traditions in Final Fantasy is its Job system , and Legend Edition embraces this fully. Classes in this game are the framework or chassis of your character — they determine your character’s HP, MP, trained Skills, associated Jobs, and your Class Limit Break . Jobs are where the cool stuff really happens. Each Job is a set of abilities on a progression track, granting new Features at specific levels — these are called Circles . And you don’t just pick one — your character ends up with three Jobs (or four with optional full buy-in), each advancing at a different speed to give you abilities every level. There are four broad Classes you’ll choose from. Each class has what you could consider as subclasses – in Legend Edition, these are the “Jobs.” So, for example, some of the Warrior Jobs are berserker, dervish, dragoon, fighter, monk, samurai, and so on. So, let’s dive into the four classes: Number 1 - Warrior Masters of physical combat, Warriors excel in strength, endurance, and frontline fighting. Their Limit Break — Action Surge — lets them make extra attacks during an encounter, perfect for dealing burst damage. 2. Expert Battlefield manipulators and support roles go here. Experts rely on their wits and skill versatility, and their Limit Break — Savant — adds bonus dice to Skill rolls based on their level. 3. Mage If magic is your playstyle, Mages are your go-to. They lean into Spellcasting and area of effect mechanics. Their Turbo MP Limit Break doubles the effectiveness of MP spent on magical abilities during an encounter. And number four is Adept The hybrid class — versatile, adaptable, and capable of mixing physical and magical roles. Adepts don’t have a unique Limit Break; instead, they choose one from the other three classes, based on their job build. Now here’s where Legend Edition gets fun. Across the system are 50+ Jobs drawing inspiration from classic Final Fantasy favorites — think Black Mage , Dragoon , Thief , and more — giving you a huge palette of archetypes to mix and match. Each Job grants seven Features – called Circles – over its progression, spaced across levels based on whether the Job is on a Fast, Medium, or Slow advancement track — meaning strategic choices shape how your character evolves through the campaign. So, for example, you may choose the Warrior class because you like its HP, MP, and Skill point advancement numbers, you like its limit break, and you enjoy playing that overall archetype for your character. Then, you pick three Jobs to fill out your character. Say that you want a full warrior build, so you choose your three jobs to be: Dragoon, Knight, and Monk. From here, you’d decide which of those three jobs would be on your Fast advancement track, which should go on your Medium track, and which will be on your slow advancement. Important note here though: only one of your Jobs needs to be associated with your Class. That means the rest can actually be totally outside that box — so yes, you can be a Mage-warrior hybrid if it fits your concept! You could be a warrior class, with the Dragoon, Black Mage, and Chemist jobs. So, here’s the quick breakdown of Job progression: Fast Progression: Abilities at levels 1, 3, and every 3 levels thereafter Medium Progression: Abilities at levels 1, 4, and every 3 levels thereafter Slow Progression: Abilities at 2, 5, and every 3 levels thereafter This staggering system means every level feels like a growth moment. You get new Abilities (“Circles”) from all three of your jobs at the same cadence. But at the same time, you get Circles from the Jobs that are most important to you, at earlier levels. The rule book mentions this too, but if you do want to try out this awesome system, I’d recommend that you don’t stress too much about your first Job choices. There’s a ton of options here, which is great for replayability, and experimenting with side campaigns. But, there’s also too many Jobs to really nail down what you want to ideally play, the first time you try out this game. Probably instead, just pick classes that sound fun, and give it a whirl. To wrap up this video, I’m going to cover my personal favorite Job from each of the first three Classes. Since there’s over 50-jobs, there’s too many for me to dive into – at least today. But hopefully these quick snapshots give you a picture of how Jobs work, what kind of Abilities each provides, and some inspiration for your upcoming game: If I was to play a Warrior Job, I’d start with Dragoon: As you probably know, Dragoons are also often known as Dragon Knights . Dragoons are aerial combat specialists who use momentum for power. Originally trained to pierce the hides of massive foes like dragons, their style revolves around leaping high above the battlefield and crashing down with overwhelming force. Depending on the setting, Dragoons may hunt dragons, fight alongside them, or carry on their legacy after their extinction — but they’re almost always portrayed as guardians who stand against towering threats . In play, Dragoons are defined by the Jump and Blood of the Dragon Circles . Jump removes them from the battlefield for a round before returning with an automatic, high-impact strike. Meanwhile, critical hits generate Blood of the Dragon to fuel powerful Dragon Arts , which are the Dragoon’s situational combat techniques that modify your attacks, defenses, or Jump actions, for additional benefits. Next up, for the expert class, I’d probably start with Squire – I just have so many good memories from playing Final Fantasy Tactics: Instead of perfecting a single discipline, Squires develop adaptability through experience and improvisation. That flexibility makes Squires exceptional team players , able to step into gaps and support allies in many situation. Mechanically, the Squire revolves around Fundaments — where they grant short-term bonuses to allies based on that ally’s Class. Warriors hit harder, Experts perform better at skills, Mages cast more effectively, and Adepts can receive whichever boost fits the moment. As the Squire advances through their Circles, they can grant Fundaments to multiple allies at once, add secondary effects like increased damage or longer debuffs. I’m not always a team buffer kind of guy, but I do like the way Squires here make everyone else better , turning party coordination into a great strength. For my third Job, I’ll choose from the Mage class. This one’s really hard for me as I could see myself actually going like 3/3 mage, or maybe 2/3, at least. But, if I had to pick just one for my remaining Job slot, I’d go with Necromancer: Necromancers are reclusive magic-users whose art is inseparably tied to death and the Shadow. Often misunderstood or feared, they’re immediately recognizable by their Bone Commander — an undead construct that serves as both assistant and bodyguard. While some Necromancers lean into darker reputations, others act as shamans or intermediaries, communing with spirits to resolve unfinished business or bring peace to the dead. Their morality isn’t defined by their magic, but by how they choose to wield it. In play, Necromancers are spellcasters with access to the Necromancy spell list and a powerful Companion system . Their Bone Commander acts on their shared action economy, providing combat presence without needing its own stats or hit points. Their Limit Break, Friends on the Other Side , allows damage from the party to count as Shadow damage, supercharging Necromancer features and reinforcing their role as battlefield controllers who blur the line between ally and undead asset. So! There you have it. From adaptable Squires and sky-shattering Dragoons to shadow-touched Necromancers and beyond, Legend Edition’s Classes and Jobs are all about expression through choice . Your Class sets the foundation, but your Jobs — and how you progress them — define how your character actually plays at the table. Legend Edition feels... unmistakably Final Fantasy. What I really want to know is... from the 50+ jobs available in Legend Edition, what three Jobs would best define your Character? List your Jobs in the comments. Otherwise, thanks for watching! If you enjoyed this breakdown of Classes and Jobs in Final Fantasy TRPG: Legend Edition, hit that like button, subscribe for more content, and ring the bell so you don’t miss our next video.

Three Quick Strange Things that Stranger Things Got Wrong About D&D

By Jacob Tegtman • January 15, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQLN8bvlo-Q Transcription If you’re like me, you just watched Stranger Things Season 5, and it was amazing. Personally, I felt like it really hit similarly to the first season – they did a great job. But you're watching Stranger Things, getting hyped about seeing D&D represented in mainstream media, when suddenly Mike declares he's casting a spell, as a paladin... at first level. And you're sitting there thinking, "Wait, that's not how that works." Well, you're not alone. Today we're diving deep into three quick, but glaring D&D mistakes – or, perhaps intentional and fun D&D alternations – that Stranger Things has made throughout its run. I love Stranger Things, so this is by no means a criticism of the show. If anything, some of these mistakes just makes me like it more. Because, let’s get real – most D&D games fudge something in the rules anyways. It’s part of the fun. And no one really wants to be a rules lawyer all the time. What's up, dice rollers! Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG where we explore everything that makes tabletop RPGs amazing. I'm your host, and today we're taking a critical but loving look at how Stranger Things – arguably the biggest mainstream representation of D&D we've ever had – got some pretty fundamental (and sometimes funny) things wrong about our favorite hobby. Now, before we dive in, let me be clear: I absolutely love that Stranger Things brought D&D into the spotlight. The show has introduced countless people to our hobby, and that's incredible. As D&D enthusiasts, we can appreciate the show while also having some fun pointing out where the Duffer Brothers maybe should have consulted their Player's Handbook a bit more carefully. So grab your dice, settle in, and let's explore three quick strange things that Stranger Things got wrong about D&D. Mistake #1: The Demogorgon Campaign Confusion I’m gonna call this “Mistake #1,” by the way, and you’ll find out why in just a minute. But let's start with this big one from Season 1. In the very first episode, we see the boys playing D&D, and Will's character encounters the Demogorgon. Now, the show treats this like it's some kind of final boss encounter, but here's the problem: a Demogorgon in D&D is a CR 26 creature. Basically, a Lv.26 monster. That's endgame content for level 20 characters. These kids are clearly playing low-level characters – probably somewhere between levels 1-5 based on their abilities and the campaign Mike’s describing. A real Demogorgon would obliterate their entire party in a single round without breaking a sweat. It would be like sending a group of mall security guards to fight Godzilla. What the show probably meant to use was a lesser demon or maybe just called it a "demogorgon" as a generic monster name. But for D&D players, it's like watching someone try to drive a car with a boat steering wheel – technically it's transportation equipment, but it's completely wrong for the situation. Is this really a mistake though? I’d say yes, technically. But also, we all know how kids get when playing games. Mike was probably like, “hey, you know what would be cool for my party of Lv.5 adventurers? Give them something that inspires them. Like this CR26 literal god.” It’s the type of move that every DM has done at some point – just go way, wayyy overboard. And again, that’s part of the fun with games like D&D. Mistake #2: The Paladin Spell Situation This one is really funny to me because it happens multiple times throughout the series. Mike's primarily the dungeon master for his group. But when he plays, his character is consistently referred to as a paladin, and we see him attempting to cast spells at what appears to be first level. Here's the issue: in every edition of D&D that would have been available when Stranger Things is set – we're talking late 70s to early 80s – paladins don't get spells until much higher levels. In AD&D (Advanced dungeons and dragons), paladins don't get their first spell until 9th level. Even in modern 5th Edition, paladins don't get spells until 2nd level. But the show has Mike casting spells right from the start. It's a small detail, but it shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how the class works. It would be like showing a wizard swinging a two-handed sword as their primary weapon – technically possible in some circumstances, but it misses the point of the class – for that level, at least – entirely. It’s another “mistake” though that many groups would make, probably especially kids. You want to play a character who can do cool things, at any level. So maybe this was another intentional move on the Duffer brothers’ part, showing not just the rules for D&D, but how people actually play. Mistake #3: The Dice Rolling Drama This one’s more about dramatic license. Throughout the series, we see characters making single dice rolls for incredibly complex situations, and the entire outcome hinges on that one roll. Real D&D involves a lot more dice rolling and a lot more back-and-forth between players and the DM. Combat isn't usually resolved with a single dramatic roll – it's a series of attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and tactical decisions. The show makes it look like D&D is just "roll a d20 and see what happens," when the reality, as we all know, is much more nuanced. The most egregious example is in Season 1 when Will's fate seems to hinge entirely on a single d20 roll. While dramatic moments like this can happen in D&D, they're usually the culmination of a longer sequence of events, not the entire encounter. Of course, filming four kids rolling dozens of dice over and over doesn’t make for great visual episodes, I assume. This one is really more to point out that anyone who isn’t familiar with D&D may be a bit surprised walking into a real gaming session at how many dice really do get rolled. On platforms like Reddit, the D&D community's reaction to these inaccuracies has been... interesting. Players have been discussing these since the show premiered. One user pointed out in a popular thread: "I love that Stranger Things brought D&D to the mainstream, but I wish they'd gotten a consultant who actually understood the game mechanics. It's like they researched D&D by reading about it rather than playing it." Another user noted: "The show gets the emotional core of D&D right – the friendship, the collaborative storytelling, the escapism. But the mechanical details are so wrong that it's distracting for anyone who actually plays." Now, do these mistakes matter? I would argue they don't – Stranger Things is a TV show, not a D&D tutorial. People may come into the hobby with incorrect assumptions on how things work. But, if more people are getting into the hobby, then that's positive. And D&D – or let’s at least say tabletop roleplay games – have experienced unprecedented growth partly thanks to Stranger Things, and that's amazing for our community. So here's what I want to know from you: is there anything else fun or silly that I missed from Stranger Thing’s D&D inaccuracies? I’m sure there has to be more than just these three, so please hit me up in the comments and let me know what you’ve found! And that wraps up our dive into Stranger Things, for today. Remember, this comes from a place of love – both for the show and for D&D. If you enjoyed this quick video, make sure to hit that like button and subscribe for more D&D content. Whether you're fighting demogorgons in the Upside Down or just trying to survive your first dungeon crawl, keep those dice rolling!

DragonLance Legends coming to Amazon in February

By Jacob Tegtman • December 17, 2025

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=257fKzW8yzA Transcription Before there was Game of Thrones, Baldur’s Gate, and Critical Role.… there was Dragonlance . A fantasy saga that defined an entire generation of D&D players — epic wars, tragic heroes, and dragons that actually felt like dragons. But if you aren’t familiar, what is Dragonlance — and why are we still talking about it in 2026? Well to answer that last question, the new “Legends Edition” which is the second Trilogy of Dragonlance is coming to Amazon in February. This is a big deal because getting new copies of the original Dragonlance Chronicles Trilogy, and now this second “Legends” Trilogy was becoming very difficult. I’m hoping these new prints rekindle the spark of one of the greatest D&D settings and novel series of all time, and introduce even more people to its magic. Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG, your home for D&D history, lore deep-dives, and the stories that shaped the game we play today. If you love tabletop RPGs, classic settings, and learning why D&D looks and plays the way it does today, you’re in the right place. So, let’s talk about one of my favorite fantasy settings – and fantasy book series of all times – Dragonlance . Dragonlance started as a bold idea from Tracy Hickman and Laura Hickman , later developed with Margaret Weis at TSR. To answer the burning question you may be having, right off the bat – yes, the Dragonlance adventures came before the book series. At the time, most D&D adventures were simple and modular. You’d kick in a dungeon door, fight some monsters, grab treasure, and move on. Dragonlance asked a very different question. What if Dungeons & Dragons could tell one long, epic story? Instead of disconnected adventures, the Dragonlance team wanted a campaign with a clear beginning, middle, and end. A single, continent-spanning war. A story that unfolded over time, not just session to session. To make that work, players wouldn’t create random characters. They’d play pre-generated heroes, each designed to fit directly into the narrative, with personal arcs baked into the plot. That idea became the original Dragonlance AD&D module series — eventually twelve linked adventures telling the story of the War of the Lance. On paper, it was revolutionary. At the table… it was complicated. The problem is simple. And honestly, you can probably pause the video here and tell me the problem, yourself, based on your own D&D games. It’s basically this: D&D games, and it’s players – are unpredictable. Dungeons & Dragons thrives on player choice, improvisation, and chaos. Dragonlance, on the other hand, needed players to be in very specific places, doing very specific things, at specific times. If the party ignored a hook, skipped a location, or made an unexpected choice, the entire story could fall apart. So the modules relied heavily on railroading — nudging, and sometimes outright forcing, players back onto the intended path. That tension made Dragonlance awkward to run as a campaign. The story was strong, but the format worked against the strengths of tabletop roleplaying. And that’s when Dragonlance found the form it was truly built for. To promote the modules, TSR (that is, the company founded by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye, to publish D&D) decided to release a trilogy of tie-in novels. That decision came late, the original author didn’t work out, and Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman ended up writing the first book themselves — in roughly three months. The result was Dragons of Autumn Twilight, released in 1984. Which, even talking about almost brings a tear to my eye – the book was just that impactful to me in my teenage years. TSR expected modest sales. But instead, the book was a massive hit. For many readers, this wasn’t just their first Dragonlance novel — it was their first D&D novel. It introduced the idea that a D&D party could be the heart of a fantasy epic, with flawed characters, emotional arcs, and long-term consequences. This is basically why Dragonlance matters to D&D history. And not just a little bit. It matters – a LOT. Dragonlance proved that Dungeons & Dragons wasn’t just a game system — it was actually its own entire storytelling engine. If you haven’t read the novel series, I have some amazing news for you, shortly. But at its core, Dragonlance is about one idea: hope in darkness. The world of Krynn is broken. The gods are distant. War is everywhere. People are scared, tired, and cynical. But, the world of Dragonlance isn’t saved by a single chosen hero. Instead, this novel series tells you that the world can be saved when ordinary people choose to do the right thing, even when it’s hard, and even when it feels pointless. That philosophy shaped the tone of the setting. Dragonlance was darker than most TSR-era worlds, but it was never hopeless. Friendship mattered. Faith mattered. Sacrifice mattered. Umm, a lot. Those themes became incredibly influential, especially for party-focused storytelling in D&D campaigns. Dragonlance also changed how dragons were treated in D&D. Before this, dragons were often just very powerful monsters. Dangerous, sure — but still just another encounter. Dragonlance made dragons rare, mythical, and world-shaping. What becomes the mystical return of dragons isn’t just a side quest in this setting. It’s THE central event that changes the balance of power across the entire world. That idea — that dragons should feel legendary, and not just routine — stuck, and it still shapes how dragons are presented in modern D&D. After the success of the original trilogy, Weis and Hickman followed it with Dragonlance Legends, which is what I’ll be getting to more about in just a few minutes. Instead of escalating to an even bigger war, Legends zoomed in. It focused on the twins from the first trilogy: Raistlin and Caramon Majere, and on the topics of ambition, responsibility, and the cost of power. It introduced time travel – which to be honest, I don’t love – personal tragedy, and consequences that felt intimate. This trilogy, too, was a massive success, even hitting the New York Times bestseller list — a first for TSR. For a brief moment, Dragonlance wasn’t just a D&D setting. It actually became the face of D&D storytelling. But Dragonlance’s greatest strength eventually became its weakness. The setting was tightly bound to one story and one cast of characters. Once the War of the Lance was resolved, the world of Krynn felt… finished. New stories struggled to find the same weight. Bigger threats felt repetitive. New heroes had a hard time stepping out of the shadow of the originals. Unlike the Forgotten Realms, Krynn never felt like a neutral playground. It felt like a world where the most important story had already happened. And slowly, Dragonlance faded from the spotlight. Dragonlance went quiet after 2010. But in February 2026, we’re getting a new hardcover release of Dragonlance Legends — collecting the full trilogy with new behind-the-scenes material from Weis and Hickman. It’s not a full revival of the setting. It’s a reminder of an important moment in D&D history, when the game experimented with storytelling in a way that permanently changed how we think about campaigns. This trilogy about the twins: Raistlin and Caramon – is coming after the Chronicles trilogy was rereleased (I believe) just this last year – I got my copy from Margaret Weis at GenCon. These books haven’t been in print for some time. So, if you like what you’ve been hearing about Dragonlance, or you – like me – are a longtime fan, you may want to pick these up. You can get the original Chronicles Trilogy on Amazon now, and the second Trilogy – Legends – is coming out this February. Dragonlance asked a question that D&D is still trying to answer: Is this game about total freedom… or about telling powerful stories? Most tables today try to balance both. And whether you loved Dragonlance or bounced hard off its railroads, its influence is still baked into how D&D is played, written, and remembered. So I want to know — have you read Dragonlance, or played in a campaign set in Krynn? Would you run a Dragonlance campaign today, or does it feel too tied to its story? Let me know in the comments, like the video if you enjoyed it,subscribe for more D&D deep dives, and I’ll see you next time.