Bonus Action 5e Insights and Strategies

In D&D 5th edition, bonus actions are a crucial part of combat and gameplay. They provide players the ability to take an additional action during their turn, allowing use of unique abilities, spells, and other features that can be used to turn the tide of battle.

While not every turn in battle will involve the use of a bonus action, understanding how to use them effectively can be the key to victory in many challenging encounters. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the game, it’s important to master the use of bonus actions. The bottom line is that they’re a fun and rewarding aspect of gameplay that can help you get the most from your DnD one shots or ongoing RPG campaign.

Get Ahead in D&D: Understanding Bonus Actions 5e

The use of bonus actions in D&D 5e can be a game-changer. Whether you’re a wizard looking to cast a quickened spell, or a fighter hoping to get in an extra attack, understanding when and how to use bonus actions can greatly enhance your effectiveness in the game.

Examples of Bonus Actions by Class

Classes and subclasses have specific features and abilities that can be used as bonus actions, allowing players to customize play style and tactics. Here are some examples of bonus actions for each class:

Barbarian: Rage, Second Wind
Bard: Bardic Inspiration, Healing Word
Cleric: Spiritual Weapon, Healing Word
Druid: Shillelagh, Wild Shape (when applicable)
Fighter: Second Wind, Shield Master’s Shove
Monk: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense
Paladin: Lay on Hands, Divine Smite
Ranger: Hunter’s Mark, Two-Weapon Fighting
Rogue: Cunning Action, Second Wind (if your subclass permits)
Sorcerer: Quickened Spell, Metamagic
Warlock: Hex, Eldritch Blast (with Agonizing Blast invocation)
Wizard: Arcane Recovery, Quickened Spell (if your subclass permits)

Primary Types of Bonus Actions

Bonus actions can be used in various scenarios. Of course, there are primary categories for what bonus actions actually “do,” so we’ll take a look at those first.

Dealing Additional Damage

One of the most common and effective uses of a bonus action 5e is to deal additional damage to enemies on your turn. Several classes have bonus action abilities and spells that allow for explosive turns. The rogue’s Sneak Attack or the cleric’s Spiritual Weapon, for example, allow you to maximize your character’s damage output, and take down enemies more quickly.

Healing and Support

Bonus actions can also be used to provide healing and support to allies. Several classes have abilities that allow them to use their bonus actions to heal themselves or other party members, such as the paladin’s Lay on Hands or the cleric’s Healing Word. Even though bonus action heals aren’t as powerful as those from primary actions, they’re still incredibly useful, especially during difficult encounters, and can absolutely help your party avoid a TPK.

Movement and Positioning

Oftentimes, battles can be won or lost simply because the party has superior positioning over their foes, or they’re simply able to attack, when their enemies are not. Several classes have abilities that allow players to use their bonus actions to disengage, dash, or hide, such as the rogue’s Cunning Action, or the monk’s Step of the Wind.

Buffs and Debuffs

One of the best ways to take advantage of your bonus action 5e is to buff yourself or allies, or debuff enemies. Several classes have abilities that allow them to use their bonus actions to cast spells or abilities that provide buffs or debuffs, such as the bard’s Bardic Inspiration or the warlock’s Hex. Though buff and debuff modifiers are often quite small, they certainly add up over the course of a combat encounter.

Interactions and Utility

Bonus actions also allow players to interact with their environment in unique ways, and perform utility actions. Several classes have abilities that allow them to use their bonus actions to use object or open doors, without “using up” primary actions, such as with the rogue’s Fast Hands.

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Unleashing Devastation: Bonus Action Combos

Some bonus actions can be optimized by combining them with other actions or features:

A fighter might use Shield Master’s Shove as a bonus action to knock an enemy prone, and then follow up with an attack as their regular action with advantage.
A sorcerer might use Quickened Spell to cast a spell as a bonus action and then follow up with a regular spell as their primary action.
A rogue could use their Cunning Action bonus action 5e to hide and then use their Sneak Attack feature to deal extra damage to an enemy.
A paladin may use their Lay on Hands ability to heal themselves as a bonus action and then use their Divine Smite ability to deal extra damage on their regular attack.

Powerful Bonus Action Combos with Your Allies

Combining bonus actions between classes can also be an even more powerful strategy in D&D. Certain classes complement each other well, and combining their bonus actions can result in devastating effects.

These are just a few examples of the many possible combinations of bonus actions between classes. The key is to look for ways to complement each other’s strengths and abilities and to communicate and coordinate effectively with your party. By doing so, you can create powerful synergies and make the most of your bonus actions in D&D 5e.

Rogue and Ranger

The rogue can use their bonus action to hide, which grants them advantage on their next attack. The ranger, in turn, can use their bonus action to attack with advantage, resulting in both classes unleashing a big turn of increased damage.

If you can combo with your ally to deal a burst of damage to an enemy, it increases the chances they won’t receive healing or defensive effects in time to save them, which can end the fight with a flair.

Cleric and Paladin

On the defensive side, a cleric and paladin can synergize very well together to keep allies alive.

The cleric can use their bonus action to cast a spell that grants temporary hit points or healing to an ally. Meanwhile, the paladin can use their bonus action to provide additional healing. Together, especially if primary actions are used to heal or defend allies, the two can practically bring an ally back from the brink of death, in even a single turn.

Sorcerer and Warlock

Spell casters come with a wide variety of effects they can employ. For example, a sorcerer can use their bonus action to cast a quickened spell, which allows them to cast a spell as a bonus action instead of a normal action. The warlock, in turn, can use their bonus action to activate an Eldritch Invocation, such as Hex or Armor of Shadows. This combination allows the casting team to deal additional damage to foes and also buff themselves, or debuff enemies, in the same turn.

Fighter and Barbarian

For raw, in your face damage output, a fighter and barbarian team are almost unmatched. The fighter can use their bonus action to make an additional attack thanks to their Action Surge ability. The barbarian can then use their bonus action to rage, which grants them resistance to damage and increases their damage dealt.

Against enemies who are within reach of your physical attacks, Action Surge and Rage provide an intimidating increase to your offensive capabilities.

What Are Bonus Actions in D&D 5e?

Ok, back to the basics for a second, in case you need to learn these facts. A bonus action 5e is a special type of action that players can take during their turn in addition to their regular action. Bonus actions are typically shorter and less powerful than regular actions, but can be used to perform specific actions that can give players an edge in combat or other situations.

How Do Bonus Actions Work?

Players can take one bonus action per turn, provided they have a valid action to use it with. Additionally, abilities, spells, and features may have specific requirements or triggers to use bonus actions, so it’s important to read the description of each bonus action carefully.

Players should also note that bonus actions cannot be used to take the same action that was used for their regular action, meaning that they cannot cast the same spell twice – as an example.

Timing Is Key: When to Use Bonus Actions in D&D 5e

When it comes to using bonus actions in D&D 5e, timing is everything. You should carefully evaluate your options on a turn-by-turn basis. While bonus actions can provide powerful benefits, they’re limited in availability, so it’s important to determine when to use your bonus actions to gain an advantage. Many bonus actions require a short rest, per use, and characters can only use one bonus action per turn.

Bonus Actions in D&D 5e vs. Eternity TTRPG

In D&D, bonus actions often require some kind of recharge period (usually a short rest) between uses, meaning that many bonus actions can only be used once per battle. Additionally, players only get one bonus action per turn.

In the Eternity TTRPG Game System, the term is different, and the restrictions are actually less, but the concept of a bonus action is the same. In Eternity TTRPG, an “Instant Action” is any action that can be used – as the name suggests – instantly. In some cases, instant actions are restricted to being used on your character’s turn, but in most cases, they can be used at literally any time.

Since Eternity TTRPG also uses a dynamic Initiative Tracker for combat (as opposed to a “static initiative, where everyone’s turns are in a stable order once combat begins), instant actions provide a great deal of things your character – or other peoples’ characters – can “do” even when it isn’t specifically your turn.

What Classes in Eternity TTRPG have Bonus Actions?

Being able to engage with the game directly, even when it isn’t your “turn,” is one of the core game design concepts of the Eternity TTRPG Game System. So, every single class has an instant action/ bonus action of some kind. Probably half of all classes have a bonus action that provides only a self-buff, but at least half of all classes have a very dynamic bonus action that can be used offensively, to heal allies, move, increase range on attacks, etc.

Since there are simply too many instant actions to list, here’s a sample of some of the game’s most iconic bonus action-like core class spells and abilities:

Assassin – Core Class Ability

Ambush: this ability can only be used at the start of a battle, before Initiative is rolled. Instant Action, take one Action of any kind. When you use or critical this ability, you can’t use any more Wisdom this turn. 1Day Recharge.

(Life-Ender) You also gain two (2) stacks of “Lethality.”
(Infiltrator) You also move your Speed value.
(Expert) You can use this ability twice before it goes on Recharge (but not during the same battle). This Critical still takes only 1Wisdom to use.

Cryomancer – Core Class Ability

Icy Enervation (Magic): 4Range, this spell automatically hits. Every time the target attacks, roll d20. If you roll 18-20, they take 1damage (deals 2damage to pyromancers). You can only deal damage with this spell once per turn, per target. You can instead choose to continually maintain this spell as an aura for 3Intelligence, per target you want to cast at, making it an Instant Action at the start of every battle.

(Frost Knight) The target also has -13Strike Bonus and -13Faith for their next attack.
(Spells of Everwinter) Up to 3 enemies in 4Range.
(Elemental Ice) Roll 15-20. You can instead choose to continually maintain this critical as an aura for 6Intelligence (and 0Wisdom), per target you want to cast at, making it an Instant Action at the start of every battle.

Legionnaire – Core Class Ability

Blood Draw: weapon Range, Strike Bonus vs. Dodge. If this ability hits, roll d20 on every one of the target’s turns. If you roll 18-20, they take 1damage. Once the target drops to half of their max HP (rounded up), this ability cannot be dispelled or removed in any way, and you only need to roll 14-20 to hit, causing them to take 1damage. You can instead choose to continually maintain this ability as an aura for 3Intelligence, per target you want to use it on, making it an Instant Action at the start of every battle.

(Double-Hit): roll 5 numbers less to hit.

(Bringer of Balance) Roll 15-20 when the target has more than half of their max HP (rounded up). Roll 7-20 when the target has only half of their max HP left (rounded up). You can instead choose to continually maintain this critical as an aura for 6Intelligence (and 0Wisdom), per target you want to use it on, making it an Instant Action at the start of every battle.
(Art of War) Even if this ability misses, +7Strike Bonus vs. Resilience, Taunts the target for 2turns. This critical effect cannot Double-Hit or give a Block.
(Blade Disciple) Even if this ability misses, +7Strike Bonus vs. Resilience, the target also has -3Speed. You can instead choose to continually maintain this critical as an aura for 6Intelligence (and 0Wisdom), per target you want to use it on, making it an Instant Action at the start of every battle.

Pyromancer – Core Class Ability

Meltdown (Magic): Instant Action. 4Range, -7Faith vs. Resilience, the target is Locked for 1turn. If you hit with this spell while you are affected by “Fire Augmentation,” it also allows you the chance to apply that effect.

If you critical this spell, you can’t use any more Wisdom this turn. “Meltdown” cannot Double-Hit or give a Block. 3turn Recharge.

(Flames of the Abyss) Even if this spell misses, you gain +3Faith.
(Magic of the Silver Lands) Up to 3 enemies in 4Range, Faith vs. Resilience, all affected targets are Locked for 3turns.
(Elemental Fire) You can only use this critical if you have “Arcane” selected. You also attack the enemy using a non-critical “Arcane Burn” in the same turn.

Additionally, here are some of Eternity TTRPG’s most iconic specialization/ critical option instant actions:

Berserker – Specialization/ Critical Option

Mortal Throw: throw your main hand and off-hand weapons 4Range, -7Strike Bonus vs. Dodge to hit (Strike Bonus not debuffed by “Dual-Wield”), deals 1damage. Move your Speed value -3 before or after this attack. After you throw your weapon, it returns to you, even if the attack misses.

(Double-Hit): deals 2damage.

(Dauntless Fury) You can use this critical as an Instant Action when you drop to 0HP. When you use this critical, you can’t use any more Wisdom this turn.

Fallen Paladin – Specialization/ Critical Option

Life Eater (Magic): after you cast this spell on yourself, whenever an ally or enemy in 12Range takes damage, roll d20. If you roll 16-20, heal one ally in 4Range, +1HP. This spell allows the target to heal 1HP above their normal max HP. You can only cause healing with this spell once per turn. Healing from this effect also Fatigues the target, giving -1Resilience, -1Dodge, and -1Will for 1Day Duration (can stack without limit). You can instead choose to continually maintain this spell for 2Inspiration.

(Sword of Shadows) You also take an additional non-critical Instant Action the next time you attack a target. You can instead choose to continually maintain this critical for 5Inspiration (and 0Wisdom), until this effect takes place.

Judge – Specialization/ Critical Option

God Save the King (Magic): weapon Range, +7Strike Bonus vs. Resilience or 4Range, +7Faith vs. Resilience, Taunts the target for 2turns. “God Save the King” cannot Double-Hit or give a Block.

(Swift Justice) You can use this critical if an ally takes damage. Instant Action. When you use this critical, you can’t use any more Wisdom for 1turn. 1turn Recharge.

Oracle – Specialization/ Critical Option

Greater Dispel (Magic): 4Range, Faith vs. Resilience, removes all stacks of one ongoing Magic, maintained effect, or status effect from the target (excluding summons), at your choice. Or alternatively, 4Range, +5Faith vs. Resilience, deals 1damage to a summoned unit.

This spell is cast on any target you’d like, but the roll is made against the character who cast the spell or used the ability you are attempting to remove, unless the target is a summon.

(Double-Hit): removes all stacks of 2 ongoing Magic or maintained effects (excluding summons). Or alternatively, if cast at a summon, deals an additional 1damage to the summoned unit.

(Memories of Eternity) Instant Action. When you use this critical, you can’t use any more Wisdom this turn. 1turn Recharge.

Strategies for using Bonus Actions in Eternity TTRPG

As a powerful debuff against spell casters, Silence allows you to prevent magical healing, zero out enemy spell damage, and even interrupt ongoing magical buffs or debuffs.

Immediately Buff Yourself and Allies

In the Eternity TTRPG Game System, it’s basic to start off every fight with maxed out buffs, based on your character’s stats. Since buffs can be “Maintained” via your character’s “Inspiration” stat, you can effectively instant action buff yourself at the start of every fight – and you absolutely should, as you can count on enemies doing the same.

Cast Debuffs at the Perfect Time

Sometimes, it’s best to instant action debuffs on enemies from the very start of every combat encounter, especially if that debuff compounds in power over time. However, it’s sometimes best to wait until your enemy’s about to cast a big spell or unleash a powerful attack on your or an ally to lower their attack chance, for example.

With instant actions, you can choose when to interrupt spells, abilities, attacks, movement – really anything you want. The only limit to finding the perfect timing for breaking down your enemy’s strategy is your own creativity.

Overwhelm Enemies

I personally enjoy building characters with super low initiative. The reason is that by avoiding any stats increases into initiative, I can load up on other stats like my hit chance or defenses. Plus, it doesn’t matter that I have low initiative, so long as you build with instant actions.

Classes like the revenant, for example, have all kinds of status effects they can bonus action cast on enemies, all simultaneously. So, even though my character is super slow, I may actually start every battle with 3-4 instant cast spells. Finally, in Eternity TTRPG, debuffs also trigger every time the target of your spell takes their turn, meaning that if I’m slow and they take turns more often than me, they actually get almost double-debuffed from my spells.

Give Yourself Force Multipliers

Consider situations where you can multiply the beneficial effects that you gain from instant cast spells and abilities. For example, the “Haste” archon spell gives you extra turns. Well, if you also give yourself a relic that provides you with the fallen paladin “Blood Spiller” ability, then you get a chance to deal extra damage whenever you attack, plus you get extra turns that also give you the “Blood Spiller” effect, again.

Finish Off Powerful Enemies

Healing in Eternity TTRPG is pretty simple, and it’s powerful. It does come with some long-term drawbacks, but if you’re fighting a major villain who has henchmen that can heal him when he drops to low HP, you may have a problem on your hands.

One of the best ways to use instant/ bonus actions is to quickly deal a burst of damage large enough to drop the enemy to 0HP in one fell swoop. If you can save your instant action burst for an opportune moment, though you may be itching to use it through the entire encounter, you’ll be the hero of the battle once that final blow is dealt.

Save Allies from the Brink of Death

As defensive powers, instant actions are also game-changers. Some classes, such as the paladin, have instant heal effects that bring an ally back from 0HP. These effects are also incredibly useful as they heal an ally back to 1HP even if they took damage from a massive attack that would otherwise have left them far in the negatives.

Try Out the Eternity TTRPG Game System

Whether you’ve played D&D for many years or you’re new to TTRPGs, check out the Eternity TTRPG Game System. Eternity is a self-published game that I created back in college, and even now, continues to receive regular updates.

Eternity TTRPG is a GM-less game where all players at the table can contribute to the game’s world, overall story, and overall individual quests as much or little as they like. You can pick up a PDF copy at the Eternity TTRPG shop.

Finally, I know that getting into a new game system comes with a bit of a learning curve. However, if you enjoy the idea of contributing to your game’s story without always being the sole dungeon master, and if you like highly tactical combat, then I know you’ll enjoy Eternity. Happy gaming!

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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.

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D&D Started it, but Where does Table Top RPGs go from here?

August 28, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t2a-i3pyRk Transcription [00:00:00] Welcome back to the Eternity TTRPG channel, where I discuss different happenings in the tabletop role-playing universe, as well as talk about the game that my husband and I are actively creating. So one thing I wanna talk about this go around is a bit of the origin story of tabletop, um, as well as where it could be going and what's different about it and all those kind of things, right? So to start this off, when To start this off, I always thought of D&D as just D&D, right? D&D is [00:01:00] the premise of all tabletop role-playing. It's the genre itself. It's what I use to define the genre, is D&D. Because I think it was the first thing, right? It was the first thing where you could sit at a table with this book and go through a campaign and a dungeon and play this way. And then other creators said, "Hey, what if we take this thing that was created, and let's try it this way and go through this dungeon instead and this dungeon instead? And what if we add, you know, other universes now, like Star Wars and Avatar: The Last Airbender, and explore those worlds?" And the way that I look at it is that D&D was a way for people to come together and this singular person to lead you through their imagination, right? And now we come into today's day and age, and everybody has a lot of different ideas and imagination [00:02:00] going on. And with that, you have all of these different tabletop role-playing systems coming out and all these different campaigns coming out. But what are we trying to do, I guess? And how does D&D today translate to all of this? So the way that I'm starting to look at it is that these other systems could have just been, you know, the group of friends in the basement that was like, "Hey, I wanna try it this way." And it caught on and they're like, "Hey, my friend's like this. Let's make this an actual thing." And here comes all of these other role-playing games now. And the thing that we hear so much when I hear people talk about their other tabletop role-playing game is, "Oh, well, it's different than D&D. Oh, it does this that's [00:03:00] better. Oh, this is, you know, an easier system." And, you know, that's great and all, but the second you say tabletop role-playing or you say the words D&D, I just think D&D because D&D is the foundation of this entire genre, and it's going to continue to be, even with all of these different tabletops coming in and trying to change the system and all these different things. So when I realize this and everything, and I start to think about the game that my husband has been working on for 30 years and started in a basement, right, with a group of friends, um, I start to think, well, what makes it different? And the thing is we tend to use different in a way to make it seem better than what's already out there, right? And I don't think that's what [00:04:00] we're trying to do, but it's how it comes across in normal society. So with that being said, right- Just because we're different, it doesn't, you know, make us better. It just gives us other options in life. So the thing that I'm seeing the most when people say things are different is you're just getting a different campaign style. You're just getting a different, you know, way to play the game, perhaps a better entry point into tabletop role-playing. And I think in the end, all that we're trying to do is grow a community, right? You're trying to get to be more than just, you know, those 30, 40, 50-year-olds that were growing up playing it in their basement, and you're trying to get the younger generations to continue it. And I will say Stranger Things did help with that. Thank you, Stranger Things, for, you know, bringing it to light a little bit [00:05:00] more. But this thing with imagination is starting to gain so much popularity because we're starting to see so much more of the world, right? So I feel like I'm on a soapbox with this whole news channel because it is just my thoughts right now with this video. But let's just think about this for a second. We really hit... Actually, let's go back When we were in, you know, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, '80s, '90s, we were using libraries and books, encyclopedias, and it was, you know, kind of difficult to travel the world and have the money to do that, and you didn't always know what you were getting into. And it's like the world itself that we lived in held so much imagination [00:06:00] that we didn't know what to do with it, and we were able to go and do these things and strive for these things and just let it all explode and experience it realistically. Now, you hit the 2000s, the '10s, the '20s, and we had technology hit. We had social media hit. And we had access to these places just expand, and now we have everything that we want in this world in the palm of our hand, you know, in front of our faces. We can see it. We can hear it. The only thing we can't do is tangibly touch it unless we actually go there. But with this greater access and faster time to this greater access, w- I feel like our imagination has gone [00:07:00] down. So now, here's where we come into tabletop role-playing and why this connects, right? So we have this big push for tabletop role-playing, other systems, the original D&D system, because that's all the imagination we really have left. Now, I know that's a big statement, and you can rip me apart for that later. But take a moment and think about that. We have everything we could ever want in the palm of our hands except for this world that we can create and never actually see. And now, this is where imagination is coming back, the tabletop role-playing is coming back, because we've already encountered everything else. So now we have to make up these [00:08:00] stories in our heads to create a boost in our brains to just get something else that our phones and our computers and our technology can't give us And that is a lot to take in and think about So with that happening, I know that was a bit of a long soapbox, but with all that happening, we have these people once again that are trying to share their imagination, but they want to be different than the original D&D. But different isn't bad and options aren't bad. So with that in mind, I challenge you to go try a different RPG than you are used to. Get out of [00:09:00] your comfort zone and just give it a try. Because with the world being in the palm of our hands, we have to be exploring different worlds. We have to try these different things because that is the only way that I think we have left to grow. So I know that is some interesting thoughts and I don't know if I'll ever actually post this video, but if I do, comment, like, subscribe, give me your thoughts below and we'll catch y'all next time.

The Creepy Side of Crooked Moon: Silkborn & Threadborn

August 23, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-H39bG14JM Transcription [00:00:00] Welcome back to the Eternity TTRPG channel, where I talk about different tabletop role-playing things in the universe, as well as the TTRPG that my husband and I are making and releasing products for. So this time, I want to continue, uh, the Crooked Moon series, talking about the different races, and I'm gonna cover two more. So this go around, I want to talk about two characters that are a bit creepier than what they usually look like or what you expect, right? Um, so the first one I'm gonna go on about is the Silkborn race. So the Silkborn, if you don't like spiders, is immediately creepy. However, um, the lore behind them is what makes me stop and think, "Are they really that creepy?" Okay, so the idea of the Silkborn in Crooked Moon is that they have a whole [00:01:00] underground cave system covered in webs, gemstones everywhere, and they harness their power from these gemstones, which I think is actually a really cool idea, 'cause you get to take this, you know, thing that is, in my opinion, kind of creepy and turn it into something beautiful. I think about, like, g- going on walks and seeing spiderwebs out on my walk, and I'm like, "Wow, the architecture of that is really cool." But imagining it in a cave system, it becomes just another world, right? So with that, I think when you would build a Silkborn race character, you'd really lean into their idea of what's beautiful, what's not, and how would that structure society around them, right? What would they worship? How would their family dynamic be? Because this idea of [00:02:00] this character is that they would just emerge from a cocoon, a web cocoon of sorts, right? And then they emerge, and here is this city built of just webs that is creating these nets going back and forth and these glowing crystals. And then you start to wonder, well, where would their social hierarchy be maybe, right? Is it based on the size of the spider or perhaps the color of the spider? Or if the spider has X number of gemstones or X number of eyes, how do they compare in the world to others? So then we start to wonder about different character concepts that you could go on with these, right? So let's say you have this spider race, the Silkborn, join your D&D party, and they are an architect in their normal underground city, and they come to a human city, and [00:03:00] they're just bored at looking at it, and it feels very sterile, and there's not much natural beauty. Could that be a storyline, right? Or could we talk about maybe the gems and why they're so important to their race, and perhaps the spider is just wanting to collect gemstones, um, to better harness them, right? And then the other perspective you could take is that the spider Silkborn is an alien of some kind, right? So they could be, of course, the we don't know if we want to accept them into our party, but they have this information. Maybe they aren't so evil, so let's try and, you know, use them or accept them and how does that go, right? So the Silkborn is definitely a very interesting idea on a race that I don't think we've seen before and some people could find [00:04:00] very interesting Real quick to interrupt. Eternity TTRPG is releasing a card game battler which emulates combat from the D&D tabletop role-playing genre. Sparks of Eternity: Emanation is fast-paced, easy to learn, and features six classes from your favorite TTRPGs. Each class deck comes with its own set of unique abilities, which everyone plays at the same time, so there's never any downtime at your table. Each turn, everyone's characters levels up, giving players access to even more options. If you're interested in taking a look, we have our pre-sales page live now, packed with details. No payment info needed. Just let us know if you want an email when the product becomes available. Now, back to your video Switching gears, um, I'm gonna talk about the second race that I found, which is definitely a play on cute and creepy. Um , and that would be the threadborn. [00:05:00] So the threadborn, in what I'm finding, is this doll that is created, and they come to life. So I start to think of the classic Pinocchio, "I'm a real boy," and stuff like that, right? Because all Pinocchio wanted was to be a real boy and be living and, you know, work in the workshop and explore the world and all these different things and whatnot. So with that in mind, with the idea of the threadborn, I start to think of, of course, who created them and what are they gonna be like in this world now that they're created? Right? So this gives you a couple of different ideas for character concepts and where to go. The first one being, um, that, of course, as I mentioned, they're made not born. So what happens when the doll that's made outlives its creator? And [00:06:00] are they going to become super heartbroken and always on the search for this family that they lost? Um, and this could go into a whole thing of like, how long do threadborns actually live, and do they decompose after time? Because, you know, I think everything decomposes eventually, even if we don't expect it to. Um, so there's definitely that side of it, and do they meet younger generations of their creator, right, and make that their family? Um, another idea is that they're very helpful because if you're creating something like a doll, you're creating it for companionship, right? You're creating it to help you feel better about the world around you, that companionship, and with that companionship does come helpfulness. And perhaps the character concept is that they're too helpful. They're too willing to jump in. They're just [00:07:00] gonna go straight into battle without thinking because they know that's the thing that needs done. That's where we have to go. So that's definitely another side of it, the too helpful side. And then the other thing is that to some people, and I start to think of when I was younger, and every birthday up until I was eight, my grandmother got me a certain doll, and the doll was like a part of a set, and it was those porcelain dolls with the eyes that I swear would follow me, right? And I had a shelf of them to display them because that's what my parents wanted. I could not wait to take those things down because when you have those eyes following you in the dark, it's actually pretty creepy. Um, but that's the thing is dolls wouldn't know that they're creepy. They're just happy, smiling, eyes always open, watching you, and it becomes a whole question of this is normal for [00:08:00] them, but how does this translate to normal society? And it sounds like a bit of a nightmare to me, no matter how cute they are. So with that being said, I'm gonna wrap this up here. And what do you think? Would you rather play a spider or play a doll? And what kind of character concept would you go with? As always, like, comment, subscribe, and we will catch y'all next time. Thanks

The Rise of Solo RPGs

August 17, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KgB5C6Wgng Transcription [00:00:00] Welcome back to the Eternity TTRPG YouTube channel, where I discuss, uh, different happenings in the tabletop role-playing universe, as well as talk about the game that my husband and I have been creating now. So this go around, um, I wanted to talk more about a new side of the tabletop role-playing community that is gaining traction, I think. Um, Gen Con did something a little different this year that I haven't talked about yet, and I think it's important to bring light to it and bring it up in conversation, you know? So I already covered that D&D itself is going to universes beyond, you know, going into World of Warcraft, Star Wars, all those different kind of things. Um, and that's great for D&D, but I also think they're gonna push a new direction given what Gen Con did, right? So at Gen Con, there is an award [00:01:00] ceremony, right, called the Ennie Awards, The Ennie Awards are where the industry itself picks X number of games for a category, and then fans get to vote on it, and the fans get to decide what's gonna be the most popular and when, right? So it's kind of a big deal for Gen Con to be doing this every year, and they have their usual categories, right? They added a new category this year, and they've been talking about adding this category for years, but I guess it didn't have enough traction until now. The new category was for Best Solo RPG. And immediately my mind goes to, "Wait, why do we need solo RPGs?" And, you know, now we bring up the whole conversation of, oh my gosh, a solo RPG. Um, this could be here because, you know, adults can never get together with a busy work schedule and trying to nail down consistent timing because something [00:02:00] always comes up between work, home, um, kids, you know, just random family emergencies. There's always something keeping you from the game table, so you can't get with your normal group to run a campaign. So solo RPGs. Real quick to interrupt. Eternity TTRPG is releasing a card game battler which emulates combat from the D&D tabletop role-playing genre. Sparks of Eternity: Emanation is fast-paced, easy to learn, and features six classes from your favorite TTRPGs. Each class deck comes with its own set of unique abilities, which everyone plays at the same time, so there's never any downtime at your table. Each turn, everyone's characters levels up, giving players access to even more options. If you're interested in taking a look, we have our pre-sales page live now, packed with details. No payment info needed. Just let us know if you want an email when the product becomes available. Now, back to your [00:03:00] video So with this, um, announcement at Gen Con of having this category, there was five games that the industry decided would be in this, um, collection that fans could vote off of. Um, Odyssey of the Giant was the first one, and it's about escorting a giant, the last giant, across a devastated fantasy world. And then there was Pirouette, which is a solo horror ballet. Um, Song of the Scriptworm is a mystery involving an infinite library. Spine is an experimental RPG about losing yourself in a book. And then finally, The Bonsai Diary is about growing a bonsai tree across different generations. Um, just so you know, Spine took first, and The Bonsai Diary took second, so we officially have winners for the first solo RPG, um, nominations at the Ennie Awards. And I kind of don't know where to go from there. [00:04:00] I mean, I'm gonna admit when I don't wanna play the game that my husband has created and he can't get friends over, he does do solo campaigns. And he has been making the game to where you can do it as a single player or with a campaign group, um, which I think is a great idea, but I guess I just didn't see it as necessary. Um, but apparently it is, because people still want to play the game, but they don't necessarily have access to the friend group that you wish you had. Um, so here we go into our fantasy world after a long day at work, and instead of diving into a virtual video game, you can now do it with a tabletop role-playing game. So now the question lies with having this been created and you have all these smaller creators, you know, taking over this category. And not only that, but at Gen Con you actually have rooms dedicated to solo role-playing [00:05:00] games now. But is the giant communities of like Pathfinder and Wizards of the Coast gonna try and create a product that's gonna be a solo RPG now, um, instead of their usual geared towards groups and everything? So that's definitely a question that comes up in my mind is how are they going to... It's not a combat thing, but how are they going to continue to be in this world, I guess, if we're shifting towards solo RPGs. One thing that was announced, um, by a bigger creator was that Fallout is now coming out with a solo RPG, um, called The Wasteland Wanderer, and it is a standalone game. You create your vault dweller, you create your vault, and you get to explore the wasteland, and it is specifically created for solo RPG. So we already have these bigger companies that are creating, um, these solo games [00:06:00] now. Obviously, it's not the biggest company with Wizards of the Coast or Pathfinder, but we're getting there. So now not only do we have these companies creating these solo RPGs, everyone trying to get in on that, but we also have, you know, the electronic world trying to get on, in on this, and that's where we come into AI-powered systems. And I know that AI is such a curse word in the tabletop role-playing community because, you know, when we think AI in the tabletop role-playing community, it's gonna be your AI art, and, you know, that's such a bad thing. And I agree, I really wanna see, um, real artists, real creators, um, but when you're looking at wanting to have an electronic, like, world, I guess, where it's created by something electronic because you don't have friends to talk to or a campaign to really go at with friends, then maybe having ChatGPT do it for [00:07:00] you isn't a bad idea, right? 'Cause you have someone that can bounce ideas off of, and you can have someone else create them. Because although imagination is limitless, maybe in those moments you don't have enough. So with that in mind, there are AI-powered systems that have already been created. Um, Wonderhold is the one that comes to mind, and it launched in May of this year. And it, of course, you know, creates the campaign for you. You get to type to it, talk to it, and figure out where you're going to go with your campaign. So where do we go from here? Do we need game masters, game designers when we're using AI, when we're going the solo route, when friend groups can't get together because of life? So with all of that in mind, let me know what you think, from the Ennie Awards to checking out these solo RPGs, um, to figuring out what's next. Comment, like, subscribe, let me know. Have a good [00:08:00] one.