Essential Dungeon Master Tools for Your Next Game

Dungeon master tools make games easier to run, and more fun for you and your players. If you want a top-tier tabletop RPG experience, they’re vital. And who doesn’t want that top level gaming experience?


There are experiences in tabletop RPGs that are almost legendary. When people share their best stories, they either get really loud with excitement, or drop their voices to an almost-whisper, as if the thing is sacred.


Those are the kinds of experiences you want to have with your group. Whatever level of gaming you’ve been hitting so far, it’s time to take it to the next level.

A tabletop scene with character sheets, dice, a book, a pen, and a pouch, likely for a role-playing game.
A figure facing a towering structure with a beam of light. Purple and pink mountains and sky, water in the foreground.

Dungeon A Day

I am excited to share with you that the Eternity TTRPG site is now home to: Dungeon A Day.


Need some fresh ideas to use with your Eternity TTRPG game? Dungeon A Day works with any tabletop RPG system.


Check back each day for a brand new dungeon room. Over time, individual rooms add up, creating a massive, mega-dungeon.

Best Dungeon Master Tools

To make things very easy for you I’m including my top dungeon master tool picks right here, at the top of the article. The rest of the article gives more info on each, should you want to learn more.


1. World Anvil Online DM Tools

Add visuals to your game, and let tech do all the required organization and number crunching so you can stay focused on the story.


2. Battlemaps, Minis, and DnD Music

I tend to think of these three as one “category” of dungeon master tools. They add visual elements and ambience to help make the game feel real.


3. Fun but Optional Extra Dungeon Master Tools

If you already have a lot of your basic Dungeon Master Tools setup established, this section provides extra ideas for you to look into.


4. General TTRPG Tools

A Dungeon Master Tools list wouldn’t be complete unless it included general and miscellaneous items you’ll need for your favorite Tabletop RPG game night.


5. Story Beats Everything

No matter how many tools you have for your game, DMs who bring the best story to the table always beat every other DM – no competition. Here’s how.

Eternity TTRPG Top Sellers

World Anvil

See the World Anvil website.


Digital dungeon master tools are not for everyone. If you’re an old school gamer and you just don’t like phones and computers at your gaming table, skip to the next section. However, if you enjoy tech and you see the value in it, read on.


There are some really incredible tools coming out through tech that make story building much easier, and more engaging. These tools take the advantages inherent in video games (auto-tracking numbers, music, visuals, organization) and bring them to tabletop games.

Up until recently, I didn’t see much value in using phones or computers during gaming sessions. However, now that tools like World Anvil are available, I’ve changed my mind.


One of the most challenging parts of DMing a campaign is tracking everything. There is no perfect system for this, and putting everything online does not automatically remove this problem. However, World Anvil does have templates that organizationally make sense for a host of things you need to track in an expansive campaign, such as:


  • Timelines
  • Mythologies
  • Characters
  • Geography
  • Myths and Legends
  • Custom Spells
  • Traditions
  • Societies
  • Settlements
  • Unique Monsters
  • Maps


And so on. If you like to create a lot of custom elements in your RPG campaign, you know how many pages in a notebook it takes to track all these things.


Additionally, it can be difficult to remember where you have placed all your campaign notes. It can be easy to lose specific notes among your binder of notes. For instance, one day you might write about a unique magic item, with the next page being about something completely different. The point is that there are inherent difficulties to accurately tracking all notes unless it’s kept on a computer.


Having an online tracker definitely takes the frustrations out of indexing your various campaign elements, and creates easy reference. The World Anvil platform is also set up so that your players can view any of your notes on any topic to which you give them access.


I’ll also mention that exciting and high-quality visuals add to a campaign. I still think theater of the mind is the best “visual” in any tabletop game. But great artwork often helps me and my players get into that visual mode.


Also, I happen to be freakishly good at simple math (addition, subtraction, multiplication) and can solve basic equations like a calculator. However, many people aren’t like that. As such, our gaming group has benefited from the speed of online dice rolls and number calculations. It keeps us in the game rather than in the rules and adding dice. It keeps the gaming experience story-focused.


Big improvement. I definitely recommend.


Even if you don’t go with World Anvil, there are plenty of other online tools available.

Assorted dice scattered on a white cloth with a crystal ball and a book adorned with a glowing eye.

Epic World Builder

Similar in some ways to World Anvil, Epic World Builder  allows dungeon masters to track their campaign with a wide variety of resources. Though Epic World Builder is a newer platform, the team is hard at work adding new features, innovating the digital campaign planner genre, and otherwise making it easier and more fun than ever to make campaign worlds come to life.


Epic World Builder allows dungeon masters to not only upload maps to the platform, but you can even set "pins" in your maps. These pins are just like what you'd see on Google Maps, and make it very easy for you to track important details by location. When you or your players click on a pin, it'll bring up the info you want for them to see. You can even link that pin to that specific location's individual page, where even more details can be loaded in, along with a custom map for that location.


Imagine your party comes to a new city. They know they have to break into a dungeon buried deep underground, but they don't know where it is. Well, once they do the leg work and find out details, you can reveal the hidden "pin" for them. When they click on that page, they're taken to the underground dungeon's map, along with all of the information you have in store for them.


Bottom line is that Epic World Builder is intuitive for play, and makes tracking complex worlds and notes easier than any system I've ever seen. You can sign up for a free plan, or get their premium features beginning at $5/ mo. Along with all of the other great features the site provides (name generators, random dungeon map generators - which is worth its weight in gold - and more), I think the value for what you pay is absolutely insane.

Battlemaps, Minis, and DnD Music

  • Battlemaps: track movement, spell range, etc. Yarro Studios.
  • Custom Minis: create your own mini. For me, only HeroForge will do.
  • DnD Music: I haven’t yet found a great website for music. My own collection is a mix of many gaming and movie OSTs (original soundtracks).


Music, maps, and minis give people physical (or digital) context upon which to build mental images of the game. Music provides ambience and creates mood, while maps and minis give visual inspiration.


I personally love to use music, maps, and minis in my tabletop games because they increase the sense of realness in the game, and help players get into the flow of the gaming experience.


Player engagement is really everything when it comes to tabletop RPGs. If your players are in a “flow state” during your game, basically everything that you do as a DM at that point achieves gaming perfection. If you want to know how to make a game great, the real secret is verisimilitude and flow state.


So, this brings us back to music, maps, and minis. This category of visual elements and ambience makes games more real and more engaging. Simple.

A large game mat with a detailed fantasy map, a lantern, and white border pieces.

Battlemaps

Especially for tabletop RPGs that are very strategy and tactics focused, battlemaps that combine great artwork with a grid of some kind are priceless.


It doesn’t matter if you choose battlemaps that have square grids or hexagonal grids. Either work great. Most battlemaps on the market have 1-inch squares or the same size of hexagons, which are the same size as minis (more on those in the next large section, below).

Yarro Studios has battlemaps for sale in both a large book of maps, and in their “Infinidungeon” roll-out scrolls.


Their book of battlemaps has many pages of high-quality artwork. What I like best is that most pages are mostly unique from each other. I’ve noticed there are definitely some pages I use more often than others with my gaming group, as not all pages are super interesting, or have the same quality art to them. But, the number of what I would consider in the realm of “filler” pages is very minimal.

I also really like Yarro Studios’ Infinidungeon scrolls. These scrolls roll out across a table to reveal an ongoing dungeon. There are six total scrolls (including one that’s blank) each with their own artwork and dungeon design. I’m actually just about to use an Infinidungeon for the first time, in a mega-dungeon I’m putting together with my gaming group. What I love most is that the scroll provides its own “fog of war” for my group to work through, by nature of the scroll’s unravelling design.


The overall diversity of battlemap options and artwork from Yarro Studios is such that this purchase goes on my list of top buys for tabletop RPGs. It’s also top of my recommendations for overall best dungeon master tools. However, there are many online retailers that have excellent maps you can use.

Dungeon Tiles

If you haven’t heard of them yet, dungeon tiles are a great choice for a battlemap substitute. Dungeon tiles come in relatively smaller sections (compared to a full size battlemap) that you can move around and adjust. Tiles can be placed next to others in ways that allow for you to create unique and custom dungeons, as you see fit. They aren’t typically as dynamic or high quality when it comes to artwork, as battlemaps, but they make up for that in their ability to be moved around.


Dungeon tiles are becoming more popular, but to me, still fit within the strictly “dungeon” category of tabletop gaming. Even though there are dungeon tiles for the wildnerness, etc. I still prefer traditional artwork-based battlemaps for diverse scenarios. They’re a bit easier to setup and use, quickly.


As much as I love dungeons, my gaming group doesn’t go into dungeon delves more than once every 4-5 gaming sessions, I’d say. Which means that dungeon tiles and the Infinidungeon scrolls (mentioned above) don’t get a ton of use.


Items like these are still important dungeon master tools for your occasional dungeon delve needs. But unless you’re running a campaign that’s focused around lots of dungeons, you probably won’t be using dungeon tiles extremely often.


As such, I feel that a book of battlemaps is a more important choice for someone initially building up their list of dungeon master tools. Dungeon tiles can probably wait until a bit later, once you’ve already acquired all the basic items.

A character wearing a horned helmet, holding a staff with a crescent moon and a glowing energy in their hand.

Minis

Minis are admittedly more of a “group gaming tool” than a specifically dungeon master tool, so you may be wondering why I put them on this list. The reason is that specific minis for NPCs, villains, and boss fights are great ways to customize the campaign.


Before starting any new campaign, if I’m playing a character, I take a look at HeroForge.


If you aren’t familiary, HeroForge is a website that allows you to custom-create a mini of your choosing. The entire site is a 3D model of the character you’re building.

HeroForge has all kinds of races to choose from, sizes, weapons, armor, spell effects, familiars, and basically everything you could think of for making your character come to life. HeroForge has been a consistently worthwhile purchase for me because I love to make the most out of my campaigns. Buying a new custom mini is, to me, a special treat to commemorate the beginning of each new campaign.



I won’t lie, HeroForge costs more than any simple mini you’ll find at your local gaming store, or online at places like Amazon. It’s a great option if you’re willing to spend $30+, when you factor in shipping.


My personal favorite option is to get my mini printed in steel, so it’s extremely durable – also great for painting. I’ve never had any of my steel HeroForge minis break or become damaged in any way. That’s after about 3 years since purchasing my first custom mini from them, and probably hundreds of games.


I also use custom minis if I’m the DM for the group (which I often am). As I mentioned above, if I create plans for a major NPC or villain to appear somewhere in the campaign, I get a custom mini created of them. Nothing shows your players that a character is important like a specifically-purchased (or created) mini to represent them.

Text on a dark green background reads

DnD Music

Unfortunately, I have yet to find a website I really like that compiles all the kinds of music I really like for running a tabletop game. There are, however, numerous sites that do have good DnD music.


Since I don’t personally use any particular DnD music website though, I’ll simply give you a list of some of my favorite and most-used OSTs for providing ambience to a gaming session:


  • All Final Fantasy Games (Nobuo Uematsu is a genius)
  • Elder Scrolls – particularly Oblivion and Skyrim
  • Fable
  • Gunslinger Girl
  • Half Life
  • Inception
  • Kingdom Hearts
  • Majesty: the Fantasy Kingdom Sim
  • NieR
  • Princess Mononoke
  • Psycho-Pass
  • Seraph of the End
  • Sword Art Online
  • The Witcher
  • Terror in Resonance
  • World of Warcraft


Categorizing DnD Music

Video game soundtracks make for great DnD music. So do some movies. I also particularly like certain anime soundtracks in my games.

When I create my DnD music playlist, I also group songs into categories. Doing so allows me to quickly play songs that match the game’s mood. This way, I don’t have to pre-plan what songs I’ll use during the game:


  • Adventure
  • Town
  • Dungeon
  • Battle/ Boss Battle
  • The “Extras” Category: Game Intros/ Victory/ Defeat
  • Specific Campaign “Themes”


Adventure songs are for overland travel, or slightly neutral in-game events. Towns typically have a more positive or calming vibe. Dungeons are darker, mysterious, or even sinister. Battle songs are upbeat and intense. Boss battles are really intense, dramatic, and even bombastic.


I usually have a song playing (a game intro song) when everyone shows up to play the game. It’s also a good idea to have victory and defeat songs to emphasize fight and other encounter results.


Creating an OST for Your Game

If the adventuring group comes across an important area in the game, I usually make a note of whatever song I end up playing during that time. Then, that song gets “upgraded” to a campaign “theme.” Whenever the party travels back to that same area or comes across a situation reminiscent of the NPC/ villain/ events that took place with that song, originally – I play that same song again.


Song themes allow players to attach to your DnD music selection, and in effect create an OST specific to your game. When players hear the same campaign themes multiple times, they become drawn into the game more and more.


Sometimes it can also be great to have an entire soundtrack for your game, as opposed to piecing together whatever you can find. For a great all-around soundtrack, take a look at the Insignia: Tactics Soundtrack on Bandcamp.

Miniatures and dice arranged on green mesh with a skull and crystal.

Fun but Entirely Optional Dungeon Master Tools

If you already have an established collection of dungeon master tools, you may consider some of the following choices as non-essential “extras.”


If you’re like me, and tabletop RPGs are a major passion of yours, these extras are perfect, and a lot of fun to purchase. Try them out for yourself, and see how they makes your games feel that little extra bit special.

DM Screen

This item is first on this list because the list is alphabetized. It’s not first because I think it’s the most important item. In fact, I’ve never actually seen anyone – any DM – use a DM screen.


Do I think they’re kind of weird? Yes. But they can also be useful. The idea is that DM screens keep some of the game’s most important rules within easy access for the DM.


I suppose they also give an air of mystery and intrigue to the game. Perhaps, even an aura of power to the person whom sits behind the DM screen. After all, who knows what happens behind that screen?


One thing I do like about DM screens is that gaming companies such as DnD have created custom screens for adventures and campaigns they’ve created, such as for the “Curse of Strahd” (vampire campaign).

Dungeon Décor

Not that kind of dungeon décor. Well… maybe it can double for two things.



What I really mean in this category is the general aesthetic upgrades you make to your gaming space. The ambience of lighting, wall art, gaming- and fantasy-related items, and even furniture. This is the “zen” of your gaming space.


For example, I now have two “lanterns” I set up at my gaming table. Once night hits, I put tealight candle into each, and the ambient orange light adds to the game’s fantasy feel.

I also recently bought dungeon décor wall stickers, which I’ll stick on my walls for an upcoming mega dungeon. This was actually my girlfriend’s idea, which is why it’s so good. I’m not personally the best at creating a “space” that feels right – if you’re the same, just trust my girlfriend and buy this.


There are also some dragon statues in my living room where we game, and I also really enjoy gemstones and crystals. They happen to fit well for the gaming room fantasy vibe I’ve created. If you’re into gemstones as well, I recommend a few as side pieces.


Finally, when we have extended gaming sessions (every few months or so), I decorate my living room with a few extra items to fit the occasion. In the past, I’ve done spiderwebs in corners and on walls for Halloween-themed adventures. Crock pots with mulled wine is a good choice for any kind of holiday game night.


Honestly, even providing pizza or snacks adds to the gaming environment. Whatever it takes, really, to make people feel more at home and more relaxed for the game, contributes to the game’s overall experience. 

Table Topper

As you can tell, I’m a big fan of creating the right feel for my gaming space. I think the way people feel when they come in to game makes a difference in the way a game plays out.


People work hard and deal with a lot of stress in the lives, so the game and gaming space needs to feel like something really relaxing and fun, or people won’t want to keep playing over a long campaign.


Table toppers are a neat idea, and fit in very closely with the idea of great world map and battlemap art. It’s basically just a top that you put on your table that turns the surface into a specifically-gaming surface. They come in mats and wooden toppers. Generic colored backgrounds, and art-filled backgrounds.


This extra touch helps put people into a “I’m playing a game now” vibe, and relax away from their day-to-day lives. It’s definitely helpful.

See Table Topper Pricing
Tabletop RPG setup: open books, dice, miniatures, lit carved candle holder. Dim lighting, indoor setting.

General TTRPG Tools

If you are a new DM, or new to the TTRPG genre (Tabletop RPGs), this section is for you.


I went back and forth a bit as to whether or not I should include this section, since it’s so basic. However, just in case there’s anyone new to tabletop gaming who reads the article, this section will help you. The foundation for all dungeon master tools is based in the following general TTRPG tools.

Core Rulebooks

You must have all the core rulebooks for your game in order to play it well. Period. If you're interested in playing a new tabletop game, take a look at the Eternity TTRPG shop page for my own independent game. If you're into DnD, take a look at the link below for the set of three books you'll need to get started, which are the:

  • Player's Handbook
  • Dungeon Master's Guide
  • Monster Manual
Ten colorful icosahedral dice scattered on white fabric next to a black pouch.

DnD Dice

If you’re playing DnD, you must have a full set of dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20 – you probably need multiples of each). Other games require less dice. In any case, any set will do when you’re starting out. There are also options for very amazing, eye-catching sets still within the reasonable price range, that will make you very happy each time it’s your turn to roll. For an in-depth guide, check out my post on Best D&D Dice.


I personally enjoy Dice Envy dice, but there are really a nearly unlimited number of great DnD dice providers.

Dice Envy Dice Pricing

Compartment Case

I have a carrying case like this, and it saves me tons of time when setting up each game. Also, if you’re the DM and you’re carrying around a lot of minis, dice, maps, and notes, you’ll want something like this. If you’re new, skip this and invest instead in all the things you’ll need to fill it. Once you’ve acquired enough cool stuff, a compartment case becomes a must-have for tabletop gaming.

Initiative Tracker

You don’t need this, but once you see it, you’ll want it. A visual initiative tracker display works much better than simply keeping track of initiative on paper. It also helps players know when their turn is coming up. If you play Eternity TTRPG, try out my online initiative tracker instead, as it does all the math for you. Simply have everyone use their phones when you play, and you’re all set.

Spell Cards

If you play DnD, these spell cards save a lot of time. Instead of keeping dozens of pages marked in your core rulebook for spell details, you can keep a handful of spell cards on-hand. No one likes wizards that stop combat for 5 minutes to look up and read specifics of spells – wizards don’t’ even like themselves for what they do. Save yourself and your gaming group a lot of headaches, and invest in these cards. Everyone will love you for it. 

Status Markers

This isn’t really worth me providing a link to, as it’s such a simple concept. Use some really low-quality poker chips, or draw status marks on notecards that you cut up to pieces 1-inch square, or so. When a player character or monster gets hit by a status effect, put these markers underneath their character to remind everyone of the effect and duration. Super helpful for in-depth combat situations.

As an additional resource for you, check out my Ultimate DnD Gifts Guide. The guide has almost 50 ideas for DnD related items to make your game better, or that make great presents for those who love DnD. You may find something that will make your game or gaming environment a step better than it is now. 

Story Beats Everything

This section could be first in the article. It is, ultimately, the only piece that matters when it comes to TTRPGs. At the end of the day, no matter what dungeon master tools you implement into your game, nothing is more important than a great story. If you've never tried a TTRPG with group game mastering (no single GM), you'll be amazed at the quality of stories that come up. For that, check out the Eternity TTRPG tabletop game.


The scope of this article is really about dungeon master tools, and not storytelling tools, so I’ll keep this section short. I just want to really impress upon you that story is what makes tabletop RPGs better. It’s not the dungeon master tools, themselves.

To help you tell better RPG stories, here’s a few links for you.


  • Check out these 20 DnD Quest Ideas that inspire you to be a better DM, and explore more areas of the fantasy genre than you probably ever have before.
  • A TPK in DnD doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Also, don’t be afraid to let player characters die. This TPK DnD article helps you navigate the tricky side of death in tabletop RPGs.
  • Need a random generator for names, places, plotlines, NPCs, and more? Tt helps to have extra ideas for RPGs on hand, for any adventure.


Remind yourself before creating any story or plotline that you and you group get out what you put in.

Also, remember that the story should first and foremost be about having fun. Ask yourself: what’s the most fun thing we could do on our next adventure? Then, do that. It’s that simple.

Man sits on a green railing, smiling. He wears a navy shirt, tan pants, and black shoes, with a dark wall behind him.

Jacob Tegtman

Dear reader, I hope you enjoyed my 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.

Man sits on a green railing, smiling. He wears a navy shirt, tan pants, and black shoes, with a dark wall behind him.

Jacob Tegtman

Dear reader, I hope you enjoyed my 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.

Man sits on a green railing, smiling. He wears a navy shirt, tan pants, and black shoes, with a dark wall behind him.

Jacob Tegtman

Dear reader, I hope you enjoyed my 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.

Final Fantasy TRPG layout: Mana grid graphic

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

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.
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