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Author Archives: Law
Freedom vs. Structure in Class Design
The 5th Edition Q&A for last week got me thinking. In an increasingly rare case, it wasn’t about how I’m upset with how the game is shaping up, but rather that Wizards is taking an approach to the design that … Continue reading
The Bartle Test
Tycho said this recently: In order to play a game with someone, more often than not, you usually have to be playing the same game. That probably seems like something you wouldn’t have to enunciate, but not everybody likes to … Continue reading
Posted in Game Design
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On 5th Edition Advancement
Aaaaaaand themes are gone. When 5th Edition was first a thing (in a playtest I didn’t play that may never have actually happened thanks to an NDA), there are a few things that were awkward but that really excited me. … Continue reading
Obsidian Portal Reforged
Just a general name drop: the Obsidian Portal Kickstarter is ending soon. It’s a tool I’ve used before so the prospect of improvements excites me a bit, and there’s the opportunity to get a discount on premium membership in case … Continue reading
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Alternate Hit Point Systems (or, Various Ways to Make Crits Stop Being Fun)
There’s a quiet assumption in 3rd Edition and its related systems that hit potions don’t actually keep track of damage. Getting cut by a sword is normally quite severe if not fatal, and gunshots and firealls aren’t any better. Rather, … Continue reading
On the Premium Spell Compendium
I know it’s not really in keeping with the theme of the blog, but I have to point out how ridiculous that Wizards is putting previews of the Spell Compendium reprint on its website. When I visit the Wizards website, … Continue reading
On the Speed of Experience
The more I read about 5th Edition, the less I like it. Luckily, the players who comment on official Wizards articles feel the opposite way, so at least we balance out. This time the issue is with the advancement discussed … Continue reading
Underpowered: Samurai (3.5E)
The samurai has been ranked by very smart people as perhaps the least-powerful PC class in D&D 3.5. Apparently it’s on par with the expert, the adept, and other NPC classes. I think it’s common knowledge that non-spellcasting classes are … Continue reading
Players Making Failure Interesting
So we had a TPK on Saturday. The party came across the guardian to a gate we had to open. In the first round, the fighter won initiative, charged, and did 75 points of damage in one hit, dropping the … Continue reading
On the Talkative Tavernmaster
The problem with providing any sort of advice on DMing is that inevitably you’ll come across something that can’t be explained in a thousands words via a blog. I would love to give tons of information on how to actually … Continue reading →