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Category Archives: DMing
Puzzles (Part 2, The Good)
So rather than griping more about what puzzles don’t work in D&D, this time let’s go over making puzzles that do. Last time I outlined four points that I feel make puzzles worthwhile: Good puzzles challenge players, not characters. “Challenge … Continue reading
Puzzles (Part 1, The Bad)
Puzzles have a long, fine tradition in tabletop gaming, right up there with arguing about grappling rules and casual racism. Whether in the form of a simple question or a campaign-spanning myth arc, puzzles have worked their way into the … Continue reading
Posted in DMing
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Law #5
It turns out that this is post #100. I didn’t realize this until I committed post #98, so I had to scramble a bit to not only come up with a topic worthy of a new significant digit but also … Continue reading
Running What You Know (or, All That Data Entry Finally Pays off)
I’ve never been sailing. I’ve only been on a boat once, twice if you count those two-person ducky boats you can paddle around the harbor. I don’t know port from starboard, preferring to use the directions “that way” and “no, … Continue reading
Posted in DMing
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Multi-Round Actions (Part 4, Tactical Feats)
I never felt like tactical feats really got the respect they deserve. I think the designers wanted to give characters neat tricks that meshed with their combat style while keeping them accessible enough that any character who wanted them could … Continue reading
Posted in Game Design, House Rules
Tagged D&D 3.5E, D&D 3E, Pathfinder
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Multi-Round Actions (Part 3, 4th Edition)
Channeled spells are great and all, but they don’t exist in 4th Edition. This entire endeavor started because I was tired of the “if you don’t make an attack, you’ve wasted your turn” design philosophy and play methodology of 4E, … Continue reading
Posted in Game Design, House Rules
Tagged D&D 4E
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Multi-Round Actions (Part 2, Channeled Spells)
When I thought of “things in D&D that can take more than one round”, the first place I went was “spells”. However, that space in D&D is largely filled with “spells not designed for combat” and “sorcerers trying to use … Continue reading
Posted in Game Design, House Rules
Tagged D&D 3.5E, D&D 3E, Pathfinder
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Non-Binary DCs (or, Why Players Can’t Have Nice Things, Part One of Infinity)
D&D is largely a binary system: you either succeed at something or you don’t. There are no partial successes or glancing blows, and aside from critical hits and natural ones on Reflex saves there’s nothing in the system that rewards … Continue reading
Confessions of a DM
I usually have something to say about the articles I mention here, but as soon as I saw “Confessions of a DM” on Table Titans I knew I had to just link to it and throw up my hands. I … Continue reading
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60-Minute Session Design
I think a person can judge their proficiency in some area by determining the relative complication of the things in that area that frustrate them. For example, I cook fairly frequently. I’m no executive chef, but I can turn ingredients … Continue reading