Recent content by Scott Christian

No one is doing this. I mean, maybe there is some 13-year-old new DM who is, or some cantankerous old DM who has never played another way is, but no experienced DM running a campaign right now is doing this. It is a made-up argument. Just look at all the evidence: tens of thousands of hours of...

Ha! Death by Enya sounds like a very slooooooooowwwwww way to go. And I hear you. I am unsure who actually believes that happens all the time, but I guess someone will always play Devil's Advocate. That is one of the reasons why I think the entire debate is silly. You will always get someone...

What is this? Can you please give an example? Thanks.

I am going to take a little different approach than some of the others, as I think it might work for you. Use your obsessive planning, but only for the next session. Try to learn how to use that planning to help "steer the ship." This way, your vision of the campaign continues (and you enjoy...

Honest question: How can you tell? Is it the specific scenario or the overall order of scenarios or is the specific action you are talking about? Sorry, I am just a little confused as to your answer. As always, thanks for responding.

Yes, let's grant it because it is true. Incorrect. In fact, it tells us everything we need to know about railroading - it rarely exists in its strict definition. Why? Because if you sit down to a table, the game is almost always the same, except for those rare outliers I talked about...

That is funny. I really do wish there was a better style of discussion when it came to playing D&D. For example, "I ran Rime of the Frostmaiden, and in the beginning of the adventure my players really took to the chwingas. So I had to create an epic side quest that involved them. Here is what I...

Railroading, agency, blah, blah, blah... It is amazing these conversations continue like they do. Yet, if you sit down at any convention, at any gaming store, or at most households, you see the exact same game being played: DM describes scenario, players react, DM tallies results, and then the...

That is not noir, that is time. Noir is a mood that houses character motivations. Its 30's feel, is just setting. The two are very different. Perhaps noir shouldn't be used at all, which was part of my (and other's) criticism.

Thanks for the clarification. I know you are this forum's resident expert on Eberron, so I will take this information and place it way up front so I remember it. Thanks.

Maybe. I am really just stating an observation I have seen over the years with the setting. Noir being fatalistic, cynical, and full of moral ambiguity applies to so many different aspects of D&D lore; and it has very few game mechanic representations as well.

I really think that is part of the problem some people have with the setting. Noir has no business fitting in with the perceived setting and mood of Eberron. I get it, the lore does have elements of noir. But almost all of the D&D setting do. So to use it as a focus, seems out of place for...

That sounds like what technology should do. Very cool.

I only play in person, so I do not know that feature. But that sounds like a cool feature.

Thanks. I really feel a great line or two, and then building around that, sets a mood-engineered "imagery hook." I know through outside conversations with my players that they remember those just as much as how a monster is described.