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To me, the player who chooses to play a spell-casting class and then chooses the best spells to solve the problem (whatever that problem might be) *is* using his "own gray matter". Personally, I've been delighted with some creative uses of magic by the players in my game, even when that did cut...

The moron 6-pack (6 5th level NPC fighters w/ maybe 19 points of INT between them): Baff, Barf, Beff, Biff, Boff, Buff, and Butch (he was the smart one w/ an INT possibly as high as 4).

My game is still pretty youngish, so all the characters started at 1st level, and completely new PCs started at 1st level while the rest of the party was still first level. Then, I didn't get any new players until the party was a mix of 2nd and 3rd level, so the new PCs started at 2nd level...

How many kids do you have (i.e., enough for a small party)? I've got four, but only the oldest is old enough to get into playing (he's 9-1/2). I did run him through the solo adventure in the old red Basic boxed set, and he loved it. Now I just need to get some other players to go along with him.

It really depends on the situation for me. I've been running on-line games (play by post), so I may take any of the following actions: 1) re-cast the character. If the player leaves on good terms (i.e., tells me that RL considerations have made it impossible to continue playing), I'll ask if...

Of course, the vodka and kahlua go together to make Black Russians (one of my favorites). But for beating the heat, favorite is still a brandy slush. (I suppose you could try it with rum, though). Brandy Slush Ingredients: 4 tea bags 9 cups water (divided) 2 cups sugar 1 (12oz) frozen orange...

I hate two extremes of bad DMing: 1) No matter how well the party works together, and how good their tactics are, they are facing a TPK because the opponents are just too powerful. 2) No matter how disorganized the party is and despite all lack of plan, they will *always* succeed in their...

To me, meta-gaming is any use of something outside the game events to influence the behavior of the characters. One example that I can think of is the "PC forehead tattoo" syndrome. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has seen it--a new PC is being introduced to the party, and no one in the...

Normally, if the characters are just searching, they would discover the opening mechanism at the same time they discover the door. On a few rare occasions, they might know the door is there (say they get to the room just as it's shutting), but not know how to open it (without searching--I know...

score one for the old Basic set Dug out that old red book for my oldest son (9-1/2), and ran him through the solo adventure there. Now he's after me to make up a way to get to the goblins he couldn't get to, and he's trying to make his own maze.

I snatched this idea from another DM, and modified it, and so far it is working out quite well. First I choose the languages that are available--and there is a dominant human tongue for this particular region (which could be considered Common so long as they are there), and another human tongue...

1st level--I think that there's a tendency to miss out on character development by jumping in as established adventurers (ie, higher than 1st level). I like seeing the characters develop through the events that I throw at them, and it seems like the events I throw in at lower levels make deeper...

What I've read elsewhere suggests that a 1:150 guard:total pop. ratio is appropriate for the average medival-esque city. Of course, that doesn't mean they all have to be from the official city watch. (Also, don't forget, you probably want to cover 3 or 4 shifts/watches, so the actual number on...

At a little bit of a low ebb here--I've been involved in a lot more games at one time, but here goes: DMing: 2 PlayByPost Playing: 3 PlayByPost, 1 PlayByEmail I've found it a lot easier to grab a few minutes at a time to write a post than get together for hours. However, my oldest son is...

For most people, the sun, moon & stars + bells of the church if in a village/town/city is adequate for the time keeping. A few of the sages and wizards who're into esoteric research use more elaborate devices (mechanical/magical) to do precise timekeeping. However, most people think they're a...

If the rulings are fair, I'll go along w/ the DM's rulings even if I don't like them. However, if it appears that there are questionable rulings where one player is consistently favored over another, I will object (strenuously). Or when my natural 20 on an attack roll is ruled a miss (against...

I guess it never really occurred to me that I couldn't be friends with guys without it having to take on potential sexual overtones--I mean, never once while playing (back in my high school days when all of us were officially unattached) did it occur to me that the guys I played with weren't a...

If you use "dungeon" loosely to include things like an abandoned tower or other building that the party has to go through in order to accomplish a goal, yes I use them. If you keep the term "dungeon" to refer strictly to underground complexes, then I haven't yet (but I might--all depends on...

Also running a couple of PbP games myself, and I have eight players in both of the games, and am playing in other games with 3-7 other players (not counting DM). Couple of sites that are designed for on-line play: PlayByWeb RolePlay OnLine Typically, what happens is that some people are...

At the risk of drawing you in again--I think you are right about the Gregorian calendar reform being the origin of the Western Church's change of dating Easter. I still think there's something about the Passover issue that connects with the Orthodox dating--since the vernal equinox is an...