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The combination of being in my 40s, having my game group scattered around the county, and starting a doctoral program (while working full time) have all really killed my gaming. And most of my social life. However, look like I might have a game next weekend, and I have been doing some blogging...

The fact that the "misconceptions" are addressed by later rules seems to reinforce that these were, in fact, problems with 3.5 that had to be patched through additional house rules....

Wow. Just that simplification just might address one of the biggest issues I have with BW....

Being circumspect about sharing your research question with potential informants is a good idea, but the point is that your questions will automatically shape your data. So your questions should produce the data you need to answer your research questions (while reducing bias as much as...

My first question in giving feedback would always be "what is your research question?" The value of any data-gathering instrument is in its ability to gather data appropriate to the task while minimizing as much bias as possible. Not meant to be un-helpful, but it's the knee-jerk response...

It includes WoW, the Burning Crusade expansion, and strategy guides for both.

So obviously, this is all your fault. :p

The idea of treating hit points, damage, healing etc. being literal in any edition of D&D involves a huge suspension of disbelief. (If I'm a Lord with lots of experience, my experience in combat allows me to be hacked by a greatsword 10 times before I die? Or fall ten stories without dying...

I'd probably quibble with some of your points. 1) Economy of actions is an attempt to fix the huge number of complex actions that became possible in 3e by the interaction of iterative actions, pets, summon spells, followers gained thorugh the leadership feat, etc. Since huge number of actions =...

Oops. Hit fork instead of reply. I stink.

All true. The changes to 3e systems that increased the number and availability of spells, the reliability of them, the speed and ease of regaining them, the ease of moving and effective action for spellcasters vs. others, and the ease of access to specific and predictable magic items, as well as...

Can I possibly suggest that an experienced former 1e DM or Player may look at later editions and see important similarities despite differences? So there might be deep, fundamental differences in mechanics, but other elements of game play, mood, or even mechanics may still beg positive...

You do know that minions aren't the only monsters, right? And they are used at the DM's discretion, right? Minions are there to make book-keeping easier but retain a credible threat, for an effect similar to 1e's rules about fighters fighting creatures with less than one hit die, only having it...

Saying it was the preferred method is pure unadulterated fact. 1st edition DMG, page 11, under "Generation of Ability Scores": Method I: All scores are recorded and arranged in the order the player desires. 4d6 are rolled and the lowest die (or one of the lower) is discarded. The second...

I have used minis in almost all games of 1st edition, the two sessions of 2e I played, all the games games of 3.0 and 3.5, and the one test run of 4e I played. Minis have been part of my D&D playing since 1981, though in the height of my 3.x play, my minis were at their largest, most complex...

I actually like my explanation better.

But pages 23-24 of the 1e DMG discuss alignment and ther relationship of alignment to the planes. And pages 33-34 of the PH point describe alignment pretty directly, while page 120 of the PH spells out alignment relationships to the outer planes. I didn't like it, but the ideas of the planes...

Of course, there is a strong connection between OD&D and Holmes D&D and a strong discontinuity between OD&D and OD&D + Greyhawk. And while OD&D + Greyhawk has a close continuity with AD&D 1e, and AD&D 1e is close to AD&D 2e, there are strong play-style and and feel differences between 1e and...

1e Players' Handbook, Appendix IV predated that.... Though I always thought the Great Wheel was an odd thing to put in the PH, and an odd cosmology in general. I can't say it's something I hold a lot of love for....