Recent content by Basic Expert

I agree. My problem with fixing D&D is that I'm inclined to fix everything I don't like about it. At that point, I'm pretty much playing a different system. Therefore, I just start and end with my own bespoke system and don't bother with D&D at all.

I agree. And I dislike fighting styles so much it's pretty much a deal-breaker for me running 5E. I loathe design that forces characters into one-trick pony silos. Fighting styles compound that problem of being limiting by also being boring. And, in some cases, like great weapon fighting...

AI art is a commodity that has no value. Why buy something made with AI when you can generate the same thing yourself, for free? LLMs have some legitimate uses, but churning out AI slop for a quick buck isn't one of them. With art you are buying imagination, a POV, a work from someone that is...

Yes, as a big fan of both The Man With No Name and Lone Wolf and Cub, I absolutely get what they were trying to do. I just don't think they did it successfully. That source material has far more style than the utter blandness that is the Mandalorian.

Am I the only one who thinks the Mandalorian is an incredibly dull character? In a galaxy full of possibility, I honestly don't know why we are bothering to follow this boring guy's boring adventures. Though, this might be intentional, since they did name him Dingy Aaron.

Ahh, yes, nicely spotted! I would agree with you that moving one millimeter away from the caster satisfies all requirements.

Because, in the rules, moving at least 5ft is needed to satisfy the condition to "spend their turn" moving. D&D 5E uses 5ft increments, thus 5ft is the minimum that needs to be moved to count as movement. Nothing in the Command spell text overrides the movement rules. It imposes very specific...

I would say that a targeted creature that uses its turn to move any distance away from the caster satisfies the text of the spell. Nothing in the spell specifies that the target needs to use all of their movement fleeing so they are not obligated to do so. If they spend their turn moving 5 feet...

True, but then the alternative is usually that the disparity between skill levels become so great at high levels that the less skilled have no hope to hit the DCs while the highly-skilled almost can't fail. Thus, gameplay contracts as everyone is increasingly siloed into their specialties. That...

In your terms, always static. Otherwise, you're looking at a skill/DC increase treadmill. What's the point of increasing your skill if it doesn't give you any actual improvement? However, I will say that even in systems or editions with a DC-by-level chart, like 4E's advice for what is a "Hard...

Fighters have absolutely been short-changed by the "big dumb meatshield" stereotype. I have had extreme reservations about the class in 3E, 4E, 5E and most of their competitors. It remains one of my favorite classes mainly because of it doesn't come loaded down with unwanted gimmicks. Make a...

Modern D&D is about the characters. OSR is about the adventure.

Moving from 4E's minor actions to 5E's bonus actions was an attempt to simplify and quicken the combat turn. There is a decision point for players for each action they get in a turn. That means analysis of various options, which takes time. If the designers could trim standard/move/minor down to...

I voted 4, though it probably ranges from 3 to 5. Lighter rules play faster, which is a huge factor for me. The D&D 3.5 games where our druid spent 20 minutes to resolve his TURN broke me and I'm never going back. There was one battle where I was stunned in the first round and sat out the next 3...

It's a great system...from a certain point of view. Honestly, I think it's a pretty good system that is poorly explained, and I completely understand people not liking it. The modern permutations have gotten progressively cleaner and better, but there are still mechanics of it that aren't as...