Recent content by Benjamin Olson

Started on Clash of the Titans (the original) and Jason and the Argonauts. Then I got a copy of this guy at the Getty Museum (now Getty Villa) while on vacation when I was 7: The illustrations were too compelling not to pour over the text as soon as my reading level was up to it. And then I...

I mean, we're clearly concluding he's a Wizard because he's got a Gandalf hat and beard. It seems strange to further extrapolate that he's Mordenkainen whose iconography does not include those things. Honestly, considering the blue orb in his hands, I think he's the Orb Ponderer meme, which was...

There was anachronistic armor, sure, but Homer's interpretation of the bronze age, and classical interpretation of the past in general, were full of anachronism left, right, and center. Making it all bronze age accurate would be a far greater slight to the source material than what they did.

I only sullied my hands with a character with unrolled stats once, in order to try out Adventurers League. I did not return. Otherwise all my characters were born of fate.

Only if the player has no honor. I mean, I'm sure some players cheat at it, because some players do cheat at D&D for whatever reasons, but you present it as though everyone is looking to cheat the moment other people aren't watching them, and, no I'm pretty sure that's still a minority.

Wow, this case is so frivolous it makes me side with Disney's use of CGI Tarkin. These jokers thought happening to have an unfulfilled contract for acting with Cushing before his death gave them some sort of exclusive likeness rights forever.

Cool. I think the resurrection-specific 9th level True Resurrection should be better at resurrecting than Wish. I also feel like Avoid Your Fate would be a choice I'd be much more likely to take if I could choose it after making a few death saves, not just because I know I've failed them at...

In a full campaign I appreciate that it I got something distinctive and can narrow down which character concept I'm pursuing, but am probably a little disappointed my character won't be more well-rounded. In a one-shot I think up a silly novelty character to have 3 intelligence or whatever...

Well per lore the US Second Civil War, which evolves into World War III, starts in 2026, so we'll have lots of info soon. The Memory Alpha entry for 21st Century points at what episodes make offhand reference to facts about the era: 21st century No episodes spend any substantial time in the...

Half-Elf and Half-Orc. And I think that's going to be my answer for the life of this lame edition.

Very well. We strongly disagree. Overcoming limitations through hard work, clever roleplay, etc. in a world where everything you want is not handed to you and the conditions you face make sense is more fun than playing Mary Sue in a world full of contrived problems that should have been solved...

So I was just reading this module the other day. The abbess or whatever of this monastery is Runara, an Adult Bronze Dragon who, while she uses that stat block, the module specifically says has vague powers not limited to that stat block. If the party can scrounge up a scroll of regeneration in...

The main draws to me are 1) a setting people care about and 2) shared baseline expectations of how things work. I do think those are both double-edged swords, that if anyone is not sufficiently familiar with the franchise you are playing a licensed game for they're in for a world of frustration...

On the most abstract level I like it well enough for deciding how a background battle is playing out, but if the players are getting involved in strategic planning for this battle it's going to be pretty disappointing when none of the strategy matters. Also if I'm a high level caster I'm going...