Recent content by Benjamin Olson

Yes, calling sequel games "editions" is one of the strangest things to me about the ttrpg industry. And then when something is actually just a new edition of an existing game (ie: 2024 D&D) you aren't supposed to call it a new edition.

Multiclassing (along with subclasses) is the cornerstone of the character build mini-game, and, as silly as it seems, the character build mini-game is a huge part of what keeps me forever excited to play more 5e (or even it's degenerate 2024 flavor). I can totally accept arguments for why it...

I love it in principle, or at least in theory. In implementation, I think it generally leaves a lot to be desired. Part of the problem is that it works great in a movie or whatever, where a random effect invariably comes at a low stakes moment or happens to save the day at a high stakes moment...

Personally I find improvising things with consequences for a narrative I want to keep consistent, while also juggling a bunch of rules and stats, while remembering everything I have planned, while keeping a variety of npcs/monsters I'm running consistent (with consistent voices...

I mean, I think if you read the thread that becomes relatively clear. Common reasons to choose to pay for a DM (many of which we've touched upon) are 1) wanting a game at a particular time that works for your schedule; 2) wanting a DM who is less likely to be flaky, unprepared, etc. and a game...

Potato quality is a direct function of how much fat and salt as been coaxed onto or into them, with more equaling better (within reason). I'd rank any fried potato (competently executed) over any that has not been fried.

I was a paid DM for (I think about) 35 sessions of 5e D&D a couple years back, and am looking into getting back into it (I had to wind down my DMing business when I got hired for a more than full time teaching job in rural Alaska which was an amazing experience but which I have since burned out...

I think the original sin of 5e ritual spellcasting, and feats and abilities that grant it, is that there just aren't that many ritual spells available, and many that are available don't play very well as rituals or were allowed to have the ritual tag simply because they are not very useful or...

I'd really like to see an eggman like creature who is a Walrus Lycanthrope, cat people who somehow put out fires with gasoline, and whatever the hell an Aqualung is.

Well there's a lot of people who came into the hobby with 5e, struggled through learning that one system reasonably well, and just don't want to learn a new system (not unreasonable, people have lives and varying interest in learning ttrpg rules). I doubt many of them would personally know or...

Well, well, well, a celebrity in our midst!

In 5e Classic Eldritch Knights didn't get arcane foci of any kind, much less get to use their weapon as one. They used component pouches. Foci were a perk of being a full caster. I can't say if this was intentionally held over into New 5e, or an oversight. Honestly I don't even know or care to...

Yeah, I don't know. As I remember it, in the short stories there's a bit of "fantasy James Bond" vibe so far as his luck with the ladies goes. People seem to be drawn to him despite him being gruff and making little social effort. It feels more like he has a 20 in Charisma and is being played by...

The comical thing about anti-colonial backlash aimed at Thanksgiving is that the annual holiday in the United States was actually created to give thanks for the Union winning the Battle of Gettysburg (something I for one am still thankful for) and generally to promote the idea that the future...

A creature attuned to this writing desk immediately becomes fluent in 1d6 non-existent languages and gains an irresistible impulse to worldbuild. Any writing the attuned creature creates at the desk will eventually be published, no matter how trivial or incomplete.