Recent content by Jacob Lewis

Obviously, different classes have abilities and powers that exert some kind of control, or does extra damage, etc. These aren't exclusive to one kind of class or another; they're just ones that do it better or more focused. Like Clerics are typically better healers, rogues are better damage...

Roles are expressed as ideas, interpretations of their expected behaviors and tactics. This is translated into game mechanics, which provides rules as identities and play patterns to reinforce the narrative. In other words, Defenders mark targets so enemies focus fire on them, Controllers move...

Thematically speaking? If psionics has a distinct place in the setting that adds to the narrative of the game world, and not just another niche to fill within the overused and crowded bucket of "magical" powers, then sure. But then it has to offer something unique, not just another "wizard"...

Interesting. Maybe you could throw in a little XCOM2-style pressure? The kingdom is preparing for an orc invasion and can only make so many improvements unless they can buy more time, find more resources or help, or upgrade their institutions to unlock better options and upgrades. Glad to see...

Basically, yes. But it depends on a lot of things, like what model and which AI program are you using? There isn't just a single "AI" everyone is using. They're programs, and just like any software, there's different models with different features, different parameters, etc. But they effectively...

They were good for their intended purpose. You got together with random people to play one encounter every week. You had all the maps ready. Pregens printed on durable stockcard mini-sheets. And there was fun to be had. I ran it for several seasons and played in a few. That said, it's hard to...

Yes! Some people may not realize that. Good reminder! Thanks for pointing that out. Now that I'm thinking about it, the Neverwinter Campaign Setting was designed specifically for a Heroic tier campaign, with a lot of focus on (then) new Essentials design philosophies and standards. It was...

If you're just starting out, and you've never played or had much experience with 4e before, then Essentials is actually an easy way to get started. You can get a complete game experience from just a handful of pocket-sized books and enough content to play for years. What you'll miss from...

I'm pleased to learn they were of value to someone! Please feel free to share it with your community. I hope it brings them joy! 😀

So, a Starter Set for starters? I can see that. But one could also argue that a Starter Set is also a starting point for a campaign setting, or an adventure series, or a starting DM, or an adult who just starting playing D&D for the first time. But wouldn't a Starter Set for starters actually...

And I do appreciate that, but sometimes comments like that just come off as wanting to satisfy an argument, like the answer was there all along. So, no. I don't take it as personal. I was just commenting on the comments like that we see all the time from persons who aren't well-meaning. Thank...

See, here's the thing. We assume that is the majority of D&D players. Maybe it is. But there's a significant indication that there is a lot of people who are genuinely unhappy with these new directions. How many? Who knows. Who cares! Even if it were close, the company is making a decision about...

Sure, and that was a general shift that players discovered for themselves by actually playing and deciding if this edition was right for them. But D&D has always had dials that could be adjusted because it supported not one style or tone of play, but all of them, so everyone could play how they...

I agree, but this seems to be leaner further into that... we've been seeing this trend since, what? Tasha's? A kinder, gentler D&D has been growing. And I can't help but wonder if this wasn't a deliberate and intentional strategy to get themselves a new target audience, one that doesn't push...

This looks like it was designed for younger people, like under 18. The bright colors, the cartoonish illustrations, the cheery monsters, bright colors, etc. That's not a bad thing considering it's a Starter Set. There's young people out there who still haven't played the game, afterall. And...