Recent content by kigmatzomat

The "roman soldier who bought a farm" story, which is not "a tale as old as time" but is around 2,000 years old. I agree, some of the populace should have PC classes. Some PCs retired at some point. I liked the 3e DMG because it had a framework for that, as well as for getting the less...

A fairly simple way to handle large forces is to reduce the units to a single CR and have those face off. Ie 10x goblin warriors is 1200xp or CR4. So you could have it use the generic cr4 stat block from the DMG. This let's you simplify complex units (a hobgoblin with 2 bugbears and 6 goblins...

As a forever DM here's my takes BECMI - yay, rules for my toys! AD&D 1e- rules for social interactions (honorable mention: splitting races & classes) 2e -organized rules(yay!) that edited out stuff like Appendix C "Random harlot" 3e - Rules that are universal (same for PCs, NPCs and monsters!)...

Note that the OP was also in the context of wargame-style rpgs. The term "campaign" is a vestigial sign of most fantasy rpg's wargame heritage. Note this is aligned with the oft-neglected "exploration" pillar of game play. The difference between a trek to the north pole and a military campaign...

US - probably 4th grade in an extracurricular program. Other kids had some from comics (Avengers had both Thor and Hercules) and movies (Clash of the Titans, Hercules in New York) and later TV (Hercules Legendary Journeys). 1e Deities & Demigods was also a mythology gateway drug for a lot of...

This is a variant of "geek the mage", where you take out a (relatively) fragile enemy who does damage. Its a very useful tactic where easily killed mooks can hurt the PCs while taking out the boss will take several rounds. You shift the action economy faster by offing mooks as the boss is...

The "amateurs" quote is properly attributed to USMC General Robert Barrow, who in 1979 said "Amateurs talk about strategy and tactics. Professionals talk about logistics and sustainability in warfare” but it is sometimes attributed to General Omar Bradley. However that is a modern retelling of...

My players use food for a lot of different things. To distract beasts, to barter/bribe "differently civilized" peoples, as bait, and as "alms" for the poor. Even arrows, or at least steel arrow heads, can be bribes to stone-tool types. I'm on team "logistics matter", but for food, water...

It probably wasn't. I was doing math at 6am on a bus, quite suboptimal.

Double 20s is a 1:400 event. That should happen 2.6x10^8 times for every on 3 on a character made with 4d6 drop low & drop lowest stat.

And those all behave exactly the same. :) Raccoon and primate smart is pretty clever at tasks they can conceive. Heck, watch a squirrel figure out an aerial route from point A to point B. But you have to add sapience, the stealth feature of PCs races, which includes complex reasoning...

Since we use 4d6 (drop low) 7 times (drop low) it means rolling all ones on 4d6 twice. That's like one in ten billion odds. My quick math has 1 in 1.2x10^10. I would have to keep it and then declare them the "character of destiny, a hero against all odds."

Armored Melee: bard (valor) Unarmored Melee: bard (dance) Lock picker & trap springer: bard (lore) is best but any bard could do it. Healer: bard (valor) or bard(lore) Blaster: bard (lore) Enchanter: bard(glamour) Races: all species that can carry a tune. Especially hybrids. Because somewhere...

Fun fact: the CR4 guard captain doesn't add PB to ANY saving throws. Zero impact. But why would it? Its a bounded set of mechanics tied to CR4 and only CR. If weapons are irrelevant to damage (which breaks immersion much more IMO) why should PB even exist for Saves or skills? Why not list...

Odd. My memory of TSR modules is they were full of Fighter2/thief1 barmaids (Tika in 1e Dragonlance iirc), fighter4 bartenders, and fighter7 blacksmiths. Its been a while since I looked through the (letter)-series adventures but I recall the vast majority of named NPCs had PC class levels...