Recent content by Li Shenron

  1. Li Shenron

    D&D General Combat Against Player Engagement: A Systemic Challenge

    Interesting thoughts. Keeping in mind that not all players are the same, therefore there is no solution which works for everyone at the same table, here are also some thoughts of mine. 1) Procedural segmentation has the benefit of making combat simpler in a few ways. First of all, it...
  2. Li Shenron

    D&D 5E (2024) Rank 5e skills from most useful (1) to least useful (18)

    1- any skill one of my PC has 1- any skill one of my PC has 1- any skill one of my PC has 1- any skill one of my PC has ... If they have it, I make sure they will find it useful. But then another question is... after 10 years, how many players still haven't understood that "having a skill" is...
  3. Li Shenron

    D&D 5E (2024) Help me Houserule 5e Equipment & Items

    Some random comments... This shouldn't be too difficult. Go through the list of magic items and for each one try thinking of a non-magical explanation for its effects: biological, materials-based, or technological. It can be a fantasy explanation if you need, without qualifying as fully magic...
  4. Li Shenron

    D&D 5E (2014) Thoughts on bonus action potions?

    Well mostly I do think it just makes the game (even) easier. Potions more or less are like stored spells. They already have the advantage of going beyond the daily slots limits of your party's spellcasters, and obviously being usable directly by the target without even requiring a spellcaster...
  5. Li Shenron

    Which are you, The plan everything out GM, or the Ad lib?

    I am definitely a planner. I start by reading a published adventure carefully, then typically in the days or weeks before the game night I find myself thinking a lot about everything between the established elements of the adventure, kind of filling up the space, adding things of my own, or...
  6. Li Shenron

    Time travel doesn't exist because time travel wiped out the timelines where it did

    I don't think "time" is really what we think it is. I recommend reading "The Order of Time" by physicist Carlo Rovelli to get a new perspective.
  7. Li Shenron

    D&D General Take A Look At The Class Boards From The New D&D Starter Set

    I think the classboards are cool. Unfortunately they are a bit specific to the box pregens. Shouldn't be too difficult to turn them into templates. Even then, there are classes with fairly different needs, so I don't think a one-size-fit-all exists, just like with character sheets. I already...
  8. Li Shenron

    D&D 5E (2024) NPCs, and the poverty of the core books

    When I want to make an important NPC myself, I pretty much always make it using PC rules, i.e. race + class + background in 5e. I may skim on some details like not filling up all its known spells and proficiencies allowance. I may on the other hand also give it some extras if it fits. I...
  9. Li Shenron

    What are your thoughts on TTRPGs with non-standard dice?

    I am fairly neutral. Dice with unusual number of faces or non-numeric results can aid certain things, but in terms of probability and random results, they aren't strictly necessary and can always be emulated with regular dice. Snowflake dice neither impress me nor annoy me.
  10. Li Shenron

    D&D 5E (2024) How excited are you for the 2 upcoming Forgotten Realms books?

    I had to vote "D&D is dead to me" because I'm long off the hook with the edition by now, so I am unlikely to purchase any new book. But if I'm going to buy anything, it's definitely going to be settings books, because I'm done with players material until 7e (I don't play half editions, and...
  11. Li Shenron

    Playing AS monsters?

    Yes but it's been a very long time... I think last time was The City of the Spider Queen campaign in 3e, where all PCs were Drow. However, I don't really consider that a "monsters campaign", in fact Drow became fully playable creatures in the 5e PHB. It's a preference, but what I would call a...
  12. Li Shenron

    D&D 5E (2024) Representing afflictions in D&D 5e - which do you think work best/least dislike.

    My favourite would be ability score damage, because it's simple to track in 5e (compared to other editions) and still gives enough variety. Temporary or permanent? While the word "permanent" is very scary for PCs, in practice it would always mean "permanent until cured". Temporary gives more...
  13. Li Shenron

    When you play in person, where do you play? (Poll)

    Most often (and vastly so, like at least 90% of the times) it's been at the DM's place for me, whoever the DM was.
  14. Li Shenron

    D&D General Disparity in PC levels from same party

    I don't have any problems, if we're talking about reasonable differences, not 10 levels. A 3-level spread has been OK in all editions I've played.
  15. Li Shenron

    Planescape Primalshard: other "echo" plane.

    This is an old thread but full of great inspirational ideas, thanks!
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