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We usually think of magical AoEs and wall spells as battlefield control. But my philosophy is that, even if it isn’t your class's job, there's no reason to ignore battlefield control I’m talking about turning tables over for makeshift barricades. I’m talking about spiking doors so that...

It's funny... I'm actually working on a mini-dungeon at the moment meant to solve this problem. The reward amounts to a respec. I would think that finding a way to preserve a character while rejiggering powers would be a more popular solution.

The titular barbarian is an archetype of a larger problem: Have you ever brought a really cool character to the game, only to find out that it was a terrible fit for the campaign? What's the solution you opted for? Did you retire 'em and roll up a new guy? Did you adapt somehow? Or did you...

Not familiar. What were the fiddliest of the rules?

As you work your way through GMing a campaign, you add more and more complexity to your encounter design. Venomous critters appear. The orc shaman starts casting spells. Lair actions crop up when you finally meet that baby dragon at the end of the baby dungeon. It’s all cumulative, and it’s all...

Like I said up top, I've got a few months before I actually need to implement this stuff. I'll need every scrap of that time to wrap my head around what took you a morning. Thanks again for taking the time. Me and my maxi-mini appreciate it.

The notes in the actual module tell me to "pick another 9th level spell you think is useful. Funny that they didn't leave that same note in the PFSRD version. Any dang way, thanks for the assist! It'll be at least a few months before this fight hits, but I want to start wrapping my head around...

It's time. After nearly 10 years of IRL play, my group is finally approaching the climax of Monte Cook's "Dragon's Delve." It's the climactic encounter that this guy was (quite literally) made for: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/unique-monsters/cr-24/metterak-the-dragon-prince/ It's going...

Wait... You ritually murder your DM at the end of the campaign? I feel like the Chick Tracts dude is going to want to hear about this. O_O

When a game is getting a little long in the tooth, how do you go about deciding on the next thing? Do you press on to the end even when it's stopped being fun? Do you mix it up by starting over with low-level characters in the same setting? Or do you cut you just let the old high-level campaign...

Every GM has been there. We've improvised a character, given them a colorful description, and even adopted a slightly-different vaguely-British accent for the occasion. The RP is flowing naturally, and everyone seems invested in the fiction. Then a player asks the dreaded question. "What's...

I've got to say, I really do appreciate the design here. Even if the +10 damage is less important, it's still a way to make a "prerequisite feat" feel less like a tax and more like an exciting option. I share that dislike of CBE. Unloading a point blank is OK for an occasional KO maneuver, but...

When I’m building a ranged character, I obviously want my main offensive option to be online 100% of the time. By the same token though, there’s something in me that rebels against the idea of "just withdraw to shooting ranger" rather than "switch to melee." So help an archer how. When you...

I quite like the idea of the "I knew it" moment. Yeah it's obviously suspicious, but you believe that you're capable of overcoming the danger. That bespeaks the sort of swaggering confidence that I like in my heroes.

Sometimes the trap is obvious. You know that it's a bad idea to grab for the treasure, try to free the hostage, or [insert temptation here]. But because you're a noble paladin or a greedy rogue, you just can't help yourself. The pressure plate will trigger; the innocent maiden will be revealed...

Is there a reason that high-CHA characters have to be the ones doing the diplomancing? I mean, can't a low-CHA character have fun at the negotiating table?

By and large, 5e rewards specialization. If you’re a grappling dude, you’re not going to be nearly as good at archery. When you’re an archer, you probably aren’t going to be as effective on the front lines. And when you’re a front line melee combatant, hopping on your newly-summoned mount and...

Found it! https://aonprd.com/MagicArtifactsDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Minderhal%27s%20Forge I do love how all these niggling little rules represent design space. Nice solution for, "Why can't my human wield all the huge-size weapons we loot off of giant enemies."

While most magic items resize, weapons and armor are a notable exception. That rule is a prime candidate for handwaving, and many GMs will go so far to take a wish list from their player in order to sprinkle “the right gear” into treasure piles. But if you like to randomly generate your own...

I mean... It simulates the world. But it does so at the cost of a lot of minutia. In my head, cost of living is useful in hardscrabble, low-fantasy settings. I want Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser drinking away their last dime and then going out to adventure and get more. But by the time you hit...