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This is a tough one. If I was going to change the ability scores, I'd just go with a different ruleset entirely. If I was doing it for D&D, then I'd go something like Body/Mind/Soul, range -5 to +5. I don't have a problem with negative scores representing something below average.

I don't want to be "that philosophical guy", but what's a good roleplayer? Is it someone who's good at creating optimal character builds and handling their character efficiently in group-based tactical combat? Is it someone who dreams up imaginative characters with an interesting backstory...

Oh, if I'd known the guy in the other thread was the only experienced players with a bunch of newbies, I'd have been even harder on him. :) I'd put aside the DM screen and talk to him over a beer or something. Talk to him about what he wants out of the game. If he's in it for the Step on Up...

Here's what I'd do: I'd tell the player, 'Hey, you got me, Improved Trip works really well. So well that it's probably going to end up looking obvious that I'm contriving enemies that are immune to it. Then you'll get irritated, and we'll get in an arms race, and so on. "So I'm just going to...

I like it. Just don't call it D&D; make it into an entirely new roleplaying game that used MTG cards. (At least half of the complaints in this thread would become irrelevant if you made that change, I think.) Most roleplaying campaigns I run use a dice pool system, and I've switched over to...

Are you trolling your own thread, Driddle? It's funny, but it's pushing it off topic. :)

Funksaw! My man! What a coincidence -- while I run a homebrew that's basically Unknown Armies meets American Gods, I also used a certain issue of Planetary as inspiration. I love what you did with the Snowflake -- I think it's a perfect fit. :)

I feel bad for the player. He has a strong concept in mind that sounds pretty interesting (a samurai pulling from some ancient heritage of dragons) but it just doesn't fit into D&D. I think a lot of you are forgetting just how much you know about the crunchy bits of D&D and how much of a...

I'm absolutely fascinated by this thread, not because of the subject matter per se, but because so many people hold such strong feelings on how they play, and why it's right. I mean, I'd have never thought of starting at 1st level, and never have in a single game I've played or GMed. But that's...

God, I'm glad someone else other than me saw that right away . The guy cheated. This is not an in-game issue, it's an out-of-game issue. The problem's with the player, not the character.

Just another thought -- there's not necessarily anything wrong with metagaming. A lot of people don't like it being done, sure, but if you and your players all trust each other, it won't necessarily break the game. It's more a matter of taste than a "Must avoid at all costs" kind of thing.

I'll go out on a limb here and say for the games I run, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Sure, they'd want to figure out why they're physically and mentally unusual, but I'm confident I'd still see some varied and interesting characters.

As a DM, I totally support your actions. GMPCs like that are heinous.

I think you really just need to ask them, if it's that important. My anecdotal experience is that I've only been in one gaming group where there was more than one person who felt comfortable GMing. (Which is fine with me -- personally, I don't enjoy playing that much.) I don't think the majority...

barsoomcore, that's what I do as well. However, I'm not sure that "No, because I ignore most of the rules" is the same thing as a plain "no" ;) I feel for a new GM who's trying to start with 3.x -- those of us who've been in the hobby a while understand things well enough to know what to keep...

Rei, hopefully this will help out with the "too many games" situation, although that wasn't how I intended it. I absolutely hate to do this, but it looks like I'm going to have to cancel my run of "Comfort Zone". I just found out I'm going to have to be out of town on family business, and I...

Honestly, I think balance across play groups is a myth, and I can't see why people put so much effort into it. I suppose tournament play is a legacy of old school D&D and therefore prized, but it seems like the tail wagging the dog. When you look at a system as complex and as easy to expand on...

Doh! Yes, I didn't realize that I had somehow gotten two different accounts over here. Yes, I'll be updating people on the status of the game as of this weekend. I'd love to go ahead and fill up most of the slots (leaving a few for walkons) so that I can begin player prep in earnest. If you...

I think you should use the process that works best for you. Personally, I find that when I prepare extensively in terms of what the PCs will do then I'm overworked, and I have to avoid the tendency to railroad a wee bit to make sure my work isn't wasted. Not railroading in the "No, you have to...

I have to agree -- there's no real default setting for D20M (even Urban Arcana is more of a set of suggestions) and so while I'd use Wizards' advice on things like weaponry, I'm not going to get any mileage out of their rules for specific monsters.