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You really think "shardmind" just trips off the tongue and immediately evokes a vivid image to an average player? A totally newbie is going to hear that word and immediately understand what it means? Seems like a terribly generic and colorless name to me. Maybe I'm limited, but I wouldn't...

Reading the PHB3 thread I was struck yet again by a number of potentially very cool concepts marred by this utterly horrendous naming convention. I can understand that when the edition started out the 4e designers probably wanted to set out in a new direction and thought that maybe these...

Ah, the PHB -- thanks, Crothian!

I swear there was a 3e rule to the effect that if a single XP award was so great as to advance a PC two whole levels, the DM should reduce the award so that only one level is gained. I'll be danged if I can find this in the 3.5e DMG. Was this just a 3.0 rule? Did I hallucinate the whole thing?

I agree it will be a tough line to walk, but I really think there is a sizable audience of people who are looking for a system in this niche: a simpler, more streamlined 3e or a 0e with modern amenities like a single XP table, universal resolution mechanic and/or skill system, and ascending AC...

So do you level faster the older you get, or slower? (One would be very gamist, and the other very simulationist.)

My, this discussion certainly took a fascinating turn. Evidently novelists who write books in existing genres and in existing languages are completely un-creative and lazy. Someone please wake me only when some innovative author finally produces a truly original work in an entirely new...

I think you could also safely drop the colons after the statblock titles with no loss (and maybe even an improvement) to readability.

I wonder about trying to abstract some important spell details in the spell-like ability description, in keeping with the goal of trying to put all of the monster information right there in the description. (The psionic monsters in the SRD use something like this.) I know off the top of my head...

I certainly didn't know, and it's probably just as well. The blog is thoughtful, balanced, and full of good insight and helpful suggestions. In all honesty, I've found many of Al's old posts over here as Grimstaff to be antagonistic and kind of douchey. (Sorry, Al!) I'm pretty sure I've been...

Jeff, Many thanks for the tip -- I think I may have checked out Beyond the the Black Gate early on but then lost track of it in the explosion of OSR blogs. But it really is one of the best of the best, and well worth following.

The ship has sailed. For me, 4e is a very well designed, fun little fantasy game that doesn't feel at all like D&D. I'd be glad to use the engine to play Gamma World or Earthdawn -- both of which feel like very good fits for the system. But for me, D&D is a very broad ruleset that can be run...

Am I really the only one who is dissatisfied with both 4e's AND PF's approach to dragons? Both approaches are actually great illustrations of some of my key problems with each game system. Like Kamikaze Midget, I think 4e went much too far in stripping away all of the non-combat options for...

RE humanoid mechanical differences There's absolutely nothing in the 3e system that would prevent the creation of mechanically distinct versions of the humanoid races. In fact, with all the feat and class choices, it might be even easier in 3e. In 3e, the MM statblocks are supposed to...

EVERYONE knows that the correct plural is orcupodes.

How can Deities and Demigods not be considered as a contender in the four way race for ultimate suckdom? Most of that book is a monumental waste of time. WotC created parallel divine and epic rules that really weren't very compatible, even though they clearly should have interacted. ELH is...

I think the only design goal was to remove or significantly alter monsters that most clearly screamed "DEMON!!!!" to the angry mother crowd. (And no, I don't think the designers were at all consistent in their decisions. How does the succubus get a pass? Anyway, this is the sort of stupidly...

I generally hate new base classes, but I think there are three important archetypes crying out for the full 20 level treatment: Swordmage/gish/mage blade/etc. (Unearthed Arcana's "battle sorcerer" comes the closest.) Leader. Basically a magicless bard. Think 3e marshal that doesn't suck or 4e...

Isn't there a full page painting of Orcus being summoned out of a pit in that book?

Is Orcus even in that book?