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I don't like Vancian spellcasting at all. If the game were tailored specifically to my preferences, it would be gone. But I think a Vancian-esque magic (preferably akin to 4Es hybrid) is probably a good thing for the [ core / initial / starting / basic / etc ] system in general. I'd absolutely...

From the tone of your post, I get the sense this was an OOC fight somewhat proxied as an IC fight. If that is the case, you need to address the situation with the player directly and not passive-aggressively through your characters. Now if I'm totally off-base, and this really was an IC fight...

Our annual Halloween Cthulhu game ran a bit long. Ended with a TPK of all four investigators. And anyone who tells you I was the one that inadvertently completed the ritual that summoned a Great Old One is a damn dirty liar.

Man, I'm actually surprised by the amount of "Other". Someone mentioned the older Hero Quest, so if that counts, that was probably my first too. D&D was next in high school, followed quickly by a crazy Paranoia Zap-style game. Though, in high school, all of my games were ... well ... unorthodox.

I agree that the character's role in the group should be a choice independent of class selection. To use 4E terms, I think there is plenty of design room to allow for effective Rogue Defenders, a Rogue Leaders, or Rogue Controllers. But the requirement for me is twofold a) player choice b) the...

Uh oh, Janx. Now you've brought up another point, and if this veers to far from the OP, I can start a more general "what CAN golems do" thread. Dead. How does a golem, or any other 0 Int creature, define "dead"? Especially without situational memory. Does it have "infinite" Sense Motive to...

See, and I find it has value for this very reason. The news feed gives me a little taste from a lot of publishers I have no interest in following closely (i.e. signing up for their feed). But once in a while, something comes across the front page that piques my interest, and off I go to a site...

I'll bet Belkar could make some mean chitlins.

Ars Magica and Talislanta 4E are probably my favorites for non-d20 games; Elements of Magic and/or True Sorcery (depending on the magic level for the setting) are my favorites in the d20 arena as they have a similar feel. I'm very much a fan of the "roll your own" spell systems.

When we started our 3.5 campaign 3 years ago, I was very meticulous about handing out individual XP and keeping an updated log for everyone. But I noticed that the group was falling behind the levels expected for the AP we are playing. I ended up awarding more XP than I might otherwise have for...

Levels 1 - 17 I've been DMing WotBS coming up on 3 years this April. We're just starting the 9th adventure, and if they survive, four of the original six players will have taken their characters from 1 to 17. I'm calling the campaign after this adventure, so that'll mark the highest level a...

I wasn't sure if you meant physical products, or just a description of how to apply effects to a hex grid. If the latter: Hex Grid :: d20srd.org

It's almost depressing writing out this list: Alpha Omega Eclipse Phase SW Saga Edition WHFRP2 D&D4E Ars Magica 4th

Another one for Mutant & Masterminds. Diaspora/SotC has also been on my radar for awhile. And to round out FATE games I won't play, I guess you can add the Dresden Files RPG. I know I won't buy it since I won't be able to play it. The buzz around Savage Worlds has always intrigued me but I've...

Nothing with D&D, but apparently every player in any group I've played in (past and present) must have shared the same bad DM. All of them universally, and decicively shoot me down anytime I suggest playing a a "supers" game. All relate eerily similar horror stories of woe, brokeness, and out of...

Thanks for reposting, Matti. I loved your stuff, but had lost the links to your site after an upgrade had wiped out my bookmarks (no lectures on backing up, please). Awesome to see you're still composing!

VirtuaWin - Allows me to set up multiple virtual desktops available at a keystroke so my main screen isn't cluttered (a free Win XP version of the Spaces program someone mentioned above) GridMove - Replicates the Win 7 snap feature for XP. Helps quickly manage multiple apps on one screen. The...

Brilliant! ... though I think I woulda complained about the Jester's gear too. It's not a Planescape campaign, after all.

I always try to keep an in character journal when I'm a player for a campaign. While I write them in "story-hour" fashion, I do make it a point to write out tactics (successful and unsuccessful), questions, and the like. My group typically gets involved in multi-year campaigns, and I know I'd...

It's definitely a nice piece of equipment. And I really wanted to love it. I've been waiting for a quality, affordable tablet since 1987. I thought the day had finally come when I could pick up the iPad, a bag of dice, and a 2-liter of Dew and have everything I needed to run a game. No laptop...