Search results

And that is the strength and weakness* of a purely abstract game mechanic, unadulterated by any reference to a fundamental realism. Hit Points, Armor Class, and even the Attack roll, are all so broadly abstract that they are everything and nothing at the same time. Any given successful attack...

Madman's understanding is an erroneous but useful approach. As a rule of thumb, if something bad were to happen (above and beyond the failure) as a result of rolling a "1" you can't take 20. That's a useful way to teach the concept. That's just a guideline, though. Take 20 isn't a...

Ottawa gamer here. I live downtown, snugly between the river and the canal. I've been playing since 1980 and DMing off and on from day one (I was the first of my friends to buy the rules). Sort of wierd that *two* of my editors have posted here. Cheers.

Oh and if you are looking for some good beers from countries that aren't known for their breweries, Tsing Tao is a nice chinese beer and Kingfisher from India is very refreshing. Actually, Kingfisher is one of my favorite pale ales.

I'm no Drizzt fan, but a 20th level fighter would probably still win if orcs tried that. Starting the grapple provokes an AoO, the resulting great cleave should clear the decks for the next round. If they hang back, he spring attacks in (more great cleaves) and out again. On the chance that...

Moosehead!?! Its alright, I guess. I've been drinking Sleeman's Cream Ale, lately. Although I have a fondness for Maudit and Trois Pistoles when I want something stronger. I haven't had a chance to try all of their beers, but I really do like Unibroue...

I agree completely that the CR system for NPCs is wonky to begin with. I think that a lowering of the CR is more justified than a free (and freeform) distribution of skill points, as long as there is an appropriate footnote to the statblock. So if the DM decides that the real challenge is a...

I think that twigging and tweaking is fine in a home-made adventure. Odds are that the ad-hoc changes you are making are ones that enhance your game, or at the very least let you gloss over some of the weak aspects of your game. In any case, you will only be making changes that fit your groups...

To expand a little bit: DC is difficulty class. This applies to most of the d20 rolls in D&D. In each of these cases the player rolls a d20 adds appropriate bonuses and tries to equal or exceed a target number. The DC is that target number. So when a trap requires a Reflex Save (DC15), the...

I am not an expert, but I do know that when I am scanning the dozens (or scores) of books on the store shelves, I'm looking for d20 material I can use in my game. The d20 logo lets me know that a product can be used in my D&D game. If it doesn't have that logo (and there is no OGL logo, and...

We did a fairly lengthy side trip into an Arabian Adventures setting a while ago (in 2e) and probably won't ever go back. It was fun once but that's not our bag. If the book got great reviews or was written by an author I enjoy, I might still pick it up as reading material. But probably not...

I don't buy this line of argument, and it seems to keep cropping up. Obviously no one should vote #10, but saying, "if you want to fight with two weapons and have a decent AC use a shield". Is sort of beside the point. Obviously if you want to use a shield you would be using a shield in the...

BTW, I think it was Monte Cook who pointed out that WotC market research showed that the average game product that is purched is never actually used in a game. All of those issues related to years of re-use are only important to a very small number of consumers. Is the book entertaining and...

Anytime you are writing for an extremely well-informed or dedicated audience, the assumptions change. You start having to play to subcultural norms rather than general norms. For those who are dedicated enough to have a subscription to Dungeon and Dragon and who checks this site daily for...

As has been noted above, the ability for the phase arrow to ignore armor is pretty sweet in a lot of cases. Add to this that you can use it to shoot someone who is trying to break down the door of the room you are hiding in and it gets better. Then add the synergy between phase and seeker...

Low intelligence fighters and rangers (and even rogues) are common enough to make this a useful feat in my opinion. For a lightly armored ranger *with* a high intelligence, an extra +2 to expertise might be worth a feat. Especially if you are having trouble getting through an opponent's DR...

I think that a moderate approach would be to insist that it is the player's responsibility to define what action they are taking before it has a direct game-effect. You don't roll the d20 then declare that you are attacking. Likewise, if there are no possible Attacks of Opportunity, the player...

The publication I write reviews for is a print quarterly, devoted mainly to fantasy literature, but with a nice sized section for game reviews. I get a small stack of review copies in the mail every 3 months or so, as do the other 3 or 4 regular reviewers, but we are asked to only write 2 or 3...

I'm not a publisher, but Hellhound has sidestepped this issue nicely by not laying down a dime at least until the point a near-finished manuscript was in his hands. :-) Variations on this theme are probably the cleanest. Otherwise, as with any project management, set benchmarks and dole out...