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I have found that even at the same table people visualize outdoor scenes differently, even if I draw a map. I suspect that much of this occurs because my table has people who grew up all over (Texas, New Jersey, Idaho, Colorado). Our recollections of trudging through the woods as kids are all...

I should have been clearer. What I usually avoid is dungeon crawls. There are lots of encounter locations that consist of half a dozen rooms or chambers. Some are in buildings, some are in twisty canyons or other regions of restricted terrain, and others are indeed underground. Of course, in...

You may very well be right about urban or underdark encounters. But, any woodland that doesn't allow anyone to see further that 60 feet on a regular basis is more of a thicket. In many forests in the Western US (my primary experience) the biggest impediment to seeing far isn't necessarily the...

I am honestly confused by the complaint that Wizards isn't producing short adventures. While I can't comment on Out of the Abyss (because I haven't read it), I can say with confidence that both Tyranny of Dragons and Princes of Apocalypse are easily dissected and the individual pieces used as a...

This was my first thought as well. But, the spell magic missile targets the opponent and it seems like an attack to me. So, shouldn't it also trigger the critter's "escape feature".

Targeting is a bit of a strange trigger. Presumably, once the maniac has made its escape the attacker is free to attack someone else or move and then take an attack. What happens if the attack is a ranged attack? Could an archer plink the maniac after it has skittered off? If yes, note that the...

Dwarf 14 Elf 5 Half-elf 17 Half-orc 9 Human 17 Down with half-anything. Make up your mind

My subconscious attempt to fix the voting did not go unnoticed!

Doh! Thanks.

Bard 20 Cleric 18 Druid 18 Fighter 20 Rogue 21 Paladin 19 Wizard 14 Because . . . I really have no idea why, but I always seem to play fighters.

Further, by increasing the length of the edition cycle, Wizards have have also reduced their development cost. They have stated that their goal was to develop an evergreen edition. I don't know if that is possible, but it certainly has to be attractive from a financial standpoint.

I fully understand that many would like to see more setting material. Fair enough. I don't share the desire, but I can recognize the need. That said, I don't quite understand the other often-stated complaint about Wizard's present focus on Adventure Paths. Many say that they would like shorter...

In my opinion there are three reasons that players don't remember NPC and PC names: 1) Strange names with little cultural traction. (I am glaring directly at Forgotten Realms with most of its names apparently produced by a random syllable generator.) 2) The natural human tendency to forget names...

I was taken by surprise by this rule as well. If I am interpreting it correctly, spells with attack rolls can critical and have their damage dice doubled. For me it came into focus during the confrontation with Klarg the bugbear (Lost Mine of Phandelver). In the first round of combat the...

I used to dread these moments when the players would find a plot hole. Now I relish them. Just smile knowingly that you are fully aware that on the surface there is an inconsistency. The players will start throwing out all sorts of ideas to fill in the hole you left accidentally. Keep mental...

To me the PvP aspect discussed in this thread is less troublesome. Instead, I am more worried about what happens when I use a group of fellow adventurers as violent opposition to the PCs. Doing so successfully shouldn't require a great amount of care and knowledge of the potential class...

Perhaps I have a slightly wider perception of what is meant by math. I would argue that the wizard nova problem when using Vancian magic in a low encounter per day campaign is a problem with math. Not in chance to hit, but in spell power, spells per day and other more subtle ways. But, I am...

Further, what is good balance and math at my table might be very skewed at yours. Different DMs construct adventures with very different structure and emphases. There is no way that the developers can build a mathematical framework that works equally well for all play groups. For example, I tend...

Any system with classes has the potential for baggage. "This rogue class seems like the best fit mechanically, but my character isn't a rogue. He's a well-respected, stand-up citizen who happens to a member of the locksmith's guild." Personally, I prefer a little flavor in the classes (and...

I would treat proficiency with a weapon just like training in a skill, give a +3 bonus. And of course to keep the numbers reasonable, remove the +2 bonus every class gets at 1st level on Weapon Attacks.