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Mostly, I spend a lot of time on the basic stats (getting better at this though). What helps me the most though is making maps of who the major orginizations are and what they link to, and who some of the major players are in that. Otherwise, it's just reviewing my notes, getting into the...

Well, since I know that death isn't perminant, and also doesn't severely lower the player's capabilities, I see much less reason to worry. Blow his freaking head off. :D

The Guide to Handing your players campaign information with easy make handouts, checklists and chronicling sheets! A guide to making better maps, and examples of how different map setups help play. Include a brief listing of easy to follow techniques to add feel and a set of ready-made textures...

It really depends on your players. Me, I'd be a bit upset if I died, seemingly without recourse. From the descriptions, it sounds like it was coming, but that's not quite enough mitigation for it. See, as the DM (and also evil empire) you have infinite amouts of time, energy and budget to throw...

Ok, let's drag out a few qualities of each that may be attractive to players: Bounty Hunters: Self sufficient, typically better at their work than normal law enforcement (hence the need to call them), tough, and indapendent Assassins: The guy you don't want as an enemy, typically aware and...

Allow me to preface this with the statement that I spend a lot of my time immersed in mechanics. Mechanics are a tool. They allow you to do certain things, and they have some restrictions. Bad mechanics can bring something down. Good mechanics are usually the ones that help the game get the...

Ask yourself if it's better to risk getting him angry about talking with him, asking him not to come back, or putting up with it. You may need to do one of them. Anyway, things that can help. Talking about it helps. Mention a couple of nice things first though. Also, bribery works wonders, as...

So, you're deciding that it should be an exception to the way that the entire rest of the game works for what reason? I mean, will saves can be boosted by magical means, special abilities, amazing wisdom and expierence. So can spellcasting (even that sorcerous innate stuff). Especially since...

So, you're saying that while, after levels of practice, I will be able to cut down 10 or more opponents in a single blow, fire and draw an arrow a second, run across a greased tightrope, talk to dieties directly, command storms, defeat dragons, hide in the shadow of a blade of grass, or bend the...

Well, there are two major ways to encourage romance, mechanically and story. Mechanically: Personally, I wouldn't make a new skill for it, instead using Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Perform and Intimidate where appropriate. The first thing I would avoid is making it a single skill check...

Mind you, that a lot of this came from the hazy 2E days, and the real world may not actually be at all like I remember it. I'm not mad about dragons, as they usually had hordes hidden away somewhere. And, for the most part, my encounters with them led to their abilities seeming somehow more 'in...

My hatred of Drow comes from a 2E game. The Drow had much better equipment than we had. And so after a pitched battle, barely surviving, we get our hard-earned loot. And what happens? POOF! Sunlight destroys it. I WANT MY LOOT! Add in a little spell resistance, and it became one of those...

You know, I never was fond of the Vorpral enchantment. It did tend to end things too quickly on a crit and was fairly useless the rest of the time. The VP/WP system isn't something I've used much of in play, but I do like it theoretically. The real problems come in when some of the other...

On a somewhat random note: It's very hard to make a large scale video game in an open-source manner. Most games are pre-paid for by the publisher, who then needs to make sales on individual units to make back the costs of developing the game. A game can be made by individuals doing it out of a...

I always like to look to the silent hill games. I belive that the designer once said that the first time a zombie dog jumps through a window at you, the fear is shock value. The real fear comes from passing every window after that. The greatest part of fear is in the anticipation. Sure...

Ultimately, I find myself mostly uninterested in the next edition. I've got everything I need for all the games I want to play, and while it's quite possible the next edition's rules will be heads and shoulders above the current one's, I'd need to wait and see. Of course, it's been almost a year...

This I find interesting, since it sounds like you do keep a reward around to incite people to play a little more fast and loose. And does that point come before or after the fighter in full plate tries to sneak past two guards? I get the feeling you're much less risk averse than a lot of the...

Well, I enjoy other aspects too, but the very epic feel that the game's premise involves is a big one. However, I was tickled pink that first time the cowardly guy jumped into combat with the horriffic knights and failed his valor check. I was more impressed the time he stuck by his beliefs and...

Well, Legolas's actions were cool because of what he did. I never once thought that he might fail. It never crossed my mind. The only scene that really got me on the level of uncertianty was Sam vs. the giant spider. First question: "Is it less cool for a rogue to sneak past a series of guards...

So, you're saying that they're not an effective manner of setting up deterrants for doing non-standard combat actions? Are they too complex? Or is it the whole puppy-killing nuclear winter thing?