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Let's be clear, the "B" in BECMI was massively successful... at driving people to the AD&D hardbacks. The "ECMI" section of the line was never even close to AD&D in terms of popularity, despite the fact that most AD&D players in the 80s started with some iteration of the Basic game. Let's also...

Unlike the BD&D/AD&D relationship, the rules in the Essentials Red Box are 100% compatible with the rules in the Essentials Compendium. Plus, you've got tokens, power cards and dice that will still be useful in an expanded game. The DM advice/rule book should also be useful in an expanded game...

They also sold AD&D hardbacks at the same time, and history shows that the vast majority of AD&D players started out with some form of the Basic Box. I understand you're trying to draw some kind of distinction between 80's era TSR and 4e-era WotC, but I'm not seeing it. Both companies saw/see...

Well, the fact that TSR decided to essentially sell two "Advanced" versions of the game (i.e. AD&D and a fully-expanded, 1st - 30th level "Basic Plus" game) doesn't change the fact that the purpose of the Red Box was to get players hooked so that they would buy more product. Ask anyone who...

I don't think the box is intended to bring lapsed 40-something gamers back to the fold. It is intended to induce lapsed 40-something gamers to buy it for their kids. The kids won't care whether the rules are the same as they were 30 years ago and the purpose is to get those kids to "graduate" to...

Why would they NEED to be updated in print? The PHB 1 fighter works just fine right alongside the Essentials fighter. I think it's very unlikely that Essentials or any other product will go so far as to invalidate previously published material.

I can't speak for Jhaelen, but I'm still confused about the distinction you are trying to make. The Essentials books seem to serve the same purpose as any other 4e book; expanding options and adding new material to the core game. :erm:

I have gone back to XP for GP recovered (i.e. not just discovered but actually taken back to a place of safety) because I like the way it shapes the players motivations. I award XP for monetary and other non-magical treasure recovered, but not magic items.

Gygax Games has withdrawn all licenses from the original publisher, shut down its web presence and doesn't appear (to outside observers) to be interested in continuing the project in any way.

Playing 4e isn't something that should alter a player's needs for enjoying a game or finding an adventure fun. If your adventure would appeal to a brand new player or someone who has the same amount of RPG experience with your system of choice, then I see no reason it wouldn't also appeal to the...

I use Wandering Monsters in my 4e games, but I also 1) give XP for treasure rather than for killing monsters; and 2) run a sandbox megadungeon-style campaign. Wandering Monsters are still very useful if you're running the kind of game that they were designed to complement.

I would say it makes a lot of sense to sell 3.5 players on Pathfinder. If you can tell your customer "This game will be easy to learn because it's very similar to this other game you already know." that's an incentive for the customer to make a purchase that other options might not offer.

Erol Otus, hands down (don't ever retire dude, we love you!).

It's my real name.

I always thought the Mentzer "Red Box" version of BD&D was pretty lame. The earlier (1981) Moldvay "purple box" version had better artwork, was better organized and did a much better job of preparing the fledgling DM to create his own campaigns rather than training him to simply buy whatever...

Even with all of the problems of fitting traditional AD&D magic-using classes into it, Lankhmar/Nehwon is by-far my favorite campaign setting published for D&D.

I'm a huge fan of 4e, but I think the observation that 3.5 supports worldbuilding better is true. I wouldn't go so far as to say that worldbuilding is difficult with 4e, but 3e definitely gives the DM a few useful tools that aren't present in the 4e system like breakdowns of classed NPCs by...

Start the campaign with the PCs at the entrance to the dungeon with a half-finished (and possibly inaccurate) map in their hands. What they do from there should be totally up to them.

Games that I've never DM'ed/played that I'd like to: Cthulhu Dark Ages, Traveller, Runequest, Dogs in the Vineyard. Games that I've DM'ed but never gotten to be a PC: Call of Cthulhu, WFRP (1e/2e), Alternity.

I use Elmer's wood glue (the yellow, creamy kind). It's more viscous than the white glue, so there isn't as much spillover and it dries hard within ~10 minutes on the material I use. I use Ultracal instead of Hydrostone, which I have heard affects the glue drying time. I think the Ultracal forms...