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  1. J

    Brave Desert Sands to Save a Storyteller in the Scheherazade RPG

    That's a really cool concept. The ruleset seems super light, which I think I'd find a bit boring over time, but would probably work well for a shorter campaign. I'd want to see it, of course. I'm currently running the classic campaign Desert of Desolation using 5E which has lots of that kind...
  2. J

    Unearthed Arcana New Unearthed Arcana: Psionics!

    I like the Fighter and Rogue versions (though I'd like them to get off the Int bus and consider other stats) but I think the Psionicist might be a much better Warlock build. The Wizard certainly doesn't need yet another build, IMO, and the Warlock's casting really feels quite different. I'm not...
  3. J

    D&D 5E (2014) Epic Monsters: Mongolian Death Worm

    That is a cool critter! Will use soon.
  4. J

    TSR TSR's "Designeritus"

    I was a Greyhawk fan. The late 1E time was a period where I'd not played AD&D for a bit (first playing Rolemaster then not really gaming, it being late high school) but had picked it back up. I was quite happy to see that title come out.
  5. J

    TSR TSR's "Designeritus"

    Interesting. I disliked them quite a bit due to my propensity to lose things from the boxed set, end up with the box crushed, one of the booklets missing, and so on. Hardcovers have much more staying power and are easier to store. I do recall liking the maps, but I generally just look at them...
  6. J

    TSR When TSR Passed On Tolkien

    I'm sure copyrights will be extended to protect big brand corporate rights holders indefinitely by then.
  7. J

    TSR When TSR Passed On Tolkien

    I don't think we're arguing at all. My issue is with the people who state either extreme (no Tolkien or only Tolkien). I think that's a pretty good characterization, although I feel it's closer to The Hobbit than Lord of the Rings. Before Gygax went all Stalinist history on himself in the 1980s...
  8. J

    TSR When TSR Passed On Tolkien

    Really interesting, though he certainly made some predictions that weren't borne out. It's interesting how much WotC is still obsessed with entry level games still. I know I've argued that the Tolkien influence has been overplayed more than once, but that's for the folks who claim "D&D is...
  9. J

    D&D 5E (2014) Good full campaign for kids?

    How about Realms of Pugmire? This picture pretty much says it all!
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  11. J

    TSR Gary’s Immersion in Castle El Raja Key: The Four-Way Footsteps

    Conan certainly wasn't Leeeroy Jenkins! He's a savvy combatant. He moves fast when he has to, but he's clearly very much known for his savvy and keen perception.
  12. J

    TSR Gary’s Immersion in Castle El Raja Key: The Four-Way Footsteps

    Totally agree about Conan and Fafhrd and the Mouser. Those stories move fast. They're very narratively driven and, while there may be dungeon delving, it's not prodding the floor with a 10' pole, at least not much, although they often allude to the fact that someone's doing that or has already...
  13. J

    TSR Gary’s Immersion in Castle El Raja Key: The Four-Way Footsteps

    They were, though many of their missions are pretty inscrutable, given that they are at the behest of Sheelba of the Eyeless Face or Ningauble of the Seven Eyes. For the most part, Fafhrd and the Mouser are primarily in it for themselves, not for the greater good, although they do serve that...
  14. J

    TSR Gary’s Immersion in Castle El Raja Key: The Four-Way Footsteps

    I just listened to all the REH Conan stories as an audiobook while on a set of many very long drives. Those stories are filled with plenty of loot-driven dungeon dives. There's more narrative than in classic dungeon delving, of course, and Conan is usually a lone wolf type character, although...
  15. J

    TSR Gary’s Immersion in Castle El Raja Key: The Four-Way Footsteps

    Yeah, I think that's a real potential problem. Unfortunately when the DM says something many players (quite rightly) suppose that it's relevant. This means that atmospherics can, if one is not careful, become momentum-killing red herrings.
  16. J

    TSR Gary’s Immersion in Castle El Raja Key: The Four-Way Footsteps

    It's a delicate balance. Not enough mechanics can leave the DM without hooks to work with and, furthermore, game mechanical consequences can definitely ratchet up the players' experience if well-implemented and employed. However, too many rules goes the other way. I know some players who seem...
  17. J

    D&D 3.x 3E and the Feel of D&D

    Yes, they certainly did put a premium on that.
  18. J

    D&D 3.x 3E and the Feel of D&D

    Certainly would be in a White Wolf book!
  19. J

    D&D 3.x 3E and the Feel of D&D

    I totally agree. "Shaggy nostalgic charm" nails it. Secret door detection was different than thieves' Find Traps, etc. Bizarre.
  20. J

    D&D 3.x 3E and the Feel of D&D

    Right, this is a problem with pushing everything to being player-facing. Of course in 5E they went the other way in a lot of areas, which was back to the way things were in 1E and 2E, but with even less guidance for what things might cost or how to make items. (1E and 2E had some guidance, just...
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