Search results

Which, in turn, means that in AD&D and beyond, there is a much lesser reliance on magic... expect to hit magical creatures... and in 3.X, not even that.

Well... both and neither. I like a points of light setting with the cited "Greco-Roman" outlook. That is, my campaigns are about worlds full of wild and unknown lands with small patches of civilisation, but they are not really "huddled around a campfire and afraid" millieus. There is an idea of...

Yeah. :\ And I am surprised that the lack of NPC names in B2 is such a big breaking point for anyone. :confused:

I don't know anything about the thought processes of Gary Gygax, Bob Bledsaw et al, but an awful lot of people seem to believe they were stupid. Now come on. These guys were educated adults (Bob used to be an engineer; I think EGG studied some anthropology), and competent businessmen in their...

der kluge: which adventure was that? :D

Yup, you phrased it much better than I did. :D I ran a 5th level party against an army of 80 gnolls fortified in a dungeon, and the creatures were forced into abandoning their lair in only two forays with two PC casualties (both killed by lucky javelineers). They didn't even have fireballs or...

That's pretty much me as well.

This is just a major philosophical difference between negotiation-based and codified resolution systems. Negotiation is wide open, but requires trust and communication. Codified systems are fair, but they can be misinterpreted or used too narrowly (I am sure I could create a strawman example of...

You assume that there is an "invisible paint guy" in all of us, waiting to break free if the watching eye of Civilisation is turned for a moment. I don't know how you can game with such a level of distrust towards fellow human beings. :\ I certainly wouldn't. :confused: The other assumption...

In absolute power, 3e PCs surpass their C&C companions by far. In relative power (vs. monsters in the monster book), this is not the case... a party of four 5th level C&C characters can take on a horde of humanoids and expect to win; this is not so in 3.0 based on my experience. By 9th-10th...

Ready Ref Sheets is a must, both for organised core material and good edditions. Greyhawk is pretty good, although I wouldn't use 6th+ level spells or Paladins... only the Thief and the monsters/treasure. Blackmoor is mostly about the frog monsters and a good high-level adventure. Eldritch...

ranged attacks, spells, avoidance run like hell, throw back a fireball or two* does happen; thankfully, OD&D/1st edition characters are easy to make, especially if we go into "cousins" and "long lost brothers who show up right in time for the funeral" But isn't everyone? :\ *Seriously...

Nah -- it is trying to minimalise going into situations forcing a save or die roll where tactics and strategy come in. Save or die is actually lenient... giving a possibility of escape from certain death!

Less spiky monsters, more amphibian and batrachian weirdness.

That's what experience levels are for. 1st level PCs are fragile and disposable - beginners. They get tougher by level 3 (where I usually start my campaigns), and even better around 5th to 6th level. This is a workable scale, and there is no need to beef up 1st level characters... just provide...

At this point, I would only give verbal support to a Paizo release - and am only interested in paying for material from EGG/RJK's original, pre-folio Greyhawk campaign. The ship, it had sailed long ago... :\

It is engineered to be tasty. :]

Yes, but it is a balrog ghost, and not a combat encounter: it just asks for the characters' coats and hats, and if attacked, it leaves indignantly through the wall. Full writeup: A1 50' X 70' X 40' H Butler Bertalan, Balrog Ghost, politely asks to take wraps - indignantly leaves through wall if...

Also, another, although non-TSR example for a totally cavalier attitude with balance and power levels: Judges Guild's Tegel Manor, a sprawling haunted house, has random encounters where you can meet all 100 members of the manor's former inhabitants, the Rumps. Almost all of the Rumps are undead...

That's a good observation, and I have just written an accompanying post in the "perception of OD&D/AD&D as random deathtraps" thread. As I see it, there were attempts to balance, but balance was achieved somewhat differently (balance by niche protection vs. balance by equal efficiency, balanced...