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Maybe? You are of course right. Though what I find even more baffeling how everybody opercieves a balanced game as a straightjacket, as if you couldn't move away from the baseline out of fear to unbalance the game. Actually, if you start out with a balanced game and move away from the...

The entire Draconomicon is magical. One of the page-spreads from the PHBII, "Caves of Adventure" or something like that is right now my favorite piece of gaming art..

While you are undoubtedly true that anyone can come up with new elements for games, we buy supplements so that we don't have to. I can take a random picture from the internet and stat up that monster, I can custom-design a knight class and intoduce it into my game and I can envision long...

I'm very happy I'm very happy that they include more useful information and cut out Aberration#226, Undead #228A and Outsider#1123, of which we already have more than we ever need in the first three MMs. I like the classed monsters, even at low classes. While it is easy to add those levels...

Neither. While characters certainly know that Fireball is more powerful magic than burning hands, there are just too many variables out there to predict things like spell levels pecisely from empirical observation. And as my D&D game follows a pre- enlightenment mindset, even scholars only use...

What a godawful idea!!! I hope that idea dies a quick death. I would not buy or gm this game. The D&D skill systems is among the biggest strengths of the system. Reducing it to this simplistic concept reduces the utility of the entire game significantly. Presently, I can use D&D to play a...

As I said before, we have no idea if the MMIV actually made customers unhappy and lost Wotc sales as you claim. You didn't buy it because it was different from 1-3, I bought it because it was different from 2,3. Net sales loss 0. I think that the strategy underlying the MMIV is better for the...

Given that ppl are more likely to complain than to praise, it is probably impossible to compare those numbers. I think that difference is purely one of habit. If you think of the actual work involved, it is easier to add a few HD to a monster than to add lvls. Furthermore, by adding HD the...

So do I. Because it is such a powerful echo chamber? :cool: Seriously, I don't think ENWorld is a poor source of feedback, but many frequent posters seem to be very resistant to change. So it may be the conservative voice in game design.

Of course the ~20 ppl posting in this thread do not provide any measure on the appeal of any MM. ;) Why, if I may ask? Both the beholder and the DN are intelligent beings with incredible long life spans that are able to increase their ability throughout their life. Amongst either of the two...

I hope they don't, because giving in the conservative voice of the gognards makes it really hard to fundamentally improve the presentation of the game.

I think you are right, and the effect got magnified by the internet Echo Chamber. Most people seemed to have formed an opinion before reading the book.

I disagree. A drow ninja at level 4 provides me with a CR5 encounter. It makes it very efficient to up-or downgrade to lvls 2-8 so it is a good starting point for a wide range of levels. Furthermore, it provides an iconic (or typical) member of Lolth's stings like the standard entry for a...

Absolutely. Seriously, I feel that recent WOTC publications were designed with the goal to facilitate GMing as much as possible, and the MMIV showed that they are willing to deviate from the standard format in order to do so. I personally think that making DMing as easy as possible is vital...

I concur. I hope they ignore the screams and continue to focus on products such as MM IV that take strain of GMs. And I would rate MM>MM4 >>FF (that is one of the least used books in my collection)

SJohn's list Let me elucidate with the wisdom of the ancient: http://www.io.com/~sjohn/plots.htm Sebastian

3.5 What you consider 1st edition feel is just a certain mindset when designing adventures and when playing . It involves the willingness of the DM to play fast and loose with the rules of the game and the rules of logic. 3.5 is the best iteration of D&D to play under this mindset.

It should provide you with an idea on how to improve as a GM. After all, your group probably considered the game fun although there was an unfair trap at the end, not because there was a pointless fatality. Furthermore it will also give you an idea what players other than your regular group...

But today, you can't play an asassin in a good-aligned party, most groups will not abide a frenzied berserker or an alienist and some parties are even closed to a paladin. So I am not sure what the difference is.

Well said. It is also totally pointless. Abilities given to NPCs have a different value than abilities given to PCs. Fr example the ability to cast CLW at will is nigh irrelevant for and NPC after level5, but will always be useful for PCs. On the other hand, a class that allows you to cast a 6d6...