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The way I looked at hirelings when my hack was still identifiable as 4E was like this: A Level 1 Encounter = 1 Level 1 Treasure Parcel = 5 Level 1 NPCs So each Level 1 NPC = 1/5th of a Level 1 Treasure Parcel (14 GP I believe) Minions = 1/4 that value (35 SP). Since they don't fight every day...

I agree that it's a lot more fun. Personally I enjoy it when the mechanics tie into the description of the action - the imagined events. (Which is why I've been working on solving the issues I raised above for my goal of play.) But that's just me. I don't know if describing failed attacks is...

Well, no, what I'm actually saying at the table is "I shoot the orc in the face!" So, two things: 1. "There is no reason you couldn't have shot the orc in the face and done regular damage. A graze on the cheek and a graze on the shoulder can be a similar damage hit." That sounds suspiciously...

Makes sense. I don't share those goals for play, so I wouldn't call it abusing or fiddling with the mechanics; I'd just say they were playing the game. (By the way, that list of things to do sounds like a perfect place to put an XP system.) Yeah, I agree. I was pointing out that it can be...

Sure. I'll sblock it because it's not really related to this thread. If I'm playing a guy with a bow and I say, "I shoot the orc in the face!" and, on a hit, I roll standard damage, the description of my attack didn't have any affect on resolution - the same thing would have occurred had I...

Have you tried the simultaneous initiative variant? It's a minor change but it might make it seem like every PC action has four outcomes: miss/miss, miss/hit, hit/miss, hit/hit (assuming you're fighting one NPC; more characters increases the complexity). Only one set of rolls results in...

I use some procedures for sandbox play. 1. I generate a hex map. Empty to start off with. I make sure that there's a nice variety of terrain types, and I usually put mountains in the middle (to separate the map). I use 5 miles per hex and a map that's only 10 hexes by 10 hexes. That keeps...

Random wondering... Should we call it "Schrodinger's HP" or "Schrodinger's Attack"? You don't really know what the PC/NPC has done/tried to do until the attack roll has been made, damage has been rolled, and HP have been subtracted (and compared to the HP max). Until then, what's happening in...

I don't see why that 47-point hole in the chest is anything more than a scratch or a bruise. That scratch or bruise can still be there when you're at full HP - it's not like it slowed you down when you were at 3 HP, and it's not causing a problem when you're back at your full, 50 HP total.

In that case, why do we have damage types at all? Or different damage dice?

I don't see how it's complicated. Instead of saying "I attack with my longsword" you say "I attack with my longsword using a half-sword grip" and let the DM make the call.

Is there any reason you can't, say, use a longsword with a half-sword grip and deal piercing damage? Or bash someone with the pommel/cross-guard and deal bludgeoning damage? (Or trip someone with the cross-guard for that matter.) I don't think you can use a mace to deal piercing or...

You might want to have a look at this: http://hillcantons.blogspot.ca/search/label/pointcrawling It talks about running wilderness/ruined cities as a series of semi-connected points of interest. It might help to organize game play.

I house ruled 4E as I played it, and continue to do so. At this point what I'm working with is a totally different game. I think that any discussion of house ruling or modifying a game needs to keep in mind that it's done with a specific purpose in mind. It's easy enough to make house rule X...

The general structure of x successes before 3 failures. The DC is set by the NPC's Will Defense (not necessarily but I can't think of a time when that wasn't the case); the number of successes needed is set by the Reaction Roll. The main benefit is that there's a lot of compromise between PCs...

Oh man! I've found that what I call "social conflicts" that use the skill challenge formula are awesome. So much better than just formless RP or Diplomacy checks. What I do is call for checks when I, as the DM playing the NPC, am not sure how the NPC would react to what the PC just said...

Derren's objections seem consistent to me (not that people can't change their views over 6 years!). I read the quoted objection as saying that he dislikes making skill checks that are unrelated to PC actions. His objection in the OP relates to rules that could be interpreted in many different...

That's a nice take on it, I like it. I agree with you here - I'd like to see the downtime rules interact with the standard game more than they do. Something simple like clearing hexes (fight some number of random monsters), allowing you to build the stronghold, which then attracts settlers...

By "advocate for your PC", I mean picking a goal for your PC and trying to achieve it in the game. I'm not sure how you're using the term here.

Thanks. I agree with your explanation of the paladin's mount ability in this case. I don't think that this means that it must be an either/or situation. For example, the player of the paladin could say, "Hey DM: I have this dream. I dream of a horse being held by a cambion. He's bathing it...