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I used to be pretty firmly in this camp, but I've moderated my position somewhat. With respect to agency within the game I see the rules as having two important functions, and two important properties. Function 1) The rules manage character and NPC agency within the game. Function 2) The rules...

That's right, the entire MtG paradigm as presented is more-or-less limited to combat only. Therefore, in pondering how MtG could influence D&D we can take inspiration from its combat and the paradigms which that game seems to serve reasonably well. (If you like, call Timmy, Johnny, and Spike...

<Casts Counterspell> Phew, for a second there you had me worried that a game couldn't gain insights from another game without being purified or corrupted (whichever you prefer) by it. Dungeonmagic and Dominionquest, and all that. Personally, I'm mostly a Johnny/Spike mix when the rules permit...

A fair question. RPGs without this level of detail on this point have run just fine for many years, and will continue to do so. Furthermore, even if the mechanics are perfect, for some games it would still be a thematic distraction. In short, if I think it enhances the kind of game I like to...

I should add nuance to my opinion. If elves are better, they should be better in interesting ways (as you say), and in a way where we still have a valid measuring stick. (Since 3rd edition we've simply called this character level or ECL, which is a nice ideal.) Even so, should a focused elf...

I hope some good ideas crop up, this topic gnaws at me a bit. The usual ways I've seen this handled (besides outright ignoring it) are with flavor or metaphysical constraints. Short-lived races as moths to the flame, long-lived ones as having slow maturation or simply an outlook that prevents...

Me too. In 3.5 I made a base class that was a mix of Paladin, Favored Soul, and Pious Templar. It chose 3 domains, and those domains made up its spell list (up to 9th levels spells but a slow progression and limited slots per day), used its deity's favored weapon, and expanded on the True...

Replace it with a way to estimate power due to wealth, and add that on top of a character's or possibly the party's level. The game shouldn't care whether your world is Dark Sun or Monty Haul's Wide World of Magic Shops With Monsters (MHWWMSWM), it should just make sure there are suitable...

Fair enough! In the meantime, I'll just have to stand by my example. Besides...<skims entire Internet>...sometimes copping out is the wiser choice. You never know who might be Crazy. ;)

Momentum systems can perform a similar role. (I'm only vaguely familiar with how Iron Heroes' tokens work). I think gain in such systems is usually based on obtaining good outcomes, but I can think of others. Fighting games where you build up a meter the more you are hit could mesh nicely...

This is not quite as timely a response as it could have been. Real life and all. I think your second paragraph is exactly what I was trying to do, namely tease out some of the underlying processes in a complicated system. I'm not quite sure why my example gave you a different impression...

All this talk about healing surges and hit points (across multiple threads too) has really gotten me thinking. I share some discontentment about hit points since they abstract serious physical wounds and a large number of other possible influences into the same pool. I realize that not...

Reading the thread, I think there are two primary modes in which people think about D&D: First, as the rules considered specifically as a game, as well as the implications of those rules. Second, as a (sub)genre, and how well the feel of that genre can be summoned, matched, or imitated by some...

I dig these threads so much. They are great resources, and there are so many creative systems out there. Here's the one used in my group's homebrew system, with which I'm pretty happy. Homebrew System (Variant Dice Pool): Die type: d6 dice pool with variable number of dice plus a bonus to...

I like a mix of chosen and random treasure, which appears to be the most common choice. I'm curious, though, about the who and the when for random treasure. For example, do you as DM roll it when preparing an adventure? Do the player's roll it at the end of an encounter? I like that the...

OK, I'm a bit off topic, but this isn't true. The cardinality of real numbers in both sets is the same. This is one of the earliest (and most surprising!) results in modern set theory. Namely, the real numbers between 1 and 2 can be put in one-to-one correspondence with those between 1 and...

TL;DR version: The players, DM, and system all contribute to 15MD individually, but usually their interaction is more important. None of these is a silver bullet, but in general robust systems should depend less on who is playing them, and should encourage the play you want to achieve. When...

Good point, I had forgotten about those. (I confess, I haven't played them.) I couldn't say with certainty what PC game I played first, possibly a stock market game bundled with our XT, but I do know the first game I considered "mine," purchased on my behalf: F-15 Strike Eagle II. That one...

I hope so as well. Way back in the day I bought the Ultima Collection, which I think has I-VIII, but not the Underworld games. And I haven't forgotten WC:Academy or Armada. The latter was one of my earliest online (direct modem connection, really) multiplayer experiences, circa 1994. That...

Hey all, Good Old Games worked out a deal for digital distribution with EA, and the first games as part of that deal were just released. Among them are Ultima Underworld 1 and 2, which I imagine more than a few EN Worlder's have played. Also released were Privateer (!) and Dungeon Keeper...