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"Wizards of the Coast has traded its first round draft pick to Dice Inc for Don Geun, and a dragon to be named later."

Players control their characters. DM's control EVERYTHING else in the game (and even when done fairly and appropriately, that control sometimes intrudes into usurping the players control of their own characters). If the DM wants to "win" - they win. If the DM wants "a character" which is...

Well, if I'm doing it right then all of my house rules are there to help the PC's/ make the game better for the players. Sometimes it's hard to remember that or be able to recognize it. I've abandoned or changed far more rules than I've retained. It's interesting that you say if the game is...

I have issues with 5E. Of the somewhat limited amount I've played it was definitely... not challenging. The DM of one campaign even admitted at one point that he was throwing stuff at us that was WILDLY beyond what our characters were supposed to be able to handle and we weren't even breathing...

The premise is flawed.

I don't think it's entirely silly of me to recommend the computer game Banished as a reasonable depiction of the exercise. At basic difficulty you have about 16 citizens, maybe 10 adults and 6 children, along with a limited cache of supplies - food, clothing, tools, and basic building materials...

IMO the problem with all skill systems for D&D (that I've seen) is that nobody considers anything but a SINGULAR resolution mechanic, regardless of the actual kind of skill or sort of actions being performed with it. The assumption is that if it's a skill at all then it's EXACTLY like every...

Well, you can make all kinds of really amazing new settings, but there's a problem or two. For starters, not everyone has the same taste. Some people WANT the good 'ol reliable pseudo-european-medieval trope for their game. Some people WANT more anime in their fantasy, others DESPISE the...

Well that wasn't how I remembered 2E working so I just went back over it. Re-reading the 2E DMG, saying that it defaults to ad hoc xp awards is... inaccurate. It starts by talking about giving xp for fun, survival, improvement and story, but without presenting any numbers. When it comes to...

And that variation in xp requirements by class effectively pegs the edition as 2nd or earlier. You need to have an appreciation for how the game was intended to be played at that time. It's not just a matter of plugging or unplugging one xp award system for another as if they ARE...

You may misunderstand how that industry works then. Just because it's announced that it's "In the works" doesn't mean it will EVER see broadcast. If it does it may look WILDLY different than when it started out. If it does it may be shlock, it may be an expensive flop, it could be ANYTHING...

I had to add that one as a rule because one player would show up to the game at noon on Saturdays already half in the bag. And he was not an amusing, foolish guy when he drank; one who had us all laughing with his in-game hijinks. He was obnoxious and since he kept drinking after arrival...

I update my character sheet - IF it needs updating. I read the rules - IF there's something I want to brush up on for some reason. Otherwise - not a freakin' thing.

Well, among people you already know it's not necessary. If you're looking at gaming with strangers, yes. Sad as it is, too many people have no concept of manners, etiquette, appropriate behavior, etc. and that's BEFORE you factor in geek social fallacies.

I wrote this a long time ago, putting together a bunch of "rules" over a couple of years while reading about game-destroying disasters on the internet. I don't expect everyone to agree with every point. It's just a place to START to refine your own set of rules. D&D Manifesto...

For the first 4 or 5 years after I started D&D I was strictly a player. Over time I became more and more interested in the increased creativity and control that DMing offers. Most of the last 40 years I've been overwhelmingly the DM. Often that was because there wouldn't BE an ongoing game if...

It's all fun and games until it's YOUR PC taking the dirt nap.

The way to get 1E "feel" is to use 1E rules. Simple as that. No edition has an expiration date, so I'd advise critics they shouldn't be pretending that because it's not on the shelf at Barnes & Noble it's by definition NO GOOD or never was. That's the first thing needing to be said. Second...

"Life is what happens while you're making other plans. You've made other plans now though haven't you? HAVEN'T YOU?"

If you're smart, all the stuff you have no reason to use again you carefully pack away for long-term storage. If you think you might have a desire to use it or look it over again then sure, maybe scan it all - and then pack the hardcopy away for long-term storage (and BACK UP YOUR HD). What...