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Fate Accelerated switched from Attributes that describe the character to "Approaches" that describe the action. So, instead of a variant on D&D: they use Forceful, Clever, Sneaky, Quick, Careful, and Flashy. (Not saying those are the best or perfect choices for D&D). The neat thing about it is...

The plateaus are even more important than the spikes themselves. That's a pretty big increase in the sustained interest. Makes me wonder if there won't be big audience waiting for the first game that really cracks that online/app thing well. Like, if one of my guys could ghost in through an app.

IME, I personally feel the same way, rules-wise. There's just so much...well, anyway.(Rant about the deficiencies of the D&D rules averted) I'd much rather be playing or running almost any other system, especially story or narrative-centric ones. But!..I need other people to play or run a game...

Immediately. I modified ability score rolling to a card method. And I modified death/0 HP mechanics to add interest. Sent from my [device_name] using EN World mobile app

Water, or other inaccessible terrain. Aquatic/amphibious critters can really mess with a party. Riddle the area with underground tunnels full of water. Don't be afraid to drag/grapple PCs into the water. Poor-man's version in a dungeon is little tunnels that only small critters can fit through...

Makes me think it would be neat to see some kind of effective "Horde Monster" rules. i.e. a "monster" that is a group of 6 "minions" with special (multi)actions to go with it. Monster design is one area where I wish 5e had taken more cues from 4e or 13th Age.

If wizards are quadratic...does that make paladins Exponential? Seriously, though. I think part of the answer is to be pickier/more restrictive on what conditions allow a rest to occur. I find its too easy to fall into the trap of hitting the "We rest for an hour" button like its automatic.

Crazy thought. Parenting matters. Doing it wrong costs you one way or another. Sent from my [device_name] using EN World mobile app

double post

I agree that closing with impunity is a problem. I think the real problem is that ranges (proportional to typical table/map sizes...especially when you cut off most of the table with players' books, etc.) and encounter distances are so proportionally small. At least IME, unless the archers have...

I feel the same way, but I'm currently running a 5e game with some old-schoolers....gotta prep. At first it was really cool, but now I keep drifting off during prep fantasizing about how much simpler and richer it would be to do in Fate or DW, or how to rewrite D&D to be totally player-facing so...

I think that seems reasonable. I might argue for some particulars about what "mechanical substrate/framework" mean. In particular, I would like persistent mechanical artifacts, not just abstract declarations about fictional positioning, etc. I feel its a necessary analog to position, HPs...

Possibly. I just think they couldn't get away from the background baggage of D&D's history. I don't disagree about the culture, but I also don't see how the skill challenge is magically all in the players hands. (Then again, I only ever worried about the initial system from the 4e first...

Sure. Me too. However IME, it takes a group and DM committed to it. In the end, the D&D rules are mostly irrelevant to the deep story parts.

Sure, but those are MAGIC!...at least so goes the usual argument. You just can't do it by reminding the fighter about that awkward encounter from summer camp when he was 13, or hitting on his girlfriend.

I think the relative numbers of people who understood and used the 4e skill challenge stuff as well as you do/did, and those that gave up in confusion and frustration would argue otherwise. I mean, I consider myself fairly proficient at this sort of thing and I gave up on it. ....just saying...

I've sadly come to a similar conclusion and felt the same way about 4e. I twitch a little bit whenever somebody calls D&D a story game or quotes that "its about telling a story together with your friends". I just don't think the rest of the D&D chassis supports the idea very well. The "Hitpoints...

Except that there are several(many?) games that successfully do manage to hard-code a method (if not the exact specifics) for resolving such things. In Fate, you can even pick between or combine two methods, depending on your goal; and they are the same methods that you can use for physical...

So... The Mearlsian Initiative (haven't tried it yet) purportedly gains its speed by requiring all players to declare their actions before the round begins.... Could a similar speed gain be achieved by simply enforcing this pre-round declaration? Has anyone tried this? I'm half considering a...

I'm not sure that "free-form roleplaying" is the actual goal of those interested in a story game (or the storytelling aspects of an rpg.) I doubt that those who seek engaging combat/tactical rules would feel satisfied with a "free-form combat" game. Could you please expand upon the difference...