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The argument that "genetics in D&D don't work like genetics in real life" is like saying "physics in D&D don't work like physics in real life," except they do. Presumably, a spark and kindling produce fire, fire and water produce steam, and steam and a teakettle produce a whistling that tells...

I strongly dislike the idea that every action needs to be flowery for it to be considered roleplaying. If your character sees his old rival in town and says, "I attack him," that's roleplaying. While it's not winning any awards for masterful prose, it's telling us about how your character acts...

This is definitely an issue in some games, though I'd wager than allowing the -1 Bob to succeed where +15 Sally fails is a systemic flaw and needs be mediated by GM skill. Nothing is perfect, unfortunately, especially when human error is introduced. When skill checks arise from necessity, I...

I think one of those best practices as GMs is to ignore the dice until they matter, and then get more finegrained. The player characters wander through the game world and do things. They don't make skill checks. They don't ask for skill checks. The d20s stay on the table and nobody touches them...

Trying to make sense of these changes from an in-game perspective is futile. The purpose of the changes is two-fold: it sidesteps potential controversy because of the discontent over fixed racial ability score adjustments, and it allows race-and-class combinations that would otherwise be...

Whoosh.

A Tomb Raider RPG already exists. Some guy named Tom Moldvay wrote it.

I do this frequently. Because of how mediocre the d20 is for these types of rolls, I treat the d20 as a "roll to avoid bad things happening."

Although I wasn't present for this particular discussion, I will freely admit that had I been presented with such a scenario when seized by the follies and firebrands of youthfulness, I surely would have objected. Vigorously. In the same way I would have objected most vehemently to fixed...

@FrogReaver, if the game doesn't list principles but instead relies on the GM to come up with those principles, there aren't really any principles at all. @hawkeyefan (edit: misattributed to @Aldarc, my apologies--has explained this in quite a bit of depth while I was writing out my own post...

The change from race to lineage is one of quibbling over terminology, though there is a distinction from my perspective. 5e's lineage (and Pathfinder 2e's ancestry) indicates something closer to bloodline or heritage, where someone of the elven lineage is descended from elves. He may have had a...

But Mr. Arneson...increased hit points are the characters becoming harder to hit at higher levels. :sneaky::sneaky::sneaky:

I allow it for a number of reasons. The player characters must remain as much independent agents in the game as can be allowed. Most modules or adventure paths are poorly-written and rigid. Allowing the players to author the game produces more interesting and enjoyable outcomes. My particular...

Bingo. I do not run games that are illusionist or participationist in my home games. I let the player characters direct and drive things, and I allow the dice to fall where they may. If a pre-published adventure requires some degree of participationism, I will advise the players that there is an...

Building on some things that @pemerton and @Umbran have posted, I'll briefly speak of Quantum Ogres. The phrase "quantum ogres" is a bit misleading, as that pertains specifically to Dungeon World GMing advice (and to a lesser extent, PbtA games as a whole) on how to handle the results of a miss...

I would agree with this. A talented GM produces a better quality game regardless of how that game is conducted. I loathe railroading, but I know that when I'm playing a convention game or an adventure path, I'm stepping into participationist waters. That means I am voluntarily rescinding my...

When I describe fairness, I am applying it in the sense of a referee. I am there to be impartial in interpreting and applying the rules as well as make ad hoc judgment calls. That means: I don't favor particular characters or players; I don't offer rewards for subjective and nebulous concepts...

Yes, yes, and I don't view it as a negative. My post is descriptive rather than prescriptive. I could not disagree with this more. As the GM, I am not there to make the game fun, as fun is a buzzword (insert copypasta here). I am there to make the game fair. I am not a storyteller; I am a...