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I tolerated this for some time. Never again. Players like that sap the joy from GMing and ruin the game. You either trust me to GM or you don't. If you don't trust me, leave.

Ability scores are for players, not for NPCs. All monsters need is HD and "saves as fighter." ;) Honestly, ability scores are a bit of unnecessary overhead for monsters, even 5e monsters. Give them a proficiency bonus, a few things at which they excel, and a few things at which they're...

1. Stop playing D&D. 1a. Stop trying to incorporate permanent injuries into a game that uses hit points. 1b. If you insist on playing D&D (or another tradgame), set player expectations about combat, death, and injuries upfront. 1c. Understand probabilities: permanent injuries are virtually...

Based. Critical Role is a nice introduction to one style of GMing and a decent introduction to D&D; however, the show itself is imperfect (and frankly, I cannot understand fans who spend hours listening to a D&D podcast rather than playing D&D, or even those with the patience to listen to D&D's...

I believe the meaning of roleplaying has never changed--it's there in the word--but the conception of what constitutes roleplaying has shifted. Earlier games of D&D weren't heavy on roleplaying (EDIT: as the modern conceit thereof, with in-character dialogue, playacting, and the like); Mike...

Power Rangers don't use their blasters, they don't form Megazord until the situation is dire, and they don't die. It's the rules of the show. When's the last time you saw a G.I. Joe be tortured and thrown into a POW camp by Cobra agents? It's a kid's cartoon, and they're pushing these games for...

Let's pray there's a failure to launch.

First of all, you can't get rid of the Big Six. I don't care how sensible it is to fold Strength and Constitution together, or how you remove Charisma from the game. It doesn't matter what you want because we're talking D&D here, not your fantasy heartbreaker. If you dump the Big Six, you've...

This is one of those things that's either going to succeed beautifully or fail miserably with little margin for error.

The old saving throw categories were bizarre and a product of organic design, but like 18/00 Strength, they have their charm. In a way, I miss the naming conventions because they're evocative in comparison to "Strength save" or "Dexterity save."

To answer the question: no, stop trying to turn D&D into not-D&D. But I'm sure your house system is fun, and GAYCOP is funny in English.

You're not arguing against my premise: exception-based design does not demand complexity. You're saying that it requires complexity...because otherwise the GM might not be consistent. Those are two separate discussions.

I think equating racial ability score bonuses to eugenics is a bit hyperbolic.

The GM makes a judgment call; whatever sounds reasonable to the table. If you demand more complexity from the rules, you'll get more rules complexity. In DCC, the fighter's Mighty Deeds of Arms covers a very broad range of potential combat maneuvers, yet it relies considerably on GM adjudication...

Nyet, my friend. Exception-based design doesn't need exceptional complexity. D&D takes pains to make its exception-based design complicated, but spells could be drastically simplified from where they're at. Cut out the extraneous text. Sleep: Cast this spell and a small group of creatures near...

Skill deficiencies are represented by low ability scores and not being trained; adding in additional penalties is superfluous and punitive. In my own games, there are a number of skill checks that I only allow for trained characters. If you are untrained in Arcana, you cannot identify spells or...

No. Stop. If you slaughter all the sacred cows, you'll have an empty farm.

To some extent, the "rule of cool" eases the functioning of the game with versatility and entertainment, but an overabundance of it transforms the game into Scooby-Do shenanigans hour.

yeschad.meme I dislike kitchen sink settings because they're disjointed, like a meandering stroll through an amusement park of gonzo. Step right up and see yer elven cowboys! Experience the thrill of halfling dinosaur riders! Dare you to gaze upon the cybernetic dwarf stronghold? This is...

A d20 is just a d100/5.