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I'm not sure whose condescension you are referring to? I was speaking for myself in my own experience that large numbers of classes can be overwhelming and a hindrance. I frequently play D&D with first-time players. Having more than a half dozen classes makes creating your own character...

I don't know that I'm a proponent, but I can see the appeal. There's a reason why most video game RPGs only have a few classes, and the huge selections of AD&D class kits in Baldur's Gate can feel overwhelming, even for an experienced D&D-er. When players don't come in with a clearly defined...

Encounter 1: Exploring a ruined chapel The first main encounter was designed as an Exploration encounter. I like Exploration as an introduction to D&D — it spotlights the idea of seeing your character in a space and imagining real, concrete actions that that character can take. It engages the...

We restarted our monthly "beginner-friendly" D&D campaign at my local comic book store today. We had 8 players show up on time ready to play! 3 or 4 had played D&D before, the rest were new. I thought I would share a few of my experiences and observations. Part 0: The setup I took a couple of...

Bigotry and discrimination under the guise of polite discourse is still bigotry and discrimination. Claiming to "have nothing wrong" with an individual, while simultaneously dismissing them based entirely on their gender is disgusting. I don't dismiss anybody for being a white man. I dismiss...

Maybe this is heresy, but I wish a book like the DMG came in a format that was more readable than the 8.5x11 RPG book size. It's not the sort of thing that I just want to sit down and read, and the chapters are chunked in a way that I always find myself reading the first half of something better...

My comic store guy talked me into buying a set of these last night. (And by talked me into, I mean, "Hey, we got these things in. Want one?") I'm going to see if they're any help for a game tomorrow.

I'm not sure where you are going with this? What is the point of minimizing her position as much as possible? We go from, "cool, congrats, Wizards added somebody new to the D&D design team and she seems like a good addition to the team!" to "Wait, I'm not sure that she is qualified, let's go...

Who is "you"? Are we role-playing an interview? DM: Kate Welch steps into the room and sits down. "Thanks for agreeing to interview me for this position, internet forum. Wizards has already offered me the job, but it's important for me to get your approval before I actually move into my...

Nah, seriously, don't judge for yourself. You weren't at the interview. You don't have her resume. You didn't talk to her references. It is absolutely under no circumstances your purview to judge or question the qualifications of a hire from an armchair. You are welcome to disagree with any...

If I were going to play a game where 90% of worldbuilding was handled collaboratively with the players, I would rather do that in the context of a specific game, preferably with mechanics and guidance on how to handle that collaboration, particularly with regards to conflict between players on...

Yes, I read Nagol's situation upthread. It's a little different from what I'm talking about, primarily because it involves more work on the part of the DM! In Nagol's case, they are describing a situation where a piece of the DM's fiction is acting autonomously (from the players) and, in certain...

It's a pretty broad question that hits on a lot of different areas of design and prep, which is why I quibble about the definition. When I design adventure areas, my goals are: * Provide consistency, both story-wise (who are those altars to?) and geography-wise (how did we go down to flights of...

I'm not sure that I agree with this definition of "world building." World building is about the broader canvas. It's the backdrop behind your in-game action. The items in world building aren't necessarily expected to be interacted with, at least not directly, but they bridge and surround the...

Aside from common sense ruling on sound (I mean, have you ever heard a spider?), the advantages I cited are all pretty direct applications of game terms and statistics. The rules on hiding in the PHB stipulate that, in order to hide, a character needs to be totally obscured. A Tiny creature is...

I think boiling a comparison of a sneaking spider vs a sneaking (humanoid) rogue to the Stealth modifier is overly simplistic. First of all, as a Tiny creature, that spider is going to be able to achieve the "total concealment" required to hide much more effectively than even a Small rogue. The...

Harlem Unbound looks incredible. When reading Masks Nyarlathotep, my first thought, after the opening Harlem episode, was, "this needs some updating and I need to learn more about the Harlem Renaissance." (Enter one more book on my stack of unread nonfiction books.) Thrilled to see that Chris...

I think it should be written by a team that includes people who are of asian lineage (and preferably multiple people from multiple parts of the continent, because, you know, it's a big one) and knowledgeable about the folklore and fantasy of their own heritage. Then they can call it whatever...

Default assumptions in the PHB have always worked for us. 3 failed death saves and you're done, but there are some options for bringing characters back, so long as you have the financial resources and access to high level spell casters. In our 5e games, nobody has followed through on the option...

Yep. My first introduction to a D&D campaign was buying a D&D boxset at a yard sale that included the DM's detailed notes for their campaign of Keep on the Borderlands. It really opened my mind to the full possibilities of D&D. The actual adventure itself wasn't included, so I look forward to a...