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Today Mike Mearls put out a small tweak for Shadowdark, an alternate system for random encounters called "the threat clock". It's very interesting, but the real reason I bring this up is that I think it's hilarious and awesome that Shadowdark is now being modded by Mike Mearls. I would wager...

Guys! I've been crunching some numbers, and based on what I'm seeing, I think the odds are quite good that this will hit its fundraising goal of $10,000. Fingers crossed!

By itself, this issue is a big nothing. Wizards did the right thing in the end, and they did it pretty quickly. Nothing to be mad about really. But this is part of a pattern, and that's putting it mildly. WotC just cannot stop shooting themselves in the foot with anti-fan actions like this...

You should just make this post into a macro so you don't have to type it all in again when the same thing happens in two weeks.

I'm a bit disappointed in the paladin, or at least Kelsey's first draft of it. I've never liked mounted combat in D&D. Too wargamey for my taste. So to me, the new paladin is a big pile of blah -- except for the death save boost, which seems very strong.

Yeah. Titles for each level were a Gary-ism back in the day. I ignored them in the eighties and probably will continue to do so now. They have no real significance and never did. (sorry Gary)

Yeah, the Barbarian didn't rage at all in early D&D. I think it's very likely that Kelsey's version won't either. I voted for the barb because I wanted to see her take on it. Still haven't voted for the caster class because I'm torn.

Those healing potion dice vials are terribly clever. I can't see myself paying sixty bucks for them, but they're very cool.

Reported. I trust the mods will not allow this kind of filth to be posted.

Do you know any medusas who can do this in real life? Asking for a friend.

I did something similar when I ran The Vorpal Sword is in Room 12b.

Yes! That is an apt comparison, and I totally know what all those words mean! Jarmokgra and Tandar, indeed! What a great reference, fellow young and hip person who understands pop culture references, as I do!

Yes, I tend to agree. House rules that are contrary to the basic spirit of the game are probably a bad idea. A possible alternative would be to make the first attempt at casting have advantage, second attempt normal, all subsequent attempts at disadvantage. That keeps the unpredictable element...

In the monster sexton of the Shadowdark book, kobolds are described as "scaly dog-lizards" and "scaled coyote-lizards".

Oooh that is good stuff

Yes. The original Monster Manual art made kobolds look sort of like goblins but with canine faces and scaled skin. "Dog-lizard" is a pretty apt description. Of course, if someone prefers to imagine them differently, no one can stop them.

In Black Hack's magic system, the first attempt at casting a spell always succeeds, then you roll after to see if you retain it. The catch is that subsequent roll-to-retain rolls for the same spell are made at disadvantage. I haven't tested that in Shadowdark but it seems like it could be good...

Those of you who have played a lot of 2024e, how badly does the Topple mastery slow down the game? Forcing a saving throw on every hit seems like a recipe for trouble. I've only played a bit of the new rules and only at low levels, so I haven't seen it be a problem, but I can imagine it starting...

I think I get your joke, although I never thought of Magic: The Gathering as being based on Vancian casting. More like you can only play the cards that are in your hand, which is true of basically every card game ever made. But I take your point. It's funny that people are attacking you for...

And that's another virtue of Shadowdark -- it's not just that it has a lot of good stuff, it's maybe even more the absence of bad stuff. Games that are beholden to TSR-era D&D have those bizarre save tables where wands are different than staffs. Better games use a simpler, more intuitive...