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Responding out of order for better flow. Because the random setbacks help generate a different experience each time you play and this helps to keep the game interesting. I think you are conflating bounded accuracy with encounter guidelines that do not take magic items into account. Bounded...

The number of new and variant monsters you can use in a game is limited only by your imagination. In addition, you can use the same monsters multiple times in different fights. I think a game in which you encounter each monster once and once only is even less realistic than one in which you...

I recently developed an "Elite" character template that gives a 5e character more hit dice and hit points, a small pool of "encounter" powers and more ability score increases/feats. The target power level is about two standard 5e characters of the same level. I posted it in the House Rules...

Apart from the usual caveat of "it depends on the game", this is a false dichotomy. The monsters encountered by the party can be selected both to present a good challenge and based on where they should exist logically (within the context of the game world). That said, the DM can always come up...

All this means is that in 5e, once you hand out your first magic item to the PCs, the suggested encounter guidelines become that little bit less useful. The more magic items you hand out, the less and less useful they become. It is the reverse of the problem you would encounter if you decide not...

This is an attempt to create an "elite" template that could be applied to 5e characters to make them more like 4e characters. Specifically, it adds more hit points and hit dice for increased durability in fights and over the adventuring day, and more complexity, flexibility and power through...

I think the distribution of monsters and treasure is definitely going to vary from campaign to campaign. That said, it is not entirely clear to me that high-level (levels 17-20) PCs have to fight legendary dragons. There are are other types of high-level monsters, such as demons and devils, and...

I think the simple explanation is that magical items of varying rarity could be found over the course of a tier. In the 5-10 tier, for example, the PCs could find common, uncommon and rare consumable items. Hence, if you line up all the expected magic items by rarity and distribute them...

Frankly, the simplest way to avoid options is to just play with the Basic rules, and eliminate the overpowered Cleric and Wizard classes. Ability score increases and other class features are also overpowered, and should go. The real problem, however, is that the CR system is out of whack. A...

No, it's not a hard and fast rule, but it's a philosophy which influences, among other things, module design. Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Step one is to ensure the dragon you're fighting has a CR less than or equal to your party level.

Yes, I think at least some of the observations were the result of taking on a CR 13 dragon with a level 7 party. I have no doubt that some will see the the fact that: (a) a party can be given the option to take on a challenge that will, in all likelihood, result in a TPK; and (b) actually win...

Something I just thought of, for those of you who like a bit more randomness. Given that Magic Item Tables A to I are more or less grouped by rarity, here is an alternate approach to generate magic items for each PC: One roll on Table A for every level from 1 to 5. One roll on Table B for...

Over the weekend, I entered the magic item tables and the treasure hoard generation tables in the DMG into a spreadsheet to determine what is the expected distribution of magic items that would be generated by what the DMG refers to as a "typical" campaign in the last paragraph of page 133, i.e...

I just spent the morning keying the magic item tables and the treasure hoard magic item distribution into a spreadsheet. Based on my observation, Magic Item Tables A to E tend to be consumables (potions, scrolls, ammunition) while Magic Item Tables F to I tend to be permanent items. To...

My group is also playing through Hoard of the Dragon Queen, and the PC wizard in the party seems to be pulling his weight. What I recall him doing is: 1. Making use of his (hawk) familiar to scout and keep track of targets in overland chases. 2. Making use of suggestion to turn enemies against...

I have decided that it is going to be pointless to use the Tarrasque to threaten the PCs. Instead, if I ever decide to use the Tarrasque, the PCs' job will not be to destroy it before it kills them, but to destroy it before it levels a town or city and eats the inhabitants. Death is not the...

It seems like there is a potential market for a series of adventures for combat-focused groups: "Kill Them and Take Their Stuff". The first module could be a remake of the classic adventure, Orc and Pie. Possible follow-ups could be: Gnoll and Gnocchi, Bullywug and Bourbon, and Sahuagin and...

I'm currently re-tooling my homebrew lumin race for 5e, and one of the possibilities I am considering is to allow a lumin character to burn a Hit Die to add +1d8 radiant damage to a weapon attack or a cantrip that deals radiant damage.

I just assume that the Monster Manual physically exists in my game world and any PC who uses knowledge from it to his advantage must have read it and memorized it like Fishlegs from How to Train Your Dragon.