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One of the things that was "new to 5e" was the notion of a universal "proficiency bonus." Like the d20 resolution mechanic and the (never since changed) standardized ability score bonuses that were codified with 3e, this is a mechanic that is both brand-new, yet somehow feels 100% like it's...

I actually think that, if I'm Hasbro, this is actually where I want D&D to live. We put out mild alterations, and minimal changes, and rules options, and nobody cares because it all works together. Like a new Monopoly set, if you buy the newest version, you get the latest and greatest, but it's...

The film adventure actually feels considerably lower-magic than many D&D campaigns. They ride horses, they can't fly, and they can't really teleport beyond line of sight, and that only thanks to a magic item (which they're able to contrive to extend to "location they can't see" through a clever...

Yoda is more heavily built than the average 5e halfling. ;)

I agree that riding dogs are stupid - but then I also think 3-foot-tall halflings are a good deal too small to be taken seriously, something reinforced by a recent film scene.

It would be easy to replicate the Grishaverse in Savage Worlds. In D&D, it's...work. The magic system doesn't exactly lend itself to D&D emulation. However, if you want to, Grisha would probably be best modeled as Sorcerer subclasses with highly customized spell lists. Those spells don't...

^^^This. Right here. People kvetching about perfect balance need to realize that it's a total illusion (fantasy) and doesn't exist. The new 2024 PHB won't make the game any less balanced than it already is. But of course, nobody is going to believe this is true until the book comes out.

A shoehorned romantic connection is pretty common when player A is trying to flirt with player B? ;)

I mean, I thought it felt like the half-hearted attempt players make at connecting their PCs in an adventuring party by coming up with an intricate but entirely irrelevant backstory - in other words; exactly like most characters in a game of Dungeons & Dragons.

Nope. Official release Greyhawk only had laser guns and robots. ;)

I was thoroughly entertained and saw it twice opening weekend, on Friday night with my fiancée and again Sunday afternoon with my sister. I plan to see it again with a couple friends who weren't able to make it earlier. It is, IMO, very good, and scratches that same itch for non-superhero...

I saw it a second time yesterday and went into the viewing with this discussion in mind. And that's absolutely the way it reads. The sorcerer is very specifically not Elminster, as he merely says "What a coincidence, I'm an Aumar too." And Simon's hero moment is realizing it's just his mental...

@Whizbang Dustyboots: I actually thought that the best way to model Druid Wildshape in Shadowdark is to handle it exactly the way Kelsey handled the Priest's Turn Undead. In other words, it's a spell, but one that you just know as part of your class. Something like: WILDSHAPE Tier 2 (special)...

I’ve heard Morello is in the movie, but he’s not Lord Neverember. The latter is played by actor Richard Croxford, who has played Doctor Strange in a couple spoof films.

Extra comment on the appearance of Elminster, I suspect it was done literally just to let Elminster stand out. From Odin to Merlin to Gandalf to Dumbledore, there’s just has wayyyyy too many Wizards whose look is “old white dude with a long beard,” that 1) it has become a bit of a cliche, and 2)...

Plot-adjacent question: Is anyone else wondering if Simon’s “token-based casting” might be something they’re planning to playtest as a way of making sorcerers more distinct from wizards in the next PHB? I ask because, with the changes to magic in 5e, the two classes just aren’t as distinct as...

Aside: I found myself wondering if they might be playtesting an idea to distinguish Sorcerers from Wizards by having the former need tokens from which to cast their spells. It could definitely be interesting as an approach, since the altered spellcasting of 5e means the two classes are much...

Thank you all for the feedback and thoughts. It gives me a lot to ponder. It has definitely occurred to me that 5e has a lot of kludges to tackle how hit points, recovery, and death work in the system that that they would have to be reworked/rethought if recover worked like this. I’d start...

I think you either don't see, or misunderstand the problem that I see, am attempting to solve. Hit points in D&D have never been entirely "the actual physical ability of the character to withstand damage," but rather also included "a commensurate increase in combat skill, sheer luck, sixth...

Okay, so I was kicking around an idea of trying to strike a balance between the lethality of games like the various OSR systems, Shadowdark or early editions of D&D with the more durable characters of 4e, 5e and the like, and I kinda hit on an idea that preserves the simplicity of hit points...