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Love the two trait examples, Language and Workshop. They aren't the same power level, they aren't really even quite the same category of trait. Who cares? Both allow a player to create the desired PC. I also love the idea that some things have to be worked out on a case-by-case basis. Rules...

I suppose you didn't subscribe to Dragon Magazine in the 1980s. Questions of balance, of Monty Haul campaigns, of wizards being too powerful, of broken spells . . . these were frequently letters in Dragon, sometimes with official changes or rulings being made in the "Sage Advice" column.

I've never seen a wizard in editions 1-3 be very important to the party until level 3, unless there was a non-combat encounter that required something like comprehend languages (and the wizard happened to have it). Otherwise, the wizard was usually a liability. In mid-levels (editions 1-3), the...

Still, myself and my players find the fluff of "magic bolts" that may or may not hit much more satisfying than "wizard with a crossbow" (or, for AD&D, "wizard with darts"). The difference seems minor, but it matters greatly to a great many players. There is also the implication that a caster...

I like wands and staffs as in 1e: spell containers, generally with multiple spells, spell/casting enhancers, unusual magic effects, spell-focusing, spell slot swapping, melee combat, and more. I don't like that a wand always does X, and a staff always does Y. Things don't need to be that...

Note: Cantrips (and orisons) were added to AD&D in the 80s (through Dragon Magazine) to offset the dissatisfaction with low level wizards running out of spells. It is an old idea that many folks seem to forget. Back in 1e, Unearthed Arcana, a caster got one cantrip per level per day. House...

When I played AD&D, I used all three common systems: 1. Theater of the Mind--basic exploration, very simple combats 2. Minis with no grid--combats with lots of enemies, complex trap/puzzle encounters 3. Grid and minis (I used old chessboards)--boss fights, mass combats, combat with important...

I prefer death to be rare and meaningful. The only deaths I typically "allow" as a DM are deaths due to foolish PC actions and intentionally risky actions (particularly heroic ones). So. . . Encounter: 1-5% Adventure: 5-10% Campaign: 75%

I was never happy with loyalty and henchmen being a key effect of charisma, since my games almost never use henchmen. I'm not alone in that. Charisma for charisma based skills is great, and also I like charisma being that stat of "internal power", or "mental strength" (Wis is "mental...

Interesting thought: many folks who don't like aggro mechanics (rules dictating creature behavior, rather than DM roleplay) want morale mechanics (rules dictating creature behavior, rather than DM roleplay). Likewise, the opposite is true: folks who want aggro mechanics, but don't want morale...

Really? This?

That approach works as long as the cleric doesn't ALSO get a pile of standard cleric spells and abilities. Niche protection isn't necessarily about not allowing multiple ways to arrive at the same abilities. It's more about preventing one class from doing on type of job, and doing another...

I would definitely include Gray Mouser. Though he is from an older source (The Lankhmar stories of Fritz Lieber), and he knows a bit of magic, he really epitomizes the D&D rogue: dextrous, skilled, dabbles in a bit of everything, part of a thieves' guild (at times), sly, clever, and skilled with...

D&DN is not going with such a simple approach to race and class, and is not going the lethality/mortality route of DCC, either. It seems to me that DCC is doing an "old school game", whereas D&DN is going for an "old school feel". Nevetheless, DCC isn't D&D.

Auto-success can also be a way to balance utility spells that trumped other classes in older editions. Overall, I liked the direction this article seems to be moving the rogue.

As pointed out above, and on many other threads, the rules simply need to give clear, explicit advice. Not everything has to be a rule, but common situations should have guidelines.

In 3e (3 and 3.5), Large PCs got a significant boost in power because of reach (and AoOs). Since they were typically used as strong melee types, it just made them too powerful for most campaigns that started at low level.

I think minigiant's version did not have a stat block. I was specifically addressing that. I prefer a stat block, an evocative bit of fluff, and then details as needed in the description. It doesn't matter much to me if it is in the style of AD&D, 3e, or 4e. I just want the description/details...

I do like the idea of shields giving a significant bonus to AC. Also, a metal shield should give a better bonus than a wooden shield, just as leather armor gives a better bonus than chain. If D&D is going to use the system it uses (very abstract, armor as reduced chance to hit, dependent on...

The armor weights are much too low. A good leather jacket weights 1-2 kg, so a full suit of stiffened leather needs to weight much more.