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I think the most important thing for a GM to do with regards to NPCs -- no matter whether they prefer the roleplay approach or the mechanics/social combat approach -- is to give NPCs real motivations. I mother who wants her child back above all else can only be manipulated so far by PCs...

The 2024 DMG is a really good introductory DMG, but it isn't a very good general reference DMG and a pretty bad "veteran" DMG.

I think tis makes sense when specifically talking about the dungeon exploration game. Every PC there is a professional tomb robber and dungeon delver. Most of the situations they encounter will "make sense" in that context (however senseless certain dungeon aspects might seem). As such, you...

I think it probably has SHadowdark-esque legs: popular, but not going to replace D&D in the marketplace, even if it replaces D&D for some people. (I am some people, for both games; when I want gritty D&D, I run Shadowdark, and when I want heroic D&D, I run Daggerheart now).

The problem is that many YTers use clickbait headlines for the algorithm even when their content is nothing like that. it makes it very hard to find good content.

Exactly. That is what it is there for. I generally like 5E, and generally prefer it to 3.x, but I do wish they had included similar lists of tasks and DCs that 3.x had.

The idea originally came to me when running Shadowdark, where not having light is a major problem and tension builder. It worked great. I would do the same thing in 5E because at least the shadows would then get advantage on their attacks. But it isn't as interesting in 5E as it is in Shadowdark.

2025 and some people are still like "People watch other people play D&D?!?!?"

I am sure there are, but it just strikes me as an invitation to frustration to me (from either side of the screen).

One of the issues with this, particularly when using the old school rules, is that much of it is driven if not by GM whim, by pure chance. At least skills and feats help weigh the chances in the character's favor. Much of the GM advice in old versions of D&D amount to "flip a coin" (or, rather...

I like this post. Thanks.

Isn't tactical acumen "player skill"?

Good point. I edited the title.

I started a new thread about "player skill" FYI.

Spinning this out of the 6E thread because, well it isn't about 6E. Anyway -- much is often made of "player skill" and "OSR" and how modern games are just button mashing. I don't really buy this as a generational divide: I think people in the 70s could rely on their character sheets, and I...

Are you suggesting that people actively made suboptimal choices in order to preserve the "player skill" aspect of the game? I find that difficult to believe.

I never read the comics, but this should be a fun, bloody diversion.

I think it is almost always overstated. I mean, you could detect a secret door by simply walking past it in 1E if you were an elf.

I don't think of "player skill" being particularly focused around paranoia (although that can be a feature). It is more about using your noggin rather than what is on your character sheet, if OSR folks are to be believed. I don't actually buy that -- those iron spikes and sacks of frogs are on...

I think the "player skill" argument is used too often as too simplistic an explanation for how OSR and Modern D&D differ. First of all, even from the beginning of the hobby some folks leveraged what was on their character sheet. And even now lots of people try creative solutions to problems even...