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Of course its alright to have a setting or mechanics that differentiate between the sexes.

What D&D is "about" depends on those playing it; it varies from group to group. IMO, combat is an important part of D&D - but not the game's sole (or even primary) focus. Exploration, role-playing, the satisfaction of success, learning from failure, and becoming an important part of the game...

And maybe die in the process, as he's prophesied to die soon? That would add some dramatic irony to Roy's statement to the effect of "If someone has to die for this, I choose me."

I used a whole coven of the things. Party members were around 6th, except for a much higher level thief. I think that I gave them every "witch item" from the monster lsisting, as there were a lot of them. The bedlam witches reminded me of the witches in Manly Wade Wellman's Silver John tales.

If I have to pick a favorite, I think it'd be the velikul - but there are many good monsters in that book. So far in my campaign I've used the atlaca, the bedlam witch, the beguiler, the cavern glazier, the funghemoth, the jagwere, the mistweird, the giant navanax, the night vapor, the...

I can't comment on WoD, Exalted, RQ, or Ars Magica, but the editions of CoC are pretty much backwards compatible. A 1E character can be run through an adventure from later editions (or vice versa) with no real problems. That's not true for D&D. This is a good point. I don't recall who it was...

I think that the dichotomy is a false one. If I don't enjoy running the game, it will inevitably show, and lead to an unfun game for the players. Its a lot of work to be the DM, and that has to be a labor of love. OTOH, if my players are unhappy, this leads to me being unhappy also. I think...

I prefer (and use) hexes, myself.

In 1E, a character might be at, e.g. negative 5 hit points and be beyond the ability of cure light wounds to save (a death's door spell or better would be needed). Such a character would be unconscious by the rules, but one could imagine him gasping out a few words by sheer effort of will. Low...

In the real world (as opposed to fantasy) different species generally can't interbreed, or (if the species are closely related) the offspring is sterile. I limit the crossbreeding possibilities in my game accordingly. Of the ones that you listed above, I'd allow deep gnome/gnome, duergar/dwarf &...

Additionally, IMO, its completely OK for players to hear of an adversary that they cannot beat yet - and may never be able to defeat. I think that the tarrasque was meant to be just such an unbeatable monster when first introduced in 1E.

The answer to this is probably going to vary a lot from game to game, and even from place to place within a game world. In some hick town in the back of the beyond "Nobody has ever returned alive" shouldn't dissuade low level characters. This probably means that 2 farmboys, a poacher, and a...

I guess that a crocotta survives by being taken as a dog? In some fairy tales ogres look human - except for sharp teeth. If they don't smile until they're alone with their dinner, they would be taken as human. There's a Portuguese vampire witch called a bruxsa that looks human but changes into...

I voted for the original boxed set. I loved the picture of Athas portrayed in it. I also imagined how that world could've become a bleak dying world. Since the past was largely a mystery, my imagination had free play. The first adventures (in which the PCs are spectators to the events of a...

Yup - although "Save vs. Death or die" is my preferred phrasing :)

Hmm, I've always let thieves try to find things like pit traps using their skills. Maybe that's not BTB? Actually there's the 2nd level clerical spell find traps, the 2nd level MU spell detect invisible (which show the seams along the edge of the trapdoor, as it finds secret doors in just that...

In early editions, "men-at-arms" meant zero-level fighters.

I play 1E, so "the average joe" is 0 level. There are more powerful NPCs out there, e.g. the chieftain of a large band of brigands will be 8th-10th level. This was true when the PCs were first level, and is still true now that they are 10th-15th level.

Basically correct. A fly spell in 1E lasts 1 turn per level + d6 turns, with the result of the d6 known only by the DM. Most potions lasts 4+d4 turns.

My game is Champions - because you can make any kind of character, with any kind of power. I'm usually the GM, so I seldom get to play a character, but my favorite kind of superhero is one that is actually a hero, as opposed to a super-powered swine. Such a hero can (and should) have faults and...