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Yes, 200,000 sounds way too low; less than half the population i remember from older editions, so it’s probably not a typo. Still, the contrast between Waterdeep and the other cities surprises me.

I understand but still, according to the maps we had in 3e-4e-5e, Waterdeep is about 5-6 times larger in footprint. Even imagining Neverwinter at half capacity (which sounds about right given the numbers we have), with half the population density of Waterdeep due to lower/roomier buildings...

Yeah, Waterdeep’s population sounds off. It’s not so much that it’s population is 2 million that bugs me, it’s that its population is 16 times the largest metropolis of the (northern) Sword Coast. A city that has 4,5, or 6 times the population of its commercial rivals is already huge. This...

With D&D accommodating more and more playstyles, giving legitimate options to represent more and more aspects of fantasy, I believe it is natural for a DM to restrict content toward a proposed vision of a campaign. Call that content «focus» or «banning», to me it doesn’t sound unreasonable for...

Don’t know any game that really reflects the game-changing aspect of firearms, but I think that’s because game designers make a point not to, to keep melee combat enticing and armour relevant, especially in fantasy. In the first edition of 7th sea, firearms automatically cause drama wounds IIRC...

Definitely feasible. I mean the feature is called "Ability Score Improvement", and the feature's text goes something like "you gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat for which you qualify"; my feeling is that this was the intention from the beginning.

Haha, yes; that’s often my feeling toward D&D! That said, I’m cool with D&D allowing groups to crank it to 11; I just wish the baseline wasn’t that high. The ranger abilities listed in the OP are pretty cool though; high-magic ranger is not my jam, but this is quite colourful. The more I read...

Spellcasting is a good way to quantify and balance abilities that may or may not be supernatural in nature (i.e. hunter’s mark) but I otherwise would prefer a ranger class that doesn’t appear blatantly magical. I would also prefer a D&D game that tunes the “magic level” dial and “everything goes...

True, especially if the alternative is for fighters to swing their sword a few times a day until they run out of swings altogether.

Let see. Vancian Magic is built on three principles: 1) Magic is finite - a wizard can "run out of magic". On that regard we could argue that D&D isn't Vancian anymore with at-will cantrip, but for the most part spells are still counted. This I would try to preserve, either through a system of...

Not gonna lie, I’ve been staring at my screen for the last 5 minutes wondering what the heck did I just watch. It’s like distilled 80s delirium on a high budget and admittedly good production value. …what was the question again?

most snakes are at least somewhat resistant to their own toxins so the gas mask/chemical warfare look is questionable. The fact that they can eat poisonous frogs and newts suggests that they are somewhat immune to that too. Of course if their production of venom and toxins is external (as the...

Improv has a few hard rules such as number of players allowed, a set amount of time, whether the teams mingle or play one after another, which theme(s) and/or genre(s) are imposed, etc. Break any of those and you're disqualified. In addition, players get various penalties for a number of...

While I agree with the essence of your statement, I don’t think it’s obvious to everyone. Mostly because being a GM does not mean the same to everyone, and because the profession and the responsibilities of a director are misunderstood by many. A director and a GM differ mainly and principally...

Failed to see the minus sign! So yeah, that tracks.

Though CATS as the OP describes should happen before character generation, as it will influence what types of characters are allowed/expected, and how they fit with the tones and themes of the game.

No way! Cats jump on the table and knock minis over and throw dice all over the place! But more seriously, I’ve been trying to be more me more upfront about the themes and tones of the games I’m proposing to play, and clear about what I expect from players (and what they expect of me). It’s...

UPDATE: 2024-09-02 here's the latest version in a single document. Star Wars hack of The One Ring RPG Many things were consolidated but not a lot changed over the last few months.

I usually create a short primer of sort, expecting that out our four or five players, only one, maybe two players will read it. It should include at least a map and a bunch of images or visual support. Nevertheless, making a primer is a good exercise to do as a DM as it forces you to distil the...

While I understand and agree with what you mean about GMs who shouldn’t make it about their own story, it is not the director’s task or responsibility to create the story either. It never was. Authors make the story, directors bring it to the screen or to the stage. A GM absolutely is a...