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I've got to say, I really do appreciate the design here. Even if the +10 damage is less important, it's still a way to make a "prerequisite feat" feel less like a tax and more like an exciting option. I share that dislike of CBE. Unloading a point blank is OK for an occasional KO maneuver, but...

When I’m building a ranged character, I obviously want my main offensive option to be online 100% of the time. By the same token though, there’s something in me that rebels against the idea of "just withdraw to shooting ranger" rather than "switch to melee." So help an archer how. When you...

I quite like the idea of the "I knew it" moment. Yeah it's obviously suspicious, but you believe that you're capable of overcoming the danger. That bespeaks the sort of swaggering confidence that I like in my heroes.

Sometimes the trap is obvious. You know that it's a bad idea to grab for the treasure, try to free the hostage, or [insert temptation here]. But because you're a noble paladin or a greedy rogue, you just can't help yourself. The pressure plate will trigger; the innocent maiden will be revealed...

Is there a reason that high-CHA characters have to be the ones doing the diplomancing? I mean, can't a low-CHA character have fun at the negotiating table?

By and large, 5e rewards specialization. If you’re a grappling dude, you’re not going to be nearly as good at archery. When you’re an archer, you probably aren’t going to be as effective on the front lines. And when you’re a front line melee combatant, hopping on your newly-summoned mount and...

Found it! https://aonprd.com/MagicArtifactsDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Minderhal%27s%20Forge I do love how all these niggling little rules represent design space. Nice solution for, "Why can't my human wield all the huge-size weapons we loot off of giant enemies."

While most magic items resize, weapons and armor are a notable exception. That rule is a prime candidate for handwaving, and many GMs will go so far to take a wish list from their player in order to sprinkle “the right gear” into treasure piles. But if you like to randomly generate your own...

I mean... It simulates the world. But it does so at the cost of a lot of minutia. In my head, cost of living is useful in hardscrabble, low-fantasy settings. I want Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser drinking away their last dime and then going out to adventure and get more. But by the time you hit...

Petty cash issues make sense from a worldbuilding standpoint. But in practice I find that they can steal narrative attention from robbing dragons, fighting evil, and generally being big damn heroes. I suppose there's some adventure to be wrung from low-stakes, low-magic, "can we afford to make...

As a natural spotlight hog and melodramatic diva, I like nothing better than in-character philosophizing. "Are my actions truly evil? Does my android PC have a soul? Should we save the possessed orphans or burn them down?" The trouble is that it’s difficult to do "deep and meaningful"...

Honestly, the only way I could see mid-combat level ups not being a massive distraction / flow-breaker is if folks came to session with prepped character sheets. "And as [BBEG] begins the ritual of D'ark B'aad, you feel a reserve of inner strength welling up from within. Gamers and gentlemen...

How do you guys play level-ups? Are they strictly for between sessions? Do you wait until you get your next long rest? Or is it possible to grab a couple of XP mid-combat and get a sudden MMO-style reset to the ol' hp and spell slots? What's most practical? What's most fun? And is there a...

You joke, but hosteling armor is no joke: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-armor/magic-armor-and-shield-special-abilities/hosteling/

I love me some mammoth riders and dinosaur knights. The only problem is that they're obnoxiously big on the battlefield. We're talking squeezing rules, moving-through-creatures-two-size-categories-larger-than-you rules, and all the weird corner cases of mounted combat on large bases. So here's...

I feel like this is an extension of my PC death policy: As a GM, I don’t like permadeath. Or rather, I don’t like permadeath without player buy-in. I’m running on the theory that tabletop role-playing games are an act of collaborative storytelling. Sure the guy at the head of the table has the...

Suppose your party TPK’d in the final fight. Would you reset and try again? Would you accept defeat? Or would you expect your GM to fudge the dice just enough to keep the BAD ENDING from ruining a good campaign? What's your philosophy of failure when it comes to the campaign finale? (Comic for...

Let's talk table talk. Your PCs are meeting with the shady information broker. They've just got a bombshell dropped on 'em (the package is moving tonight!) and they have to plan their plan. When is it appropriate for the broker to "overhear" this plan and interject? Much of this conversation...

Do people actually take that in practice? It always seemed like a waste of an ASI to me.

I love that 5e has healing on a short rest. I love that that you don't technically need a "dedicated healer" to function. Even so, I like to make sure that all of my characters have a minor healing option for RP purposes. I'm talking about those moments where you're rescuing civilians from the...