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As a DM, you must strike a balance between allowing the PCs' actions to have consequences and creating a game where one mistake can unduly punish the players. Note that the module in question lists the intended consequences of failing the skill challenge with Jelia: she doesn't help them later...

I don't see any evidence that Crothian is upset about how other groups play the game; he stated that he has an issue with a change in a published campaign setting. It's just a statement of opinion. I find it baffling that so many posters seem to take issue with his personal preference. So...

I recently finished listening to the podcast, and that interview also caught my eye (well, ear). Note that it's not 100% clear that "hope" was the "right" answer or that even if the game in question is about hope, that it should have a hope stat. The anecdote ended as the OP described, but I...

Offhand, the Aboleth Overseer has an "Enslave" attack that targets dominated creatures and prepares them for a ritual that turns them into permanent thralls. Other long-term charms include the Charming Kiss of the Succubus, which forces the victim to shield the Succubus from attacks. It is...

I'm particularly glad to see new adventures (besides the initial HPE series and the campaign-specific modules) and the sourcebooks near the $10 price point, in contrast to the $35 books we've seen. However, I do have to wonder how WotC will differentiate these products from what they offer in...

I am a big fan of WotC, but I am an even bigger fan of diversity. The industry needs publishers of different sizes and strengths to cater most efficiently to the various niches in the market. I don't believe that any one company should seek to be all things to all consumers. I don't blame...

I have seen this method called the "ars ludi" method, apparently from this blog post: Initiative: The Silent Killer.

I redeemed WF7FYXT4P6WK. At this point, I suppose I'll wait until version 1.2 arrives before offering any feedback.

I've toyed with the idea of implementing "diminishing returns" in my skill challenges too, so I would love to hear more of your thoughts on it. Do you think the cumulative +2 increase in DC was about right for this skill challenge? Do you think a single rate of DC increases could be generally...

The Power books provide a clear opportunity for WotC to release more mechanically sophisticated builds of existing classes. The Battlerager fighter and the Beastmaster ranger are already two examples of builds that are more mechanically involved than the PH1 builds.

The Chronicles of Prydain are marketed for young adults. The five books include a Newbury Medal and a Newbury Honor. Along with Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising Sequence, they played a critical role in igniting my love for fantasy as a kid. I think the books are still worth reading as an adult...

Upon reflection, for most RPG books I seem to read cover-to-cover whatever contents are not arranged alphabetically or numerically into lists. So I read the chapter on combat from beginning to end (yeah, although some of the actions are listed alphabetically), but never power lists (in 4e) or...

Here is the ochre jelly stat block, free of charge. You can access more low-level monsters from the Monster Manual at the D&D Compendium, but you need to subscribe to D&D Insider to access higher-level content and newer books.

You never cease to amaze me, sir. You make plotting campaigns look easy! Can you articulate how you go from a thing, emotion, and goal at one end to "break up the status quo" at the other? Or does it just come to you, given those seeds? (In an effort to more precisely articulate my question...

Wow, I didn't think they'd deviate so much from the standard power structure. No encounter powers. Higher-level at-wills instead. Use power points to augment at-wills. Interesting. Reading more.... Hmm, powers don't seem to be in the compendium yet? BTW, controller, int primary, cha...

Did the PCs adjust and focus on eradicating the minions first? Or did all the strikers power through the rotpriests' pseudo-insubstantial protection? I don't think the insubstantial trait is intrinsically bad, but I think it's much more fun when there's a way to disable it (as there was in...

Yeah, in an ideal world we could all compare and contrast 3e and 4e in a completely civil manner. In this ideal world, we could also discuss politics, religion, and race, and how these real-world issues might inform RPGs. In practice, you either have to draw a line somewhere or allow a...

Conversely, someone could say it's potentially in a 4E hater's interests to encourage discussion of 5E, either to state how D&D is headed in the "wrong direction" (as happened in the recent no-dice thread after many people first stated that they wouldn't play such a game) or to proclaim a need...

Yes, it's a shame that a prohibition of 5e discussion quashed a thread on an interesting game mechanic. It's also a shame that some threads with an earnest interest in comparing 3e and 4e devolved into flamewars and hurt feelings. Heck, once in a while I personally wouldn't mind a thread that...

Actually, according to the compendium, the Player's Handbook recommends: Str then Cha or Cha then Str for paladins, Con then Int or Cha then Int for warlocks, Str then Wis or Wis then Cha for clerics, and Dex then Str or Str then Dex for rangers. So of the eight builds total in the four classes...