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I think it is important to note that, historically, this didn't start with 4E. We can thank 3E for the beginning of a design movement toward very encounter-based adventures with a poor narrative. If you take a look at some of the 3E adventures such as the Fantastic Locations series, we can see...

That is a valid concern. But, this is another case where the playtest process really helps. By all accounts, 4E barely had any playtesting outside of Wizards, and even within it seems to have been limited, rushed, and undergoing changes very rapidly at the end of the process. With Next, we can...

Some have! There are a few DMs running with basically 4E companion characters instead of PCs. But, I think for most there is the understanding that a large portion of the player base wants to be able to truly customize their character, and for balance to be there between different PCs. My wizard...

I agree. However, it was a big deal (and is still) for some to have a spellcaster stat block provide full spell lists. Things would happen such as an enemy pre-casting buffs (Bull's Strength, Haste, etc.) or might cast those if PCs retreat. Or, the caster might escape and hunt them down later...

I think that 4E was really new ground. Next resembles older play styles in various ways, so it isn't such a vast difference (though it might be for someone that started with 4E). That said, it has been a very different authoring experience for me. I've had to run playtests to get a feel for the...

Really good points regarding classic adventures. There was a Living Greyhawk re-issue of this adventure for 3E, which is probably what I would use if I were to run it for 4E. It did away with some of the boring aspects and distilled the action. There was a similar situation in the 3E version...

There are so many different types of gamers, with so many preferences. No game can be the best for everyone. That's why the game any one person likes the least has many people thinking it was the best. But, a game can pull from the common threads of different editions and speak to the shared...

It does make sense for them to at some point close down the playtest and do the final work themselves. How much they change this is really going to be based on their assessment of what it takes to incorporate the final bits learned into the product. As we have seen, there can be dramatic shifts...

But Li, is that just having monstrous races? A dwarf is a monster, but we have the rules to play a dwarf cleric. In 4E we have hobgoblin as a playable race. That is very different than addressing a DM who is dreaming up a wizard who was mummified and is protected by four fallen fighters, who...

Sounds like they tweaked the "non-associated class levels" 3E concept. How does this work in Pathfinder? What do you see as ways to emulate the 3E system without getting into the details? Even 4E's simplicity had some drawbacks. Monster themes were never in the Compendium or Monster Builder, so...

It sounds like you want the 4E system, plus the 3E system. Is that more or less correct? I think it is a good question whether there is a lighter way to achieve that. The problem with the 3E system is that it takes tremendous time for a DM to make the creature. For the company, designers have...

Right! I forgot that one!

This particular update has been interesting. Original open playtest, then adding Mines of Madness, then adding Dungeons of Dread conversion bestiaries. One version, or three? :-)

I was never a big fan of class levels for monsters/NPCs. I would spend a lot of time on them, and yet the benefit to players was very low. This was true in 1E and 2E, but especially in 3E. I basically gave up on creating monsters for 3E. When I contributed to organized play I would go through a...

I revised some of the Ashes of Athas section, mentioning that the campaign has concluded. I linked to the forums where the process for ordering adventures (for free) is mentioned. The Baldman web site will be updated soon for that, but I wanted to go ahead and provide the information. Also, it...

A little more info on next week's Encounters season, which returns to Neverwinter, and the one after that, Search for the Diamond Staff. Rich Baker wrote the later, which is pretty cool (he was part of a previous layoff and now working as a freelancer). The same article provides background for...

PAX East (just a few weeks ago) offered only D&D Next. Before that the conventions offered a mix of 4E and Next. It is hard to predict what future conventions will hold, but it shouldn't be a shock if they switch to being primarily or entirely Next. It can be hard to predict what the WPN...

To some, though, right? PAX East just ran the most successful single-adventure D&D PAX event, using D&D Next. They turned away more than 20 full tables tonight - that's how high demand is! Keep in mind that the average player doesn't follow EN World, doesn't follow Twitter or forums, etc. They...

The latest D&D Next playtest packet just came out today. In the e-mail for it they announce the name of the next Encounters season: Storm Over Neverwinter. This is the second Encounters season to visit the city of Neverwinter, perhaps tying into the release of the Neverwinter video game (I...

Here are the official PAX East offerings. Summary info (more at the link above): D&D Next: Danger at Darkshelf Quarry - Play the D&D Next adaptation of a new adventure that serves as a prequel to the classic Slave Lords series! This D&D Next adventure is 2 hours long and designed for 2nd-level...