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I find that one really interesting, because it did stop print for quite a while (I bought the "final issue"), and then came back. I'd assumed that that was effectively impossible, so I'd really like to know the story there.

One of the things I wish WotC would do is to present the new species options for a new setting as replacements for those in the core rulebooks. So in Eberron you'd have Warforged, Shifters and the rest, but not the standard dwarves, elves, and so on. You'd think it would be easy enough for...

There are Kender in Ravenloft, at least in the original. Lord Soth has a whole domain for their torment.

These days I very much prefer a setting with a strong voice: Ravenloft, Dark Sun, or Spelljammer (the original, of course). Though, oddly enough, I completely bounced off Planescape. I can understand the value of kitchen sink settings and more generic fare like FR, but they're just not for me.

I personally don't like the Forgotten Realms - it's all a bit too bland for me. At the same time, it does provide a really good baseline for all those adventures that WotC produce, and gives an awful lot of common ground.

That one lists as being reduced from $4.99 to $3.99. I'm not complaining (since it's a reduction you didn't need to make at all), but just noting that in case that wasn't your intent.

"Lost Mine of Phandelver" is certainly not without its flaws (notably, that first section is too deadly). That's why I referenced the structure only. For me, the length of LMoP is a feature, not a bug - the recurring nature of D&D campaign play also being a feature rather than a bug. But you're...

For this one in particular, I'd say the core rulebook is better, but only if the designers are willing to dedicate sufficient page count to the job. If what you're actually getting is a two-page mini-scenario, it's probably not worth the effort.

It depends: is it an adventure for people new to this game, or new to RPGs in general? Assuming the latter, I'd recommend a structure similar to "Lost Mine of Phandelver" - start with a small, self-contained location with a very clear motivation, then expand to a wider environment, then expand...

Depends how 'realistic' you want your campaign to be. If you take the view that adventuring is an extremely dangerous profession, PCs should dress for danger - no robes, no bare metal, no excess weight... If you go for full-on fantasy and don't care about practicality, I'd treat adventurers as...

These days, nothing beats a really good webcam and mic. Seriously, if you're going to be doing lots of online gaming (or just online meetings), make the investment. For a non-gamer looking to get into the hobby, I'd recommend the original D&D 5e Starter Set (with "Lost Mine of Phandelver"), if...

I'm out. My daughter asked Alexa to play Christmas music.

I feel that unless a character dies during creation, the game is far too easy. More seriously, a max of 1-2 character deaths per campaign feels about right (barring a TPK) - enough to pose a real threat, but not so many that you're constantly dealing with the fallout.

Honestly, at this point I'm inclined to think they should excise deities from the game entirely. Religion is just too bound up with culture, and writing any sort of religion that rings true while avoiding both appropriation and erasure is a challenge I just don't think they're up to. Especially...

Frankly, it's all been downhill since the "Little Wars" ruleset was discarded.

Back in the day I had a player who had some nearly illegible dice. For him that was most definitely a feature, not a bug.

If we're going to get daily updates on Elon Musk's latest stupidity, will this site officially rebrand as "XWorld: Elon Musk News and Reviews"? "Don't feed the troll" is good advice.

One good piece of advice I saw on the topic of decluttering was that if you are concerned about later regret, maybe set aside some money for potentially rebuying a few particular items later. That way, if there's something in particular you regret parting with, solving the issue is easily...

I've long since come to the position where what I really need are fewer, better things - not just in terms of RPGs but pretty much everything. Sticking to the topic of RPGs, I all but stopped buying physical product several years ago (with D&D books being a notable example - though even there I...

Yep, I've been waiting for this one - I've been gradually amassing a collection of D&D Classics PDFs, and each time they have a sale I add just a few more titles. At this rate, I'll have everything I'm looking to get in about 20 years...