Search results

Nonetheless, I still kinda miss banded mail.

You make a point - Fire & Blood is a different type of book. What would take chapters in ASOIAF happens in a few pages. It's telling that the show ignored a large portion of them. If I could go back and change Appendix N, I would love to see what movies inspired D&D. We know Hammer's Dracula...

Having spent time in the boondocks, yeah, I can remember having to drive "into town" to get things that just weren't available nearby.

It really is a big IF. GRRM has talked about how when the series is done, no one will care about how long it took. However, if it's never finished, people will certainly care in the long run. I think eventually we'll see the Winds of Winter. A Dream of Spring, pffft, not a chance. Likewise, I...

That's the thing, isn't it - people have always claimed that there is a One True D&D. Probably from the very beginning, people were arguing the Sacred Texts. But to fix something in place is to ossify it. And that is one of the things I wonder about, if GRRM ever finishes Winds of Winter. The...

I quite like this idea. Some stuff just shouldn't be available in the boondocks.

Yeah, that's a good list that balances the original with new entries. Looking at the Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Froud makes a lot of sense. The inclusion of Name of the Wind is notable, as they've said that one of the drafts of the 5e bard class took direct inspiration from it, including a...

Using all of those together is truly gonzo! As it should be!

As much as I love the works of Appendix N, that is the truth of it. I get why they wouldn't just include the original list, and I don't know that there's as much of a place for a new one. Was the new edition of D&D inspired by particular works of fiction? Part of the joy of Appendix N is the...

I finished reading Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Powerful, powerful stuff. The way she describes the external and internal aspects of oppression is just so vivid and thought-provoking. Now I'm onto lighter fair with Joan Vinge's Psion.

Even if I get that it wasn't profitable to keep publishing magazine, I still miss Dragon. Fortunately, there are still tons of back issues for me to collect! Would highly recommend his Thay, Land Of The Red Wizards. Full of interesting and actionable lore. Good illustrations. And it's even got...

Fascinating. The density of 1e makes it so easy to miss mechanics. The way Thieves interfaced with magic owes a ton to Cugel the Clever and the Grey Mouser.

I have fond memories of playing this back in the day. Though, I also vaguely recall that the character generation mechanics weren't as robust as, say Marvel Superheroes. Does anyone remember whether that's a correct assessment or not?

I finished Betancourt's Johnny Zed. A cyberpunk tale of revolution against a corrupt government. Very fast-moving and sharply written. Now I am, as planned, tackling Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.

Another great, somewhat atypical for Dragon, Dean Morrissey cover. If I recall correctly, there were lots of ads for The Guardians of the Flame series in Dragon magazine back in the day.

Same. I know lots of people are converting their campaigns mid-stream, but I am waiting until all three books are released and my current Cyberpunk Red campaigns come to a close. My hope also is that with more time, I won't be the only one that's done the homework to learn the new mechanics.

Parable of the Sower feel frightfully prophetic.

In ten years, a lot can change. The big question for me will be whether they streamline the mechanics or add complexity? The 2024 iteration seems to have done a bit of both. Right?! I get that there's a certain balance in having Aasimar alongside Tieflings, but in my experience Goblins are more...

Kits were in general, not always greatly balanced. Some gave a significant power jump at 1st level, others not so much. I will point out that the Myrmidon kit isn't that great. The bonus nonweapon proficiencies aren't super applicable in play compared to others, and the main benefit is just a...

I finished reading the Nameless Places anthology. A decent way to end my Halloween season reading. It was a mixture of weird fiction - some cosmic horror, some fantasy, some sci-fi. I read REH's Worms of the Earth. The short story itself is one of REH's best, a near-perfect mix of horror and...