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All I can say is wow. Or was that WoW?

Um, none of the above. (Sorry, I know poll makers hate that response) So I think that 1) 4E is a good game, and 2) 4e was too different from previous editions for me to accept. However, I don't think it would have succeeded at all without the attachment to the D&D brand. Although it was a...

That's a really good point. While my monsters sometimes do have goals other then "win" I think I would have a better game if I did this more often. It's something I know I should do but frequently gets lost in the execution. Food for thought.

Agreed, the DM does all of those things. And here's where I disagree. Once the combat is defined and in play it's "game on." The DM and players both try to win the combat within the constraints of defined characteristics and acting in character. The is the "Game" part of "RPG." I recognize...

Pot, meet kettle. Kettle, pot.

I think that this is the essence of my discomfort with with changing hp arbitrarily too. RPGs are a lot of things: role playing, story telling, games, exploration, and on and on. I enjoy all of these parts. Arbitrarily changing hp throws out the "game" part. The players win when the DM...

What comes to mind for me The no-brainer: improved unarmed attack with damage between normal unarmed attack and a weapon attack Improved reaction speed, e.g. bonus to initiative and surprise Minor acrobatics, e.g. kip up after being knocked prone with no action penalty, backflip to disengage...

Sadly, no. I love rules that add a bit of reality to the game, and I love the kind of resource management that comes from encumbrance in video games (e.g. Skyrim), but I've never found a system that wasn't overly burdensome to use. The only time I can remember that it came up was when the PCs...

So you get to assert your values in the government, but I don't because I'm a person of faith? In this instance, I'm not asserting my religion, I'm asserting my values, which come from a variety of sources including my religion. Again, you're insisting that people of faith be denied full...

Religions are systems of belief, including morality, ideas about what is right and what is wrong. For a person of faith, religion is about how you live your life, not about what you do just at home or just at church. I find it strange that you're so vocal about your right to live as you wish...

The idea that people of faith should be forced to act against their beliefs as dictated by the government is abhorrent, and I honestly can't understand how anyone can think this would be a good idea. I have to wonder if US history plays a role in this difference in viewpoint. Some of the early...

Yeah, me too. Started December 1980. And I'm definitely not a 4E fan either.

This is a good point. If there's a perceived need to fudge in this manner, it should be a rare need. I expect that just about anyone can learn to design appropriate encounters quickly enough that this shouldn't be an ongoing issue. This plays into my preference in the matter. If there's only...

Because it doesn't involve the DM changing the established parameters of the game.

You're saying "facilitate fun at the table" like the only thing that does that is the outcome of individual encounters. There's a lot of other things that make the game fun. For me, one of them is feeling like my character is really in danger. It makes the game exciting and it makes victory a...

No. Subjectively, it feels like cheating to me. As a DM I'm free to make up whatever I want, but once it's there I feel like I need to deal with it's "reality" through the rules, just like the players. Sure, no one will know but me, but it just doesn't feel right to do otherwise. If I need...

Nice of them to let know they're making the game to push their social agenda. It's hard enough to make a fun game when making a fun game is your main priority. Relegate that to second priority and your chances of coming up with a good game are remote. So pass, don't think I need to even give...

In my longest running group, I usually had about 6 players, but on occasion it went as high as 10. From the DMs seat, it still looked like everyone was having fun and engaged. I don't think you can get anything like a universal answer. It will depend strongly on the game you're playing, DM...

And you could name her Ariel!

Of course. Some are fun to read (Shadowrun). Some have nice art. Some have useful setting elements to steal for my games. Some have clever mechanics (Ars Magica). There are plenty of reasons to buy a game book besides actually playing the game. Oh, and it just doesn't feel right to me to...