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The games I run/play in are both on VTT (5E and Starfinder) so we use maps 100% of the time. We also use maps for exploration, which works well with the dynamic lighting features (we are using Roll20 and FG). As with anything, the DM adjudicates what is on the map - usually what you see is...

With earlier editions I stated at 1st pretty much without exception. Back in 1E/2E, even getting to 3rd level could take several weeks of playing and felt like a big achievement. 5e has pretty much embraced the idea that the first couple of levels are "training wheels" levels you should blow...

This is the argument I would make to a 3.5 DM: Flanking in 3.5 existed as part of a full set of tactical combat rules (greater AoO, 5 foot step, etc.). Adding flanking in isolation just doesn't work the same way. A game I am a player in uses flanking, but also allows AoO for moving within the...

I am not sure that this heralds a "consolidation" as much as the end of a bad business model. IIRC Astral launched as a paid subscription service when their biggest established competitor (Roll20) had most of the same features available for free. Roll20, FG, and Foundry all seem to have...

I think that approach makes sense. For some creatures, like lycanthropes, being harmed only by a particular material is a big part of their schtick. Making magic weapons, which most PCs already have, equally effective pretty much eliminates that genre convention from the game. Giving...

The part I find particularly sad is that neither could acknowledge how much the other was critical to their ultimate success. Without Dave's flash of creativity, Gary would have spent his life writing wargames that sold 1,000 copies tops. Without Gary's drive to transcribe and publish his...

Well with all those D&D and M:tG profits Hasbro should be able to afford a 500 gp diamond.

I'd look at this as an opportunity for some player-driven worldbuilding: Player: Can I find an interesting book? DM: Sure Player: What is the book about? DM: You tell me. Player: Uh, maybe it's about the Third Elven Empire? DM: Yeah, its about that. Player: So what does it say? DM: What do YOU...

The encounter building guidelines state that they are based on an 6-8 encounter day. So run the same encounter 6 more times with a couple of short rests and you have a solid data point. But yeah, the encounter building guidelines are bad if you aren't actually following the guidelines.

Has he been replaced by a younger, more popular clown named "the Ascending Ac"?

The same thing they are calling 5E: "Dungeons & Dragons." I am sure the community will come up with something to distinguish it from the 2014 version (OG 5E), but the official branding won't use it anymore than the current version calls itself "5E."

Owlbear Rodeo is a free, barebones VTT that supports uploading custom maps and tokens. It has a fog of war feature to hide unexplored parts of the map, but it needs to be adjusted manually, rather than supporting "dynamic lighting" that changes as tokens are moved. It supports some condition...

I think confirming crits worked great in 3.x, where crits were likely to do significantly more damage. The extra roll slowed down the game a bit, but it was worth it because it was something players really got excited about (or nervous about when an enemy was confirming a crit). 5E crits are...

The Cypher System is probably the most popular RPG that uses the "player always rolls" mechanic, but there are other smaller games like the Black Hack that do so as well. I think there is a lot of merit to it, and it works well with fixed (vs. rolled) damage since having to deal with the damage...

I think Greyhawk will be one. 5E already has GH pretty strongly woven into it, and the only thing we are really missing is an official setting book. 1) We have official WotC adventures set in FR, Ravenloft, and GH. GH is the only one without a setting book. 2) Two of the "Guide" books are...

You might want to check out Owlbear Rodeo which is a minimalist VTT. It is pretty much just map sharing and a dice roller, so you should be able to get up and running without the learning curve of most VTTs.

I agree that tying an adventure to your PC's is one of the most important, but overlooked, aspects of adventure creation. I prefer to take a "spotlight episode" approach where an adventure focuses on one particular character's story/personality. To use your example the "old man in the tavern"...

I could care less that a Kickstarter was "FUNDED IN 17 MINUTES!!!!!!!!!" Cool, they I guess you don't need my pledge.

The Shattered Circle is a great low-level 2E dungeon available on DM's Guild.

I'm just hoping Webbed Sphere doesn't turn out to be owned by Ernie Gygax trying to revive another beloved, old school IP. We really don't need to go through THAT again...