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From a purely gamist perspective, having Dex be the score for defense and Reflex resistance and to hit for ranged combat makes it enough of an uber-stat as it is. Make melee to hit go off that as well and you'll have every martial PC with his highest score in Dex.

I largely agree with this, but with the addendum that if it doesn't fit the DM not only needs to explain it to the player, but find out why the player thought it would fit. If people are on different pages about how the game should feel, problems will ensue.

Forked from: Rant -- GM Control, Taking it Too Far? I really disagree with this attitude. I run games because I enjoy running them, simple as that. I don't expect nor do I deserve to control the game just because I did prep work. If you don't enjoy DMing, then let someone else do it. If...

I think the DM is way out of line and you are more than justified in walking. Maybe I'm biased because I think a Druid with Marshmallow the bear is awesome. If he sticks around, or better yet saves the party's bacon, then so much the better. Marshmallow will be a trusted companion and friend...

This is not a blanket assumption one can make. My players will not do homework. The rules need to be simple and obvious, as well as easily accessible. One of the reasons I like 4e is that the rules to the powers can be right there in front of them, and none of them are overly complicated...

Install ubuntu in a virtual machine and install wine on that. :D

Not the same thing. There's nothing missing from DDI, and everything from WotC's books and dragon and dungeon are included, whether you bought the book or not.

If they need to push it back or delay it, I hope they do so rather than stick to an arbitrary deadline. I would rather not have the full generator for another six months than have one that isn't ready for prime time. Pushing things out to meet deadlines makes for terrible software. I find the...

I'm a newcomer to the Ways of Mearls, and think the 4e game is a blast. Like Rel's thread, this isn't meant to be a 4e bash at all. The game is really fun, but my group isn't used to games without any roleplay mechanics behind them. My girlfriend, who has played a lot of RPGs but little D&D...

Thanks! I was thinking of NWN when I wrote this. I probably spent more time futzing with the toolkit than I ever did playing the game. I was seized by a mad urge to convert RttToEE. Got the moathouse done anyway... Also did Orc and Pie, which clocked in at 19kb :D But yes, that became a...

On White Wolf's site (and many fan sites) you can find an innovation known as the Initiative Wheel. It sort of looks like a clock, with say 10 or 12 wedges. When you roll initiative, put a mini or marker at that spot. So one PC gets a three, one gets a four, and the bad guys get a six. You...

Yes. It seems to pull them from the Compendium, and even if not the encounter builder basically calculates the XP budget. So if you've got a 300 XP monster you want to use, just pick a different 300XP monster. I love the DDI, find it a great value. I was very skeptical of 4e and DDI, but a...

Maddman's cheap and easy battle mat 1) Go to your local department store and buy a 24"x36" poster frame. Or smaller or larger if you like, but that one does me just fine. 2) Remove the paper insert and turn it over. On the white, blank side use a yardstick and pencil to draw 1" lines. 3)...

Seconded. You can not care for a given edition. That doesn't make it magically "not D&D". If the company that has rights to it publishes it, and is says "Dungeons & Dragons" on the cover, then its D&D. Even if it doesn't have/includes your favorite/least favorite mechanic or component.

Dude, I killed those cultists, now I have their sacrificial dagger, this cool eyeball symbol thing, and the dude's spellbook. I'm totally gonna learn all those spells and start nuking bad guys. Wait, when does my Sanity refresh again? I'm almost out.

Tracking the small stuff is boring. Get me to action or drama. I'd rather the GM handwave equipment. Most games I play have some mechanic to let me decide if they have something questionable on them - spend a story point, roll for Luck, whatever.

You are describing a default game of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sure its modern instead of fantasy, but the concept is the same. I've ran a few of those, so here's what made it work IMO. - Set pieces instead of dungeons. The action here isn't going to be some exotic place the PCs are...

This is my opinion. A healing surge is a game mechanic, not a narrative device. Its up to the player and GM to come up with an appropriate narration as to the events, same as any other game event. Is it the character getting a second wind? Words of encouragement from his leader? His faith...

Been there, done that. :D

This is wisdom. In any game, you do have to buy into the premise. In a typical D&D game, the characters are going to be exploring dangerous places, killing the things that live there, and taking their stuff. Yes, you could run D&D with a different premise and many people do - and you need to...