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So we're going to ultimately have 20 encounter tables, one per level -- y'know, I gotta say I feel hopeful about this approach. Sure on a superficial level it's not going to feel as elegant as a single table that can handle all encounters at all levels -- it's a downright brute force solution to...

Definitely easier to use than the current system and I think it's a good start. However, I am definitely skeptical of the numbers at the upper CR range. CR + 5 = deadly encounter for a party of 6? We just know that this isn't the case. Perhaps the number of points per player could be adjusted a...

Obviously EN World isn't representative of the majority of players, but it's been my impression that EN World, if anything, tends to be more enthusiastic about these sorts of subsystems than the general player. If EN World has little enthusiasm for this ruleset, I think that bodes poorly for...

Well, I'd be remiss if I didn't say that Matt Colville's strongholds and followers is exactly this, if you want to see what this concept given it's own book looks like.

I agree with this. I think if you're going to have rules for bastions they ought to feel aspirational at the top end. Both BECMI domain management rules and even the deeply flawed 3rd edition stronghold builder's guide had this -- it's rules allowed someone to believe that you could eventually...

I perceive that despite the fact that the Bastion system was intended to be one of the biggest, shiniest toys to be revealed during this playtest, the overall reaction (based on comments and the number of threads) is largely that of indifference. Considering this, as well as the total number of...

So we tried the "Root" RPG (based on the board game) and really loved it. PROS: fast paced. Can get through a whole story in a night. no low stakes rolls. Every action is meaningful. CONS: The fiction first approach combined with the very open sandbox way the convention adventures of root...

Yeah, I was going to say that 4th edition did multiclassing pretty well. I actually forgot paragon multiclassing was a thing, but the later hybrid system was especially fun and seemed extremely balanced. 4e multiclassing worked a little bit like the 5e bard's magical secrets -- instead of...

I'm something of a forever DM but in my very first campaign 25 years ago one of my players named all his characters based on backwards spelled hockey Players. Eric Lindros became Cire Sordlin the blademaster.

Yeah... to be honest, as fun a read as Grimtooth's is, 95% of its contents are convoluted to the point where I just cannot see myself ever putting them into a game. The burden of having to describe such Byzantine creations outweighs the fun of the trap.

I think the explicit disconnect between attributes and skills could be done within the context of D&D one -- after all, alternate abilities are allowed now and this just makes that the default. Instead of an explicit attribute the skill description might include something like "this skill most...

I'm dubious of this contention, considering that a true skill system really only came about in the 2000's with 3rd edition. Still, I'd be interested in the specific 1980's play assumptions to which you are referring.

Medicine: The big one, by a large margin. Occasionally this acts as a sort of knowledge: biology or autopsy skill but even a DM actively looking to make it relevant has a hard time finding uses for this. If this is going to stick around, it probably needs to actually interact with hit points in...

Something I had tried as a general limitation to many reaction spells (thus also a nerf for counterspell) was that on your next turn the only spells you may cast are cantrips.

I have played a fair bit of AL, but I feel the system really needs to be reworked from the ground up. It definitely feels very low stakes because there's very little chance for players to affect the course of the adventure by their actions. The overwhelming number of players treat it as just an...

I'm glad I'm not the first to think of this -- I think this has a nice archaic feel that maps well to the old "race" term.

seems like a cleric or paladin turning it should also inflict one or more levels of suffering.

In a pinch if I'd need one, I'd give the rhinoceros a swim speed and call it good.

It's interesting you bring up the far realm, because I will say that is a good example of a plane that I consider to have good utility despite not being a plane you'd ever adventure in. It gives a place for aberrations to come from, and makes for good plots points when it influences the material...

Wow, I voted for 4e cosmology and I was surprised to see it do so well. I definitely think the cosmology tried to take what worked well in previous cosmologies and throw out what didn't work. The old great wheel cosmology had a ton of planes that had little utility. I can think of an adventure...