Search results

The 1E race/class restrictions seem completely arbitrary to me. Elves and half-elves could be mages but not illusionists, while for gnomes it was the reverse, and dwarves, halflings, and half-orcs could not be any kind of spellcasters until UA IIRC. Those rules seem to be based not on any kind...

Some reasons to not play 1E: Ability Score Anarchy The attribute system was an absolute mess. EGG actually recommended four generous methods to roll up characters, which were necessary because bonuses were only available for very high scores. This created a perverse incentive to get 18% STR...

Sometimes I think 90’s TSR was a novels-and-CRPGs company with a legacy sideline in TTRPGs, somewhat like the way the Marvel and DC comics lines are now arguably just IP mines providing grist for the cinematic universe mills. Or the way car companies used to make a few “halo cars” like muscle...

Slightly off topic, but I can almost see some players in classic Ravenloft deciding to do a deliberate heel turn, for any number of reasons. Maybe their character knows the power of the “Dark Side” and craves it. Maybe they figure that if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Is it better to burn out...

That was the whole point of Warhammer, 40 years ago. Now the whole point of Warhammer is, “Miniature wargaming figures and paints are surprisingly profitable, even in the grim darkness of the far future year 2025.” 😁

In general I like this newer modular approach to character generation, separating out ancestry, culture, class, background, etc so players can build highly customized characters without having to bend or break the rules. I have begun learning Pathfinder 2E and character generation is a bit like...

I also find it a bit strange when people complain about D&D 4E (and PF2E) being too focused on tactical tabletop features, including the use of miniatures and map grids, as if this were some newfangled intrusion upon the original spirit of the game. Because of course D&D began as a rules...

One thing I find interesting about the Edition Wars and other philosophical disputes within the TTRPG scene is that two factions can dislike a third faction and its preferred games or gaming styles for reasons that are not only completely different, but are in fact diametrically opposed to each...

“Are you sure Gary done it this way?”

In a game with a humorous tone this could be a special power-up for halflings. “Whot’s that, eh? Necromancer and his skeleton warriors robbing the local graveyards? Time for second breakfast!” * cue theme song from the old “Popeye the Sailor Man” cartoons *

Regarding the odd jobs that Gygax did to support himself and his family before TSR, that kind of struggle can definitely put a chip on someone’s shoulder, particularly if they believe that they were meant for bigger and better things. And “cobbler” is quite literally one of those humble...

“Your love for the halflings’ leaf has clearly slowed your mind!” 🧙💨

For further context, one of my best 1E characters ever was a 10th level Mountain Dwarf Fighter with 20 CON and 122 HP (we played with XP penalties for demi-humans instead of level limits). After a full adventuring day he might not even fall below half of his hit points. At the end of the day...

That initial quote about “superior racial stock” probably attracted little attention at the time, but is of course exactly the kind of thing that the Coastal Wizards, Paizo, and others have been trying to replace with new approaches, with attendant controversy. I must have read all of this...

When I played 1E in the late 80’s, level-draining undead were already so unpopular with the players in our groups that DMs effectively never used them. We discussed meaningful alternatives to level drain but I do not remember anyone actually implementing anything. I don’t remember demons or...

Off-topic, but this has always made me wonder “special compared to what, exactly?”. Fantasy races and alien extraterrestrials were invented by pulp writers and Appendix N authors trying (and arguably failing) to imagine a non-human perspective which (as far as we know...👽) does not exist...

“In that last thread, about overpowered magic items, I referenced the "Holy Trinity" in AD&D, which I thought was at least somewhat well-known. Well, I thought wrong!” Holy Trinity of AD&D? Huh? “A. So, do you like Thor?” And as soon as I saw the word “Thor” I INSTANTLY knew what this thread...

Task Force Games did actually have a license for Star Trek material, but it only included the Original Series, the Animated Series, and some ancillary materials like the Star Fleet Technical Manual. It did not include anything from the films or Next Generation and its spinoffs, so over time...

This new Labyrinth theme from Kobold Press looks interesting - weird adventures across the multiverse, like a KP answer to Planescape. They have several of these themed books which seem to be designed for their 5E-compatible Tales of the Valiant game and its Midgard setting, but there are lots...

OK, as someone who read through every page of those threads as they developed, I will explain the state of play so far and you can make up your own mind. I will also try to avoid breaking site rules about political discussions. Back in early 2020 Bob Bledsaw II, son of Judges Guild co-founder...