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1. Is 5e Combat Slow? It certainly can be, but I really think it depends on the people at the table. I have two groups that couldn't be further apart. One, full of optimizers and rules-lawyers can run through several turns quickly and multiple combats in a session. We all plan our actions during...

I would say Shadow of the Demon Lord, but that IS level based. Still, it's worth a look. You pick Three different Paths (Novice, Expert, Master) of the course of 10 levels that give various class features. It's sort of a built in multiclassing that allows for a lot of variation. SotDL seems like...

I have a few waiting in the wings, but it isn't my turn to DM right now. OSR style D&D game set in a home brew world inspired by The Witcher, Warhammer Fantasy, & traditional folk/fairy tales. (The Brother's Grimm versions, to keep things dark and bloody.) The main area of the campaign is a...

I really like Low-Fantasy Gaming but I feel like it's been sidelined by stuff like Five Torches Deep and other OSR Hybrids. I like the rules for falling unconscious, as it feels more serious, like a proper OSR game, but isn't instant death like most original D&D clones.

This is absolutely true. Despite their differences in many other respects, this does shine through.

Yes but I think there is a key difference in how that darkness is portrayed. Middle-Earth feels mythic, like Beowulf or some other Saga. The Old World feels grounded (excluding the silly jokes). While both feature normal people fighting against Evil, Middle-Earth tends to portray the fact that...

I have for the last three years, run at least one game, but usually 2, with the same two groups. Only in the last few weeks has that changed, where I am running none. (Playing in 1.) This is burn out from online platforms like Roll20, which I enjoy less than physical games for a variety of...

My best guesses are: Dark Sun Planescape (and Spelljammer?) Greyhawk I've seen a lot of discussion and desire for these three. Greyhawk is iffy, as some people seem to think why do we need ANOTHER generic fantasy setting? But the Greyhawk diehards will give you a million reasons why it's...

Short Short Rests A Short Rest lasts 10 minutes. Dungeon Turns Exploration in a dungeon is handled in 10 Minute turns. An action, such as picking a lock or checking a trap, takes an entire turn. Multiple actions can be done on a single turn, if done by different players. Investigate Secrets...

I'm a recent OSR convert and a big fan in general of OSR style games and Retro-D&D in particular. I started with 4th and 5th Edition however and in general I find ascending AC easier to do quickly at the table. HOWEVER, I have noticed that many OSR games are adopting a "Roll-Under" System...

It varies, sometimes we have dungeon focused sessions and sometimes it's mostly exploration and wilderness. When we do feature dungeons they tend to be somewhat short. The exceptions being the big dungeon from Princes of the Apocalypse and the Tomb of Annihilation (though we wiped on this one...

Age of Ashes, the 1st AP is a traditional heroic story that has you travelling widely around the Inner Sea. Abomination Vaults, an upcoming 3 Part AP is in the form of a Mega-dungeon. I would be surprised if there weren't sidequest opportunities. Additionally, while not APs The Fall of...

I think we can do a few more, there are a few concepts that haven't been recognized as a full class. I also don't mind a little redundancy. I'm not looking for the best "designed" game but one that fulfills my needs and plays smoothly at the table. In my experience, players and DMs generally...

When you create your own world, you run the risk of your players not caring. When you run in a campaign setting, you run the risk of the players knowing everything. For example, if we play in the Forgotten Realms and bump into the Zhentarim, I already know all about them, there isn't much...

I enjoy creating atmosphere. Some of the most fun I had as a DM was running Curse of Strahd. I had Tabletop Audio and Ambient Mixer to create creepy soundscapes. Crows and wolves, creaking wood and howling wind. Coupled with my descriptions, painted such an evocative picture. For the first few...

I second this, its a D&D Next Playtest adventure, that comes with a sizable gazetteer style book for Icewind Dale. I purchased the PDF on DriveThru before running Storm King's Thunder. Some of this information might well be reprinted or rewritten in the Frostmaiden book though. You can get the...

Considering that a Monk is Proficient with Shortswords and Daggers, both Finesse weapons, they could by raw use Sneak Attack. Martial Arts allows you to use Dex for both attacks and damage on unarmed strikes, and all monk weapons. That's basically Finesse. So I would allow it, especially when...

I don't know if Leshies were in PF 1e (probably were), but I know in 2e they have several heritages. I believe Leshies are sapient constructs created by druids out of plants. Fungus Gourd Leaf Vine

I don't think you can convince someone to play D&D if they don't want to. Better not force it. If you just play with the Kids, I imagine she'll come to watch for a little bit. That might catch her interest, or if the kids like it their excitement might convince her. But in my experience...

Some others have touched on this but I think it depends on how much you trust your DM. If you know your DM has unfair tendencies or handles some RP in ways you don't like, you will probably think being captured by that guy's NPCs would be bad. (You should probably also work some stuff out of...