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Layoffs suck, but let's not make this into more than it is. Turnover and new talent is generally healthy for a company, particularly for companies that depend on new ideas and innovation. If TSR/WotC had never hired new talent, we wouldn't have had the products we've enjoyed over the years...

It's not PAX. We've got PAX Seattle in 2009, and then PAX East Coast (and PAX Seattle) in 2010. We figure those in the center of the country can pick a coast, and go to one show or the other. :) -z

One of the basics of squad level tactics is recognizing the role of each member of the squad, and working together to optimize the appropriate role for the current situation. 4E helps with this by labeling each class's role. So in a situation vs. a lot of minions, the other party members work...

Congrats on jumping into hosting games! You'll have a great time. 1. Miniatures Think like a casting director, and sort your minis by role/type. Why? You'll very rarely have the *perfect* mini in inventory, and this system helps you find a suitable stand-in for your particular encounter...

Thanks, Merric. Good to see you posting about minis again. :) My two cents: this is a good move. It's rarely a good idea to throw good money after bad. This focuses D&D's miniatures team on the core product (the D&D RPG) and answers many of the cries of DDM's detractors (those who wanted...

It'd never work as a physical retail product. The Starter Set is meant for Wal-Mart and book stores, and those stores' buyers are going to have a hard enough time taking the Starter Set into their inventory. A companion to that Starter Set? Forget about it. This is the way to go. Take your...

First: I'm a huge supporter of the Starter Set idea, and I'm glad it's in the marketplace. Viewing this product as targeted primarily at DMs, it makes a lot more sense. Now I understand why character creation was left out, for now. If the 10-12 year old DM says "let's play a game", gets his...

Better idea: give someone a relatively complete game for free. This starter set discussion resonates with me because I'm pretty keen on the whole "free to pay" model. That being: give away your content, attract fans, and let those fans pay you as they choose. Easiest example, for me, is Penny...

That. That right there. That's what's wrong with this Starter Set. D&D's system--whatever edition--is the least important part of D&D. And the pain of that noob's character's death? That emotional attachment? That's the most important part. If the starter set showcases only combat and skill...

If it doesn't contain character creation, this Starter Set is a start to something other than Dungeons & Dragons. I think WotC could have included basic rules that allowed players to experience the joy of character creation (and thereafter, the joy of playing your own character) with easy...

I'd love to have a bunch o' orcs, bunch o' skeletons, bunch o' goblins, and so on.

In 4E you roll 4E damage once, and apply to all targets of the same attack. So I think that since both targets are curse, roll your curse damage too and apply to both. You're still doing curse damage 1/round--your curse damage is applying to a single attack. Though I can see it the other way...

I prefer either 1 player (+1 DM), or 4 to 5 players (+1 DM). 5 players allows for one player to flake out each week, and still leave enough players for a good game session. With 4 players it's tougher to account for real life's intrusions. :)

So what's the solution, joethelawyer? If you were directing WotC, would you instead focus on customer acquisition (collect as many $90 as you can!)? Or DDI and other ways to derive revenue from existing customers (DDI!)? Or both? Also, let's not forget that miniatures are one way to get regular...

You've got a lot of the pieces identified, but I think you're putting them together incorrectly. Polearm Gamble allows an OA, and OAs interrupt. This is the heart of your confusion. You're defining a "regular OA", and there's no such thing. OAs are a type of action. They're defined on page...

A WoW-like crafting system is utterly wrong for D&D. Crafting in MMORPGs is there for those times when you start earlier or play later than your guildmates. It's nothing more or less than a timesink. D&D is a game of heroic fantasy. It's a game meant to be played with others, around a table...

When I play a melee character in 4E, I never "carry" my melee weapon unless the adventure is in a very enclosed space. Instead, I walk around with a javelin in hand. It just makes sense to do so when you're in the open, and encounters will begin at range. So you: 1. Challenge (minor action) 2...

Hey, are you Lore Sjoberg, of Brunching Shuttlecocks fame? Recently of Wired? Man, this article was the best thing ever: http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/alttext/2008/06/alttext_0618 Thanks for that. Anyway: I quoted Lore because he spoke the truth. The OP's player is a...

Agreed. A class name lets the player and the rest of the table quickly understand what it is you do, and generally, how you go about doing it. It's a good thing. Classless systems, IMHO, wind up with kind of muddled characters, where no one really knows what they (or anyone else) can do. And...

The pdfs are terrific for building characters. I can search for "vs. Will", for instance, and quickly run through all the powers that synergize best with the 16th level Divine Oracle ability. I gotta admit, when I've got the physical book in my hands I often find myself wishing for ctrl-f...