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sweet spot From EN Worlds own D&D 4th Edition News Page: "The very first thing they said to me was that the core rulebooks will span levels 1-30. Not only that, but those levels are supposed to extend the "sweet spot" of D&D, which WotC guesstimated at currently being levels 4-14ish." This is...

Guns:some history and my rules Two things to consider... Guns became the dominant battlefield weapon for many of the reasons cited above, but another major factor for it's dominance was the massed infantry volley; specifically the way it cut down cavalry. This had the effect of rendering...

I've been thinking of trying to get an old school feel in my games too. Here's some of my ideas- No sorcerers- Magic users memorize/prepare spell in advance. Period. Racial restrictions on classes- e.g. No elf clerics. No Dwarf magic users. Bard as prestige class (very 1st edition!) Potion...

I voted Master Transmogrifist because everytime I read Transmogrifist I think of Calvin and his Transmogrifier, after which I lose myself in a Calvin and Hobbesian reverie and can't think about D&D.

Rare. There really is no better way to enjoy meat. Seriously. Also, none of this lean no fat crap. Give a well marbled NY Strip and just sear the outside.

Al-Qadim is my favorite non-trad setting. So much good stuff in it from the obvious environmental change (desert/jungle vs temperate forests) to the religious orders, but you had to have a group of players that really bought into the setting. Iron Kingdoms is great, I just wish they hadn't...

This has always bothered me a little bit too. IMC the settled areas don't have a lot of monsters (they do have viscious and evil NPC's though...). It's the fringes of civilization where the monsters are. And, as mentioned above, I use a limited palette of monsters (be sure to let Rangers...

Hack AND Genius I agree, his stories aren't the scariest stories ever written, but the fantastic descriptions and sense of looming darkness and horror of "things that should not be" was certainly groundbreaking and is often brilliantly executed. On the other hand, he was a writer of pulp...

I liked the old halflings, I like the new... ...but they are kenderesque, which isn't entirely a bad thing. Can't remember if it was due to the rules, or just my gaming group, but before DL all "wee" folk were played like LOTR hobbits. Any hobbit PC was considered very exceptional in that...

I think you're right, my main problems with 3.x is that there isn't enough emphasis on role-playing, there's a lack of non-combat options, and the presentation is often juvenile. I'm no prude, but why do so many of the illustrations present characters and npc's dressed like exotic strippers? It...

Too true, sometimes I wonder if it's that CRPG's have influenced DnD or if DnD is responsible for all the hack/slash CRPG's. I played a lot in 1981, but the room to room hack and slash model was pretty common. Doesn't that basically describe modules B1 & B2? I know some folks complained...

Well now, I wouldn't go that far. Could have used a better name, but after all, it's only a name... Funny thing about the internet, you never know when you're talking to a discordian or when you're talking to a charter member of the Bavarian Illuminati or worse, a fundamentalist agnostic of...

I mostly agree, but I think there are two key mechanics touched on previously that could be improved. First, a better and more diverse non-combat conflict resolution system. Something beyond bluff, diplomacy and intimidate. Second, alignment seems to me to be a sticking point. Not just that...

Murder has got to be an evil act no matter how you slice it and Swearengen committed and ordered the murders of several people. I entirely agree with the internal struggle. In fact, his real LG character is shown by that struggle, although he did bring it to the brink. I couldn't agree more...

Swearengen for me is possibly the most interesting character since Tony Soprano. He's definitely not good, and I think the chaotic part is probably correct. Except, he was the one who suggested a town government and led the whole shebang, which seems like a lawful act to me (granted, it was in...

As a buzzer and occasional blaster (I love a good cigar, and smoke 1/2 pack of "lights" a day) and a former grad student in pharmacology. I have to disagree. A cigarette does not just bring me back to normal paramaters. Nicotine has a lot of affects on the central nervous system, and does...

I don't think this is what DB is referring to in regards to "maturity." If he is, you're right, it will make the game less mature. This reminds me of a conversation I had about the HBO dramas. I was raving about all of them and specifically Deadwood, and a friend said "yea, you gotta love...

This is also an issue for me, and no, it's not because I'm embarrassed in front of artsy FUDGE playes. I'm embarrassed by much of the artwork, which is juvenile in nature, and makes my in-laws and co-workers look at me funny when they peruse my bookshelves. I can live with it, but I don't like...

I wasn't clear enough. I meant the orc kids you made orphans by killing their parents. Not "extracurricular" ophans, though those should be dealt with too. Personally, most of the groups I've played with steer clear of the whole "romance role-playing" thing. The one time my bearded, 260 lb...

You're absolutely right on this one, but I suspect we're not alone in tweaking alignment. Personally, I plan to use honor, taint and allegiences as a replacement, but I'm worried about things getting too complex. Anybody else have other ideas?