Search results

As for novels, I like suspense and tension for sure but I don't need explosions all the time. I loved LOTR. It seemed full of suspense to me. I like characters that realistically change over time. It's one reason I love the movie Casablanca.

I think most of my groups lean strongly vicarious but it is a continuum. We like immersion though more so in building their story as the game progresses than in elaborate backstories. I've pushed for backstories but my players do only what I require of them.

In my gamist way of thinking, I always thought characters started at a high level were not earned. Yes I know for some that sounds weird but that is what it is. I would though allow high levels for a one shot or some non-campaign sort of thing.

I never judge a product by the effort. I judge it by my own enjoyment or by how much I learned. Why do I care if a person did it with ease or struggled all night.

Fighters were pretty devastating. Even at high levels they could drop a magic user in one round most of the time. They never got tired or ran out of "powers".

I'm 57, I remember those films but I'd heard of LOTR before I heard of those specifically. I went to the library very regularly when really young but mostly did Hardy Boys and then got into Isaac Asimov. So you could say my now lifelong interest in the fantasy genre coincided with D&D. I may...

I'm saying that any book's popularity rises and falls over time and that D&D sent a lot of people out to buy the LOTRs in the late 70's and 80's. Just like the movies no doubt sent people out to buy the books. I'm not saying Tolkien was unheard of prior to D&D. I am saying it popularized it...

It's a nice overview. I don't care whether AI did it or not. I'm not sure why anyone does.

And I disagree if by ask you mean transfer the information and not use the specific word. My groups want to know if someone is a fighter, rogue, wizard, cleric, etc... They will try to discern that information in game. They might say "What are they?" when asking about race. They may not say...

I would definitely say that humanity leans evil overall. Just not far enough to lose it's neutral status. A demon leans even farther towards evil. Elves in my worlds at least lean good. So for me I see it two ways. There is the fundamental bent towards evil which humans have but there is...

It may be that all of this was synergistic. I don't know many former hippies that were reading LOTR's in the 70's. I do know that since D&D, Tolkien has never fall far out of the spotlight. The much later movies though didn't hurt to keep sustaining interest.

This is probably where we differ. All of those concepts are known in world for all of my campaigns that had them. They might not use the term "class" but they do know they are a wizard and they are aware of spell progression and when they get a feat. That is character knowledge. And I...

It had many influences of course and I think D&D made LOTR popular again as it was published in 1954. But LOTR's influence is still there in D&D. When I say loosely, I am not saying in every way. I'm saying there are some connections. Many of the races. The party concept. And of course...

I think D&D used to be loosely Tolkienesque.

The reviewer specifically said Owlbear Rodeo does not have a die roller.

In my games, it mostly only mattered for clerics. I also only allowed detect evil or alignment on beings of strong persuasion and most people were not. I like as a guideline for monsters it's useful. I could though be open to something else perhaps a faction system like 13th Age though I feel...

Wilderness Survival Guide says 48 miles on a light unencumbered riding horse. You can force march up to 72 miles but the chances for a lame horse go up. And exhaustion sets in rapidly so unless you arrive after 72 miles it's not good for an extended journey.

I agree. There is also the notion that with a group of new players the DM should go easy anyway until everyone gets a feel for their characters. The DM can then gradually turn the dial up as play progresses.

I just want a map, tokens, and a good die roller. I don't want to automate my game or character sheets. What should I use?

I never used the budgets even in 4e. With variable numbers of players, characters, skill, etc... it's all a crapshoot. And yes 4e isn't going to result in a TPK because honestly I went way beyond what was recommended with my group and never even sniffed a TPK. I did love the way monster stat...