It's about time for another roundup, which means it's time to collect the most recent Snarfticles (I WILL MAKE FECTH HAPPEN) into a single post for archiving.
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Reading Rules and RPG Musings
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A Little bit 'o D&D History
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Greyhawk: It's Back, and It's Spectacular!
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Media, Pop Culture, and Arbitrary and Capricious Rankings
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Law-like Substance
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If you're looking for the past archives, you can find them here .... woah ... this is the SIXTH archive. Well, it's all about the joy of six, amirite?
First Archive
Second Archive
Third Archive
Fourth Archive
Fifth Archive
Sixth Archive
Reading Rules and RPG Musings

D&D General - Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, and Canon: Stare Decisis in D&D
The recent announcement of the inclusion of Greyhawk in D&D: The Re-D&Dening DMG, got me thinking to myself, “Self, what about canon? What about precedent? What about stare decisis? And why do you keep watching Ultimate Beastmaster on streaming, even though, objectively, it is the worst show...


D&D General - One Piece of Art X: The Weird Art
Welcome to part TEN in the art appreciation series- One Piece of Art! Prior columns are linked to at the bottom. It's been a while, but I thought I'd resurrect it. What was the weirdest art in D&D that inspired your gonzo D&D sensibilities? This is a little bizarre... basically, we are looking...


D&D General - Greyhawk, Eberron, and Genre in Campaign Settings
Moving somewhat tangentially from the wonderful news about Greyhawk (#GREYHAWKCONFIRMED!), I thought I'd go more deeply into a discussion about why there is a limit to analogies regarding campaign settings and genre. While I normally discuss this topic in terms of Greyhawk and "Swords and...


D&D General - On Early D&D and Problematic Faves: How to Grapple with the Sins of the Past
A topic that has recently arisen again is the issue of problematic material in early Dungeons & Dragons. If you aren't familiar with the most recent controversy, the thread (about Gary Gygax and sexism) is here. That said, this is a topic that continues to re-occur. Sometimes it is about the...


D&D General - A History of Violence: Killing in D&D
When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like nail. And when all your rules are about combat, every problem can be solved with swords and fireballs. One issue that we often allude to in these threads, but rarely dwell on, is the nature of violence in Dungeons & Dragons. We will often...


D&D General - I'm a Creep, I'm a Powergamer: How Power Creep Inevitably Destroys Editions
When you played D&D before Couldn't look you in the eye You just like to roleplay Your champion fighter makes me cry You just like the fluff And the lore of the campaign world I wish I was special Gonna make my character so special But I'm a creep I'm a powergamer What the hell am I doin' here...


D&D General - Lies, Darn Lies, and Statistics: Why DPR Isn't the Stat to Rule them All
Far too often, we see a clickbait-y youtube video. You know. Shocked looking woman. Big red arrow. WHY (insert a class here) SUCKS. Or maybe it's a post here. Or an essay elsewhere. And the person says that they have proven how much a class, or a spell, or an option SUCKS because they have run...


D&D General - How to be a Not-Terrible DM: Thoughts on the Upcoming DMG
The upcoming release of 5e! Here We Go Again has led to a lot of conversations about what might be in the upcoming Dungeon Master's Guide (the DMG). Which is entertaining, because, as we all know, no one reads the DMG. Ahem. But one of the major issues of contention is that many people believe...


Do you need or prefer physical dice when playing?
For once, I am not going to bore you with a long essay. I was recently in the excellent thread about learning from game designers started by @Art Waring (I highly recommend you check it out!), and it caused me to revisit an earlier series I had started about the physical nature of TTRPGs, and an...


D&D General - Why the Great Thief Debate Will Always Be With Us
There are only four certainties in life- 1. Death. 2. Even though you know better, you will respond to that person who is wrong on the internet. 3. Taxes. 4. A long, meandering post by Snarf. Look at the bright side ... this isn't death or taxes, and I am sure you will be able to resist telling...

A Little bit 'o D&D History

D&D General - Haste: The (system) Shocking History of the Spell!
I recently fell down a deep rabbit hole of research after looking at one of my favorite obscure rules from AD&D - the system shock roll! More importantly, while looking into it, I happened to come across the weird history of the haste spell, and why that might explain one of the least-used, most...


AD&D- Overpowered Magic Items
So a quote from @DarkCrisis in the thread announcing the new PHB had me thinking... "I mean, you can use AD&D magic items in 5E games. Nothing really stops you." AD&D magic items! Oh yeah! Now, obviously, AD&D had magic items. I mean, you couldn't clear out a dungeon without tripping over the...


D&D General - Not the Wicked Witch: Revisiting the Legacy of Lorraine Williams
The recent conclusion of the excellent podcast series, When We Were Wizards (review here) brought up the topic of Lorraine Williams. Much like the book, Game Wizards (review here), the podcast presents Lorraine Williams and the ouster of Gygax from TSR in a very different light than what was...


D&D General - Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast the First Magic Missile: Why Gygax Still Matters to Me
I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model. I am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. -The Round Mound of Rebound, his excellency, Sir Charles Barkley I realized that while I have discussed, in depth and several times (most recently here), the...


D&D General - When We Were Wizards: Review of the Completed Podcast!
Four years ago, screenwriter, Adam Turner and Dungeons & Dragons® historian, Paul Stormberg, embarked on a project about Gary Gygax, D&D®, and TSR Hobbies, the company he founded to publish the game. During the course of this project they recorded their ongoing conversations, not only about the...


D&D General - When We Were Wizards: Trailer for the Podcast
Came across this - This is from the Youtube description: Four years ago, screenwriter, Adam Turner and Dungeons & Dragons® historian, Paul Stormberg, embarked on a project about Gary Gygax, D&D®, and TSR Hobbies, the company he founded to publish the game. During the course of this project...

Greyhawk: It's Back, and It's Spectacular!

D&D (2024) - GREYHAWKCONFIRMED! Reflections on Greyhawk in the DMG
I've had time to think about it now, so I thought I'd put together a brief (yes, really!) post about my thoughts regarding Greyhawk in the DMG for 5e: 5e Harder. Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a man of wealth and taste. I've been around for a long, long year. And I've stolen many of...


D&D (2024) - Greyhawk- New Map, Discussion of Changes
In my thread about Greyhawk, I realized that I didn't have a lot to say. Because ... I'm relatively happy. Go figure! I kept expecting that I would have a LOT to say about the Greyhawk announcement, but ... nope. However, one topic did come up. WoTC has released the new map of Greyhawk! Now...


D&D General - The Greyhawk Pantheon: How Greyhawk Approaches Deities (& Demigods)
A recent thread by @Jolly Ruby posed an interesting question- is the Greyhawk pantheon, like, lame and stuff? And I admit ... it's a fair point! It's a little different, especially given that some of the Greyhawk pantheon has been appropriated by certain other settings. In the same way that you...


D&D General - A Rose By Any Other Name: Names in Greyhawk and a Little Judgin'
Howdy all! I am combining two topics today, shared by one slender thread. Names, they can be funny, amirite? So I will be doing a short dive into some lesser-known and famous judges, and then doing a bit of a deeper dive into Greyhawk, and more specifically ... why are the names so weird? If...


D&D General - Greyhawk: Snarf's Guide to Ready-Made Campaign Themes!
Well, if you were dreading another post by me, you can blame @trappedslider ... that's right. I remember you calling me out. GREYHAWK! I mean, I've written (checks) approximately 594 essays on it, and worked hard to make fetch #JUSTICE4BARGLE #GREYHAWKCONFIRMED happen, so I should be happy...

Media, Pop Culture, and Arbitrary and Capricious Rankings

Civilizations, RANKED!
So you probably saw the title and thought to yourself, "Self, this is a thread that is absolutely cruising to a thread-lock!" HA HA! No. A recent announcement had me thinking about a topic that is near and dear to my heart .... Snarf's Strange Preoccupations- Power Rankings 1. The banal...


Tarantino Movies, Ranked!
Having not posted a pop-culture thread in a little while, and having a short period of time on my hands, I thought I'd put up the following for discussion and/or debate! This was caused by a comment in another thread about Tarantino, and I realized ... I have done Cronenberg. I have done Wes...


Paul Thomas Anderson Movies: Ranked! (And discussion)
As a certified glutton for punishment, I am continuing with the rankings of directors. I've done Tarantino. I've done the Coen Brothers. I've done the other Anderson (WES ANDERSON). I've done Cronenberg. (So ... many ... movies). Now it's time PT Anderson, aka, "The Anderson who doesn't do...


User Name and Avatars: Origin Stories
There was a thread, started a long time ago, that allowed people to discuss their user names. Why did you choose that user name? Unfortunately, I checked recently and it appears that it is now buried in the archived threads section. Which is sad, because that it where I first learned the real...


Olympics Talk: A brief discussion before it goes away
Watching the Olympics is fun. I love it. Although, confession time, I love the Winter Olympics more. Why? Who knows what damage was inflicted upon me for that, but that's the way it is. Anyway, I was watching the shot put yesterday (gold medal) and I saw how devastated some of the athletes...


Streaming Movies and Power Rankings: A Reverie on Max's A24 and Netflix's Rebel Ridge
Warning: There will be a discussion of the following movies, that may contain spoilers, in this post and/or the comments. The OP will be light on actual spoilers, but I know how people get, so I don't want any complaining: Rebel Ridge, I Saw the TV Glow, Civil War, The Iron Claw, Love Lies...


I AM KING OF THE WORLD! Ranking James Cameron's Films
It's been a while, right? If you're new to this, I like to occasionally post lists for discussion; usually, the discussion is, "Snarf, why are your rules so arbitrary and capricious?" to which I reply, "Because I am arbitrary and capricious, just like Mama Snarf raised me." Ahem. Anyway, I love...


🏳️🌈Pride Month- Celebrating Representation in TTRPGs (2024)
This is an update and edit from a prior post. Please note there will be references to mature subject matter in games in this post. While it is not explicit, it is present. June is LGBTQI+ month* in the United States (aka Pride Month), and I wanted to make a post celebrating that Pride in the...

Law-like Substance

Don't Lie To Your Attorney, Because You're Paying Them to Lie for You
The discussions about how to pick an attorney had me thinking about the one, single, piece of advice I would tell every person to remember when talking to their attorney. And the advice is very simple. DON’T LIE TO YOUR ATTORNEY. Lying is your attorney’s job. Ahem. Seriously, though. Subject...


Picking an Attorney- The Final Word
Well, I dragged this out for a while, didn't I? I s'pose I should wrap it up. If you want to refresh your recollection, you can check out the first part here, the second part here, the third part here, the fourth part here, and even take some quick detours in why litigation costs so much (with a...


TSR - How Appealing! Is the nuTSR Appeal Bananas?
Lex Loci Delicious! That's right, I am going to tie some of the specific issues in the nuTSR case with a general overview of the appellate process. Which means that today's topic is the appeal. "Appeal" come from the old Latin, which, roughly translated, means "Additional compensation for...


Once More Into the Breach: Lawsplainer on Legal Text, Annotated
"The purpose of Indiana's nudity law would be violated, I think, if 60,000 fully consenting adults crowded into the Hoosier Dome to display their genitals to one another, even if there were not an offended innocent in the crowd." Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc., 501 U.S. 560, 575 (1991) (Scalia...


Taking What They Giving Cause You're Working For A Living: Snarfsplainer
Greetings and salutations, loyal .... um... fan. It has been a while* since I have posted anything law-like. So, I thought I’d spend a few minutes today talking about the fun and games involved when you sue ... your employer. Wait, what? YOUR EMPLOYER IS THE SOURCE OF LIGHT AND JOY. DO NOT ANGER...


Snarf's Unwarranted Repose- Lazy Law Explained Badly
I am taking a short break from the law-like substance posts. So, I will leave you in the meantime with two things; a brief legal concept, poorly explained. And a request for feedback. If you post a legal-y question below (subject to the terms and conditions at the end of this post), I may answer...


Short Circuit: How Appealing is Your Court?
Today marks another milestone in the continuing exploration of Laws, Flaws, Claws, and Tacos (tacos not guaranteed) by Snarf. This is somewhat related to a question from @Scribe about intellectual property. Anyway, of interest today are the Federal Courts of Appeal. These are the appellate...


nuTSR and the Defamation Lawsuit: How to Read the Appellate Brief of LaNasa
This is, of course, the 30th installment of Snarfsplains the Law (numbers are approximate, yet tiring). No one told me that there would be maths. And today we shall learn how to read an appellate brief and understand all the information in it, specifically, all of the information that is hidden...


Let's Go Get Sushi and Not Pay: Snarfsplainin' White Collar Crime
Greetings fans of Snarf's lawsplainers , all three of you! Recent events in the news have brought up some old, familiar memories- specifically, so-called “white collar” crime. This is also a recurring issue on these forums- from the nuTSR saga to other issues involving bad actors in the RPG...

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