Alphastream
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Results for tag: D&D Next
Posted by:
Alphastream1
on Apr 29, 2013 at 02:21:40 PM
D&D Next: A Touch of Class Class, subclass, build, kit, theme... just what goes into defining a character's class? What do we gain, and how best can we reflect commonalities and differences between the different varieties of classes in the game? What should D&D Next do? What is behind Legend & Lore's article on subclasses? Legend & Lore states that the definition of a subclass can vary: "Each class will have a different take on what a subclass actually represents to it." The cleric subclasses are based on deities. The wizard on tradition. The fighter subclasses would include "warlord, knight, samurai, gladiator, or scout". The rogue would have "assassin, the thief, and the vagabond".
Taxonomy is Not the Goal
An important first point is that this isn't (or shouldn't be) about ...
Posted by:
Alphastream1
on Apr 15, 2013 at 11:38:28 AM
D&D Next: A Model for Feats and Other Build Options Legends & Lore discussed new options for acquiring Feats today. Neither those options nor the current D&D Next packet meet the goals I have for character generation:
 ...
Posted by:
Alphastream1
on Aug 3, 2012 at 06:12:42 PM
Classic Adventures: Converting Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh to D&D Next  Update: You can now purchase a pdf of this adventure! Last time I focused on character relationships as a way to make a classic adventure more interesting. I also shared my notes on how I converted the end of Temple of Elemental Evil's moathouse into D&D Next format. I want to more specifically cover how we can easily take a classic adventure and convert it to D&D Next. Recently I converted the classic U1, Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, for use in D&D Next. How easy was this? It took me 30 minutes while I was in the passenger seat of a car! Oh, and before I go further, it is worth mentioning that Wizards recently released some ideas on extending Caves of Chaos after a party has done initial explorations.  Why Secret?
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Posted by:
Alphastream1
on Jul 16, 2012 at 01:54:58 PM
Interlude: Extending the Five Minute Workday Legends & Lore discussed the Five Minute Workday, the concept that after a very short period of time (such as one battle), the players decide to rest again so as to regain all of their resources. I was pretty dissatisfied with the column, in part because I didn't understand what it was advocating. After reading it several times, it seems to say the following:
Posted by:
Alphastream1
on Jul 9, 2012 at 09:17:15 PM
Interlude: D&D Next and the Digital Divide "D&D Game Table. We've been showing this off at conventions and to the press these past few months, and it gets better and better each time I see a new build. This application will really fulfill our promise of D&D play 24/7" - Bill Slavicsek 6/9/2008 
The original D&D Virtual Table Top "Just to give you guys an idea, this took about five months and that included building the AT infrastructure from scratch (this is completely client code, vs the CB that has a distributed architecture) and implementing the MB. Next tools should be quicker" - Paolo Marcucci, 9/13/2011, after the often delayed online MB was released. (10 months later no new tools had been produced)
Offline Adventurer Tools. Note the four blank spots. "While we appreciate the enthusiasm...
Posted by:
Alphastream1
on Jul 3, 2012 at 05:30:07 PM
D&D Next and Classic Adventures: Organizing the (Caves of) Chaos Last time we mentioned that it is easy to convert classic adventures to D&D Next. We also talked at a high level about some of the shortcomings of old adventures and then went through the history of The Keep on the Borderlands. Thanks for the great feedback on that and earlier blogs! This time I want to look at how we can use the D&D Next playtest packet to improve on classic adventures. The easiest way to do that is to look at Caves of Chaos. In later installments we can apply these lessons to other adventures.
Goals When Converting to D&D Next
Here are...
Posted by:
Alphastream1
on Jul 1, 2012 at 11:49:20 PM
Interlude: D&D Next and Magic Items A brief interlude to talk about the subject of today's Legend & Lore column: magic items. But, before that, please make sure to fill out the survey on editions, organized play, and where and how you play. The evolution of magic items in D&D has been interesting. From Original D&D to Basic to AD&D to 2E, magic items were the domain of the Dungeon Master. The DM selected (or even rolled randomly) based on the types of creatures or level of dungeon involved. As a result, there was often a sense of mystery. If you didn't own the DMG and similar DM books, you didn't know all of the items available. And if the DM was at times rolling randomly, there was a chance you would get a really neat and sometimes powerful item. Powerful, however, wasn't the same as in...
Posted by:
Alphastream1
on Jun 29, 2012 at 05:25:18 PM
D&D Next and Classic Adventures: Using Classics and the History Behind the (Caves of) Chaos Today I want to start a series on how classic adventures can be used with D&D Next. With recent announcements suggesting that we won't get some additional playtest content for a while, this is hopefully useful. How deeply I delve into the subject will in part depend on your feedback. If this is useful, I'll keep the series going longer.  D&D Next: Gateway to the Past
One of the joys of D&D Next is that it translates really easily to previous editions. I have a vast collection of old adventures (and classics can be often had for $10 or less through your local gaming store or on E-Bay. Update: pdf versions of D&D material can now be found on D&D Classics.com!). Starting with 3E it became really...
Posted by:
Alphastream1
on Jun 18, 2012 at 11:55:35 AM
The Lurker Fallacy  Playtesting D&D Next has been a lot of fun and has created many interesting discussions within our group related to game design, play styles, and editions. Sometimes, however, our group finds something where we are all unanimous. Such a thing is the design of lurkers in 4E and the design of the rogue in D&D Next. It was no surprise to us to see the rogue be designed as it is. It continues a long trend from the very beginning of 4E, and it goes like this: A lurker is often a creature that disappears from site, landing a devastating blow the next turn. And, here's the added kicker that really seals the deal: 'devastating' is usually defined as double damage (and sometimes less). Example: The 4E Twig Blight
Posted by:
Alphastream1
on Jun 12, 2012 at 11:36:39 AM
Addendum: D&D Next Monster Design and Organized Play First, I want to plug something I had the pleasure of playtesting and helping with: the Midgard Bestiary for 4th Edition! This is a Kickstarter by Kobold Quarterly. KQ is pretty awesome for bridging the editions. They take the best of each (as well as edition neutral content) and provide fantastic publications. One of my favorites is their guide to Board Game design, and I don't even make board games! This monster book is really sweet. I like it so much... more on that later... For now, let's say the monsters are proof of what you will read below! Organized Play is a large category of play that encompasses... |
